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Forum Macao focuses on cooperation between mainland provinces, Portuguese-speaking countries

Xinhua) 13:05, October 22, 2022

MACAO, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), also known as Forum Macao, has co-hosted events in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) to facilitate cooperation between Chinese mainland provinces and PSCs.

Delegations of the coastal and economically strong provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Fujian on Thursday discussed deepening cooperation with PSCs on the economic, trade and cultural fronts, and promoting the application and industrialization of innovations, and scientific and technological projects.

Ji Xianzheng, secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum Macao, said the forum would continue serving as a platform for mainland provinces and municipalities to carry out economic and cultural cooperation with PSCs, so as to combine the advantages of rich natural resources in PSCs and huge market potentials on the Chinese mainland.

Lu Shan, vice governor of Zhejiang, said the eastern province is willing to continue facilitating trade and investments with PSCs, promoting infrastructure connectivity, and cooperating with PSCs on green trade and energy conservation to foster new growth points.

On behalf of PSCs, Paulo Jorge Rodrigues do Espirito Santo, deputy secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum Macao, encouraged mainland and Macao enterprises to invest in PSCs and seek better solutions on boosting the economic development of all parties concerned, calling for support to small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Founded in Macao in 2003, the forum is aimed at enhancing economic and trade exchanges between China and PSCs, giving full play to Macao's role of an economic and trade platform linking China and PSCs, and promoting the common development of the Chinese mainland, PSCs and the Macao SAR.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Wu Chaolan)
Weather Alert

...Cold Temperatures, Winds, and Snow Return This Week... After a quiet holiday weekend, a few storms are on track to bring back colder temperatures, periods of windy conditions, and the potential for snow in the Sierra and western Nevada the week ahead. A quick-hitting storm will pass through the region today with gusty winds, colder temperatures, and chances for snow showers. Highest snow potential will be in the Warner mountains, Surprise Valley and northern Washoe County (60% chance of 1 to 2 inches) with lesser potential as the storm slides southward across the Interstate 80 corridor (50% chance of a dusting). Winds will be more impactful than the snow with this early week storm. Widespread valley wind gusts 35 to 45 mph are forecast with Sierra crest winds gusting to 70+ mph. Plan on impacts to activities in the backcountry and on area lakes as well as turbulence for aviators. Latest guidance continues to point to a couple of more impactful storms Thursday through next weekend. These storms will be capable of producing strong winds and more significant snowfall accumulations, with some snow even down in the valleys. Stay tuned in to the latest forecasts this week as travel could become difficult, especially in the Sierra and northeast California.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Prosecutors scooped up recordings of phone conversations between a defense attorney and his client at the Metropolitan Detention Center among the thousands of jail calls collected by the 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office, a judge said Friday.

There seems to be really no dispute that there are attorney-client privileged communications on the files that were disclosed, District Judge Brett Loveless said after hearing hours of testimony this week.

Albuquerque attorney William Cooley alleges that the DAs office obtained 133 recordings of jail calls he had with his client in violation of constitutional protections for attorney-client communications.

Cooley told the judge in an unusual two-day hearing that he obtained recordings of the attorney-client conversations from the DAs office, which provided the audio files on thumb drives on Aug. 23 and Sept. 9 as part of the discovery process.

Cooley contends the phone calls gave prosecutors insight into his strategy for defending his client and is asking the judge to disqualify the DAs office from prosecuting the criminal case.

Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Kallen told the judge that he listened to none of the attorney-client calls and the fact that the DAs office has them doesnt amount to a conflict of interest.

Whether I actually listened to them is an important fact for the court to consider, and I did not, Kallen said Friday. Kallen also contends that Cooley didnt take the proper steps to prevent MDC from recording his calls.

Loveless asked attorneys to submit written arguments next week and ordered the DAs office not to listen to any jail calls until the issue is resolved.

Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center and other jails and prisons in New Mexico routinely record phone calls between inmates and outside parties. Those recordings often are introduced as evidence in criminal trials.

But conversations between defendants and attorneys are protected by attorney-client confidentially under the U.S. Constitution and state and federal laws, Cooley contends.

Cooley represents Stephen Bailey, 26, a former driver for an Albuquerque towing company who was accused in May 2021 of drunken driving, fatally striking a pedestrian and fleeing the scene in his employers tow truck. Jonathan Rosales, 26, was found dead at the scene in the 7600 block of Isleta SW, near Interstate 25.

Bailey told the judge that he was dismayed to learn in August that the DAs office may be listening to his calls with Cooley.

I havent been able to effectively contact my attorney to discuss fair defense for my case, Bailey told the judge. Its been very stressful and it doesnt seem fair. I feel like its been a violation of my rights.

Bailey has remained in MDC since May 2021 on charges of vehicular homicide while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Cooley said the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to visit MDC and that he and his client have had hundreds of phone conversations since Baileys arrest.

The hearing included a testy exchange between the two attorneys on Thursday after the judge swore in Kallen as a witness and Cooley questioned him.

When Cooley asked how the DAs office obtained recordings of the jail calls, Kallen replied, that is work product that is not available.

Judge Loveless asked Kallen to explain his response. Kallen responded that internal policies and procedures of my office are work product. Mr. Cooley has been asking me for a long time for specifically who I asked for jail calls from, how does that request process work, etc. And Im not disclosing that information.

The exchange between the attorneys at one point became so contentious that the judge intervened.

Stop, Loveless said. These are extremely serious allegations. Essentially what the defense has contended is that the state is privy to information protected by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Its not to be taken lightly.

Loveless also ordered Kallen to explain how he obtained the calls.

How I obtain all jail calls, these included, is I submit a request to (the Criminal Strategies Unit) and identify the defendant, his MDC number and the date range of calls that I want, Kallen said.

Second Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez created the Crime Strategies Unit in 2018 to help prosecute criminal networks. The unit includes data analysts and sworn law officers who use technology such as phone records to help investigate crimes.

Kayleigh Otero, a member of the Crime Strategies Unit, testified Friday that her office routinely pulls recordings of MDC jail calls without a warrant by logging into MDCs system through a portal.

In August, the unit extracted more than 3,900 of Baileys jail calls, 481 tablet text messages and other data dating back to May 2021, Otero testified.

Kallen said in a motion that he requested the recordings after learning that Bailey may have told one or more witnesses not to testify, according to court records.

Kallen told the judge that he was unaware that any of those recordings contained attorney-client phone conversations.

Typically, we dont get attorney-client jail calls because the attorney notifies MDC that those calls should not be recorded, he said.

Kallen contends that MDC has a process for excluding attorney-client phone calls from its recording system by providing their phone numbers to the jail, but that Cooley didnt take the required steps.

Mr. Cooley never placed himself on the approved contact list with MDC, notifying them that those calls should not be recorded, Kallen told the judge.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-N.M., said she stands by her record in Congress and has been straightforward with her constituents. Gabe Vasquez, the Democratic challenger, argued that Herrell voted against New Mexicos interest.

The two candidates vying to represent New Mexicos 2nd Congressional District, which includes much of southern New Mexico and parts of Albuquerques South Valley and West Side, faced off in a 30-minute debate Friday night on KOB-TV. They were asked questions about the border, election results, the oil and gas industry, vaccines and abortion.

Heres what I know, we want a nation that has a strong economy, a nation thats safe, Herrell said during her opening remarks. And we want to make sure we live in a country that celebrates the Constitution.

Herrell said shes worked to bring money back to the state while also pushing back against the Democratic majority in the House.

One party rule isnt working, she said.

Vasquez spoke in Spanish at several points and recalled his working class family who immigrated to the state from Mexico.

The American dream means you should be able to afford health care in this country, we should have the freedom to make your own decisions about your own body in this country, that you should be paid a fair wage, Vasquez said. Its so critically important that this economy works for everybody.

The district includes New Mexicos border with Mexico and immigration emerged as a topic in the debate.

Its a problem and we have to solve it. It means closing our border down so that immigration is done properly not illegally, Herrell said. We cant afford more of the same.

Vasquez has said he favors working to streamline worker visa programs. He said immigrants play a crucial role in the states economy.

We must work together in a bipartisan fashion to have a predictable and a humane immigration system, he said.

Abortion has also been a topic in the campaign. Vasquez said there should be a federal law enshrining abortion rights.

Herrell said she thinks state legislatures should decide the issue.

I do agree with the (Supreme Courts) decision. As a matter of fact, it did not change any of  New Mexicos abortion laws, and it didnt deny access to abortion for any woman, she said. And I think its sad that we use a topic that is so personal and should be made between a woman, their family, their doctor, and use it for political gain.

One of Herrells first acts in Congress was voting against certifying the election results in other states. She defended her vote when asked about it Friday.

As a member of Congress, I have a duty to take concerns that have risen to the Congressional level in terms of not certifying the election and get those results back to the state so they can review them in their legislative branches, she said. Listen, its no surprise Democrats and Republicans for years have not certified the election.

Vasquez has faced attack ads for participating in Black Lives Matter protests and prior statements hes made about the oil and gas industry. Herrell said during the debate that she wants to unleash American energy.

Vasquez said he would take a different approach.

The difference between myself and my opponent is that we can actually be a bigger energy champion in this country, we can have a two-track approach that includes unlocking the renewable energy potential that we have here, especially in Southeast New Mexico, he said. However, we also have to make sure that we hold oil and gas companies accountable.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Christopher Nunez learned early on in his 14-year career as a teacher that not all students learn the same way.

Theres not one way you can teach a student, or even get to a student, and, to be honest, youre not gonna get to them all. Nunez said. But that doesnt keep him from trying.

In his four years at Sonoma Elementary School in Las Cruces, hes often found hands-on activities and technology-based methods to be the perfect way to engage with his class of fourth graders. On Friday morning, he was honored for going the extra mile for his students.

In a gym brimming with students, teachers and guests, an unsuspecting Nunez was surprised with the $25,000 Milken Educator Award, often referred to as the Oscar for educators.

The fourth grade math teacher is the sole recipient in New Mexico and one of 40 educators recognized nationwide in the 2022-23 school year. Recipients in each state are surprised with the award announcement.

Students cheered as an awe-struck Nunez made his way slowly to the front to accept his award in the form of a giant check.

Without the support staff, without the awesome students that we have here at Sonoma, its impossible to get something like this, Nunez said. I am honored to represent not only Sonoma Elementary, but Las Cruces, New Mexico, as well.

Kurt Steinhaus, New Mexico Secretary of Education, attended the surprise assembly. He thanked Nunez for his hard work, saying that he exemplified what it means to be a teacher.

Hes gone above and beyond to ensure his fourth graders understand real-world applications of classroom material and become lifelong learners, Steinhaus said. His efforts to amplify the social and academic skills of every child in his class are evident in the high performance of his students.

Nunez comes from a family of educators. His dad has been teaching for over 30 years and is still a teacher at Organ Mountain High School in Las Cruces, something he says inspired him to earn his bachelors degree in elementary education in 2009 and pursue what he calls the family business.

Teaching often becomes a family affair as children grow up in homes that elevate the profession, Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards, said. Christopher Nunez saw this firsthand in his own family.

As a member of Sonoma Elementarys leadership program, Nunez supported the idea of dividing the school into six houses or teams  a system inspired by the Ron Clark Academy  to encourage connections between students from different grades.

The pandemic didnt slow Nunez down. During lockdown, he made sure his lessons were accessible for everyone, held extra Zoom meetings and found ways to make virtual classes more interactive for his students.

I feel like it comes naturally to me, and I actually do love it, I have a deep passion for it, Nunez said. Its something thats in my blood.

Nunezs efforts dont end with mathematics. He leads several after-school programs, including one where students learn how to write human interest stories for Sonomas broadcast channel and another where they get to rework plays and act them out for other students.

Nunezs students have grown from 70% to 100% proficiency on the iReady math assessment and achieved a 92% proficiency on the Star Reading test. Before letting his students go, he has students answer questions about the days lessons to assess their understanding of the material based on green, yellow and red stickers.

Its hard for Nunez to process what happened on Friday. He said he hopes to use the award money, which is unrestricted, on his family and home, but also to give tokens of his appreciation to his students and fellows.

Since 1987, over $73 million in $25,000 awards has been distributed to educators across the United States who are in the early and middle stages of their career.

If I can be a representation for all the great educators here in New Mexico, Im willing to take that on, Nunez said. We have some great teachers here and Im glad that Milken helps bring that out.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A New Mexico vaccine advisory committee plans to meet next month to consider whether to recommend adding the COVID-19 vaccine  and possibly other immunizations  to the list of required vaccinations for public school students.

A recent vote by a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel to add the COVID-19 vaccines to next years recommended immunization schedules for adults and children has reignited debate over the vaccines and led to scrutiny about state-level responses.

Since the advisory panels unanimous vote, several Republican governors have announced they would oppose efforts to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for school children.

But a spokeswoman for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Friday that New Mexicos decision-making on the issue will not be guided by politics, even though the governors health secretary, David Scrase, will make the final decision after receiving recommendations from the state advisory committee whose members include physicians, school nurses and education officials.

The review and recommendation process occurs every year and is based on scientific evidence and expert analysis, said Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett.

She also did not say whether the Democratic governor personally supports a vaccine mandate for children attending schools.

Last year, a top state health official said New Mexico did not plan to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for school attendance. But that was before federal approval was given for several different COVID-19 vaccinations for children under age 12.

We will not be moving toward requiring the vaccine, then-Health Secretary Tracie Collins told an interim legislative committee in July 2021.

Though COVID-19 vaccines are now available for children in all groups, some parents and guardians have been reluctant to get the shots for their kids.

As of this week, roughly 61% of New Mexico children between the ages of 12 and 17 had completed their initial series of vaccine doses, according to state Department of Health data. Among children between the ages of 5 and 11, only about 33% were fully vaccinated.

In comparison, nearly 80% of New Mexico adults age 18 and older had received their primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations, according to DOH data.

Sen. Gregg Schmedes, R-Tijeras, this week asked Lujan Grisham to clarify her position on the issue, but said Friday he does not expect to receive a detailed response.

This is a big deal for parents, said Schmedes, an ear, nose and throat doctor who has opposed face mask mandates during the pandemic, including for lawmakers.

New Mexico currently has state-required immunizations for polio, hepatitis B and several other diseases in order for students to attend schools, with some allowable exemptions.

Those include a medical exemption that requires a physicians certification, a religious exemption that requires a written affirmation from a religious leader and a religious exemption that parents or legal guardians can submit.

Schmedes, who last year sought unsuccessfully to expand the states current vaccine exemptions, said he would try again during the upcoming 60-day legislative session if the COVID-19 vaccine is mandated for public schools.

Its also possible the COVID-19 vaccines could be recommended by the state, but not required.

While New Mexico has recorded more than 8,600 deaths to COVID-19, the majority of those deaths have been individuals age 65 and older, many with underlying health issues.

Since the pandemic hit the state in March 2020, a total of 11 deaths of children under age 18 have been reported in New Mexico, according to DOH data.

Given those figures, Schmedes said a state-level COVID-19 vaccine requirement to attend public schools would not make sense.

It poses a greater than zero risk, but a near-zero risk to children, Schmedes said, referring to the virus.

However, other health experts say the vaccines approved for children are effective in preventing severe illness due to COVID-19 variants, while also helping to reduce virus spread.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine told all residents of the city of Kherson to leave immediately Saturday ahead of an expected advance by Ukrainian troops waging a counteroffensive to recapture one of the first urban areas Russia took after invading the country.

In a post on the Telegram messaging service, the pro-Kremlin regional administration strongly urged civilians to use boat crossings over a major river to move deeper into Russian-held territory, citing a tense situation on the front and the threat of shelling and alleged plans for terror attacks by Kyiv.

Kherson has been in Russian hands since the early days of the nearly 8-month-long war in Ukraine. The city is the capital of a region of the same name, one of four that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed last month and put under Russian martial law on Thursday.

On Friday, Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions across the province, targeting pro-Kremlin forces resupply routes across the Dnieper River and preparing for a final push to reclaim the city.

The Ukrainian military has reclaimed broad areas in the north of the region since launching a counteroffensive in late August. It reported new successes Saturday, saying that Russian troops were forced to retreat from the villages of Charivne and Chkalove in the Beryslav district.

Russian-installed officials were reported as trying desperately to turn Kherson city  a prime objective for both sides because of its key industries and ports  into a fortress while attempting to relocate tens of thousands of residents.

The Kremlin poured as many as 2,000 draftees into the surrounding region to replenish losses and strengthen front-line units, according to the Ukrainian armys general staff.

The wide Dnieper River figures as a major factor in the fighting, making it hard for Russia to supply its troops defending the city of Kherson and nearby areas on the west bank after relentless Ukrainian strikes rendered the main crossings unusable.

Taking control of Kherson has allowed Russia to resume fresh water supplies from the Dnieper to Crimea, which were cut by Ukraine after Moscows annexation of the Black Sea peninsula. A big hydroelectric power plant upstream from Kherson city is a key source of energy for the southern region. Ukraine and Russia accused each other of trying to blow it up to flood the mostly flat region.

Khersons Kremlin-backed authorities previously announced plans to evacuate all Russia-appointed officials and as many as 60,000 civilians across the river, in what local leader Vladimir Saldo said would be an organized, gradual displacement.

Another Russia-installed official estimated Saturday that around 25,000 people from across the region had made their way over the Dnieper. In a Telegram post, Kirill Stremousov claimed that civilians were relocating willingly.

People are actively moving because today the priority is life. We do not drag anyone anywhere, he said, adding that some residents could be waiting for the Ukrainian army to reclaim the city.

Ukrainian and Western officials have expressed concern about potential forced transfers of residents to Russia or Russian-occupied territory.

Ukrainian officials urged Kherson residents to resist attempts to relocate them, with one local official alleging that Moscow wanted to take civilians hostage and use them as human shields.

Elsewhere in the invaded country, hundreds of thousands of people in central and western Ukraine woke up on Saturday to power outages and periodic bursts of gunfire. In its latest war tactic, Russia has intensified strikes on power stations, water supply systems and other key infrastructure across the country.

Ukraines air force said in a statement Saturday that Russia had launched a massive missile attack targeting critical infrastructure, adding that it had downed 18 out of 33 cruise missiles launched from the air and sea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said that Russian launched 36 missiles, most of which were shot down.

Those treacherous blows on critically important facilities are characteristic tactics of terrorists, Zelenskyy said. The world can and must stop this terror.

Air raid sirens blared across Ukraine twice by early afternoon, sending residents scurrying into shelters as Ukrainian air defense tried to shoot down explosive drones and incoming missiles.

Several rockets targeting Ukraines capital were shot down Saturday morning, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging service.

The presidents office said in its morning update that five suicide drones were downed in the central Cherkasy region southeast of Kyiv. Similar reports came from the governors of six western and central provinces, as well as of the southern Odesa region on the Black Sea.

Ukraines top diplomat said the days attacks proved Ukraine needed new Western-reinforced air defense systems without a minute of delay.

Air defense saves lives, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraines presidential office, said on Telegram that almost 1.4 million households lost power as a result of the strikes. He said some 672,000 homes in the western Khmelnytskyi region were affected and another 242,000 suffered outages in the Cherkasy region.

Most of the western city of Khmelnytskyi, which straddles the Bug River and had a pre-war population of 275,000, was left with no electricity, shortly after local media reported several loud explosions.

In a social media post on Saturday, the city council urged local residents to store water in case its also gone within an hour.

The mayor of Lutsk, a city of 215,000 in far western Ukraine, made a similar appeal, saying that power in the city was partially knocked out after Russian missiles slammed into local energy facilities and damaged one power plant beyond repair.

The central city of Uman, a key pilgrimage center for Hasidic Jews with about 100,000 residents before the war, also was plunged into darkness after a rocket hit a nearby power plant.

Ukraines state energy company, Ukrenergo, responded to the strikes by announcing that rolling blackouts would be imposed in Kyiv and 10 Ukrainian regions to stabilize the situation.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, the company accused Russia of attacking energy facilities within the principal networks of the western regions of Ukraine. It claimed the scale of destruction was comparable to the fallout earlier this month from Moscows first coordinated attack on the Ukrainian energy grid.

Both Ukrenergo and officials in Kyiv have urged Ukrainians to conserve energy. Earlier this week, Zelenskyy called on consumers to curb their power use between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. and to avoid using energy-guzzling appliances such as electric heaters.

Zelenskyy said earlier in the week that 30% of Ukraines power stations have been destroyed since Russia launched the first wave of targeted infrastructure strikes on Oct. 10.

In a separate development, Russian officials said two people were killed and 12 others were wounded by Ukrainian shelling of the town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region near the border.

___

Kozlowska reported from London.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
ROME  Giorgia Meloni, whose party with neo-fascist roots finished first in recent elections, was sworn in Saturday as Italys first far-right premier since the end of World War II, pledging to work to help Europe and the United States with common challenges.

Meloni, 45, recited the oath of office before President Sergio Mattarella, who on Friday formally asked her to form a government. She is the first woman to serve as premier.

Her Brothers of Italy party, which she co-founded in 2012, will rule in coalition with the right-wing League of Matteo Salvini and the conservative Forza Italia headed by former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, whose parties did not perform as well in the countrys Sept. 25 election.

Meloni signed a pledge to be faithful to Italys post-war republic, and Mattarella counter-signed it. As head of state, the president serves as guarantor of the Italian Constitution, drafted in the years immediately after the end of World War II and the demise of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

The 24 ministers in Melonis government also were sworn into office in a sumptuous room of the Quirinal Palace.

She will lay out her priorities when she pitches for support in Parliament ahead of confidence votes required of new governments next week.

Those votes could indicate any cracks in the three-party coalition if any of Berlusconi or Salvinis lawmakers, perhaps disgruntled by not getting ministries they wanted for their parties, dont rally behind her.

Melonis government replaces one led by Mario Draghi, a former European Central Bank chief who was appointed by Mattarella in 2021 to lead a pandemic national unity coalition. Meloni refused to join that coalition, insisting voters must decide the makeup of their governments.

While campaigning, Meloni insisted that national interests would prevail over European Union policies should there be conflict.

Salvinis right-wing League party has at times leaned euroskeptic. An admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Salvini has questioned the wisdom of EU sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, arguing that they risk hurting Italian business.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Meloni, noting she was the first woman to hold the premiership.

I count on and look forward to constructive cooperation with the new government on the challenges we face together, the EU chief said.

Meloni tweeted back that that she was eager and ready to work with you to strengthen EU resilience towards our common challenges.

One immediate challenge for Meloni will be ensuring that Italy stays solidly aligned with other major nations in the West in helping Ukraine fight off the invading Russians.

In the days before she became premier, Meloni resorted to an ultimatum to her other main coalition partner, Berlusconi, over his professed sympathy for Putin and dismissive comments about Ukraines president.

Berlusconi, in remarks to Forza Italia lawmakers, appeared to justify the Russian invasion in February to install what he called a decent government in the Ukrainian capital.

After making clear she demands unwavering support for Ukraine, as well as NATO and EU positions on Russias war  Italy with us in government will never be the weak link of the West, she said  Meloni tapped as foreign minister a longtime Berlusconi stalwart with solid pro-EU credentials.

Antonio Tajani formerly was president of the European Parliament.

In his congratulatory tweet for Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made no reference to Berlusconi slamming him. I look forward to continued fruitful cooperation to ensure peace and prosperity in Ukraine, Italy and the world! Zelenskyy wrote.

Meloni replied that Italy would always be on the side of the brave people of Ukraine that is fighting for its freedom and for a rightful peace.

U.S. President Joe Biden, in congratulating Meloni, praised Italy as a vital NATO ally and close partner as our nations together address shared global challenges.

As leaders in the G-7, I look forward to continuing to advance our support for Ukraine, hold Russia accountable for its aggression, ensure respect for human rights and democratic values, and build sustainable economic growth, Biden said.

In a statement thanking Biden, Meloni said she was eager to work together for freedom and international security.

The United States and Italy are united by a deep friendship and by the transatlantic partnership, founded on common values, she said, referring to NATO.

With potential wavering in Parliament by her Russian-sympathizing allies, as well as from former Premier Giuseppe Conte, a populist opposition leader, over continued arms supplies to Ukraine, Meloni appointed one of her party co-founders, Guido Crosetto, as defense minister.

While Meloni has pitched herself as crucial to combating leftist ideology, Crosetto sounded a more conciliatory note.

Whoever governs represents the entire nation, sheds partisan attire and takes on that of collective responsibility, the new defense minister told reporters.

Europes political right, eager to dominate on the continent, exulted in Meloni coming to power.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, referring to Meloni and Salvini, wrote on Twitter: Throughout Europe, patriots are coming to power and with them, this Europe of nations.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also hailed the birth of the new Italian government as a big day for the European Right.

In any unusual touch for a country used to male-dominated politics and power, Melonis companion, a journalist in Berlusconis media empire, attended Saturdays swearing-in ceremony along with the couples 6-year-old daughter, Ginevra.

____

Giada Zampano in Rome contributed.
When the North American Free Trade Agreement was implemented on Jan. 1, 1994, a new visa also was introduced.

The TN visa, often referred to as the NAFTA visa, was specifically created to allow Mexican and Canadian citizens to work in the U.S. Unlike many other visa categories, the TN visa is a non-immigrant document granting temporary stay in the U.S. for work purposes. In other words, the time spent working in the U.S. for people holding this visa does not count toward residency or citizenship. The visa can be issued for up to four years and can be renewed perpetually, as long as the applicant is qualified, and the employer has a position open.

According to the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Cultural Affairs website, in order to be granted a TN visa, the applicant must be a citizen, not permanent resident, of Canada and Mexico. He/she must also have pre-arranged full-time or part-time work with an employer. Self-employment is not permitted. The applicant must also be working in a profession that is on the NAFTA list, which includes categories such as scientists, architects, accountants, engineers, management consultants and people in the medical field, among others. He/she must also present qualifications for the profession.

Mexican citizens applying for the TN visa have to submit paperwork at a U.S. Consulate office and participate in two interviews. The first is to submit fingerprints. The second is an interview with a U.S. Consulate officer who will determine the applicants eligibility. Applicants must pay a non-refundable, non-immigrant application fee of $160 before scheduling the first interview. A reciprocity fee is also paid, which is $104 for a one-year visa, and $382 for a four-year visa. This fee is only paid if the applicant is approved. Canadian applicants can bring their paperwork to a U.S. port of entry, where they will be issued the visa. The application fee for Canadians is $50 plus $6 for an I-94 form, which allows multiple entries into the U.S., past a designated border zone for a specific time period. Spouses of TN visa holders working in the U.S. are issued a TD visa, or what is known as a NAFTA-dependent visa.

Obtaining a TN visa used to be fairly quick, but the process is currently taking longer. According to attorney Carlos Maldonado of the law firm of Miranda & Maldonado of El Paso, Texas, which has more than 40 years of combined experience in business and family immigration, Before the pandemic, it used to take about two weeks to obtain a TN visa. Now, it is taking between three to five months because in 2020 and 2021, many people who needed to renew their tourist or business visa were not able to schedule an appointment with a consulate office. So, there is a bit of a backlog, now that appointments are again being scheduled.

In the past, I have known companies with operations in both the U.S. and Mexico that have used this visa to allow their employees in Mexico to seamlessly work in the U.S. However, due to shortages of workers, companies are now utilizing the TN visa to fill labor gaps and to attract talent. According to a recent New York Times article by Economics Reporter Ben Casselman, the U.S. economy lost 22 million jobs during the first two months of the pandemic in 2020. It has now gained all of these back and added a half million more, compared to the last recession in which it took five years to recoup the job losses.

He argues that long-term employment is now the lowest it has been in 20 years, which makes a case against the belief that Americans dont want to work. What has happened is people have upgraded their jobs from being a waiter to working in a warehouse or factory.

The TN visa works especially well for U.S. companies operating in close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border, where many Mexicans may prefer to live in their Mexican city and cross to work in the U.S. every day. In cities such as Juarez, Chihuahua, there are multiple educational institutions graduating engineers, business managers, chemists, scientists and teachers. All of these professions qualify for the TN visa.

Maldonado is seeing more and more companies utilizing the TN visa to access talent in both Mexico and Canada.

There is so much talent across the border that would jump at the opportunity to earn a good paycheck in the U.S., develop a career, and provide for their families in Mexico, he states.

As the U.S. population ages and businesses struggle to find qualified workers, the TN visa could well become part of their overall strategy in building their workforce.

Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com.
For the hundred of thousands of New Mexicans eligible for Medicare, lower premiums and more plans in 2023 is good news.

Open enrollment for next years coverage began Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. People who want to keep their current Medicare coverage do not need to reenroll. People qualifying for the first time can sign up anytime starting three months before they turn 65 and ending three months after their birthday month. But for everyone else  those who want to review their coverage or make changes, now is the time.

Its just important that Medicare beneficiaries really take time to look at their various options and make sure that the plan that theyre selecting is a plan thats going to meet their specific health care needs, said Janice Torrez, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico.

People who qualify for Medicare  generally those 65 years or older or people with a disability that makes them eligible  can choose to use traditional Medicare, find a prescription drug plan, get a Medicare supplemental insurance policy or enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan at this time.

Nationally, average premiums for Medicare Advantage plans are expected to decrease by nearly 8% in 2023, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. But in New Mexico that number is 18%  from an average of $14.62 in 2022 to $11.98 for 2023. Plus the number of plans available in the state increased from 69 this year to 72 for next year, giving older adults more choice.

Changes in local offerings

BCBSNM, which offered its Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans in 12 counties last year, is expanding to 29 counties this year.

Presbyterian Health Plan launched a new Medicare Advantage plan aimed at people that want predictability in their health care costs but also some flexibility. The Ultra Flex Plan, as its called, provides out-of-network service for those that travel, said Brandon Fryar, president of Presbyterian Health Plan. It also comes with $860 tied to a debit card that can be used for benefits such as eyewear, acupuncture, dental or chiropractic services.

When it comes to picking a plan, Fryar recommends not getting information from targeted advertising or call centers but from somebody that really knows Medicare.

Oftentimes, its a trusted broker in the community that you can go and visit with, Fryar said.

Presbyterian has licensed health plan consultants available at 800-346-4766 (TTY 711) that can walk people through the process and help them determine their health care insurance needs. BCBSNM offers drop-in hours at 5701 Balloon Fiesta Parkway, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., until Dec. 7 so people can meet with free certified brokers and get guidance.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recommend contacting local State Health Insurance Assistance Programs for free personalized health insurance counseling. In this state, thats the New Mexico Aging & Disability Resource Center at 800-432-2080 or nmaging.state.nm.us.

The center also recommends using Medicare Plan Finder, a tool available on medicare.gov, to do side-by-side comparisons of costs and coverage. The tool was streamlined this fall and updated with 2023 health and drug plans on Oct. 1. Additionally, 1-800-MEDICARE is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide help in English and Spanish as well as language support in over 200 languages.
Meow Wolf always offers a new experience.

At House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, three new permanent installations are ready for visitors.

Months of work has taken place since the Santa Fe-based arts collective announced collaborations with Cochiti Pueblo artist Virgil Ortiz, Lauren YS (Squidlicker) and Jacob Fisher.

According to Meow Wolf, the new rooms are part of Meow Wolfs ongoing exhibition evolution program that will offer visitors new experiences annually.



Virgil Ortizs installation is titled Sirens: Secret Passkeys & Portals. (Courtesy of Atlas Media) A piece of Virgil Ortizs installation at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. Squidlicker, aka Lauren YS, works on the installation, "The Ancestral Crypt," at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. (Courtesy of Brandon Soder) "The Ancestral Crypt," by Squidlicker at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. (Courtesy of Atlas Media) Jacob Fisher is photographed inside his installation at Meow Wolf called until I see you again." (Courtesy of Brandon Soder) Jacob Fisher's until I see you again" is now on display at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. (Courtesy of Atlas Media) Prev 1 of 6 Next

While the House of Eternal Return is a permanent exhibition, it is also a living, constantly changing exhibition, said Susan Garbett, General Manager of the House of Eternal Return. The new installations go beyond their respective rooms, adding the creative psyche of Virgil, Lauren and Jacob to the hundreds of works already displayed. The intention and experience of the entire space evolves with every new brushstroke, every new sculpture, every new touch of an artists hand.

Ortizs installation is titled Sirens: Secret Passkeys & Portals

It features a cast of characters from his Revolt 1680/2180 saga  an ongoing project Ortiz has been working on for the past two decades.

Revolt 1680/2180 is the vision of a dystopian future 500 years after the Pueblo Revolt in which time-travelers return to the era to aid their ancestors. They quickly gather the survivors and search for any remaining clay artifacts from the battlefields, realizing that challenges and persecution will continue, making the preservation of their clay, culture, language, and traditions from extinction imperative.

The freedom to touch, feel, take pictures, and explore an immersive installation opens up many possibilities, said Ortiz. It has challenged me to adapt to the idea of having people interact with the displays, decode patterns, listen to the soundtrack and wander around it all.

Squidlicker, also known as Lauren YS, is a Los Angeles-based artist whose work is influenced by dreams, mythology, death, comics, love, sex, psychedelia, animation and their Asian-American heritage.

Their installation, which will be in a two-story room accessed through a round portal from the exhibitions central forest, is entitled The Ancestral Crypt.

Modeled off of Asian prayer spaces, the room is where viewers can go with our queer ancestors on the ancestral plane, according to the artist. The room has a sense of being underground, existing somewhere that feels both futuristic and ancient, with design centered on a neo-Asian feel mixed in with alien, futuristic, western and psychedelic influences.

Between every plane there is a liminal space  between yin and yang, body and soul, life and death, between the sacred and the profane, reality and surreality, past and future, male and female, said Squidlicker. This space is meant to act as a haven for fluidity: a temple to the liminal, to bring into materiality a space for that which defies absolution. An homage to the queer, to the nonbinary, to the shifting, monstrous and in-process.

New York-based artist Fishers installation is called until I see you again and will be located in the depths of the exhibition space shrouding Space Sphere, the giant interstellar traveling ball.

As you enter the installation, shape, structure, color, detail, and light grasp your attention, Fisher said. The environment diverts your consciousness away from the comings and goings of the outside world, and towards sensation of the physicalthe present moment. My hope is that, for a moment, in this odd beautiful world, you forget your efforts to order the chaos of the everyday. For a moment you are filled with tranquility.

Gargett said the House of Eternal Return is the perfect venue for these three new installations; welcoming artists that tap into the nature of infinity, dreams, ancestors and the local Native landscape and people is a wonderful representation of our mission to instill imagination and play.

In the case of Ortizs work, history serves as a powerful lens for examining ourselves creatively, changing course and improving how we value art and artists, Garbett said. Fishers work brings us the opportunity to find peace in the present, and Squidlickers installation is a space of deep ancestral acceptance of the liminal. All of these combine to make some of the most powerful experiences we have offered yet.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque police detectives have arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of a man late last month at a bus stop along East Central.

Henry Atkinson, 37, is charged with an open count of murder in the Sept. 30 death of 42-year-old Elijah Pino, a member of Zia Pueblo.

Detectives arrested Atkinson near First and Central on Friday and he was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear if he has an attorney.

Prosecutors filed a motion to detain Atkinson until trial, saying he callously and casually killed Pino and does not value human life.

Court records show Atkinson has been arrested several times on domestic violence and drug charges. He was charged in June after allegedly chasing a man around Central with a knife but prosecutors dismissed the case when they couldnt reach the victim.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court:

Police responded to the shooting at Central and Wyoming around 2 p.m. and found Pino shot dead near the bus stop. Witnesses told police the man responsible was known as St. Louis and had shot Pino following a fight.

Surveillance video from the bus and surrounding area showed the suspect  later identified as Atkinson  get off the bus with four other people. Police said the group approached Pino and a fight broke out among them.

A woman with the group was taunting Pino when Atkinson walked up and shot him repeatedly before throwing him to the ground and casually walking away. A witness told police Pino and Atkinson had argued before the shooting started.

The witness picked Atkinson out of a photo array as the shooter and told the detective, I dont even have to look at the other photos to be sure.
Faasos, Indias only internet restaurant brand with 500+ internet restaurants, has launched a limited edition Pataka Wrap collection featuring its bestseller wraps for Diwali. To celebrate this festivity, the brand has also introduced an exclusive Pataka Box which will be filled with Diwali goodies like playing cards, diyas, cookies, plantable crackers and a delightful note saying This Diwali, Eat a Pataka. Be a Pataka!, instead of the usual patakas.

Faasos realised that Diwali is the time for parties and patakas, which meant people going to the quick delivery service apps and online shopping platforms. Taking advantage of this Faasos listed its Pataka Boxes online. When people received these Pataka Boxes they were surprised with its unusual contents. It had Faasos pataka wrap collection where the brand named its most loved wraps after the most loved diwali crackers. The chicken tikka wrap was renamed as Sutli bomb, the Bhuna wrap was named after 7-star, cheese corn salsa was called Crackler, the falafel called as the rocket, and many others.

The netizens were surprised when social media influencer Viraj Ghelani took to instagram to share his story of how he ordered a Pataka Box but instead received wraps. More and more people joined these conversations on the internet tagging the brand and sharing their experience.

Talking about the campaign, Indrajit Ghosh, Vice President Global Brands, Rebel Foods said, Diwali is all about spreading joys and happiness and at Faasos we are always looking for ways to surprise our customers. The Faasos Diwali campaign elevates the festivities and mood of people with a message of how patakas are not limited to the bursting of crackers. With the Pataka Box, and the Diwali special wrap collection, our aim was to spread the joy of the festival with some bomb tasting wraps.

Customers can order Diwali exclusive Pataka Wraps from EatSure, Swiggy and Zomato.
Fearlessness, delusional optimism - Devika Seth Bulchandanis many mantras for the ad world

Born in Amritsar to a very conservative Punjabi family, Devika Seth Bulchandani, who was recently elevated as the Global CEO of Ogilvy, was always asked not to do a lot of things by her parents as she is Girl. Today, Bulchandani has carved a niche for herself in global advertising, holding important positions in leading ad networks.

Wake up every day and pursue greatness, but do it with goodness, urges Devika Seth Bulchandani

Devika Seth Bulchandani, the global CEO of Ogilvy, was greeted warmly at the Mumbai office of Ogilvy by the team along with Piyush Pandey, Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman at Ogilvy India. Together, Bulchandani and Pandey, who have been coworkers for a while, danced bhangra. All significant advertising events held in Mumbai, the world's capital of advertising, must include the use of Dhols and Dhamaals. Bulchandani also made a suggestion for the team at Ogilvy's Mumbai office to 'keep it going' and 'raise the standard for the network'.

How Shashi Sinha reacted to News18 Indias More reach than GECs campaign

When it comes to the consideration set of media planners, News channels have usually been taking a backseat to the GECs, which are showcased to deliver higher reach. This equation changed recently when BARC weekly data showed a news channel trumping some leading Hindi GECs to register higher viewership.

TV news versus GECs: Who can deliver better ROI for brands?

While cynical observers have spent years writing obituaries of TV news, a full page advertisement by News18 India in Tuesday's Economic Times said that the news channel is watched by more people than Star Plus, Sony and Zee TV are.

Indepth: Netflixs ad tier and measurement: Will other streamers follow suit?

Netflix has announced its ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) service in a handful of countries (India is not one of them, at present). As aptly pointed out by Tammy Parker, Principal Analyst with GlobalData, the pricing has been done in such a way that it will not annoy its investors.

ZEE5 is a blockbuster place, where you can get great shows and movies: Manish Kalra

Adgully spoke to Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India, to know more about ZEE5s content strategy, partnerships and marketing plans, as well as the road ahead for OTT in India.

Can creative integrity survive the hypersensitive times unscathed?

We are living in hypersensitive times. Freedom of expression a right given to every Indian citizen by the Constitution of India  ensures that everyone has an equal say, is able to voice their opinion on different matters, is free to convey their thoughts in a judicious manner, without prejudice and malice.

The big gifting carnival returns - Brands eyeing sales upwards of 25-30%

As India moves towards the crescendo of Diwali, which brings down the curtains on the major part of Indias annual festive season, the opportunities for gifting also gain in prominence. Diwali has traditionally been a festival for getting together with friends and families, gifting and feasting.

Jewellery brands bullish on glittering festive season this year; amp up marketing

As the festive season reaches a crescendo, with Diwali just around the corner, the industry is looking back at this years festive season with great satisfaction. Almost all sectors have seen bumper sales as consumer sentiment recovered after two years of subdued living. Along with the other sectors, the jewellery sector, too, is bullish on this years festive season. We have been seeing jewellery brands of all hues launch ad campaigns with various offers and new launches to woo the consumers.

Festive Mood: How brands are staying relevant & breaking through the clutter

Tanvi Bosmia, Associate Account Director, SoCheers, speaks to Adgully about the festive mood, post-pandemic scenario, marketing campaigns, new strategies, etc. Bosmia notes that with the effects of the pandemic waning, brands are gradually amping up their marketing efforts again. This has opened up opportunities for the agency to service several new clients.

CoinDCXs Ramalingam Subramanian on using Harry Potter series to unravel crypto

CoinDCX has used the Harry Potter series to familiarise people with the complex world of crypto. We chose the Harry Potter series as they have grown up watching it and to link the knowledge of crypto with it is creative storytelling, says Ramalingam Subramanian, Head of Marketing, Brand and Communication, CoinDCX. He tells Adgully in this interview that with increasing awareness and appreciation that the investors have shown for the long-term potential of crypto, it is growing its prominence in the national consciousness.

BlueStone shuns over-the-top imagery to create relevance for watch jewellery

In an exclusive chat with Adgully for their column Marketing Minds, Harshna Pasari, Head of Marketing, BlueStone, speaks about their revolutionary products, where through cutting edge technology they have launched some interesting products this year, growth of the watch jewellery category, and more.

How Plum is encouraging corporates to address mental health of employees

In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Saurabh Arora, Co-Founder-CTO, Head of Healthcare, Plum, speaks about the companys initiative to address mental health of employees at workplaces, its proprietary series  Mending, associating with mental health storyteller Tanmoy Goswami, and more.

Present leadership is being redefined by women: Kanwaljeet Kaur Soni

In conversation with Adgully, Kanwaljeet Kaur Soni speaks about the changing dynamics of corporate life, digital dependency in the post-pandemic world, importance of gender sensitisation, how to maintain work-life balance, and more.

How Tally Solutions is making biz management a seamless & connected experience

In conversation with Adgully, Jayati Singh, Chief Marketing Officer at Tally Solutions, speaks at length about supporting and helping the MSME community, emerging trends in B2B marketing, collaboration with Social Panga, and much more. Edited excerpts:

How redBus built a strong connect by being culturally relevant to Bharat

In an exclusive interaction with Adgully for their column Talking Insights, Pallavi Chopra, Senior VP & Head of Marketing, redBus, spoke in detail the ideation, concept of the campaign.

Overall, mass campaigns are no longer effective: Rakesh Jaitly, Oracle Applications

In an exclusive interview with Adgully, Rakesh Jaitly, Senior Sales Director, Oracle Applications, speaks at length about their various customer engagement product offerings and how customer engagement has today become the backbone of every company to meet customer expectations.

Happilo aspires to cross the Rs 1,000-crore mark in CY23: Vikas Nahar

In conversation with Adgully, Vikas Nahar, Founder & CEO. Happilo, reveals how the brand is more focused on capturing the large unorganized dry fruit market greater than increasing share in the organised sector.

Asia Cup 2022 registers 51% ad volume growth compared to Asia Cup 2016: TAM Sports

TAM Sports, in its analysis of the advertising during the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022 and comparing it with the previous two editions played in 2016 and 2018, has revealed that indexed Ad Volume growth was up by 51% in Asia Cup 2022 over Asia Cup 2016 (T20 format). However, compared to Asia Cup 2018, this years edition saw a 35% decline in Ad Volumes.

Indias influencer marketing industry to reach Rs 2,200 crore by 2025

The Influencer Marketing Report 2022 was released by Influencer.in, an influencer marketing platform and an initiative by Social Beat, to provide insights on how influencer marketing has become one of the most important channels that big brands are leveraging as part of their digital marketing. The report is based on over 500 + survey responses by Indian content creators, and over 60 marketers in the April to June period of this year.

KBC continues to be the favourite property of advertisers

Over the years, Kaun Banega Crorepati has become synonymous with hopes and dreams of millions. KBCs season 14, which went on air in August this year, has seen more than 260% growth in views as compared to the last season for the same duration on Sony LIV. 30% of these video views are recorded through connected-TV sets. Furthermore, 'KBC Play Along' has also expanded its audience, with 80% of the users coming from the heartlands of India.

Hitachi assigns creative duties to BBH India

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Ltd, Indias premium air-conditioner brand Hitachi, has appointed BBH India as its creative strategy & advertising agency partner. With this appointment, Hitachi aims to create a high decibel brand awareness and strengthen its brand leadership amongst the New Informed World consumer.

Nielsen includes YouTube measurement in Total Ad Ratings

Today Nielsen announced the incorporation of YouTube measurement for desktop and mobile within its Total Ad Ratings (TAR) solution in additional three markets in APAC: Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

Tata Play Binge becomes a standalone OTT

The all-new Tata Play Binge offers content from 12 languages from popular OTT apps such as Disney+ Hotstar, ZEE5, Voot Select, SonyLIV, MX Player, hoichoi, Namma flix, Chaupal, Planet Marathi, Sun NXT, Voot Kids, Eros Now, Hungama Play, ShemarooMe, EPICON, DocuBay & Curiosity Stream. Upcoming integrations include Apple TV+, Lionsgate Play, Travelxp, Shorts TV, Reeldrama, Manorama Max, Tarang Plus, Koode and more. Netflix Combo plans are available for Tata Play DTH subscribers, and Amazon Prime Video can be accessed with an add-on subscription on Binge.
While Governor Kathy Hochuls lead against Rep. Lee Zeldin seems to be tightening, there are other New York State races to watch.

City and State New York magazine identified six congressional races to watch, singling out one as one of the most competitive in the country -- NY-22: Francis Conole (D) v. Brandon Williams (R).

Lets take a look at how Williamss #LetsVoteBrandon campaign started.

John Katko, the Republican representative for New Yorks 24th Congressional District, announced he was scurrying out of Washington forever after casting his Trump Impeachment vote in 2021. (To which President Trump commented, Great news, another one bites the dust. Katko, from Upstate New York, is gone!)

Indeed, there was no love lost between Katko and his constituents, who continually voted for him as the lesser of two evils, then loudly lambasted him for continually backing Democratic legislation that went against everything they believed in.

Then came the redistricting mess. Katko was originally elected to New Yorks 24th Congressional District, much of which is now the new, open 22nd district.

Enter Brandon Williams, a Navy veteran, husband, father and truffle farmer from Cayuga county. "I just can't sit by and see what's happening to our country. I think people are starting to wake up and say 'Wow, we may be in trouble.' Thats what Williams told a local paper as he entered the race to represent the NY-22 back in February.

But Williams had only begun his labored ascent for the hearts and minds of Central New York voters. First, he had to battle the top dogs in his own party.

Steve Wells, Katkos finance chairman and former treasurer of the State Republican Party, was the presumptive heir to the throne.

Wells donated $24,000 to Katkos campaigns. Perhaps most telling, right after Katkos vote to impeach Trump, Wells gave him a maximum donation. Besides those donations, Wells, a former Democrat, was donating to then Governor Andrew Cuomo. The National File reported:

Despite his large donations to Katko and Cuomo, Wells has never donated to a Trump campaign or a Trump-aligned cause, helping to earn him the nickname Liberal Steve Wells on the campaign trail.

Katkos former staff was running the Wells campaign, as House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy was pouring huge amounts of cash into the campaign from the Congressional Leadership Fund. Elise Stefanik, representing New Yorks 21st Congressional District and also serving as the House Republican Conference chair, gave her coveted endorsement to Wells instead of Brandon Williams.

Then Wells made a fatal mistake. Too assured of his own victory, propped up by New Yorks GOP establishment and sitting on a pile of congressional money, he refused to debate Williams. Many believe it cost him the primary election.

After Williams trounced Wells, 58% to 41%, Wells and the GOP establishment lined up to make Williams their best buddy. (Well, everyone lined up except John Katko, who was somewhere pouting in a corner, later refusing to explain his churlish silence as he refused to endorse his successor.)

Thats the backstory of how the lines got blurred between what one reporter called the McCarthy-aligned anti-Trump establishment and the grassroots MAGA movement.

Now were up to the final throwdown -- Brandon Williams vs. Democrat nominee Francis Conole.

A recent Sienna College poll found Williams beating Conole, 45-40%. A later poll commissioned by Conoles campaign showed them in a dead heat.

Conole looks good on paper. Hes a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Iraq War Veteran, and Defense Secretary Policy Advisor. However, his resume wasnt strong enough for him to claim victory in his own partys 2020 primary. He lost to yet another repeat loser, Dana Balter. (Balter repeatedly lost to Katko. If you read enough about her, it might explain why Republicans kept holding their noses and voting for Katko.)

Conole has recently taken flak after the publication of an October 18th article in the Washington Examiner titled, Democratic candidate touts family ties to prison slammed for 'cruel and inhumane treatment' of inmates.

Apparently, Conole had the bright idea to film his latest campaign ad in front of the Onondaga County Justice Center in his hometown of Syracuse, NY. He did this while boasting that it was named after his grandfather, a former sheriff there. The only trouble was, as investigative journalist Gabe Kaminsky writes:

But what Conole failed to mention is that New York's Commission of Correction, an agency that investigates jails, issued a comprehensive 2018 report detailing how the justice center was one of the "worst offenders" among prisons in breaking the law -- applying "cruel and inhumane treatment" of inmates that was "in violation of their Constitutional rights."

Its a terrible story, and Kaminsky gives more details in his article. A spokesman for Williams responded:

It's disturbing that Francis Conole marched with Black Lives Matter pretending to care about injustices, while now shamelessly campaigning in front of his grandfather's namesake jail that holds the record as one of the most mismanaged jails in New York -- disproportionately impacting African American youth.

Its even more disturbing that Conole touts four generations of family active in the Syracuse, NY area, a city that has been listed as one of the poorest cities in America for years. Apparently, something in the familys progressive worldview is not translating into a better life for their neighbors.

And, as predicted, Conole has taken a page from the Democratic playbook breathlessly repeated around the country. This headline says it all:  In new TV ad, Conole elevates abortion as top issue in race for Congress.

Conole and his cronies came out swinging. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the New York State Democratic Committee produced an ad and a mailer, respectively, stating that Williams, supports allowing states to ban all abortions, even in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk."

They did this even though Williams was already on record supporting the three exceptions -- hardly a surprise since its a viewpoint held by a vast majority of Republicans.

Williams will get a chance to prove himself and confront his opponent during a series of debates beginning October 26th.

One thing is certain: Of all the years to be running as a Republican candidate named Brandon, this is certainly the right one. Williams owns LetsVoteBrandon.com and created the #LetsVoteBrandon hashtag. That was a marketing nugget he didnt have to pay for; it was handed to him.

Susan D. Harris can be reached at www.susandharris.com

Photo credit: Twitter icon
The influence of Critical Race Theory is apparent in the trial of Darrell Brooks for the automobile massacre of six innocent people and injury to 60-plus individuals at a parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin in November 2021. Additionally, we can see the influence of such disparate movements as feminism, deconstructionist philosophy, and nihilism. These varied influences have enveloped the trial with an Alice in Wonderland aura, where there is virtuous posturing but not sufficient rationality, dignity, professionalism, and seriousness in play.

The two mainstays of Brooks's defense, acting as his own lawyer, are (1) that he is not Darrell Brooks and (2) that the court does not have a right to try him as, somehow, it lacks jurisdiction to try murder cases in the state of Wisconsin even though it is a Wisconsin state court. Thus, he is not the defendant named, and the court is not the proper court. This is the nihilism inherent in his so-called defense, which, being absurd, is not a defense, yet his right to this non-defense is legitimate under the Sixth Amendment, according to a 1975 Supreme Court decision. His non-defense being considered a defense is part of our societal dislocation.

The judge, Jennifer Dorow, provided him with two copies of a paper explaining the nature of the court's jurisdiction, but he tore up one of them. Almost every time his name is used by the judge, the prosecuting attorneys, or the witnesses, he objects (imitating lawyers, he says, "Objection!"). On those many occasions, the judge says, "Overruled," and then the witness can answer the questions asked about "Mr. Brooks." It is a tiresome charade at best, and it identifies the defendant as unserious, a disruptive clown attempting to make a sham out of his trial. He is saying, "How can I be the defendant if I am not Darrell Brooks?" These overrulings of Brooks's objections fail to address the reality that he is belittling the law.

Supposedly in an effort to be fair, we as a society have painted ourselves into a corner where sober realities have begun to disintegrate before our eyes, and that disintegration is actively welcomed by far too many people. Jacques Derrida and Michael Foucault, French philosophers of the deconstructionist school of philosophy, advanced the views that our language is in some important sense arbitrary, and their views have influenced many during the past 60 years. For deconstructionists, the denotation/connotation distinction that we have relied upon for a very long time is itself arbitrary, and the essential meaning of words, which we consider to be denotation (derived from Aristotle's understanding of "essence"  although Derrida emphasized the origin with Plato), is invalid. They believe there is much more variability in meanings of words than denotation would suggest, so communication is more of a creative act than we normally realize. Oprah Winfrey's attempt to replace the importance of The Truth with "My Truth" is an expression of the shift away from denotation and permanence by the above-named deconstructionists beginning in the 1960s.

Deconstructionism in our use of language  i.e., the denial of the denotative  is thus clearly related to nihilism, which skips the step of language and declares all fixed beliefs as unworthy simply because they are fixed and thus block change. Change for the nihilist might seem chaotic at first but will bring a refreshment of society, as it will lead to the abandonment of oppressive rigidity.

This writer, when first watching the trial of the Waukesha murderer, considered the judge a paragon of patience as she explained every statement made to the defendant, and answered his objections with a big sisterly, considerate tone of voice. Only when his acting out became too extreme did she temporarily punish him by sending him to another courtroom where his microphone could be muted if his responses or interpositions were offensive.

This big sisterly or motherly patience seemed to dovetail with the intent that there be no impression that this black defendant was being railroaded by white prosecutors or a white judge. The attempt to portray the American justice system as deeply racist in its prosecutions and convictions has been around for a long time but has accelerated during the past couple of years after George Floyd died in police custody and the policeman in charge of that detail was convicted of murder.

That case and other controversial cases, which led to police reforms and violent protests in recent years, have put the justice system on the defensive. We have seen more arrested persons released throughout the country without paying bail, and there has been an upsurge in crimes throughout our cities. However, there are many who believe that we are more moral and correct if we underreact than if, in the name of zealous law enforcement, we overreact and create a climate perceived to be racially oppressive. The idea of systemic racism in our legal system, developed by Derrick Bell, a professor at Harvard Law School, has morphed into a full-scale critique of law enforcement practices by advocates of Critical Race Theory, notably the Black Lives Matter organization and its affiliates.

Thus, the judge's motherly patience, as if toward a wayward or recalcitrant child, seemed to be in evidence throughout the proceedings in Wisconsin. At first, it seemed to me that this was good because it would serve to reassure the critics of our justice system that justice could be served in a white-dominated trial. However, the idea that justice is served by our willingness to be manipulated as proof of our "love" is inherently false, and I have retreated from my original respect for the judge and the ever-patient prosecution. This is, I believe, a fruit of feminism, which sees motherly love as a model of the best behavior. A more severe/fatherly tone would have been better.

The defendant should not be allowed to repeat his endless objections to the proceedings. Rather, he should have been in the separated courtroom throughout and his microphone muted every time he made nonsensical objections. The judge should not feel that it is incumbent upon herself to meticulously explain her reasoning regarding many matters of law that Brooks does not understand and obviously does not want to understand. His attempts to argue with witnesses or with the judge should not only be explained to him as unlawful, but should not be allowed at all, since they only encourage the playacting and pretense of fairness  whereas the trial is, with his inordinate participation, more of a farce than a trial.

By being a patient big sister or mom, the judge has inappropriately diluted her role as judge despite the momentary appeal of her beauty and kindly tone of voice and moderation. Justice requires more manly sobriety and professionalism.

Image via Max Pixel.
Let us reach down into the memory hole and see if we can retrieve a recent news story before the corporate media pile too much other stuff on top of it: Former Dem Rep gets 30-month prison sentence in ballot-stuffing election fraud case.

Normally, a Democrat committing election fraud is not particularly newsworthy. That's probably why the corporate media do not report on it. But this story is out of the ordinary because the Democrat politician who pled guilty to election fraud is Ozzie Meyrs -- the same Congressman Ozzie Meyrs who was expelled from Congress in 1980, having been caught taking bribes in the Abscam sting.

In the late 1970s Abscam sting, Myers, then a two-term congressman, was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking $50,000 from FBI agents posing as Arab sheiks. He served just over a year in prison.

On June 6, 2022, Myers pled guilty to conspiracy to deprive voters of civil rights, bribery, obstruction of justice, falsification of voting records, and conspiring to illegally vote in a federal election. Myers operated in Philadelphia and committed vote fraud in federal, state, and local elections. He admitted orchestrating schemes to stuff the ballot boxes for specific Democrat candidates in the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Pennsylvania elections.

Would it take a wild leap of speculative imagination to suggest that maybe, perhaps, possibly, Meyrs has been corrupting elections for more than forty years?

Election fraud is easier in areas with significant transient populations. That makes for large numbers of inactive voters on the rolls. Election fraudsters use these registrations of inactive voters to cast votes in their name.

Areas of significant transient populations are large cities and university towns. Where do the Democrats win elections? Large cities and university towns.

A 2013 sting operation by official New York City investigators found they could vote in someone elses name 97 percent of the time without detection. (And frankly, the 3 percent of attempts that were unsuccessful are as disturbing as the successful attempts.)

An undercover video released in 2016 by the citizen-journalist group Project Veritas shows a Alan Shulkin, the Democratic election commissioner in New York City, saying, There is a lot of fraud. The words of Commissioner Shulkin suggest that there are many Ozzie Meyrs operating in America's large cities.

Dr. Oz is running for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Various polls show the race to be close. But polls cannot capture two sources of votes: Republicans who do not want to be put on the FBI's terrorist-watch list; and Democrats who will be created out of thin air by Ozzie Meyrs and his disciples. Which will be the larger group in November? Shy Oz voters or fictitious Ozzie voters?

William Marbury is a pen name.

Image: US Gov. Printing Office/World Economic Forum
Just as Donald Trump stripped the veneer off the pathological lying mainstream media from a businessmans perspective, GOP Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is destroying the MSM propagandists who have peppered her with gotcha questions since she announced her candidacy for the office. Lake, who worked in the media for 30 years, knows all the tricks and traps practiced by the modern version of the fourth estate

Yellow Journalism has a long history in the United States, but with the advent of social media, it has been put on steroids. Kari Lake is well-equipped to perform intellectual jiujitsu with the propaganda arm of the DNC. She successfully fended off a false-premise election denier question and left the media with egg on their faces.

I have several personal experiences with the deceptive practices of my hometown news media. One particularly egregious example was when I submitted an op-ed piece regarding affirmative action to my local newspaper. The opinion page editor was an African American middle-aged man who described himself as a civil rights activist who also happened to be a journalist. He edited the piece to his liking, in an attempt to portray me as a far-right racist running for office in a deep-south KKK district.

The editor never even gave me a courtesy call or email to get my approval for these major changes to the content and tone of the piece. To run that piece in its edited form without my approval was unethical, and I contacted him and expressed my strenuous objection. His reaction was, in effect, that he couldnt care less.

Image: Kari Lake. YouTube screengrab.

Not surprisingly, his newspapers circulation has sharply declined over the years as the readership is tired of ultra-woke propaganda peddled as objective journalism. The same goes for our local television news stations, where many of the stories have a racial/gender discrimination angle. If a Republican appears in the story, they are almost always cast as a villain.

The MSM still dont get the appeal of Trump, Lake, Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, and other Republicans who have shown that they dont fear reporters and their liberal slant. They have gone toe-to-toe with these DNC stooges and come out on top. If only other officials in the GOP would take a similar tack, most midterm races wouldnt even be close. And thats what Democrats fear.

Michael Bertolone, MS is a freelance writer in Rochester, NY. Read his other pieces at American Thinker and Substack.
Now it is easy to see why people have come to believe that the once-vaunted justice system in the US became two-tiered; one for favored elites and one for those the elites loathe. There are countless examples of this: peaceful pro-life demonstrators have been raided and charged with serious crimes that they did not commit, while those who fire-bomb pregnancy centers are not even investigated, let alone charged. Among the hundreds of violent protesters who burned their own cities down in the wake of the George Floyd debacle, few were charged with the crimes they committed and most of those that were had the charges dropped.

But a two-tiered system suggests that there are different levels of justice depending on ones status within the establishment, the bureaucratic state. For years it has been very obvious that a two-tiered system of justice was being implemented; charge conservatives with made-up crimes, let the real criminals back out onto the streets.

Now we must face the fact that there is actually no justice to be had in America in 2022. Trump Derangement Syndrome has led inexorably to what we now see occurring daily in our once great nation: The proven guilty go free and the innocent have their homes raided by a pack of armed FBI agents who seem to delight in traumatizing law-abiding citizens.

Remember when?

From Niall Williamss book This is Happiness, a true sentiment: Its hard not to despise officialdom in all forms. And, Ive never known a man or woman to be better for the wearing of the uniform. Ive known them to be different, but not more human. Our FBI seems to be overloaded with thugs of the worst kind.

So, it is with both great sadness and furious rage that we must admit there is no justice in America anymore. There is only the knowledge that, under the Biden regime, we are experiencing a version of totalitarianism that would make the Founders recoil in horror. Our thoroughly corrupt FBI and DOJ have spent millions of dollars tracking down anyone who may have been present at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 even as it becomes apparent that what happened that day was a carefully orchestrated set-up. The powers that be have done this with all manner of illegal surveillance tactics -- raiding, assaulting, arresting and charging these mostly patriotic, non-violent Americans who knew the 2020 election had been stolen.

They wanted not to overthrow the government but recounts in the contested states which VP Pence could have made happen but did not. The deep state did steal the election by various means made clear by those who bragged about how they did it, made clearer by those who actually did investigate the fraudulent ballots, stuffed ballot boxes, ballot harvesting, and insecure election management software. What happened on that 2020 election night was a travesty so grave that it is rivalled only by the fabricated Russia hoax, the $40m Mueller investigation and the abrogation of freedom for a trumped-up pandemic as three of the most monstrous scandals in US history.

The deep state, that amorphous band of bullies who take it for granted that they run this country, conspired to take down the most effective president in decades by illegal means. This cabal includes those lying former intelligence agents who signed that letter that appeared in the NYT claiming that the Hunter Biden Laptop from Hell bore all the signs of Russian disinformation, as well as the usual suspects: Clapper, Brennan, Strozk, Page, Fusion GPS, etc. They knew then that it was real, that the Biden family was unscrupulous and that the big guy had spent his decades in Congress profiteering from Ukraine and China. They installed him in the Oval Office anyway because they, this band of globalists who embrace the Great Reset, could run him. They knew he would do as he was told. He was sorely compromised. They could throw open our southern border to all comers, flood the country with five million migrants from all over the world, emboldening and enriching the cartels by facilitating their human, child sex and drug trafficking, speeding up the lefts grand rearrangement of American demographics to benefit their cause, the ultimate decline of the US as a world power.

The result of their truly evil and treasonous campaign to destroy one man and to frighten his supporters into submissive compliance has been the devastation of the country. The economy and our energy independence have been sabotaged. The left is obsessed with legalizing unrestricted abortion and the promotion of all things LGBT, including the mutilation of young children. They employ subterfuge in order to introduce pornography to young schoolchildren all the while keeping parents in the dark, labeling them domestic terrorists if they complain.

They embrace the insidious critical race theory that divides people into two groups, the oppressed and the oppressors, and they, this self-appointed group of rulers, censor, de-platform and cancel all those who defy their brand of authoritarianism. We Americans have been captured by the worst kind of people; they have power and they abuse it with happy exuberance. Adding insult to injury, what they did to this nation under the guise of COVID  lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates -- makes all the damage theyve done more tragic, more criminal.

Their irresponsible spending on climate change, another hoax, has bankrupted us, left us $31t in debt ($50b of that sent to Ukraine, to protect their border). We are under siege and wholly without justice. One has only to look at the workings of the J6 committee to know this. If there ever were a Stalinist show trial, Cheneys J6 committee is it. No defense witnesses allowed!

What theyve done to Steve Bannon is pure political witch-huntery. Numerous Democrats have ignored congressional subpoenas and suffered not one bit; Eric Holder, Lois Lerner, Hillary Clinton, for example. The Bannon sentence, if it stands, is just another form of de-platforming. What was once a justice system is now a punitive process to silence people the left hates. Free speech is dead in America.

The Durham investigation turned out to be a hoax too. He went after a few low-level participants. One pled guilty and received a wrist slap for lying to the FISA court. Others were tried for lying to the FBI (it was the FBI that did all the lying) and they were, of course, found not guilty in DC/VA courtrooms where Trump hatred is the dominant pathology of the last seven years. These juries would find Hitler not guilty if hed murdered Trump and his supporters in his ovens.

The actual perpetrators of the Russia hoax have all gone unpunished; they are all members in good standing of the toxic deep state. All the principals, are like Obamas pal Bill Ayers, Guilty as hell, free as a birdAmerica is a great country. This was after Ayers learned he would not be prosecuted for a bombing spree with the Weather Underground in 1971.

Letting certain criminals go is not a new practice for the left but their current coddling of violent offenders has destroyed the quality of life in NY, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, LA, etc. Their affection for no cash bail has made each of those cities a nightmare for their law-abiding citizens who are being beaten, killed, carjacked, robbed and raped on a daily basis. The streets of these cities have been effectively turned over to the psychopaths and sociopaths who are free to continue their lives of crime. PA Senate Candidate John Fetterman wants imprisoned murderers released.

This is what the left, most recently the Biden regime, has done to America. It has mocked justice, shredded the Constitution, fought to eviscerate the Bill of Rights, stripped us of the riches in natural resources under our feet, destroyed our cities with crime and homelessness while they pursue their green polices. Green policies cost a lot, and no one ever knows where the money goes; most likely into someones pockets. Humans do not have the power to affect or change the climate. The quality of the air? Yes, but not climate. Anyway, the earth is cooling.

If the nation is to survive, these people must be voted out, investigated, charged with the crimes theyve committed, tried and convicted. Others need to be impeached: Wray of the FBI, Mayorkas of DHS, AG Garland and Joe Biden, the most unethical, senile President in American history. Justice must be restored, justice as laid out in the Constitution, justice that all Americans can trust.

There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice. -Montesquieu

Public domain image
Who says blue states can't go red?

A new poll from co/efficient shows that Republican Lee Zeldin is now leading Democrat incumbent Kathy Hochul for New York governor.

According to Breitbart News:

The co/efficient poll found that 45.6 percent of likely New York voters support Zeldin, just ahead of Hochuls 45.3 percent. This pollster is the same pollster that predicted Gov. Glenn Youngkins (R-VA) victory over Democrat Terry McAuliffe last year.

The result is a shock to leftist, but it's on-trend, in terms of the red wave building for the midterms, and in terms of Zeldin's already rising numbers. The trend has now crested above the Democrats, and for the first time in years, a Republican is now leading.

That's got to come as a cold dunking for Democrats who for years have taken victory in the gubernatorial races for granted, to the extent that they could put a pervy ogre like Andrew Cuomo, a man who is so unpleasant he is said to have no friends and was once called by his own aides the man made for social distancing, into the governor's chair, and always get away with it.

Apparently, that's no longer. The ogre they put into place to succeed the disgraced Cuomo is every bit as awful as Cuomo in terms of her hostility to the police, her advocacy of bail reform, abortion, the transgender agenda, forced vaccines, COVID lockdowns, the demonization of parents speaking out at school board meetings and a host of other things baleful and repellant to voters. They didn't care if voters didn't like what was on the menu, and really didn't like a mean karen out there shoving it down their throats.

Now they're looking at defeat if the trends continue and New Yorkers can be wise to any bid to cheat.

According to Breitbart, citing the New York Post, the ongoing national trends are smacking these arrogant New York Democrats upside the head:

The race has been tightening over the last few weeks and it appears that it is now a dead heat, Munce told the New York Post. The shift has been led by predominantly white and Hispanic registered Democrats defecting to support Zeldin, the Republican candidate. Additionally, the poll found that Zeldin has a higher favorability rating than Hochul, whose favorability numbers are lower than President Joe Bidens.

In contrast to the nasty, scowling, crotchety, and supercilious Hochul, Zeldin has come out as a good candidate -- taking the abortion issue off the table by saying he'd keep everything as it is, which seems prudent in a place like New York, vowing to clean up the out-of-control crime situation, including ending the truly grotesque 'no cash bail' law which has set criminals free, and showing grace and leadership in the face of an actual assassin who made an attempt on his life. He's campaigned with faith and done the legwork.

Now the results are creeping in and sure enough, the red wave is so strong it's reached the shores of New York. The New York Post is covering the story which could impact the fate of their state. The New York Times, surprise, surprise, is not. That tells us something about how unpleasant this news is to them.

That's apparently all it takes, and now we see Zeldin in the lead and New York about to save itself from total blue-state destruction.

Here's another thing that may make it more likely: New York voters are a practical bunch and have managed to pull themselves back from the brink in the recent past. The memory among some of them is still there. They did elect George Pataki governor in 1995 to demand some results, but the really telling incident was in 1993 when they elected Rudolph Giuliani mayor of New York City. The result was instant transformation, night and day, the revitalization and crime eradication of all New York City and the big economic boom for the city that followed. New York became great again. Things became so safe in New York anyone could walk around the streets of the South Bronx at 3:00 a.m. and nothing would ever happen. I know that because I did it.

It is telling that Latinos and independents are behind this shift. If Latinos even in New York (you know -- "live like Episcopalians, vote like Puerto Ricans" as the local saying goes about other ethnic groups) are moving to the Trump side of things, there've got to be very deep currents of political change going on throughout the country.

Anything could happen of course in politics, maybe some sort of incident makes the voters reverse course and go back into their same-old blue shell, or the cheating is too intense, which happened in the last New Jersey governor's race.

But right now, something does seem to be happening, changing, and the Democrat wokesters are about to get a wakeup call. The Latino and independent voters have had enough. Now the red wave is coming and one can only hope it spreads thoughout New York in time to save it.

Image: Twitter screen shot
The Gentle Barn, a California animal shelter (with additional locations in Nashville and St. Louis), will be hosting a turkey cuddling event this Thanksgiving. For just $25, participants can spend 90 minutes cuddling with, talking to, and feeding a turkey of their choice. The Santa Clarita-based farm is offering these supposedly therapeutic sessions at all three of its locations, in keeping with its theme of reverence for all life.

The Gentle Barns website invites people to purchase tickets to Gentle Thanksgiving 2022, stating that delicious vegan pie and hot autumn drinks will be served, while noting that cow-hugging is also an option at their locations.The organization put out a news release stating: We are inviting you on Thanksgiving Day to cuddle our turkeys. Celebrate life, love, and liberty with our majestic turkeys who should have been cherished throughout history for their intelligence, affection, and dynamic personalities.

The Barns are hoping that those that get to know turkeys on a more intimate level will eschew eating them. To reinforce that notion, the Gentle Barns founder, Ellie Laks, instructs us via a Facebook video: Just because weve always done something a certain way, doesnt mean that we always need to in the future.

Turkeys are affectionate? Really? Like, say, geese? Majestic? With a fat, feather covered backside, skinny legs, a pinkish bald headand a long, fleshy waddle hanging from their necks? I think not. But are they intelligent? By some accounts, they may drown by looking up when its raining. Even if that notion is apocryphal, they routinely stand on the sides of highways eating gravel while cars go racing by mere feet from them. Dynamic personalities? I mean, they all gobble and strut, but Ive never seen one with overwhelming charisma or sex appeal. But maybe thats just me.

As for the barns alleged reverence for all life, I am pretty surethat most of its employees -- the majority of whom appear to be female -- are pro-choice when it comes to abortion. Human abortion, anyway.

For the past couple of years, authorities have told us it was too dangerous for us to gather with our closest friends and relatives for Thanksgiving. And now were being asked to spend 90 minutes cuddling with a turkey? And we have to pay for this privilege?

What does the CDC have to say about this? Has Dr. Fauci weighed in on the matter? What happened to social distancing? Are masks required to snuggle with the Gentle Barns turkeys? And is it not fowl play to play with fowl in this manner?

For less than $25, I can have a turkey dinner with all the fixings, vegan and not.

For that, I am thankful.
Greenie glue activists were at it again in Europe, gluing themselves to things of value to protest fossil fuels.

This time, they were in for a surprise.

Apparently viewing new German cars as the equivalent of museum-quality art -- hey, some people do -- they glued themselves to the floor of the Volkswagen Autostadt's Porsche Pavillion in Wolfsburg, Germany to protest, similar to the way many other green activists have been gluing themselves to art masterpieces in Europe's museums for the same reason.

According to the Daily Mail:

Eco-demonstrators who glued themselves to the floor of a Volkswagen factory then moaned that their hands hurt and they could not go to the toilet have been arrested. Nine activists from the Scientist Rebellion group broke into Autostadt, a museum and car showroom opposite Volkswagen's main factory in Wolfsburg, late on Wednesday and glued themselves to the floor of the Porsche pavilion. They vowed to continue their protest until Volkswagen agreed to lobby ministers to decarbonise the transport industry. But they began complaining after just a few hours that they had no food and staff had refused to bring them a bowl to defecate in.

What happened here is that the efficient German staff, undoubtedly acting in clockwork fashion, advised the protestors of the pavillion hours and when the protestors wouldn't leave, locked up for the night -- with the protestors inside. Unlike the museum staffers, who called the cops on them and had them hauled off, these practical no-nonsense Germans decided instead to ... leave them there.

It was cold, dark, and since they were glued to the floor, uncomfortable, as they couldn't go to the bathroom. If they had to go, they had to ... do it in their suits, it seems.

Which seems like fitting punishment, given that these protestors, who called themselves Scientist Rebellion, didn't seem to plan much of anything, and certainly didn't seem to understand the connection between fossil fuels and heated rooms.

Here's one of them opining about why he was there:

Together with 15 other members of @ScientistRebel1 I have occupied the Porsche pavillion at @Autostadt, 9 of us glued to the floor and some of us on hunger strike until our demands to decarbonise the German transport sector are met https://t.co/Y5uo5IicXb @ClimateHuman pic.twitter.com/SUxUy5Q5uq  gianluca grimalda (@GGrimalda) October 19, 2022

Which gives us a sense of just how irrational they, like all glue-obsessed leftwing protestors, really are.

I had wondered if Wolfsburg, Germany was maybe in some place like Bavaria, where the really heavy-duty German conservatives live, Bavaria having been an anti-Nazi stronghold because these people hate socialism. I looked it up on the map and nope, it is in north central part of Germany, near Hanover.

If a solution as tough as the one delivered to the protestors could be had from northern Germany, there really is hope for all of Germany. Let's hope the Volkswagen spirit in this incident inspires many more Europeans to stand up to these fanatics.

Nick Arama at RedState has more thoughts here.

Image: Twitter screen shot
(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 22 - United States President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen both congratulated new Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni after her government was sworn in on Saturday and said they looked forward to working with her.

"I congratulate Giorgia Meloni on becoming the new Prime Minister of Italy," Biden said in a message released by the White House.

"Italy is a vital NATO Ally and close partner as our nations together address shared global challenges.

"As leaders in the G7, I look forward to continuing to advance our support for Ukraine, hold Russia accountable for its aggression, ensure respect for human rights and democratic values, and build sustainable economic growth".

Von der Leyen stressed the importance of Meloni being "the first woman to hold the post" of Italian premier in a Twitter post.

"I count on and look forward to constructive cooperation with the new government on the challenges we face together," she said.

European Council President Charles Michel also congratulated the Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader. "Let's work together for the benefit of Italy  and the EU ," Michel tweeted. "I await you at the European Council to work together for the good of the European Union #EUCO," he added, writing the last line in Italian. In her congratulatory message, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola stressed that Europe was facing "enormous challenges. "Let's help our citizens and support Ukraine, remaining united and determined," she added. "Europe needs Italy. Together we will overcome every difficulty".

(ANSA).


Alec Baldwin has marked the anniversary of Halyna Hutchins death, ahead of the final police report into the incident.

The cinematographer was killed on the set of the Rust movie on October 21 2021 after a prop gun the Hollywood actor was holding was discharged.

Director Joel Souza was also wounded in the shooting on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set near Santa Fe, Arizona.

It comes following an undisclosed settlement between Baldwin and the cinematographers estate, which was announced earlier this month.

Lawyers representing Ms Hutchins husband Matthew and their son Andros sued Baldwin and the films other producers for wrongful death in February.

Sharing a picture of Ms Hutchins on Instagram, the actor wrote: One year ago today.

The same day, in a statement shared with the PA news agency, the Santa Fe District Attorneys reiterated that it was committed to pursuing justice for the victims, and getting answers for the community.

As soon as the District Attorney receives the full report from the Santa Fe County Sheriff, she and her team of professional attorneys and investigators will thoroughly review all the evidence and make a thoughtful decision about whether to bring charges against those involved, said Heather Brewer, spokesperson for the Office of the First Judicial District Attorney.

No one is above the law and every victim deserves justice.

The DAs office previously said the settlement would have no impact on the ongoing criminal investigation.
Rishi Sunak is believed to have become the first Conservative leadership candidate to secure the backing of 100 MPs, shoring up sufficient support to be on the ballot for Mondays vote.

On Friday night the former chancellors supporters said he had amassed the necessary numbers to reach the threshold, way ahead of the deadline.

Boris Johnson was lagging behind, as was Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt who became the first to confirm her candidacy to replace Liz Truss as Prime Minister.

The free mkt experiment is over  its been a low point in our Partys great history. The reset begins. Time for centrist, stable, fiscally responsible Government offering credible domestic & international leadership. Honoured to be the 100th Tory MP to support #Ready4Rishi pic.twitter.com/bOmlQLrtQn  Tobias Ellwood MP (@Tobias_Ellwood) October 21, 2022

But Mr Johnson has told allies he is up for it and was flying back overnight from his holiday in the Dominican Republic to enter the race and attempt an extraordinary comeback.

Sky News photographed the ex-PM and his wife Carrie Johnson on an overnight British Airways flight back from the Dominican Republic with their children and said the MP received one or two boos as he boarded.

There is speculation among backers of the old Downing Street neighbours that they could strike a deal to stand together, but this would need them both to bury a lot of rancour.

Mr Sunak, who came second against Ms Truss in the last race six weeks ago, has around 82 public declarations, far ahead Mr Johnsons 48, while Ms Mordaunt struggles on 18.

But a source in the former chancellors camp told the PA news agency he had won the backing of 100 colleagues to make it to the next stage.

Rishi Sunak is understood to have been gathering support following the resignation of Liz Truss as Prime Minister (Beresford Hodge/PA)

Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out, with a result being announced on Friday.

Mr Johnson won the support of six Cabinet ministers: Ben Wallace, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke, Chris Heaton-Harris, Alok Sharma and Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Mr Rees-Mogg said Tory party members should decide who is the next leader rather than MPs, telling the Daily Telegraphs Choppers Politics podcast that returning Mr Johnson to No 10 would calm the stock markets.

The Business Secretary said Mr Johnsons reinstalment would provide financial stability because it would mean the general election would not need to be held until late 2024.

Mr Rees-Mogg added: Im always in favour of the members deciding the leadership  I think thats the right place for it to go. And I think the 1922 Committee and the Board of the Tory Party have done really well to get it to a position where that can be done swiftly. Im in favour of it going to the membership.

He went on to say that it was an error for Tory MPs to dump Mr Johnson, adding: Boris Johnsons attraction is that he is a big, charismatic political figure who is able to get things done and who is able to connect with voters in a way that no other politician of this era can.

Mr Rees-Moggs market prediction was contrary to that of some economists, with the head of currency strategy at Rabobank, Jane Foley, telling the Financial Times Mr Johnsons time in office had been characterised by a lack of leadership from a government very distracted by one scandal after another, and the chance that that could come back is not going to be welcomed by markets.

Analysts at Berenberg Bank said there were greater market risks from a Johnson government, with FT reporting the bank told its clients: Given that a majority of Conservative MPs probably do not want Johnson as their leader, the prospects of mass resignations and a further descent into chaos would loom large.

It came as former Tory leader Lord William Hague warned Mr Johnsons return would lead to a death spiral for the Conservative Party.

And I think its possibly the worst idea Ive heard of in the 46 years Ive been a member of the Conservative Party, he told Times Radio.

Neither Mr Johnson or Mr Sunak have officially launched their campaigns, unlike Ms Mordaunt who put her name forward with a pledge to re-unite the bitterly divided Tory Party.

The Leader of the House  who finished third in the last leadership election  said she had been encouraged by the support she had received from fellow Conservative MPs.

Ive been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest. Im running to be the leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister  to unite our country, deliver our pledges and win the next GE.#PM4PM pic.twitter.com/MM0NTHJ5lH  Penny Mordaunt (@PennyMordaunt) October 21, 2022

Ive been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest, she said in a statement posted on social media.

Im running to be the leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister  to unite our country, deliver our pledges and win the next GE (general election).

The announcement from Ms Mordaunt came after she assured Jeremy Hunt he could stay on as Chancellor if she won.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has signalled he is ready to back Boris Johnson (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Mr Johnsons supporters have been urging him to mount a comeback six weeks after he left No 10 when he was forced to resign by a Cabinet rebellion over a series of scandals.

Ally Sir James Duddridge said Mr Johnson has told him he is up for it, and would head back from his Caribbean holiday and land in the UK on Saturday.

The trade minister told the PA news agency: Ive been in contact with the boss via WhatsApp.

Hes going to fly back. He said, Im flying back, Dudders. We are going to do this. Im up for it.

Some MPs have warned they would resign the Tory whip and sit in the Commons as independents if Mr Johnson returns to Downing Street.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace ruled himself out as a candidate, saying he was leaning towards backing his long-time ally Mr Johnson.

Mr Wallace praised his record on investing in defence and pointing to the huge majority he won in 2019.

He told broadcasters: This will be potentially our third prime minister since the general election of 2019  that means we have to think about that legitimacy question that the public will be asking themselves, and also about who could win the next election  thats obviously important for any political party at the time.

Boris Johnson could find himself up against Rishi Sunak (Leon Neal/PA)

Candidates have until 2pm on Monday to secure the 100 nominations, limiting the ballot to a maximum of three candidates.

Supporters of Mr Johnson believe that if he can make it to the last two, he will win in the final online ballot of party activists with whom he remains hugely popular.

Mr Sunak won the backing of Sajid Javid, his predecessor as chancellor who backed Ms Truss in the last race and Mr Johnson in 2019.

Mr Javid said Mr Sunak has the values our party needs to help them move on from the mistakes of the past.

Former minister Johnny Mercer also backed Mr Sunak, and argued he could not put himself or his constituents through another Johnson administration after the terrible lows last time around.

Boris is a friend of mine, I love him to bits, hes a great guy, but I just dont think I can put myself through that again. I dont think I can ask my constituents to, I dont think I can ask my staff he told BBC Radio 4s PM programme.

I love Boris to bits, and hes got amazing qualities for this country, but it is now time for serious, competent, straight-forward and values-based governance.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is being urged to push for a vote of no confidence in the Tories  with SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford vowing he will work with other opposition parties to try to make this happen in a bid to force an early general election.

Mr Blackford has written to Sir Keir  who as the leader of the opposition in the House of Commons is the only MP who can submit a formal vote of no confidence motion.

The SNP MP insisted that opposition leaders cannot stand idly by as the Tories attempt to impose their third prime minister in the space of three months.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has written to Sir Keir Starmer, saying a motion of no confidence could help bring about an early general election (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Mr Blackford told Sir Keir: It is time to trigger a motion of no-confidence in this disastrous Tory government and  most importantly  it is time for people to have their say in a general election.

Passing a motion of no confidence in the Conservative government could trigger an early general election.

However, it is uncertain if such a motion would be passed, with the Tories holding a majority at Westminster.

But Mr Blackford insisted that with a vacuum at the top of the Tory leadership, the time was right to trigger that motion and attempt to force a general election.

Opposition parties need to impose maximum pressure on the Conservative government, the SNP MP added.

He urged Sir Keir: I hope we can act together to stop this shambles, put maximum pressure on the Tories as they fight each other, and let the people have their democratic say in a general election.

His comments came as he accused the Conservatives of having taken a wrecking ball to the UK economy and made families suffer  as mortgage rates rise, pensions fall, and soaring inflation pushes up household bills.

Mr Blackford continued: Having done so much damage, they simply cannot be allowed to impose a third Tory prime minister without an election. It would be unthinkable and undemocratic. Voters must get a say.

He argued it was now vital that opposition parties work together to force a vote of no confidence, and pile pressure on the Tories to call a general election, so voters can decide.
Backing Boris Johnson for prime minister again would be a retrograde step because he cannot form an effective government, trade minister Greg Hands has said.

It was not the partygate scandal which forced Mr Johnson to resign as PM in the summer, but the fact that more than 60 ministers and parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) had abandoned his government, according to Mr Hands.

He recalled that in the dying hours of leadership in July, Mr Johnson offered him the Northern Ireland secretary job (a position not to be thrown around lightly), if I could just show the world he could indeed form a government.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson as he made his resignation statement outside 10 Downing Street (Gareth Fuller/PA)

He added: I think he would have offered me almost anything. I refused.

Indeed, as we sat there, more resignations of junior ministers, whips and PPSs were coming in.

I told him he had to resign, as he couldnt form a government. Doubtless others said the same. The next morning, he duly did resign.

I have no reason to have any more confidence today that he could put together an effective government.

He also tweeted: 68 members of the Govt had resigned in 24 hours  and more were coming. How could any of those 68 now serve, just weeks after? People forget quickly. I dont.

Mr Hands is once again backing former chancellor Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party leadership race after he lost out last time to Liz Truss.

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt is the only candidate who has so far officially declared she is running.

I have no doubt at all that the best option is @RishiSunak. I have worked closely with him in government. He had the right policies in the summer, and he has the right policies now. He is the right person to get the U.K. through the tough economic times. /1 @Ready4Rishi pic.twitter.com/7My43sJOpd  Greg Hands (@GregHands) October 22, 2022

Mr Johnson is to face an inquiry into whether he lied to the Commons over the partygate scandal, for which he was fined by police.

If found guilty by the Commons Privileges Committee, he could face recall proceedings that would leave him battling for his seat in the Commons if he receives a suspension of 10 days or more.

His popularity with the public has crashed, even if he still rides high with the Tory membership.

Some MPs have even suggested they could resign the party whip if he wins.

Mr Hands tweeted: I have no doubt at all that the best option is @RishiSunak. I have worked closely with him in government.

He had the right policies in the summer, and he has the right policies now. He is the right person to get the UK through the tough economic times and therefore for us to have a good chance at the next election.

I like Boris, but bringing him back would be retrograde. Why?

What finally finished Boris on July 7 wasnt the parties or even the Privileges Committee  it was that he wasnt able to form a Government.
President Joe Biden on Friday offered an update on the launch of his administrations student loan forgiveness efforts, announcing that in just under a week, nearly 22 million people applied online.

But just a few hours later, a federal appeals court threw the program into limbo with an administrative stay that, for now, prevents the administration from actually dispensing with the loans. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued the pause Friday night as it considers a request from six Republican-led states to block the program permanently.

But with legal wrangling over the program now expected to spill into next week, the White House quickly asserted that borrowers will continue to be able to at least apply for relief.

"[W]e encourage eligible borrowers to join the nearly 22 million Americans whose information the Department of Education already has," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

The ruling also "does not prevent us from reviewing these applications and preparing them for transmission to loan servicers," she added.

Nevertheless, the program and whether the approved applications will ever be completed is now up in the air a week after the program first went live. The beta version of the application for up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness launched on Oct. 15 followed by the presidents formal unveiling on Monday of the sign-up process.

President Biden delivered remarks on student debt relief at Delaware State University on October 21. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson  one of the state officials who is suing to stop the program  praised the ruling in a statement, saying: Its very important that the legal issues involving presidential power be analyzed by the court before transferring over $400 billion in debt to American taxpayers.

A focus on 40 million borrowers

Biden and his top aides including Education Secretary Miguel Cardona have been persistently prodding Americans to sign up. The online form has been noted for its simplicity: asking borrowers for nothing beyond their name, Social Security number, date of birth, phone number, and email. Some documents may be required later in the process, according to the form.

It is so encouraging to see so many borrowers apply so quickly, Persis Yu of the Student Borrower Protection Center told Yahoo Finance Friday before the ruling. I think it speaks to the need for this relief and how desperate borrowers really are to get this cancellation.

Prior to Friday's ruling, the soonest debt was expected to be erased was mid-November.

In August, the Biden administration announced a debt forgiveness plan that would forgive $10,000 of debt for people making less than $125,000 and an additional $10,000 for those who received Pell Grants, which go to borrowers with extreme financial need.

Some critics argue the plan doesn't address the root problems that make college so expensive, while others claim the plan overstepped the executive branch's constitutional authority. Many have also noted the high cost of the program, which budget experts say could be as high as half a trillion dollars depending on how many people sign up.

The White House has said that around 40 million Americans may eventually be eligible for forgiveness and 60% of them are Pell Grant recipients, who are eligible for extra relief.

The question, for Kyra Taylor, a staff attorney focused on student loans at the National Consumer Law Center, is this: Do they all know that they need to apply, that they need to raise their hand and I think that will be an open question and that will really turn on outreach as we move forward.

The forgiveness process going forward

If the administration is able to get the forgiveness process back on track, the Department of Education will review and approve applications on a rolling basis. Loan servicers are the ones who would then actually execute the forgiveness if that final step in the process is reinstated.

Administration officials chose Delaware State University as the site for Biden's Fridays speech because the historically Black university includes a student body where over 75% of students receive a Pell Grant  and would therefore be eligible for increased forgiveness.

"There is no better example of a university that has changed so many lives," Biden said on Friday.

Biden also lit into the critics of his student loan efforts, singling out Republicans who criticized the program after benefiting from forgivable loans from the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses."Who the hell do they think they are?" Biden asked.

The administration's forgiveness plan had gained two significant victories on Thursday when a federal judge in Missouri ruled that the six states lacked standing to block the program and the Supreme Court also made a similar ruling in reference to a different case.

"A state court and the Supreme Court said no 'we're on Biden's side,'" the president said on Friday.

On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit granted a temporary win for officials seeking to block the program from six states: Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina. Those states argue that Biden's plan oversteps its spending authority as the executive branch and threatens the states' future tax revenues.

A federal judge dismissed the case on Thursday, finding the states lacked standing to sue  meaning they failed to show that they would be hurt by the debt relief program. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals will now decide whether to affirm that decision.

This post was updated after the Eight Circuit issued an order pausing the debt-relief program on Friday.

Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit.
Northern California deputies arrested five suspects this week accused of stealing antiques and precious heirlooms from a victim who lost their home in last months Mosquito Fire, authorities said.

Family antiques and generational heirlooms from the 1800s valued at about $7,500 were stolen after the victims lost their house and barn in the blaze, the Placer County Sheriffs Office said in a Friday news release.

The theft happened in the town of Michigan Bluff  an area ravaged by Californias largest fire this year to date  after mandatory evacuation orders in the area had been lifted, sheriffs officials wrote.

Sheriffs detectives identified two suspects after the property owner informed authorities that they believed family members of former renters at the home were involved in the crime, according to the release. The two suspects were tracked to Sacramento.

Detectives on Thursday served a search warrant at the residence of one of the suspects, during which deputies arrested five total suspects and recovered most of the stolen property, along with guns and various drugs including fentanyl, meth and heroin.

The five suspects were identified as: Amanda Graham, 39; Brandon Garner, 41; Jessica Damigo, 39; James Gonzales, 37; and Christopher Diaz, 42.

All five were booked into the Placer County Main Jail in Auburn on felony charges of grand theft and conspiracy, and misdemeanor drug charges, jail records show.

Graham, Gonzales and Diaz each had outstanding bench warrants and remained in custody as of Friday. Garner and Damigo were released Thursday after posting bail.
The exterior of a Planned Parenthood Northern California in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu/Associated Press)

A federal court largely upheld a nearly $2.5-million jury verdict Friday against a group of antiabortion activists who secretly recorded Planned Parenthood employees and later edited the videos to suggest the organization was illegally profiting off the sale of fetal tissue.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected the notion, put forward by the activists, that they were acting as undercover investigative journalists and therefore shielded from paying such damages by the 1st Amendment and other publishing protections.

Rather, the court found, the activists were guilty of trespassing, fraud, conspiracy, breach of contract, unlawful and fraudulent business practices and other federal and state laws  which are applicable to everyone, including journalists.

"Journalism and investigative reporting have long served a critical role in our society," Judge Ronald Gould, a Clinton appointee, wrote for the court. "But journalism and investigative reporting do not require illegal conduct."

Gould was joined by Chief Judge Mary Murguia and Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, a U.S. District Court judge in Wyoming who was sitting on the appellate panel by designation. Both are Obama appointees.

Attorneys for the activists did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Helene Krasnoff, vice president of public policy litigation and law for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement that the organization was "thrilled" with the ruling in the case, which was filed in San Francisco in conjunction with various local Planned Parenthood affiliates, including seven in California.

Krasnoff said the appellate court had made clear, again, that "the only people who engaged in wrongdoing were those behind this malicious fraud."

Krasnoff said the lawsuit was "never about monetary gain" but "exposing the fraudulent and illegal actions" of the activists and ensuring Planned Parenthood could continue serving its patients.

The undercover videos, which caused a political uproar in 2015, were fraudulently obtained by David Daleiden and fellow activists with the Center for Medical Progress. The activists obtained the videos by using fake driver's licenses and creating a fake tissue procurement company to trick the Planned Parenthood employees into chatting at conferences, at a clinic and over lunches, sometimes as they encouraged the employees to consume alcohol.

As The Times and the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley have previously reported, the activists prepped for the conversations, intentionally sought to introduce inflammatory phrases such as "fully intact baby" into them, and used methods geared more toward political provocation than journalism.

The videos spurred multiple investigations, but none found wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood. One grand jury tasked with investigating the organization in Texas instead brought charges against the activists.

In the lower federal court, Planned Parenthood was awarded nearly $2.43 million in an assortment of damages, including $870,000 in punitive damages for claims of fraud, trespassing, and wiretapping violations. It was also awarded nearly $470,000 in compensatory damages to cover costs the organization incurred to prevent similar security breaches in the future and to provide its involved employees with security amid the political fallout.

The panel Friday affirmed those damages.

It did not rule entirely in Planned Parenthood's favor, though.

The panel reversed a lower court decision granting the organization $90,000 in statutory damages related to the activists' purported violation of federal wiretap law, finding claims that the videos were recorded for criminal or otherwise wrongful purposes were not proven.

In the opinion, Gould was careful to note that the court's findings as to the activists' actions, which he described as "subterfuge," did not in any way "impose a new burden on journalists or undercover investigations using lawful means."

Instead, he wrote, the court was simply reaffirming "the established principle that the pursuit of journalism does not give a license to break laws of general applicability."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Name: Dajma Livingston

Political party: Nonpartisan

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 28

Campaign website: dlivingston4wake.com

Occupation: Teacher/ Instructor

Education: East Carolina University: MaEd, Adult Education

Have you run for elected office before? No

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Policy/grant writer; lobby for reparative justice for minority and low-income families. Volunteering in community-based organizations which fight against hunger and homelessness; as well as developing a curriculum for adults and 7th through 12th grade learners on economic disparities, history and reparations.

Why do you want to serve on the Wake County Board of Education?

As a North Carolina native, I am running for office to not only offer my expertise in K-12 general education but to also give back to the region which raised and molded me to be the person I am today. I hope to inspire my community to be great and reach their dreams. All learners deserve the guidance, support and resources necessary to achieve their goals and aspirations. I look forward to being the face of equality and provide opportunity to our scholars.

What are the Wake County Public Schools doing well?

With lack of resources and minimal funding, I believe that Wake County Schools are doing their best. The Wake County public school teachers are certified experts who are taking on multiple work roles to provide a phenomenal educational experience for our scholars.

What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.

*Vocational education options *Cultural diversity and awareness *Public school safety and security *Teacher retention

As a teacher myself, it will always be my continuous obligation to advocate for adequate teachers pay. Increasing teachers pay will assist in recognizing and uplifting our quality teachers, in efforts to support teachers economically and within their areas of focus; advocating for teacher retention in our schools.

What should the district do in response to calls to remove books from schools that some say are inappropriate for students?

I as a board member will value the voices of our residents in District 6 and ensure that all books allowed in our schools are appropriate and supportive of learning in all general and elective courses; including science, history, economics, health and English.

How should schools discuss issues involving discrimination based on race, gender and other factors?

I find it best to address these issues through general education courses. There are many books and pieces of literature that can be found in historical archives that should be taught and preserved. True history and economics should never be foreshadowed or erased; our scholars deserve to know the truth, even if it is unflattering; there are children who are living and experiencing the aftermath of past and present discrimination and should be knowledgeable on real life events.

How would you go about making schools safer in the aftermath of school shootings such as in Uvalde, Texas?

Living though an era of public-school massacres, I will continuously ensure that public school safety and security be our top priority in protecting our children, staff and the future of our nation from harm and violence. This looks like ensuring all Wake County public schools are secured, trained SROs are in schools and connected with our local police force and locally established organizations to better support protecting schools from harm.

What would you do to try to address student learning loss that was exacerbated by the pandemic?

The effects of the ongoing pandemic and the lack of support for teachers and scholars have contributed to schools losing qualified teachers and scholars suffering from learning loss. Scholars and teachers deserve to have access to adequate supplies and support for learning. Online and face-to-face instructional options should be available throughout the the year for all classes; extra tutoring opportunities for scholars after school, on weekends and during summer break.

Whats the appropriate level of funding that should be provided to Wake County schools?

I do not believe there should be a cap or specific dollar on funding. As our economy evolves, so should we. Each year, new and improved AI technology is produced in support of higher education and learning. In order to compete on a globalized level , we must invest in our youth at any cost necessary, with an appropriate dollar amount to support all levels of higher learning.
A federal appeals court late Friday issued an administrative stay temporarily blocking President Joe Bidens plan to cancel billions of dollars in federal student loans, throwing the program into limbo just days after people began applying for loan forgiveness.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issued the stay while it considers a motion from six Republican-led states to block the program. The stay ordered the Biden administration not to act on the program while it considers the appeal.

Its unclear what the decision means for the 22 million borrowers who already applied for the relief. The Biden administration had promised not to clear any debt before Oct. 23 as it battled the legal challenges, but the soonest it was expected to begin erasing debt was mid-November.

The crucial question now is whether the issue will be resolved before Jan. 1, when payments on federal student loans are expected to restart after being paused during the pandemic. Millions of Americans were expected to get their debt canceled entirely under Bidens plan, but they now face uncertainty about whether they will need to start making payments in January.

Biden has said his previous extension of the payment pause would be the final one, but economists worry that many Americans may not have regained financial footing after the upheaval of the pandemic. If borrowers who were expecting debt cancellation are asked to make payments in January, theres fear that many could fall behind on the bills and default on their loans.

A notice of appeal to the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was filed late Thursday, hours after U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey in St. Louis ruled that since the states of Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina failed to establish standing, the Court lacks jurisdiction to hear this case.

Separately, the six states also asked the district court for an injunction prohibiting the administration from implementing the debt cancellation plan until the appeals process plays out.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, one of the six attorneys general leading the effort to block the debt relief program, praised the courts decision.

Biden: Nearly 22M requested student loan relief

President Joe Biden says nearly 22 million people have applied for federal student loan relief in the week since his administration made its online application available  more than half of the number the White House believes are eligible. (Oct. 21)

We are pleased the temporary stay has been granted, Peterson said in a statement. Its very important that the legal issues involving presidential power be analyzed by the court before transferring over $400 billion in debt to American taxpayers.

Speaking before Fridays ruling at Delaware State University, a historically Black university where the majority of students receive federal Pell Grants, Biden touted the number of applicants who have applied for the loan relief in the week since his administration made its online application available.

The plan, announced in August, would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, will get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.

The Congressional Budget Office has said the program will cost about $400 billion over the next three decades. James Campbell, an attorney for the Nebraska attorney generals office, told Autrey at an Oct. 12 hearing that the administration is acting outside its authorities in a way that will cost states millions of dollars.

The cancellation applies to federal student loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate school, along with Parent Plus loans. Current college students qualify if their loans were disbursed before July 1. The plan makes 43 million borrowers eligible for some debt forgiveness, with 20 million who could get their debt erased entirely, according to the administration.

The announcement immediately became a major political issue ahead of the November midterm elections.

Conservative attorneys, Republican lawmakers and business-oriented groups have asserted that Biden overstepped his authority in taking such sweeping action without the assent of Congress. They called it an unfair government giveaway for relatively affluent people at the expense of taxpayers who didnt pursue higher education.

Many Democratic lawmakers facing tough reelection contests have distanced themselves from the plan.

Biden on Friday blasted Republicans who have criticized his relief program, saying their outrage is wrong and its hypocritical. He noted that some Republican officials had debt and pandemic relief loans forgiven.

The six states sued in September. Lawyers for the administration countered that the Department of Education has broad authority to manage the federal student financial aid programs. A court filing stated that the 2003 Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act, or HEROES Act, allows the secretary of education to waive or modify terms of federal student loans in times of war or national emergency.

COVID-19 is such an emergency, the filing stated.

The HEROES Act was enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to help members of the military. The Justice Department says the law allows Biden to reduce or erase student loan debt during a national emergency. Republicans argue the administration is misinterpreting the law, in part because the pandemic no longer qualifies as a national emergency.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas speaks during a news conference on Sept. 9, 2021. (Jose Luis Magan / Associated Press)

Because of a civil war in their homeland, Ethiopians in the U.S. will be eligible to stay for 18 months and apply for work permits, U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials announced Friday.

Ethiopians who were in the U.S. as of Oct. 20, whether on student visas or tourist visas or in the country without proper documentation, will be eligible to apply for temporary protected status. The status shields immigrants from potential deportation.

The status is granted to citizens of countries where conditions are too unsafe for them to return, whether because of natural disaster, armed conflict or other catastrophes.

U.S. officials estimate that 26,700 Ethiopians will be eligible to apply for the protection, which was granted because the war between Ethiopian government forces and the Tigrayan minority has put civilians at risk of being raped and killed, as well as other human rights violations.

This year, the Biden administration allowed Ukrainians in the U.S. to apply for temporary protected status and has offered the same protections to Afghans. The expansion stands in contrast to



the Trump administration, which sought to roll back the protections for several nationalities.

The United States recognizes the ongoing armed conflict and the extraordinary and temporary conditions engulfing Ethiopia, and DHS is committed to providing temporary protection to those in need, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement. Ethiopian nationals currently residing in the U.S. who cannot safely return due to conflict-related violence and a humanitarian crisis involving severe food shortages, flooding, drought and displacement will be able to remain and work in the United States until conditions in their home country improve.

The administration can renew a nationalitys eligibility. Certain Haitians, for example, have been eligible, with repeated renewals, since an earthquake devastated their homeland in 2010. The Biden administration expanded the number of Haitians eligible for the protections last year.

Immigrant advocates have criticized the program for sometimes extending the temporary protection again and again without providing a path to a green card for people who have built lives in this country.

About 356,000 people in the U.S. were born in Ethiopia or are of Ethiopian ancestry, according to the Migration Policy Institutes analysis of U.S. census data. About 12% live in California and 11% in Virginia.

In Los Angeles, Little Ethiopia on Fairfax Avenue is lined with restaurants and shops.

Bakimos Kidane, 34, worries that family members in Ethiopia may be targeted by authorities because they are from the Tigrayan minority. Other family members have been arrested, he said.

Kidane, who has a financial technology startup in Los Angeles, nurses his fears from afar. It is not safe for Ethiopians in the U.S. to travel home, he said.

To send [Tigrayans] back to Ethiopia, I think would be a complete negligence, he said. Ethiopia isnt a safe haven  it isnt the homeland they knew it to be back prior to November 2020.

A report by United Nations experts released in September found that 90% of the population in the northern Ethiopia region of Tigray was in dire need



of assistance. The report said Ethiopian government forces had committed war crimes and Tigrayan forces had appeared to commit human rights violations and war crimes.

Advocates and politicians have been calling on the Biden administration to extend temporary protected status to Ethiopians as the civil war, which began in 2020, has intensified.

Protecting Ethiopians, the second-largest community of Africans in the United States, from return to untenable conditions is a vital statement to Ethiopia and our allies that our nation is restoring its commitment to human rights, globally and at home, dozens of immigrant advocates and leaders wrote in 2021. In addition, like many TPS holders, Ethiopians have served as essential workers during the pandemic, contributing to the economy and enriching U.S. communities.

The U.S. State Department warns American citizens not to travel to the Tigray region due to armed conflict, civil unrest and crime.

Whenever you hear there is a bombing  I hope and pray they didnt get their home and wait until next time I hear from them. It sometimes takes awhile, Remhai Menelik of San Francisco said of her relatives in Ethiopia.

Menelik, 29, who runs a nonprofit called Free Tigray, said she couldnt imagine anyone going back to the country now.

Ethiopia is not a place Tigrayans can actually live and survive right now, she said.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Police in Fayetteville are investigating a shooting in a suburban neighborhood around dinnertime Friday that killed the teenage daughter of a Fayetteville city councilwoman, The Fayetteville Observer reported.

The Observer said the killing, which happened around 7 p.m. on Maitland Drive in Fayetteville, was the citys fourth homicide in a week.

The victim is Coryonna Young, the 15-year-old daughter of City Councilwoman Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, the paper reported, citing Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin.

Police couldnt be reached for comment by The News & Observer; other media outlets also reported being unable to reach them.

But Colvin confirmed Youngs death, writing in a text message that We are all heartbroken to hear about the tragic loss of our colleagues daughter. Our thoughts and prayers are with Councilwoman Banks-McLaughlin and her family.

Banks-McLaughlin is married with five children, according to her biography on the City Council website. Their home is not on Maitland Drive, where the shooting occurred.

In a Facebook post Friday night, the police reported the shooting but did not name the victim, and asked anyone with information to send help to their tipline.

On Saturday, a nonprofit group called Heal The Ville was holding its second annual Stop The Violence rally at a park near downtown Fayetteville. It was planned before the recent spate of shootings, but those only drove its message home, speakers said.

State Sen. Kirk deViere, a Democrat who represents the area in the legislature, spoke about creating a community that his 5-year-old and other kids can safely grow up in.

We as a community need to be intentional about reducing gun violence, he said, noting that theres been three deaths in the last two days.

What I know is we have to come together as a community, he added. Republican, Democrat, white, Black, Latino. Yellow, black, brown, rich, poor. Gun violence affects everyone.

An hour north, in Raleigh, hundreds gathered at churches around town Saturday, for funerals of two of the victims in the Oct. 13 mass shooting in the Hedingham neighborhood  a tragedy deViere also invoked.

Look at what happened in Raleigh just last week, when there was gun violence that struck right in our states capitol, he said. We have to continue to come together. Look. Nobody has a perfect solution, but ... there is no wrong idea. We have to collectively not lose focus, not lose sight of this.

The N&O previously reported that while the Republican-led legislature has typically favored policies that expand gun access, a bill to help gun owners get trigger locks passed the N.C. House nearly unanimously last year, in a vote of 116-1. But it was never allowed to get a vote in the N.C. Senate.

In the wake of the Hedingham shooting, Democratic lawmakers renewed their calls to pass that bill as well as a red flag bill that would allow judges to order people to turn in their guns if deemed a threat to themselves or others. North Carolina already has a red flag law specifically for domestic abusers, but it does not apply to any other situations.
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As Florida prepares for early voting to begin on Monday, vote-by-mail turnout so far indicates a higher ballot return rate for Republicans, though more Democrats have requested absentee ballots.

More than 1 million Floridians had voted by mail as of Friday afternoon, according to the Florida Division of Elections. Thats just shy of a quarter of the roughly 4.2 million voters who asked for ballots to be delivered through the postal service.

Nearly 29% of Republicans who requested to vote-by-mail in the upcoming general election have returned their ballots, compared to about 24% of Democrats, according to data tracked by the state.

While those mail ballot numbers could indicate more enthusiasm among Republicans, its still too soon to draw conclusions about overall turnout in the Nov. 8 election, said Michael McDonald, political science professor and voter turnout researcher at the University of Florida.

Its a little too early to say with definitiveness that Republicans are more energized, more active in terms of returning their ballots, but it could be, McDonald said, especially as voting by mail has become a partisan issue following the 2020 election.

Partisan split

Voting by mail has become an increasingly divisive political issue amid unsubstantiated concerns raised by some Republicans that mail-in ballots led to election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

An October poll by Siena and The New York Times showed that a majority of Republican respondents  about 55%  consider voting by mail to be a major threat to democracy, compared to only 12% of Democrats and 31% of independents.

The Republicans who have mail-in ballot requests at this point are those that really want to vote by mail, McDonald said. They didnt cancel their mail ballot request in 2020 because of the rhetoric that was coming from Donald Trump.

While the number of ballots requested by Republicans remains relatively consistent with that of 2018, about 450,000 more Democrats received mail-in ballots compared to the previous midterm election.

Over 37% of registered Democrats requested an absentee ballot in 2022, up from 28% in 2018.

Mail-in ballot requests for both Republicans and Democrats were higher in 2020, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Mark Ard, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of State.

What the challenge is going to be for the Democratic Party will be chasing down those people who have those mail-in ballots and encouraging them to return [them], McDonald said.

Last year, the Florida Democratic Party launched Blue Shift, a statewide coordinated campaign geared toward midterm elections, Ferguson Yacyshyn, director of the coordinated campaign, wrote in an email.

Right now Blue Shift is in full swing, Yacyshyn wrote. We have 2,000 volunteers knocking doors and making phone calls and were sending over 100,000 text messages a day focused on chasing VBM ballots. Were also running a layered canvass operation targeting Hispanic and African American communities across the state.

Mail-in ballot requests among No-Party-Affiliated voters have also increased by about 200,000 compared to 2018, which is consistent with a general rise in voters registering as independents.

That could bode well for Democrats, according to McDonald.

You get a lot of young people who arent registered with a political party. And we know that they tend to behave more like Democrats that are going to support Democrats more often than not, McDonald said.

So far, only about 22% of independent voters who requested a mail-in ballot have returned them. In 2018, nearly 71% of voters with no party affiliation returned their mail-in ballots, a slightly smaller share than the 74% of Democrats who returned their mail-in ballots.

In 2018, a greater number of Republicans voted-by-mail than Democrats, while Democrats edged out Republicans in ballots cast during early voting. All told, about 30,000 more Democrats than Republicans voted early or by mail in that election.

The edge in pre-election day voting didnt translate into victories in the biggest statewide contests, however, as Republican Ron DeSantis won the race for the Governors mansion, while Republican Rick Scott ousted incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson for the U.S. Senate.

Now, the number of registered Republicans in Florida exceeds the number of Democrats in the state for the first time after the GOP surpassed Democrats late last year, according to voter registration data analyzed by the Herald.
ATLANTA (AP)  Republican activists who believe the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump have crafted a plan that, in their telling, will thwart cheating in this years midterm elections.

The strategy: Vote in person on Election Day or  for voters who receive a mailed ballot  hold onto it and hand it in at a polling place or election office on Nov. 8.

The plan is based on unfounded conspiracy theories that fraudsters will manipulate voting systems to rig results for Democrats once they have seen how many Republican votes have been returned early. There has been no evidence of any such widespread fraud.

If enough voters are dissuaded from casting ballots early, it could lead to long lines on Election Day and would push back processing of those late-arriving mailed ballots. Those ballots likely would not get counted until the next day or later.

It just slows everything down, said Noah Praetz, the former election clerk in Cook County, Illinois, who now advises local election offices on best practices and security. In many places, if you dont get mail ballots in hand until Election Day, you are not counting them until after Election Day.

There is no evidence of widespread fraud, cheating or manipulation of voting machines in the 2020 election. Exhaustive reviews in the states disputed by Trump upheld Democrat Joe Bidens win, and legal challenges pursued by the former president and his allies were rejected by numerous judges, including ones appointed by Republicans.

That hasnt stopped conspiracy theories that have spread over the last two years, fueled by Trump, allies including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and a crop of Republican candidates seeking office this year. The calls to hold onto ballots until the last minute have grown louder in recent weeks, according to a review of social media accounts by The Associated Press.

Its a lot easier to catch any fraud, Lindell, who has promoted the last-minute voting strategy on podcasts, told the AP in a recent interview. Lindell, through various events, has sought to prove that voting machines were manipulated to favor Biden in 2020.

Trump also has weighed in, saying at a recent rally that voting on Election Day was best because its much harder for them to cheat that way.

The strategy push by conservatives comes after the use of mailed ballots soared during the 2020 election amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The end of pandemic restrictions, Trump's attacks on mailed ballots and new voting restrictions in some Republican-led states has led to a decline in the use of mailed ballots this year, but it still remains a popular option for many voters.

Experts say a last-minute crush of ballots could end up creating delays that can be used by a bad actor to undermine confidence in the election.

Its an opening for people to begin questioning and stoking mistrust and distrust," said Chris Piper, former commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections.

Discouraging early voting and encouraging voters to hold onto their mailed ballots until Election Day runs counter to efforts by most campaigns. Republican and Democratic candidates alike typically want to have as many ballots in hand as possible heading into Election Day so they can focus their efforts on getting stragglers to the polls and persuading undecided voters.

The dueling approaches have resulted in a confusing array of messages for Republican voters.

In Georgia, a recent online flier by one grassroots group read: Voting in person and on Election Day is the only way to overwhelm the system. A conservative group in the state, VoterGA, told its members to protect their votes by applying for an absentee ballot early and waiting to deliver it until Election Day.

The chair of the state Republican Party, David Shafer, recently tweeted on the partys official account: Voting in-person early is just as safe as voting in-person on Election Day!

The cross-messaging also is hitting Republican voters in Arizona, which has high-stakes races this year for U.S. Senate, governor and secretary of state. Mail voting has been popular there among voters of both parties for years.

State Sen. Wendy Rogers, a Republican who backed a partisan review of 2020 ballots in Maricopa County, told viewers of One America News Network earlier this month that we need to vote on the last day, the day of Election Day, so they dont know how much to cheat by.

But her partys top candidates  who also have embraced false claims about the 2020 election  have recently tried to counter that strategy.

If you have a mail-in ballot, I think that you should mail it in. I want people to vote, Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for governor, told reporters this month. And vote whatever way you want to vote, but vote.

Lake has been among those calling for a rollback in mailed ballots and early voting, favoring instead a single day of in-person voting. Blake Masters, the Republican candidate for Senate in Arizona who also has Trumps support, said its fine to vote by mail if thats what a voter prefers.

I want to know results on election night, Masters told reporters earlier this month. Im telling people vote in person, if you can. If not, vote early and return via mail. And lets know the result.

Its unclear whether the messaging for Republicans to hold onto their mailed ballots is having an effect. In two politically important states, the return rate for mailed ballots is slower than in previous elections  although it also could mean voters there remain undecided.

In Georgia, about 23% of mailed ballots have been returned with just over two weeks before Election Day compared to about 35% at about the same time in 2020 and almost 37% in 2018. As of Oct. 19 in Wisconsin, 45% of mailed ballots had been returned compared to 56% in at the same point 2020 and 2018.

Some Democrats also have advocated submitting ballots at the last minute  but based more on a political strategy than claims of fraud.

Pam Keith, an attorney, Democratic activist and former congressional candidate in Florida, said she thinks the predictability that Democrats will vote by mail gives Republicans an early hint at turnout levels. Thats why she is advocating for a surge of ballots at the last minute, catching Republicans off guard.

By voting early, we are showing our hand, Keith said. We show what our turnout number is going to be. And if they know that the overwhelming majority of vote-by-mail ballots are in, then they know what they need to do to win.

Keiths advice strayed from that of many Democratic candidates, who have encouraged their supporters to vote early and by mail.

___

Swenson reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of the elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections. And check out https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections to learn more about the issues and factors at play in the 2022 midterm elections.
A South Carolina businessman bribed an engineer at a Kentucky steel plant to help him get a $14.9 million contract, a federal grand jury has charged.

The grand jury indicted Tony Berenyi Thursday on a charge of conspiracy; 14 charges of wire fraud; five charges of money laundering; and five counts of engaging in transactions involving money obtained illegally.

Berenyi allegedly paid more than $450,000 in kickbacks in 2018 and 2019 to Jaymin G. Vinson, an engineer at the Nucor Steel Gallatin LLC plant in Northern Kentucky, according to court documents.

However, an attorney for Berenyi said he cooperated with the FBI investigation of Vinson and denies any wrongdoing

Berenyi founded Berenyi, Inc. in 1989. The company in Charleston, S.C. provides engineering, architecture and construction services, according to its site.

The indictment charges that Berenyi met Vinson for dinner at the Belterra Casino Hotel in late 2017 and proposed to pay Vinson a finders fee to help his company get a contract for planned expansion at the Nucor mill.

The two came up with a scheme in which Berenyi would pay Vinson either 30% of the net profits on the job or 15% of the gross billings, the indictment alleges.

Unlawfully enriching

Berenyi allegedly hid the cost of the kickbacks in his proposal to Nucor. The steel company did not know about scheme, according to the indictment.

The scheme had the effect of unlawfully enriching Berenyi and Vinson without regard for the interests of Nucor, without disclosing the arrangement to Nucor, and causing Nucor to incur expense not legitimately part of business or a contracts value, the indictment charges.

Vinson pleaded guilty in July to a conspiracy charge.

His plea agreement lists a total of $452,125 in kickbacks from Berenyi.

That counts $95,000 from a period in 2018 when Berenyis company provided consulting services, but before it provided services under a construction-management contract, according to the document.

The indictment against Berenyi does not include that $95,000.

Vinson agreed to a judgment of $452,125 to Nucor.

He was the victim

The conspiracy charge against Vinson is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He is to be sentenced in March.

The indictment against Berenyi seeks a judgment of $396,500, which it says represents the proceeds he obtained as a result of the alleged crimes.

Several of the charges against him are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Peter Shahid, who represents Berenyi, said he disputes the account in the indictment and was surprised to be indicted after cooperating with the investigation.

Vinson was shaking Berenyi down for payments and Berenyi was the one who told Nucor about that conduct, Shahid said.

Vinsons plea agreement says Berenyi told the steel company about the scam in November 2019. Nucor fired Vinson and terminated the contract with Berenyi, according to the plea agreement.

He was the victim in the whole scheme, Shahid said of Berenyi.

According to Berenyis company site, he received a degree in civil engineering from The Citadel and a masters degree in structural dynamics from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, and was awarded a Bronze Star for leading a unit in Operation Desert Storm, the U.S-led response to Iraqs invasion of Kuwait in the early 1990s.

A business publication named Berenyi as the top general contractor in the state earlier this year.

Berenyi and his company are well-respected in Charleston, Shahid said.
A Kansas City man has pleaded guilty for his role in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that once spanned between St. Louis and Kansas City and was linked to two murders in 2018, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Gerald L. Ginnings, 42, entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays in the Western District of Missouri, admitting to participating in a conspiracy to distribute drugs and launder money. Ginnings also admitted to two federal gun crimes.

Prosecutors say Ginnings was responsible for distributing at least five kilos of meth and used the money he earned for personal and living expenses. He admitted to being involved with the group from January through October of 2018.

As a whole, the drug ring was linked to the distribution of 520 kilograms and worth an estimated $4.1 million. It was also linked to the killings of James Hampton and 28-year-old Brittanie Broyles, identified by federal authorities as associates of the group.

According to court documents, Hampton was blamed by another member of the organization when several drove to St. Louis in search of a drug courier suspected of stealing $30,000 in meth. Authorities have said Hampton was taken to a residence near St. Louis, where he was tied to a chair and beaten with brass knuckles and kitchen pots.

Hamptons charred skeletal remains were found a few days later in the trunk of a burned Dodge Challenger in rural Lafayette County. Days later, Broyles  who prosecutors say was kidnapped from St. Louis  was found shot to death in Kansas City in the 6800 block of St. John Avenue.

Authorities have alleged Broyles was killed because she witnessed Hamptons murder.

Over the course of nearly four years, twenty-two criminal defendants, including Ginnings, have entered guilty pleas in the federal case.

Under federal law, Ginnings faces a minimum prison sentence of 15 years  and a maximum of life  without the possibility of parole.
Name: Lynn Edmonds

Political party: Democrat

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 51

Campaign website: lynnforwake.com

Occupation: Outreach Director for Public Schools First NC

Education: Associates degree from Peace College

Have you run for elected office before? No

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Volunteer and former staff, at WakeUP Wake County and Great Schools In Wake. Leadership positions in several school PTAs. Member of District 5 School Board Advisory Council.. Member at-large of Wake County Library Commission.

Why do you want to serve on the Wake County Board of Education?

I am eager to serve to be an advocate for students, educators and public education. I am interested in public school policy and providing influence on such policy. Teachers and the teaching profession are under attack and need champions. I want to be that champion and leader as a member of the Wake Board of Education. WCPSS educates the majority of school-aged children in Wake County and I want to ensure our district remains strong with adequate resources and community support.

What are the Wake County Public Schools doing well?

WCPSS is successfully helping students recover from the pandemic. Students are rebounding, outperforming the state on recent assessments. WCPSS is highly efficient for the community and taxpayers. Students and families can choose nationally recognized magnet schools, year-round calendars, Early College high schools, and a variety of arts and CTE offerings in middle and high schools. Leaders have worked to implement restorative justice practices to reduce out-of-school suspensions.

What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.

Staffing shortages, school safety and equity. WCPSS has an Office of Equity Affairs. I will work to provide the resources necessary to ensure that office is effective and able to assist schools across the district. The current school board is developing a new strategic plan with a focus on equity, as well as a new equity policy. I look forward to supporting that work as I believe it is critical to student success and well-being.

What should the district do in response to calls to remove books from schools that some say are inappropriate for students?

WCPSS has a process in place for responding to book challenges. It starts at the school level and can advance to the school board. I support this existing process. I also believe it is essential that we trust the professionalism and integrity of our school librarians and media specialists. These are well-educated, qualified professionals capable of curating collections for our school libraries that are age-appropriate and reflect the diversity of our students.

How should schools discuss issues involving discrimination based on race, gender and other factors?

Our educators are professionals, capable of leading and moderating discussions on challenging topics such as those listed in the question. I believe we must have these discussions in our public schools while adhering to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, as decided by the State Board of Education. Discussing these issues in our classrooms can help students develop critical thinking skills and be better prepared to enter our diverse community and workforce.

How would you go about making schools safer in the aftermath of school shootings such as in Uvalde, Texas?

WCPSS has many strong safety protocols and tools already in place such as cameras, locked exterior doors and background checks for volunteers. A 2019 district-wide safety audit revealed vulnerabilities that are currently being addressed. I do not and will not support arming teachers and/or school administrators with firearms. School safety must include a whole-child approach and violence prevention tools such as relationship building, restorative justice practices and student support.

What would you do to try to address student learning loss that was exacerbated by the pandemic?

We must do all we can to adequately staff our schools. Our educators know how to help students recover academically but they need adequate resources and support. This includes fully staffed schools so that teachers can focus on teaching rather than covering other duties because of staffing shortages. We must also focus on student wellness and well-being. Students cannot learn if they are in crisis, are hungry, are experiencing unstable housing, or other life challenges.

Whats the appropriate level of funding that should be provided to Wake County schools?

Whatever level is necessary to provide the resources educators and students need to be successful. The NC General Assembly must fully fund all public schools, including the full funding of Leandro. If Leandro is fully funded, WCPSS would see a 28% budget increase. These funds would provide classroom resources, more helping professionals, pre-K services and more. Over the last decade, more funding burden has been placed on local county governments, while the state moves toward privatization.
Instead of celebrating a break in the drought when four inches of rain fell in late August, Runaway Bay mayor Herman White worried about a catastrophe brewing on Lake Bridgeport.

The city documented around 100,000 gallons of sewage that flowed into the lake but White said, Thats what we know about.

Inadequate, deteriorating clay sewer lines coupled with lift stations that are in the water led to thousands of gallons of sewage spilling into Lake Bridgeport, which supplies water to the city of Fort Worth.

Wise County Judge J.D. Clark told the Wise County Messenger that water districts rigorously treat the water before it goes into the supply. But there is a concern because the lake is also used for recreation and irrigation.

The Tarrant Regional Water District owns the lake. The districts monitoring program has not detected any impacts to water quality, according to spokesperson Chad Lorance. The district supplies raw water to 2.3 million people in 11 North Texas counties.

All measured bacteria levels are well below the contact recreation standard set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Lorance wrote in a text message.

White, who moved to the city in the 1980s shortly after Runaway Bay incorporated following its beginnings as a resort community, had been sounding the alarm about the inadequate water and sewer systems. He said developers didnt build the pipes and manholes to last, and they deteriorated over the years. Regulations were not in place when Runaway Bay began as a resort in the 1960s, he said.

But now, White says its time for immediate action to get emergency funding as Lake Bridgeport is a drinking water source and recreation area for many.

White said $6 million is needed for an immediate fix. He is holding a countywide meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at the Runaway Bay Country Club, 400 Halfmoon Way.

We have sewer leaks all of the time, not just when it rains, he said. Thats where the catastrophe comes in.

Runaway Bay has a staff of 10 to take care of the water and sewer problems, but its not enough as they are often out working until 3 and 4 in the morning. Its not uncommon to see the police chief and firefighters helping when problems arise.

White said the city needs emergency money, and there isnt time to fill out applications and wait on grants and loans as money is difficult to come by. He said the concern is for communities downstream from the lake.

He estimated that it will take around $80 million to repair the sewer system.

Im talking about all of the people swimming, fishing in the lake. You look at all of the things medically that could happen. Lets say we get a wet summer and start filling up these lakes, he said.

White said there are over 30 miles of sewer lines in Runaway Bay, but because of the lake, the typography of each city block is different. The clay pipes are like an accordion, expanding and contracting because of water pressure from the lake.

In September, White organized a meeting including elected officials from Wise County and state and national legislators because the crisis in Runaway Bay is a regional problem, he said.

White said he reached out to state agencies, including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the elected officials to inform them about the crisis with the sewer system.

Im very transparent. I wanted people to know about this and discuss what we can do to get it fixed, he said.

Runaway Bay is also working with the engineering firm Freese and Nichols and Wise County judge J.D. Clark.

Its just a tragic situation were in, White said.
Legal Missouri 2022, the primary group advocating for legal recreational marijuana in the state, on Friday said it had removed footage of a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper from a campaign ad after the agency claimed the video violated state law.

The decision came after the Highway Patrol sent a cease-and-desist letter to Legal Missouri demanding it stop using the footage. The agency said the footage included its emblem, which has a service mark. Highway Patrol legal counsel Kayla Kemp wrote in the letter that the agencys registration of its emblem as a service mark prohibits anyone other than the owner of the service mark from using the mark without the Patrols consent.

As the use of any images featuring the Patrols emblem is unauthorized and a violation of state law, Legal Missouri 2022 needs to immediately cease and desist its use of the Patrols name and emblem in its advertising or any other publication, Kemp wrote.

The letter, dated Oct. 19, contained no threat of legal action by the Highway Patrol. The agency would almost certainly run into significant First Amendment obstacles in any lawsuit over Legal Missouris campaign speech.

On Friday afternoon, Legal Missouri campaign manager John Payne indicated the group was removing the footage, after saying on Thursday that it had licensed the video.

Amendment 3 will allow our Missouri law enforcement to focus on fighting serious and violent crime by becoming the 20th state to legalize marijuana. Obviously, the ad we released this week was highly effective in driving that message home, but out of respect to the Patrol we have swapped out the 3 stock footages they identified in their letter, Payne said in a statement.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol sent a cease-and-desist letter to Legal Missouri 2022.

The First Amendment likely would have allowed Legal Missouri to continue using the footage. Jefferson City-based attorney Chuck Hatfield said the service mark law isnt meant for using a mark in a First Amendment context like this. The Highway Patrol would likely have a stronger argument if its emblem was being used to sell merchandise.

Its all more bark than bite, Hatfield said.

Kemp didnt cite the particular law she alleged had been violated. Kemp ended the letter by writing that the Highway Patrol respectfully requests that all references, including imagery, to the Patrol be immediately removed from any past and future advertisements.

Legal Missouris ad, which has 15-second and 30-second versions, argues Amendment 3  a proposed amendment to the state constitution to legalize recreational marijuana  will aid law enforcement. In the ad, the words SUPPORT THE POLICE appear on screen as a trooper rides on a motorcycle and a narrator calls the amendment a vote to let the police focus on serious crimes.

The ad also says the proposal will generate funding for veterans health care and clear non-violent marijuana offenses from criminal records. Missouri will vote on Amendment 3 during the Nov. 8 election.
Thousands of protesters have marched through central London calling for the UK to rejoin the EU.

The National Rejoin March on Saturday saw large crowds of people walk from Park Lane to Parliament Square. Marchers from across the UK travelled for hours to attend.

Parliament Square Garden, the last stop on the march for the rally, saw a sea of blue and yellow as supporters waved EU flags and carried placards.

Some signs said: Brexit was never going to work, For lower bills #rejoin the EU and We voted romaine.

Demonstrators Andrea Ekins (left) and Nikki Ajibade (right) take part in a National Rejoin March in Parliament Square, London (PA)

Nikki Ajibade, a 60-year-old teacher from Warwickshire, was at the march with her sister.

She said: We feel very strongly that the situation were in now, you can trace it back directly to 2016 referendum, which was supposedly an advisory referendum.

It wasnt a supermajority result, 52 and 48 is not something that you can just completely upturn and upend the whole country. Look six years on where we are. So we feel very strongly that we need to get a sensible government in place, general election now, because this lot are squabbling like rats in a sack.

When asked about Boris Johnson potentially throwing his hat in the ring to become prime minister again, Ms Ajibade said: If theyre thinking that Boris Johnson is the answer, they havent understood the question, come on this is just ridiculous.

Its an insult to the nation. It is an actual insult to the British people to even mention his name as a possible candidate.

Im not worried about Boris Johnson coming in. Im not worried. I think it would be absolutely brilliant, because then he would be the last nail in the Tory coffin.

It is a national disgrace, an international laughing stock, thats what theyve turned us into.

The crowd booed as a large digital screen overlooking Parliament Square Garden showed pictures of Leave-voting figures such as Boris Johnson, Priti Patel and Nigel Farage.

Demonstrator Oliver Jackson (PA)

Oliver Jackson, a 26-year-old warehouse worker from Dorset, said that it was important for politicians to listen to those who wanted to rejoin the EU.

He said: We need to get our voice heard. And especially during all this chaos, we cant let this be left out. Honestly, the best way to get the UK back on track is to rejoin, at the very least, the single market and then the EU.

Brexit has been the slow death that has been bleeding the UK dry for years.

The crowd also chanted Tories out and booed when speakers discussed the prospect of Boris Johnson potentially running to become prime minister again.

Demonstrator Tony Harold (PA)

Tony Harold, 44, from Poole, who works in the share market, said that Brexit affected him as he has a property in Spain.

He said: Weve seen the damage and its all been downhill ever since it started.

Personally, I have a second home in Spain, and Ive been impacted directly. It puts me very much top of the pile. But Ive seen the benefits of the EU, and free movement, both myself and other people around me.

It allows you to come and go as you will and it enriches lives. It makes people better,

It gives more of a life experience and its very sad to see that go.

Demonstrator Joshua Allotey (PA)

Joshua Allotey, 57, from Winchester, who works for a local authority, believed the UK would continue to suffer because of having left the EU.

He said: Leaving was a bad mistake. Its already cost the UK a lot. And unless we go back, it will carry on costing us. It was an ill-fought idea. It was driven by ideology and its not actually designed to help the UK. Were better off inside the EU.

In long term, were going to suffer because were not able to sell and buy from Europe, which is our biggest market.


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20 patients were shifted to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, wherein the condition one is said to be critical

As many as 15 people were killed and 40 others injured when a Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh bound bus from Hyderabad collided with a truck (ANI)

Hyderabad: As many as 15 people were killed and 40 others injured when a Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh bound bus from Hyderabad collided with a truck in the Suhagi mountain area of Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh on Friday night, police said. The passengers, reported to be natives of Gorakhpur, were heading home to celebrate Diwali during the long weekend.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, officer Shalini Singh from Rewas control room said that the bus of New Star Travels, bearing the number UP 43 AT 5068, was enroute to Gorakhpur when it collided with a trolley in the mountain range of Sohagi, about 70 kilometres from the city on late Friday night.

The accident occurred between 10:30 pm to 11 pm of Friday night. The passengers were natives of Gorakhpur heading home for the long weekend on the occasion of Diwali. While 14 of them were killed on the spot, one passenger succumbed on the way to Sandhya Gandhi Hospital, where the injured are being treated, she said.

It was also confirmed that 20 patients were shifted to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, wherein the condition one is said to be critical.

Preliminary examination suggest that the bus trolley truck in which the bus rammed into had an accident with another truck in front of it. When the bus driver applied sudden brakes, the vehicle rammed into the trolley, police added.
PM laid the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects worth more than Rs.3,400 crores in Uttarakhand

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday offered prayers at the famous Kedarnath and Badrinath temples in Uttarakhand. He also laid the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects worth more than Rs.3,400 crores in the state. During his two-day tour of the state, Mr Modi will inspect various ongoing development projects and lay the foundation stones for some new ones.

The Prime Minister will also visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, Diwali eve, to have "darshan" and perform a puja at the Ram temple.

In Uttarakhand, Mr Modi accused the previous governments of neglecting the centres of faith across the country and claimed that these places are now being restored to their lost glory.

Citing examples of Kashi Vishwanath temple, Ujjain and Ayodhya, where major reconstruction works have been carried out in recent years, Mr Modi attributed the "years of neglect" to "slave mentality".

"Slave mentality grips the minds of some people so strongly that they react even to development as if it is a crime. Such people never get tired of praising the centres of faith in other countries but they look down upon their own country's centres of faith," Mr Modi said while addressing a gathering in Uttarakhand's Mana village on the India-China border after laying the foundation stones of two ropeway projects in Kedarnath and in Hemkund Sahib.

The Prime Minister noted that pride in our own legacy and every possible effort for its development are the foundations of a 21st century India.

"Neglect of the centres of faith for decades by the previous governments reflects a disregard for crores of people who believe in them and the country's culture, which is thousands of years old. Our centres of faith are not just structures; they are symbols of our cultural legacy, which is thousands of years old. They are our life breath," Mr Modi said.

He mentioned that the reconstruction work carried out in Kedarnath in recent years has drawn an unprecedented number of pilgrims to the Himalayan temple.

"Earlier, a maximum of four-to-five-lakh people visited Kedarnath in one season but I am told that this year 45-lakh people have visited the temple, breaking all past records. Development projects at the Himalayan centres of faith not only make the journey to the temples easier for pilgrims but also generate job opportunities for locals and boost the local economy," he added.

He appealed to people going on pilgrimages or to the border areas for tourism to spend at least five per cent of their budget on buying local products, saying the small step could help boost the local economy in a big way.

The Prime Minister said a ropeway to the Hemkund Sahib gurdwara will be celebrated by followers of the Sikh faith not only in the country but also in countries like the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada.

He appealed to locals to support the labourers engaged in the construction of ropeway projects, as they are in this way serving the almighty.

Mr Modi said that Mana is called the last Indian village because of its location but for him every border village in the country is the first village from where the doors of prosperity will open.

Earlier in the day, Mr Modi offered prayers at the famous Kedarnath and Badrinath temples in Uttarakhand. The Prime Minister performed the puja at the temples wearing the traditional white attire of the hill people with a swastika embroidered on it.

At Kedarnath, he also laid the foundation stone for the 9.7-km Gaurikund-Kedarnath ropeway project. Using the ropeway, devotees will be able to reach the temple from Gaurikund in 30 minutes.

The priests who performed the puja prayed for strength for the Prime Minister to take the country forward. He also visited the Samadhi Sthal of Adi Guru Shankaracharya at Kedarnath and spent some time there.

This is Mr Modi's sixth visit to Kedarnath and his second to Badrinath as Prime Minister.

During his Ayodhya visit Mr Modi will perform puja at the Ram temple. He will also inspect the construction site of the grand Ram temple and later, perform a symbolic coronation of Lord Ram.



In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said that at around 6.30 pm, the Prime Minister will witness the aarti on the banks of the Saryu river, which will be followed by the launch of the grand "Deepotsav" celebrations by him.

The sixth edition of Deepotsav is being held this year and it is for the first time that Mr Modi will be participating in the celebrations. More than 15-lakh "diyas" (earthen lamps) will be lit on the occasion. Five animated tableaux and 11 Ramlila tableaux showcasing various dance forms from different states will also be performed during the Deepotsav.

Mr Modi will also witness a 3-D holographic projection mapping show at the Ram Ki Paidi on the banks of the Saryu, along with a grand musical laser show.
PM Modi will mark his presence for the first time on the occasion in Ayodhya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami during his visit to the Badrinath Temple in Chamoli district, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. (PTI Photo)

Ayodhya: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will attend the mega celebrations at 'Deepotsava', scheduled on the eve of Diwali ie October 23.

PM Modi will mark his presence for the first time on the occasion in Ayodhya.

This is the sixth edition of the 'Deepotsava'.

The streets were all geared up for the grand welcome of the duo, and the roads of Ayodhya can be seen with cut-out hoarding pictures of both, PM Modi and CM Yogi.

Lord Ram's kingdom Ayodhya is all set to celebrate another grand, illuminated Diwali under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who started 'Deepotsav' in the first year of his assuming office in 2017.

The banks of river Sarayu await to be lit up with lakhs of 'Diyas' (earthen lamps) on the occasion of 'Deepotsava'. The culture of Uttar Pradesh and several other states through various forms of folk dance such as 'Dhobia', 'Faruwahi', 'Rai', and 'Chhau' will be showcased during the event.

The Yogi Adityanath government through the organisation of 'Deepotsava' will promote not only the state's spiritual and religious significance but also the 'Dhobia', and 'Faruwahi' dance artists.

"The artistes of 'Braj' in Awadh will mesmerise the audience with the culture, language and unique characteristics of the land of Rama-Krishna," an official statement said.

According to the statement, the confluence of language and culture of many states of India will also be seen on the sixth Deepotsava in Ayodhya.

"From October 21 to 23, artists from Uttar Pradesh and many states will perform here. Local artists Vijay Yadav and Mukesh Kumar will perform the Faruwahi dance while Munnalal Yadav of Azamgarh will perform 'Dhobia'.

Ghazipur artist Parasnath Yadav will perform folk singing. The people of Ayodhya will also get the opportunity to hear Sheshmani Saroj of Bhadohi who will enthral the audience with 'Birha'," the statement said. (
by p. Gianni Criveller *

Fr Gianni Criveller, PIME missionary and China expert, looks at the provisional agreement after a two-year period in which only two bishops were appointed. Restrictions on religious practice continue with unprecedented harshness. Chinas role in the ongoing dialogue raises doubts about its sincerity.

Rome (AsiaNews)  The Holy See today officially announced the renewal of the agreement with China on the appointment of bishops. This came with two interviews addressing its key aspects.

Secretary of State Card Pietro Parolin spoke to Vatican News about the appointment of only six bishops. These are the first ones, while other procedures are ongoing. At the same time, we are aware that there are still many vacant dioceses, as well as others that have very elderly bishops. There are also dioceses in which the path to reconciliation, so greatly desired by Pope Francis, is setting the rhythm. Finally, there are dioceses in which, despite all efforts and good will, no fruitful dialogue exists with local authorities.

We sincerely hope that in the next biennium we can continue to identify, according to the established procedure, good candidates for the episcopate for the Church that is in China. Of course, we do not hide the numerous difficulties that affect the concrete life of the Catholic communities, which enjoy our utmost attention, and for the good solution of which new steps forward are necessary in a collaborative relationship that has multiple protagonists: the Holy See, the central authorities, the bishops with their communities, and the local authorities.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle also gave his thoughts on the significance of the agreement in Fides: The Holy See has never spoken of the agreement as the solution of all problems. It has always been perceived and affirmed that the path is long, it can be tiring, and that the agreement itself could cause misunderstandings and disorientation. The Holy See does not ignore and does not even minimize the differences of reactions among Chinese Catholics in the face of the agreement, where the joy of many is intertwined with the perplexities of others. It is part of the process. But one always has to dirty ones hands with the reality of things as they are.

What follows are comments by Fr Gianni Criveller, PIME missionary and China expert.

As Pope Francis and Card Pietro Parolin hinted at in recent months, the agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China has been finally renewed for another two years. The Vatican Press Office made the announcement today.

The renewal is a provisional, an interesting detail since, as far as we know, the original plan in 2018, the year when the agreement was first signed, included a possible extension of two years (which happened in 2020) to be followed by a formal agreement or its suspension. This must be taken with a pinch of salt since we had no access to any written documents, but received information at the time from authoritative sources.

Two years later, in October 2022, the agreement was neither suspended nor finalised. It was provisionally renewed. This is a clear sign that, at least on the part of the Vatican, the only party to issue a public statement on the matter, there is a desire to continue the dialogue but also a certain dissatisfaction with the results obtained so far. We believe that the Holy See did not casually renew the agreement, but did so acutely aware of its historical responsibility and of what is a stake in terms of the lives of believers, the faith and evangelisation in China.

On 11 April 2022, Card Parolin said that he hoped that the negotiations then underway would provide clarifications and even the "revision of some points". We do not know whether his eminent wishes were granted. We fear not.

For his part, the pope himself, on at least two occasions, on 1 September 2021 and in the interview with Reuters last July, said that things are going slowly with fewer results than expected. However, he also noted that something had been done, that is, some appointments, and that it was necessary to go forward on the path of dialogue. He added that China's pace, which he described as slow, must be taken into account because the country has a long historical perspective and is not in a hurry.

Observers and Vatican officials have suggested that the pandemic, by preventing direct contact for more than two years, probably played a role in the accords limited success. However, the latter is still secret, and so it is hard to precisely assess its results.

AsiaNews recently outlined the episcopal appointments following the agreement, noting a total of six, two of which had already been made before the agreement. Six bishops were installed in their dioceses, three are unofficial, recognised by the government; and three who have not yet entered the dioceses assigned to them.

It should be noted that before the agreement, notwithstanding some deplorable cases of illegitimate elections (i.e. not recognised by the Holy See), there were cases in which the Holy See and the Chinese authorities picked the same person independently of one another. In some cases, one side eventually recognised the others choice. So agreeing on episcopal appointments should not be that hard.

In 2021, only two appointments were made; none this year. This is very modest indeed, considering the large number of dioceses without a bishop  at least 36, more than a third of the 96 dioceses recognised by the Chinese government.

This unresolved situation shows that the agreement is not the driving force that could revive Church life in China. These ought to be the best years for new and numerous appointments; in fact, there is no shortage of priests in episcopal age, nor lack of candidates. By contrast, the future might see a decline in the number of priests suitable for appointment since China too has experienced fewer candidates for the priesthood, to which must be added the priests who leave the ministry.

In the two decades before the agreement, Liu Bainian, the historic leader of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, justified the massive recourse to illegitimate episcopal ordinations, like the one of 6 January 2000, by the need to appoint a bishop in every diocese. In fact, he even accused the Vatican of preventing the Catholics from having their pastors. This means that even Chinese authorities realise that there is no Catholic life without bishops. Yet Chinese Catholic communities have had to cope with a situation that weakens their practice and this for a long time. Perhaps this is what they want.

This is only one aspect of the inconsistencies that cast doubt on the government's sincerity in the ongoing dialogue. The legislation of 1 February 2018 that regulates religious practice in a highly restrictive way is applied with a degree of severity never seen before, even if not uniformly over time and across the country. Particularly serious is the harshness with which in some places minors are banned from taking part in religious services, and receiving the doctrine and the sacraments. This puts the transmission of the faith at grave risk.

Unlike the past, witnesses from the universal Church are not allowed to attend episcopal ordinations, even if this is in the agreement. Uca News, the news agency promoted by the Asian Churches, used to send observers to episcopal ordinations. Not anymore. Uca News no longer has a China desk.

Ordinations in China take place under the watchful control of police and religious affairs officials. Such monitoring covers the smallest details such as videos and photographs. Although provided for in the agreement, the announcement of the pontifical appointment is not always read during the ceremony.

It is unusual for bishops to meet freely in China. Gatherings between bishops and priests from different provinces are strongly discouraged. Activities within the same province are carried out more easily, but some bishops and priests feel isolated, left alone, which makes it easier for them to poorly exercise their authority and manage resources.

Training bishops, including that of the new bishops appointed by the pope, is almost non-existent. Unless one views political indoctrination of bishops by the authorities as training.

*PIME missionary and China expert

(first part  the second will be published next Monday, 24 October 2022)
by Stefano Caprio

Eight months after the start of the war, with winter looming, what are the ways out of a possible apocalyptic scenario? To stop the madness as Pope Francis has repeatedly pleaded would require looking to the present and the future rather than the past. Although unlikely, a victory by one of two sides can only guarantee permanent divisions. Instead, we should throw off hypocritical masks and put on the table what we really want.

We are now at the end of the eighth month of Russias war in Ukraine, and the final crunch seems to be getting closer and closer with the arrival of General Winter, a time when Russian wars traditionally halt, lapse or split, whether offensive or defensive, invasions or encirclements, from the times of the ancient Tatar hordes to the more recent prongs of Nazi divisions, from the conquest of Siberia to the wreckage in Afghanistan.

Putin laid out broad conditions for solving the conflict after a month of tragic and inconclusive mobilisation. Calling on the people to take up arms, he signed a national emergency decree described on Runet, Russias shambolic version of the Internet, as "semi-military semi-position", (Rus.  , poluvoennoe polupolozenie).

The grotesque and inarticulate new head of Russias front-line troops, General Sergey Surovikin, spoke on live television, threatening mayhem and looking everywhere except into the camera, overshadowing Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, "scapegoated" for Russias military mistakes (and never serving in the military). Sacrificed on the altar of reviving the war every week, he formally remains at his post as Putin's doormat.

Meanwhile, the civilian population of Ukraines Russian-occupied and annexed regions are being evacuated over a possible Ukrainian counteroffensive, perhaps to prepare the ground for a showcase nuclear wipeout of both countries so that they can finally be united as a single desert, de-Nazified from the roots up.

Waiting for the same fate, the rest of Ukraine is getting ready for blackouts and the winter frost, which are casting their shadows over the whole of Europe. What are the ways out of a possible apocalyptic scenario?

Stop the war

The first solution, certainly the most desirable, is to stop the destruction of cities, monuments, lives, and families on both sides. Stop the madness, Pope Francis has been relentlessly pleading. This is the desire of the people forced underground by Iranian suicide drones, those who see their sons and husbands die in a senseless cause, the countries and peoples involved in the war, as well as those who are apparently sheltered from it.

Yet, this is the least likely solution.

To stop the war, peace proposals must be made and negotiated, compromises accepted.

As notes Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, a former negotiator in Mozambique, this means dissatisfying both sides who see mediators as traitors. Not only popes and cardinals, but presidents like Turkeys Recep Erdogan and France Emmanuel Macron offer and then withdraw their services, or, like Americas Joe Biden and Chinas Chinese Xi Jinping, who watch from high above impossible negotiations, concerned about keeping steady on their pedestals.

Who will be able to convince Vladimir Putin and Volodymir Zelensky to meet, and with what arguments? In a month's time, a G-20 summit will be held in Bali, where the stalemate will still appear unbreakable.

Any possible concession by either side is condemned by large swathes of public opinion in every country, as doubts grow and proposals are slammed as radically pro-Putin or a show of indefectible Atlantic loyalty, with no chance of meeting.

Either Putin or the West is absolute evil, forgetting that for thirty years these absolute evils fed and fattened each other. No one can be said to be exempt from responsibility. Did NATO provoke Russia, did Russia reject universal harmony, did Ukraine persecute Russian speakers, did China inspire those who want to destroy America, all this is true and false at the same time.

If we want peace, however, we must look to the present and the future. Time will come to discuss the past, recent and remote.

Win the war

The second solution, the one currently prevailing, is to destroy the opponent, even before victory is announced.

Russia wants to erase Ukraine rather than annex all its territories. The West wants to reduce Russia to a backwater, no longer a source of aggravation to markets and financial capitals even more than to peoples and social institutions.

The arms race involves all the countries in the world capable of producing weapons, filling up the wallets of those who supply them, like in all wars, one of the main generators of wealth.

Victory is not only the hoped-for outcome of the Kremlin's war efforts, but also the ideological foundation of its entire history, to show how much Russia is needed by the whole world to save it from all evil.

In its leaders distorted interpretation, starting with the 70-year-old adolescent dictator, Russias victory is cloaked in apocalyptic meanings, and can happen only when the whole world is defeated, not just the adversary of the moment.

Being alone against the whole world fills victory with meaning, and if the world is shattered this makes the sense of this war even more evident and triumphant.

In the Western vision, victory is instead an inalienable asset. Every country and every people that attacks the Great Globalisation is defeated from the start, whether Russia, Afghanistan, Syria, or Venezuela, and loses the right to exist.

Even this interpretation ends up revealing an immature psychology, a self-esteem unsuited to social relations, and the best example of this endemic fragility is precisely the noble and presumptuous Europe, the greatest source of wars over the centuries, always divided over every decision and position.

It is not a question of retaking the occupied territories, including Crimea, or adding colonies on the Moon and Mars to NATO, but of realising that the search for victory, in addition to being the greatest bonus to those seeking easy money, is also the best guarantee of perennial divisions and defeat of every ideal, be it progressive or traditionalist, homophobic or civil libertarian, secular or religious.

Continue the war

What nobody wants will probably be the real solution, an endless war. The same war strategies  although continuously defined and redefined, not to mention analysed by the worlds ever-expanding army of experts  seem to show no definitive scenarios on either side, whether for war or peace.

Indeed, Russia and Ukraine have been at war since the birth of primaeval Kievan Rus', the two sides of one people, or an assemblage of ethnic groups, always seesawing between East and West.

Russia appears unable to conquer Ukraine, overthrow its government, and annex it as a "southern region, the Little Russia (Rus. , Malorossiya) that it once was. That objective failed in February, and the longer the war goes on, the weaker and more insignificant Russias aims appear to become, annexing devastated and worthless lands.

Mobilisation, the permanent state of war, and the nuclear threat seem more than anything else justifications for never stopping, for refusing to admit defeat, for pumping out more of the same propaganda, i.e. Russias universal mission of salvation. In a sense Russia has already won, as it has forced the world to look and focus on its side.

The overthrow of the Putin regime seems very unlikely, both because of the strength of the dictatorship but also because of the total absence of alternatives and potential replacement to the Kremlin's ruling clique, whether in Russias political centre or its regions.

For ordinary Russians, life will get more and more difficult, especially in the more remote regions and among non-Russian ethnic groups, but this too appears to be a process without start or finish.

Ukraine has achieved much more than it could ever dream in the last, ever-changing 30 years since the end of the Soviet Union. It has finally asserted its self-consciousness as a nation, and has become a symbol of Europe and the West in the defence of freedom and democracy, supported and protected by NATO and stronger armies.

It will have to rebuild destroyed cities, thanks to the large, already promised aid, and it will continue to press Russia in every disputed village, even in the face of local nuclear destructions. But it will not be able to retake Donbass and Crimea, at least not any time soon.

The war will continue, locally and globally, and we are all in it, longing for peace while dreaming of victory. We must learn to live with war, with the weapons that correspond to what we really desire, throwing off hypocritical masks and admitting faults and virtues.

War is life. It asks us to take sides and commit ourselves every day and in every situation, imploring the Lord of armies to come among us again as the Light of nations, accepting the Cross in order to announce the Resurrection.

RUSSIAN WORLD IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO RUSSIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY SATURDAY IN YOUR E-MAIL? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE
Nine decades after it was expropriated, and several changes in use and years of neglect, the monastery is once again a place of worship. Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan led the ceremony. Founded in 1881 and requisitioned during the First World War, the structure was used as barracks and prison. The city is a place of transit and meeting for civilisations.

Mardin (AsiaNews)  The official reopening and reconsecration ceremony of the Syriac Catholic Monastery of Mor Efrem (Saint Ephrem), in Mardin, south-eastern Turkey, was a real community event (see video), coming some 90 years after it was expropriated, shuttered, and then abandoned.

On an official visit to Turkey, Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan led the solemn Eucharistic celebration on 13 October, which accompanied the restoration of the structure as a place of worship amid the joy of the faithful of the area.

Taken over by the Turkish government in the early 20th century, the monastery was turned into military barracks during the First World War, becoming later a prison, an orphanage and, finally, a military hospital.

In the early 2000s, a foundation linked to the Syriac Catholic Church managed to get ownership of the building, which by then was being used as a barn.

Many bishops and high-ranking clerics attended the religious service, including Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Marek Solczynski and Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul Bishop Massimiliano Palinuro, as well as representatives of Sister Churches like the Syriac Orthodox.

After blessing the altar, the patriarch celebrated the solemn Mass, with readings from the scriptures, songs, and hymns, followed by the entire community gathered inside and outside the building.

In his homily, Patriarch Ignace expressed "deep joy" to all the participants who came "on this historic occasion". He then pointed to a word written in Syriac above the large cross on the altar, which says, "Look at him."

The patriarch then asked the faithful to "always turn their gaze" to Christ on the cross, because "in him we place all our hopes". He ended inviting those present again to place "our trust, our faith in Him" who is love and who unites us, all.

The laying of the original foundation stone of the future monastery and church of Mor Efrem dates back to 1881. Three years later, in 1884, construction was completed with the consecration ceremony and its opening for worship.

On 16 February 1916, during the First World War, the Turkish army requisitioned the monastery, returning it two years later at the end of the conflict. But in 1922 it became a military hospital and prison, and later a coal depot and a warehouse.

Because of all the changes over the years, some parts of the structure were demolished, while others were radically altered.

Yet, through careful work, the church was restored in accordance with the original plans thanks to experts and volunteers from the local Christian community, and now it can serve as a place of worship again.

In addition to the monastery, Christian leaders noted the role and importance of the city where it is located, Mardin, which has always been a crossroad for different civilisations and religions.

All the peoples who lived in it in the past did so by benefiting from long periods of peace and coexistence in mutual respect, creating a rich mosaic of religions and cultures, in which differences  of faith, culture, language and race  were extolled and valued.
by p. Ambrose Pitchaimuthu

Next Sunday, the Church around the world celebrates the day that focuses on the proclamation of the Gospel to those who have not yet known Jesus. The director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in India offers his reflection on what missionary conversion means today amid the wounds of the Churchs scandals and the hostility of fundamentalists.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - World Mission Sunday will be celebrated on 23 October in churches around the world, centred on "You shall be my witnesses (Acts 1:8), title of the message released by Pope Francis for this event, which directly affects Churches of Asia.

According to data released by Agenzia Fides on the eve of Mission Sunday, Asia is the continent with by far the lowest percentage of Catholics, 3.34 per cent of the population or 151,867,000 out of 4.45 billion. Interestingly, Asia has a very high ratio of priests to faithful, one priest for every 2,138 Catholics; only in Europe is the ratio higher (one for every 1,746 Catholics) but with a much higher average age.

In light of this, the Churches of Asia are asking themselves how to breathe new life in their missionary witness. To this end, we propose below the thoughts sent to us for World Mission Sunday by Fr Ambrose Pitchaimuthu, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in India. In his piece, he looks at what it means for Indias Churches today to truly live in the perspective of missionary conversion while grappling with the intolerance of Hindu fundamentalism against every form of Christian witness as well as tackling some challenges from within the Christian community itself.

The Church exists for as long as the mission exists. The Church is called to be a continuation of the Lord Jesus Christ and His mission. The great commission that the Risen Lord Jesus renders His disciples Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19) is a basic, vital, perennial constituent of the Church.

In Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis revolutionises the vision of the mission by pointing that it is not only an 'I have a mission but I am a mission, likewise, you are a mission. Here we find our Holy Father shifting focus from the functionality (doing) to the ontology (being) of a Christian.

Thus, we understand that the mission of the Church is to respond to the realities of life with the joy of the Gospel, through dialogue and acts of mercy, so as to build Gods kingdom.

Challenges faced by the Church are internal and external and confront us in our mission.

Internal challenges:

Lack of Missionary Role Models: The faithful at times may fail to see credible role models among priests and consecrated persons who can challenge and inspire them to proclaim the joy of the Gospel with one another. The recent scandals in some parts of our country have terribly tarnished the image of the Church in India, especially for people of other faiths who may already regard her mission as suspicious.

Scandalous Commercialisation of our institutions: There is an erosion of credibility among some priests and consecrated persons because some of our institutions (educational, medical, etc.) may appear to be money-making enterprises and seeking academic excellence at the cost of Christian values. Advertently or inadvertently, some Christian institutions also get entangled in competing scenarios, where success alone matters, not the means.

Burden of the Past: Burdens of the past such as casteism, tribalism, race distinctions, rites (also between Christian traditions) supremacy, etc., create a kind of mental block for Christ-seekers and faith watchers, making our approach for the propagation of the faith as also coming from the same fervour. This also has adverse effects, even suspicion of intent, during our outreach programmes.

External challenges

Persecution of Christian Minorities: The growing incidents of violence and attacks on priests and religious, churches and institutes have created a fear psychosis among Christians today. Parents are at times afraid of sending their children, particularly to the mission territories of our country. The liberal constitutionalism and democratic traditions are fundamentally questioned by the rising intolerance.

Religious Fundamentalism: Many have reduced our great spiritual legacy of religious tolerance into fundamental ideologies so as to manipulate them according to their whims and fancies, catching simple people unawares as they fall prey to it. Hindu Rashtra constructed by Hindutva, Hindu nationalism, Islamic States, etc., are examples of such endeavours.

Planned Efforts to Tarnish the Image of the Church: There have been planned efforts to tarnish the good image of love and service of the Church and Church personnel. Sometimes situations are created to entice priests and the religious into controversial debates and their inputs misused later as an exposure on panel discussions. At other times, they are dragged into the hands of anti-Christian and anti-Catholic movements misinterpreting their humanitarian enthusiasm. Even little faults can prove fatal when exaggerated on mainstream or social media.

Challenge: Transforming a Pastoral Church into a Missionary Church: In general, the Church is more pastoral than evangelising. Pope Franciss Church for the poor and of the poor would be the most powerful witness to the good news of Christ Jesus. We are in need of persons like Mother Teresa who translated Christs message into action in a quiet yet tangible way, more than many others who tried to assert the uniqueness and nobility of the Christian message through intellectual gymnastics.

In this contextual situation, the mission cannot be conceived as it may have been traditionally perceived so far. One needs to understand the mission in a new dimension taking into consideration these contextual situations. We cannot deny the fact that the Church has addressed all of the above realities at differ points in time. However, this is to continue the journey of transforming the Catholic Church into a missionary church.

Pope Francis attests in the Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium, n. 27) a missionary option. This missionary impulse is capable of transforming everything, so that the Churchs traditions, ways of doing things, times and schedules, languages and structures can be suitably channelled for the evangelisation of todays world rather than for her preservation.

ECCLESIA IN ASIA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN ASIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY SUNDAY VIA E-MAIL? TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER, CLICK HERE.

* National Director, Pontifical Mission Societies in India

(Nirmala Carvalho contributed to this article)
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CPCs strong cohesiveness and determination key to Chinas success: Kazakh veteran journalist

People's Daily Online) 14:46, October 22, 2022

The strong cohesiveness and determination of the Communist Party of China (CPC) are the key to Chinas success, Serik Korzhumbayev, editor-in-chief of Delovoy Kazakhstan newspaper, noted in an interview with Peoples Daily Online.

Serik Korzhumbayev, editor-in-chief of Delovoy Kazakhstan newspaper, reads news stories about the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China online. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Korzhumbayev, who has covered the 18th and the 19th national congresses of the CPC in Beijing, listened via video link to a report delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, at the opening session of the 20th CPC National Congress on Oct. 16.

The idea of This country is its people embodies Chinese wisdom

Xi said in his report, This country is its people; the people are the country. The idea embodies Chinese wisdom and strength, Korzhumbayev said, noting that he was deeply impressed by many of the things expressed in the report.

The 20th National Congress of the CPC was important because it set new goals and tasks for Chinas development, and I believe all these tasks will be implemented, he said.

Korzhumbayev said that the report delivered at the congress reiterated Chinas firm opposition to all forms of hegemonism, power politics, Cold War mentality, interference in the internal affairs of other countries and double standards, adding that this clear standpoint has won global respect and demonstrated again that China is a friendly neighbor and reliable partner.

China has created a miracle in fighting poverty

Korzhumbayev still vividly remembers the 19th National Congress of the CPC. The 19th National Congress of the CPC showed an unprecedented level of Chinas opening-up. And five years later, we see the tangible results of Chinas unremitting efforts to advance its grand cause, he said.

Noting that Xi announced on Feb. 25, 2021 that China has scored a "complete victory" in its fight against poverty, Korzhumbayev pointed out that China is the only country in the world that has truly won a victory over poverty. He added that China has created a miracle in fighting poverty and provided successful experience in poverty alleviation for other countries.

Against the difficult backdrop of a grim international situation intertwined with the COVID-19 pandemic, China has lifted nearly 100 million people out of poverty, which was a hard-won achievement, he said.

The achievement was the result of earnest implementation of national policies and plans and a systematic implementation of set goals, said Korzhumbayev, who stressed that the improvement in the Chinese peoples well-being has proven that Chinas economy is healthy and its policies are effective.

Strong cohesiveness of Chinas ruling party is key to countrys success

The CPC not only preserves its own traditions, but applies the experience of other countries to its governance in a scientific manner after comprehensive analysis, Korzhumbayev said.

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era represents a new result of the efforts to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context. It was inspired by the practical experience and collective wisdom of the CPC and the Chinese people and manifests the essence of the contemporary Chinese peoples spirit, he said.

With its strong cohesiveness and determination, the CPC unites the Chinese people in moving steadily toward new goals, which is the key to Chinas success, the veteran journalist noted.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
It didnt take long for the company to learn that it played just the right card. The Impala became an overnight success, so the General Motors brand had nothing else to do but to let its new superstar enjoy the time on the market.The Impala was promoted to a stand-alone series in 1959, with the yearly sales skyrocketing until they eventually turned the car into the best-selling model in the United States.The 1958 Impala has therefore become an icon that collectors are drooling over, and more often than not, examples in tip-top shape and with everything original sell for more than you can imagine.At the opposite pole, there are those 58 Impalas like the one eBay seller autocity1958 has recently posted online and which require pretty much everything before returning to their original glory.As you can tell from the images, the car is this close to becoming a rust bucket, but this isnt necessarily surprising, as it has almost certainly been sleeping under the clear sky for a very long time. Many parts are already missing, and the condition of the body is, well, challenging.The interior also seems wrecked, and of course, the engine is already missing. This Impala was born with a 348 (5.7-liter) under the hood  this was the top engine choice for the 1958 model year, but of course, its no longer there.At the end of the day, this Impala might be restorable, but its very clear this isnt a project for the faint of heart. Its an insane project, so keep your fingers crossed for someone to bring this once-amazing classic back to the road sooner rather than later.
EV

ADAS

If you are not familiar with this story  not the biblical one  the white-hat hacker GreenTheOnly bought some Tesla computers from crashed vehicles that contained videos of crash tests performed on Euro NCAPs premises. They also had peculiar Autopilot software. The hacker regularly purchases MCUs and ICEs (the computers used by Tesla vehicles) to research Teslas code and computer hardware. That helped him reveal in May 2020 that themaker was dumping these computers without erasing sensitive personal data from its customers. Unclear if Tesla still does that.When the hacker analyzed these computers, he discovered that they were running non-production code. More than that: 100% of observed crash/ADAS tested cars in EU/U.S. have one-off builds on specially provisioned computers. In other words, these MCUs and ICEs only looked like regular ones: they were actually very different, as GreenTheOnly explained.Provisioning is the steps that happen when you get a new empty computer and provision it to become a usable computer. That includes putting the correct firmware on it, various security keys, and such.According to the hacker, the computers from Euro NCAPs tests had firmware that was not in the regular ones. The CPUs also presented different security keys that allowed Tesla personnel to more freely log into that car, too, unlike production cars. In some cases, non-production firmware would also be allowed to be loaded, but not in all.Regarding the unusual code, GreenTheOnly announced on September 10 that it contained Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) support. He already knew that the company had support elements for I VISTA (the Chinese testing grounds), Euro NCAP, and Korean NCAP, but only disclosed that when he talked about the latest code change he noticed. It is easy to understand why: after warning about what these crashed vehicles computers present, these traffic safety organizations may never get rid of them again. The support lines GreenTheOnly found included separate settings per testing house.I sent Euro NCAP and ANCAP the following questions right on September 10:1 - Are these support lines in the code something Euro NCAP requested from Tesla to help it on its tests?2 - If they are not, were these code elements something Euro NCAP was aware of or that Tesla warned Euro NCAP about?3 - Now that Euro NCAP is aware of this support in the code for its Safety Assist tests, does it plan to study or reveal what it does?4 - Can Euro NCAP analyze that software on its own, with its experts, or must it get help from other entities?5 - What can Euro NCAP do if it confirms Tesla is tampering with its tests through its software?6 - With vehicles that can use their location to adopt certain behaviors and receive over-the-air updates to change their parameters about almost anything, how is Euro NCAP prepared to avoid interferences in its tests?On September 13, I wrote an editorial warning about how crucial it was that these traffic safety organizations and regulators developed programming skills to make sure computers on wheels would play by the book. To be more precise, to guarantee they would not be modified to fare better in the evaluations these organizations perform. The very reason for these tests to exist is to allow a fair comparison between all products available on the market.On September 29, I asked Euro NCAP the same questions again and never heard back from it. ANCAP also never replied to my original message: it only told the website Drive it was investigating the case.To CNN, Euro NCAP declared it did not find evidence that Tesla was using geofencing to change its cars behavior in tests. The truth is that, if they had an internet connection, Tesla did not need to, as youll see as this story develops. The organization also said it did not find any evidence of wrongdoing. Beware of how Euro NCAP phrases that: not finding something does not mean it is not there, especially when you are careful enough to stress that you have not discovered it yet.Euro NCAP also told CNN that the recent addition of ANCAP to the code of Model Y coincides with the start of sales of that vehicle in Australasia. The organization argued that the code would be necessary due to legislation and marking differences. CNN asked GreenTheOnly about that, and he found this explanation strange: Japan also has unique signs and markings, and there is no code change for the Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP). The Model Y is also for sale in that country.I must stress that the tested Model Y was made in Germany, which makes the excuse of sales in Australasia even more intriguing. In the end, it looks as though Euro NCAP was trying to justify Teslas procedures instead of investigating them.The organization states that any evidence found  before, during or after the tests  that casts doubt on the production status of the vehicles will automatically lead to an invalid result and follow-up investigations. What about a different code and specially provisioned computers?The story gets even more challenging from this point on. CarExpert also managed to get some answers from Euro NCAP. The organization told the Australian website that it trusts the results are fine because it has been able to match the chronology of software updates to the selection and testing of vehicles. Euro NCAP thoroughly described this chronology to CarExpert.Summing up what the organization said, Tesla produced the cars and updated them at the end of the assembly line to make sure they all had the latest software. The entity then chose the vehicles it would test randomly from the selection of cars offered by Tesla.Euro NCAP needs four vehicles for its tests. It either buys them from regular dealerships or selects them from a list when deliveries have not started yet. Thats what it did in Teslas case. However, the Model Y made in Germany has been on sale since March. Even with the three-month delay that may occur in publishing test results, Euro NCAP would have obtained the EV units in June (the test was published in September). The explanation is that the organization also selects cars from a list when automakers voluntarily want to participate in the tests.Ironically, neither of these options would have helped it avoid software concerns with the EV maker. Tesla sells its cars directly to customers  without dealerships. Euro NCAP could never manage to buy vehicles anonymously from the company  as it says it does  unless it had some people do it in its place.Why would none of these acquisition methods make any difference? Because Euro NCAP always informs the carmakers about the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) of the tested units. With regular cars, there is nothing an automaker can do after the vehicles leave their dealerships or factories. All that is left for them is to ask the organization to fit any equipment that will be in future production cars. With legacy carmakers, it did not matter if they knew the tested VINs or not.Everything was in Euro NCAPs control until OTA update capability entered the stage. Tesla may log into any of its cars. It often obtains information from crashed vehicles to help in investigations, even if Dutch forensic researchers discovered that the EV maker only discloses what is convenient for it. All Tesla needs to log into these cars is the VIN. Well, Tesla had them. Logging in was even more effortless with specially provisioned computers.GreenTheOnly told me that the firmware 2019.16 28e1f16 was the one in which he first found the Euro NCAP support code. The organization tested a Model X and a Model 3 in 2019. They both achieved 94% ratings in Safety Assist, with a maximum rating of 100%.If you are wondering why that started in 2019, GreenTheOnly said that the addition of test labs coincides with (the) merge of the vision only radar-less code. Tesla began physically removing radars from its cars in 2021, but it may have started evaluating that possibility years before.The hacker told me that firmware 2019.16 28e1f16 was in a  whopping two or three deploys on Teslafi  at the time: the EV maker put this software in very few vehicles. One possibility is that it was in all the EVs on the list Tesla offered Euro NCAP to select from, but this is not the most likely option. Can that be considered production? GreenTheOnly said that this is technically correct, just barely anyone sees it. He told me more about that:Weeks later, the actual wide release was 2019.16.2.1, containing (an) unknown amount of changes (there were also interim 2019.16.1.1 and 1019.16.2 and maybe even 2019.16.1 releases). You can google the release names, and there are pointers to TMC threads of people excitedly waiting for those releases and not getting them until the wide release.In other words, the firmware that GreenTheOnly confirmed to have a code aware of different ADAS testing protocols was eagerly awaited by Tesla customers. However, they only received a wide release, and that was weeks after Euro NCAP had tested the vehicles with the suspicious code on update 2019.16 28e1f16. I asked him about the chronology.On the surface, it matches what Euro NCAP seems to be saying. They get a build from Tesla, they test it out, then Tesla makes unknown changes to the code (assumed to be enhancements), and that's what gets deployed to the general public. Euro NCAP does not retest this code, though, and just assumes it won't get any worse than what they tested. Note that this is even before all the testing labs spelled out in the code (added sometime in June 2021 or so for the most part, and the Australian one, just recently).The rest of the chronology made things look even more confusing. According to Euro NCAP, after it got the vehicles it would test, the EV maker kept improving the software. It eventually froze its development close to the start of official Euro NCAP testing. When it was ready, Tesla started to roll out the new software by OTA updates. The organization says that the vehicles it would test were also updated with the frozen version of the firmware.That means the software 2019.16 28e1f16 must have been installed in the tested cars in this last update. After that, they had theirevaluated, crash tested, and their wrecks sold as scrap. For obvious reasons, no other update was performed. It was in that state and with that firmware that the computers eventually ended up in GreenTheOnlys hands.Everything gets more puzzling when Euro NCAP continues its chronology stating that Tesla deployed the new software before it published the results of the tests. This is another new software, if that is not clear. Werent the relevant new firmware frozen and updated before the tests occurred? What is this new software the organization mentions?Euro NCAP is probably referring to the multiple OTA updates that Tesla releases, regardless of whether they are being tested by organizations or not. However, there is no purpose in mentioning them in this chronology if they have nothing to do with the code that recognizes ADAS testing. From what we learned from GreenTheOnly and the people Euro NCAP cared to talk to, the organization may not even know which OTA updates contain these codes.Euro NCAP concluded its chronology by saying that it tested cars with the same software that is used in production vehicles and which has been retrospectively deployed to previously-built vehicles. As you have read, that is not entirely true.Mind you that this is not an ordinary remark: it is a foundational principle of Euro NCAPs tests. They only make sense if what is evaluated is in all production vehicles. If the organization detected that the tests were performed in modified cars, the evaluation would be void. GreenTheOnly proved that was the case when he discovered the computers had a special provision that allows Tesla personnel to more freely log into that car. Why?After publishing the chronology, CarExpert wrote that it appears that Tesla is actually using the crash body tests to further improve the vehicles. Still, there are two mistakes in this conclusion. The first is that the unusual code relates to crash tests: GreenTheOnly made it very clear that they only apply to ADAS evaluations  Euro NCAP names them Safety Assist analysis. The second is classifying whatever Tesla did as an improvement.As GreenTheOnly stressed, the addition of test labs to the code emerged when Tesla decided to get rid of radars, something that was widely criticized by safety experts. The EV maker claims that Tesla Vision will be all its cars need. What if the cameras get obstructed? What if they have no redundant sensors to keep the ADAS that relies on them working? Who benefits from having a car with fewer sensors, Tesla or its customers?OTA updates are business as usual for the EV maker. Most software updates reach all vehicles, regardless of when they were manufactured. That does not mean they contain only enhancements. When these updates are restricted to a few thousand cars or even fewer ones, that is usually bad news.One of these restricted updates capped the voltage of the cells in some Model S and Model X units. Their owners sued Tesla: it was accused of concealing fire risks and other issues with the battery packs in these cars. After two years, Tesla decided to settle. Elon Musk even tweeted that Teslas policy is never to give in to false claims, even if we would lose, and never to fight true claims, even if we would win. That was widely mocked even by the owners involved with the lawsuit. After all, if that were true, why did the company take two years to realize it was wrong?Curiously, the settlement came when many of these vehicles were no longer under warranty. When the lawsuit was filed, all of them were still covered. Their owners are now getting even higher charging restrictions and battery pack replacement estimates of more than $20,000. The deal they accepted was to receive $625 as compensation for the voltage cap So far, what Euro NCAP said is that it did not find anything suspicious despite everything GreenTheOnly revealed. To CarExpert , the entity said that it was unable to verify what the development code within the test vehicles contained. It was Tesla who told Euro NCAP that the elements of the development code that related to safety were deployed to customers as part of over-the-air updates.To be fair, Euro NCAP also did not put much effort into that: the hacker told me it never contacted him or tried to learn more about his findings. Even if it did, it would not have the means to investigate the software. GreenTheOnly states the organization has no way to verify if that is true.Unless Tesla gives them the source, how would they verify it? And even if Tesla gives them the source, how do they ensure what they were given matches the car unless they are allowed to self-build? It's not surprising they are at the mercy of the vendors here (not just Tesla).On top of that, Euro NCAP does not have any power to force Tesla to be transparent in this case. The EV maker could have tried to clarify everything, but it never made that effort. If you check the official communications from the company, it never even mentioned the episode. It is as if there was nothing suspicious about a limited-access software update and computers with special provisions. In fact, Tesla must be happy that Euro NCAP said it did not find anything wrong  and that the so far apparently did not come with any real effort to keep pursuing the truth.Although the safety organization is the primary victim of anything wrong Tesla may be doing with its ADAS tests, it may also think it is better not to dwell on the subject anymore. After all, this situation exposes that all traffic safety organizations are ill-equipped to deal with computers on wheels. Things were much simpler when all they had to do was evaluate how much vehicle bodies deformed to protect their passengers, and it must be embarrassing to admit that. Like Pilate, Euro NCAP washed its hands to get absolution for itself.
Our sincere gratitude goes out to the over 800 charitable organizations who submitted entries for this years Defender Service Awards. The twenty-five finalists captured a special spirit of service which is part of the fabric of our brand. We look forward to sharing the finalists entries with the public and wish them luck, said Joe Eberhardt, President & CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America.There are 25 finalists, across five different categories: the Animal Welfare Award, the Veterans Outreach Award, the Environmental and Conservation Award, the Community Services Award, and the Search and Rescue Award. The complete list of finalists can be found in the press release below.To be considered for the awards, contenders had to be U.S. or Canadian non-profits whose efforts fall within the aforementioned categories. CHASE Bank will be donating $5,000 to each of the five finalists in each category, totaling $125,000 in prize money.Winners of this years Defender Service Awards will be announced and honored at Destination Defender, a premium weekend celebration taking place November 12-13, 2022, at Oz Farm in Saugerties, New York. The event will be presented by CHASE and will feature adventure activities, live music, guest camping, learning seminars, and more.In the meantime, you can check out finalist videos and vote for your favorite via the official voting page , where you can cast your vote until November 6th. Each category winner will receive a custom Land Rover Defender 130 (spacious enough to transport animals, gear, or volunteers with ease), along with $25,000 to help further their charitable efforts.
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (front left) walks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (front right) during a visit to Kings Park in Perth, Australia, Oct. 22, 2022. Kishidas visit is to bolster military and energy cooperation between Australia and Japan amid their shared concerns about China.

U.S. allies Japan and Australia said they would deepen their security relationship, allowing Japanese self-defense forces to train in Australia and greater sharing of intelligence, as both countries respond to a more assertive China.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed an updated security cooperation pact and other agreements on Saturday, following bilateral meetings in the western Australian city of Perth.

Kishida, during a joint press conference with Albanese, also vowed to increase Japans defense spending significantly over the next five years and to consider all options for national defense including counter strike capabilities. Albanese said he strongly supported that commitment.

We recognise that our partnership must continue to evolve to meet growing risks to our shared values and mutual strategic interests, said a joint declaration on security cooperation issued after their talks.

The declaration did not name China but alluded to it in affirming their unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

A favorable strategic balance that deters aggression and behavior that undermines international rules and norms would be among things underpinning this commitment, Australia and Japan declared.

Chinas expansive claims to the entirety of the South China Sea, a busy global shipping route, and its forays into Taiwans airspace have contributed to heightened tensions in East Asia for several years.

More recently, Beijings burgeoning influence with small island nations in the Pacific has also concerned the United States and allies such as Australia.

Japan and Australia, sharing fundamental values and strategic interest, have come under the increasingly harsh strategic environment, Kishida said after the signing of the security agreement.

The updated Australia-Japan Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation will [change] the direction of our security and defense cooperation in the next 10 years, he said.

The pact said the two countries would strengthen exchanges of strategic assessments through annual leaders' meetings, foreign and defense ministers meetings, dialogues between senior officials and intelligence cooperation.

We will consult each other on contingencies that may affect our sovereignty and regional security interests, and consider measures in response, it said.

Japanese and Australian forces will conduct joint exercises in the north of Australia, enhancing the ability of the two countries militaries to work together, the document said.

In late 2021, Australia tightened its security ties with the United States and the United Kingdom under a plan for Australias military to eventually be equipped with nuclear-powered submarines. The agreement infuriated France as the so-called AUKUS pact meant that Australia ditched a deal to buy French-made submarines.

Japan and Australia also signed an agreement that would help secure supplies of critical minerals from Australia for Japans manufacturing industries.

Chinas official annual spending on its military meanwhile has swelled in the past decade, giving the Asian superpower new offensive and defensive capabilities. The Chinese Peoples Liberation Armys third aircraft carrier was launched in June and is undergoing trials, Radio Free Asia (RFA), an online news service affiliated with BenarNews, has reported.

Chinas annual military spending will reach U.S. $230 billion this year compared with $60 billion in 2008, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which cites official Chinese government figures.

Some defense analysts say Chinas actual spending on its military is likely closer to $290 million. U.S. military spending was nearly $770 billion in 2021 while Japans was about U.S. $56 billion, according to CSIS.
The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield has elected three new members to the board of trustees.
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data.

COMMENTARY

Carole Owens: Out of many, what? Part 2: The perverted logic of us and them
Sofia Coppola may have won an Oscar for best screenplay, but the romance element of her plot hits differently these days. At the time of shooting, Scarlett Johansson was 17. Bill Murray, her co-star and love interest, was in his early 50s. For most of the movie, the connection between Johanssons Charlotte and Murrays Bob is sweetly platonic, but at the end, the duo says goodbye to each other with a lingering lip lock.

The movie which prompted this thought was Lost in Translation, the Tokyo travelogue that was greeted rapturously in 2003, and which I thought might be fun to watch one evening recently while missing Japan.

Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray in Lost In Translation: nearly 20 years on, the romance element in the Oscar-winning screenplay hits a different note.

They say you cant go home again. I would also caution against revisiting cult classics from 20 years prior, unless youd like a rude awakening as to how clueless we all were back then.

One bright spot is that many of the scenes are set in the Tokyo Park Hyatt, which I can attest from my own travels still looks fresh and elegant two decades on. The pool, which steals the show from ScarJo and Bill on more than one occasion, might be the most beautiful in the world: sparkling clean on the 47th floor, looking out on Mount Fujis radical symmetry.

But much as I love the Park Hyatt, I miss the streets of the city more. It was striking how absent Tokyo was from a movie celebrated, at the time, for capturing its essence. For one, neither main character seems especially interested in exploring: Charlotte is merely a plus-one on her husbands work trip, slouching moody and pantless in the hotels picture windows, while Bob is a washed-up film star who shuttles each day to a nearby studio where he begrudgingly makes a whisky commercial.

A lot of the movies humour comes at the expense of locals.

A lot of the humour comes at the expense of locals, who naturally speak a language our protagonists cant, and wont, understand. Learning the Japanese for please is really not hard, but apparently eludes Bob and Charlotte. A particularly cringeworthy episode involves Murrays character hectoring a sushi chef  busy preparing an omakase for him  in rapid-fire, ribald English.

Finally, cultural revelation comes in the strangest ways. For Charlotte, its singing a karaoke Pretenders song high above the neon lights of Shibuya. For Bob, who has all but rolled his eyes at people trying to do their jobs in a language foreign to him, the most meaningful interactions are the ones he has with a 17-year-old compatriot. This is a shame, given he is visiting one of the worlds most fascinating cities for the very first time.
Take a former ASIO spy, a special services soldier medically discharged with PTSD after numerous tours to Afghanistan, a submariner and a Royal Australian Navy legal officer.

Put them together in a rowing boat with a bucket as lavatory and set them off on a journey of 3000 nautical miles across the wild Atlantic Ocean.

Thats what faces Alisdair Putt, a former ASIO agent who has also worked in tough areas of the world as a war crimes investigator and a prosecutor in Australian jurisdictions; Royal Australian Navy submariner Ade Richardson, Navy legal officer Stuart Moore and a retired Australian special forces soldier whose identity is protected for security reasons, but who is calling himself Alastair Horton.

The groups ocean rowing boat, recently built in the UK at a cost of $140,000.

Their voyage, from the Canary Islands off Africa to Antigua in the Caribbean, is expected to take about six weeks to complete.
NSW Transport Minister David Elliott has announced he will quit state politics at the next election rather than contest a potentially messy factional preselection battle.

Elliott confirmed his resignation on social media on Saturday, ending months of speculation over his future.

NSW Transport Minister David Elliott will quit state politics at next years election. Credit:Edwina Pickles

The divisive MP was facing a complicated factional clash in Sydneys Hills district sparked by the redistribution and renaming of seats in the region ahead of the 2023 state election.

Elliott does not have the local factional support to successfully contest preselection in the nearby Castle Hill electorate, while his current seat of Baulkham Hills is being reshaped and renamed to Kellyville.
The Murray River has surpassed the flooding in Echuca of 1993. Credit:Steve Huntley/Riverine Herald The old levee has had water go over it. The new levee looks like its all holding up and that will be monitored 24/7, Cattell said. Louise Harris, an employee at the Nirebo Motel, not far from where the levee was breached, said the town was now just waiting for the river to reach its peak. It [the river] is definitely getting up there, I think Ill be OK as my house is about a kilometre away, she said.

The towns doing a great job, I turned up at my house and there were sandbags just sitting on my doorstep. Eighteen millimetres of rain were recorded in Echuca on Saturday night, and more is on the way in the coming days. Up to 35 millimetres is expected on Monday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Its increasing the anxiety for everybody, said Cattell, who added that the extra rain could swell the river back up to a major flood level. Murray River flooding in Echuca. Credit:Steve Huntley/Riverine Herald The town of Rochester was on edge again on Saturday night as authorities warned more wet weather in the states north could cause the Campaspe River to flood again.

Tim Williams, interim controller for the Rochester SES, said 51 homes and all businesses in the town centre would be flooded above floor level in a worst-case scenario. Were going to get another smack, he said. Williams said the Campaspe River would reach a major flood level, even under the most conservative forecast. He said the flooding could begin from Tuesday or Wednesday, but the wet weather could last for eight to 12 weeks. If we get a third or fourth smack, its going to break a lot of people, he said. In Kerang, authorities door-knocked parts of the town, telling residents to evacuate immediately, after a section of the towns flood levee was breached on Saturday morning.

The floodwater level rose to the top of the Patchell Bridge in Kerang on Saturday morning. Credit:Eddie Jim An emergency warning for the north-west Victorian town, about 250 kilometres from Melbourne, was upgraded to evacuate now on Saturday afternoon. Tim Wiebusch, head of Victorias State Emergency Service,said police and SES crews had door-knocked 20 properties and the local caravan park, telling residents to evacuate. Kerang real estate agent Nathan Hipworth said he was surprised at how quickly the Loddon River rose on Friday night.

I thought, Well, thats rising faster than what I thought it would. But Hipworth said locals remained confident that Kerangs levee of earth and sandbags would hold up. Our levee banks have been here for 50 years or so, they are pretty good, he said. The township itself inside the levee bank system should be fine, but the houses on the Swan Hill side of Kerang are probably under threat. He said locals were more concerned about what would happen over the next couple of months if the rain continued.

An aerial picview of the Murray Valley Highway, a few kilometres outside Kerang. Credit:Eddie Jim Our system is quite a quick-filling system, so it doesnt take too much rain and now its really saturated. In 2010, he said, there was a small flood about this time of year, followed by a one-in-100 year flood in January, after a rainy summer. Hipworth said Kerang was not yet cut off and locals could still get out of town. I think some of the information around that has frustrated people because its been a little bit inaccurate. You can still get out of Kerang now, but the roads are starting to flood over, he said on Saturday afternoon.

Loading Kerang local Dennis Greenwood said spirits in Kerang were high, with locals creating 8000 sandbags within four hours at a working bee on Saturday morning. Its going to take a big flood to flood us out, he said. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Michael Efron said wet weather could return to Melbourne and Geelong on Sunday, after fierce thunderstorms delivered flash flooding on Friday night. The SES received about 140 requests for help across the states south-west from Geelong to Hamilton. Within a 500-kilometre radius of Melbourne, 78,938 lightning strikes were detected on Friday, according to Weatherzone. Almost 3.5 million lightning strikes have hit Australia in the last three days as a storm front moved east from central Australia.
The Brigadier is ropable and upon briefly returning to the Operations Centre to gather himself  just next tent flap along  lets some of it out, within earshot of Sergeant Norm Austin who will long recall the explosion. I cant get the f---ing air force to do any f---ing thing! It really is outrageous. So, who else can get a chopper there? There is just one possibility, and now turning to the American Air Force Air Liaison Officer, Major Dick Gerron, Jackson explores it. Only a day earlier the base had been visited by the US Chief of Air Staff and relations with the Americans are stronger than ever. Jackson now calls Gerron, to ask if the Americans could use a couple of their Hueys to drop the required ammunition.

Dick? This man, an officer and a gentleman, has no hesitation. Well, Brigadier, he says, I dare say my guys can help out. Really? Really. We should be able to get a couple of Hueys here in no more than 30 minutes.

Flt Lt Frank Riley at the controls of his No.9 Squadron RAAF Iroquois helicopter, 1966. Credit:AWM All eyes turn to Group Captain Raw. Can this Australian RAAF Captain really let the Yanks go to the aid of Australians, while they will not? Just maybe, but Flight Lieutenant Frank Riley will be buggered if he is going to let that happen on his watch  for one thing 30 minutes will be far too late  and speaks up for the first time. Well, Ill go out there, he says. I dont care if were allowed to go or not, Ill go.

Who is this now? The room turns to look at the Iroquois helicopter pilot, with the now goggle-eyed Bob Grandin standing beside him. (Did Frank really just say Ill go out there by which he clearly meant WE will go out there meaning Frank is offering his and his crews services to go and drop the ammo on Delta Company in the middle of a vicious firefight? He bloody well did!) Oh. It is Riley. Can he be serious? Yes.

When Group Captain Raw intervenes, pointing out again that Riley going would breach the protocols for sending helicopters, and in any case he was not remotely equipped for it, Riley riles up, just this side of insubordination to a superior officer. I dont give a damn, Im in charge of these aeroplanes, Im the contingent commander, I say we will go. (Grandin blanches. He just said it! We will go!) In the vacuum created by his words, Riley repeats his point. I am tactical commander of the helicopter, he says. I decide what it can and cannot do. I say we go.

(Bob Grandin winces this time: Franks done it again!) It is a delicate point. Australian army officer Ross Smith, right, with an unnamed American officer in Vietnam. The military protocol indeed dictates that the captain of each aircraft is the sole commander of it while it is on detachment from its base and operational  just like the captain of a ship is the sole arbiter of what is and isnt safe for his crew. And even though his chopper is on the ground right now, and he is well down the chain of command, Riley is asserting his right to do as he sees fit. Yes, he might indeed be disciplined for it afterwards, but right now, if he says he is going without seeking permission, then he can indeed do exactly that. And this gung-ho pilot  ever and always frustrated by red tape  means it, making the salient point for the third time. I am the commander of my aircraft in the field, and have the right to make tactical decisions about what I can and cant do. If I wasnt in this tent I wouldnt be asking anyone for permission.

And he is not asking permission now. I will go. It is a neat solution. For the likelihood, of course, is that he and his helicopter  and Flight Lieutenants Cliff Dohle and Bruce Lane, if they decide to accompany them in the other chopper  will be shot from the skies, in which case any act of discipline will be entirely beside the point. And if they are not and succeed in dropping the ammunition onto Delta Company, well, they will be bloody heroes and there will be no need to discipline them. Brigadier Jackson looks to Riley.

Will you really go? Yes. Can he really do that? Brigadier Jackson asks, looking at Group Captain Raw, referring to all the protocols. Group Captain Raw recognises the truth of the situation, and also the enormous courage being displayed, the way out of the morass for all of them, while also possibly helping Delta Company. Australian soldiers during the battle of Long Tan in Vietnam. Credit:Australian War Memorial

Are you sure, Frank? Raw asks softly. This is flying into an unsafe area. I would prefer to try than do nothing, Riley responds. Maybe we should check with higher authority, Raw offers uncertainly, thinking of at least consulting Wing Commander Ray Scott, the Commanding Officer of No. 9 Squadron, who is at Vung Tau. He will only fuck around and waste time, Riley says firmly. Its my helicopter in this situation and I say we go. Raw falls silent. He looks up, lost in thought.

He considers all the angles, the implications, the responsibilities, the fallout if it goes wrong, which it surely will, but the obligation they all have to help Delta Company right now. I guess youre right, Raw finally concedes. About time someone in the RAAF showed some guts, Brigadier Jackson expostulates in a moment of rare public emotion, looking warmly at Riley, and not even noticing the flabbergasted Bob Grandin over the pilots shoulder. Get over to Eagle Farm and load up. Captain Raw backs down  or at least says little more. Veterans marching on the 52nd Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Credit:Paul Jeffers

He is not giving permission, and the flight is not officially sanctioned  as it is clearly madness to fly into the middle of a battle without any fire support of their own. Long Tan book cover. But Captain Raw is not moving to stop them. So they have a Raw deal; the Group Captain will wash his hands and they can go out there and get dirty. We are off to saddle up, load the helicopter with ammo, and see if the other chopper crew will accompany us on the same basis. Brigadier Jackson snaps orders for Riley to get his chopper  or choppers, if he can convince his mate  over to Eagle Farm by 1730 hours where, after more snapped orders, boxes of ammunition should be arriving within minutes.

Loading Once outside, Bob Grandin is still reeling at how quickly everything has transpired, how they have gone from being, Its too risky to fly, to Okay, we are doing this, in the space of a couple of minutes. And that is despite Grandin already trying to pull Riley into line in a hushed but heated conversation in the Operations Centre. How will we find them? hed asked Riley, sotto voce. Why wont we just be shot out of the air by a superior force? How can we land? What could we actually do that would help? But Frank hadnt wanted to listen. Those questions were way too logical for him.

Now, Grandin neednt be so restrained. Stopping the RAAF veteran with a paw on the shoulder, Grandin asks the question that has to be asked of his great mate, the one who is always looking for action, which on the one hand is admirable, but in this case looks very likely to get them all killed. What the hell are you doing? This is a suicide mission. How are we going to get back? Riley rises to the occasion, rather like his chopper right into the teeth of a howling gale, and throws out a challenge. We probably wont, he replies evenly. You dont have to come.
The federal opposition has called on the Greens to refer senator Lidia Thorpe to the new anti-corruption commission once it is established over her failure to disclose a relationship with a former bikie leader.

Thorpe was forced to resign from the partys deputy Senate leadership on Thursday after it was revealed that two of her former staffers raised concerns with Greens leader Adam Bandts office about the relationship with former Rebels bikie president Dean Martin. At the time in 2021, she was a member of the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee.

Greens leader Adam Band asked Lidia Thorpe to resign over her prior relationship with Dean Martin. Credit:Jason South, Paul Jeffers, Jesse Marlow

Thorpe, who confirmed she briefly dated Martin, said she accepted that she had made mistakes and have not exercised good judgment.

This masthead revealed on Saturday that Thorpe repeatedly questioned Home Affairs boss Mike Pezzullo about the status of a suspected member of the Rebels bikie gang, Jack Hobson, who was facing deportation to New Zealand.
The international partnership between Lippmann Associates, Richard Rogers Partnership, Martha Schwartz and Associates and ARUP created a park at the headland around large baths and other water features. We were under no impression that we would be winning, said Pronk. So why [were] we doing it? It was enjoyable. And it was about ideas, and about a future thats really positive for Sydney. Loading Unlike many other architectural contests, there was no entry fee, and the brief was nearly anything goes within broad guidelines. Entries would be judged anonymously  an attempt to even out the drawing board with big architectural names like Lord Richard Rogers. Emeritus professor of architecture and urbanism at the University of NSW, Helen Lochhead said initial entries were predictably more experimental, trying to get judges attention.

In a video about the contest in the Unrealised Sydney exhibition at the Museum of Sydney, Lochhead  a member of the jury that selected the winning design from a shortlist of five  said the competition was high level and aspirational. It was designed to say: Sydney is not a backwater in the South Pacific, but it is part of the world and the future. The exhibition details a range of projects proposed for Sydney from Barangaroo to the Rocks and Bennelong Point that never came off. Of the 137 entries for east Darling Harbour, not even the vision by the winner, a team led by Hill Thalis Architecture, was realised in the end, said Lochhead.

Barangaroo fever swept through architects in other cities too. Collingwood architects Matthew Scully and Peter Sofarnos hadnt even formed their practice Evolva when they came up with a vision of five very thin buildings. Loading A bit like a shark fin or a sail, these buildings cantilevered over the water. To protect the views of existing residents in Millers Point, the fin became thinner as it neared the water. Thrilled to see the Evolva entry included in Unrealised Sydney, Sofarnos said it was fair to say the arching forms were a nod to the Opera House. We wanted them to be iconic, and standalone, and create Barangaroo as a substantial architectural mecca in its own right, he said. Sofarnos flew to Sydney to hand-deliver his entry, which included a maquette. We were very excited. You dont often get to design for a site as prominent as that one. It was definitely a labour of love, and a crack at the big time by a couple of unknowns.

Lochhead said the brief was much more succinct than architectural competitions today. Half of the site should remain as public open space, that it should give continuous access providing a promenade for 14 kilometres, which has been done, and only a third of the site should be developed for buildings, which should be between five and 15 storeys. It has really moved and shifted from that. There was imperative for it to be cost neutral, which shifted the drivers in how we paid for it, she said. William Smart Studios with artist Jennifer Turpin proposed a wind farm where the newly recreated headland is today. Our proposition was centred on the opportunity to build a generous public building, with a huge public park over its amphitheatre roof, Smart said. Smart Design Studios worked with Sydney artist Jennifer Turpin on this proposal. It had a wind farm on the headland, sculpture and art on the promenade and a massive green roof created by an amphitheatre. Credit:Smart Design Studio The park doubled the requested green space, and was designed as a giant bio-filtration system to clean stormwater runoff from the nearby streets. Beneath the roof we proposed offices, theatres, cinemas and retail, up to the height of seven storeys, said Smart.
London: Liz Truss, the departing British prime minister, is eligible for a taxpayer-funded allowance capped at 115,000 ($203,000) a year for the rest of her life.

Despite her short time in office, Truss became eligible on Thursday for whats called the Public Duty Costs Allowance  a government reimbursement plan for staff and salary costs incurred by former prime ministers arising from their special position in public life after they leave office, according to the governments website.

Liz Truss arrives in Downing Street in London, Friday, a day after resigning. Credit:PA

This has drawn scorn, however, from some of Truss political opponents, who have called for her to be refused the payment because of what they see as her role in Britains political and economic turmoil.

There is no way that she should be permitted to access the same 115,000 a year for life fund as her recent predecessors  all of whom served for well over two years, Christine Jardine, the spokesperson for the Cabinet Office of the Liberal Democrats, said in a statement.
Five Australian women allegedly strip searched at gunpoint at Doha Airport after a baby was found in a bathroom have sued the Qatari government for assault and battery.

Hundreds of women were forcibly removed from aircraft at Doha on October 2, 2020 as officials searched for the mother of a newborn baby in a bathroom at the terminal.

Surveillance camera footage obtained by the website Doha News shows officials care for an abandoned baby at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar on October 2, 2020. Credit:Courtesy of Doha News via AP

The women were removed by armed guards and many say they were forced to conduct non-consensual gynaecological or intimate physical examinations.

Out of the 18 Australian women involved in the incident, five have now taken their action to the Federal Court after failing to gain compensation from the Qatari government through other channels.
PRI ECO GEN NAT .BENGALURU DCM18 Razorpay India Witnesses the Gold Rush, Jewelry Sees a 595 percent Increase in Orders During the Diwali Season: Razorpay Festive Report Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (NewsVoir) With India celebrating the first festivities after returning to full normalcy, businesses across industries are seeing a big boom. To help businesses take advantage of this prosperous season, Razorpay, India's Leading Payments and Banking Platform for Businesses, launched its Festive Report to help businesses understand the consumer trends. Rahul Kothari, Chief Business Officer at Razorpay said, The increasing disposable incomes among consumers and the higher propensity to make high-ticket purchases has made Diwali one of the most prosperous seasons for all online merchants. While all merchants continue to vye for the highest mindshare among consumers, the merchants who understand consumer trends tend to sell significantly more. Being a business that always focuses on helping other businesses reach a super-scale stage, we thought it would be beneficial for the entire business community to understand the historic trends that we have seen and help them achieve more with less. This report is an analysis of all transactions that were conducted on the Razorpay platform during the festive season in 2021. It provides a detailed view on consumer shopping trends. The three weeks before Diwali is the most prosperous for businesses with businesses experiencing a 37% jump in orders as compared to the week of Diwali (week of 24th October) Business revenue also spikes a week before the Diwali week. Businesses experience a 43% increase revenue in contrast to the week of Diwali High ticket value transactions saw a significant increase during the festive season. Gold and Jewelry sees the highest growth in purchases during Diwali, increasing by a whopping 595% as compared to the non-festive season With busy mornings and celebratory evenings, most of the shopping took place in the afternoon. 12PM - 5PM is the crowd favorite to indulge in a shopping spree with customers spending 2x the hourly average spend during this period About Razorpay Razorpay, a full-stack financial services company helps Indian businesses with comprehensive and innovative solutions built over robust technology to address the entire length and breadth of the payment and banking journey for any business. Established in 2014, the company provides technology payment solutions to over 8Mn businesses. Founded by alumni of IIT Roorkee, Shashank Kumar and HarshilMathur, Razorpay is the second Indian company to be a part of Silicon Valley's largest tech accelerator, Y Combinator. Marquee investors such as Lone Pine Capital, Alkeon Capital, TCV, GIC, Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital India, Ribbit Capital, Matrix Partners, Salesforce Ventures, Y Combinator and MasterCard have invested a total of $741.5 Mn through Series A, B, C, D, E & F funding. A few angel investors have also invested in Razorpay's mission to simplify payments and banking and redefine how finance works in India. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Newsvoir and

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The number of people killed in the road mishap in Madhya Pradesh's district in which a passenger bus collided with a truck has gone up to 15, police said on Saturday. At least 40 people have been injured in the accident.

The accident took place between 10:30 pm to 11 pm on Friday when the bus with about 100 people on board, headed to Gorakhpur in from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, collided with a truck trolley in the Suhagi Pahari area.

Navneet Bhasin, Superintendent of Police, said most of the passengers on the bus were residents of Uttar Pradesh

"Of the 40 injured, 25 have been admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in where one person succumbed to his injuries. The death toll has increased to 15," said Rewa SP Bhasin.

Rewa District Collector Manoj Pushp said: "it seems that the trolley truck had an accident with a truck in front of it and when the driver applied brakes, the bus behind it rammed into it. Rescue operations were conducted and the injured have been sent to the hospital."

According to the Collector rescue operations were completed last night and police, administration and local people are present at the site.

Chief Minister has expressed grief over the loss of lives.

Chief Minister spoke to the Chief Minister of on phone this morning and apprised him of the incident, according to CMO.

Chouhan informed Adityanath that the happened late in the night and after getting information about the incident, senior officials including the Collector SP of Rewa district reached the spot and the district administration conducted a rescue operation throughout the night.

"The mortal remains of the passengers who died in the accident are still being kept in the morgue. Along with this, the people who are safe or less injured have been sent to Prayagraj through two buses at night after giving them first aid. Those passengers who are seriously injured are being treated free of cost at Rewa Medical College. Rewa district administration is ensuring all necessary arrangements for the rituals of the injured and the dead, including treatment," the CMO statement added.

minister Vishvas Sarang said" We have received the information that the bus was going from Hyderabad possibly to Gorakhpur met with an accident in Rewa in MP. The administration has been instructed to carry out all rescue operations. They have been instructed to take all necessary measures."

The state's Home Minister Narottam Mishra also condoled the loss of lives in the mishap.

"The untimely demise of many people in the painful in Rewa is extremely sad and painful. May God give place to the departed souls at his feet," he said in a tweet.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla took to Twitter to express his condolences.

"The untimely demise of many people in a painful in Rewa, is extremely sad. May God give peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this accident. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured," Biral tweeted.

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The (ED) on Friday said it has recently carried out search operations at five places in Bengaluru, in connection with its investigation related to the Chinese loan app case.

An official said that the case is based on 18 FIRs registered by Cyber Crime Police Station, City against numerous entities and persons in connection with their involvement in extortion and harassment of the public who had availed small amounts of loans through the mobile apps being run by these entities.

During the investigation, it has emerged that these entities are controlled by Chinese nationals.

The modus operandi of these entities is using forged documents of Indians and making these them dummy directors of those entities and generating proceeds of crime.

It has come to notice that the said entities were doing their illegal business through various merchant IDs held with payment gateways and banks.

Based on the investigation conducted and inputs received from the Central Crime Branch, city, the search operation was carried out in this case.

The premises of Razorpay Pvt Ltd and the banks' compliance offices related to these entities were covered in the search operation.

During the search operation, it was noticed that the said entities were generating proceeds of crime through various merchant IDs held with payment gateways and they have submitted fake addresses in KYC documents.

"An amount of Rs 78 Crore has been seized under section 17(1) in merchant IDs and bank accounts of these Chinese persons-controlled entities. Total seizure, in this case, now stands is Rs 95 crore," the official said.

--IANS

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Union Minister on Friday slammed Chief Minister after TET job seekers' were forcibly removed from the protest site by the police and termed it a "crackdown" on common people.

Attacking the Trinamool Congress Party supremo, Irani said that the whole country is seeing Chief Minister's corruption, injustice and misgovernance.

While talking to ANI, Irani said, "Police should have loyalty to the country's law and Constitution. If there was no wrongdoing and injustice on part of CM then why did the police come at midnight? Why is CM not giving jobs and instead lathi charging?"

"Along with protestors, why were some common people arrested? This is people's agitation against government, so CM's crackdown is not on any political organization but on common people. The whole country is seeing CM's corruption, injustice and misgovernance in grassroots and urban centres," she added.

Earlier on Friday, police personnel dragged Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualified candidates who were protesting near the head office of Board of Primary Education in Kolkata regarding job recruitment.

Section 144 of CrPC was imposed in the area.

Earlier on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, Police in an operation detained the Teacher's Eligibility Test (TET) 2014 qualified students protesting outside the education board's office in Kolkata's Salt Lake.

The agitators were sitting on a protest for several days over their demand for direct recruitment, alleging the state government of corruption and prioritizing undeserving candidates.

According to reports, the protesting students qualified for the Teacher's Eligibility Test eight years ago but failed to get past the two sets of interviews they appeared for.BJP state secretary Priyanka Tibrewal had alleged the state government of showing its evil face.

While speaking to ANI, Priyanka Tibrewal said, "This government is far from humanity, everyone is watching their demon face."

While lashing out at chief minister Mamta Banerjee, Priyanka had said, "Being a woman chief minister, if this happens to a woman, then Mamta Banerjee should die."

"It is their democratic right to protest. Their jobs have been stolen by CM and her party. If Mamta Banerjee has any shame left, then she should resign immediately," West Bengal BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul had said.

Earlier, on October 11, the central agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Trinamool Congress MLA Manik Bhattacharya in connection with the West Bengal teacher's recruitment scam.

According to sources, Bhattacharya, the former chairman of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education was arrested today after he was questioned overnight by ED officials in connection with the teachers' recruitment scam.

Bhattacharya represents the Palashipara assembly constituency.

ED has been probing the West Bengal teacher's recruitment scam case and had earlier summoned Bhattacharya.

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Rajasthan Chief Minister on Saturday appealed to the doctors to not go on strikes every time they have a demand and instead tie a black ribbon to express displeasure to avoid any inconvenience to the patients.

He said there will be no shortage of funds for the medical sector as it is a top priority of the state government.

"Health and medical sector is my top priority. There will be no shortage of funds, but one of my demands is that they (doctors) will not go on strike at least," he told the media after interacting with the doctors at the Government SMS Hospital here.

"The only thing I have said to the doctor is that please make a promise to me that you will not go on strike. If you have displeasure, have demands from the government, then tie a black ribbon," Gehlot said.

He said doctors are considered to be a form of God as they save lives. If there is a strike, the patient suffers and surgeries are postponed.

The chief minister also appealed to the private hospitals to show sensitivity.

According to the spirit of the constitution, education and health services cannot be commercial work, he added.

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The (ED) has claimed that actress Jacqueline Fernandez had deleted evidence from her cell phone, and also tried to leave the country.

The ED made this submission while opposing the actor's bail plea in connection with a pertaining to Rs 200 crore extortion matter involving multimillionaire conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, an official said on Saturday.

The IANS is in possession of ED documents which confirm that she had deleted data from her cell phone.

"She admitted deleting crucial evidence on her phone and further had told others to delete the evidence which amounts to tampering of evidence. She also tried to flee abroad," the ED has claimed.

The ED said that during the investigation it emerged that Jacqueline enjoyed the proceeds of crime which the main accused (Sukesh Chandrashekhar and Leena Maria Paul) obtained by the route of extortion from Aditi (wife of Shivinder Singh).

Jacqueline had knowledge of the criminal antecedents of the main accused -- Sukash and Leena.

"She not only used and enjoyed the proceeds of crime herself but also shared that with her family members staying abroad while knowing very well that the money and gifts showered by Chandrasekar were nothing but proceeds of crime not earned by him through any genuine source. An amount of Rs 7,12,24,767 had been identified till now as proceed of crime and the same was attached," the ED said.

The ED said that Jacqueline never cooperated with the investigation team, and only when confronted with evidence and statements, she had made disclosure.

Initially, Jacqueline denied that Chandrashekhar had purchased two cars for her parents but on December 12, 2021 she admitted it. She also stated that her sister had received $1,72,913 in her account.

Fernandez was granted interim bail. She has not been given regular bail. The court has extended her interim bail till the next date of hearing.

--IANS

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Prime Minister on Saturday said his government will keep working to fulfil the vision of Sikh gurus.

He was reacting to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh's letter expressing thanks to him for laying the foundation stone of Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib ropeway.

It will connect Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib.

Modi tweeted, "Jathedar Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, respected members of the Sikh community including leading spiritual personalities have expressed joy on the Hemkund Sahib Ropeway. I thank them for their kind words and assure the Sangat we will keep working to fulfil the vision of the Guru Sahibs.

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External Affairs Minister on Saturday spoke with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and discussed several issues including bilateral relationship, and the Ukraine conflict.

"Received a call from FM @ABaerbock of Germany. Discussed our bilateral relationship, sustainable development and the Ukraine conflict. Agreed to continue our conversations," Jaishankar tweeted.

The phone call between the two ministers comes a few weeks after Baerbock, during a joint press conference with her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Berlin, mentioned the Kashmir issues.

"Germany also has a role and responsibility with regard to the situation of Kashmir. Therefore, we support intensively the engagement of the United Nations to find the peaceful solution in the regions," Baerbock said.

In a sharp response, India said that global community members have a crucial role to play in calling out international terrorism and stressed on the fact that foreign nationals have been its victim too.

"All serious and conscientious members of the global community have a role and responsibility to call out international terrorism, especially of a cross-border nature. The Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has borne the brunt of such a terrorist campaign for decades. This continues till now. Foreign nationals have been victims there, as also in other parts of India. The UN Security Council and FATF are still pursuing Pakistan-based terrorists involved in the horrific 26/11 attacks", MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a press release.

The MEA said that when states do not recognize such dangers, they do grave injustice to the victims of terrorism.

"When states do not recognise such dangers, either because of self-interest or indifference, they undermine the cause of peace, not promote it. They also do grave injustice to the victims of terrorism," the press release stated.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the 'Rozgar Mela', a recruitment drive for 1 million personnel, through video conferencing today. During the ceremony, appointment letters will be handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees, a statement from Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. Chairman will launch services in from the famous Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara, Rajsamand, on Saturday, reported IANS. will reach on Saturday morning by a special plane, from where he will travel to Nathdwara to launch services in the desert state.

The world should remain clear that Pakistan must continue to take "credible, verifiable and irreversible" action against terrorism, said on Friday after anti-money laundering watchdog FATF removed the neighbouring country from its 'grey list'. The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) took off Pakistan from a list of countries under increased monitoring, also known as the 'grey list'.

European Union leaders on Friday gave the green light to a plan to provide Ukraine with 18 billion euros in financial support over the next year, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia is trying to spark a refugee exodus by destroying his country's energy infrastructure.
A low-pressure area over the north Andaman sea that on Saturday intensified into a depression, around 1,460 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal, is expected to take the shape of a cyclonic storm by October 24, the said in its bulletin.

The weather system moved west-northwestward and concentrated into a depression on Saturday at 8.30am, close to west of Andaman Islands, the bulletin said.

"It is expected to move northwestward and intensify further into a deep depression over east-central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal by the morning of October 23.

"The system is then very likely to re-curve gradually north-northeastwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over central Bay of Bengal by October 24 morning," the stated.

Thereafter, it would continue to move north-northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast, between Tinkona Island and Sandwip, around October 25 morning, the forecast said.

The name 'Sitrang' has been proposed for the possible cyclonic storm by Thailand.

The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the deep sea area of central Bay of Bengal from Saturday, and along and off Odisha and Bengal coasts between October 23 and 26.

Both Bengal and Odisha are likely to experience fairly widespread rainfall due to the weather system.

According to Sanjib Bandopadhyay, the deputy director-general of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata, isolated places in North-24 Parganas and South-24 Parganas districts will get heavy to very heavy rainfall on October 24.

Paschim Medinipur may experience heavy showers on that day.

The following day, Nadia, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas are likely to get heavy rainfall, Bandopadhyay said.

On both the days, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly may experience moderate rainfall, he maintained.

"Wind speed of 45 to 55 km gusting to 65 kmph is likely in the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas on October 24. The next day, the wind speed may reach 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, in these districts," Bandopadhyay stated.

Ferry services have been suspended in Sundarban area, he said.

Water-based sporting activities, too, have been put on hold in the beach towns of Mandarmoni and Digha, Bandopadhyay added.

In Bhubaneswar, the Regional Meteorological Centre issued heavy rainfall warning for the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Cuttack, and Khurda.

The Odisha government has kept its men and machinery ready as the weatherman predicted heavy rainfall in the state's coastal districts, said Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena.

"We have put authorities of eight districts on high alert. The state is ready to face the challenge," Jena explained.

The SRC also said that the state government, as part of its preparedness, was in touch with different agencies such as the NDRF, Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, and Fire Services for rescue operations, if need be.

Jena added the was likely to go past Odisha coast, maintaining a distance of around 200 km from Dhamra Port.

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The High Court on Friday quashed cases against two leaders in connection with the 'PayCM campaign' launched by the grand old party to target the BJP-led government in the state.

J.S. Narayana Gowda, a youth leader in Nelamangala assembly constituency near Bengaluru, and V. Ramakrishna, Legal Cell president had filed a petition at the court to quash cases against them lodged in connection with PayCM campaign against the ruling BJP.

Narayana Gowda and Ramakrishna were booked by the police for giving a call to take up PayCM campaign. The single bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna has quashed the criminal case filed against them in this regard.

It was further alleged that the accused persons called up the people on mobile phones and gave them instructions to put up posters.

The bench opined that it cannot be assumed that the petitioners have committed crime under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.

They have not committed any offence which are punishable under these acts, the bench added.

The bench also stated that the order is limited to the proceedings against the petitioners only and it will not apply to other accused persons.

The Nelamangala police had booked a FIR against the petitioners that they got the posters containing the photograph of the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and QR code.

The campaign has been launched by the Congress party to attack the ruling BJP over "40 per cent commission" allegations.

However, ruling BJP took drastic measures in connection with the campaign. It maintained that it is an insult to the state that a CM's photo is used for political gains.

Many arrests were made across the state during the Bharat Jodo Yatra for wearing T Shirts having the posters of the PayCM Campaign.

Slamming the BJP, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and Congress' unit president D.K. Shivakumar have participated in the campaign and pasted the posters.

Currently, the Congress has taken up a new "SayCM Campaign" against BJP in Karnataka, through which attacks are launched against the saffron party.

--IANS

mka/pgh

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Union Minister on Saturday said Prime Minister has constantly sought to create new avenues and opportunities for livelihood, government jobs and income for the country's youth.

He said that right from the beginning the prime minister has given the highest priority to the issues and concerns related to the youth.

The prime minister has constantly sought to create new avenues and opportunities for livelihood, government jobs and income for the youth, said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel.

In his welcome address at a Rozgar Mela at the Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM) here, he said that very soon his department will come out with the next instalment of appointment letters to meet the target of 10 lakh government jobs in the next few months.

Prime Minister Modi on Saturday launched Rozgar Mela -- the recruitment drive for 10 lakh personnel -- via video conferencing.

During the ceremony, appointment letters were handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees.

Singh said all ministries and departments are working towards filling up existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in mission mode.

Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi and Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta joined Singh in addressing the newly inducted appointees at the Rozgar Mela at the ISTM Ground.

He distributed appointment letters to 40 out of 532 new appointees assigned to him from Ministries of Defence, Railways, Home, Finance, Communications, Labour, Mines, Information and Broadcasting, Water resources, Department of Space and Banks, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

"Rest of the letters will be distributed by today itself by concerned departments, it said.

The minister noted that the appointment letters released by the prime minister covers government posts at all levels including Grade-A, Grade-B (Gazetted), Grade-B (Non-Gazetted) and Grade-C.

Singh said the 75,000 appointment letters issued on Saturday cover nearly all the ministries and departments in the government and their beneficiaries are spread across all the states and Union territories of the country.

He hoped that these young new recruits in the government will have the opportunity to contribute in the process of nation building over the next 25 years to realise the dream of India in the centenary of its independence in 2047.

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The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) has become a "major medium for bringing in socio-economic change" in the country, Prime Minister said on Saturday. He was speaking after conducting, virtually, the 'grih pravesh' ceremony of 4.51 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district by pressing a remote button. Earlier governments did not do anything for the poor except coining the slogan of a poverty removal and delayed all such schemes, he alleged. These governments had no time for providing basic amenities to people, he said. The houses under PMAY have all facilities like electricity, water connection, toilet and gas connection, and will give strength to beneficiaries to fulfil their dreams, the prime minister said. Criticising those indulging in distributing freebies, Modi said taxpayers will be happy to see that people are getting houses of their own under the PMAY. People, however, become unhappy due to the 'Revdi' culture in the country, he said.

Under the PM Swamitva Yojna, people in villages are getting certificates (of property ownership) and getting loans from the banks, he said. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was present among others in Satna during the event.

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Union minister on Saturday said railway projects worth Rs 7,565 crore were sanctioned for in this year's budget, a record for the state.

The total cost of projects approved for stands at Rs 57,000 crore, the Union Railway minister said.

"Today, projects worth Rs 57,000 crore have been sanctioned in . Rajasthan has got a record sanction of Rs 7,565 crore in this year's . There was a time when only Rs 700 to Rs 750 crore was given to Rajasthan. The speed in work which has come is seen now," Vaishnaw said.

Vaishnaw was in Rajasthan for the 'Rozgar Mela' event here where he handed over appointment letters to new recruits in various government departments. During the event, he urged the new recruits to work with the spirit of 'nation first' and never compromise on it.

Rajya Sabha MPs Ghanshyam Tiwari and Kirori Lal Meena, Jaipur Urban MP Ramcharan Bohra, BJP state unit chief Satish Poonia were also present at the event.

Speaking on the development of railway infrastructure, Vaishnaw said stations were now neater compared to the past. Asking people to recall the old days, he added that earlier, people had to walk while squeezing their noses.

Vaishnaw said redevelopment work had been taken up to make 200 stations world class based on the experience from three stations in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

He said the master plan had been prepared for 138 stations, tender done for 47 and work started on 41.

The minister said Jaipur Junction, Gandhi Nagar, Jodhpur, Barmer, Kota Ajmer, Bikaner, Pali, Marwar and Abu Road in Rajasthan were among the stations that would be developed in the first phase.

He added that there was a time when only 4 km tracks were laid per day, but that figure had now reached 12 km a day.

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The on Saturday extended the interim bail granted to former CMD of of Companies Anil Kumar Sharma and the real estate firm's ex-director Shiva Priya on medical grounds.

A bench of Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi, which conducted a special hearing on a non-working day for the apex court, allowed Sharma to continue on interim bail as he is scheduled to undergo surgery for cataract and glaucoma, after it was submitted that he had lost around 90-95 per cent of his vision.

The bench allowed him to visit a hospital in Chennai for the surgery and said he will have to file a report about his medical condition five days after the procedure.

At the outset, advocate Manoj Singh, appearing for Sharma, said his medical reports indicate he has to undergo surgery for both his eyes.

"Doctors have said that he will first have to undergo surgery for left eye and then there will be a rest of four weeks after which surgery in right eye will be conducted. All relevant materials including opinions of doctors have been placed on record. We are praying for eight to ten weeks of interim bail," Singh said.

The bench, then asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for central investigating agencies, who said she has no objection to the bail but suggested the court should call for the report, after the first surgery.

Advocate ML Lahoty, appearing for home buyers, also did not oppose the bail on medical grounds but said glaucoma is a very common problem and it would not be appropriate to grant bail for such a long period.

The bench, however, extended the interim bail granted to Sharma on August 8 and said after his first surgery of left eye, he should file a report, indicating the status of his medical condition.

Similarly, the top court also granted extension of interim bail to Shiva Priya, who was granted interim bail on August 22 by two weeks and said he should surrender by November 7 before the trial court or he will be arrested and sent back to jail.

The top court noted that since he was granted interim bail on August 22, on account of his daughter's ill-health and now she recovered and advised rest by the doctors.

"Since it is festival week and the petitioner is on interim bail since August 22, we will not ask him to go to jail immediately. Instead, we will ask him to surrender by November 7, failing which he will be arrested and sent to jail," the bench said.

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, told the top court that Shiva Priya has been booked in 24 cases and he has been granted bail in six cases.

"Out of 24 cases, a charge sheet has been filed in 20 cases. He has been granted bail in six cases including one in which a charge sheet has been filed. Charges have been framed in one case," Kumar said while giving the details of the cases.

The bench said that one of the cases relates to money laundering in which his bail has been rejected by the trial court and the accused intends to file an appeal in the high court.

"We are not disposing of your petition for regular bail, instead we are keeping it pending so that after the culmination of proceedings before the high court, you can revive this plea," the bench told Kumar.

Both Sharma and Shiva Priya have been in jail after their arrest in 2018 for various offences including that of cheating, criminal breach of trust and money laundering and have spent nearly four years in prison. Both have been accused of siphoning home buyers money.

The bench did not grant any relief to former chief financial officer Chander Prakash Wadhwa and asked him to move the trial court for remedy under law.

CJI Lalit said since his superannuation is on November 8, he has virtually six working days left after Diwali vacation, when the court will reopen on October 31 and hence, the special bench, which is hearing Amrapali matter will assemble for the one last time on October 31 and try to dispose of the issue related to sale of floor area ratio.

It heard the submission of senior advocate Ravindra Kumar, appearing for Noida and Greater Noida, and said that on October 31, it would hear submissions of Attorney General R Venkatramani, who is also the court appointed receiver for Amrapali properties and Lahoty, counsel for the home buyers.

Venkatramani told the bench that to complete the stalled projects, funds will be needed and despite the payment of home buyers, selling of unsold inventories and bank loans, the amount collected will be very less as compared to funds required for completion of pending projects and therefore they need to sell unused FAR.

The apex court, in its July 23, 2019 verdict, had cracked down on errant builders for breaching the trust reposed by the home buyers and ordered the cancellation of registration of the under real estate law RERA and ousted it from prime properties in the national capital region (NCR) by nixing the land leases.

The top court had directed a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged money laundering by realtors, providing relief to over 42,000 home buyers of the with the verdict.

Besides ED, the Economic Offence Wing (EoW) of Delhi Police and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has also been investigating various cases lodged against the former officials of the real estate group.

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Seven persons were injured, two of them seriously, in a blast that occurred when petrol was being filled in the container of a tanker at a Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's (BPCL) depot on the outskirts of Bhopal, an official said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday evening at the oil depot located in Bakania area, Khajuri police station in-charge Sandhya Mishra said.

The "unexpected fire" was being investigated, said in a statement later.

"Seven persons were injured in the blast. While six of them are either drivers or helpers of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) who were there to get fuel filled in their tankers, one is an employee of BPCL," she said.

Two of them were seriously injured and undergoing treatment at a private hospital, Mishra added.

While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the police official said a short-circuit could be the reason.

In a statement, the state-run said, "An unexpected fire occurred at our POL Depot at Bakania near on October 21 at around 7:30pm during a tank lorry filling. Immediate action was taken by the staff members present and the fire was extinguished quickly with the available resources.

"Six crew personnel of the three tank lorries of Hindustan Petroleum, which were being loaded, and one contractor employee were injured in the incident and were immediately shifted to the hospital where they are receiving medical treatment," the statement added.

It was committed to high safety standards in operations and Friday's incident was being investigated, it said.

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PDP president on Saturday hit out at the media, saying instead of covering real problems, it was wasting time by discussing non-issues such as the Jammu and Kashmir administration issuing an eviction notice to her.

The administration had earlier this week issued an eviction notice to the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, saying she was not entitled to use the bungalow on the high security Gupkar Road.

"The media is wasting time in discussing non-issues like Mehboba Mufti vacating the house. Ideally, they should focus on real issues and problems faced by people (of Jammu and Kashmir) but they are not doing that," the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader told reporters after paying obeisance at her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's grave in Anantnag district.

Mehbooba also said that seizing of passport, questioning by the Enforcement Directorate or eviction notices do not surprise her. "If anything surprises me, it is the priorities of (the visual) media," she said.

"A teenager was killed while he was in police custody. He was just an accused and nothing had been proved against him. Instead of holding prime time debates on the circumstances in which this 19-year-old life was snuffed out, media is holding debate on eviction notice to Mehbooba Mufti," the PDP leader said.

"The discussion should have centred on how this youth could be killed while he was in police custody," she added.

On if she would vacate the Fair View bungalow, Mehbooba said if the government has no concern for security, "I will vacate the house". "What is the big deal?" she asked.

Several political parties, including the PDP and the National Conference (NC), on Wednesday had called for a probe into the killing of an arrested "hybrid" Lashkar-e-Toiba militant during an anti-militancy operation in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Imran Bashir Ganaie was arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of two labourers at Harmain in district in the early hours of Tuesday. He was killed early on Wednesday in firing by militants when police launched an anti-terror operation in Shopian's Naugam area, according to the Kashmir Zone police.

In 2020, NC leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah vacated the official bungalow which was allotted to him on security grounds in 2002 when he was a Lok Sabha member. His son Omar Abdullah had vacated the bungalow as the administration did away with the entitlement of former chief ministers to official accommodation.

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Amid the Opposition clamour to declare a 'wet drought' in Maharashtra, former Chief Minister will go on a tour of the flood-hit regions of on Sunday for a first-hand assessment of the ground situation, his aides said here on Saturday.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, accompanied by others leaders, will go around the farmlands where standing crops of cotton and soyabean, have been badly damaged or completely razed owing to the spells of heavy rains lashing many parts of the district since the past fortnight, spelling doom for the farmers.

Thackeray said that despite the agro-crisis that has darkened the Diwali of the affected farmers, the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has done nothing in the matter.

"Many farmers' lands are still submerged in the flood waters... but the government is rubbing salt into the tillers' wounds by publicly stating there is no need to declare a 'wet drought' in the state," said Thackeray.

After studying the situation, the ex-CM will discuss ways and means of how to ensure government help for the farmers and also how the party apparatus can help the peasantry in crisis, said his spokesperson Harshal Pradhan.

--IANS

qn/pgh

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The findings by a central government study that over half of the women get married before attaining 21 years in and also revealed that the scope for sustainable job opportunities for young women is limited, experts said.

It is also clear from the findings that the benefits of government schemes are not reaching the desired section of the population, they said.

However, some experts expressed doubts about the data authenticity given that the survey was conducted during the Covid pandemic.

It was found in the study, the report of which was published late last month, that and are the only two states in the country where more than half of the women are married before they are 21 years old.

While 54.9 per cent of girls are married in before attaining the age of 21 years, the figure for is 54.6 per cent as against the average of 29.5 per cent.

Women, particularly in rural areas, face a lot of problems. They do not get decent sustainable employment. And then parents have only one option left to marry them off, said Deepika Pandey Singh, a Congress legislator, who has launched a crusade against early marriages in Jharkhand.

Early marriage is prevalent in all sections of Jharkhand society - tribal, Hindu, minority, educated, uneducated, rich or poor. Consistent efforts are needed to create awareness among them, Singh told PTI.

She was echoed by Sukanya Sarbadhikari, Professor of Sociology at Kolkata's Presidency University.

Due to limited sustainable job opportunities for a young woman in rural areas, she and her parents might be looking for the option to get her married off as they can't wait for a longer period for her to become economically independent, Sarbadhikari said.

As some parts of West Bengal are contiguous with Jharkhand, the situation could be similar on this issue in those areas, she told PTI.

"It speaks volumes about the lopsided development in these states. It reveals that there must be some part of the population which is still away from the benefits of the state and central government policies," said Alok K Gupta, Associate Professor and Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand.

Institutional failures at different levels of policy formulations and implementation are clear, he told PTI.

It reveals that even after 75 years of independence, our policy interventions towards women empowerment and laws on prohibition of child marriage, enhancement of girls' enrolment ratio at educational institutions have not delivered the way they should have done, Prof Gupta said.

Chairperson of the West Bengal Commission for Women, Leena Gangopadhyay, said, "All that I can say is that I personally visit all the districts and my experience doesn't corroborate the findings flagged in the report.

There can be a tendency to marry off girls early in a few cases in two-three districts but whenever that is brought to our knowledge, we take immediate action to thwart it," she said.

Projects like Kanyashree have done a lot in helping girls of West Bengal voice their views strongly, Gangopadhyay added.

Kanyashree is a conditional cash transfer scheme aiming at improving the status and well-being of the girl child by incentivising schooling of teenage girls and delaying their marriages until the age of 18. It received the United Nations Public Service Award in 2019.

Prof Sarbadhikari, however, said that West Bengal's Rupashree scheme financially helps a guardian marry off the adult daughter.

West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Sudeshna Roy said if a woman above 18 years is married, that is her own independent decision as she has already become an adult.

In states like West Bengal, women are more liberated and cannot be forced to take any decision against their will," Roy claimed.

Former Jharkhand MP Salkhan Murmu, a prominent tribal leader, said there could be several reasons behind it including lack of awareness and extreme poverty.

However, some of those PTI talked to on the issue wondered how the survey was done in 2020 when the country was in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic and conducting fieldwork would have been impossible for a considerable time.

"I am not saying anything about the veracity of the report. But we are not clear about the methodology adopted in those difficult times. The government is working on a war footing to stop child marriage and marriage of young women against their wishes and we achieved considerable progress," a top source in the West Bengal government said.

The Jharkhand university professor also said that on many occasions, such statistics are misleading.

"Yet, I believe that if these statistics are true, the government and society should take up the cause of women empowerment more seriously," Prof Gupta said.

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Indian are incomplete without sweets. is the top consumer of sweets as it accounts for 35 per cent of total consumption. In this, leads the list with 9.8 per cent of the total sweet consumption, followed by West Bengal, according to an analysis by Frost & Sullivan reported in the Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar.

The analysis also states that and Jammu and are least fond of sweets.

In 2021, the sweet market in stood at Rs 58,900 crore, the analysis states. The sweet market in the country is estimated to reach Rs 84,300 crore by 2025 as is expected to grow at a rate of 9.3 per cent annually, the study adds, according to Bhaskar.

Eleven Indian states account for 74.5 per cent of consumption of sweets in India, with at 9.8 per cent, followed by at 9.2 per cent, Gujarat at 8.3 per cent, Uttar Pradesh at 8 per cent, Maharashtra at 7.1 per cent, and Bihar at 7 per cent each, Madhya Pradesh at 6.6 per cent, Punjab at 5.2 per cent, Haryana at 3.5 per cent, and Jharkhand at 2.8 per cent, the DB report states.

Meanwhile, the states that consume sweets the least are and Jammu and at 0.3 per cent each.

According to Frost & Sullivan, only 10 per cent of India's sweet business is organised.

In 2021, the share of milk-derived sweets in the organised sweet market of Rs 5,600 crore was 28 per cent, followed by Soan Papdi at 21 per cent and dry fruits at 17 per cent.

Meanwhile, in terms of the consumption of papad, is the top consumer of papad in India, followed by Gujarat, according to the study, the Hindi daily reports, quoting the analysis.

On the other hand, at 39 per cent, North is the top most region to consume papad in the country.

The annual turnover of papad in the country is Rs 7,400 crore, however, 68 per cent of this comes from the unorganised sector, states the analysis.

The organised papad business in the country is currently worth Rs 2,300 crores. It is expected to increase to Rs 3,400 crores by 2025, states the report.

While at 11.4 per cent is the top consumer of papad in India, it is followed by Gujarat at 10.6 per cent, Madhya Pradesh at 8.6 per cent, Maharashtra at 8 per cent, at 6.5 per cent, Punjab and Haryana at 5.7 per cent each, Uttar Pradesh at 4.6 per cent, at 3.1 per cent, Bihar at 2.9 per cent, and Jharkhand at 1.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir, the papad consumption is at 0.4 per cent.

On the other hand, sweets and papad consumption in South India stand at 12.7 per cent and 15.4 per cent, respectively.
According to the party sources, the meeting took place to discuss the strategy of Municipal Corporation's election, the candidatures of the election and issues to be raised by the party during the election.

"Pros and cons after delimitation of MCD ward were also discussed in the meeting," sources told ANI after the meeting.

The total number of civic body polls' wards in the national capital reduced from 272 to 250 following a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday pertaining to the redrawing of wards of the civic body- Municipal Corporation of (MCD).After the 'delimitation' of MCD wards by the central government, the total number of wards in the MCD will amount to 250 of which 42 are decided to be reserved.

Earlier, the Delhi Congress had questioned the reduction of wards from 272 to 250. The Delhi Congress had also alleged a conspiracy to reduce the representation of the Dalit community in this regard, as the reserved seats have been reduced from 46 to 42.

Notably, AAP Delhi raised concerns that there is no equal distribution of population in the delimitation of wards. Aam Aadmi Party leaders had also lodged their objection by meeting the state election officials.

It is worth mentioning that the draft of the delimitation was prepared on 12 September itself and till 3 October it was being reviewed.

The meeting was held at BJP Headquarters in the national capital. In this meeting, BJP National President JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta, Baijayant Panda, Siddhantan, Alka Gujar were present.

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Authorities have arrested two of the three suspects they were searching for after two people were found dead and a police officer was shot on a tribal reservation in north-eastern .

The Colville Tribal Police Department said it responded to a report of a shooting on Thursday in Keller, west of Spokane. Officers found two people dead, and an officer who came across a vehicle described as having left the scene was shot in the arm. He was doing well after being transported for medical care, the department said in a news release.

Police identified two of the suspects as Curry Pinkham and Zachary Holt. The third suspect, another man, had not been identified. It was not immediately clear which of the three suspects had been arrested.

Tribal police searched for them overnight with help from 10 other agencies, including the FBI, Border Patrol, State Patrol and police and sheriff's deputies. The department said on Facebook Friday that two suspects had been arrested.

Authorities urged residents to remain indoors during the search.

Cody Desautel, executive director of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, wrote that schools in Nespelem and Keller would be closed on Friday due to the situation that has effected both districts tonight.

Desautel said any displaced families were welcome at a gymnasium in nearby Coulee Dam.

School was also cancelled on Friday in another nearby school district, covering the small towns of Wilbur and Creston. In a message on its Instagram page, the district wrote that there had been a tragedy in the Keller community involving the loss of lives.

Right now, our hearts are heavy, and we are in support of the entire Keller Community, the message said.

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville comprise about 9,400 descendants of a dozen Native American tribes. The reservation covers nearly 5,700 square km west of Lake Roosevelt, the reservoir formed on the Columbia River behind the Grand Coulee Dam.

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Six people, apparently including a German business magnate, were feared dead Saturday after a small plane crashed into the Caribbean just off the Costa Rican coast.

All five passengers are believed to be German citizens, according to Security Minister Jorge Torres. The plane's pilot was Swiss.

Costa Rican authorities said pieces of the twin-engine turboprop aircraft were found in the water Saturday, after the flight went missing Friday.

A flight plan filed for the small, charter plane listed Rainer Schaller as a passenger. A man by the same name runs chains of fitness and gym outlets, including Gold's Gym and McFit.

Martn Arias, Costa Rica's assistant security minister, said no bodies had been located yet at the site, about 17 miles (28 kilometers) off the coast from the Limon airport.

Pieces have been found that indicate that this is the aircraft, Arias said. Up to now we have not found any bodies dead or alive.

The plane was a nine-seat Italian-made Piaggio P180 Avanti, known for its distinctive profile.

The plane disappeared from radar as it was heading to Limon, a resort town on the coast.

Security Minister Torres said the flight had set out from Mexico.

Around six in the afternoon we received an alert about a flight coming from Mexico to the Limon airport, carrying five German passengers," Torres said. A search started immediately but was called off temporarily due to bad weather.

Rainer Schaller was in the news in 2010 for his role as organizer of the Berlin Love Parade techno festival. A crush at the event killed 21 people and injured more than 500. Authorities at the time said Schaller's security failed to stop the flow of people into a tunnel when the situation was already tense at the entrance to the festival grounds.

Schaller fought back against the accusations of wrongdoing, noting that his security concept received official city approval.

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As China's ruling Communist Party holds a congress this week, many residents are focused on an issue not on the formal agenda: Will the end of the meeting bring an easing of China's at times draconian zero-COVID policies that are disrupting lives and the economy?



It appears to be wishful thinking. As the world moves to a post-pandemic lifestyle, many across have resigned themselves to lining up several times a week for COVID-19 tests, restrictions on their travels to other regions, and the ever-present possibility of a community lockdown.

There is nothing we can do, Zhang Yiming, 51, said this week at a park in . If we look at the situation abroad, like the United States where over 1 million people have died, right? In China, although it is true that some aspects of our life are not convenient, such as travel and economy, it seems that there is no good solution.

People are looking to the party congress, which ends Saturday, for two reasons. The meeting, which is held every five years and sets the national agenda for the next five, can send signals of possible changes in policy direction.

Secondly, authorities always tighten controls COVID-19 and otherwise before and during a major event to try to eliminate disruptions or distractions, so they could relax controls when the event ends.

Any hopes for an easing, though, appear to have been dashed before the congress. The Communist Party's newspaper, the People's Daily, published a series of opinion pieces on the effectiveness of China's zero-COVID approach, and health officials said last week must stick with it.

China's leader, Xi Jinping, praised the policy at the opening ceremony of the congress. He said it had prioritized and protected people's health and safety and made a tremendous achievement in striking the balance between epidemic response and economic and social development.

After an initial outbreak in early 2020 that killed more than 4,000 people and overflowed hospitals and morgues, was largely successful in taming the virus while other countries were overwhelmed with it a contrast trumpeted in Communist Party propaganda.

Then came omicron in late 2021. China had to employ ever more widespread restrictions to control the faster-spreading variant, locking down entire cites and starting regular testing of many if not most of the entire population of 1.4 billion people.

The measures have bred simmering discontent, fed by instances of harsh enforcement that in some cases had tragic consequences.

During a two-month lockdown of Shanghai last spring, videos widely shared on social media showed officials breaking down apartment doors to drag unwilling residents to quarantine facilities. Children were also separated from their parents, because one or the other was infected.

Instances of hospitals denying treatment because of pandemic rules sparked outrage, including a woman in labor who lost her baby after she wasn't allowed into a hospital during a lockdown of the city of Xi'an because she couldn't show a negative COVID-19 test result.

While public protests are relatively rare in China, some people took to the streets in Shanghai and the northeastern city of Dandong to protest harsh and prolonged lockdowns.

Last week, three days before the congress opened, banners were flung over an elevated roadway calling for Xi's overthrow and an end to the zero-COVID policy. The incident spilled over into at least one other city, where photos shared on Twitter showed similar statements posted on a bus stop in Xi'an.

Andy Chen, senior analyst at Trivium China, a Beijing-headquartered policy consultancy, said restrictions beyond the party congress should come as no surprise.

All the conditions that have forced the government to put zero-COVID in place haven't really changed, he said, singling out the lack of an effective vaccine and the absence of sound home quarantine rules.

Even though vaccines are widely available, China's homegrown versions don't work as well as the Pfizer, Moderna and other shots developed elsewhere. China also has resisted vaccine mandates, keeping down vaccination rates. As of mid-October, 90% had received two shots, but only 57% had a booster shot.

authorities have doubled down on the hardline coronavirus policies during the congress.

Highway checkpoints into the city are heavily policed, with all entrants required to show a green code on a mobile phone app to prove they haven't traveled to medium or high-risk areas.

Some express commuter bus lines between Beijing and neighboring Tianjin city and Hebei province have been suspended since Oct. 12.

Anyone who has been in a city, district, or neighborhood where even one case of coronavirus has been found within seven days is banned from entering the Chinese capital.

Within the city, the daily lives of residents are dictated by their health codes. They must use an app to scan the QR code of any facility they enter to show their status and log their whereabouts.

People are not allowed into office buildings, shopping malls, restaurants and other public places without a green code and a negative coronavirus test result within 72 hours, and sometimes less. The policy means most of Beijing's 21 million-plus residents take a coronavirus test at least two to three times a week.

And there is always the risk of a sudden lockdown. Officials in hazmat suits guarded entries to gated communities this week in Fengtai district, where five neighborhoods have been categorized as high-risk. Residents were not allowed to leave their compounds, and some shops were forced to close.

While the party congress has not provided the watershed moment that some have been hoping for, it may turn out to be the point at which the government begins to lay the groundwork for a long process of loosening restrictions, said Dr. Yanzhong Huang, director of the Center for Global Health Studies at Seton Hall University and an expert on public health in China.

Some factors suggest the government will be in no rush to open up, including a broad acceptance of the policy among those who are inconvenienced but have not experienced prolonged or repeated lockdowns.

The vast, vast majority of the population goes on with their lives, unaffected, and that's a much better policy from the government perspective to implement than, for example, forcing a vaccine mandate through the population, Chen said.

But Huang noted growing signs of social instability, especially among the middle class and urban residents.

I think the question is whether it has reached a tipping point that people really find this is not acceptable anymore," he said. "We cannot tolerate that anymore. It remains to be seen even in the large cities, you know, how people are willing to tolerate draconian measures.

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is a universal concept that transcends cultures, Vice President said on Friday as she opened her official residence for scores of Indian Americans to celebrate the festival of lights.

The Naval Observatory -- official residence of the vice president -- was colourfully decorated with lights and diyas (earthen lamps) while the guests were served a wide variety of authentic Indian delicacies from pani puri' to traditional sweets, community leaders, who attended the event, said.

is a universal concept that transcends cultures. It is about being inspired by the relevance of light over darkness, and shedding light in moments of darkness, Harris told the gathering of more than a hundred Indian Americans.

As the vice president, I think a lot about it because we are not without great challenges in our own country and in the world. And these are the moments when a festival like reminds us of the importance of our power to bring light in moments of darkness, she said.

To the surprise of the invited guests, who had travelled from various parts of the country, they were given sparklers which they lit along with Harris and the Second Gentleman while cheering and wishing each other Happy Diwali.

Earlier, a group of young dancers enthralled the guests by performing on popular Bollywood hits like Jai Ho and Om Shanti.

Recollecting her days of celebrating as a child with her grandparents in Chennai, Harris said Diwali is about tradition.

It is about culture. It is about an age-old concept that transcends cultures and communities. It is about a point of reflection and a moment of reflection to consider the duality of life in terms of the balance between darkness and light. And to celebrate the light. In that way, to think about what our role is and what our role should be in elevating us out of the darkness, guided by the light, she said.

In the last few years, we have experienced a lot that has been about powerful forces trying to divide, trying to focus on what they would suggest are dissimilarities when we all know that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us, she said.

There are moments in our country right now where there are those who fight against democratic principles. The principles upon which our nation was founded. Principles like freedom, liberty, she said.

And in these moments where we all have a keen awareness of the unfairness and the injustice of it all, let us be guided by our knowledge that it is not new, that there will be moments like this, but that we have the power to make a difference and to elevate any moment in a way that we feel and can see the future and the possibility and all that is bright that the world allows when we have the ability to believe in it, Harris said.

Among the attendees were several Indian American members of the Biden-Harris Administration, including Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy, President's Special Advisor Neera Tanden, and Biden's Speech Writer Vinay Reddy. America's former Ambassador to India, Rich Verma was also present at the Diwali celebrations.

The atmosphere was magical and very, very authentic Indian. She (Harris) gave a very nice speech about her Diwali celebrations in Chennai. The highlight for me was the little sparklers. I felt like a child, said philanthropist M R Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora.

As an American I was proud to see the inclusion of festivals of all religions as a mainstream. This is diversity. Diwali has truly become a mainstream part of American culture, Rangaswami added.

Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders said, It was a memorable Diwali celebration, thanks to the vice president and second gentleman, with awesome food, Bollywood music and colourful decoration of the Naval Observatory with Diwali lights. Biggest surprise were the sparklers."



The vice president's team did an amazing job in organising the Diwali event and bringing the community together. It sends a strong message that good always wins over evil and we should spear light in the moments of darkness, said Bhutoria.

As the guests left the Naval Observatory, they were given specially-crafted candles with the emblem of the office of the vice president embossed on them.

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Former Prime Minister on Saturday said he will announce the date for his much-publicised mega protest next week to press for the dissolution of the National Assembly and announce snap polls in the country.

Khan, 70, was disqualified on Friday by the Election Commission of (ECP) for failing to inform it about the money he received after selling the state gifts, also known as the Toshakhana case.

Khan made the comments while addressing a press conference along with Senator Azam Swati, who was granted bail by a local court in a case about his controversial tweet against Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

I will announce the date of the long march on either Thursday or Friday, he said.

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Former prime minister will have to go through a gruelling legal battle to regain his political turf in the wake of his disqualification from holding public office for five years in the Toshakhana case for hiding proceeds from the sale of gifts he received from foreign leaders, according to a media report.

Khan on Friday lost membership of Parliament, as well as, barred from contesting elections for five years after the Election Commission of Pakistan, the top constitutional election body, found him guilty of hiding the proceeds from the sale of precious gifts which he got as prime minister from different heads of states.

However, there is confusion about whether the five-year disqualification would apply only to the five years term of the current assembly, or whether the disqualification period would start from the date of the verdict by the ECP.

The tenure of the current national assembly began in August 2018 and would be completed in 2023. Khan already tendered his resignation as a lawmaker in April but it was not accepted.

In this case, his disqualification would end with the expiry of the tenure of the assembly.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In rare talks, US and Russian Defence Ministers spoke on the phone during which they discussed the Ukrainian war, according to official statements issued by Washington and Moscow.

The call on Friday was their first since May 13.

In his remarks, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin emphasized to his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu "the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war", a statement by the Defence Department said.

According to a statement by the Russian Defence Ministry, the two top officials "touched upon pressing issues of security, including the situation in Ukraine".

After the call, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told the BBC that the US was "eager to keep lines of communication open".

"It has been since May since the two gentlemen spoke, so Secretary Austin took today as an opportunity to connect with Minister Shoigu," he said.

Also addressing the media in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not plan to have a phone call with his US counterpart Joe Biden now that the two defence chiefs have held talks.

"No, it is not on the agenda," Russia's state-run TASS News Agency quoted Peskov as saying.

The last face-to-face meet between Putin and Biden in 2021h was heralded as a positive step towards a better relationship.

The two President also held several calls in the months before the war, but progress stalled as tensions escalated over Moscow's invasion.

There have been no talks between the leaders since Russia launched the war on February 24.

--IANS

ksk/

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Giorgia Meloni on Friday formed Italy's new ruling coalition, assembling the country's first far-right-led government since the end of World War II and becoming the first woman to obtain the premiership.

A presidential palace official announced that Meloni and her Cabinet would be sworn in on Saturday. Meloni's Brothers of Italy, a party with neo-fascist roots, was the top vote-getter in Italy's national election last month.

A few hours before the new government's formation was announced, Meloni, 45, a career politician, told reporters that she and her allies had unanimously asked President Sergio Mattarella to give her the mandate to govern.

Obtaining the premiership capped a remarkably quick rise for the Brothers of . Meloni co-founded the party in December 2012, and it was considered a fringe movement on the right during its first years.

Meloni made no public comments before leaving the Quirinal presidential palace. Earlier in the day, she met with Mattarella along with her two main, sometimes troublesome, right-wing allies Matteo Salvini and former Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Mattarella expressed satisfaction that the government was formed in a "brief time" following the Sept. 25 election. After the last election, in 2018, it took three months for a new ruling coalition to come together.

Quickly giving the country a new government "was possible due to the clarity of the vote outcome and to the need to proceed swiftly, also because of the domestic and conditions that require a government in its fullness to carry out its tasks," Mattarella told reporters.

and much of the rest of Europe are struggling with soaring energy costs and the drama of Russia's war in Ukraine, which could crimp gas supplies this winter and continue increasing household and business power bills.

Berlusconi and Salvini are longtime admirers of Russian President Vladimir Putin; Meloni staunchly backs Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion. Those differences could produce challenges for their governing coalition.

Berlusconi, a three-time premier, had chafed at the election victory of Meloni's party. The Brothers of took 26%, while Berlusconi's Forza Italia and the anti-migrant League of Salvini snagged just over 8% apiece in an election with record-low turnout.

In 2018, when Italy held its previous parliamentary election, Meloni's party took just over 4%.

Still, while her party's members are the largest force in the Italian Parliament, Meloni needs the support of both her allies to command a solid majority.

Berlusconi, who fancies himself a rare leader on the world stage, recently derided her as "arrogant" in written comments, apparently after Meloni refused to make a lawmaker who is one of the media mogul's closest advisers a government minister.

During a meeting this week with Forza Italia's lawmakers, the former premier expressed sympathy for Putin's motivation in invading Ukraine. A recording of the conversation leaked to Italian news agency LaPresse also captured Berlusconi bragging that Putin had sent him bottles of vodka for his 86th birthday last month and that he gave the Russian leader bottles of wine while the two exchanged sweetly worded notes.

In response to Berlusconi's comments, which included derogatory remarks about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Meloni insisted that anyone joining her government must be solidly in sync with the West in opposing Putin's war. If that meant her government couldn't be formed, Meloni said, she'd take that risk.

As a bulwark against possible wavering on Ukraine by her coalition allies, Meloni named as defense minister one of her closest advisers, Brothers of Italy co-founder Guido Crosetto.

Meloni's determination could serve her well in contending with pushback from her allies.

Italy's new premier is "a woman that managed to get to the top of a very, very, very male party in a very male dominated country," said Nathalie Tocci, director of the Affairs Institute, a Rome-based think tank.

Meloni chose as foreign minister Antonio Tajani, a top aide to Berlusconi in Forza Italia and a former president of the European Union's parliament. His pro-EU background could reassure European partners worried about a Meloni government wavering in its alliances.

Salvini has at times also questioned the wisdom of tough Western sanctions against Russia. A fellow lawmaker in Salvini's League party who was recently elected president of the Italian Parliament's lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, has publicly expressed doubts about continuing the sanctions.

While campaigning, Salvini advocated increasing Italy's already staggeringly high public debt to pay for energy relief assistance.

Meloni, who has resisted ballooning the debt, appointed as finance minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, considered one of the most moderate League leaders. He is seen in Italy and abroad as a likely guarantor of the continuity of the economic strategies of outgoing Premier Mario Draghi, in whose government he served as industry minister.

Salvini had lobbied hard to be appointed interior minister by Meloni a position he held in a 2018-2019 government formed by populists. Salvini's crackdown on migrant rescue boats while in that post led to a criminal prosecution against him, with one case still pending in Sicily.

Meloni instead picked a longtime Interior Ministry official, Matteo Piantedosi, for the portfolio.

Draghi's national pandemic unity coalition collapsed in July, after Salvini, Berlusconi and populist 5-Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte refused to back his government in a confidence vote. That prompted Mattarella to dissolve Parliament and paved the way for an election some six months early.

On Thursday, Mattarella received opposition leaders, who raised concerns that Meloni, who campaigned with a "God, homeland, family" agenda, would seek to erode abortion rights and roll back rights such as same-sex civil unions.

On Friday, Meloni tapped an ultra-conservative Catholic, Eugenia Maria Roccella, to be her minister for family, birthrates and equal opportunities.

At a 2018 event in Rome that Meloni attended, Roccella pledged to work against Italy's law legalizing same-sex civil unions and called same-sex marriage "the end of humanity." Italy doesn't allow same-sex marriage.

(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.)
New CPC leadership to meet press on Sunday

Xinhua) 14:53, October 22, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee will meet the press on Sunday after they are elected at a plenary meeting on the same day.

The new CPC leadership will be elected at the first plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. They will meet Chinese and foreign journalists in Beijing at around 12 p.m.

The event will be broadcast live by China Media Group and Xinhuanet. It will also be relayed simultaneously by television and radio stations across China, as well as news websites, new media platforms, large outdoor screens and mobile televisions.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Wu Chaolan)
The House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol formally issued an extraordinary subpoena to Donald Trump, demanding testimony from the former president who lawmakers say personally orchestrated a multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The nine-member panel issued a letter to Trump's lawyers saying he must testify, either at the Capitol or by videoconference, beginning on or about November 14 and continuing for multiple days if necessary.

The letter also outlined a sweeping request for documents, including personal communications between Trump and members of Congress as well as extremist groups. Those are to be turned in by November 4, although the committee's deadlines are generally subject to negotiation.

We recognise that a subpoena to a former president is a significant and historic action," Chairman Bennie Thompson and Vice Chair Liz Cheney wrote in the letter to Trump. We do not take this action lightly.

The panel rooted its action in history, listing past presidents from John Quincy Adams to Gerald Ford, who testified before Congress after leaving office and noted that even sitting presidents have responded to congressional subpoenas.

It is unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond. He could comply or negotiate with the committee, announce he will defy the subpoena or ignore it altogether. He could also go to court and try to stop it.

David A. Warrington, a partner with the Dhillon Law Group, said the firm would be handling the issue for Trump, and he said in a statement: We understand that, once again, flouting norms and appropriate and customary process, the Committee has publicly released a copy of its subpoena. As with any similar matter, we will review and analyze it, and will respond as appropriate to this unprecedented action.

The subpoena is the latest and most striking escalation in the House committee's 15-month investigation of the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, bringing members of the panel into direct conflict with the man they have investigated from afar through the testimony of aides, allies and associates.

In the subpoena letter, the committee wrote about the overwhelming evidence it has assembled, showing Trump personally orchestrated an effort to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election, including by spreading false allegations of widespread voter fraud, attempting to corrupt the Justice Department and pressuring state officials, members of Congress and his own vice president to change the results.

In short, you were at the center of the first and only effort by any U.S. President to overturn an election and obstruct the peaceful transition of power, ultimately culminating in a bloody attack on our own Capitol and on the Congress itself, Thompson and Cheney said.

Lawmakers say key details about what Trump was doing and saying during the siege remain unknown. According to the committee, the only person who can fill the gaps is Trump himself.

The panel comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans approved the subpoena for Trump in a surprise vote last week. Every member voted in support.

The day after, Trump posted a lengthy memo on Truth Social, his social media website, repeating his false claims of widespread election fraud and expressing his anger, disappointment and complaint that the committee wasn't investigating his objections. He made no mention of the subpoena.

The subpoena calls for testimony about Trump's dealings with several former aides and associates who have asserted their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination to the committee, including Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark and Kelli Ward.

These Fifth Amendment assertions made by persons with whom you interacted related directly to you and your conduct," the subpoena letter reads. "They provide specific examples where your truthful testimony under oath with be important.

The committee also made 19 requests for documents and communication including for any messages Trump sent on the encrypted messaging app Signal or any other means to members of Congress and others about the stunning events of the Capitol attack.

The scope of the committee's request is expansive pursuing documents from Sept. 1, 2020, two months before the election, to the present on the president's communications with the groups like the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys as the panel looks to compile a historical record of the run-up to the Capitol attack and then the aftermath.

But there remains little legal advantage for Trump to cooperate with the committee as he already faces other civil and criminal legal battles in various jurisdictions, including over his family business in New York and the handling of presidential records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

It's possible his lawyers could simply run out the clock on the subpoena if they go to court to try to quash it, since the committee goes out of existence at the end of this Congress.

Peter Keisler, who served as acting attorney general under President George W. Bush, wrote in an email responding to a query from the AP: "It seems improbable to me that this could be litigated to conclusion in the time remaining to the Committee in this Congress.

There is ample precedent for Congress to seek testimony from a former president. Over the past century and a half, at least six current and former presidents have testified on Capitol Hill, including John Tyler and John Quincy Adams after both were subpoenaed in 1848.

If Trump refuses to comply with the subpoena, the panel will have to weigh the practical and political implications of holding him in contempt of Congress.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With tourism coming to a standstill during the pandemic, Japan's tourism industry was no exception.

After a four-year hiatus, the "Tourism Expo 2022" was held in Tokyo with the motive of reviving tourism in the country.

At the expo, major players from the tourism industry, along with Japanese authorities, set up booths and invited tourists to the country. Okinawa is a popular tourist destination. Tourists visit Okinawa to see the beautiful ocean, and mountains, and to taste unique food.

Okinawa Prefecture is promoting "Okinawa Karate" as a new way to attract tourists while they spread awareness regarding the origin of Karate in Okinawa.

"Okinawa is the birthplace of karate. From a small island with about one million people, karate has spread throughout the world, and it is said that there are 130 million karate enthusiasts around the world. There are many different styles of Okinawan karate, but We would like 130 million people to know that the origin of karate is Okinawa. We want people to experience what it is like in Okinawa, the birthplace of Okinawan karate, so we want them to come to Okinawa and experience it first-hand," said Hayato Sawada, Karate Promotion Division, Okinawa Prefectural Government.

In addition, Okinawa Prefecture is promoting "workcation," combining work and vacation. Teleworking job style accelerates moving to the countryside to enjoy the rural atmosphere and work. It is the change of lifestyle that derives from the pandemic.

"Okinawa has potential as a resort destination and environment. In Okinawa, there is an extraordinary everyday working life. In addition, the geographical proximity of Asia is creating new business opportunities. We believe that this style of work and vacation in Okinawa is the best way to combine tourism, work, and industry," said Yuichiro Kawamura, Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Hokkaido is also popular among tourists from Southeast Asia. The local government, Noboribetsu Toya, is trying to attract more tourists by promoting "Upopoi," a museum that allows visitors to experience its nature and Ainu culture.

The Ainu have a long history of living in Hokkaido.

"The most attractive point in this area is its rich natural beauty. This area is surrounded by mountains and oceans, hot springs, and many large lakes. Therefore, it is the place where people can experience such an extraordinary viewpoint in the city center, including activities in a such rich natural environment," Tomoko Okawa, the Foundation for Ainu Culture.

has significantly eased entry from foreign countries due to the reduction of cases.

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Roslyn grew to Category 3 force on Saturday as it headed for a collision with Mexico's Pacific coast, likely north of the resort of Puerto Vallarta.

The US National Centre said Roslyn's maximum sustained winds had increased to 120 mph (195 kph) early on Saturday, and it was expected to grow still further.

The storm was centered about 200 miles (320 kilometres) south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes the point of land jutting into the Pacific south of Puerto Vallarta and moving northwest at 7 mph (11 kph).

The forecast called for Roslyn to begin shifting to a northward movement and then northeast, putting it on path that could take it close to Cabo Corrientes and the Puerto Vallarta region on Saturday night or early Sunday before making landfall in Nayarit state on Sunday morning.

Orlene made landfall on October 3 a little farther north in roughly the same region, about 45 miles (75 kilometres) southeast of the resort of Mazatlan.

Hurricane-force winds extended out 25 miles (35 kilometers) from Roslyn's core, while tropical storm-force winds extended out to 80 miles (130 kilometres), the US hurricane centre said.

issued a hurricane warning covering a stretch of coast from Playa Perula south of Cabo Corrientes north to El Roblito and for the Islas Marias.

The National Water Commission said rains from Roslyn could cause mudslides and flooding and the US hurricane centre warned of dangerous storm surge along the coast, as well as 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rain..

Jalisco state Gov. Enrique Alfaro said on Twitter that any school activities in the region would be cancelled on Saturday and he urged people to avoid touristic activities at beaches and in mountainous areas over the weekend.

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Conservative British politician of Indian descent is quick off the mark to bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party and the British Prime Ministership having secured more than a hundred nominations - which is the minimum requirement to contest for the post.

Sunak, late Friday became the first Tory leadership contender to reach the 100-nomination threshold to run for party leader following the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss, reported Independent citing campaign sources.

Sunak, who fell to Truss in the last leadership contest, got the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the PM race. This is a key development after Liz Truss' resignation as Prime Minister on Thursday which threw the country into political turmoil and left it scrambling for a stable government, as the opposition reiterated its demand for a general election.

Former PM had also expressed his will to enter the PM race saying he is "up for it." On Friday, Penny Mordaunt, the Tory leader in the House of Commons too threw her hat in the ring. "I've been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest," Mordaunt tweeted.

After Sunak reached the 100 nomination mark Conservative MP for Bournemouth East tweeted, "The free mkt experiment is over - it's been a low point in our Party's great history. The reset begins. Time for centrist, stable, fiscally responsible Government offering credible domestic & leadership. Honoured to be the 100th Tory MP to support #Ready4Rishi."

Former Health secretary Matt Hancock also confirmed his support for Sunak. He tweeted, "I have worked incredibly closely with Boris, Rishi & Penny in Government. I admire all three. With the challenges we face today: economic crisis & the need to restore authoritative leadership, is the best person to lead our country. I'm voting Rishi & hope you do too."

Meanwhile, Tory MP Nigel Mills said it was a "mistake" for him not to back Sunak during the summer's leadership contest. Mills tweeted, "A few weeks ago I changed my mind and didn't back . I'm not making the same mistake again, he is clearly the prime minister we need to restore stability and tackle the many serious challenges facing the country."

Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out. The result will be announced on Friday, October 28.

It is pertinent to note that Truss became the shortest-serving British PM after she stepped down, stating that she recognises she "cannot deliver the mandate" on which she was elected. Truss said she would step aside for a new leader to be chosen within the next week.

"I came into office at a time of great economic and instability. Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills, Putin's illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent and our country has been held back for too long by low economic growth," she said in a statement.

"I recognize though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party," she added.

Shortly after Truss's resignation, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer issued a scathing statement that ripped into the Conservative Party and called for a general election.

"After 12 years of Tory failure, the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos. We need a general election now," he said and added that "Each one of these crises was made in Downing Street but paid for by the British public. Each one has left our country weaker and worse off."

"The British public deserves a proper say on the country's future. They must have the chance to compare the Tories' chaos with Labour's plans to sort out their mess, grow the economy for working people and rebuild the country for a fairer, greener future. We must have a chance at a fresh start. We need a general election - now," he added.

Truss stepped down a day after Indian-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman tendered her resignation, citing "technical infringement of the rules" she committed while sending official documents.

In the letter addressed to PM Truss, she also expressed concerns about the direction of the government and said key pledges made to voters have been broken.

Braverman comes less than a week after UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng was fired after serving for less than six weeks. Kwarteng was sacked after the new government's September 23 plan of massive tax cuts resulted in the plunging of British government bonds.

Earlier, Truss defeated former Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak through a postal ballot of all Conservative members. Truss secured 81,326 votes while Sunak got 60,399 votes.

Sunak had thanked supporters who backed him in the Conservative Party race and said now it was time for all of them to unite behind the new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.

The Tory leadership race was triggered after was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Sunak and Truss rose to the Conservative ranks to end up as finalists for the contest for the post of UK Prime Minister.

(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.)
Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions in the occupied and illegally annexed southern Kherson region, targeting resupply routes across a major river while inching closer to a full assault on one of the first urban areas captured after invading the country.

Russian-installed officials were reported desperately trying to turn the city of Kherson, a prime objective for both sides because of its key industries and major river and sea port, into a fortress while attempting to evacuate tens of thousands of residents.

The Kremlin poured as many as 2,000 draftees into the Kherson region one of four Moscow illegally annexed and put under Russian martial law to replenish losses and strengthen front-line units, according to the Ukrainian army's general staff.

The Dnieper River figures prominently in the regional battle because it serves critical functions crossings for supplies, troops and civilians; drinking water for southern and the annexed Crimean Peninsula; and power generation from a hydroelectric station. Much of the area, including the power station and a canal feeding water to Crimea, is under Russian control.

Kremlin-installed Kherson officials said Ukrainian shelling of a Dnieper River ferry crossing killed two journalists working for a local TV station they set up under occupation. At least two other people were reported killed and 10 members of the broadcast crew and their relatives were wounded, Russia's Tass news agency reported



Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's southern operational command, confirmed the Ukrainian military struck the Antonivskyi Bridge near the crossing but only during an overnight curfew that the Russian-installed officials had put in place to avoid civilian casualties.

We do not attack civilians and settlements," Humeniuk told Ukrainian television.

Earlier, Ukrainian strikes had made the Antonivskyi Bridge inoperable, prompting Russian authorities to set up ferry crossings and pontoon bridges to relocate civilians and transport supplies to Russian troops in Kherson, which sits on the Dnieper's western bank.

Russian-installed officials are trying to evacuate up to 60,000 people from Kherson for their safety and to allow the military to build fortifications. Ukraine's military reported Friday that bank employees, medical workers and teachers were relocating as the city's infrastructure wound down.

The situation is really difficult, the deputy head of Kherson's Kremlin-installed regional administration, Kirill Stremousov, said in a video he posted on Telegram. Today we are preparing the city of Kherson as a fortress for defence and are ready to defend to the last. Our task is to save people, build defences and protect the city.

Kherson city, with a pre-war population of about 2,84,000, was one of the first urban areas captured when it invaded Ukraine, and it remains the largest city it holds.

Another flashpoint on the Dnieper River is the Kakhovka dam, which creates a large reservoir, and associated hydroelectric power station, about 70 kms from Kherson city. Each side accuses the other of targeting the facilities. Russian-installed officials claim Ukrainian forces have been attacking the facilities in part to cut the water supply to Crimea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy contends the Russians plan to blow up the dam and power station to unleash 4.8 billion gallons of water and flood Kherson and dozens of other areas where hundreds of thousands of people live. He told the European Council on Thursday that would then blame .

None of the claims could be independently verified.

Defying law, Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Ukraine's Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions last month even though his forces don't control all the territory. Putin declared martial law in the regions as of Thursday to assert Russian authority in the face of military setbacks and strong criticism.

In the Donetsk region, two people were killed in Russian shelling of the city of Bakhmut, said Pavlo Kyrylenko, the province's Ukrainian governor. Russian troops have been unable to advance toward the city for more than a month.

In the capital of the eastern Ukraine's recently reclaimed Kharkiv region, nine people were wounded in two Russian attacks, according to Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. In the city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian S-300 missile strike on Friday wounded three people and damaged a residential building, a school and infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities said.

Each strike won't scare anyone. It will make us stronger, said Dniprovskyi District acting administrative chief Volodymyr Hrianysty.

In an apparent effort to keep hostilities from spinning out of control, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin reached out to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday for their first phone call since May 13. Defence officials have said the Russians had not responded to US efforts to set up calls.

Russia's deployment of aircraft and troops to air bases in Belarus raised the spectre of another front on Ukraine's northern border, although Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday: We're not going anywhere today ... If you do not want to fight with us, then we will not, there will be no war.

The Ukrainian army's general staff has warned that Belarus could attack to cut supply routes of Western weapons and equipment. Belarus' intervention could also divert Ukraine's resources and weaken its southern counteroffensive.

While prospects for peace appear slim, the Kremlin insisted on Friday that Putin has been open to negotiations from the very beginning and nothing has changed."



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin's war has backfired.

(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.)
Ukrainian forces pressing an offensive in the south have zeroed in on Kherson, a provincial capital that has been under Russian control since the early days of the invasion.

The possible fall of the city would deal another humiliation to Moscow after a string of battlefield defeats and other setbacks, further cornering Russian President Vladimir Putin and setting the stage for a potential escalation of the nearly 8-month-old war.

A look at the military and political importance of Kherson:



WHY IS THE CITY SUCH A PRIZE?



Kherson, which had a prewar population of 280,000, is the only regional capital to be captured by Russian forces. The city and surrounding areas fell into Moscow's hands in the opening days of the conflict as Russian troops quickly pushed their attack north from Crimea the region illegally annexed by the Kremlin in 2014.

Its loss was a major blow to because of its location on the Dnieper River, near the mouth of the Black Sea, and its role as a major industrial center. Ukrainian resistance fighters have challenged Russian troops for control of the city ever since, with acts of sabotage and assassinations of Moscow-appointed officials.

Kherson also sits at a point where can cut off fresh water from the Dnieper to Crimea. Kyiv blocked those vital supplies after the Crimean Peninsula's annexation, and Putin mentioned the need to restore them as one reason behind his decision to invade.

During the summer, Ukrainian troops launched relentless attacks to reclaim parts of the province, also called Kherson and one of four regions that Russia illegally annexed after sham referendums last month. has used U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket launchers to repeatedly hit a key bridge on the Dnieper in Kherson and a large dam upstream also used as a crossing point. The strikes have forced Russia to rely on pontoons and ferries, also targeted by Ukraine.

This disrupts supply links to Kherson and the group of Russian forces on the west bank of the Dnieper and makes them vulnerable to encirclement. The shortages were exacerbated after an Oct. 8 truck bomb blew up part of the strategic Kerch Bridge linking Russia's mainland to Crimea, which has served as a major supply hub for the Russian forces in the south.

WHAT HAS BEEN RUSSIA'S RESPONSE?



Putin blamed the Kerch Bridge attack on Ukraine's military intelligence and responded by ordering a bombardment of energy infrastructure across Ukraine.

He also declared martial law in Kherson and the three other annexed regions in a bid to cement Moscow's grip.

But as Ukrainian forces stubbornly pressed its offensive to the southwest alongside the Dnieper, Russian troops have found it increasingly difficult to stem their advance.

Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the newly appointed Russian commander in Ukraine, appeared to set the stage for a possible withdrawal from Kherson, acknowledging the situation in the region was quite difficult for Moscow and noting that the combat situation there was still evolving.

Russian authorities, who initially dismissed talk of evacuating the city, sharply changed course this week, warning that Kherson could come under massive Ukrainian shelling and encouraging residents to leave but only to Russian-held areas. Officials said 15,000 of an expected 60,000 had been relocated by Thursday. Officials of the Moscow-appointed regional administration also pulled back, along with other civil servants.

Moscow has warned that Ukraine might try to attack the dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant about 50 kilometers (30 miles) upstream and flood broad areas, including the city of Kherson. Ukraine denies that and, in turn, accused Russia of planning to blow it up to cause catastrophic flooding before its retreat.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alleged the dam already was mined by Russia and urged world leaders to make clear to the Kremlin that blowing it up would mean exactly the same as the use of weapons of mass destruction.

WHAT WOULD LOSING KHERSON MEAN FOR RUSSIA?



A retreat from Kherson and other areas on the Dnieper's west bank would shatter Russian hopes to press an offensive west to Mykolaiv and Odesa to cut off Ukraine's access to the Black Sea. Such a move would deal a devastating blow to its economy. It would also allow Moscow to build a land corridor to the separatist Transnistria region of Moldova, home to a major Russian military base.

The loss of Kherson will turn all those southern dreams by the Kremlin into dust, said Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov. Kherson is a key to the entire southern region, which would allow Ukraine to target key supply routes for the Russian forces. Russians will try to retain control of it using all means."



For Ukraine, capturing Kherson would set the stage for reclaiming the Russia-held part of the Zaporizhzhia region and other areas in the south, and eventually pushing back into Crimea.

Ukraine just needs to wait until Kherson falls into its hands like a ripe apple, because the situation with supplies for the Russian group of forces keeps exacerbating by the day, Zhdanov said.

Ukraine hopes to quickly double the number of U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket launchers that could strike targets 80 kilometers (50 miles) away with a deadly precision, he said.

Reclaiming control of Kherson would also mean Kyiv could again cut off water to Crimea.

After the deoccupation of Kherson, the Russians will again have problems with fresh water in Crimea, Zhdanov added.

He said Putin could up the ante if faced with losing Kherson.

The Russians would be ready to wipe Kherson off the face of the Earth rather than give it to Ukraine, Zhdanov said.

Destroying the dam to cause massive flooding in the mostly flat area would be one way for Moscow to do that.

The Russians want to show that a Ukrainian counteroffensive will face a tough response by the Kremlin that declared the region as part of Russia, and it's scary to even think what that response could be, Zhdanov added.

Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta Center independent think tank, noted that capturing all the Kherson region and other southern areas would be a prize for Russia and their loss would have painful consequences for Putin at home and abroad.

If the Russians leave Kherson, the Kremlin will face another wave of fierce criticism of the military command and the authorities in general from ultra-patriotic circles, Fesenko said, adding that the fall of the city would further demoralize the armed forces and possibly fuel opposition to the mobilization effort.

He also said China and India. which are carefully watching Russia's action in Ukraine, will see the fall of Kherson as a sign of Kremlin weakness.

Putin will face reputational losses not only inside the country, but also in the eyes of China, and that could be particularly dangerous for the Kremlin, Fesenko 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.)
or BoB-backed has filed its draft red herring prospectus with the regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for an initial public offering (IPO) this year, which will consist of a fresh issue of Rs 500 crore and an offer for sale of 141.2 million shares.

IndiaFirst Life is the third insurer after and Go Digit Insurance to file draft papers for an IPO with the regulator this year.

Promoters (BoB) and Carmel Point Investments Pvt Ltd will sell 89 million shares and 39.22 million shares, respectively, in the offer for sale. will sell 13.05 million shares in the share sale process.

The insurer will use the proceeds from the fresh issue to augment its capital base to support solvency levels. Further, the proceeds from the fresh Issue will also be used towards meeting the expenses in relation to the Offer.

BoB has a 65 per cent stake in the life insurer and has a 9 per cent stake. Carmel Point Investments India Private Limited, a body incorporated under the laws of Mauritius and owned by private equity funds managed by Warburg Pincus LLC, New York, United States, owns the remaining 26 per cent.

The company reported a net loss of Rs 41 crore in Q1FY23 and Rs 281.6 crore in FY22. However, it had earned a profit of Rs 30.89 crore in FY21.

In Q1FY23, the insurer earned a new business premium of Rs 501 crore and renewal premium of Rs 406.92 crore. Its assets under management (AUM) was to the tune of Rs 18,637 crore. It maintained a solvency ratio of 166 per cent, as against the regulatory requirement of 150 per cent.

ICICI Securities, BNP Paribas, HSBC Securities, JM Financial, among others, are said to be the book runners for this share sale transaction of the company.

IndiaFirst will be the fourth private sector life insurer to get listed on the bourses and overall, the fifth life insurer to go for an IPO. The other four are ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, SBI Life Insurance, HDFC Life Insurance, and of India.

Four other insurers in the general insurance space are also listed on the bourses -- namely ICICI Lombard General Insurance, New India Assurance, General Insurance Corporation, and Star Health & Allied Insurance.
IDBI Bank gained 2.49% to Rs 37.05 after the company reported 46% jump in net profit to Rs 828.09 crore on 18.2% rise in total income to Rs 6,065.51 crore in Q2 FY23 over Q2 FY22.

Net Interest Income soared 48% to Rs 2,738 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 1,854 crore in Q2 FY22. Net Interest Margin (NIM) stood at 4.37% in Q2 FY23 as compared to 3.02% for Q2 FY22.

Cost of Funds reduced by 16 bps to 3.72% for Q2 FY23 as compared to 3.88% for Q2 FY22.

Operating profit grew 64% to Rs 2,208 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 1,346 crore in Q2 FY22.

Provisions & Contingencies increased by 34.9% YoY to Rs 770.72 crore in the second quarter.

Profit before tax in Q2 FY23 stood at Rs 1,436.96 crore, rising 85.53% from Rs 774.53 crore recorded in Q2 FY22.

CASA deposits increased to Rs 1,29,407 crore as on 30 September 2022 as against Rs 1,21,995 as on 30 September 2021. CASA ratio improved to 56.19% as on 30 September 2022 as against 54.63% as on 30 September 2021.

Gross NPAs aggregated to Rs 28,722.24 crore as on 30 September 2022 as against Rs 34,407.79 crore as on 30 September 2021 and Rs 33,908.32 crore as on 30 June 2022.

Gross NPA ratio improved to 16.51% as on 30 Septmeber 2022 as against 21.85% as on 30 September 2021 and 19.90% as on 30 June 2022.

Net NPA ratio improved to 1.15% as on 30 September 2022 as against 1.71% as on 30 September 2021 and 1.25% as on 30 June 2022.

Provision Coverage Ratio (including technical write-offs) improved to 97.86% as on 30 September 2022 from 97.27% as on 30 September 2021.

Deposits increased by 3% YoY to Rs 2,30,310 crore while gross advances rose by 10.44% YoY to Rs 1,73,948 crore as on 30 September 2022.

Tier-1 improved to 17.05% as on 30 September 2022 as against 14% as on 30 September 2021. CRAR improved to 19.48% as on 30 September 2022 as against 16.59% as on 30 September 2021.

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. The Government of India held 45.48% stake while the Life Insurance Corporation of India held 49.24% stake in the bank as on 30 September 2022.

The scrip shed 1.45% to end at Rs 44.30 on the BSE on Friday.

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Sales rise 37.26% to Rs 230055.00 crore

Net profit of Reliance Industries declined 0.18% to Rs 13656.00 crore in the quarter ended September 2022 as against Rs 13680.00 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2021. Sales rose 37.26% to Rs 230055.00 crore in the quarter ended September 2022 as against Rs 167611.00 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2021.230055.00167611.0013.5415.5230109.0026464.0020379.0019234.0013656.0013680.00

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister and leader on Saturday exuded confidence that his party will again form government in as people have seen the working of the "double-engine" government.

The "double-engine" phrase is used by leaders to emphasise that development will be expedited if the same party is at the helm in states and the Centre.

Voting for the Assembly elections will take place on November 12 and the counting will be held on December 8.

Speaking to reporters, Thakur said the will again form the government in .

"Results will be in favour of the BJP because people have seen the working of the BJP and the double-engine government. We will get the benefit of the leadership which Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave in the country and (Chief Minister) Jai Ram Thakur at the state level," he added.

He said the BJP will also retain power in Gujarat.

Earlier also, the BJP had retained power in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, he said.

Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party, Thakur said the Kejriwal-led outfit will not be able to open an account in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

Thakur also slammed the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP over deteriorating law and order in Punjab.

Asked about the ongoing row between the Punjab governor and the AAP government over the appointment of the vice chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, Thakur said he will not make a comment on it.

But at the same time, Thakur accused AAP of setting new standards in corruption as the Union minister targeted the Kejriwal-led party in Delhi and Punjab.

"Kejriwal came to power in Delhi and his party here. New standards of corruption have been set. Their two health ministers in Delhi and Punjab faced corruption charges. The education minister (in Delhi) is the main accused of liquor scam," he alleged.

Targeting the AAP government in Punjab over law and order, Thakur said since the party came to power in the state, over 50 people have been killed.

"It clearly shows deteriorating law and order in the state," he alleged.

To a question on the restoration of the old pension scheme in Punjab, Thakur said, "You know the (financial) situation of Punjab better than me where the salary gets delayed by 10 days."



The Punjab cabinet on Friday had approved to restore the old pension scheme for its employees, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann terming it as a Diwali gift for lakhs of employees.

(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 paper, it looks like an overdue transfer of power. Indias principal opposition party, after an internal election contest between two members of Parliament, has elected a new president; and, for the first time in over two decades, the party will not be led by a member of the Gandhi family. The new president may not be the most inspiring of figures  is 80 years old and has had a largely forgettable tenure as leader of the opposition in both houses of  but at least nobody can argue he is inexperienced.

Critics have been clamoring for such a shift for years, arguing that only fresh leadership could rejuvenate the storied Indian party and, with it, the liberal and secular opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modis . The sad reality, however, is that this change at the top likely wont improve the Congresss prospects  and its not clear anything can.

Like so much about the party, the apparent transfer of power is all good intentions and very little substance. Kharge was seen as the favorite of the outgoing president, Sonia Gandhi, and her son Rahul. He thus won almost eight times as many votes as his competitor, the former UN bureaucrat and writer .

That doesnt mean the Gandhis werent sincere about wanting to inject fresh blood into the party leadership. Internal elections have been an obsession of Rahuls for years. As leader of the youth Congress a decade ago, he insisted on US-style primaries for leadership positions. But then, as now, the party rank and file supported the candidates who appeared closest to the powers that be.

In any case, nobody expects the elderly new president to knock the Gandhi heir off the front pages. The presidential election has been eclipsed by news about the younger Gandhis ongoing march across the length of India. Our has a long tradition of yatras, or journeys  sometimes by rail, the way Mohandas K. Mahatma Gandhi did it, sometimes by bus, and often on foot, as Rahul intends. These yatras always have some noble end in mind; the younger Gandhi says he wants to help knit a divided country together again.

Whatever the purpose, theres limited space in Indias government-friendly press for news about the in the first place and the march at least has yielded a few Instagrammable moments, especially of Rahul addressing an enthusiastic crowd in the pouring rain.

But the real problem lies elsewhere. You cant expect internal elections to rejuvenate a party when the candidates mostly agree on real policy. The is not going to discover a new narrative through bland popularity contests where the stakes are patronage and not policies.

It's time to admit the Congresss problem is not, in fact, the Gandhis. If anything, they hold together a party that would otherwise split into multiple factions  as, indeed, the Congress did in the 1990s, after Rahuls father was assassinated and before his mother picked up the partys pieces.

The bigger issue is that nobody in India wants to buy what Rahul and others in the party are so earnestly selling: a return to the muddled moderation of the past. The partys backroom deals and clumsy attempts at social inclusion have no place in an India enamored of larger-than-life leaders such as Modi.

Rahul Gandhi once described the Congress as Indias default operating system. That role has now been usurped by Modis BJP. Indias only real opposition lies in the states. Modis main challengers are populist regional leaders such as Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or maverick middle-class messiahs such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Indeed, it is noteworthy that one of the Congress most popular mass leaders, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, flatly refused to run for the partys presidency even when the Gandhis tried to push him into it. The BJPs overwhelming one India narrative leaves no space in the imagination for any alternative centralizing force. The smartest politicians in the opposition know that.

As Kharge will soon discover, the presidency of a national party in the Modi era is a poisoned chalice. To paraphrase Julius Caesar, any politician in India today would rather be first in their state than second in New Delhi.
No fines will be collected from from traffic rules violators till October 27 in view of festivities, the government has announced.

The decision was taken so that people's " is not spoiled," said Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi.

The announcement, however, evoked a sharp response from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief who termed it a "Revdi" (freebie) from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been vocal against the culture of offering freebies to woo voters.

Assembly polls in are expected to be announced soon.

"From October 21 to 27, traffic police in will not collect any fine from people. If anyone is caught without a helmet or driving licence or found violating any other traffic rule during this period, our police will give them a flower," said Sanghavi in Surat on Friday.

The decision was taken to give relief to people during and it was being done under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, he said.

In a tweet on Saturday, AIMIM chief Owaisi said, "In 2021, Gujarat saw 15,200 road traffic accidents in which 7,457 people lost their lives. This 'revdi' bonanza by BJP Gujarat govt is putting people's lives at risk."



Sanghavi hit back on Saturday without naming anyone, saying those who doing over the issue will get a befitting reply from middle-class citizens (during polls).

"Middle-class citizens go out during Diwali to do shopping with their family with whatever they have saved during the year. Many also go out on their two-wheelers with their aged parents. People many times forget to wear helmets or carry a driving license. Instead of collecting fine, we will give them a flower to make them realise their mistake," the minister said in Surat.

The intention was to ensure that people's "Diwali does not get spoiled" due to traffic fines, he said.

"On the other hand, we do not consider racing by bikers on roads a mistake. This is an intentional crime. Gujarat police very well knows the difference between unintentional mistake and crime. Surat police have caught many such bikers in the last few days. So no one needs to teach us anything on that," Sanghavi asserted.

Govatsa Dwadashi, celebrated on Friday, marked the beginning of the Diwali festival this year. Laxmi Pujan, the main day of the festival of lights, will be celebrated on October 24.

Meanwhile, at a function in Science City in Ahmedabad on Friday, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated or performed ground breaking for 16,359 projects and works worth Rs 3,338 crore.

(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.)
Three union ministers -- Piyush Goyal, Narayan Rane and Ramdas Athawale presented appointment letters to various Central government at separate functions held in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur respectively, on Saturday.

The functions came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi kick-started the recruitment drive for 10 lakh people in the next one year with the induction of 75,000 youth on the eve of Diwali.

The are being given directly by 38 separate Central ministries/departments, or vide UPSC, Railway Recruitment Board and State Service Commissioners, with a simplified tech-enabled, speedy recruitment process.

Goyal, Rane and Athawale handed over the recruitment letters to hundreds of selected candidates in the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Indian Posts, Indian Railways, Armed Forces Medical College, CISF, RCF, MDL, ITD, CBIC, ESIC, several public sector, regional and rural banks, IIT-Bombay, BSF and other organisations.

The three Central ministers urged the new recruits to work with dedication in their new assignments to ensure fulfilling the PM's dream of a developed India in the next 25 years.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena (UBT) slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government's decision to "wake up after eight-and-half years" with an eye on the ensuing states elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe said that the government is making big hue and cry over the 'job jamborees' held on Saturday when the fact is that the recruitment examinations and process for most of these posts were completed over two years ago but the candidates were not hired for making political gains later.

NCP's Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said that compared with the 2-crore promised by Modi when he took power, what is actually being offered after over 8 years is a pittance, that too with political motives.

Terming it as "another big hoax and hogwash", SS (UBT)'s Spokesperson Kishore Tiwari said for giving just 75K appointment letters, Modi has taken eight-and-half years, that too before the elections in Gujarat, Haryana and other states.

"Where are vacancies in the State and Central government with automations or outsourcing or selling off valuable public sector assets? The PM's assurance of 2 crore jobs every year for his tenure of 10 years comes to 20 crore jobs. It will take a century to fulfil his promise at the current speed. The government is fooling the masses before the state and Lok Sabha polls," Tiwari added.

Londhe said that over 22-crore youth have registered for employment on the government's Shram portal of which only 700,000 have got jobs, while the CMIE has said more than 45 crore people have given up hopes for any job opportunities.

The Congress leader also targeted Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' statement promising to create 72,000 jobs in the state, and said the (state) government is not capable of even giving 72 jobs.

Today's 'Rozgar Mela' saw the participation of union and state ministers, elected leaders and other officials in different parts of India.

--IANS

qn/pgh

(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.)
Union Home Minister on Saturday held a meeting with leaders and workers of Gujarat zone to review preparations for the upcoming state Assembly elections, dates of which are yet to be announced.

State president and Lok Sabha MP CR Paatil and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel were also present in the meeting.

Party leaders from seven districts of Gujarat, including ministers, MLAs, Surat mayor, district panchayat presidents and office-bearers were present in the meeting held at Saurashtra Kadva Patidar Samaj Hall near Valsad city's Dharampur Chokdi.

Talking to reporters, Shah said preparations for the Assembly election for seats in Gujarat zone were complete, right from micro-planning to election and booth management and victory processions.

The senior leader is touring the state to review the party's election preparations at zone level.

Shah started with south Gujarat, and will meet leaders of the central zone in Vadodara on Sunday.

Paatil and the chief minister will also be present in the meeting tomorrow, as per details of the event shared by the BJP.

The Election Commission had on October 14 said that the Himachal Pradesh elections will be held on November 12 and counting of votes will take place on December 8.

The poll body, however, did not announce the election schedule for Gujarat, citing past precedent.

In 2017, the polls in the two states were announced on different dates, but the counting took place on the same day on December 18.

(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.)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 22 (ANI/NewsVoir): With India celebrating the first festivities after returning to full normalcy, businesses across industries are seeing a big boom.

To help businesses take advantage of this prosperous season, Razorpay, India's Leading Payments and Banking Platform for Businesses, launched its Festive Report to help businesses understand the consumer trends.

Rahul Kothari, Chief Business Officer at Razorpay said, "The increasing disposable incomes among consumers and the higher propensity to make high-ticket purchases has made Diwali one of the most prosperous seasons for all online merchants. While all merchants continue to vye for the highest mindshare among consumers, the merchants who understand consumer trends tend to sell significantly more. Being a business that always focuses on helping other businesses reach a super-scale stage, we thought it would be beneficial for the entire business community to understand the historic trends that we have seen and help them achieve more with less."

This report is an analysis of all transactions that were conducted on the Razorpay platform during the festive season in 2021. It provides a detailed view on consumer shopping trends.

The three weeks before Diwali is the most prosperous for businesses with businesses experiencing a 37% jump in orders as compared to the week of Diwali (week of 24th October)

Business revenue also spikes a week before the Diwali week. Businesses experience a 43% increase revenue in contrast to the week of Diwali

High ticket value transactions saw a significant increase during the festive season. Gold and Jewelry sees the highest growth in purchases during Diwali, increasing by a whopping 595% as compared to the non-festive season

With busy mornings and celebratory evenings, most of the shopping took place in the afternoon. 12PM - 5PM is the crowd favorite to indulge in a shopping spree with customers spending 2x the hourly average spend during this period

Razorpay, a full-stack financial services company helps Indian businesses with comprehensive and innovative solutions built over robust technology to address the entire length and breadth of the payment and banking journey for any business. Established in 2014, the company provides technology payment solutions to over 8Mn businesses.

Founded by alumni of IIT Roorkee, Shashank Kumar and Harshil Mathur, Razorpay is the second Indian company to be a part of Silicon Valley's largest tech accelerator, Y Combinator. Marquee investors such as Lone Pine Capital, Alkeon Capital, TCV, GIC, Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital India, Ribbit Capital, Matrix Partners, Salesforce Ventures, Y Combinator and MasterCard have invested a total of USD 741.5 Mn through Series A, B, C, D, E & F funding. A few angel investors have also invested in Razorpay's mission to simplify payments and banking and redefine how finance works in India.

This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Russia struggles to make up for gap left by Europe in Natural Gas Exports AA Images

While Russia's natural gas exports via pipelines fall 40%, its market share in Europe shrinks to 9%

MOSCOW (AA) - As Russia significantly loses Europe as its top market in natural gas exports, the country needs international partners and billions of dollars of investment to direct its shipments to Asian markets.

According to the information compiled by Anadolu Agency from various institutions, Russia, one of the world's largest natural gas exporters, sold a total of 202 billion cubic meters of natural gas through pipelines to overseas last year.

Some 83% of Russian gas exports were shipped to Europe and Turkiye, 13% was sent to the Commonwealth of Independent States, and 4% to China in 2021.

Russia's market share in Europe's natural gas imports was around 40% last year.

After the onset of the Russian war on Ukraine, the gas shipment to Europe fell significantly.

Russia's Gazprom shut the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which supplies gas to Europe, at the end of August, citing maintenance work, and the Nord Stream 2 line, the construction of which was completed, was not put into use due to the war.

Gas deliveries via the pipelines crossing the Baltic Sea were suspended due to Sept. 26 explosions and leaks.

On May 10, gas shipments dropped to 96 million cubic meters after Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov confirmed that Ukraine said it would stop purchasing Russian gas from the Sokhranivka entry point.

A day after the statement from Gazprom, the volume of natural gas sent to Europe via Ukraine decreased 25% to 72 million cubic meters.

On May 12, Gazprom announced it would no longer use the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which carries natural gas to Europe.

The Yamal-Europe pipeline is known as one of the most important lines for the transmission of Russian gas to Europe, along with the Nord Stream pipeline and pipelines in Ukraine.

With those developments, the shipment of Gazprom gas via Ukraine dropped to 49.3 million cubic meters on May 17, representing a 50% decline compared to a week earlier.

On Sept. 9, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU had supplied 40% of its natural gas from Russia before the war in Ukraine broke out and that it fell to 9% recently.

Gazprom's gas exports dropped 40.4% year-on-year to 86.9 billion cubic meters in the first nine months of 2022.

- Russia's main target market China

Russia plans to compensate Europe with natural gas shipments to the Asian market, especially to China.

On April 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to prepare for turning supplies of energy resources to the East amid the West's plan to stop buying them.

Russia's only export pipeline to Asia, which is heavily dependent on Europe for natural gas exports, "Power of Siberia," has not reached full capacity yet.

While it is planned to deliver 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to China through this pipeline once it reaches full capacity, this volume corresponds to only 25% of the annual average of 150 billion cubic meters of gas sent to Europe before the war.

The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline is expected to be operational by 2030.

- Strategic importance of LNG growing

Liquefied natural gas exports are of strategic importance for Russia, which has lost a significant amount of its gas export market via its pipelines in Europe.

According to Russia's Federal Service for State Statistics, the country's LNG production jumped 13.5% on an annual basis to 21.6 million tons in the first eight months of this year, while it surged 59% year-on-year to 2.4 million tons in August.

Sakhalin-2 in the east of the country and Yamal LNG facilities in the northeast of Siberia stand out as Russia's most important LNG production hubs.

While 10.4 million tons of LNG was produced at Sakhalin-2 last year, the figure was 20 million tons at Yamal LNG.

According to a plan approved by the Russian government in March 2021, LNG production is aimed at 120-140 million tons per year by 2035, with a global market share of 15% to 20%.

Before the start of war, the main partners of Sakhalin-2 were Gazprom with 50% share, Shell with 27.5%, Mitsui with 12.5%, and Mitsubishi with 10%. Shell, however, announced in September that it would withdraw from the project.

While the partnership structure in Yamal LNG was 50.1% Novatek, 20% TotalEnergies, 20% CNPC, and 9.9% Silk Road Fund, TotalEnergies announced that they would no longer be involved in joint projects with Russia.

On the other hand, Baker Hughes, the US energy field service company, which plays an important role in the development of LNG projects in Russia, also decided to stop the equipment shipments to Russia.

Economists in Russia agree that the Russian LNG industry was heavily dependent on equipment from Western companies before the sanctions, and it is unlikely that the state will make rapid progress in this area without allocating large resources.

The last alternative that Russia put forward to export its natural gas to foreign markets was to establish a natural gas center in Turkiye.

A natural gas hub can be established in Turkiye for gas coming from Russia to Europe, Putin said last week.

Emre Gurkan Abay/AA
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu AFP

Sergey Shoygu, Lloyd Austin also address situation in Ukraine amid ongoing war

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke over the phone on Friday.

The two defense chiefs discussed issues of international security, including the situation in Ukraine amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"On October 21, 2022, telephone conversations were held between the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergey Shoygu, and the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America, Lloyd Austin. Topical issues of international security, including the situation in Ukraine, were discussed," the statement said.

Elena Teslova/AA
The activists of AIMSS and AIDSO staging protest opposite the Office of the Director of School Education, Saifabad demanding stern action against the accused in the rape of 4 year old child at a private school in Banjara Hill. (P.Surendra/DC)

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad has the dubious distinction of being the metropolitan city with the third highest number of cases related to the crime against children being closed by the police, even without taking the accused to court.

Among the 19 metropolitan cities in the country with more than 20 lakh population that have been assessed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Hyderabad police had closed 89 cases due to insufficient evidence or without any clues. This is an alarming 14.7 per cent of the total 607 cases closed in 2021, according to NCRBs Crime in India -2021 report.

Delhi topped the list with 983 cases, followed by Lucknow 424 cases.

In 2021 overall, Telangana police disposed of 5,817 cases, of which 184 cases were disposed of though true but insufficient evidence or untraced or no clue. Police dropped 207 cases during the investigation process. Although 417 cases were closed, they turned out to be false cases during investigations while 595 cases were closed because of factual mistakes of fact or law or a civil dispute during investigation.

A total of 5,667 cases of crime against children were reported in Telangana in the year under review. While police filed charge sheets in 75.9 per cent of the cases, 2,787 cases of crime against children were pending by 2021-end. Telanganas pendency is at 32.4 per cent as against the national average of 33.4 per cent.
Many of the very earliest films to use stop-motion dealt in horror imagery, like J. Stuart Blacktons The Haunted Hotel (1907) and Wallace McCutcheons The Sculptors Nightmare (1908). You can see supernatural beings set the table in these excerpts from Segundo de Chomons trick film The House of Ghosts (1907).

Polish-Russian artist Ladislas Starevich, a pioneer of puppet animation, began his career animating dead insects. By the time of his terrifying masterpiece The Mascot (1933), he was crafting intricate puppets made of chamois leather, using tweezers to adjust their expressions. This deranged stop-motion epic features Satan himself inviting a twisted array of bizarre creatures to the Devils Ball.

Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parkers Night on Bald Mountain (1933), a forerunner of the Bald Mountain sequence in Fantasia, was created using an invention called the pinscreen. Alexeieff and Parkers device allowed movement through the manipulation of thousands of small pins that could be pushed in and out of a grid to create forms (like the later Pin Art toys). The amount of detail they were able to achieve is stunning, and while this isnt technically stop motion, its too good not to include here.

George Pal, another workaholic madman, used a process in his cartoons called replacement animation, where he and his team would create different individually carved wooden puppets for each frame of animation to allow for greater flexibility of movement. A typical seven-minute Puppetoon required 9,000 carved puppets. The haunted house Puppetoon Jasper in a Jam (1946) contains dated stereotypes, but also features fantastic visual imagination and a swinging jazz soundtrack by Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra.

Czech animator Jiri Trnka, sometimes called the Walt Disney of Eastern Europe, directed numerous classics, but one of his lesser seen efforts is the wordless short The Devils Mill (1949). In the film, an organ grinder meets a demon while lodging in a creepy old house. Great use of sound here.

Ray Harryhausen, famed for his stop-motion effects in live-action fantasy films, has inspired countless animators with his lifelike monsters and skeletons. As Henry Selick himself said, I was four or five years old and my mother took me to a Ray Harryhausen film, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958). He is the master of stop-motion.

Bruce Bickford created some of the finest clay animation ever done for Baby Snakes (1979), a filmed version of Frank Zappas Halloween concert at New York Citys Palladium Theater. Bickfords hallucinatory transformations are unbelievably mesmerizing and disturbing. Frank Zappa described Bickford as a person who animates lumps of clay and makes them do things you wont believe.

Russian animator Nikolay Serebryakov directed the odd short Separated (1980), about a brother and sister who are pulled apart by rich oligarchs named The Three Fat Men. The discordant music and off-kilter visuals in this ghostly scene are bone-chilling.

Stop-motion legend Will Vinton, who invented and trademarked the term Claymation, directed the little-seen stop-motion feature The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985). This G-rated movie contains what must be one of the most horrific scenes in any animated feature.

Vintons studio also produced the Emmy-winning Halloween special Claymation Comedy of Horrors (1991), directed by Barry Bruce. This goofy burst of ghoulish humor is full to bursting with deliciously bouncy squash-and-stretch goodness. In 2005, Will Vintons studio was rebranded Laika, and theyve continued to produce creepy films like Coraline and ParaNorman.

Some of the greatest and most creative stop-motion ever made comes from Czechoslovakia. The dark tone and German Expressionist set design of Jiri Bartas jaw-dropping stop-motion feature The Pied Piper (1986) anticipates Tim Burton movies like The Corpse Bride.

Another giant of Czech animation is Jan Svankmajer, a surrealist genius and acknowledged influence on Henry Selick, Terry Gilliam, and Guillermo del Toro. His movie Alice (1988), the strangest of all adaptations of the Lewis Carroll story, is populated by skeletons and dead-eyed dolls. Every shot in a Svankmajer film is overflowing with visual inventiveness.

Some of the most haunting stop-motion films come from the Brothers Quay, two guys from Pennsylvania whose work looks like it was created on a different planet. Their acclaimed short Street of Crocodiles (1986) is a truly eerie experience. Its unsettling and hypnotic, full of loaded metaphorical imagery thats difficult to decipher.

The 1980s series The Trap Door, created by Terry Brain and Charlie Mills, takes a more lighthearted, comical spin on haunted house tropes. Theres a fun balance of creepy monsters and dry British humor here.

The Oscar-nominated short The Sandman (1991) was directed by Paul Berry, a supervising animator on James and the Giant Peach and Monkeybone. This nightmarish film boasts gorgeously stylized sets and a sinister conclusion that I will not spoil here.

Aardman  the studio behind Wallace & Gromit  tends to be a cheerier alternative to the darker worlds created by Burton and Selick, but theyve delved into gallows humor a time or two. Not Without My Handbag (1993), directed by Boris Kossmehl, tells the story of a woman who is dragged to Hell for not keeping up with her washing machine payments.

Henry Selicks frequent collaborator Tim Burton directed his first stop-motion film while working as an animator at Disney. Vincent (1982) was made as a tribute to horror movie icon Vincent Price, one of Burtons childhood heroes, and Price agreed to narrate the film for the young unknown. The films macabre humor, spindly character designs, and gothic visual sensibility have remained essential elements of Burtons characteristic style.

Before The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, and Coraline, Henry Selick worked as an animator at Disney and directed bumpers for MTV. He also created a pilot for a potential tv series called Slow Bob in the Lower Dimensions (1991), in which an attic-dwelling weirdo with a deformed back and conjoined twin sisters is sent to an alternate dimension by talking lizards (just your average sitcom, in other words). Its hard to imagine anything this fascinatingly weird getting picked up as a tv series, but its certainly a visual feast, full of distinctive hand-crafted personality. As Henry Selick once said in an interview, Stop-motion is sort of twitchy; you can feel the life in it. If we were to remove that completely, thered be no point in it.

Happy Halloween, everybody! Dont eat too much candy. Instead, watch this amazing stop-motion Trolli ad by Becky & Joe from Blinkink. Enjoy!
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HYDERABAD: Heterologous booster shots have gained significance in light of the waning effect of vaccine doses, especially against different variants of the Covid-19 virus. Earlier, countries were administering homologous booster shots. However, a heterologous booster was cleared by several countries, including the US, UK, Israel, etc., for emergency use as it showed increased immunity levels and was more effective compared to homologous shots.

A study by Lancet on the effectiveness of heterologous and homologous boosters showed that the heterologous booster offers higher protection than the homologous booster. There is an increase in the immune response to the administration of heterologous booster shots on two counts  first cellular immunity and second, neutralizing antibodies.

Recently, the Indian government approved the emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine CORBEVAX as a heterologous booster shot for all adults, making it the first such vaccine in India. Biological Es CORBEVAX is safer and induces better neutralization antibodies against different variants of COVID-19 as a heterologous booster shot.

It can be administered as a booster shot six months after two doses of Covaxin or Covishield for all adults. Administering the CORBEVAX vaccine as a heterologous booster dose provides significant enhancement in immune response and excellent safety profile in people who have already taken two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin.

BE had undertaken a multi-centre Phase III placebo-controlled heterologous booster clinical trial among fully vaccinated 416 subjects aged 18 to 80 years. The CORBEVAX heterologous booster achieved a 5.5 to 6.7 fold (geometric mean fold rise) rise in neutralizing antibody titres. Subjects tested for neutralizing antibodies against Omicron also showcased a significant increase in antibody titres after receiving CORBEVAX as a heterologous booster shot. About 75 to 91% of these subjects showed neutralizing antibodies against Omicron Variant. The trial concluded that the CORBEVAX booster dose is safe and well tolerated, with no serious or grade 3 adverse events or adverse events of special interest during the three months of the follow-up period.

Dr. M. Raja Rao , Medical Superintendent of Gandhi Hospital, said that introducing heterologous booster shots was a step toward a much more scientific and time-sensitive vaccine policy

Heterologous booster is a preferred choice for booster dose because it offers effectiveness against variants (Delta and Omicron), and improves cellular immune response (significant Th1 skew response), he added.
With renovations complete and the doors officially open, locally-owned SimplyBanks first full-service branch in Bradley County is set to celebrate its grand opening on Friday, Oct. 28, from 4-5 p.m. A ribbon cutting will take place at 5 p.m.



Led by longtime local banker and Lee University alumni Pete Brummett, SimplyBanks new

Cleveland branch at 1432 25th St. NW represents the fulfillment of a longtime mission to bring

SimplyBanks full product and service lineup to the city, officials said.



Based in neighboring Rhea County, SimplyBank has for decades served Cleveland and Bradley

County, and in Nov. 2020 opened its first brick-and-mortar location in the community when it

launched a loan production office on North Lee Highway.



All services previously housed at the North Lee Highway office are now based at the full-service

location at 25th Street.



John Owen, CEO at SimplyBank, said the successful launch of a full-service location in Cleveland is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for both parties.



Cleveland is the kind of community we love to serve as a locally-owned community bank, he said.

The business scene is dynamic and growing, and the lifestyle offerings attract talent and families.



The community has done a tremendous job setting itself up for success, and we believe our

entrepreneurial brand of community banking will help families and businesses in Bradley County

continue to prosper for a long time, Mr. Owen said.



Mr. Brummett, who leads a team of five at the new branch, joined SimplyBank in 2021 to help launch and then lead the new Cleveland location.



The opportunity to build on a rich history of service with SimplyBank was exciting on its own, but to

also be part of the first ever full-service branch here is special, Mr. Brummett said. Our Cleveland team is ready to provide the exceptional service SimplyBank is known for. Were here to help our friends, family and neighbors in Cleveland and Bradley County get more out of life and spend less time in a bank lobby.

Prior to the beginning of the grand opening, temporary parking and traffic blockages will go into

effect at the location, but the office will be open for business from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drive-thru

accessibility will be limited beginning at 1 p.m.

SimplyBank Cleveland is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding federal and bank holidays.
Rheubin Taylors termination by Mayor Wamp is deserved. In fact, his termination should have come immediately following the revelation that his office destroyed records requested in an open records request. I dont care how long he has served in this position, open defiance of the open records laws in the state of Tennessee should not merit an extension of a contract, especially when his contact led to a new state law to explicitly prohibit the behavior that he exhibited. He should have immediately been terminated with cause. The action of the Commission to support the continued presence of Mr Taylor as County Attorney is misguided and wrong.



Mayor Wamp ran on a plank of transparency. Having an individual in government who doesnt give a flip about transparency negates the focus that he was elected upon. I am very disappointed that the Commission, in their arrogant stupidity, would challenge this action that seems to be within in the scope of the Tennessee Code.

I would suggest that a request for an opinion to the Attorney General be made forthwith to hopefully avoid unnecessary legal costs to the county.



Wayne Cook
The Lee University volleyball team fell to Mississippi College three sets to one on Friday evening. In a match of runs, MC had two strong runs to end the second and fourth sets (25-21 and 25-22). The Lady Flames used a 8-0 run in the third set to pull away and win (25-12). The loss is the third straight Gulf South conference loss for Lee. With the win, MC improves to 19-4 overall and 8-2 in GSC play while Lee falls to 6-20 overall and 3-7 in GSC play.

In the first set, MC jumped out to an early 8-4 lead before Lee answered and made it 10-9.

In set two, MC started on a 4-0 run before the Lady Flames answered with a 5-0 run. Lee took a 9-6 lead before MC regrouped and took a 15-13 lead. Both team then traded points before MC ended set two on a 4-1 run to win it 25-22.

Lee came out flying in set three jumping out early 7-3. Then they went on a 8-0 run to make it 18-6 lead. MC cut it down to a ten point deficit but that was as close as they could come as Lee won set three 25-12.

In the fourth set, MC jumped up out to a 10-5 lead. The Lady Flames cut it close and took the lead at 18-17, but MC then had a 4-0 run to pull into the lead for good. They took set four 25-22.

The Lady Flames were led by Ashton Middleton who had 15 assists and 11 digs. Kamryn Halpin had 15 digs in the loss as well. Abby Stroh registered 12 kills to lead Lee. Six players had kills for Lee with four having six or more.

Mississippi College was led by Caroline Chastang who had 14 kills. Lexie Laurendine added 21 assists and 12 digs. Four Lady Choctaws had double-digit assists.

Lee will be back in action on Saturday at 2 PM at Walker Arena as they will host the University of West Alabama.
In the summer of 1980, John Lennon traveled by boat to Bermuda, where he would work on songs for his final studio album, Double Fantasy. He spent two months on the island writing songs and relaxing. His journey there was less laid back, however. He set out from Rhode Island on a boat. At one point, he had to steer through a storm, which left him a changed man.

John Lennon | Michael Putland/Getty Images

John Lennon traveled to Bermuda on a boat in 1980

Lennon set out from Newport, Rhode Island, with Captain Hank Halsted and a crew on June 4, 1980. After two calm, clear days, the ship encountered stormy weather in the Gulf Stream.

Its a weather-maker, Halsted later said, per Salon. The Gulf Stream just always puts a big spin on things.

MEGAN JAYE

On 4 June 1980, the 43ft sloop Megan Jaye and its crew departed from Murphys dock, Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, setting a SE course for Bermuda on a 650 mile, 8 day sail that would take them through dangerous storms and the Bermuda Triangle. ?1/6 pic.twitter.com/duDoYYeV81  John Lennon ? (@johnlennon) June 5, 2022

The rough water left all the passengers  with the exception of Halsted and Lennon  seasick.

It started to get grey and everything busted loose from there, Lennons sailing instructor, Tyler Coneys, said. The storm knocked us all apart. It was brutal. The waves were huge. If you could have called a cab, you would have. The sea is so big and the boat is so small. We were on 20 degrees of keel. The massive waves were coming up behind like buildings. Wed be surfing down these liquid mountains. I was like, Oh, my God. I hope we live.'

John Lennon steered the boat through a storm

After hours of steering the boat on his own, Halsted realized that he had to sleep, or hed be putting everyones lives at risk. As Lennon was the only one who wasnt seasick, Halsted instructed him to steer the boat. Though he wasnt sure hed be able to steer the ship, he realized he had to do it.

I was in a major storm for six hours, driving that boat, you know, and keeping it on the course, he said. And I was buried under water. I was smashed in the face by waves for six solid hours. Its an incredible experience cause it wont go away, you know. You cant change your mind. Its like being on stage; once youre on, theres no getting off. And a couple of the waves had me on my knees. I was just hanging on with me hands on the wheel, but I did have the rope around me to the side, but it was very powerful weather.

The experience sounds terrifying, but Lennon said he was having the time of [his] life.

I was screaming sea shanties and shouting at the gods, he said. I felt like a Viking, you know. Jason and the Golden Fleece.

Lennons ability to steer the ship as a relative novice was impressive. According to Halsted, it also left him a changed man.

I met a different guy, he said. He was totally washed, exuberant, ecstatic.

He worked on new material when he arrived in Bermuda

When Lennon arrived in Bermuda, he began working on new music. After the harrowing, exhilarating experience, he felt uniquely inspired to write. In total, he wrote 30 new songs in the two months in Bermuda.

Woman came about because, one sunny afternoon in Bermuda, it suddenly hit me. I saw what women do for us. Not just what my Yoko does for me, although I was thinking in those personal terms. Any truth is universal.#timstwitterlisteningparty pic.twitter.com/2d5CcDctFM  John Lennon ? (@johnlennon) October 9, 2022

He was tired of writing songs for kids, his friend Nancy Gosnell told The Daily Beast. He wanted to write music for adults and couldnt wait to get back in the studio and start recording.

RELATED: John Lennon Said He Wished Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney Would Stop Releasing Music
TLC fans know all about Matt Roloff and Roloff Farms on Little People, Big World. Matt tried to sell his kids several acres of Roloff Farms after Amy Roloff moved off of the property, but they couldnt come to an agreement. Then, Jeremy and Audrey Roloff bought their own farm. And some fans think Audrey might be throwing shade at Matt with an Instagram post.

Matt Roloffs sons were upset with him for putting several acres of Roloff Farms up for sale

Jeremy Roloff and Audrey Roloff from Little People, Big World | Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images

Matt Roloff talked about putting several acres of Roloff Farms up for sale during the last season of Little People, Big World  and he did just that. Unfortunately, his decision upset Amy Roloff and Zach Roloff. Zach made it known that he and Tori Roloff were interested in buying part of Roloff Farms, and Amy didnt want to see the property leave the family. While Jeremy Roloff is no longer on the show, he also took an interest in taking over.

It seems Matt couldnt come to an agreement with any of his kids, creating a rift in the family. Audrey Roloff mentioned in an Instagram post that she and Jeremy tried to buy some of Roloff Farms in 2020, too.

We tried to back in May of 2020, Audrey told a fan, according to a Reddit screenshot.   In short, Jer had hoped to take over his parents farm (or a portion of it) since he was a child.  It became a mutual dream when we got married, and we started working towards it.  When we were finally at a point where it was practically possible, we made an offer, but realized that maybe it wasnt meant to be .

Did Audrey Roloff throw shade toward the Little People, Big World star?

Little Peoples Audrey & Jeremy Roloff diss dad Matt in shocking snub as family feud over land rages on

https://t.co/6k0vu485aI  The US Sun (@TheSunUS) October 15, 2022

Jeremy Roloff and Audrey Roloff gave up their hopes of owning part of Roloff Farms. And some eagle-eyed Little People, Big World fans think they mightve thrown shade at Matt Roloff on Instagram.

According to a Reddit screenshot, Audrey posted a photo of Jeremy with their young son, Radley. Jeremys holding a pumpkin. Rads first pumpkin patch, Audrey captioned the photo.

It appears she took and posted the photo during Roloff Farms pumpkin season. Pumpkin season is the most lucrative time for the Roloff family business, as they try to attract as many visitors as possible to visit the pumpkin patch. Jeremy and Audrey did not go to opening weekend for pumpkin season, and its unclear if they went at all.

Just a little shade, a fan commented.

I mean. I dont think its shade, I think its just fact? another fan wrote. We all know they dont hang out at the farm anymore.

Where is Jeremy and Audrey Roloffs new farm?

Jeremy & Audrey Roloff Are Slammed for Complaining About Their $1.5 Million Fixer-Upper https://t.co/DLIVDPjcwv  CafeMom (@cafemom) October 18, 2022

Jeremy and Audrey Roloff no longer participate in Little People, Big World, or hope to own Roloff Farms. Instead, they purchased a farm of their own. The farm is in Hillsboro, Oregon, and sits on over four acres of farmland.

After a two-year search spanning all over the state of Oregon  IT. IS. TIME, Audrey posted to Instagram in June 2022, according to In Touch. We bought a farm! This news came just a month after Matt announced his plan to put Roloff Farms up for sale.

While the farm needs a lot of work, Audrey expressed that she and Jeremy are excited to finally have some space to get our feet dirty (literally) and bring our dreams of using land into reality.

The new season of Little People, Big World premieres on Nov. 1, 2022, on TLC.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel.

RELATED: Little People, Big World: Matt Roloffs First Pumpkin Season Photo Might Prove Rift With Zach Roloff
Christine Browns ex-husband had some wild ideas about why they were separating and how that separation would actually play out. Since Christine announced her intentions, Kody Brown seemed confused, unaware, and completely inept at the process of ending a relationship. It makes sense. Frankly, it looks like its the first time hes ever actually had to do it. Still, Sister Wives fans think hes acting a bit aimlessly. His most outrageous assumption, however, is still yet to come. In an upcoming episode of Sister Wives, Kody seems sure that Christine will hand over the money from selling her house. She has much different ideas.

Christine Browns ex-husband, Kody Brown, assumes that profits from the sale of her house will be going to the Brown family

Christine Browns ex-husband, Kody Brown, has said some pretty wild things about his divorce from his wife of more than two decades. During the early days of their separation, Kody alleged that any man Christine got into a relationship with would be after the Brown family money. Later, he asserted that he deserved 50/50 custody of the couples youngest child, despite spending minimal time with her in the three years they lived in Flagstaff, Arizona. He even suggested Christine move to a Utah city she didnt like to make his life easier.

Kody Brown | TLC/YouTube

His most outrageous claim, however, will appear in an upcoming episode of Sister Wives. TLC recently shared a clip for the Oct. 23 episode of the show via Twitter. In the clip, Kody suggests that if Christine decided to sell her Flagstaff home, she would hand over any profits to pay off Coyote Pass, the acreage the family purchased ahead of moving to the state. Kody theorized that the money would pay off any loans on the property, so the family could begin building. The statement seems to have struck a nerve with Christine, although in a later talking head, she almost appeared resigned to the idea that Kody would continue to make illogical assumptions.

Christine Brown has much different ideas

While Kody seemed confident that Christine would hand over profits from her home sale to him, she clearly had a much different idea. While Kody insisted the money could go toward Coyote Pass, Christine made it abundantly clear that she had absolutely no intention of offering Kody a single dime from the sale of her property.

Not exactly a clean break, as Christine and Kody start to tackle the logistics of divorce. #SisterWives pic.twitter.com/LxnfDq5syV  TLC Network (@TLC) October 20, 2022

The legalities surrounding the Brown family are a bit complicated. As Christine and Kody were never legally married, there is no official division of assets in the case of a divorce. Kody, in theory, could only stake a claim on the property if he was on the deed. Still, Christine Browns ex-husband seems to think he has a right to the property, although she appears to disagree.

Christine eventually sold both her house and her stake in Coyote Pass

While Christine waffled back and forth about what to do with her Flagstaff, Arizona home in the early days of her divorce, she finally made a decision. Christine sold her house in Flagstaff last fall and moved to Murray, Utah, with her youngest child. There, Christine purchased a duplex and appears happier and healthier than ever. The interior of her home can be seen during her cooking show, Cooking with Just Christine.

Truely Brown and Christine Brown | TLC/Twitter

A decision on Coyote Pass took a bit longer to come. In July 2022, Us Magazine reported that Christine Browns ex-husband and his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, took ownership of Christine Browns stake in Coyote Pass. The former family members did not reveal the monetary details of the deal. Property records indicate that Christine was paid $10 for the property, although that number is likely a legal placeholder and not the actual amount that exchanged hands.

While Christine was initially onboard with the purchase of Coyote Pass, her interest in building on the land waned more than a year before she opted to leave her polygamist lifestyle behind. Christines turning point appeared during an argument over whether the Browns would live in one large house or build multiple structures on the acreage they purchased. There has been no development on the land.

RELATED: Sister Wives Opinion: Kody Brown Thinks Christine Browns Decision Was Rushed Because He Was Arrogant Enough to Believe Shed Never Leave Him
Snoop Doggs road to stardom wasnt paved in gold. The rapper overcame a tumultuous early life to become the hip-hop icon he is today. Now into the 2020s, Snoop Dogg carries a reported net worth of $150 million. But before the rapper was born, his father was fighting for his country during the Vietnam War, a conflict that left him with four gunshot wounds.

Snoop Dogg | Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Snoop Dogg spent his childhood mostly raised by his mother

Although his father was a part of his life, Snoop Dogg didnt grow up with his dad in the house. Instead, he was raised mostly by his mother. Despite her best efforts, young Snoop Dogg eventually fell in with the wrong kids in his neighborhood, joining a gang.

As the rapper told The Howard Stern Show in 2018, this led her to throw him out of the house at age 17. Soon thereafter, Snoop Dogg was arrested and did a few years in jail. It wasnt until he got out that he decided to pursue music and crossed paths with Dr. Dre.

Although he ran afoul of his mother as a youngster, Snoop Dogg looks back knowing that she did everything she could, he said, to guide him without a consistent father figure around at the time.

Snoop Dogg once recounted his fathers time in the Vietnam War

During that same interview with host Howard Stern, Snoop Dogg opened up about his relationship with his dad. The pair have since become much closer than they were during the rappers childhood.

And Snoop Dogg detailed to Stern what his father told him about his time in the Vietnam War, including getting shot four times. [My father] told me when he got to Vietnam, the life expectancy for a Black male was 16.4 seconds, the rapper told Stern.

They would send those Black guys to the front line to deal with the Vietnamese, and what about whats behind them? These racist white guys who were really not used to being around Black guys  and have a gun in their hands. So when the firing jumps off, youre getting shot at from the back and the front.

Snoop Dogg remains a supporter of caring for veterans

Facts. Treat our vets better. My pops a Vietnam vet Purple Heart. 1968. ???? https://t.co/CVsX0Flqt1 pic.twitter.com/0Ldjdlo8nf  Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) October 3, 2017

Remarkably, Snoop Doggs father was actually shot twice during his first tour and then later sent back, where he received two more gunshot wounds. Add that to the racially fueled tensions the rapper described to Stern, and its easy to see why Snoop Dogg is such an ardent supporter of caring for veterans like his dad, as hes explicitly stated on Twitter.

In fact, Snoop Dogg holds his fathers service in such high esteem that he plans to title his biopic, From Vietnam to Death Row, in his honor, he told Power 105s The Breakfast Club radio morning show (via Hip Hop Wired). Although word on that project has been minimal, Snoop Dogg continues to maintain a stable Hollywood career, most recently appearing in Netflixs 2022 vampire film Day Shift opposite Jamie Foxx.

RELATED: Snoop Doggs Professional Blunt Roller Earns $50K Annually (Plus Perks) to Roll the Perfect Joints
George Clooney and Julia Roberts have appeared in several films together over the years. Most notably, they play estranged lovers in 2001s Oceans Eleven. Both actors returned for the 2004 sequel, Oceans Twelve but have mostly appeared in much darker films over the years. So longtime fans are no doubt thrilled to see Clooney and Roberts lead the romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise. But where exactly is the paradise of the films title?

Ticket to Paradise reunites George Clooney and Julia Roberts

(L-R) Julia Roberts and George Clooney attend the premiere of Universal Pictures Ticket To Paradise at Regency Village Theatre on October 17, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. | Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

In addition to the two Oceans movies they co-starred in, Clooney and Roberts both have supporting roles in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and lead the 2016 crime thriller Money Monster. But Ticket to Paradise gives the stars the chance to let loose together onscreen for the first time in nearly 20 years. And fans of romantic comedies are understandably hyped for it.

Clooney and Roberts play a long-divorced couple who cross paths at their daughters (Kaitlyn Dever) wedding in Bali. Although they dont get along, the former lovers are united in their quest to prevent their daughter from making the worst mistake of her life. While Ticket to Paradise is set in Bali, Indonesia, the movie actually filmed in a much different location.

Where Ticket to Paradise actually filmed instead of Bali

As reported by Conde Nast Traveller, Ticket to Paradise actually filmed in Queensland, Australia. The site reveals that the region provided a ready-made series of desert islands, ripe for a Balinese makeover. Shooting locations included Whitsunday Island, Long Island, Haslewood Island, Hamilton Island, and Moreton Island. Tamborine Mountain  an inland rainforest  also features in the jungle scenes, as it does in films such as Thor: Ragnarok and Kong: Skull Island.

Ticket to Paradise also marks the major Hollywood debut of Maxime Bouttier, an Indonesian actor who has more than 20 mostly international credits to his name. In this film, Bouttier plays Gede, fiance to Devers Lily. Ironically, Bouttiers filmography includes a romantic drama named One Fine Day. Clooney starred opposite Michelle Pfeiffer in a 1996 romantic comedy of the same name, which marked his first and only brush with the genre until Ticket to Paradise.

Production on Ticket to Paradise was affected by the pandemic

As Clooney and Roberts revealed, the productions decision to film in Australia instead of Indonesia turned out to be ill-timed. Filming coincided with the COVID-19 omicron variant hitting the country. While Clooney brought his wife Amal Clooney and the kids along, Roberts had to wait two weeks to see her husband, Danny Moder, and their children after they arrived in Australia.

The Clooneys saved me from complete loneliness and despair, Roberts told The New York Times. We were in a bubble, and its the longest Ive ever been away from my family. I dont think Ive spent that much time by myself since I was 25.  When we first got to Australia and we were all quarantining, you kind of go a little bit cuckoo.  Its a funny thing. I hadnt really anticipated all that.

Ticket to Paradise hits theaters on October 21, 2022.

RELATED: Julia Roberts Explains Why She Doesnt Do Romantic ComediesNothing Is Good Enough
Apologist shares how he overcame doubts, found his way back to Christ

A Christian apologist shared how he overcame doubts and found his way back to believing in Jesus Christ amid unanswered questions about his faith.

In an episode of the "Challenging Conversations" podcast, Pastor Jason Jimenez spoke with Bobby Conway, known for his One Minute Apologist website, about doubting Christianity.

Conway, who served for 15 years at Life Fellowship Church in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina, said that he never imagined wrestling with doubts in his faith when he first became a Christian at age 19. He thought he was immune to doubt, saying he was "an absolute zealot" at first.

"Typical of that honeymoon season falling in love with Jesus, I had a great zeal for the Lord," Conway recalled. "And so, if somebody was struggling with doubt, I would have thought, 'well, what's wrong with this person? They must not love God. There must be something really off.'"

"But the further I kept growing in this Christian faith, and the deeper I kept going into it as it relates to studying philosophy and apologetics, I started to bump into some questions that I had a hard time resolving myself."

Over time, Conway said he began to think about certain questions: "What does it mean to have a comprehensive worldview? What are the future challenges that are going to come against us as Christians? What type of challenges will the atheist bring up? What type of challenges will the Muslim bring up?"

As time progressed, Conway said his desire for immediate answers grew and took a toll.

"I just wanted those questions answered. So it was very simplistic, but what I found is there was a lot of complexity to some of the questions that were challenging me, and I was reading a ton. I was studying a ton," Conway said.

"But for every book that I tried to read to chase down the answer to my doubts, I would collect 10 more questions and more doubts, and the snowball kept growing."

By the time he entered seminary school at age 27, Conway said his doubt was at an all-time high as he continued to yearn for more detailed wisdom to answer his theological inquiries.

"That's when I really started getting hit with some true doubts. I was taking the Gospels  and we were looking at the Synoptic Gospels, and I was struggling, trying to reconcile some of the accounts together. I figured out how to work through that. And then, I would go on, and [the questions] would quiet down," Conway recounted.

"But like that game at Chuck E. Cheese called whack-a-mole  I would whack the mole, and then boom, another one would pop up. I just felt like my whole Christian life was just whacking moles, whacking moles, whacking moles, and I was getting exhausted by the different questions."

The differing levels of doubt were an ongoing struggle for Conway throughout his seminary years. Even after graduation, when he became an apologist and pastored what he described as a "thriving church," he still secretly battled doubts.

"And now, I'm really beginning to doubt to a point where I'm wondering if I'm going to be an apostate. And that was very challenging because, Jason, I can honestly say I hated my doubts," Conway said.

"I was not like this guy that was deconstructing, so to speak, and wanting to be fully deconstructed. I was not this guy that wanted to go and be a progressive Christian. I did not want to move beyond my doubts to just finally come to this self-enlightenment effect."

Conway continued to pastor his church despite his doubts. He remembers speaking to God and saying: "God, I'm struggling to believe this. I'm wondering if you are there. Please know that my heart hates these doubts."

"I was so depressed. I had suicidal thoughts. I ended up in counseling. I ended up on antidepressants. I was suffering because I didn't know how to live," Conway recounted.

"I thought: 'What if I've been duped?' I gave myself to this Christian worldview? I threw myself all in it, prepared myself for ministry, and now, my brain is producing questions way faster than I can track down the answers to."

Amid tremendous pressure to continue running his apologetics and pastoral ministry, Conway began to feel as though he was being hypocritical to his congregants.

"I felt like a sham, but I didn't want to. I was just trying to genuinely work through stuff. And it was absolutely vexing in the deepest kind of way. And the reason it was so vexing to me is because of how meaningful Jesus was to me. It was like the most important relationship I ever had in my life was gone. I didn't know where He went. I didn't know what about all these amazing moments we had, and I've been duped," Conway said.

"And it was the thought of, 'Wow, I got my life clean and sober when I was a kid, threw my life into Jesus, thought this was the realest thing ever, and now, the thing that I thought was most real, was I duped?' And that was very, very hard to digest and live with."

About five years ago, Conway said, "God, in His grace, absolutely broke into my dark night of the soul" and removed his doubts. Conway viewed that season of doubt as a positive.

"The deep doubt that I was experiencing, I really feel like God used that season because those doubts can be the making of an apologist. And so, it got to a point when I was in that agony that I had to imagine how to live again. If I wasn't going to be a Christian, where do I go? And so I would envision, 'Well, what if I was an atheist? What if I was an agnostic? What if I was a Buddhist? What if I was whatever?'" Conway recalled.

"And I would think about what it would be like to live in that worldview and what type of questions and doubts that I would inherit. And then, I would just try to resolve those, and when all was said and done, it was like I broke out, and it was like Christianity seemed like the greatest, and the most strongest, and the most beautiful and the most wonderful worldview of them all."

"It was like, 'Wow, God, You didn't leave me, You didn't abandon me. You really were there,'" he added. "It meant so much to me because I just felt like I fell in love with Him again."

Conway said that the "way out" of his doubt "was the way into Christianity."

"It was having faith like a child again," he described. "My relationship became a Q+A session with God, and my heart got detached from the process. I lost my way in the journey. Doubt is not a Christian problem. It's a human problem. In the absence of certainty, there is always going to be room for doubt. The question is which worldview best closes the doubt gap. All of a sudden, I was able to realize that, 'Why do I always feel like I have to be on the defensive as a Christian? The atheist has to give answers, too.' ... We're not alone in this endeavor. It was just so freeing."
With pilgrims returning to Israel post-pandemic, should Christians avoid evangelizing to Jews?

As the end of the pandemic brings more Christians back to Israel for tours of the Holy Land, should they evangelize the Jewish people during their visit?

That's the question raised in a Jerusalem Post report on the return of Christians to Israel to mark the biblical Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, earlier this month following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

More than 2,000 pilgrims from 70 nations were estimated to come to Jerusalem Oct. 9-16 for the celebration, which was sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), according to the outlet.

But while the gathering heralded the return of Christian tourism to Israel following the pandemic, some Jews, like Israel365 founder Rabbi Tuly Weisz, seem ambivalent about the trend  which, for them, also means the return of evangelism to the Holy Land.

According to Weisz, while non-Jewish tourists should be "warmly welcomed" to "come closer to the true fulfillment of Sukkot," he appeared less welcoming to the Evangelical practice of sharing the Gospel with the Jewish people.

"Unfortunately, some of the Christian visitors will hope to use their time in the Jewish state to engage in missionary activity," he wrote. "The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) does its best to prevent this, warning its guests to refrain from such offensive behavior."

Weisz pointed to several Christians who have voiced their opposition to missionary activity while visiting Israel, including David Swaggerty, senior pastor of Charisma Life Ministries in Columbus, Ohio, who was among those in Israel for the celebration.

Swaggerty was quoted as saying, "As a Christian who believes in the Great Commission, I feel that the call to spreading the Gospel does not apply to the Jewish people. Especially in light of centuries of Christian anti-Semitism, I am here to support Israel unconditionally and with no strings attached."

In an interview with The Christian Post, Swaggerty clarified that while he has no problem taking the Gospel around the world to pastor's conferences in far-flung countries like Thailand and Tanzania, when he's in Israel, it's a different story.

"When I go to Israel or with my Jewish friends in Columbus, missionizing is off the table," he said. "I do not do that. I don't believe that's God's will for my life to do that."

Acknowledging that some  if not many  of his peers would disagree with his approach, Swaggerty said that doesn't bother him.

"They think you should get everybody converted that you meet, but I don't see it that way," he added.

Swaggerty said the Jewish people hold a special place in his heart: as a teenager, he worked in a jewelry store where he was surrounded by a "dozen Jewish men who became my family."

He said he also saw how they were treated by Christians who tried to evangelize them and, as Swaggerty put it, "to force them almost into conversion."

"I don't feel that's my responsibility. My calling is to build bridges of trust and friendship among the Jewish people and Christians," he added. "In doing that, I have a commitment to myself and my followers, my congregation, that we do not missionize the Jewish people."

What about Messianic passages in the Old Testament, such as Isaiah 53, which most Protestant theologians consider to be fulfilled by Jesus in His first coming?

For Swaggerty, whose ministry statement of faith affirms the death and resurrection of Christ, there's "no point in fighting whether He came once or not at all" since "when He shows up, there will be no mistaking who He is."

"One day, Israel is going to see Messiah. They're praying all the time for Him, and one day He's going to show up, and when He does, the entire land of Israel, the whole nation, are going to embrace Him as Messiah," he explained.

"I don't want to betray my own faith, but I don't want to push it onto my Jewish friends."

While it's unclear whether groups like ICEJ  which did not respond to a request for comment from CP  are discouraging Christians from evangelism while in Israel, Swaggerty said he used to host several tours of the Holy Land and would warn people not to proselytize.

Now, he says, after attending this year's Feast of Tabernacles with Weisz, he believes there's a new interfaith movement underway.

"What we're seeing on a much bigger scale ... is like a spiritual phenomenon happening around the world between Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians, where they're willing to step across the aisle," he said.

"We're finding that as you build relationships of trust, we can work together because we serve the same God."

But for Messianic Jewish author, radio host and columnist Michael Brown, such an approach to evangelism is a "terrible disservice" to the Jewish people.

"Every Jewish believer I know urges Christians to please share the Good News with our people," Brown told CP. "It is the most unloving thing you can do to withhold the water of life from a Jewish person. Jews and Gentiles are saved the exact same way. It is through faith in Jesus, through His death on the cross.

"And without that, there is no salvation."

As a self-identified "Jewish believer in Jesus," Brown said he believes it's "heretical" to exclude Jews from the Great Commission.

"I appreciate sensitivity. I appreciate recognizing that for many Jewish people, Jesus is a bad word. I appreciate the fact that Jewish identity and preservation of our people is important," he said. "But faith in Jesus will enhance that rather than take away from that."

For Brown, Swaggerty's views on the ultimate salvation of Israel are "terribly misguided."

"Nowhere does the Bible say that salvation will be retroactive and that on that day, every Jew throughout history will be retroactively saved," he said. "That's completely contrary to Bible."

Instead, Brown added, the Bible teaches that, for Israel, there will be a national turning to the Messiah at the end of the age.

While Brown agreed that Christians touring Israel should "recognize they're not there to save Israel, they're there to see the country," he also said believers shouldn't go out of their way to avoid sharing the Good News.

"If providentially they meet someone and can share the Gospel, wonderful. But they're not there to pour into the country in an insensitive way and go around bothering people going about their daily business," he said.

"But if you're in a cab ride and you're there as a Christian and you have an opportunity to share, do it! Why not? Why withhold the news of the Jewish messiah from the Jewish people?"

Before the pandemic, Christians comprised 55% of all tourism in 2019, according to data cited by the Jerusalem Post. More than a quarter of those visitors identified as Evangelicals.

In 2020, however, tourism plunged by 81% from 4.5 million in 2019 to just over 831,000.
The court directed the police not to allow any person except those permitted to take part in padyatra to ensure that no anti-social elements infiltrate and create law and order problem.  DC File Image

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh High Court issued directions to the farmers who embarked on Padayatra from Amaravati to Arasavilli to express protest on APs move to develop three capitals, to strictly confine to only 600 persons permitted to take part in the march earlier.

The single judge bench headed by Justice R. Raghunandan Rao heard the petition and issued directions here on Friday.

Accordingly, any persons seeking to express solidarity could do so from the sidelines and not by joining the procession.

The court directed the police not to allow any person except those permitted to take part in padyatra to ensure that no anti-social elements infiltrate and create law and order problem. It also directed the police to ensure while granting permission to any group of rival opinion not to be in proximity of the procession of Padayatra. The court also directed the police to ensure not more than four vehicles to be allowed in the padayatra.

The AP High Court granted bail to nine Jana Sena leaders who were booked for attacking the staff of the ministers and police personnel at the Visakhapatnam Airport on October 15. The Airport police registered cases against 70 persons in the case and of them 61 were released in the early hours of Sunday. The remaining were sent to judicial remand.

A bail petition was moved by a leader recently but the High Court rejected it citing it cannot accept a petition from a third party.

The remanded persons were Kona Tata Rao, Sundarapu Vijay Kumar, Panchakarla Sandeep, Kolluri Rupa, PLN Murthy Yadav, PVSN Raju, Chintapalli Srinu, Bogi Srinivas Patnaik and Rayapureddy Krishna.

General secretary of Jana Sena Bolisetti Satyhanarayana said they did not receive the hard copy of the order from the High Court. He is expecting to receive it on Saturday after which it would be produced before the seventh metropolitan magistrate in Visakhapatnam and a copy would be sent to the central prison.

Probably they will be released tomorrow evening, Satyanarayana said.

In another order, the High Court asked the Airport police officials not to arrest Jana Sena leaders Thammireddy Siva Sankara Rao, Bolisetti Satyanarayana and Boddepalli Raghu during the investigation and posted the case to October 31.
Bible translation group Wycliffe Associates sending emergency aid to partners in Ukraine

An international organization dedicated to advancing work on translating the Bible has announced its efforts to provide emergency aid to its partners in Ukraine.

Wycliffe Associates announced earlier this week that its providing supplies to its ministry partners and translators based in Ukraine who have been impacted by the Russian invasion via their Emergency 911 Fund.

Stephen Martin, vice president of Field Development at Wycliffe Associates, told The Christian Post that they were motivated to act on behalf of their partners by our love, compassion, unity and oneness in Christ.

When the Ukraine invasion occurred, our staff from that region of the world were meeting in another country. As the bombs fell, cell phones began buzzing, chiming and ringing. We immediately went before the Lord in prayer, Martin explained.

There was no additional measure of prayer needed. We knew exactly what God would have us do in ministry to our brothers, sisters, staff and Bible translators in Ukraine.

The invasion, which began on Feb. 24 after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that certain parts of Eastern Ukraine should be independent, has disrupted the work of Wycliffe Associates and their partners in the country.

Martin described the conflict as an immediate disruption, with many family members being separated from each other, while some staff members had their homes destroyed.

The state of crisis, the mental jarring, the shortage of food, of water, the inability to move around without caution and fear, the blockades to escape, said Martin, all of these things worked against the forward movement of Bible translation projects, but none of these things have stopped the translation work.

Martin also told CP that God has greatly blessed Wycliffe Associates with generous donors who respond rapidly when a need, a crisis, is known.

This has been the case with Ukraine, and we were and are able to provide through in-country contacts, he said.

While supplies are limited, there are supplies in country and the best, most efficient, and reportable way is by providing funds to key leaders who are able to see that specific needs are met and the greatest number of people are impacted by the love of Christ through the ministry of Wycliffe Associates.

Additionally, Martin believed that there was a spirit of revival in Ukraine despite the wartime chaos, and that many are coming to Christ.

In chaos, Christ has been lifted, the Church has been the Church, and God has, and is, being glorified. While the Bible translation work in Ukraine stumbled, it didnt fall, said Martin.

May all who come behind us find us faithful.

Wycliffe Associates announcement comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has taken steps to seek an accelerated membership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Zelenskyy stated in an online video that he felt the NATO application was a decisive step to protect the entire community of Ukrainians against further Russian aggression.
A third of Americans say they attend religious services at least once per month, survey finds Most Americans believe country would be better if more attended services

Amid growing concerns of religious decline in the United States, a recent survey suggests a growing share of American adults consider themselves religious although one-third say they attend religious services at least once per month.

On Tuesday, Rasmussen Reports released a national survey of 1,155 U.S. adults, finding that 69% of American adults consider themselves religious, with 24% saying they're very religious. The finding is higher than a survey Rasmussen conducted in June 2021, in which 57% considered themselves religious.

The survey was conducted online and by phone from Sept. 20 to Sept. 21, with the margin of sampling error at +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% confidence level.

When asked how crucial religion is in their daily lives, 61% of participants said that religion was important, and 31% said it was very important. In a December 2018 poll, 71% said faith was important to their daily lives.

Forty-one percent of all respondents reported they rarely or never attend services at a church, synagogue or mosque. Fifteen percent said they attend religious services weekly, with 6% saying they attend at least once a month.

Another 7% of participants said they attend religious services once or twice a month, and 6% said they'll go more than once per week. Twenty-one percent said they occasionally attend services.

Republicans (29%) and those unaffiliated with any major party (19%) said they attend religious services at least weekly, compared to 16% of Democrats. Forty-five percent of Democrats said they rarely or never attend services, in contrast to 44% of unaffiliated respondents and 31% of Republicans.

Only 9% of Republicans said they are not religious, compared to 23% of Democrats and 26% of unaffiliated voters.

Forty-two percent of respondents said they think the U.S. would be better off if more people attended religious services on a regular basis, and 30% said it wouldn't make a difference. Another 13% claim more Americans attending services more often would make the country worse, while 15% said they weren't sure.

Thirty-six percent of Democrats agreed with the 65% of Republicans who believe the country would benefit from more people attending religious services regularly. Thirty percent of people unaffiliated with either party said the same thing.

Women (33%) were more likely than men (29%) to say that their faith is very important in their lives. However, men (45%), more so than women (40%), think that people attending religious services on a regular basis would make the country a better place.

Marriage appears to impact how much Americans value religion, as married participants were likelier than non-married respondents to say they consider themselves very religious.

Race also played a factor, as 49% of blacks compared to 29% of whites and other minorities said faith is very important in their lives.

Voters 65 and older were the most likely to claim that they're very religious and that America would be a better country if more attended religious services on a regular basis.

According to a September analysis by Pew Research Center, if the rate of Christians abandoning their faith before they turn 30 accelerates beyond its current pace, America could no longer be a majority Christian country by 2045.

"Of course, it is possible that events outside the study's model  such as war, economic depression, climate crisis, changing immigration patterns or religious innovations  could reverse current religious switching trends, leading to a revival of Christianity in the United States," the researchers noted.

"But there are no current switching patterns in the U.S. that can be factored into the mathematical models to project such a result."

A survey released earlier this year by the American Bible Society suggests that two-thirds of Generation Z and Millennials who say they have made a personal commitment to Christ do not attend church in person or online at least once per month. Additionally, 40% of Generation Z adults ages 18 and over attend church "primarily online."

"This should challenge every Christian and ministry leader to intentionally cultivate relationships with their younger neighbors, who are often seeking security and hope amidst ever-increasing anxiety," said John Farquhar Plake, director of ministry intelligence for the American Bible Society. "It's our prayer that every generation is able to meaningfully connect with the Word of God, engaging with it as a way of life and actively living out their faith in community."
Christian evangelist awarded $11,000 for arrest; police apologize

The Metropolitan Police in London has apologized for falling "below standards" in the case of a Christian evangelist who was wrongfully arrested twice while preaching the Gospel at the city's Speakers' Corner.

Hatun Tash, who critiques and debates the Quran and Islam at Central London's Speakers' Corner, has received 10,000 (about $11,304) in compensation and costs, the Christian Legal Centre announced Friday.

In late September, Inspector of the Metropolitan Police Directorate of Professional Standards Civil Actions Unit, Andy O'Donnell, sent Tash a letter formally apologizing for service that fell below the department's "requisite standard."

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to you for the distress that you have

suffered as a consequence of these incidents," O'Donnell wrote. "I hope that settlement of this claim and this recognition of the impact of what happened will enable you to put these incidents behind you."

The police arrested Tash, the director of the ministry Defend Christ Critique Islam, in May 2021 and December 2020 at Speakers' Corner, a traditional site for public speeches and debates.

In the first instance, Tash was assaulted, abused and harassed by a group of Islamic men for wearing a t-shirt featuring a picture of Muhammad while participating in weekly debates, according to the Christian Legal Centre, which represents Tash.

When officers asked the group to leave, they refused and continued to intimidate Tash, as was seen in a video. The officers then requested Tash to leave, and when she refused, they arrested her.

In the second instance, officers cited COVID-19 regulations to detain Tash after she encouraged officers not to hinder another preacher's right to free speech.

Two months later, Tash was stabbed in front of police at the same location by a man in a black Islamic robe in broad daylight. No arrest has been made, according to CLC.

"Police inaction has led to what happened to me," Tash told the media at the time. "It is heartbreaking that we live in a society where police do not want to arrest a Muslim for fear of being called Islamophobic."

Tash has donated the settlement payout to the CLC. She hopes this is "just the beginning of the police doing more to protect Christian freedoms and free speech at Speakers' Corner."

"The police have repeatedly taken away my rights and told me that they cannot protect me because they do not want to offend a certain group of people, which has been very disturbing.

"I believe Jesus Christ is the good news for Muslims, the police and the world. Police need to protect my rights as l tell others this good news. My hope is that many Muslims will come to faith in Jesus," she said in a statement.

"More must be done to properly deal with Islamic violence and intimidation at Speakers' Corner. We don't live in Pakistan; we don't live in Saudi Arabia. I am Christian, and by default, I believe that Muhammad is a false prophet. I should be allowed to say that in the UK without being stabbed or repeatedly arrested."

In his apology letter, O'Donnell said that "MPS constantly strives to maintain the highest professional standards" but "incidents occasionally arise when the level of service falls below that standard."

"This pay-out to Hatun is a rare admission by the police that they got it wrong," CLC Chief Executive Andrea Williams said in a statement. "If Hatun is silenced by violence at Speakers' Corner, we are all silenced."

Last August, a court ruled that Hazel Lewis, a 50-year-old preacher arrested under the Public Order Act while preaching outside Finsbury Park tube station in North London last February, had not been threatening or abusing.

The accusation against the preacher included that she had made a child cry and used threatening language as she told one of the accusing men that he was "an advocate of Satan."

In July 2021, evangelist and missionary Ryan Schiavo was arrested in London for preaching that homosexuality is a sin. He later told The Christian Post that "things are getting very bad" in the United Kingdom and other Western countries.

Last May, Pastor John Sherwood, the 71-year-old minister of the Penn Free Methodist Church in north London, was arrested for preaching about the biblical definition of marriage being between one man and one woman from Genesis 1.
Christian preacher to file lawsuit against police after false claims of hate speech thrown out

After a court refused to admit a hate speech case against her, a Christian street preacher in the United Kingdom says she's suing the police for arresting her on the false accusation that she threatened to stab gays and non-believers while she was preaching outside a tube station.

A judge ruled this week that there was no case to answer as the words of Hazel Lewis, a 49-year-old preacher who was arrested under the Public Order Act while preaching outside Finsbury Park tube station in North London last February, had not been threatening or abusive, The Telegraph reported.

Lewis said she is now planning to sue the Metropolitan Police.

I am delighted that the judge has seen through the lies and has vindicated me, she was quoted as saying.

During her trial at Highbury Magistrates Court last month, Officer Stuart Day said that a video recording played before the court showed that one of her accusers very much sounds like he is trying to goad her into commenting on his sexuality. She does not, however, take the bait.

The accusation against the preacher included that she had made a child cry and used threatening language as she told one of the accusing men, You are an advocate of Satan and I rebuke you in Jesus name, according to Christian Today, which added that she told listeners that they should be more concerned with knife crime in their neighborhood than her peaceful preaching from the Bible.

Throwing out the case against Lewis, District Judge Julia Newton observed: The defendant is alleged to have said, you are an advocate of Satan and I rebuke you in Jesus name. I dont find those words threatening. These words were certainly disagreed with. I do not find that they were abusive either.

Newton added: Further, in relation to distress. It is clear that (a witness) was disturbed and found them to be unpleasant. She said that other people were distressed. She said that she was distressed and found these words were unpleasant. However, that does not amount to harassment, alarm or distress. In addition, there is no evidence as to why the children were crying. Whilst there was a lot of noise, there were a lot of things that could have led the children to cry. I find that there is no case to answer.

Christian street preachers not only have to contend not with hate-speech laws in the U.K., they also have to protect themselves against acts of violence, the news portal Spiked noted, citing a few recent cases of harassment.

Hatun Tash, an ex-Muslim who is now a critic of Islam and a Christian preacher, was stabbed at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park in London, it said. The horrifying incident was captured on camera. Despite there being an estimated 30 witnesses, the perpetrator is still at large.

Lewis also commented on the dangers street preachers face, adding: There are dangers out on the streets  I have had urine thrown at me and have been threatened. But Christians are called to preach the Gospel of salvation and hope in any situation, no matter how tough, so I am not afraid.  Despite this experience, I am determined to keep preaching.
Ex-Muslim stabbed in London while preaching the Gospel, blames 'police inaction'

An outspoken former Muslim woman who converted to Christianity told people about Jesus Christ on Sunday at the largest park in Central London when an unidentified man wearing black began to repetitively stab her in her face and hands.

The 39-year-old evangelical woman, Hatun Tash, who is heavily involved with the ministry Defend Christ Critique Islam (DCCI), said she blames the police for what happened to her. She claims officers are too fearful to take action against a Muslim, whom she suspects was behind the attack.

Tash, who was reportedly wearing a blue Charlie Hebdo T-shirt at the time of her stabbing, is known for preaching critiques of Islam and debating the Quran at Speakers' Corner, a public debating spot in London's Hyde Park.

The Metropolitan Police said that officers arrived at the scene in Hyde Park in west London at 3:34 p.m. and recovered a knife nearby, according to The Times.

Tash managed to survive and was reportedly seen being treated by a London ambulance service as she sat inside a police van before she was taken to Central London Hospital for further treatment of minor injuries.

The evangelist reportedly said she is heartbroken over the weekends events and is still healing from a slash wound on her head.

Police inaction has led to what happened to me yesterday. . ., Tash reportedly told the U.K.-based Times. It is heartbreaking that we live in a society where police do not want to arrest a Muslim for fear of being called Islamophobic.

Despite Tash finding the police at fault, officers are reportedly appealing for witnesses and searching for the suspect. Police said they were not treating the attack as terrorism-related.

However, the Evening Standard reports that the investigation is being led by the Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism Command. The unit is based in New Scotland Yard and coordinates the national police response to counterterrorism intelligence. It also supervises the collection of evidence for charging suspected terrorists.

A number of people witnessed the incident and took mobile phone footage, The Mets SO15 Counter Terrorism Command informed The Evening Standard. We would ask those people to contact police and tell us what they know, if they have not already done so.

In multiple interviews, Tash told reporters she is still shocked about what happened to her and believes the perpetrator wanted to kill her because she was questioning Islamic beliefs and preaching about the Christian gospels.

"I wanted to debate, discuss and tell people about Jesus Christ, she said, according to Christian Today, regarding her preaching at the park before she was stabbed. I can't believe this has happened in broad daylight at Speakers' Corner. You do not expect such things to happen in Great Britain."

Tash said the Speakers' Corner venue has become hostile and dangerous for evangelical Christians. She claims this is not the first time she has been verbally and physically assaulted on the parks premises over the past two years.

In an interview with Christian Concern, Tash recalled another time when she was preaching at Speakers Corner and angered Muslims demanded her removal. She said she was eventually removed from the park by police but expressed concern that nothing happened to the Muslims who called for her death.

Detective Superintendent Alex Bingley of the Central West Command Unit, who covers policing in Westminster, said in a statement that the attack was a very distressing incident for the woman involved.

[O]fficers have spent time with her whilst she was being treated for her injury to get an account of what happened, he said in the police report, according to The Times. We know that this assault was witnessed by a number of people, many of whom captured it on their phones. I would ask them, if they have not already done so, to contact police.

We remain in the early stages of our investigation and are working hard to trace the person responsible, he assured. I would ask people not to speculate on the motive for the attack until we have established the full facts.
Parental Rights Amendment introduced in Congress amid 'grassroots groundswell'

A constitutional amendment to protect parental rights was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week amid heightened concerns about the state of public education in the United States.

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., introduced the measure on Tuesday. With Democrats in control of both chambers of Congress, it is unlikely that the amendment will pass before the current session of Congress ends next January. But supporters want to "get the ball rolling" in hopes the 2022 midterms shake up the power dynamics in Congress and statehouses.

The proposed amendment contains five sections, with one declaring that "the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right." The proposal also contends that "the parental right to direct education includes the right to choose, as an alternative to public education, private, religious, or home schools, and the right to make reasonable choices within public schools for one's child."



"Neither the United States nor any State shall infringe these rights without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served," the proposed amendment continues. "The parental rights guaranteed by this article shall not be denied or abridged on account of disability. This article shall not be construed to apply to a parental action or decision that would end life."

In a statement, Lesko said she believes the amendment is necessary to "protect parents" from left-leaning school board officials and "government bureaucrats" who have "actively worked to undermine parental rights and eliminate educational choices for families."

As a proposed constitutional amendment, the Parental Rights Amendment has a higher threshold to clear than most legislation before it can take effect. It must secure the support of two-thirds of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, and then three-fourths of the state legislatures must ratify it.

The Parental Rights Amendment, crafted by the advocacy group ParentalRights.org, has been introduced in every U.S. Congress dating back to the 110th Congress, which convened from 2007-2008.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Will Estrada of ParentalRights.org and the Parental Rights Foundation said introducing the amendment in the current session will "get the ball rolling so we can hit the ground running" in the 118th U.S. Congress, which begins Jan. 3.

"This is the first time that the amendment has been introduced when everybody across the country has been talking about parental rights," he said. "But the thing that's different this time is [parental rights] was not a high priority among the general population for the longest amount of time. That changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when parents were home from work, working from home, when kids were doing Zoom school at the kitchen table and parents were disappointed ... with the quality of public education."

Estrada told CP, "the moment has arrived where parents across the political spectrum are upset that their right to direct the education, upbringing and care of their children has not been respected."

"[W] e're seeing a groundswell for parental rights that we've never seen before in the history of ParentalRights.org and the Parental Rights Foundation," he stressed.

Estrada told CP that he and other advocates are already discussing with allies in Congress about holding House subcommittee hearings, full committee hearings and voting the amendment out of committee in the 118th Congress.

While the U.S. House held hearings on the Parental Rights Amendment in 2012 and 2014, the U.S. Senate has never held such hearings.

He predicted that the U.S. Senate will introduce a separate version of the Parental Rights Amendment in the 118th U.S. Congress, noting that it has an additional provision not present in the House version proclaiming that "no United Nations treaties shall be ratified that alter or abridge the fundamental right of parents."

"I am optimistic that will change in the next Congress," Estrada remarked.

While U.S. Supreme Court precedent dating back to 1923 recognizes the importance of parental rights, Estrada believes parents "can't just rely on Supreme Court precedent."

"It should be enshrined in the text of the Constitution to show that it is such an important right," he asserts.

Jim Mason, chairman of the board for ParentalRights.org, cited the current political climate surrounding the role of parents in education as evidence that a Parental Rights Amendment is needed.

"The Supreme Court in 1923 said 'the child is not the mere creature of the State,' but many of today's bureaucrats have lost sight of that," he said in a statement.

Estrada said "discussions and battles in public schools and school boards over who's going to make decisions for minor children" suggests that the right of parents to determine how to "raise their children, educate their children, care for their children, [and] make medical decisions for their children" are being infringed.

In 2020, Estrada's organization contested a law passed in Washington, D.C., allowing students 11 and older to consent to vaccinations in schools. The law prohibits insurance companies from stating in an explanation of benefits that the children had been immunized.

The advocacy group secured a preliminary injunction in federal district court, blocking the policy. The District of Columbia declined to appeal.

Parents nationwide have expressed concern about some school district policies that prevent parents from being informed if their child identifies as the opposite sex at school.

"Parents love their kids more than any government official who's paid to be there," Estrada said. "[T]hey would lay down their life for their children, and they knew their children better than even the most well-meaning government official."

Estrada acknowledged that "amending the Constitution is not something that should be done lightly" and characterized the process for passing the Parental Rights Amendment as a "journey of 1,000 miles." His advocacy organization will rely on a "grassroots groundswell of parents in all 50 states."

"We're urging our grassroots to call their U.S. representative, ask him or her to cosponsor the Parental Rights Amendment since this is something that everyone can join in with," Estrada said.

The Parental Rights Amendment has secured the support of the religious liberty law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, which has won several religious freedom cases before the Supreme Court.

"Parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children," ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of Advocacy Strategy Emilie Kao asserted in a statement endorsing the effort.

"Sadly, as parents have stood before local school boards and state legislatures across the country to claim that right, they've been met by government officials who declare themselves the ultimate determiners of what's best for children. This includes growing instances of schools actively hiding controversial curricula and critical information about children's mental and physical health from parents."

ParentalRights.org supports similar protections at the state level.

Data compiled by the advocacy organization reveals that 15 states have statutes that define and protect parental rights: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The group identified 19 states that do not have statutory protections for parental rights but whose courts have effectively treated parental rights as fundamental rights: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

California, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon and South Dakota have neither statutory nor court-enforced protections for parental rights while it is unclear whether courts in Nebraska, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have courts that recognize parental rights as fundamental rights.
Pastor claims one-third of UMC churches in North Carolina regional body will leave denomination

An organizer with a theologically conservative alternative to the United Methodist Church has predicted that nearly a third of congregations in North Carolina might leave the mainline Protestant denomination.

The Rev. Jerry Lewis, the North Carolina organizer for the Global Methodist Church, told The Carolina Journal earlier this week that he believed at least 226 congregations will leave the UMC North Carolina Conference.

Lewis, who's a church administrator for a Methodist congregation in Jacksonville, claimed that 180 churches have already voted to leave this year, while around 80 have indicated to the GMC that they might also leave the UMC next year. The 260 churches would make up around one-third of the regional bodys 779 member churches.

Were delighted at the sheer amount in what we called the first wave, said Lewis. To have 180 in this first phase is kind of mind-boggling in regard to everything they had to accomplish to reach this state in such a short amount of time.

Of the 180 churches that have already voted to leave, according to Lewis, over 150 plan to join the GMC, while the remainder might either join GMC, another denomination or become nondenominational.

The Christian Post reached out to the Rev. Jerry Lewis for a comment, however, he was unable to return comment by press time.

The UMC annual conferences that cover the state are the North Carolina Conference and the Western North Carolina Conference.

Aimee Yeager, director of communications for the Western North Carolina Conference, told CP that 41 of their 990 congregations have already disaffiliated, while another seven congregations are undergoing the disaffiliation process.

Seven congregations have had their church conference to begin the disaffiliation process, explained Yeager. They will petition for approval at the 2023 Annual Conference. We cannot estimate beyond that how many churches may vote to disaffiliate in the coming months.

Derek Leek, director of communications for the North Carolina Conference, told CP that some of the regional bodys congregations are still in the voting process when it comes to disaffiliation.

We had 784 churches at the beginning of the year. Two have merged with other congregations, and three closed. As of today, we have 779 churches, Leek noted.

Leek also told CP that the North Carolina Conference plans to release the official list before our special called session of Annual Conference on Nov. 19.

Over the past several years, the UMC has been embroiled in an internal debate over whether to change its official stance banning same-sex marriage and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals.

Although efforts to change the standards at the UMC General Conference have always failed, many progressive leaders within the denomination have often refused to enforce the rules.

In May, theological conservatives officially launched the Global Methodist Church, which was to be a new denomination that conservative UMC congregations tired of the ongoing debate could join.

Since then, large numbers of congregations in the United States have voted to disaffiliate from the UMC in order to join the GMC.

In April, before the GMC was officially launched, the UMC Bulgaria-Romania Provisional Annual Conference voted unanimously to join the new conservative denomination; however, a later ruling by the United Methodist Judicial Council stated that annual conferences could not leave the denomination.
Pentagon to pay travel costs for military service members to get abortions

The U.S. Department of Defense will pay for service members to travel out-of-state to obtain abortions to "ensure that our Service members can access reproductive health care and our health care providers can operate effectively."

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin sent a memorandum to senior Pentagon leadership Thursday on "Ensuring Access to Reproductive Health Care." He directed the department to establish "travel and transportation allowances for Service members and their dependents, as appropriate and consistent with applicable federal law and operational requirements."

He also called for creating a "uniform Department of Defense policy that allows for appropriate administrative absence consistent with applicable federal law for non-covered reproductive healthcare."

The memo outlines that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June to allow states to pass laws banning or restricting abortion will mean that "significant numbers of Service members and their families may be forced to travel greater distances, take more time off from work, and pay more out of pocket expenses to receive reproductive health care."

Lloyd believes that the effects of the court'sruling will impact the Department of Defense's ability to "recruit, retain, and maintain the readiness of a highly qualified force."

The secretary ordered the amendment of "any applicable travel regulations" to "facilitate official travel to access non-covered reproductive health care that is unavailable within the local area of a Service member's permanent duty station."

He suggested new policies were necessary due to "concerns from many of our Service members and their families about the complexity and the uncertainty that they now face in accessing reproductive health care, including abortion services."

"The actions outlined in this memorandum will be executed as soon as possible. All actions will be completed no later than the end of this calendar year, to the maximum extent possible," the memo states. "The Department of Defense will continue to closely evaluate our policies to ensure that we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care as appropriate and consistent with federal law."

In a statement, Marjorie Dannenfelser of the national grassroots pro-life group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America decried the Pentagon's new policy.

"The Biden administration will stop at nothing to impose abortion on demand until birth nationwide, paid for by taxpayers, no matter what laws they have to ignore or rewrite," she said.

The new memo comes as other federal agencies have enacted policies to protect access to abortion for service members.

The Biden administration submitted an interim final rule to the Federal Register in September that will authorize Veterans Administration hospitals to perform abortions on service members, even in states where the procedure is illegal.

President Joe Biden expressed support for establishing a federal abortion leave fund in a previously taped interview forum with NowThis News slated to air this weekend.

"It is heartbreaking to see President Biden is so obsessed with abortion on demand that he is willing to use American tax dollars to push for more abortion rather than offering federal funding for lifesaving options offered by pro-life organizations and maternity homes around the country," Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life, said in a statement.

The conservative advocacy group CatholicVote argued in a Twitter thread that a federal abortion fund would amount to "govt sponsored abortion vacations" that would "take tax dollars out of the pockets of American workers to pay for time off to destroy unborn children."

Govt sponsored abortion vacations? @potus now doubling down on his abortion extremism, committing to take tax dollars out of the pockets of American workers to pay for time off to destroy unborn children. https://t.co/9RLNczfyto  CatholicVote.org (@CatholicVote) October 20, 2022

The president also hopes to establish a federal right to abortion after the midterm elections.

Speaking at the Howard Theatre last week, Biden stressed the importance of electing "more Democratic senators to the United States Senate and more Democrats to keep control of the House of Representatives," vowing to "codify Roe once and for all." Biden previously promised to push for Congress to codify Roe days after his inauguration.

The Women's Health Protection Act, legislation that would establish a right to abortion at the federal level, has come up short of the votes needed for passage in the evenly divided U.S. Senate after passing the Democrat-controlled U.S. House on party-line vote.

As Democrats tout the Women's Health Protection Act as simply a codification of Roe, pro-life groups contend the measure will go far beyond Roe and establish a right to abortion until birth.

Public opinion polling indicates that most Americans oppose allowing abortions throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

A May poll from CBS News found that 17% of Americans believed that abortion should be permitted at any point in a pregnancy. A Pew Research Center survey from that same month measured support for legal abortion in all cases at 19%.
Richard Rohr stepping down from leadership roles after cancer diagnosis

Bestselling author and Catholic priest Richard Rohr is stepping away from leadership duties at his Center for Action and Contemplation, citing a recent cancer diagnosis.

Rohr, who is known for his popular theological books, helped to found the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Center in 1987, and has served in various roles for the organization since then.

In a statement released Thursday, the center explained that the 79-year-old Rohr was stepping away from his leadership role, taking on the position of Core Faculty Emeritus.

However, at this stage in his life, Richards desire is to create space for the rest of us to step in and carry his work forward into the future, stated the center.

For several years, he has been engaged with CAC leadership in a gradual process of stepping back from public life. He has significantly reduced his speaking, travel, and day-to-day involvement in programming, and invited other members of our staff and faculty to assume new responsibilities.

The center also noted that Rohr was retiring as both dean of our core faculty and as a voting member of the CACs Board of Directors, and will no longer assume any new or ongoing teaching commitments.

According to a report by the Jesuit publication America, the announcement of Rohr stepping down from his various duties comes after a diagnosis of cancer in his lymph nodes months ago.

America quoted Rohr as saying that he was optimistic about his battle with cancer, with the Franciscan friar explaining that all signs are positive and he is in good spirits.

I have done what was mine to do. May Christ teach you what is yours, Rohr added.

Born in Topeka, Kansas, in 1943 to a devout Catholic family, Rohr decided to become a friar after reading a novel about Saint Francis of Assisi, eventually being ordained a priest in 1970.

Before founding the center in New Mexico, Rohr helped to found what a 2020 New Yorker piece labeled a radical Christian community in Cincinnati, Ohio, known as New Jerusalem.

A diverse array of ministries and worship gatherings centered on lay Catholics living in the Cincinnati area, New Jerusalem recently celebrated its fifth decade of existence.

Rohr is slight, with a white beard and the starry eyes of a person who spends long periods in silence, the New Yorker described him. Over the past four decades, he has gained a devoted following for his provocative vision of Christianity,

Rohr has authored several notable spiritual books, including The Naked Now, Falling Upward, Immortal Diamond, The Wisdom Pattern, as well as works on daily meditation practices.

In 2019, Rohr had the book The Universal Christ released, which was centered on showing a deep cosmic meaning on what it means for Jesus to be considered the Christ.

Drawing on Scripture, history, and spiritual practice, Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of Gods constant, unfolding work in the world. God loves things by becoming them, he writes, and Jesus life was meant to declare that humanity has never been separate from God  except by its own negative choice, noted the Amazon description for the book.

When we recover this fundamental truth, faith becomes less about proving Jesus was God, and more about learning to recognize the Creators presence all around us, and in everyone we meet.

Rohr is not without his critics. Michael McClymond an author and professor of modern Christianity at Saint Louis University, critiquedThe Universal Christ in a 2019 piece for The Gospel Coalition.

McClymond argued that the book had muddled messages on theology and took issue with various claims by Rohr, believing that his theological framework never addresses the ethical problem  endemic to all monistic worldviews  of distinguishing good from evil.

For if Christ is the Jewish girl hiding in her bedroom trying to escape detection, then Christ is also the Nazi storm trooper kicking in the front door, wrote McClymond. Rohr might wish to identify with the youthful victim in this case, but what if I preferred to identify myself with the brutality of the storm trooper?

I see no escape from this ethical problem, unless Rohr either jettisons his premise of a universal Christ, or embraces a universal Christ who is both good and evil, merciful and merciless. If he admits that not everything is Christ, his argument collapses. But the alternative is to assert that Christ is evil as well as good."
'Scare tactic': Pro-lifers refute Democrat's ad showing woman arrested for having an abortion

Pro-life advocates are pushing back against a video advertisement shared online this week by a Democratic member of Congress that they believe misleads the public about laws that ban or restrict abortion.

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif, shared a political advertisement on Twitter Monday night that shows police arresting a woman at her home in front of her children for having had an abortion. The video shows the mother sitting at the dinner table with her husband and two children before the police arrive to arrest her for a past abortion.

As a police officer arrests the mother, he tells the husband that he and his partner are "just enforcing the law." The ad ends by telling viewers that "elections have consequences" and urges them to "vote Democrat" in the upcoming midterm elections.

"MAGA Republicans want women arrested for having an abortion. This is what that looks like," Swalwell's tweet reads.

The advertisement appears to allude to some people's fears that women will face possible charges for having abortions in light of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade this summer. The court's ruling returned authority over abortion laws to the states, and several have enacted bans or restrictions.

Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, called the video a "scare tactic" in a Wednesday statement to The Christian Post. She believes the video seeks to "intimidate" women into voting for candidates who support abortion access.

"The video shared by Rep. Swalwell is reprehensible," she wrote. "No law, state or federal, places penalties on a woman who gets an abortion."

Tobias cited a letter NRLC spearheaded in May to elected officials, signed by over 70 pro-life organizations, outlining their opposition to prosecuting women for abortions and support for offering life-affirming resources instead.

Katie Glenn, state policy director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told CP in an interview that lawmakers have intentionally ensured that laws against abortion do not punish women.

Glenn said that even before Roe legalized abortion nationwide, the law sought to punish abortionists and not women.

Abortionists sometimes sought to have the court treat the woman as their accomplice, she said, but the law only targeted the individuals profiting from the abortion.

"And so, [state lawmakers] have been very intentional about drafting laws that do not prosecute the woman and are focused on the source of the abortion and on the person who is being enriched financially from that abortion," she said.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has a map on its website tracking abortion laws across the country since the court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The map lists the different laws banning abortion at certain gestational stages or altogether, in addition to exceptions, such as life of the mother cases.

None of the laws listed mention prosecuting women for having had an illegal abortion.

Glenn said that in scenarios where a woman is charged, such as the case in August involving a Nebraska mother who helped her daughter obtain an illegal chemical abortion, the charges are not simply because she had an abortion.

The mother in that case was charged with "performing or attempting an abortion on a pregnancy at more than 20 weeks and performing an abortion as a non-licensed doctor." Both the mom and her daughter were charged in July "with allegedly removing, concealing, or abandoning a dead human body," concealing the death of another person and false reporting.

It is alleged that the mother and daughter tried to bury the body three times and also attempted to burn it after the second exhumation.

The pro-choice research organization Guttmacher Institute contends that women had been prosecuted years before Roe was overturned for "self-inducing abortion under a variety of state statutes, ranging from fetal homicide to failure to report an abortion to the coroner."

"Recently, the issue has gained greater attention because of several well-publicized cases in which women were prosecuted  and even imprisoned  for self-inducing an abortion or being suspected of doing so," the organization states. "Despite claims from antiabortion advocates and lawmakers that abortion restrictions are intended to only criminalize providers of abortion care, some prosecutors have exercised their discretion under current state laws to penalize women who end their pregnancies on their own."

Guttmacher reports, however, that "Women are not commonly charged in the United States for the crime of self-inducing an abortion, and they have rarely been convicted." The organization cited a case from the early 1990s in which a 19-year-old was charged after shooting herself in the abdomen to end her pregnancy. Her case went to the Florida Supreme Court, which ruled that established U.S. legal precedent precluded a woman from being prosecuted in the death of her own fetus.

Guttmacher also states that there have been at least a half dozen U.S. cases where women have been arrested and charged for attempting to "self-induce an abortion using illicitly obtained abortifacients."

"For instance, in 2004, one woman in South Carolina was charged with illegal abortion and failure to report the abortion to the coroner after using an abortifacient. In a 2007 case in Massachusetts, a woman was charged with illegal procurement of a miscarriage; however, because of the state's inability to assess whether the fetus met its definition of viability at the time of the abortion, she was not charged with murder," Guttmacher reports.

"In Idaho in 2011, a woman was charged with unlawful abortion and the prosecutor threatened to charge her under the state's newly enacted 20-week ban on abortion. In a case in Pennsylvania in 2013, a mother who had ordered abortifacients off the Internet for her daughter was reported by hospital staff after they sought medical attention for side effects; she was eventually charged with 'providing abortion without a medical license, dispensing drugs without being a pharmacist, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.'"

In 2015, a Georgia woman was charged with murder after giving birth on her way to the hospital after taking abortion-inducing drugs she ordered off the internet.

"Conviction and punishments varied in these recorded cases," Guttmacher reports. "In the South Carolina and Pennsylvania cases, both women were convicted; the woman in South Carolina was sentenced to jail time and a fine, but was let out on time served, while the Pennsylvania woman began a 918-month jail sentence in September 2014. In Massachusetts, the defendant was given probation and ordered to attend counseling. In the Idaho case, the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. The murder charges were eventually dropped in the Georgia case as well, although the woman is still facing a misdemeanor charge of possession of a dangerous drug."

Glenn believes that claims from people like Swalwell will go away as long as pro-life lawmakers continue to be clear about the content of laws banning or restricting abortion.

"We encourage our lawmakers to be very clear about why they're pro-life and why they are supporting pro-life policies in their state and how it's to help women and families, not to hurt them," Glenn said.

"All of the misinformation that they've been talking about, that women are going to be arrested, that women are going to be denied lifesaving care? As that doesn't pan out and people realize that was a lot of bluster, they won't buy it, and the ads are going to fall flat."
HYDERABAD: The city has come alive with the diyas and decorative lanterns and lighting ahead of the Diwali celebrations which are about to start in the next two days.

Seasonal street vendors who depend on festival sales for their income get ready to make some extra cash as Diwali approaches, by selling stylish selections of diyas, lamps, lanterns, Goddess Laxmi idols, firecrackers, and flowers.

As the festival will be celebrated in full swing after two years of Covid restrictions, market areas like the Old City, Attapur, Langer Houz, Monda market, Moazzamjahi market, Gandhi market, Subhash Road, Koti and Abids were flooded with enthusiastic people going on a festival shopping spree.

Every market has a different offering, from earthen lamps to clay oil lamps and diyas. These diyas in the city's bustling markets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including the Navdeep plate, Star Stand Deep, multi-faced, hanging, and doll versions.

After the Ganesh festival and Dasara, vendors and shop owners were anticipating robust sales for Diwali as well. People's joyful spirit was unaffected by the higher commodities prices as they hurried from stall to stall and shop to shop in search of the best diyas, Laxmi idols, illumination, and lanterns.

Suresh Kumar Yadav, a trader of clay goods in Bandlaguda Jagir, had at least 30 types of diyas for sale and hoped to do well this year. We import these diyas from several states, including Gujarat, West Bengal, and Delhi,'' he said. Although the cost of transportation has undoubtedly increased by up to 30%, we are optimistic that this Diwali will see stronger sales than the previous two, he said.

In several locations in Moazzamjahi market and Monda market, different hues and varieties of flowers, including marigold, lotus, jasmine, and chrysanthemums, could be seen stacked. Since people want to celebrate Diwali in a large way this year, Basheerbagh resident Rajesh Bai, who has been in the flower business for 30 years, stated that he was "certainly expecting to make a good business in the next two days."

Another idol vendor, K. Lavanya, who has been selling idols for four generations, voiced her displeasure with the sale's poor response due to sporadic rains and growing online purchasing trends.

"Sudden rains have a significant impact on our business. Increased labour and transportation costs are already a problem, and the unpredictable weather throws all the calculations for achieving the goal sales off course. Additionally, the availability of online shopping has hurt us because it costs more to sell goods online, Lavanya said.

Rahul Talrejaa, shopkeeper at RP Road, has new varieties of lighting for sale this year with prices ranging from `100 to `500 and hopes to make good profit in the next two days.
Supreme Court sets date for Christian web designer's same-sex wedding website case

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case of a Colorado web designer opposed to using her business to promote same-sex marriage in December.

The highest court in the United States recently announced that justices will hear oral arguments in the case of 303 Creative LLC et al v. Aubrey Elenis, et al. on Monday, Dec. 5. The court agreed to hear the challenge to Colorado's discrimination law in February.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal nonprofit representing 303 Creative owner Lorie Smith, announced the date for oral arguments on Twitter Tuesday.

"We're asking the Court to send a clear message to state & local governments: the #1A guarantee of #freespeech isn't just for people who share their views. It's for everyone," ADF tweeted.

The nonprofit advocacy group has won several religious freedom cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including defending a Christian baker punished by Colorado for not baking a cake for a same-sex wedding.

In 2016, Smith filed a pre-enforcement challenge to the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, arguing that the law would force her to provide services contradicting her belief that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

Through her company, Smith wanted to start offering services to build wedding websites but didn't want to be required to build websites for same-sex weddings due to a religious objection to gay marriage.

In July 2021, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit ruled against Smith in a 2-1 decision. The majority concluded that CADA was "a neutral law of general applicability, and that it is not unconstitutionally vague or overbroad."

"Colorado has a compelling interest in protecting both the dignity interests of members of marginalized groups and their material interests in accessing the commercial marketplace," Circuit Judge Mary Beck Briscoe, a Clinton appointee, wrote for the majority.

"When regulating commercial entities, like Appellants, public accommodations laws help ensure a free and open economy. Thus, although the commercial nature of Appellants' business does not diminish their speech interest, it does provide Colorado with a state interest absent when regulating noncommercial activity."

Briscoe argued that "Colorado may prohibit speech that promotes unlawful activity, including unlawful discrimination" and rejected Smith's plan to post a statement on 303 Creative's website noting the business' refusal to create websites for same-sex weddings.

ADF appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, which released an order in February agreeing to take up the First Amendment appeal.

"The petition for a writ of certiorari is granted limited to the following question: Whether applying a public-accommodation law to compel an artist to speak or stay silent violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment," states the Supreme Court order.

In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Colorado baker Jack Phillips, ruling that Colorado violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment by penalizing and being hostile to the Masterpiece Cakeshop owner for violating state discrimination law by refusing to bake a custom cake for a same-sex wedding.

Phillips, who ADF also represented, argues that using his artistic abilities to make a custom cake carries a significant First Amendment speech component and implicates his sincere religious beliefs.
Missouri rule would withhold funding from libraries displaying 'inappropriate' content for children

A new rule proposed by Missouri's Republican secretary of state would withhold state funding from libraries that don't enact policies to shield minors from inappropriate content.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft proposed the rule last week. It will be formally published in the state register on Nov. 15, allowing residents to submit a public comment within 30 days.

Under the proposed administrative rule, libraries that receive state funding must certify in writing that they will implement policies to ensure appropriate book selections for children under 18.

Libraries would also need to promise that state funds don't go toward purchasing sexually explicit material and that age-inappropriate content is not displayed in children's sections.

In addition, libraries receiving state funds may not host or promote events that could be considered inappropriate for minors. The rule would also allow parents to determine which library materials their children could access, and each library would provide an outline online for parents to challenge specific book titles.

"Yes, we want to make sure libraries have the resources and materials they need for their constituents, but we also want our children to be 'children' a little longer than a pervasive culture many often dictate," Ashcroft said in a Monday statement.

"When state dollars are involved, we want to bring back local control and parental involvement in determining what children are exposed to," he added. "Foremost, we want to protect our children."

The secretary of state's proposal has drawn pushback from some library directors and LGBT advocacy groups.

Aaron Schekorra, who leads the LGBT group PFLAG Springfield, told The Springfield News-Leader that he fears the rule could be used to restrict books featuring LGBT characters and relationships even if there is no sexually explicit content in such books.

"A lot of the times, this definition of sexual content or age-appropriate content is pretty broadly applied to just discussions or mentions of sexual orientation or gender identity," Schekorra said. "Because there's always been a constant effort to try and sexualize people's identities when it's not remotely about sexuality and sexual actions. It's about identities, it's about relationships and love."

The proposal comes amid ongoing concerns from parents nationwide regarding the types of materials children are exposed to in libraries, including the content in books and Drag Queen Story Hour events held at libraries nationwide.

Last month, the American Library Association released data that purportedly shows that efforts to ban or restrict book titles are rising.

Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, the organization documented 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources, aimed at 1,651 titles. More than 70% of the attempts sought to ban multiple titles.

In a statement to The Associated Press, ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone said that the subjects of many of the challenged book titles were LGBT issues and racism.

Among the books criticized the most were Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer and Jonathan Evison's Lawn Boy, which critics contend contain graphic sexual content and promote pedophilia.

Last year, one student's mother raised concerns about the sexually explicit material in the books during a Fairfax County Public School board meeting in Virginia. The mother, Stacy Langton, read aloud the sexual acts described in each book, arguing that the library containing such titles was not an oversight on the school's part.

Another set of parents in Indiana voiced objections during a Carmel Clay School Board meeting last August. They oppose elementary and middle school libraries offering books with graphic sex scenes and titles that promote transgenderism.

Last year, the Missouri state legislature sought to pass a bill to address parental concerns that would have restricted drag performers from reading to children in libraries.

The bill, which failed to pass, was called the "Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act." According to The Kansas City Star, the legislation proposed withholding state funding or fining libraries that refused to remove age-inappropriate content.

"In some places  St. Louis, Kansas City, and I think St. (Joseph)  they've had these Drag Queen Story Hours, and that's something that I take objection to, and I think a lot of parents do," the bill's sponsor, Missouri House Rep. Ben Baker, a Republican, said.

"That's where in a public space, our kids could be exposed to something that's age-inappropriate. That's what I'm trying to tackle."
New study suggests religion is good for youth mental health; Expert reveals how churches can do better

Results of a new large-scale study by the Springtide Research Institute have seemingly confirmed decades of previous research pointing to a positive relationship between religion, spirituality and mental health.

And Josh Packard, the organization's executive director, has suggested ways churches can ensure they remain relevant institutions for the younger generation as physical church attendance dwindles.

The study, The State of Religion & Young People 2022: Mental HealthWhat Faith Leaders Need to Know, released during "A Conference on Gen Z, Mental Health & Religion" on Wednesday, reflects a survey of nearly 10,000 young people ages 13-25 about their beliefs, practices, behaviors, relationships and mental health.

The study found that during the pandemic years, most (53%) of the respondents reported that mental health was their biggest challenge. Only 34% of them reported being comfortable talking about their struggle with adults.

Some 57% said new spiritual practices helped them endure the pandemic and more than half (51%) said they turned to prayer. Others turned to activities like reading, yoga, the arts or being in nature.

The study found that while religion and spirituality "can be strong antidotes to much of what contributes to mental-health struggles among young people" and that "people who are religious are better off mentally and emotionally," only 35% of the respondents said they are connected to a religious community.

Respondents connected to a religious community were found to be more likely to say they are "flourishing a lot" in their mental and emotional well-being (29%) than those not connected to a religious community (20%).

Respondents who say they are "very religious" were more likely to report that they are "flourishing a lot" (40%) compared to those who say they are not religious (17%). Respondents who are "not religious" were more than twice as likely to say they are "not flourishing" (44%) than "very religious" respondents.

While the study indicates that religion can have a positive impact on mental health, Packard notes in the report that "solutions to mental-health struggles are more complicated than just 'give young people more religion'" as about 20% of "very religious" respondents report they are "not flourishing."

"The reality is that without addressing mental-health issues, a young person who is mentally and emotionally unwell wont be able to really engage with or understand the depth,

beauty, power, awe, and love that can come with religion and spirituality," Packard wrote. "As Jeff Neel, the Executive Director of Northern Colorado Youth for Christ, puts it, 'Young people

have to heal and belong before they can hear and believe.'"

When asked how churches could be more mental-health positive, Packard told The Christian Post that churches must first get more involved in the general conversation about mental health.

"There is a step zero before you start digging into that, which is that a lot of religious leaders and organizations sort of opt out of this conversation because it makes the older [generations uncomfortable]. There is more of a stigma around mental health for people my age, for example, than there are for 15 and 16-year-olds," Packard said.

"A lot of times, churches might not think that this is their thing to do. I'm not sure that rabbis are running around the country thinking my job here is to support the mental health of young Jews.  Increasingly, the more that we can see that as part of the work that we do and see really faith as instrumental in that work is really, it's going to be important for young people."

"One of the things that comes through so clearly, which is I think a lot of people are astonished by this, whether its academic research or the big report that Gallup just released or even our own data about flourishing, is that religious young people are better off," he continued. "They're simply better off in all aspects of their life than their non-religious or even less religious peers, including their mental health."

Packard said young people need to see faith as a "resource for solving the biggest challenges in their lives."

"And if they see faith as disconnected from that, they're just going to be less likely to engage," he stressed.

"Acknowledging that there is a real role to play and this is not parallel at best alongside your real mission. This is actually a part of the sort or real mission for existing in the world especially when it comes to engaging young people."

Packard said the evidence showing a positive relationship between mental health, religion and spirituality is "pretty overwhelming."

"It's not just [religious youth are] doing a little bit better. They are doing significantly better," he said.

The Springtide leader suggested that churches can focus more on bringing the Gospel to young people instead of waiting for them to come into the walls of their church community to connect.

"If we were to draw some lines, I want to be really careful. The things that worked to lead to those data outcomes currently might not be the things that will work for this generation. In the past, what mosques, synagogues, churches have done really well is connect you to a real physical in-real-life community in this neighborhood, in this part of the city that knows you well. And that's still really, really critical work," he said.

"We might need to move that a little bit outside of that space. One of the things that has shifted in our society over the last 50 years is the level at which people trust institutions of all kinds, not just religious institutions."

Packard contends the "idea of building a community for a young person to walk into is just not going to have the same impact that it might have once had because not only young people but their parents are just less likely to trust those institutions to do that kind of work."

"And so we're going to have to do some more sort of like moving forward with this generation to have that same kind of impact and effect, we're going to have to do some sort of outside of the walls," he argued.

"I'm using walls here kind of metaphorically.  There are lots of Christian campus ministries, for example, who, I don't know if they have offices or they're just working outside of their house. Maybe they spend their entire time in coffee shops or out in public with young people, and so we start to see the engagement that places like that get, we start to see some of the pathways forward to retain the positive effect that religion has."
Over $136K raised for family of pastor killed when driver ran red light

An online fundraiser aimed at helping the family of a Wisconsin pastor killed when a driver struck his car after running a red light has raised over $136,000 in donations.

Pastor Aaron Strong of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milwaukee was killed last week while on his way to work when a man ran through a red light, reportedly because he was late for jury duty.

Shortly after the tragedy, a GoFundMe page was launched to financially aid Strong's widow and two children. As of Thursday morning, $136,335 has been donated by over 1,100 different people.

"What an incredible outpouring of Jesus' love we are experiencing here!" reads an update to the page posted Monday. "Thank you so much for your kindness, generosity, and putting your love into action."

The webpage raised well over $100,000 in its first three days of existence.

"Pastor Strong had a lasting impact on each of our lives, and now we can have an impact on the lives of Abbie, Hannah, and Elijah," church members wrote in the update. "Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever."

The 40-year-old Strong was killed on Oct. 12, a few days after he preached a sermon at Grace Evangelical Lutheran titled "The Gift That Keeps on Giving," which focused on 2 Corinthians 9:10-15.

Strong's church announced his death on Facebook that evening, asking people to keep his family in their prayers.

"Like Job, the question 'Why?' troubles all of us regarding this tragedy. Like Job, we are reminded that our majestic God does not always provide an answer to that question. But what brings us everlasting comfort is that God's mercy shines as bright as his majesty," the church's Facebook post states.

"It is that mercy of God that filled Pastor Strong's heart and that he so joyfully proclaimed throughout his ministry, including his seven years at Grace. As we process grief, we will cling to the cross of Jesus and the miracle of his empty tomb that assured Pastor Strong and assures us of life forever in perfect joy."

Jose Silva, 22, was arrested for allegedly crashing into Strong's car. He was charged with second-degree reckless homicide. According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Silva was driving 74 miles per hour before colliding with Strong.

Strong's funeral was held on Wednesday night at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

"Baptized by his own dad as a little tiny baby, and his whole life he knew, believed and trusted that Jesus had paid for all his sins and he was going to die and be in Heaven immediately upon death," the church's Lead Pastor James Huebner said during the service, according to Fox 6.
Chest reconstruction surgeries on trans-identified youth increase nearly 400% in 3 years: report

A new report suggests that chest reconstruction surgeries performed on adolescents with gender dysphoria increased nearly 400% from 2016 to 2019 as concerns about the ethics and consequences of medical interventions for trans-identified youth persist.

The Journal of the American Medical Association released the report Monday examining the frequency of gender transition surgeries involving the human chest among adolescents in the United States.

The report, authored by Rishub Karan Das, Dr. Galen Perdikis and Dr. Salam Al Kassis of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, analyzed data from the Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample on youth with gender dysphoria who underwent "top" surgeries between 2016 and 2019.

The research analyzed the incidence of both masculizing and feminizing chest reconstruction surgery. Masculinizing chest surgeries involve the removal of the breasts, while feminizing chest surgeries involve the augmentation of breast tissue designed to make the organs more visible in biological males who identify as females.

The report found that the number of chest reconstruction surgeries performed on minors increased from about 100 in 2016 to 489 in 2019, a 389% increase in three years.

The number of chest reconstruction surgeries has steadily increased over the years, surpassing 200 in 2017 and eclipsing 300 in 2018.

The study analyzed a weighted estimate of 1,130 operations performed. According to the research, masculinizing chest surgeries accounted for the overwhelming majority of chest reconstruction surgeries in the three-year period. Feminizing chest surgeries comprised just 1.4% of the total.

While the majority of children who had the surgeries were 17 years old, about 5.5% were under 14. The median age for recipients of the surgeries was 16 years old.

The research did not provide statistics about "bottom" surgeries among minors, which involve the removal of the sex organs that correspond with the patient's biological sex and/or creating artificial sex organs that match their stated gender identity.

Many children's hospitals, including the one at Vanderbilt University, have come under fire for performing life-altering procedures on children.

Vanderbilt announced that it will halt those surgeries following backlash to reporting indicating that the hospital offered them.

While the authors contend that "gender-affirming surgery may improve the functioning and mental health" of teens with gender dysphoria, other medical organizations remain skeptical about the benefits of gender transition procedures.

The American College of Pediatricians, which describes itself as a "national organization of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children," warns about the long-term and short-term impacts of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, which are commonly prescribed to youth with gender dysphoria.

The organization identified the side effects of puberty blockers as "osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, cognitive impairment and when combined with cross-sex hormones, sterility." Additionally, the medical organization states that cross-sex hormones come with "an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers across their lifespan."

Concerns about the negative consequences of surgical interventions for trans-identified children have prompted several states to outlaw the performance of such procedures on minors.

Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas have passed laws to that effect while the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have classified gender transition surgeries on minors as a form of child abuse.

Critics contend that the gender-transition procedures offer a permanent solution to what might be a temporary problem for many adolescents suffering from gender dysphoria.

Detransitioners, those who formerly struggled with gender dysphoria and have since come to regret the gender transitions they underwent, have become increasingly outspoken about sharing their stories.

Last week, Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old who underwent a double mastectomy at 15, discussed the regret of having her breasts removed when calling into a Conejos Valley Unified School District board meeting in Ventura County, California.

"Very quickly, I was given what I wanted, but it was far from what I needed. Two years later, I was still suffering from major complications," she explained.

Cole suggested that as a minor, she lacked the maturity to understand the ramifications of her life-altering decisions.

"I will not be able to breastfeed any children I have in the future, and my sexuality has permanently been affected because I was allowed to make adult decisions starting at 13 and then again at 15," she said.

Cole characterized her experience as an example of "what happens when we treat children like adults and expect them to have the mental faculties for proper long-term decision-making."
Can you laugh at your enemies and love them? Rules for Christian mockery

Few websites have the spite, sarcasm and general nastiness of Twitter. The platform is virtually designed to reward quick, cutting comebacks instead of substance, and quick and cutting can often become cruel.

Sadly, Christians are often among those engaging in bad-faith speech on Twitter, including against one another.

Jesus said, By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Lying about, belittling, abusing, or otherwise failing to treat people as fully human and made in Gods image is sin. If theyre Christian brothers or sisters, its worse. The Bible offers no exceptions for Twitter.

Some argue that, on certain occasions, mockery, if done right, is acceptable. In a time as morally and culturally insane as ours, it could even be useful for discrediting wicked and foolish people in powerful places. Consider the Christian satire site The Babylon Bee. While they dont always hit the mark, many of The Bees headlines, articles, and illustrations are genuinely clever, refusing to take seriously things that truly are absurd. Thats helpful. Not to mention, at times they keep us from taking ourselves too seriously.

Also, a few essays in publications like First Things have re-examined the notion of winsomeness for Christians, arguing that a culture as hostile as ours sometimes requires a more confrontational approach. Films like Matt Walshs recent What Is a Woman? illustrate this approach. While not overtly Christian, the documentary depends on restrained mockery to make its point about how irrational transgender ideology is. The views of some of the experts Walsh interviews truly are ridiculous, not to mention disturbing and dangerous. When he explains to several Maasai tribesmen in Africa how much time is spent in America talking about men becoming women and vice versa, their chuckles say a lot.

On one hand, the Bible tells us to love our enemies, that a gentle answer turns away wrath, and to season our speech with grace. It also contains examples of Gods people being anything but gentle and gracious with opponents, such as Elijah on Mount Carmel mocking the prophets of Baal and their god, Jesus calling the Pharisees a brood of vipers, and the Apostle Paul telling the Galatian Judaizers they should emasculate themselves! While there is a difference between the Bible describing behavior and endorsing it, if our goal is to be Christlike, then what Christ and His closest followers did and said is relevant.

A couple of months ago, my colleague Shane Morris had a fascinating discussion on the Colson Centers Upstream podcast with Brendan Case of Harvards Human Flourishing Program. Case wrote a thought-provoking essay at Church Life Journal about Christian mockery, using the writings of 17th-century mathematician and Christian apologist, Blaise Pascal.

In his 11th Provincial Letter, Pascal included a surprisingly thoughtful defense of Christian mockery. He believed that poking fun at opponents could sometimes be godly and even loving, and he gave six criteria for when and how Christians can do it.

First, argued Pascal, Christians must speak only the truth. We must never lie about our opponents for rhetorical effect or paint them as worse than they are. Second, we should avoid getting personal. We should ridicule ideas, not people. Third, we should only mock what is evil, never what is virtuous. Fourth, we should always desire the good and ultimately the salvation of those whose behavior and ideas we mock. This, after all, is the definition of loving your enemies.

The last two principles, which Pascal only implies, may be the most important. First, we should punch up, never down. Mockery is a tool to expose evil and folly in powerful places, not for grinding down the weak. And, mockery is a last resort, for use on the unreasonable after appeals to reason have failed.

As Case admitted, Pascalian mockery is limited, and is ripe for abuse by those who have not cultivated a spirit of charity. Ultimately, no list of rules will keep those with untamed tongues (or keyboards) from doing great damage. But as platforms like Twitter facilitate nastier and hotter debates than ever, Christians who take part would do well to examine our principles and consider how its possible to laugh at our enemies and love them.

Originally published at Break Point.
Christian considerations and the death penalty

There is a debate today over capital punishment. And that debate is taking place right now in Florida, particularly after the Parkland school shooter received a sentence of life, not death.

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida  who in my book has done a fantastic job keeping the Sunshine Street free  called for the death penalty in this case.

DeSantis has been seeking a change in Floridas death penalty law, which would apply to Nicholas Cruz who took the lives of 17 students and others at his former high school in 2018 in what could be called the second St. Valentines Day Massacre.

Javier Manjarres of The Floridian notes: Governor Ron DeSantis has signaled that the Republican-led state legislature could address the 2017 death penalty law that requires a unanimous jury to find that a criminal defendant should be put to death. ... DeSantis called the recent jury decision to recommend Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz a life sentence instead of death, a miscarriage of justice ... [t]hat did not honor the victims and the families and all that they went through. I think well be able to do something legislatively (emphasis added).

Is the death penalty just a vestige from previous barbaric ages, as some maintain? The Constitution forbids cruel and unusual punishment in the Eighth Amendment (which in its original meaning never included capital punishment, which was widely considered necessary and appropriate at the time) while allowing for the death penalty (in the discussion on capital crimes) in the Fifth Amendment. Does the Bible condemn or forbid capital punishment?

Dr. D. James Kennedy, my longtime pastor, with whom I had the privilege to co-write 19 books, once said: I believe a careful study of Scripture would clearly teach us that a faithful Christian must be involved in the political and social issues of his time. ... God commands men to form civil governments to stem the growth of violence through administering the death penalty (Genesis 9:6). From this flows all other powers and functions of government.

Genesis 9:6 states: Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. In the New Testament, in Romans 13, the Apostle Paul lays down the principle that the state has the legitimate authority to bear the sword if done in a just way: For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

Dr. Kennedy has been criticized for being pro-life in opposition to abortion, while at the same time favoring the death penalty. He said his critics are the inconsistent ones: They are willing to kill the innocent but they are not willing to kill the guilty. That is inconsistency.

One of the books Dr. Kennedy and I wrote was called, How Would Jesus Vote? (2008). It provided a thoughtful Christian view of the issues commonly on the ballot, including the death penalty.

As we noted, when the Bible says, Thou shalt not kill, the more accurate translation from the Hebrew is Thou shalt do no murder. Meanwhile, God commands punishment of those who deliberately and wantonly take human life, if properly convicted, on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Today, there is a philosophy of crime and no punishment, which treats criminals as if they are patients who need treatment rather than wrongdoers who need punishment. In this view, criminals are ill and do what they do because they cant help themselves.

But as we note in our book, C. S. Lewis, the great British writer, criticized this approach to criminality: We demand of a deterrent not whether it is just, but whether it succeeds, ... When we only consider what will cure him ... we have tacitly removed him from the sphere of justice altogether; instead of a person ... we now have ... a case to be treated in a clinic.

To paraphrase Lewis, When we make the issue medical rather than criminal, justice gets lost, and we treat criminals, like cases to be cured.

But this medical approach actually depersonalizes the criminal. In this view, he has no free will of his own and is only being compelled by the mechanics of his brain (Remember the Twinkie Defense? My client wasnt guilty  eating too many Twinkies made him do it.)

In a WND article, Another Argument for Capital Punishment, columnist Dennis Prager noted: It is a cosmic injustice to allow a murderer to keep his life.

He adds, Killing murderers is society's only way to teach how terrible murder is. ... A society that kills murderers is saying that murder is more heinous a crime than a society that keeps all its murderers alive.

In short, if implemented justly and with impartiality, capital punishment sends a statement to society  a statement that human life does have value  so much so that we are willing to exact the ultimate penalty for heinously or callously destroying it.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power plays fast and loose with Tolkiens world

Warning: This review contains spoilers for the Amazon series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings and Peter Jacksons fantastic three-film adaptation had many reasons to doubt that Amazons prequel streaming series would fail to deliver, not the least because the company and its CEO are generally Left-leaning.

Conservatives reacted with dismay when hearing that the show hired an intimacy coordinator, and some protested that black actors had no place in medieval British mythos. Yet the real weakness of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power isnt skin color or LGBT themes (of which there are none), or any other woke ideological threat.

The real problem with Amazons new Lord of the Rings show isnt wokeness but disrespect for the realism of Tolkiens world.

Many of the shows characterizations fall flat and feel false to Tolkiens work. The show turns mithril  the light and extra-sturdy metal mined by the dwarves  into a mystical metal that will keep the elves alive. It turns the men of Numenor  a noble race whom the elves blessed with long life  into shallow, squabbling ingrates who hate the elves for seemingly no reason.

The series also constantly changes the motivations of the main character, a young Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), from revenge to I just cant stop [fighting]. It creates a generic place name  The Southlands  which feels both lazy and out-of-place in a world with names such as Lindon, Gondor, Rohan, Rhovanion, and Mordor. When the show reveals that The Southlands became Mordor, it barely registers as a reveal because The Southlands always felt alien to the lore.

Yet the central failing of the show arguably comes in Episode 6, Udun, which ends with the climactic explosion of Mount Doom and the creation of Mordor. That episode features the central battle in the story, and that battle illustrates just how fast and loose Amazon plays with Tolkiens lore.

Tolkiens work laid the foundation of the modern fantasy genre, not because it was fantastic but because it felt real. Tolkiens stories featured elves and wizards and dragons, but they centered on real characters and they resonated because they took place in a world that felt both different and familiar  in a world where getting anywhere important took a long time and a lot of effort, and where the darkness seems darkest just before the dawn.

Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings introduces the audience to a fantastic new world through the lens of hobbits  people who are instantly relatable in their love for food, drink, and good company. Over the course of a journey that takes considerable time, these hobbits meet elves, dwarves, and men (among others), and each race comes into focus through the main characters. The world grows naturally out of the story, and it feels real because the hobbits have to go far and work hard to do anything worthwhile.

Perhaps the eagles could have flown Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood in Jacksons movies) to Mount Doom, so he could drop the One Ring into the fire from above, and spared the expense of this journey. That, however, would have been a rather poor excuse for a fantasy story. Sadly, it seems that Amazon took this inane idea as a model.

As Tolkien himself wrote: I wisely started with a map, and made the story fit (generally with meticulous care for distances). The other way about lands one in confusions and impossibilities, and in any case it is weary work to compose a map from a story.

The Rings of Power series throws out this successful formula entirely. Rather than focusing on one story, it takes on four: Galadriel, Elrond (Robert Aramayo), the proto-hobbits centered around Nori (Markella Kavenagh), and the men of the Southlands featuring the elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) and Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi).

The series neatly grounds these distinct storylines as taking place simultaneously by showing a meteor crashing to earth in the first episode, bearing The Stranger (Daniel Weyman), who almost certainly will turn out to be Gandalf (Ian McKellen in the movies).

Yet the very grounding of these storylines creates a serious pacing problem. As Forbes Erik Kain notes, the Amazon show makes a journey of around 2,000 miles seem like it takes place in a day. The climactic battle of the sixth episode ends with a miraculous last-minute arrival  involving an army that was just leaving home in the last episode, the same fifth episode that featured the last-minute preparations for the battle 2,000 miles away. The Rings of Power doesnt make any suggestion to the audience that time had been passing differently in the two locations.

Throughout the story, Galadriel travels from the far north to the elf capital of Lindon, across the sea close to Valinor (more than 2,00 miles), where she jumps off the boat and ends up on a raft with Halbrand, who turns out to be Sauron (Charlie Vickers). Elendil (Lloyd Owen) then rescues her and takes her to Numenor. Once there, Galadriel takes a fairly long time to convince Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), the effective ruler of Numenor, to summon an army. They take that army across 2,000 miles of sea and 200 miles of land to the main battle in the Southlands to save the day in the nick of time. Then Galadriel travels to Eregion, where the rings of power are finally forged in the final episode.

All of that convoluted plot around Galadriel takes place in one season, and to say it doesnt line up with the Southlands storyline would be a vast understatement. The Southlands storyline takes place over the course of a few weeks that build to a climactic battle and the explosion of Mount Doom.

The last-minute save is an effective but dangerous storytelling device. If Numenors army comes in too soon or does not have an effective explanation for its arrival, it feels like a deus ex machina, a contrived rescue that does not fit the story.

Tolkiens original The Lord of the Rings features an excellent example of a last-minute save done right: Gandalfs arrival with the Rohirrim at Helms Deep. In Jacksons film adaptation, Gandalf promises to return at a specific time, and the battle drags on, allowing Gandalf the requisite time to reach Eomer (Karl Urban), gather his cavalry, and arrive back in time to win the battle. The audience experiences this delay in real-time, and that makes the grand arrival all the more glorious.

By contrast, The Rings of Power features a few stilted lines of dialogue that might suggest that Halbrand and Galadriel know where the orcs are going to attack the men of the Southlands, but neither Halbrand nor Galadriel have any way of knowing when the attack will take place and they are not in contact with the men who are besieged by orcs.

Miraculously, however, they essentially teleport themselves across thousands of miles of sea and hundreds of miles of land in the nick of time  a classic deus ex machina.

The series suffers from other realism problems, as well. Although Galadriel, the Numenorians, and the men of the Southlands stand very close to Mount Doom when it erupts, spewing enough ash and dust to transform the land into a hellscape, almost none of them die. If only the residents of Pompeii had been so lucky.

The dialogue skirts the line between saccharine and just plain corny, and it borrows far too heavily from the superior Peter Jackson trilogy. Rather than playing it straight, the show strains to create memorable quotes but manages to be worse than forgettable.

To be sure, The Rings of Power does have something to show for its money. The sets  especially those of Numenor, Moria, and Lindon  are stunning and belong in the Tolkien-Jackson version of The Lord of the Rings. The costumes and visual effects also prove top notch. The music, which flowed from the mind of the excellent Bear McCreary with an assist from Lord of the Rings composer Howard Shore, proves superb.

Some of the storytelling works, especially the plot around The Stranger (although the suggestion that he might be Sauron seems forced) and the political intrigue among Elrond, Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur), and Durins wife Disa (Sophia Nomvete).

When it comes to racial diversity, there is little logic to which characters are black and which are white, but the actors and actresses themselves do a good job portraying different characters and the show does a good job of emphasizing the differences among dwarves, elves, men, and hobbits regardless of the skin color of each character.

To say I am an avid fan of The Lord of the Rings would be an understatement. I grew up with the movies and the books, and my wife and I have proudly displayed photos of ourselves with actors Sean Astin (Sam Gamgee) and Billy Boyd (Peregrin Took). I once won a trivia contest because I correctly identified the specific opening music in The Bridge of Khazad-Dum from The Fellowship of the Ring, and I read through the original Tolkien books once again earlier this year. I sincerely hoped that The Rings of Power series would do justice to the books and the movies, and I defended the show early on when many conservatives rushed to condemn it (some without even having watched a single minute).

I came into the show with an open mind, but the show lost me because it trivializes Tolkiens lore. This shoddy storytelling and worldbuilding may reveal a disdain for the audience  an attitude that says, Its no big deal, its just fantasy. If nearly $500 million can buy Amazon anything, it should be enough to buy screenwriters wise enough to reject this flaccid mentality.

Originally published at The Daily Signal.
Tricked by treats: Christians should be wary of Halloween (and other holidays)

Whatever concerns we should have about Halloweens origins and its connection to Celtic practices associated with the end of summer and the onset of winter in the festival of Samhain, we should also be concerned about the organized creation of dissatisfaction by which retailers encourage a cycle of endless want that combats contentment.

The cultic context from which Halloween originated certainly distorts God and opens doors to the spiritual realm. However, in the context of 21st-century America, Halloween and various other holidays are also problematic because they reinforce commitments to ways of life that hinder us from reflecting Christ. Today, Halloweens rituals are different though not less problematic.

Suggesting that Halloweens rituals are different now than at the time of its origins does not make its potential spiritual influence trivial. Yet, focusing too narrowly on the threat of Halloweens origins can cause us to neglect the modern-day rituals in which Halloween and other holidays are now immersed.

These rituals involve a logic that presses us to link celebration with consumption. Rather than making sacrifices to protect ourselves from the forces of darkness and decay as was done in the original Celtic rituals from which Halloween emerged, we ward off the evils of dissatisfaction by casting our cash (or credit) into the coffers of those who can deliver fleeting satisfaction.

Halloween isnt Halloween without costumes, candy and decorations of various sorts. For many, the holidays, including Christmas and Easter, involve rituals that are less reflective of Christ than of a culture in which we pursue our endless cravings and misdirected desires.

For instance, in September, Target announced that it would be instituting early holiday shopping plans in an effort to encourage consumers to part with hard-earned dollars (and to avoid potential overcrowding in stores in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Walmarts press release noted that it would be taking steps to help shoppers make the most of this years shortened holiday season by offering more savings, more ways to shop, more top gifts to shop for, and more fun in stores than ever.

Retailers arent mustachioed villains hatching plans for world domination while petting their favorite kitty. They are simply following the logic of the market.

If we have largely forgotten how to celebrate without elaborate costumes and candy (Halloween), big meals where we eat more calories than most of us need in two days (Thanksgiving) and multiple gifts under elaborately decorated trees (Christmas), it only makes sense that we need retailers to assist us in our celebrations.

Halloween, like other holidays, has been reoriented to make sense within our world. Sacrificing to the Celtic god Samhain makes less sense today, in part, because it doesnt have a strong business model, whereas Black Friday and Cyber Monday do little to reinforce our Christian formation but fit within the economic logic and shopping rhythms that too often characterize our collective lives.

Without denying the ongoing influence and practice of the occult in the United States, we should recognize that our view of God, the world, others, and ourselves may also be distorted by cultivating a social imaginary that encourages us to make sense of the world as if God did not exist. Social imaginaries shape our understanding of what is normal by prompting us to question practices that seem to stand apart from our underlying sense-making apparatus. Immersed in social imaginaries that deny God, Christians must be intentional about being strange in the right ways.

My concern is not to deny the dangers of mysticism, but to highlight the equally pernicious problem of new Halloween (and holiday) rituals that have emerged as a consequence of the worlds sense-making apart from Christ. We dont always see these rituals as sufficiently problematic and, as such, do not adequately separate ourselves from them.

For instance, focusing on Halloweens cultic origins has prompted Christian groups to celebrate Halloween under a different name. Harvest Festivals often resemble Halloween in that they incorporate costumes, candy, games and other similar imagery as Americanized Halloween gatherings. Harvest Festivals may make Halloween more palatable and wholesome, yet they dont generally confront the consumerist rituals that are embedded within Halloween in the United States.

Holidays can and should be times of celebration and worship. Harvest Festivals offer Christians an opportunity to do just that. Yet, being held at a church doesnt automatically sanctify everything about Halloween. We should think about the way we celebrate holidays and how our way of celebrating may be hindering us from walking in newness of life.

Halloween and Harvest Festivals can become another excuse to shop. They can prompt us to spend an inordinate amount of time as shoppers and buyers as we seek to keep up with the Joneses or one-up our neighbors. Scrolling through the virtually endless number of costumes, props and decorations, finding that our Jack-o-Lantern doesnt stack up with that of our neighbor, or making sure the kids coming by will remember us as the house with the great treats embeds us within a narrative is, at best, Christian adjacent. Similar dynamics could be identified at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter as we busy ourselves (with cooking, baking, shopping, etc.) like Martha rather than sitting at the feet of our Savior like Mary.

Im not anti-holiday or even necessarily anti-Halloween. I am, however, concerned that Christians (myself included) celebrate the holidays in a more deliberate than default manner. We are always in the business of being and making disciples, which means that we need to learn to respond faithfully to the ever-present God who continues to be active within and among us. As we rightfully consider how to avoid the evil spirits associated with Halloween, we would be wise to remember that those spirits are not limited to supernatural beings, but to the spirits of the age that lure us away from the peace and contentment that Christ can provide.
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigns after 6 weeks in office

After six weeks in office, United Kingdom Prime Minister Liz Truss announced Thursday that she will resign, making her term as prime minister the shortest in the nation's history.

In a statement outside 10 Downing Street, Truss said she "came into office at a time of great economic and international instability."

"I was elected by the Conservative Party with a mandate to change this," she said. "We delivered on energy bills and on cutting national insurance. We set out a vision for a low tax, high growth economy that would take advantage of the freedoms of Brexit."

"I recognize though, given the situation, that I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party," she added. "I have therefore spoken to his majesty, the king, to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party."

Truss further stated that "there will be a leadership election within the next week," which will "ensure that we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country's economic stability and national security."

Truss will remain in office until a successor has been selected.

A champion of tax cuts and a critic of "woke" identity politics, the former foreign secretary was elected as prime minister in early September after the resignation of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in July. Johnson left office following a series of controversies that led to several resignations.

Truss' announcement on Thursday contrasts with her remarks the day before during a session of Parliament. She said she was "a fighter and not a quitter" in response to criticism from her own party over her economic proposals.

Sir Keir Starmer, head of the Labor Party, released a statement shortly after the resignation announcement, calling for a general election. Starmer contends that Britons "deserve a proper say on the country's future."

"After 12 years of Tory failure, the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos. In the last few years, the Tories have set record-high taxation, trashed our institutions and created a cost-of-living crisis," Starmer claimed.

"The Tories cannot respond to their latest shambles by yet again simply clicking their fingers and shuffling the people at the top without the consent of the British people. They do not have a mandate to put the country through yet another experiment."

Truss is the third woman to hold the office, with conservative Margaret Thatcher being the first female prime minister in 1979.
The report exposed the dire-straits of the health care system in rural parts, and called for urgent measures to build a robust healthcare system in the interiors.  Representational Image/DC

HYDERABAD: While urban Telanganas development and modern infrastructure are being hyped, the states rural areas are witnessing a decay of primary healthcare systems owing to a lack of basic facilities.

According to the latest ministry of health and family welfares report on rural health statistics, Telangana had a shortfall of 12 per cent in primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and 53 per cent shortfall in the community health centres (CHC) in the interiors.

The report said that as against the required 721 PHCs in the state only 636 had been established. Of the 180 CHCs required, were available.

The report exposed the dire-straits of the health care system in rural parts, and called for urgent measures to build a robust healthcare system in the interiors.

President of Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association, Dr Mahesh Kumar K., speaking to Deccan Chronicle, said, Primary healthcare is grossly neglected in the country, overall. As a state, we are focusing on tertiary healthcare in the rural areas with new medical colleges being proposed, which is not the immediate priority. PHCs and CHCs have to be strengthened at the ground-level and district hospitals should be upgraded to provide basic health care facilities to rural populations.

Experts expressed the need for a change from curative to preventive measures and easy access to healthcare in order to detect chronic health issues early and address them accordingly.

Dr Ranga Reddy, founder of Infection Control Academy of India and public health policy adviser, underlined the importance of strengthening primary health care.

He said, Without strengthening primary care, we shall end up nowhere. Excessive focus on tertiary care is a misplaced priority. Especially for states like Telangana, which are undergoing rapid urbanization, there is a need for more CHCs. Unless we build a healthy primary healthcare system, we will not be able to cater to the growing morbidity situation in the state.
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.
China envoy denounces rights smears

By MINLU ZHANG at the United Nations (China Daily) 16:03, October 22, 2022

Dai Bing, charge d'affaires at the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations [Photo/Xinhua]

A Chinese envoy on Thursday firmly refuted groundless accusations on China's human rights, saying the world does not need condescending remarks or the politicization of human rights.

"What the US and a handful of Western countries really care about is not China's human rights but interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights with the aim of suppressing and containing China, safeguarding their own hegemony," Dai Bing, charge d'affaires at the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said at a meeting of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.

They "reject the truth", "repeat lies", and "engage in coercive diplomacy", said Dai. "But today the people of the world have awakened, and the vast number of developing countries have awakened. Anyone who engages in hegemony will be opposed, and whoever engages in coercion will be doomed to failure."

Dai urged relevant countries to take concrete steps to address their serious human rights problems.

"The US is obsessed with naming and attacking other countries, turning a blind eye to its own human rights situation, focusing only on developing countries, and is selectively blind to the human rights abuses of its allies," said Dai, calling this behavior "hypocrisy and double standards".

The Third Committee is a platform for dialogue and cooperation, not for confrontation, Dai said on Wednesday at the Third Committee of UNGA, adding that the world needs fairness and justice. There is "no need for a 'teacher' to boss around other countries", the envoy said.

Dai also made a joint statement at the Third Committee meeting on behalf of 25 countries, calling for the immediate and complete lifting of unilateral coercive measures.

Dai said developing countries and their populations continue to fall victim to unilateral coercive measures, which run counter to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, multilateralism, and the basic norms of international relations.

Zimbabwe agreed with the statements delivered by China on Wednesday, and it supports the universality and the non-politicization of human rights, said Garikai Manyanga, a Third Committee expert from Zimbabwe.

Some states' "holier than thou" attitudes are self-serving and counterproductive, he said, stressing that dialogue is the best way forward for those that are lagging.

Causing divisions

Venezuela, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the UN, an organization launched last year in the UN that consists of 19 countries including China, noted the increase in unilateralism and practices causing divisions. The nation also rejected double standards in human rights.

Venezuela expressed concern over the growing proliferation of mechanisms and procedures that conduct assessments of human rights in specific states and which, in most cases, lack their due consent and participation, said Joaquin Perez Ayestaran, the representative of Venezuela. Instead, these assessments rely on sources that may be biased or not credible.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Wu Chaolan)
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Even by the standards of British politics, the past few weeks have been a calamitous embarrassment.

When the last Tory leadership contest began, it seemed blindingly obvious to me that Liz Truss, with her wooden manner and fantasy economics, was easily the worst candidate in the race. But when a third of her fellow MPs and a majority of party members chose her regardless, I prayed she would prove me wrong.

We all know what happened: the catastrophic tax-cutting experiment, the plunge in the pound, the pressure to put up mortgage rates and the shambolic implosion of her premiership.

But although I think shell be remembered as the least competent Prime Minister in all our history, its misleading, as well as cruel, to blame the debacle on a single woman.

Painful though it may be to admit it, the Truss fiasco is merely a symptom of a much wider malaise  or more accurately, two different malaises.

Dominic Sandbrook: Even by the standards of British politics, the past few weeks have been a calamitous embarrassment

The first is the sickness that has infected the Conservative Party since the chaotic aftermath of the Brexit referendum in the summer of 2016. Supposedly the home of stable government, the party of Disraeli, Baldwin, Churchill and Macmillan has veered from one extreme to another, with a culture of factionalism, greed, ambition and self-interest to rival anything at the court of the Borgias.

Yet the Tories woes are, in turn, merely part of a much broader story. Its only three years since the Labour Party went to the country with a leader who was palpably, offensively unfit for office, a conspiracy-theory crank under whom Marxists and anti-Semites had flourished as never before.

Truss and Jeremy Corbyn didnt come out of nowhere. Their colleagues and activists saw them for what they were and elevated them anyway. In other words, they were accurate reflections of a political class that has become horribly degraded, losing sight of dignity, decency and sanity in a kind of race to the bottom.

Ive been writing about the corrosion of our political culture in the Mail for years, but never has it been brought home to me so starkly as in recent weeks. While the Truss premiership was falling apart, I was working on a podcast project about the young Winston Churchill, a figure who now seems so distant he might have been living thousands of years ago.

At times, the contrast was almost excruciating. To read Churchills early Commons speeches, with their rolling cadences and historical allusions, and then to listen to Miss Trusss appallingly wooden efforts, was to be reminded how catastrophically low standards have sunk.

You may say that Churchill represents an impossibly high bar. But does he?

To read Churchills early Commons speeches, with their rolling cadences and historical allusions, and then to listen to Miss Trusss appallingly wooden efforts, was to be reminded how catastrophically low standards have sunk

Of course, people have always believed political standards are falling. Even Churchill thought, by the time he entered the Commons in 1900, that the standard had slipped since the Victorian golden age.

But the fact that its a cliche doesnt mean that its not true.

As a historian of modern Britain, Ive watched hours of footage of our post-war politicians and read more speeches and memoirs than I care to remember. And when I think about characters such as Clement Attlee, Harold Macmillan, Denis Healey and Willie Whitelaw, its impossible to deny that things have got worse.

Many had served in the world wars and were seasoned by the experience of battle. Attlee had nearly died attacking an enemy trench in Mesopotamia. Macmillan had spent 12 hours lying wounded in a shell-hole at the Somme. Healey had been the military landing officer on the beaches of Anzio. Whitelaw had won the Military Cross as a tank commander after D-Day.

Even those politicians who hadnt seen combat, such as Labours Jim Callaghan or the Tories Margaret Thatcher, were thoughtful, formidable people. Watch one of their interviews from the 1970s and 1980s, and even if you dont agree with a word theyre saying, their moral and intellectual seriousness put their successors to shame.

Its true, of course, that there are still plenty of decent politicians and we shouldnt tar them all with the same brush. Scores of principled, committed MPs, many of them backbenchers, work hard for their constituents and genuinely believe in what theyre doing.

Even those politicians who hadnt seen combat, such as Labours Jim Callaghan or the Tories Margaret Thatcher, were thoughtful, formidable people.

But nobody, I think, could deny that the balance is badly wrong. Many new MPs, to be frank, are much too young.

A Commons report on successive intakes since the 1970s found that the 2019 election gave us 29 new MPs under the age of 30, more than the intakes of 1979, 1983 and 1987 put together.

At the same time, the green benches have been emptied of people with experience. A few generations ago, people like Tony Blair (69) and Gordon Brown (71) would still be MPs. So would the likes of David Cameron, William Hague, Alan Johnson and Vince Cable, all of whom have left politics for more lucrative pastures elsewhere.

Can you blame them? Quite apart from the logistical demands of the job, MPs are constantly abused and harassed both online and in the street, while the rewards are less lavish than we often think.

When pay for MPs was first introduced in 1911, it was set at the equivalent of 260,000, putting them alongside the very top professionals. Today its 84,000.

Given the economic climate, it would obviously be bonkers for them to demand a pay rise tomorrow. But to be blunt, you get what you pay for.

As a result, theres practically a revolving door at the Palace of Westminster. Experience, wisdom and institutional knowledge vanish every five years, which is why governments keep making the same calamitous mistakes.

There are other problems. Look beneath the surface, past the superficial ideological differences, and our political class is too homogenous. Almost nine of out ten MPs elected in 2019 were university graduates, for example, while almost a quarter went to Oxford or Cambridge.

Parliamentary data shows that in the past two decades, the Commons has been dominated by two groups: lawyers and former special advisers. There are fewer former civil servants  who know how things actually work  than ever before in my lifetime.

Other parts of our society have vanished altogether. Farming accounts for 0.3 per cent of the Tory parliamentary party and has no presence whatsoever in the other parties. And there are no former manual workers in any of the parties at all.

Indeed, its telling that almost all our major politicians used to be student activists. Liz Truss, infamously, was the president of the Oxford Liberal Democrats. Boris Johnson was president of the Oxford Union. Keir Starmer was a member of the Labour Young Socialists. Even Rishi Sunak, when a student, was an intern at Tory headquarters.

Indeed, its telling that almost all our major politicians used to be student activists. Liz Truss, infamously, was the president of the Oxford Liberal Democrats. Boris Johnson was president of the Oxford Union. Keir Starmer was a member of the Labour Young Socialists.

In effect, the House of Commons has become a glorified student debating society. So its no surprise that public life feels like a kind of permanent student-union election, full of adolescent feuding, posturing, backbiting and backstabbing  as if nothing really matters and theres no real world outside.

Meanwhile, the institutions that once underpinned our political life are in deep long-term decay. The factories, mines and Methodist chapels that provided so many decent, patriotic, socially conservative Labour MPs have long since vanished, leaving its ranks stuffed with careerists and fanatics.

As for the Tories, it now seems barely believable that when Churchill entered politics, there were some two million members of the Primrose League, a mass organisation founded to support God, Queen, and Country, and the Conservative cause. By contrast, todays Tory Party has just 172,000 members, fewer than the Woodland Trust, the Wine Society or the Camping and Caravanning Club. No wonder its leadership feuds are so detached from ordinary peoples daily concerns.

And even if, after all that, you find a senior politician with brains and character, they have to cut through the babble of modern social media, which rewards the loudest mouths and the most eye-catching soundbites, instead of careful consideration and serious thought.

Its the landscape that has changed, then, as well as the characters. Would an attention-seeking know-nothing like Jacob Rees-Mogg have found such prominence under Harold Macmillan or Margaret Thatcher? Of course not.

But social media rewards and promotes Rees-Moggs ridiculous effusions. So do the various TV companies, even the BBC. Indeed, watch the Tory leadership debates from earlier this summer and its hard to credit the vacuousness of the questions, let alone the answers.

Its against this background, then, that we can make sense of the Truss fiasco. She was the apotheosis, the personification, of many of these trends  a former student politician with no institutional weight and no intellectual seriousness, just a narcissistic sense of personal ambition and a ragbag of simplistic ideas picked up from some American think-tanks.

Would an attention-seeking know-nothing like Jacob Rees-Mogg have found such prominence under Harold Macmillan or Margaret Thatcher?

So where do we go from here? Clearly the rot goes deep, but the Tories could start by picking the right person for a change.

Of the two front-runners, I readily accept that Boris Johnson is a remarkable political phenomenon, a rumbustious weather-maker who can never be ignored. But I cant believe that Tory MPs can so easily forget the risible shambles of his final months in office.

As for Rishi Sunak, theres no doubt that hes a very bright, sane and sensible man with an unrivalled eye for numbers. But is he a national leader? And is this really the right moment to elevate a staggeringly rich hedge-fund financier with a non-domiciled heiress wife?

Personally, then, I think that by far their most formidable standard bearer among the general public would be the former Royal Navy reservist and Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt, a fine natural communicator and a fresh face after the years of chaos.

Alas, leadership elections are often swung by court factionalism and ideological obsession, which means parties keep picking the wrong people.

One final thought. When British politics goes wrong, as it so clearly has in recent months, its very tempting for us to poke accusing fingers at our politicians, as if theyre all engaged in a vast conspiracy to cheat and humiliate us.

But politics doesnt happen in a vacuum. Politicians are people, too  products, albeit very unusual ones, of the same cultural and social landscape as the rest of us.

It would be very harsh, I think, to say that weve got the political class we deserve. But we havent ended up with it by accident. And if we really want serious, decent, responsible leaders, perhaps we could try voting for them.
Considering that the Tories have been in office, one way or another, since May 2010  almost 12 years  you might expect most areas of life in Britain to be markedly conservative, stamped with the imprint of our political masters.

Certainly, a very different country from the land ruled by New Labours Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

But in very many key areas of national life, there has actually been a strong drift to the Left.

Its a sign of the times that people who in 2010 considered themselves to be Labour supporters, such as the writer J.K. Rowling (pictured), are now routinely smeared and vilified, simply because they have the guts to question the latest fashionable orthodoxies about what it means to be a woman

On the broader social and cultural fronts, the evidence of Left-liberal momentum is particularly stark.

If, back in the summer of 2010, a soothsayer had forecast that after 12 years of Tory governments, universities would be vigorously decolonising their curriculums, young people would be routinely offering their pronouns to forestall any confusion about their gender and museums would be seeking to give away some of their most historic treasures, youd have thought them completely deranged.

Of course the Left-wing activists who infest so many of our great institutions insist that such developments are pure common sense.

Anybody who resists their latest obsessions, they howl, is waging a confected culture war  as if echoing what most normal people instinctively believe makes you some kind of dangerous Fascist.

This significant swing to the Left is not a move to the Left-wing values of Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson, nor even those of Blair and Brown, but it represents a much more hysterical, intolerant Left, obsessed to the point of unreason with race and gender.

Indeed, its a sign of the times that people who in 2010 considered themselves to be Labour supporters, such as the writer J.K. Rowling or the philosopher Kathleen Stock, are now routinely smeared and vilified, simply because they have the guts to question the latest fashionable orthodoxies about what it means to be a woman.

So whats the explanation? Is it the fault of Tory governments for failing to pack cultural institutions with their own supporters? Should we blame universities for filling youngsters heads with such woke nonsense?

Or should we chastise conservatives themselves, for failing to present an attractive alternative? Lets take those propositions in order.

Theres certainly some truth in the theory that Tory governments have been too spineless to stand up for small-c conservative values.

The Government was lamentably weak, for example, in cracking down on the mobs of lunatic activists smashing up our cities in the wake of George Floyds murder in 2020  a murder of a black man by a white police officer that happened in America and which had nothing to do with us here in Britain.

The Government was lamentably weak in cracking down on mobs of lunatic activists smashing up our cities in the wake of George Floyds murder in 2020  a murder of a black man by a white police officer that happened in America and which had nothing to do with us here in Britain

Its also been too weak to clamp down on the extremists of Extinction Rebellion and similar groups  though the greater culprits are the police, who, for their part, seem more interested in investigating people for using the wrong pronouns than in maintaining order and catching villains.

But in some areas of the arts, the Tories have promoted their supporters. The BBC director-general, Tim Davie, is a former Conservative councillor; its chairman, Richard Sharp, has advised both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak; and its board includes Theresa Mays former press chief, Sir Robbie Gibb, a keen Brexiteer who has openly criticised the BBCs woke-dominated groupthink.

A much bigger problem, I think, is the insidious supremacy of that groupthink  which a handful of senior appointments can do little to shift.

Across many cultural institutions, from the National Trust and the Church of England to once-great museums and publishers, you find the same slack, unthinking jargon, the same obsessions with the imagined crimes of history, the same lazy obsessions with gender and slavery, the same convoluted babble of abstract nouns and meaningless Americanisms.

Why is this? One answer is that graduates have been pouring out of university humanities departments having been lectured for three years about the supposed evils of British history and the importance of recognising that there are actually 72 genders  or perhaps 73, or even 74, depending on the madness of the academic.

In many ways, therefore, the finger of blame should be pointed at our higher education system.

How ironic that although academics love to preach about diversity, the only diversity they seem to be interested in is skin colour  not independence of thought. In a revealing survey two years ago, the think-tank Policy Exchange found that just nine per cent of academics had voted Leave in the Brexit referendum, while only seven per cent identified themselves as right of Centre.

In a revealing survey two years ago, the think-tank Policy Exchange found that just nine per cent of academics had voted Leave in the Brexit referendum, while only seven per cent identified themselves as right of Centre. Pictured: Pro-EU demonstrators take part in a rally calling for the UK to rejoin the European Union on Saturday

Most disturbingly, only half said they would feel comfortable sitting next to a Leave supporter at lunch, while just a third said they would be comfortable beside somebody who questioned their transgender dogma.

But its too easy to explain this as the result of some deliberate, nefarious conspiracy.

In truth, many, even most, academics are smug, closed-minded and intellectually second-rate  too dimwitted, in other words, to be plotting anything so sinister. Instead, the fundamental problem is that very few clever, sceptical Centre-Right people contemplate working in artistic or cultural institutions.

Instead, they go straight into business, finance, medicine or the law, which offer far greater financial rewards.

As a result, museums, universities, even schools are often run by idealistic, over-earnest, hectoring Lefties, bereft of the basic maturity or intellectual confidence to question what theyve been taught.

So how to fix it? Well, the past 12 years have shown that Tory governments are unable to de-wokeify our great institutions. Indeed, if the past few days are any guide, theres not much point looking to a Conservative government to do anything.

The answer, I believe, is a calm, confident campaign in defence of the cultural values most of the British people hold dear.

Whats more, such a campaign might do a lot better than people expect. As the reaction to the Queens death shows, tens of millions are still small-c conservatives at heart.

Unlike the people running the Church of England or the National Trust, they make it clear that they like our country, and are passionately proud of its history and heritage. For too long, those tens of millions have been silent  not least because most have better things to do than to engage in debate with a peculiar, half-crazed band of jargon-babbling ideologues.

But as a result, theyve been let down  and Britain has moved significantly Left-ward.

So its now high time for a fightback  polite and respectful, of course, but implacable nonetheless.

Clearly, the job cannot be left to Conservative MPs.

But Im convinced there are countless sane, sensible people in the arts, the media, publishing and education who are sick of this nonsense, and of the shrieking and howling that accompanies it.

In fact, I know there are, because in private they often tell me so.

So isnt it time that they stood up? Isnt it time to stop appeasing these eccentric bullies? And isnt it time to stand up for Britain, before they destroy it for ever?

Dominic Sandbrook hosts the podcast The Rest Is History
These animals look so similar they could be each other's mirror reflection.

Pet lovers from London to Taiwan have shared jaw-dropping pictures of animals that were each other's doppelganger, in a gallery collated by Bored Panda.

In one snap, a farmer proudly showed their twin sheep, who both share a deep black coat with the same white patch in their facial marking.

Meanwhile, a passer-by enjoying a walk in London's Hyde Park was struck was a row of seagulls all perched on fencing in the Serpentine.

On the other side of the world in Taiwan, a bird lover caught sight of two pairs of Night Herons and Kingfishers that struck the same pose and looked identical.

Pet lovers from London to Taiwan have shared awe-inducing pictures of animals that were each other's doppelganger, in a gallery collated by Bored Panda. Pictured: twin sheep from the UK

Everybody wants to be a (black) cat! In the US, a cat lover was struck by a group of felines looking eerily similar

In Taiwan, a bird lover caught sight of two pairs of Night Herons and Kingfishers that struck the same pose and looked identical

Meanwhile, a passer-by enjoying a walk in London's Hyde Park was struck was a row of seagull all perched on fencing in the Serpentine

Paws up! A dog lover came home to see their identical greyhounds striking the exact same pose

In the UK, This very happy band of Bernese Mountain Dogs were very excited to get their treats and looks exactly like each other

Seeing double! At a meeting for cocker spaniels in the UK, owners had to look twice to make sure they were bringing the right dog home

These two cats looks like they are wearing the same tuxedo while they wait for their dinner

Looking catty! Three white cats look over to their neighbour's house, who is sporting the same coat

A cat lover was struck by home similar their two feline friends look, when they peered in the living-room

A hiker was surprised to see three tortoise stacked on top of each other during a nature walk

While doing some food shopping, a dog lover believed to be in the US was struck to bump into a King Charles dog who was missing an eye, just like theirs

Cat's impressive! Two black cats and two identical white and black cats were spotted together in this neighbourhood in Georgia

A cat owner was bemused by this picture where their pets looked strangely similar as they played around the house
The final series of The Crown will 'end on a high for King Charles' according to insiders.

Series six, which is set to stream next year, will close on the king's 2005 wedding to the then Camilla Parker Bowles, the Telegraph reports, saying it will leave viewers with a 'positive' image of the monarchy.

The claims come as series five, which is set to air on Netflix from November 9, has faced criticism from a number of sources since the release of its trailer, with one royal biographer branding it 'deliberately hurtful'.

Focusing heavily on the fallout between Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki and King Charles (then Prince of Wales) as portrayed by Dominic West, the trailer showcases a number of low points for the royals.

There are concerns within both royal and political circles about how series five of The Crown will impact the reputation of King Charles (pictured: Dominic West playing the role of Charles in the Netflix show)

The upcoming series of The Crown, which will air on Netflix from November 9, has been criticised by some over its portrayal of some royals including the king (pictured here in Glasgow in October)

However, according to reports, the next and final series will end 'on a high' for the king, portraying his 2005 wedding to Camilla (pictured)

Among them are Charles and Diana's marriage breakdown, the late royal's controversial Panorama interview and the notorious tampongate phone call between the King and Queen Consort.

Amid the criticism, William Shawcross, the Queen Mother's official biographer, has branded the series 'odious' and 'deliberately hurtful' over an apparently invented scene where Charles tells the Queen she should be 'thrown... into jail' for being a 'bad mother'.

The Netflix show has also faced scrutiny over the decision to recreate the final days of Princess Diana, shooting some scenes in Paris, where she died.

According to The Sun, even crew members are concerned in relation to the scenes depicting the lead-up to Diana's death, with one reportedly saying: 'It feels as though a line is being crossed.'

Netflix insists Diana's death, in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in central Paris, will not be recreated in the new series.

Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki square off as King Charles and Princess Diana in the drama-packed trailer for the show

Netflix is facing fury over plans to dramatise Princess Diana's final moments before her tragic death in Paris in its new season of The Crown. Pictured: Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in The Crown, season five

But one set source reportedly told The Sun: 'To be going back to Paris and turning Diana's final days and hours into a drama feels very uncomfortable.

'The show always tried to present a fictional version of royal history with as much sensitivity as possible. But lately, as things get closer to the present day, it feels harder to strike that balance.'

King Charles is the dominant figure in the drama. He is shown, in one fictitious storyline, to be lobbying Prime Minister John Major in an attempt to force his mothers abdication.

Friends called the portrayal of the new monarch as a disloyal schemer false, unfair and deeply wounding and urged viewers to boycott the hit Netflix show.

The programme has also been criticised by former PM John Major (pictured, Jonny Lee Miller as John Major in series five of The Crown) over its portrayal of events he says never happened

Meanwhile another storyline with show King Charles' relationship with the Queen Consort (played by Olivia Williams)

Imelda Staunton made her debut as a stern-looking Queen in the midst of her annus horribilis in the trailer for The Crown series 5 which was released by Netflix recently

According to the Telegraph, the new series has sparked concerns within both royal and political circles, with worries about how King Charles' reputation may be affected.

However, it cites a source saying the next series will highlight more 'celebratory scenes', including the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002, and Prince William meeting Kate Middleton at St Andrews University.

Addressing the controversy around series five of the programme, last week a spokesperson for The Crown said: 'The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events.

'Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family - one that has already been scrutinised and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians.'
Carrie Johnson was photographed looking calm as she was driven away from Gatwick Airport this morning after returning from her family holiday.

The 34-year-old accompanied her husband, former PM Boris Johnson, 54, as he made his way back from the Caribbean to the UK to join the race for the keys to No10.

Last night the couple, alongside their children Wilfred, two and baby Romy, were seen boarding a plane, before arriving today at around 10:20am.

The former PM's wife appeared calm as she was whisked away from the airport.

Despite rushing back from the Caribbean, taking an overnight flight, the former PM's wife Carrie Johnson (pictured) appeared calm as she was whisked away from Gatwick Airport this morning

The 34-year-old, who was thought to be accompanied by the couple's two children Wilfred, two, and baby Romy, looked serene upon her return to the UK

She is thought to have been accompanied by her children, though not her husband, as she left the airport following the trip to the Dominican Republic.

When the family boarded their flight last night, Boris Johnson was reportedly met with a 'mixed reaction' from passengers, with some booing him.

Sky News reporter Mark Stone, who was on the plane, said that passengers on the flight looked 'slightly bewildered' to see the former PM.

While they boarded the plane at Punta Cana International Airport separate from the public, the family sat in economy, the former PM in seat 34K.

'Mr Johnson is sitting in economy, quite near the back of the plane, with his wife and children - one of his children climbing on top of him,' Mr Stone said.

'He's in a suit, his head forward, deep in thought, but moments before that one of his children was climbing on top of him - a family coming back from their holidays.'

The plane was the most tracked in the world at one point, with more the 7,000 people watching for the former premier's arrival.

According to a reporter on the Johnsons' flight, the former PM received a mixed response from passengers - with some booing. However his wife Carrie (pictured) looked calm as she was driven away after the plane landed in Gatwick this morning

Former PM Boris Johnson (pictured this morning after returning to the UK after cutting short his Caribbean family holiday) is said to be keen to join the leadership race

Mr Johnson's flight was the most tracked in the world at one point, with more than 7,000 people watching for the former premier's arrival (pictured at Gatwick Airport)

Mr Johnson came straight off the BA flight into a waiting car at Gatwick Airport on Saturday morning

A Boris Johnson-supporting MP said the former prime minister told him he is 'up for it' and would fly back to the UK from his Caribbean holiday to stand in the Tory leadership contest.

Sir James Duddridge said: 'I've been in contact with the boss via WhatsApp.

'He's going to fly back. He said, 'I'm flying back, Dudders, we are going to do this. I'm up for it'.

Senior Tories are said to be brokering a meeting between the former PM and former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, so the pair may bury the hatchet and thrash out a deal to govern together - a meeting Mr Johnson is said to be willing to have.

With the battle to succeed Liz Truss fast becoming a two-horse race, a deal between the pair could end the contest immediately, and may offer the best hope of healing the bitter divisions in Tory ranks.

On Friday, current Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt (pictured) became the first candidate to officially enter the race to become the Conservative Party Leader

Rishi Sunak is believed to have secured the backing of 100 MPs, shoring up support to be on the ballot (pictured at his London home on Saturday morning)

There is speculation among backers of the old Downing Street neighbours that they could strike a deal to stand together, but this seems unlikely given how far apart the two are on key issues and how much they both want the top job.

Outgoing Prime Minister Truss, backed by Johnson for the top job, is said to be preparing to support him in a return to Downing Street.

Kemi Badenoch is also reported to be moving to back Johnson, as is former Home Secretary Suella Braverman. An endorsement from both could help to solidify the support of the party's right wing behind him.

But there are concerns that some centrist MPs could resign the Tory whip or even defect in protest as they regard him as unacceptable to lead. That could open the door for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to force a snap election and trigger a Conservative wipeout.

Outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss was seen leaving Downing Street yesterday, following her resignation on Thursday, is said to support a return to No 10 for the former PM

Senior Tory members are urging the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to meet face-to-face with estranged former Chancellor Rishi Sunak to join forces to win the leadership contest and 'heal' the party

A staggering poll shows the Tories 39 points behind Labour, at their lowest ever rating.

Former Cabinet minister David Gauke suggested Sir Keir should offer not to run candidates against Tory MPs who are willing to join a no-confidence vote.

It comes as Rishi Sunak is believed to have become the first to secure the backing of 100 MPs, shoring up sufficient support to be on the ballot for Monday's leadership vote.

Latest figures from Conservative Home put Mr Sunak at 100 backers, Mr Johnson at 51 and Ms Mordaunt at 22.

A YouGov poll yesterday found more than half of Britons (52 per cent) would be unhappy to see Mr Johnson return. Only 27 per cent would be happy to see a comeback.
At just 23, Olivia Epifano has turned over a staggering $1.7million in sales since launching a 'miracle' eyelash curler.

The Melbourne business owner started The Lavish Lash Lounge in October, 2019 selling mink-free lashes as the core product, but when Covid hit in 2020 Olivia knew she had to quickly adapt her business.

'I'd go on my daily walks and notice women were only wearing mascara, the look had shifted from lash extensions and heavy make up to something more natural - so to survive in this market I knew I needed to find products that supported natural healthy lashes,' she said.

In September 2021 the brand released The Lash Lifter, which is designed to lift your lashes unlike a regular curler, and in two weeks turned over $100,000.

Since then the brand has gone from strength to strength and reached the incredible seven-figure milestone.

Olivia Epifano (pictured) is the 23-year-old founder of The Lavish Lash Lounge and in three years the brand has turned over a staggering $1.7million in sales

The Melbourne business owner started The Lavish Lash Lounge on October 6, 2019 selling mink-free lashes as the core product, but when Covid hit in 2020 Olivia knew she had to pivot her business quickly and launched The Lash Lifter last year

The $22.95 Lash Lifter (left) is simple, easy to use and leaves people with feathery, lifted lashes in seconds without any chemicals or damaging the lashes. Now-viral videos posted on TikTok show just how well the affordable product works

'It's just crazy to think it's only been a year since I launched The Lash Lifter. It's just been such a sell out success - we've just hit 100,000 units sold in time for the one-year anniversary. I can't quite believe it,' Olivia said.

The $22.95 Lash Lifter is simple, easy to use and leaves people with feathery, lifted lashes in seconds without any chemicals or damage.

The rapid spike in sales was likely duo to influencer marketing after TikTok user Sarah Bada posted a video comparing The Lash Lifter to the $30 Kevyn Aucoin lash curler.

In the video Sarah compares both products and shows the added curl The Lash Lifter provides compared to the alternative.

The brand has continued to drive sales by sharing demonstrative videos of how the product works on social media.

After 12 months of testing and development, the brand has released a new Lash Illusion Mascara for longer, thicker lashes instantly - and in 14 days alone the product turned over $40,000.

Infused with ginseng extract, vitamin e and peptide 10 & 17, the latest product promotes lash growth and is natural, vegan, and cruelty-free.

'We need to look at our lashes as we would our hair. We need to treat them with conditioning products that support growth,' Olivia said.

The brand has continued to drive sales by sharing demonstrative videos of how the product works on social media

Images online show the drastic impact the Lash Lifter has on eyelashes (pictured)

Olivia dropped out of her marketing and communications university degree to focus on the business prior to launching and previously worked as a makeup artist.

'I always had a dream about changing the lash game, and it's what I'm here to do,' she previously told FEMAIL.

The brand's signature product is the 100 per cent mink-free lashes that can be reused more than 30 times.

Some of the best-sellers VITA and ARIA lashes are made from synthetic silk, with some of her customers claiming to have used one pair of lashes 85 times before they eventually broke.

Olivia's best advice for applying them is to have a good applicator and know what to do with your glue.

The brand's signature product is the 100 per cent mink-free lashes that can be reused more than 30 times

Some of the best-sellers VITA and ARIA lashes are made from synthetic silk and claim to last 30 wears, making them a very inexpensive choice

While she has braced the brunt of business challenges along with Covid-19, Olivia said she is proud of the mistakes she's made and what she has achieved.

'I think everything has made me a better person in business to date,' she said.

'My goal is to have my brand so accessible and get into retail stores, pharmacy, grocery and online cosmetic stores.'
At the age of just 17, Alexis McDonald started developing an app from scratch to help women's mental health that ended up saving the lives of its users.

During her last year at school, when she was supposed to be studying for her ATAR exams, the now 20-year-old was learning to code to create HerHelp, an all-in-one wellness app to provide mental health support to women.

Alexis, from Bunbury, WA, was motivated to develop HerHelp, which has amassed more than 10,000 downloads, after being severely bullied during her school years and finding her experiences were not unique.

HerHelp allows users to ask others for advice and document their mental health and self love journeys and give them access to learn from professionals in a range of industries including nutrition, fitness, finance, sexual health, and fashion.

Alexis has just relaunched HerHelp in a new-and-improved version with hundreds of professional resources designed entirely by her after being quoted $2.2million by an app developer.

Alexis McDonald (pictured), from Bunbury, WA, created wellness app HerHelp from her bedroom when she was just 17 by watching coding videos on YouTube

HerHelp allows users to ask for advice and document their self love journeys and gives them access to learn from professionals in a range of industries including fitness and finance

Throughout most of her school life, Alexis said she was an 'easy target for bullies' and was tormented by fellow students for years.

'I was told the world would be a better place without me in it,' she told FEMAIL.

'A girl wrote a song about curb stomping my head and my blood going everywhere and sang it secretly to the whole class while they laughed behind my back.'

Girls would also make up 'countless' false rumour about Alexis so she moved schools for her final two years where the bullying thankfully stopped.

Throughout most of her school life, Alexis said she was an 'easy target for bullies' and was tormented by fellow-students for years

Alexis made friends she said she'll have for life and through expanding her social circle, she realised many others have experienced bullying and issues with their mental health

Alexis made friends she said she'll have for life and through expanding her social circle, realised many others have experienced bullying and issues with their mental health.

'I met a whole range of different people from so many different walks of life and found my people but by chatting with them I realised everyone has a story, and no one went through school unharmed,' she said.

The realisation planted the seed for HerHelp and inspired Alexis to want to create an easily-accessible space for those looking for support away from 'toxic' social media.

'I hopped onto YouTube and searched 'how to make an app' at just 17 and went from there,' she said.

The realisation planted the seed for HerHelp and inspired Alexis to want to create an easily-accessible space for those looking for support away from 'toxic' social media

'Within six months of working secretly in my bedroom, while I was meant to be studying for my ATAR exams, I managed to get an app up on the AppStore and Google Play.'

Alexis was astonished when HerHelp took off with thousands of downloads and touching messages from users she said made 'all the tears, sleepless night and struggles worth it'.

She's had 'hundreds' of conversations with people who said the app made them smile on a bad day to those who turned to HerHelp when they couldn't afford to go to professional services and even some people who said it saved their life.

'I have had five private conversations with women of all ages telling me they wouldn't be alive without the support and comfort they feel the app has given them,' the young businessowner said.

However having being made by a high school student with no app building experience, HerHelp was 'clunky and basic' so Alexis set about making a new design.

She launched HerHelp three years ago but the design was 'basic and clunky' so she set about making a new design but was quoted more than $2.2million by a development company

Alexis put the idea on the backburner for a few weeks but the potential impact she thought the new app could have on users kept her going

'At the end of 2019 I created a prototype, screen by screen, button by button and sent it to an app development company here in Perth and got quoted $2.2 million,' she explained.

'That was definitely the moment I convinced myself this new version of HerHelp would never happen. I worked at my local fish and chip shop at the time, and truly convinced myself this dream was over.'

Alexis put the idea on the backburner for a few weeks but the potential impact she thought the new app could have on users kept her going.

The updated HerHelp app launched at the end of September and includes hundreds of professional resources from dance workouts to financial advice and everything in between

Alexis said HerHelp has helped her do and achieve 'amazing' things from public speaking to 1,000 primary and high school students as well as winning a 7New Young Achiever Award

'After three years, hundreds of grant application knock backs, investor meetings, company sponsorship enquires and tech networking all in my teens, at 20 I finally launched the app of my dreams,' she said.

The updated HerHelp app launched at the end of September and includes hundreds of professional resources from dance workouts to financial advice and everything in between.

Throughout her short career, Alexis said HerHelp has helped her do and achieve 'amazing' things from public speaking to 1,000 primary and high school students as well as winning the 7News Young Achiever Award for Innovation and the WA Young Person of the Year for Innovation for a Sustainable Future.

But she says the feedback from HerHelp users who find support in the app is the true 'career highlight'.

'I created HerHelp and saw the impact it was having on people across the world, I knew I truly couldn't imagine myself doing anything other than HerHelp,' she said.

HerHelp is Alexis' sole focus and she's studying marketing part-time to grow the app to become a household name.

'I would love it to be a place that millions of people all around the world trust and go to feel encouraged, guided and supported,' she said.
Instead of fighting her neurodivergence she embraced it and thrived

The 33-year-old said once she found out she had ADHD building a life was easier

A busy mum has revealed how she harnessed her ADHD tendencies to build a successful beauty business empire - after 'struggling undiagnosed' for 31 years.

Laura Burbury, who lives in Adealide, now owns and runs a popular beauty boutique, mentors other busy, neurodiverse women in business and has launched Australia's first DIY lash kits called Underlash after being forced to go without extensions throughout Covid lockdown.

The 33-year-old mother told Daily Mail Australia she noticed the gap in the market the moment the country was plunged into lockdown, with beauty not deemed an essential service.

Scroll down for video

Sydney mum Laura Burbury has revealed how she came up with a business idea in lockdown and harnessed her ADHD tendencies to make it work

The 33-year-old pictured here with one set of her eyelashes on

'I would go in and see my eyelash lady every fortnight without fail, because I wouldn't go out if they started to get gappy,' she said.

'So when we went into lockdown I realised there had to be a better way then spending $120 a fortnight for refills and spending all that time in the chair.'

She put her energy into developing the premium DIY home lashes, which last up to seven days and are simple enough to apply.

This is where her ADHD tendencies came in handy.

While she is unable to concentrate on anything mundane, once she is interested in something she has laser-like focus, is a perfectionist and keeps on task.

'I spoke to five different manufacturers and tried over 60 different prototypes before I was happy,' she said.

'They were offering thick, glamour lashes. But I wanted to develop something for people like me, busy mums. An everyday look.'

The busy mum cried as she opened the business, and explained she was proud to show her toddler Oscar that you can reach your dreams

In June Laura finally settled on three sets of lashes and Underlash was born.

The busy mum cried as she opened her e-commerce store, dedicating it to her toddler Oscar, proud she showed him the importance of chasing dreams.

'It wasn't hard for me to jump into this, but we did make sacrifices,' she said.

'We had to delay buying a family home, something my partner Josh really wants to do.'

Laura used the profits from her thriving beauty boutique to develop the lashes and launch the business.

Pictured at the Underlash launch party - it took Laura a year to develop the brand

'When I first started in business my partner, who is in insurance, gave me the statistics of small businesses that fail,' she said.

'I told him to give me time to prove him wrong, to prove that I would thrive and I have. And I am so proud of that.'

Laura's had her own struggles to contend with while building her businesses. But her ADHD brain clung to the broader business ideas.

The 33-year-old had never dreamed of becoming a mum, but fell pregnant despite doctors warning her it was next to impossible.

Oscar has been the nicest speed bump, and is her favourite person.

But not everything has been so easy.

The UK-born businesswoman has been quizzed over her visa status, despite her whole family being settled in Adelaide.

She said her partner Josh, who works in insurance, warned her how many new businesses fail as she started her first

'They even made me get a DNA test for Oscar to prove Josh is his dad, so that we could prove we were in a real relationship,' she said.

'I still don't have a permanent visa, which is always in the back of my mind.'

Covid closures gave her time to upskill and dream up Underlash but they also set her business back.

'I am full all the time, and I am comfortably running a six-figure business now, but it was stressful in the beginning when I had no way of getting customers in.'

Underlash has proved popular already - with Laura inundated with orders during her first week of business.

'People want this, they don't want to spend a fortune on getting their lashes done every two weeks.

'They want to be able to do it in ten minutes at home,' she added.

Laura wants other women with young children who dream of starting their own business or who don't put themselves out there because of neurodivergence to know they can succeed too.

The lash kit has everything needed to get the job done - including 'a month's worth' of lashes

She is speaking out about her struggles and success as part of mental health month and says anyone struggling with an ADHD diagnosis can reach out to her for support.

Laura poured 12 months into developing Underlash and is seeing return customers just a month after launching.

'This is huge, because Australians don't have brand loyalty when it comes to lashes,' she said.

'And it means they can see that I am on to something,' she added.

Each lash starter kit comes with two strips of lashes, which is four applications, a month of full wear, the glue, and all the tools to get the job done.

Then you just need to buy lash top ups.
The father unable to hug his teenage daughter. The retired nurse too scared to walk down the street to the shops. The 25-year-old transplant patient whose friends no longer call because he hasnt left the house in nearly three years, and the 70-year-old former teacher who has had no visitors since the beginning of the pandemic.

These are just a few of the heartbreaking stories of the Britons with serious health conditions that mean they are still in self-isolation, shielding from Covid-19, while life for the rest of us has long been fairly normal. Whereas the vast majority of people are well protected from the virus by vaccines, roughly 500,000 people in the UK are believed to have not responded to them.

This is because they have weakened immune systems due to blood cancer, or because they take powerful drugs to stop their body rejecting an organ transplant. They are known as immunocompromised and, cruelly, they are the same people who are most at risk from Covid.

There is a drug that would provide them with the protection they desperately need. It is called Evusheld and its already available in 32 countries, including the US, France and Israel. But the UK Government refuses to fund it.

As reported by this newspaper, Evusheld was approved by UK health regulators in March, yet Ministers and civil servants responsible for allotting NHS cash claim it is still unclear whether the drug is effective.

This is despite a multitude of countries reaching the opposite conclusion. Data from these nations show the striking impact of the drug. Studies show that after taking Evusheld, patients were drastically less likely to catch Covid or become severely ill if they did.

One patient desperate to get Evusheld is Imogen Dempsey (pictured), 43, from Colchester. The risk analyst suffers a condition that means she has not responded to vaccines

Hopes were raised in July when Government officials hinted the drug could soon be made available on the NHS.

But in August these were dashed when the Government concluded it would not fund access to Evusheld this winter. Instead it would leave the decision to the NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to make the call at a committee that will not meet until spring.

This will come far too late for many. Make no mistake, Covid still poses a huge threat to these people. Blood cancer patients alone have accounted for one in 20 of all Covid deaths since March.

In the belief that we must free the most vulnerable from living in the shadow of this threat, the MoS today launches a campaign to give people access to the drug that will provide them with the protection they need  something that experts believe should have happened months ago.

Last week it was revealed that Evusheld would be available in the UK only to patients who are willing to pay for it. The drug, which has to be taken every six months, costs upwards of 1,000 a dose  making it financially out of reach to many.

Throwing his weight behind our campaign, former Health Secretary Lord Lansley said: More than 30 countries are offering Evusheld, but the UK has failed to do the same.

It is a sad state of affairs. With a hard winter approaching for the NHS, the Government must purchase stocks of this drug.

One patient desperate to get Evusheld is Imogen Dempsey, 43, from Colchester. The risk analyst suffers a condition that means she has not responded to vaccines.

One American patient who has received Evusheld is Marcia Boyce (right), 67. Pictured with husband Ken

My blood tests show I have no protection against Covid, the mother-of-one says.

I had my latest booster earlier this month, but it's unlikely it made much difference.

I live a very narrow life. I havent met friends or family indoors without precautions like testing and ventilation, since the beginning of the pandemic, and I am working from home permanently.

She says her illness has also changed her 12-year-old daughters life. Jessica wears a mask to school still to protect me, Imogen says. There are so many basic mother-and-daughter activities I cant do, like taking her swimming.

As a single mother, my biggest fear is ending up in hospital or dying with Covid. What would happen to my daughter? I need Evusheld so I can have my life back.

Dying of Covid is my greatest dread... what would happen to my daughter? I desperately need this drug

So why are health chiefs adamant that Evusheld should not be offered to immunocompromised Britons?

The treatment is a combination of two medicines  tixagevimab and cilgavimab  given by injection. The drugs work by attaching to the Covid virus and inhibiting its ability to bind with healthy cells and infect the body.

Early studies showed Evusheld, created by British Covid vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca, could reduce the risk of Covid infection by 80 per cent in immunocompromised people for six months. For those unlucky enough to catch the virus, the risk of death was halved.

Those trials pitted Evusheld against the original strain of Covid, which is no longer in circulation having been superseded by other variants. Health chiefs argued that more data was needed to prove it was still effective against the Omicron variant and its sub-variants, which now account for the majority of cases.

Based on these worries, European and US health officials decided to double the dose.

Last week it was revealed that Evusheld would be available in the UK only to patients who are willing to pay for it

Meanwhile, scientists in many countries initiated observational studies of patients who had received Evusheld, to see how the drug held up against the Omicron sub-variants. Data from the US, Israel and France all concluded that it was still highly effective. A University of Colorado study found the drug reduced the risk of infection by nearly 66 per cent, and cut the risk of death in patients who were infected by 64 per cent.

But this data was not enough for UK mandarins. In September, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published a letter from then Health Secretary Steve Barclay outlining the reasoning behind the decision to deny access to Evusheld.

According to Barclay, DHSC experts had analysed these studies and found inherent limitations.

These limitations included the fact that observational studies didnt use enough patients to be sure of Evushelds effect and that some had received other drugs.

But scientists involved have hit back. The UK Government used our study as evidence that more trials were needed, but thats the opposite of what we reported, says Professor Adit Ginde, an emergency medicine expert at the University of Colorado. We found that Evusheld is a life-saving drug for this population.

Other experts echoed his concern. This is a very bad decision by the British Government, says Dr Yann Nguyen, a clinical medicine expert at the University of Paris who ran an observational study involving more than 1,000 Evusheld patients.

Ministers MUST do the right thing and fund Evusheld By Lord Lansley, former Health Secretary Few people will fail to remember those difficult early months of the Covid pandemic  the sense of trepidation and how life, for us all, changed beyond recognition. And then came hope: the vaccines freed us from lockdown and have been instrumental in allowing us to live with this virus. For some, however, a return to normality is still out of reach. Due to very serious health problems, there are hundreds of thousands of Britons who the jabs cant help. And this is why Evusheld is so important. Earlier this year, data began to come through that showed the treatment could give this most vulnerable group their freedom back. It cuts the risk of catching Covid by 80 per cent and the risk of hospitalisation or death by 50 per cent. Andrew Lansley (above) was Secretary of State for Health from 2010 to 2012 At that point, along with doctors and charities, I began to talk to Ministers about when we would make it available on the NHS. I did not expect it to happen overnight, but while patients in France, America and dozens of other countries are now benefiting from it, weve lagged behind. We are failing those who need our help the most. I have become disappointed by officials who are, in my view, being over-cautious. They worry the drug may not be effective against Covid variants. Yet the real-world evidence is clear. Countries that have rolled out Evusheld have reported no problems. Not a single doctor I have spoken to believes that there is any merit to further delay or deliberation  in fact, quite the opposite. In saying too few patients have been studied in trials, health chiefs are setting the bar far higher for Evusheld than they did for the vaccines. Yes, we have moved beyond a pandemic phase where the Government is willing to do whatever it takes and pay whatever is required, but denying patients Evusheld, when we know it could save lives, makes little sense. With a hard winter approaching for the NHS, the Government must purchase stocks of this drug  at least for those most severely in need. Its maker AstraZeneca has supply available. Now it is up to the Government to do the right thing. Andrew Lansley was Secretary of State for Health from 2010 to 2012 Advertisement

Its nonsense to say there isnt enough evidence to use Evusheld. And to argue that more clinical trials are needed, when the threat of Covid is so great to these patients, is unethical.

There are worries that certain Covid variants that have appeared in recent months could render Evusheld ineffective. Particularly worrying are the BA.4.6 and BQ.1 variants, which Evusheld appears to offer little protection against.

But scientists say this is a risk that exists in the rollout of all anti-virus medicines  including vaccines. Covid mutates so fast that you will never have up-to-date clinical evidence that your drug is 100 per cent effective against it. We saw that with the Covid jabs, says Dr Nguyen.

But that didnt stop us using the vaccines. Of course we should follow variants closely, but we know that Evusheld is helping people.

Experts who have been prescribing Evusheld privately for the past nine months have seen the benefit.

Many patients were shielding for over two years, and now they have the added protection which gives them the confidence to return to something resembling a normal life, says Dr Nguyen.

Its not a complete solution. They need to keep getting their vaccines and many still wear masks, but if theres a drug that can protect your patients, you have a responsibility to give it to them.

Prof Ginde says: Evusheld has allowed this population to do things that normal people take for granted, such as go out in public and see family and friends.

More than 500,000 doses of Evusheld have now been administered in the US. It is deemed so crucial for the safety and wellbeing of immunocompromised Americans the US government has provided it for free  significant in a country where a ride in an ambulance can cost thousands of pounds.

One American patient who has received Evusheld is Marcia Boyce, 67. The mother-of-three, who owns a car repair shop in Chicago, has blood cancer. Tests showed that even after Marcias third Covid jab, her body had produced very few immune cells capable of combating the virus.

I was so scared during the first two years of the pandemic, she says. I saw how high the mortality rate was for people like myself, so I barely went outside.

But last December, Marcia was able to get Evusheld.

In June she underwent another blood test and doctors were shocked to find that, in that time, she had contracted Covid. I didnt realise, she says. This is a virus I was likely to end up in the hospital with if I caught it, but I didnt even have any sniffles.

There cant be any other explanation than Evusheld.

She says shes now living her life as she did before the pandemic. Im not wearing a mask any more and I recently took a trip to New York City. It was the first time Id flown anywhere for two years. My life is back to normal.

Last week, AstraZeneca said it would allow patients to access Evusheld privately in the UK.

The decision came after the company had failed yet again to convince the Government that the drug was effective.

A spokesman for AstraZeneca also told The Mail on Sunday: Weve had lots of requests from clinically vulnerable patients. We understand how hard this has been for Britons still forced to shield, and this was the only option to make this drug available this winter in the UK.

Patients who can get a referral from their NHS clinician proving they are immunocompromised can pay for Evusheld.

The first dose will cost 1,000, but will rise to 1,600 afterwards.

Studies show immunocompromised patients need a dose every six months.

AstraZeneca says it is possible that patients could get Evusheld at an NHS hospital if it has a private ward.

It is still unclear how this is going to work, says Dr Lennard Lee, a cancer expert at Oxford University. NHS doctors cannot prescribe a drug that has to be paid for privately, and patients are still in the dark on where they should go to get it.

He adds: This is deeply upsetting. I have already heard from patients who say they cannot afford Evusheld.

Charities also condemned the Governments lack of action.

It should be making Evusheld available for everyone, and its refusal to do so means that a potentially lifesaving treatment is only available to those who can afford this, says Gemma Peters, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK.

The drug, which has to be taken every six months, costs upwards of 1,000 a dose  making it financially out of reach to many

What does it say about us as a country that we are trailing behind the rest of the world when it comes to offering compassion to those who are most vulnerable?

Imogen Dempsey says she will pay for Evusheld. Im lucky that I can afford it. Ive been waiting for this moment for so long.

When I finally get Evusheld, the first thing Im going to do is take my daughter swimming. Then Im going to go out for a steak dinner with my partner.

These are everyday things to normal people, but for me they are a world away right now.

There are many out there who dont have the money to pay thousands of pounds every six months.

We are supposed to have a National Health Service in this country, so it is beyond understanding why we are being forced to pay to get our lives back.

A DHSC spokesman said: Following a review of the available data, our clinical experts advise there is insufficient data on the duration of protection offered by Evusheld in relation to the Omicron variant, and in line with that advice the Government will not be procuring doses at this time.

We are keeping the evidence under close review and NICE has begun its appraisal of Evusheld.

If it considers the treatment to be clinically and cost-effective, it will be made available on the NHS in the usual way.

To increase the evidence base upon which Evusheld can be assessed, we are urgently exploring commissioning a clinical trial.
Barclays was branded 'reckless and lacking integrity' as it was fined 50million over its secretive deals with Qatar during the financial crisis.

Desperate to avoid a bailout in 2008 like rivals Natwest and Lloyds, Barclays paid 322million in 'advisory fees' to a Qatari firm, allegedly in return for a 4billion investment.

While Barclays announced the cash injection by Qatar, it did not disclose the fees it had paid.

Fine: While Barclays announced the cash injection by Qatar, it did not disclose the fees it had paid

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which has been investigating the dealings since 2013, said the payments would have been 'highly relevant information to shareholders, investors and the wider market'.

It said this was particularly so given the disclosed costs of the fundraising 'were already perceived to be very expensive'.

Mark Steward, executive director of enforcement at the FCA, said: 'At the height of the financial crisis, Barclays paid hundreds of millions of pounds in fees to certain Qatari investors so that they would contribute new capital.

'Barclays did not inform the market and shareholders about these matters as required.

'Barclays' failure to disclose these matters was reckless and lacked integrity and followed an earlier failure to disclose fees paid to Qatari investors in June 2008. There was no legitimate reason or excuse for failing to disclose these matters, certainly no basis for doing so because of the financial crisis.'

Barclays said it would appeal the ruling.

The Qatar saga has dogged the lender for years and seen it dragged into several court cases.

In 2020, the bank was unsuccessfully sued by Amanda Staveley  a financier acting on behalf of Abu Dhabi investors  when she claimed the bank offered her client a worse deal than it did to Qatar. Barclays was 'guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation', a judge ruled, but Staveley was unable to claim damages because the court said her firm would have been unable to finance the deal anyway.

Even so, the case proved bruising for Barclays as it laid bare sexist attitudes held by former bankers.

Stephen Jones, a Barclays executive at the time, labelled Staveley 'thick as s***' and referred to her 'large breasts' in a call with a colleague. Roger Jenkins, the former chairman of Barclays' Middle East business who earned the nickname 'Big Dog' for once being one of Britain's top-paid bankers, referred to Staveley as a 'tart'.

Critics claimed the fees paid to Qatar, in two tranches in 2008, allowed the Gulf state to purchase Barclays shares at a much lower price than was available to other investors. The investment was crucial to Barclays, which like other banks faced a cash crunch during the financial crisis as the money markets dried up.

Qatar's backing of the bank helped to pave the way for others to follow suit, including Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi, Singapore's state investor Temasek and Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. In total, Barclays raised around 11billion across two capital raisings in 2008.
Bad taste: Elon Musk's 38billion takeover of Twitter faced more difficulties

Elon Musk's 38billion takeover of Twitter faced more difficulties after he suggested it could be blocked by President Biden.

The US president's officials are considering probing the deal on national security grounds, according to a report yesterday.

Twitter shares dropped after Bloomberg said the buyout could be reviewed over its foreign backers, including Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and China-linked crypto-currency exchange Binance.

There are also wider concerns about Musk's ventures, including SpaceX's Starlink satellite network.

US officials are thought to be uncomfortable with the 51- year-old tycoon's recent threat to stop supplying the Starlink satellite service to Ukraine, as well as his increasingly Russia-friendly stance on social media.

Musk, the world's richest man with a 185billion fortune, admitted this week he was 'obviously overpaying' for Twitter.

The South African appeared to endorse a social media post suggesting it would be 'hysterical' if the US government saved him from having to buy the site. In response to the tweet, he posted a laughing face and a '100 per cent' emoji.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said it is '50-50' whether a formal probe is launched, adding that there 'is definitely enough smoke for there to be a fire'.

It comes amid reports claiming Musk will get rid of three quarters of Twitter's 7,500 staff after the takeover.
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
The last person to see Steve Irwin alive has revealed new details about the 'flawed' Australian icon and how his near-death experience with a deadly snake in Africa was kept secret - until now.

Justin Lyons was Irwin's trusted right-hand man for more than a decade. He recorded the Crocodile Hunter's first documentary in 1996 and witnessed his tragic death from a stingray attack 10 years later.

The pair filmed encounters with the deadliest creatures around the world, but the cameraman said Irwin's greatest threats were his personal demons and the weight of expectation.

'Steve always had a sixth sense about so many things and I think he had a premonition about his death,' Lyons told Daily Mail Australia.

'On that final doco, I've looked back, and there were signs there that were confronting and troubling.'

Justin Lyons (left), Steve Irwin's trusted cameraman for more than a decade has revealed new details about the conservationist's legacy since he was killed by a stingray

The pair met shooting a commercial for Power's Beer in 1991 - Lyons' first job under director John Stainton.

The ad saw Brisbane Broncos players sitting by a river drinking beer before a crocodile jumped out of the water and tried to steal a can.

A man's arm fended off the reptile, before opening the stubby and drinking the beer. The stunt actor was a young Steve Irwin.

'Him and Stainton got chatting, Steve told him stories about catching crocodiles. He had all this home movie footage he'd taken himself,' Lyons said.

'He bought himself a VHS camera and stuck it in the fork of a tree and he'd talk to it. Whenever he'd go into town he'd post them home to his family.'

After watching the footage they immediately took it to a network producer, who said they had to re-shoot Irwin's footage using professional equipment. The first documentary they shot together was during Irwin's honeymoon.

It didn't take long for fame to follow. In 1996, the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet took on the Crocodile Hunter program, sending Irwin's stardom into the stratosphere.

The environmentalist was not only the most popular man in Australia but had the fastest growing show in the United States.

College kids were playing drinking games watching this show, drinking a beer every time he shouted his classic slogan 'Crikey'.

The pair shot the deadliest creatures on every continent around the world, but Lyons said it was the weight of expectation and personal demons which provided the greatest threat to the environmentalist

Irwin became one of the world's most beloved and recognisable conservationists thanks to his larger than life personality

'In the States he'd be mobbed. They'd recognise him at LAX, it was like Beatlemania,' Lyons said.

'You'd hear a murmur going through the airport, it nearly started riots. He'd been in a room with Antonio Banderas and Will Smith and they were more excited to meet him. He didn't even know who they were.'

However the fame would wear on Irwin, according to Lyons, who said the constant travel from Australia and the USA coupled with the intense spotlight 'changed' the wildlife warrior.

'He struggled with fame. In his final years the fame got to him,' Lyons told Daily Mail Australia.

'I don't think he knew how to handle it. He was always in pain, he used to flog himself. His knees, ankles. That combined with the pressures of Discovery Channel upping the ante to make things bigger and better each time.

'At the time I didn't realise it, but putting the whole thing into context in the final years, you could see he was a changed man. He wasn't the Steve from beginning.'

Lyons said Irwin never spent time with his real friends because he was always working, which had an impact on all of his relationships.

'He took the brunt of the fame himself. He had friends but only a handful of people he trusted. He never saw his best friends when he got famous, in that way he was a bit of a loner,' Lyons said.

'Steve was an alpha male in every aspect of his life. He would go and wouldn't sleep, go, go, go, like there was no tomorrow, then he'd crash.'

The 50-year-old revealed his special relationship with Irwin's children, particularly Bindi, who he often looked after on long shoots.

'Bindi and I spent a lot of time together. We'd go up to far north Queensland and while they were doing whatever Bindi and I would go off,' he said.

'She'd say to me 'I don't really like bugs', but she was expected to do all this crazy stuff. I don't think she really wanted to do it.

'But it came naturally to his kids. They'd been coming on doco shoots, I filmed their births. They'd had cameras on them since they were born. They didn't know any better.'

Lyons said Irwin loved his family but struggled to show his emotions - instead pouring his energy into his work

Lyons said he believes Irwin, who he repeatedly described as having a 'sixth sense', had a 'premonition about his death' and is more convinced since watching over old tape of his final weeks.

'There were signs that were confronting and troubling,' the filmmaker revealed.

'He made a speech after releasing a crocodile and went around to each person, all 12 of us, and thanked everyone individually for their contribution. He got all teary and moved on to the next person.

What is a black mamba? Black mambas live in the savannahs and rocky hills of southern and eastern Africa. They are Africa's longest venomous snake, reaching up to 4.25 metres in length, although 2.5 metres is the average. A black mamba (pictured) is actually olive to grey in colour They are also among the fastest snakes in the world, slithering at speeds of up to 20km per hour. They get their name not from their skin colour, which is olive to grey, but from the blue-black colour of the inside of their mouth, which they display when threatened. Source: National Geographic Advertisement

'He got to me and said: 'Justin, you can get f***ed!' We all laughed but thought we'd never see that again.'

Lyons said the final time Irwin saw his wife and children, he expressed an out-of- character display of emotion - another sign he may have felt the end was near.

'A few days before he died, we helped load the family into a seaplane. Steve stood on the roof of his car and waved to them until the plane disappeared. I've never seen him do that before,' Lyons said.

'Then the day before he died we filmed with this massive sea snake. When he let it go he pushed it on top of me. I had to dive underwater to get away from it. It would've killed me.

'I've never seen him do something so reckless. I shouted at him, he was laughing. He wasn't quite right. There was something else going on. We knew the fame had worn him down, his shows weren't that popular any more. He wasn't in a good head space, it all led to this point. Was he being more reckless swimming over this stingray?'

The crew had been through a lot together - plane and chopper crashes, being robbed at knifepoint in third world countries - but arguably no bigger than when Irwin was bitten by a black mamba - a highly venomous snake in Africa - which has never been publicly reported until now.

Lyons said the TV icon was extremely lucky to survive the attack given the lack of appropriate care in the remote area.

Everyone at the scene was immediately sworn to secrecy. That secret has lasted until today.

Irwin was aware of the mythology that had built around him and was desperate to make sure it remained - he had told his team he never wanted to die from a snake or crocodile because everyone would roll their eyes, as if they knew it would always end that way.

'We weren't allowed to talk about [the snake bite in Africa]. He was intent on keeping his reputation intact,' Lyons revealed.

'He couldn't let anyone know he was bitten and nearly died. He never wanted to die like that.

'That pressure on him, he wouldn't have ever spoken to anyone about it. The one thing he didn't want was to be killed by a croc or snake because people would say 'of course'.'

Irwin was aware of the mythology that had built around him and was desperate to ensure it remained - he had told his team he never wanted to die from a snake or crocodile because everyone would roll their eyes, resigned to the fact it would end that way

Lyons believe Irwin would be 'furious' with how everything has played out with his family, crew and the zoo if he were still alive.

His father, Bob Irwin, saw his relationship break down with Terri and the Australia Zoo staff - and is no longer allowed to visit his son's memorial within its walls.

Stainton and Lyons too are estranged, and have no contact with the Irwins. Neither does anyone from his original team.

'He'd be furious. His old man is a special character, it was a love-hate relationship. He was very hard on him physically and emotionally. But he'd be heartbroken that relationship has broken down.

'Stainton and Terri's relationship changed. Terri wanted all of the footage. Her relationship with Stainton became untenable.

'She thought 'I'm a widowed woman, I want total control of the future for my life and kids' lives'. I don't think she had a huge say before, it was all Steve. She took over the running of it all.

'Stainton and I fell apart, we did some things each other didn't agree with. Terri, I've been in touch a handful of times but overall I've had nothing to do with the Irwins since Steve's death.'
A belligerent American business class plane passenger was pulled off a flight from Sydney to Hawaii after she ordered the cabin crew not to look at her for the next nine hours.

Daniele De Matos, a concierge for a software company who had come to Australia for work, was set to fly to Honolulu last Saturday but began causing trouble even before her plane got off the ground.

The 36-year-old boarded Hawaiian Airlines flight HA452 at 9.22pm to make the 8,180km journey on an Airbus A320, according to documents tendered in Downing Centre Local Court.

'On boarding, cabin crew directed the accused to an economy seat which caused the accused to become verbally abusive towards the staff members,' a statement of facts said.

A belligerent American business class plane passenger was pulled off a flight from Sydney to Hawaii after she ordered the cabin crew not to look at her for the next nine hours. The woman was arrested and faced Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court. Stock image

Daniele De Matos, a concierge for a software company who had come to Australia for work, was set to fly to Honolulu last Saturday but began causing trouble even before her plane got off the ground. Stock image

Cabin crew realised they had made a mistake and directed De Matos to her correct business class seat where she sat and calmed down.

'Shortly after, cabin crew took an alcoholic drink prematurely which caused the accused to become verbally abusive towards that staff member,' the statement of facts said.

'The accused mood changed quickly, and she was apologetic and remorseful after this.'

De Matos's improved mood did not last long.

As the plane left the gate and began taxiing towards the runway, De Matos began 'staring down' the cabin crew member who had previously taken her drink while she demonstrated the inflight safety rules.

That encounter left the stewardess felling intimidated but according to the statement of facts De Matos was still not finished playing up.

'Shortly after the demonstration concluded, the accused ordered the cabin crew not to look at her for nine hours,' it said.

'As a result of these interactions, the cabin crew advised the captain of the accused's behaviour. The captain formed the view that the accused's erratic and disorderly behaviour presented a risk to the safety of the aircraft'.

The captain made a decision to return the aircraft to the terminal to offload De Matos and another female cabin crew member approached her to explain what was going on.

De Matos, 36, boarded Hawaiian Airlines flight HA452 at 9.22pm to make the 8,180km journey to Honolulu on an Airbus A320, according to documents tendered in Downing Centre Local Court. A Hawaiian Airlines plane is pictured at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport

'During this, she placed her hand on the accused's shoulder to calm her, which caused the accused to act aggressively towards the crew member,' the statement of facts said.

The plane reached the gate at 10.08pm and Hawaiian Airlines airport operations staff came on board to order De Matos off the aircraft. She refused and they called police for help.

When Australian Federal Police officers came to take De Matos away she was 'belligerent' but eventually walked off the plane of her own accord. Having delayed the flight for more than an hour, she was arrested and charged.

De Matos pleaded guilty to one count of behaving in an offensive or disorderly manner affecting safety when she appeared before magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis on Monday.

Mr Tsavdaridis convicted De Matos and fined her $600.
A 27-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly making online death threats towards Senator Pauline Hanson.

Ibrahim Koshin was arrested on Friday after police raided his home in Brunswick West, 6km north of Melbourne's CBD.

Australian Federal Police executed the search warrant and seized a laptop and desktop computer from his home.

A 27-year-old Melbourne man was arrested and charged with allegedly threatening to kill Senator Pauline Hanson (pictured)

Mr Koshin allegedly made 'serious online threats, including threats to kill' towards a member of the Australian Senate via social media in September and October this year.

A person confirmed to NCA Newswire that Senator Pauline Hanson was the subject of the threats.

Mr Koshin faced Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Friday and was released on bail.

He was charged with two counts of using a carriage service to make a threat to kill and one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.

The maximum penalty for these offences includes 10 years' imprisonment.

Australian Federal Police Acting Commander Anita Van Hilst said the arrest should send a 'strong message' to anyone who breaks the law.

'The AFP and its partners are working tirelessly to identify and prosecute anyone who breaks the law by harassing, menacing or threatening politicians, including those who work alongside them,' Ms Hilst said.

'The AFP supports the political expression and freedom of speech, however when it leads to criminal behaviour, including threats and harassment, even online, it will not be tolerated.'

Mr Koshin will face court again in December.
White was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003

He rode Think Big to two Melbourne Cup successes in 1974 and 1975

White shares the record for most Melbourne Cup wins with Bobby Lewis

Four-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Harry White dies at the age of 78

Harry White, one of Australia's most decorated jockeys with four Melbourne Cup wins in a 35-year career in the saddle, has died aged 78.

A member of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, White teamed up with Bart Cummings for three of his Melbourne Cup triumphs.

He rode Think Big (1974-75) and Hyperno (1979) to victory for the legendary trainer.

Harry White (pictured), one of Australia's most decorated jockeys with four Melbourne Cup wins in a 35-year career in the saddle, has died aged 78

He rode Think Big (pictured) in 1974-75 and Hyperno in 1979 to victory in the Melbourne Cup for legendary trainer Bart Cummings

White also rode Arwon, trained by George Hanlon, to win at Flemington in 1978.

Alongside Bobby Lewis, White shares the record for riding the most winners in Australia's greatest thoroughbred race.

The Victoria Racing Club paid tribute to White, who was admired as a master tactician in staying races during a golden era of racing.

'White is revered as one of Australia's greatest jockeys,' a VRC statement said.

In a riding career that spanned 35 years, White rode more than 2,000 winners, 60 at Group 1 level, and was crowned Melbourne's champion jockey on four occasions.

White won the Caulfield Cup twice, the Australian Cup five times, the Newmarket Handicap three times and the Cox Plate.

White retired from riding in 1995 and was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.

The Victorian Racing Club said it will pay tribute to the legendary jockey throughout the Melbourne Cup carnival.

White retired from riding in 1995 and was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003

White was always destined to be a jockey, his father won a Caulfield Cup and he started riding aged just 13.

He began doing track work at Flemington, before starting to race at 15.

As White made a name for himself through the apprentice ranks he was noticed by legendary trainer Bart Cummings who had moved from South Australia to Victoria at the same time that White had gained a formidable reputation.

Bart's son Anthony previously said the pair joined forces within months.

From there White went onto ride three Melbourne Cup winners for the iconic trainer.
Companies failing to protect sensitive data will face huge fines under laws to be introduced by the Albanese government.

The legislation massively increases the current penalty for serious or repeated breaches from $2.22 million to whichever is the greater of $50 million, 30 per cent of the company's turnover in the relevant period, or three times the value of any benefit gained from the stolen data.

The bill, to be introduced to parliament next week, comes during the fallout of the massive Optus data hack and a cyber attack on private health insurance provider Medibank.

'When Australians are asked to hand over their personal data they have a right to expect it will be protected,' Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said

Mr Dreyfus (pictured) said the government was committed to strengthening privacy laws that protect the public

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the government was committed to strengthening privacy laws that protect the public.

'When Australians are asked to hand over their personal data they have a right to expect it will be protected,' he said.

'Unfortunately, significant privacy breaches in recent weeks have shown existing safeguards are inadequate. It's not enough for a penalty for a major data breach to be seen as the cost of doing business.'

He added the country needs better laws to regulate how businesses manage the huge amount of data they collect and 'bigger penalties to incentivise better behaviour'.

'I look forward to support from across the parliament for this bill, which is an essential part of the government's agenda to ensure Australia's privacy framework is able to respond to new challenges in the digital era,' he said.

The legislation will beef up the powers of the Australian Information Commissioner to resolve privacy breaches, and bolster information sharing with the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

The notifiable data breaches scheme will be boosted to ensure the commissioner has a complete picture of the information compromised, to be able to provide a risk assessment of harm for people.

A review of the Privacy Act will be completed by the end of this year, with recommendations to be handed down for further reforms.
The billionaire owner of craft chain Hobby Lobby has declared that he has decided 'to give away ownership of Hobby Lobby' - adding: 'I chose God'.

David Green, 80, founded the company in his native Oklahoma in 1972, and has presided over the growth of the family firm into a nationwide chain with annual revenues of $6.4 billion.

On Friday, Green - who's worth over $13 billion, according to Forbes - wrote an opinion piece in Fox News saying that he understood the decisions made by Patagonia's founder Yvon Chouinard and Alan Barnhart of Barnhart Crane.

'As an owner, there are certain rights and responsibilities, including the right to sell the company and keep the profits for yourself and your family,' Green wrote on Friday.

'As our company grew, that idea began to bother me more and more. Well-meaning attorneys and accountants advised me to simply pass ownership down to my children and grandchildren.

'It didn't seem fair to me that I might change or even ruin the future of grandchildren who had not even been born yet.'

Chouinard last month announced he had handed over the $3 billion company to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization, and that all profits from now on - around $100 million a year - were designated to be spent fighting climate change and protecting undeveloped land around the globe.

Barnhart, founder of a Tennessee construction company who like Green is an evangelical Christian, announced in 2007 that he was giving the company to the National Christian Foundation (NCF). Barnhart still runs it, but since 2007 has not received any money from the firm.

'Patagonia's founder recently made news when he gave away the ownership in his company to allow the mission and purpose to remain intact,' Green wrote on Friday.

'His decision, while rare, reflects the decision of other business owners like Alan Barnhart of Barnhart Crane.

'I experienced a similar decision-making process with my ownership of Hobby Lobby; I chose God.'

David Green, the founder of Hobby Lobby, on Friday wrote an op ed entitled: 'My decision to give away ownership of Hobby Lobby: I chose God'

David Green (center, pink shirt) is pictured with his family. The firm he founded in 1972 is now worth $6.4 billion. In this 2006 photo provided by Hobby Lobby are from left, front: Amy Green Fallon; Diana Green; Barbara Green; Darsee Lett; Grace Green and Jackie Green: middle row, from left: Tyler Green; Mart Green; David Green; Stan Lett and Steve Green: back row, from left: Brent Green; Scott Green; Derek Green; Danielle Green and Lindy Green at David and Barbara's home near Oklahoma City

Hobby Lobby now has 969 stores in 47 states - every state except Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont

Green detailed his religious convictions, but unlike Chouinard and Barnhart he did not spell out who the company would be transferred to, when, and under what terms.

It's also unclear if he plans to give his personal fortune away, as well as Hobby Lobby.

David's younger son Steve is the company president, and his elder son Mart is 'Ministry Investment Officer'.

The trio - David and his two sons - are the only ones listed on the executive leadership section of the website.

David's daughter Darsee Lett is reported to be the company's vice president of arts and creative, while her husband Stan Lett served as Hobby Lobby's vice president.

Hobby Lobby is yet to respond to DailyMail.com's request for clarification.

Patagonia's founder Yvon Chouinard last month announced he had handed over the $3 billion company to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization, and that all profits from now on - around $100 million a year - were designated to be spend fighting climate change and protecting undeveloped land around the globe

Alan Barnhart, founder of a Tennessee construction company who like Green is an evangelical Christian, announced in 2007 that he was giving the company to the National Christian Foundation (NCF). Barnhart still runs it, but since 2007 has not received any money from the firm

He noted the company had committed to paying a minimum wage of $18.50 per hour, and was closed on Sunday - which had been their most profitable day of business.

'I think every CEO and business leader should consider whether they are owners or stewards,' wrote Green.

'Consider the idea of where your success comes from. I've seen many a business with the greatest of ideas not make it, and yet others with the simplest of ideas thrive. I believe that God is the one who grants success, and with it the responsibility to be a good manager.

'Best of all, when I made the decision to give away my ownership, similar to Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard, it allowed us to sustain our mission and purpose. It gives me a bigger purpose than just making money.

'Like Chouinard said, 'Instead of 'going public,' you could say we're 'going purpose.''

Green's religious convictions have underscored his leadership at Hobby Lobby.

Donald Trump is pictured at a January 3, 2020 prayer breakfast held by 'Evangelicals for Trump'

The firm fought the government ruling that guaranteed access to contraception through company health insurance, arguing that it was against their religious beliefs.

They went all the way to the Supreme Court, with a 2014 ruling in favor of Green's company.

The firm faced calls for a boycott in response to the family's support for Donald Trump and Mike Pence, thanks to Pence's evangelical background.

And during the pandemic, Hobby Lobby repeatedly violated rules ordering the closure of stores, with David Green saying his wife had been sent a message from God to keep the doors open.

In November 2017, the Green family opened the Museum of the Bible - despite being ordered by federal courts to return some of the Biblical artifacts to Iraq, from where they were looted, and pay a fine of $3 million.

In March 2020, the Green family announced it will return another 11,500 antiquities to Iraq.

The museum's 'Dead Sea Scrolls' were also found to be forgeries.
Corden was briefly banned from Balthazar by the restaurant's owner, who later said the host called to apologize for his behavior and that he is free to return

The photos of Harris leaving Corden's home come as the Into the Woods actor is embroiled in drama over his mistreatment of waitstaff at a popular NYC venue

Corden, who has hosted The Late Late Show since 2015, is set to end his run on the CBS show in spring, although his last day is unknown

DailyMail.com has previously reported that the talk show host is hoping to return to his native Britain in 2023

Despite Harris' objections, other sources confirmed that a real estate broker was present Thursday to talk about the Cordens moving out

Harris said in a statement to DailyMail.com that he was just visiting for 'social' reasons as his wife is good friends with Corden's wife

DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal that Million Dollar Listing LA's James Harris was recently spotted leaving The Late Late Show host's Brentwood residence

James Corden is saying goodbye to the United States, it would appear

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James Cordon is planning to sell his $9.7 million LA home after he was blasted for abusing restaurant staff.

Realtor Alicia Drake was spotted at the comedian's Brentwood mansion on Thursday, along with Million Dollar Listing LA star James Harris - two days after restaurateur Keith McNally called the British performer out.

Drake later confirmed to DailyMail.com that the property is indeed up for sale.

It wont be listed - its a private sale,' she said.

DailyMail.coms exclusive photos show Harris, the dapper celebrity realtor, 38, leaving the $9.7m property, accompanied by Drake who wore a black minidress, and an unidentified woman.

Drake is 'one of the Westside L.A.s top-tier brokers,' according to her bio on The Agency, which also highlights her experience handling 'unique and challenging situations, with discretion.'

'She is committed to delivering the highest level of ethics, integrity, personal service, professional representation and technical expertise, ensuring that every client is thrilled with the outcome and comfortable throughout the entire process.'

Million Dollar Listing LA star James Harris and realtor Alicia Drake (center), and another unidentified woman were seen exiting James Corden's Brentwood home Thursday for a purported 'social' visit

Harris and Drake (right) along with another woman were spotted outside of the $10 million Brentwood residence owned by the host of The Late Late Show as rumors swirl that Corden may be looking to move back to Britain following his late-night exit

Corden's visitors signal that the U.K. native is ready to head home after his time with The Late Late Show comes to a close in the spring

Realtor Alicia Drake, pictured, confirmed Corden's property is up for sale. She said: It wont be listed - its a private sale.

Harris, 38, for his part, told DailyMail.com that he was at the home for a social visit and explained that his wife Valeria is close friends with Cordens producer wife Julia, 46.

He also said he was not there to list or appraise the house, with a second source telling DailyMail.com: There really is nothing in it. It was just a social thing.

Friends of Corden, 44, however, have previously spoken of his wish to return to his native Britain to be closer to family while Ben Turner, the co-founder of his production company Fulwell 73, told Variety he is really excited to get James back in the UK in an interview in July.

Corden is due to finish filming his final series of the Late Late Show in the spring, with Turner telling the magazine: [Corden] has just got so many strings to his bow, and Late is a big commitment thats taken up so much of his time.

Were just really excited about having him back in the UK., and all the stuff that that entails, but it is a big moment for us.

Corden purchased his $9.7m five-bedroom Brentwood home in 2017 after moving to the property from a rented mansion in Pacific Palisades.

The lavish property sprawls across 8,600sqft and comes complete with seven bathrooms, a wood-paneled library, a media room and a private gym.

The Cordens have lived in their $10 million Los Angeles home for less than five years. The family moved in December 2017 after an extensive renovation period

James Corden and wife Julia officially moved into this Brentwood home in December 2017 after purchasing the property for $9.7 million

The sprawling home has a massive backyard with its own pavilion and swimming pool

The amenities in the backyard provide plenty of shaded spots to shield the family from the hot Southern California sun

The massive kitchen included plenty of counterspace for the family to cook as well as multiple options for spaces to eat

One of the bedrooms had a massive floorplan that allowed for additional couches. The room also featured its own fireplace

A bathroom on the home's second floor led out to a balcony overlooking the beautiful backyard

The home also came with this massive space that was previously used as a recreation room

Harris, who is also British, has plenty of experience in selling high value properties. In 2019, he and David Parnes handled the sale of Petra Ecclestones former home - dubbed The Manor  for $120m.

The vast property, which was built by producer Aaron Spelling, became the sixth most expensive home ever sold in LA County when the deal went through.

Harris and Parnes also dealt with the sale of a huge apartment that once belonged to Cher the same year and have racked up over $3bn in property sales since 2017.

Cordens home is relatively small by Harris and Parnes standards but the Brentwood property is similar to other homes sold by the British realtors.

Harris visit came as the comedians reputation took a hit, after he was dubbed a tiny cretin of a man by Keith McNally  the British owner of upscale New York restaurant Balthazar.

In a series of scathing social media posts on Monday, McNally claimed the comedian berated servers on two separate occasions and said he planned to 86  ban  Corden from his restaurant.

The Late Late Show has found himself in a sticky situation over the past few days after the owner of New York City's Balthazar accused him of horrid behavior aimed at waitstaff

Corden, seen driving earlier this week, was reportedly one of the rudest customers Balthazar owner Keith McNally

After the news about Corden's behavior broke in the press, McNally said that the TV host called him personally to apologize for his actions

According to McNally, one of Cordens rants came after he found a hair in his meal leading him to demand free rounds of drinks and threaten to post nasty reviews on Yelp.

On the second occasion, Corden blew up when his wife Julia, 46, was served an egg yolk omelet that also contained a trace of egg white.

Corden then phoned McNally to apologize for his behavior but reignited the row via an interview with the New York Times published Friday in which he said the drama was beneath me and denied doing anything wrong.

He also complained about the backlash, telling the newspaper: 'I feel so Zen about the whole thing.

Because I think it's so silly. I just think it's beneath all of us. It's beneath you. It's certainly beneath your publication.'

Comparing the media response to his bad behavior to a school principal helping classroom bullies, he added:

'The principal makes the decision to stand up and say, 'I'd like all of those bullies to come up onto the stage and say, into the microphone, what they've just been saying in the hallway over there.

The interview then sparked a response from McNally who demanded Corden apologize to the servers he abused.

In an Instagram post made on Friday, he said: I have no wish to kick a man when he's down, but I believe the best way for James Corden to retrieve some of the vast respect the public had for him before this incident is to own up to it and apologize to the young servers he abused.'

He added: 'Whatever Corden meant, his implication was clear: he didnt do it.'

The restauranteur concluded his outburst, by saying if Corden 'apologizes to the 2 servers he insulted, I'll let him eat free at Balthazar for the next 10 years.'
He has cut short his holiday to return to the UK after Liz Truss's resignation

Mr Johnson is likely to go up against Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt for top job

He took a cheeky swipe at Boris Johnson in the opening monologue of his show

BBC star Graham Norton has waded into the debate over who should become the next Prime Minister with a cheeky swipe at Boris Johnson.

As the race to succeed Liz Truss heats up between Mr Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt, the comedian used the opening monologue of last night's Graham Norton Show to poke fun at the situation.

'Who's it gonna be next?' he said.

'Sources say it could be Penny Mordaunt for the party's sake, it could be Rishi Sunak for the country's sake, or even Boris Johnson... for f**k's sake.'

The swipe at Mr Johnson attracted laughter from the crowd - who like the rest of Britain are awaiting a decision from the Tories after Ms Truss's humiliating resignation 44 days into the job.

It is looking increasingly likely that the former Prime Minister will throw his hat in the ring for Tory party leadership - but he's yet to officially comment on the rumours

The latest polling suggests Mr Sunak is the most likely future leader with backing from 85 MPs, including former chancellor Sajid Javid, who said it was 'abundantly clear' he had the 'values our party needs' to 'move on from the mistakes of the past'.

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt is the only candidate who has officially declared she is running, but former chancellor Mr Sunak is expected to launch a challenge.

But Mr Johnson is due to arrive back in the UK today following a holiday in the Caribbean, and former minister Sir James Duddridge revealed he had told him he was 'up for it [a return to No10]'.

Sir James said: 'I've been in contact with the boss via WhatsApp. He's going to fly back. He said, ''I'm flying back, Dudders, we are going to do this. I'm up for it''.'

Mr Johnson will argue he is 'the only person that's got a mandate' from the 2019 general election and that he can 'bring the party together', Sir James said.

Allies of Mr Johnson suggested he would be willing to meet Mr Sunak as soon as this afternoon if the former chancellor agrees. The two men have not spoken since Mr Sunak quit the Cabinet in July, triggering Mr Johnson's exit a few days later. The 'backstabber' narrative dogged Mr Sunak throughout the summer leadership campaign and is seen as one of the main reasons Tory members rejected him in favour of Miss Truss.

When Norton proposed a question about the Tory leadership, he said Ms Mordaunt could be voted in 'for the party's sake'

The most recent poll revealing the number of declared backers for the Tory leadership contest shows Rishi Sunak in the lead with 85, followed by Mr Johnson and Penny Mourdant

When he questioned Mr Sunak's leadership chops, Norton said he could be chosen for the sake of the nation

With Mr Johnson, Norton's tone changed. Dripping with sarcasm, he said: 'Or even Boris Johnson... for f**k's sake'

MPs on both sides of the Tory divide fear that neither man will be able to heal the deep divisions without the support of the other. Peterborough MP Paul Bristow said it was time to 'put the band back together'.

He told the BBC: 'Boris Johnson has a mandate from the members of the party and from the electorate. I'm sure my colleagues will reflect on that when they vote, and we can avoid a general election, we can go out and put this band back together, we can have political heavyweights around that Cabinet table and we can go on and win the next general election. I'm convinced of that.'

Mr Johnson's potential reappointment would not be welcomed by all Tories. Former leader Lord William Hague warned a resurrection would lead to a 'death spiral' for the party.

Lord Hague, a Tory peer, said Mr Johnson returning is 'possibly the worst idea I've heard of' during his 46-year party membership.

'I think it'd be a very, very bad idea to bring Boris Johnson back,' he told Times Radio.

'This all started, this unravelling, because Boris Johnson was unable to run the government in the right way, to keep it together in the right way, to uphold the high standards of conduct that are necessary in the highest offices in the land.

'Him returning is the solution? That would be going round in circles and that could become a death spiral of the Conservative Party.

'And I think it's possibly the worst idea I've heard of in the 46 years I've been a member of the Conservative Party.'

One senior Tory source, said regarding the reunion of Johnson and Sunak: 'It is something that has got to be tried. The party as it stands is fractured  it is incumbent on the two greatest talents in the party to see if it can be healed'

Former minister Johnny Mercer said he could not put himself or his constituents through another Johnson administration after the 'terrible' lows of the last time, as he officially backed Mr Sunak.

'Boris is a friend of mine, I love him to bits, he's a great guy, but I just don't think I can put myself through that again. I don't think I can ask my constituents to, I don't think I can ask my staff,' Mr Mercer told BBC Radio 4's PM programme.

'I love Boris to bits and he's got amazing qualities for this country, but it is now time for serious, competent, straightforward and values-based governance.'

A return for Mr Johnson would be beset with challenges, not least the inquiry into whether he lied to the Commons over the partygate scandal, for which he was fined by police.

If found guilty by the Commons Privileges Committee, he could face recall proceedings that would leave him battling for his seat in the Commons if he receives a suspension of 10 days or more.

His popularity with the public has crashed, even if he still rides high with the Tory membership. Some MPs have even suggested they could resign the party whip if he wins.
The 286-metre Rio Madeira lost power on Friday night around 80km off the coast

Ships deployed to rescue a cargo ship drifting of the NSW coast near Narooma

A rescue mission is underway to save a cargo ship drifting out to sea with around 10,000 containers on board.

The carrier lost power on Thursday night around 80km off the coast of Narooma, NSW.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) rescue boats from Newcastle and Sydney have been deployed to rescue the 286-metre-long Rio Madeira.

A rescue mission is underway to save the Rio Madeira, a cargo ship drifting out to sea with 10,000 containers on board

It is understood the carrier lost power on Thursday night around 80km off the coast of Narooma, NSW

An AMSA spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the Singaporean container is not in any 'immediate danger' of hitting the coast.

'AMSA has tasked a specialised emergency towing vessel, ETV Svitzer Glenrock, from Newcastle to assist with providing towing assistance to MV Rio Madeira,' the spokesperson said.

'Emergency generator power is available on board and crew are working to resolve the main power issue.

'The ship and the crew are not in immediate danger of impacting the coast.

'AMSA is closely monitoring the ship and receiving regular reports from the ship's company.'

The emergency vessel from Newcastle will arrive at the Rio Madeira on Saturday afternoon and will help tow the ship.

The Rio Madeira is larger than the Portland Bay carrier which drifted away from Port Botany earlier this year.

Craig Gibson, who was one of the three on board during the July rescue of the Portland Bay carrier, tweeted his support for the latest rescue mission, posting 'Go and save another one team!!'

There is believed to be 27 crew on board the ship.
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King Charles III will set off on the Royal Family's biggest world tour in history to mark the start of his reign.

The King will visit Australia, New Zealand and several Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean.

The monarch is reported to be planning various domestic and foreign trips by himself, leaving Queen Consort Camilla to attend to her personal projects at home.

A two year-long tour of the globe will introduce the new King to the world and 'extend a hand of friendship and support', according to royal sources.

King Charles could visit as many nations as Queen Elizabeth did in the 1970s, when she travelled to 52 Commonwealth countries and 21 others to mark her Silver Jubilee.

Buckingham Palace is said to be considering trips to Australia and Canada 'as soon as possible'. The King is also enthusiastic to visit at least a dozen other nations where he is the monarch.

The King and Queen Consort (pictured in Waitangi, New Zealand in 2019) will embark on the royals' biggest-ever tour

Charles, then Prince of Wales, takes part in traditional Mexican clog dancing in Campeche in November 2014

The royal couple attend a reception in the small Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2019

Charles and Camilla arrive at Staubles Bay in Trinidad and Tobago as part of a royal tour of the Caribbean in March 2008

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit Addis Ababa in Ethiopia in 1965. The Queen made hundreds of royal trips during her historic reign

The King has toured dozens of Commonwealth countries over the years, including with Princess Diana in Australia in 1983

Diana, Princess of Wales and Charles stand in front of Ayers Rock, central Australia during their tour in 1983

William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, will take a more senior role in the new monarchy. Pictured: The couple in Jamaica earlier this year

He has already visited 45 of the 56 Commonwealth countries while Prince of Wales - many on several occasions.

The King is reported to be 'acutely aware' that many of the Caribbean countries will be contemplating becoming republics during his visits.

Charles and Camilla could make their first state visit to South Africa as early as next month as preparations are made for their arrival.

A royal insider said: 'The King and his family are keen to hit the ground running in these crucial first few months and years of his reign,' according to The Mirror.

'He certainly wants to carry on the long-held mantra from his late mother of being seen to be believed, and is very keen to get out and meet as many people as possible.'

The Foreign Office is also said to be planning to send the royal couple to European nations such as France and Germany to help build relations in the post-Brexit era.

The King and Queen Consort were originally planned to visit France next month, but this has been delayed until 2023.

Government officials in New South Wales this week revealed plans for a 'much-anticipated' royal tour in 2024 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of democracy in Australia, although sources suggest Prince William and Kate had also previously discussed plans for a tour Down Under in spring 2023.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will visit dozens of countries, both inside and outside the Commonwealth, over the next two years

The royal couple pictured next to the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt during their tour of the Middle East in 2021

Charles and Camilla take part in celebrations in the village of Artiya, India in 2006 on another royal visit

The Prince and Princess of Wales are also said to be preparing to take on a greater support role as the Royal Family adjusts to life without the Queen.

William and Kate will visit the United States in the coming weeks to take part in the Williams Earthshot Prize environmental scheme.
Panic struck a United Airlines jet when a slithering snake stowed away on the flight last Monday. The flight originating from Tampa, Florida, landing in New Jersey, had the passengers panicked and broke into screams when the snake was sighted.

United Airlines Jet Ruckus

An unruly human usually disrupts rare incidents on a flight, but not at this time, as a snake is a cause now. The UA flight 2038 was disrupted by an unusual occurrence that would make that startled passengers.

As the plane landed at the Newark Liberty International Airport, at this part of the flight, the passengers were already in a panic and told the staff that a snake was inside the plane, reported Republic World.

At that point, the staff was preoccupied with requests to capture the slithering snake onboard the plane.

A report by News 12 Bronx mentioned that when the aircraft landed at the airport at about 1:15 pm (local time), after a two-hour flight from Tampa, At that time, the screams were frantic coming from the business class section in the United Airlines jet, while the airliner taxied to where it should stop.

Many reports from various outlets said that witnesses in that section of the aircraft where the reptile was slithering about had terrified passengers, raising their feet to avoid the animal going all over the section floor.

Read Also: Mark Zuckerberg Net Worth 2022: How Did Facebook Founder Lose $30 Billion in 1 Day?

Snake Boarded the Plane in Florida

In part thanks to this, the port authorities of New York and New Jersey disclosed in a statement that representatives from the port authority police department and the airport's wildlife operations staff met at the entrance of the United Flight 2038 and got the "garter snake."

The Washington Post noted that after capturing the stowaway animal and sending it back to the wilderness, they added that no one was hurt during the fiasco.

UA flight added that the staff took action when the passengers informed the team, who acted on it as soon as possible. The relevant authorities were reached to deal with the situation, mentioned NDTV.

When the plane positioned itself at the gate, said a Port Authority representative, officers promptly entered the plane and got the snake from inside. But one question is how the slithering reptile found its way into the plane, asked another outlet.

Further information has been added to the UA flight 2038 incident, which included the removal of the snake, the deplaning of passengers and their belongings, and a thorough investigation to see if any additional snakes might still be hidden inside the aircraft. As a relief, none were discovered.

The Washington Times mentioned that according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, these common garter snakes are dispersed all over the state of Florida.

Furthermore, this snake specie is not considered venomous or dangerous to people. With a typical length of 18 to 26 inches, it is timid, will avoid people or animals, and will attack only if mishandled.

A United Airlines jet from Florida landing in York turned into a panic with a slithering snake on board.

Related Article: Missing Woman Devoured Alive by Wild Bears After Making Emergency Calls in the Forest

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His allies have called on Tory MPs to cancel the probe if he wins the contest

However he is being investigated to see if he mislead MPs over Partygate

Boris Johnson is currently in the race to become the next Prime Minister

Allies of Boris Johnson last night urged Tory MPs to cancel Parliament's controversial Partygate probe into his conduct if he returns as prime minister.

A former minister close to Mr Johnson said the new government would have to table a Commons motion to halt the 'malicious' inquiry by MPs that could see him suspended from Parliament.

The Commons privileges committee is investigating whether Mr Johnson misled MPs when he initially said no parties took place in No 10 in breach of lockdown rules. The inquiry, led by Labour's former deputy leader Harriet Harman, has been branded a 'witch hunt' by critics, who believe the former PM's enemies are trying to end his political career.

Allies of Boris Johnson have urged Tory MPs to cancel Parliament's Partygate probe into whether Mr Johnson misled MPs if he returns as Prime Minister

If the Partygate probe finds Mr Johnson guilty he could be suspended from the Commons and forced to fight a by-election

An ally of the PM said that if Tory MPs were serious about him becoming prime minister again, they would have to act to end the inquiry by backing a Commons motion to cancel it.

Commons privileges committee investigates whether Boris Johnson misled MPs What is the inquiry? The Commons privileges committee is investigating whether Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament about Downing Street parties during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the third probe into Mr Johnson and the events that took place in Whitehall when Covid laws banned social gatherings, following the inquiry by senior civil servant Sue Gray and Scotland Yard's criminal case. What do critics say? Supporters of Mr Johnson have branded it a witch hunt, and even a top lawyer  Lord Pannick KC  warned that the inquiry would be declared unlawful were it not protected from challenge in the courts. But MPs on the privileges committee rejected claims that their probe was 'unfair' and 'fundamentally flawed. What are the possible sanctions? Once the committee has delivered its findings, all MPs will vote on its recommendations. If Mr Johnson is found in contempt and suspended from the Commons for more than ten days, he could face a by-election in his marginal Uxbridge constituency. What is the status of the inquiry? Labour MP Harriet Harman, who is chairing the inquiry, is said to have already received damaging information from inside No 10. According to reports, there will be three weeks of hearings in November. Mr Johnson will be expected to give evidence in person in a public session. Could Boris stop the probe? If he becomes prime minister again, Mr Johnson could organise a Commons vote on a motion for the probe to be quashed. The threat would be eliminated if he won the vote  but not all Tories would support him. Advertisement

'If Boris does return then one of the first things we will need to do is move a motion to knock down this politically motivated stunt,' the source said. 'Too many Tory MPs have been played by Labour into backing this inquiry. The whole thing is totally unconstitutional and has to end now.'

Legal advice obtained by Downing Street from top barrister Lord Pannick found the inquiry was 'fundamentally flawed'  and warned it would have a 'chilling effect' on ministers if they could be punished for making a mistake at the despatch box. But the committee has rejected the advice and continued its investigation.

One source close to the committee yesterday told ITV News that material already handed over by No 10 was so damning that Mr Johnson would be 'gone by Christmas'.

The committee is expected to summon Mr Johnson to give evidence next month.

If it finds him guilty he could be suspended from the Commons and forced to fight a by-election  making it all but impossible for him to continue as prime minister. But a source close to the former PM insisted he was 'confident' he had done nothing wrong.

The source played down the prospect of killing off the inquiry, saying: 'He is going to co-operate. He is confident in his own defence  he did not do what is claimed.'

One Tory MP who previously supported Mr Johnson warned that any attempt to cancel the inquiry could split the party, and trigger a re-run of last year's row when ministers were accused of rewriting the rules to protect disgraced former minister Owen Paterson.

The MP said: 'There is no way Tory MPs, who perhaps make their living through their reputation, especially the lawyers, there's no way they are going to vote with Boris on that. Until someone explains otherwise, I don't see how that is anything other than a nailed-on, total train wreck which destroys the party for ever.'

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who chairs the privileges committee but has stood aside from the inquiry into Partygate, said it was 'highly unlikely' that Parliament would vote to scrap it.

He added: 'I don't know any details, but in the absence of such a motion I would expect the committee to hear oral evidence throughout November and perhaps longer. It might report in January.'

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats yesterday launched a bid to block Mr Johnson from becoming prime minister again. The party has tabled a motion in Parliament that seeks to prevent MPs found to have broken the law while they were in government from getting into No 10.
An Australian family has received a chilling letter from an anonymous neighbour threatening to kill their dogs with poisoned treats if they did not stop barking.

Anthony and Jessica Tuite, who live in the Brisbane suburb of Graceville, own two rescue dogs - a black Great Dane called Barney and a brown Great Dane cross ridgeback named Donnie.

The pair found the chilling note packed with pieces of chocolate in their mailbox, warning their beloved pets would be poisoned if they did not stop barking.

Brisbane residents Anthony (right) and Jessica (left) Tuite were sent a letter from an anonymous neighbour who threatened to poison their two dogs, Barney and Donnie (pictured), with chocolate if they did not stop barking

Chocolate contains a chemical called 'theobromine', which is toxic to dogs and even in small amounts can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures, heart problems and death.

'If the barking of your dogs does not stop, the chocolate in this envelope will be thrown over your fence in greater amounts ... which will kill them,' the letter read.

'You have been warned nicely many times by people in Long St East and Haldane St but you do nothing.'

Ms Tuite said she felt 'instant panic' after reading the note and begged the anonymous neighbour to not hurt her dogs.

'These dogs are our family,' Ms Tuite told 7NEWS. 'Please, please don't hurt my dogs.'

Ms Tuite explained the family had been living at the Haldane Street address for six years and their dogs were usually well-behaved and quiet.

'They only bark when someone comes into their yard but that's their job,' Ms Tuite said.

The letter was sent from an anonymous neighbour in the suburb of Graceville and was packed with pieces of chocolate (pictured)

Fellow Graceville residents have labelled the note 'immoral' and are supporting the Tuite family.

'You just don't make those threats,' neighbour and body corporate chair Phil Keleman told 7NEWS.

Mr Keleman added: 'You just kind of say 'Hey listen, how do we work together to make it better?'.'

The Tuite family have notified police about the note but the sender remains anonymous for now.
MPs are demanding a probe into China's plans to build a 'super-embassy' opposite the Tower of London after a protestor was beat up outside the Beijing consulate in Manchester.

Politicians,members of the House of Lords and stakeholders have demanded a probe into the country's plans to convert the old Royal Mint into a 'super-embassy', sitting opposite the Tower of London.

The People's Republic of China handed over 255 million to become the landlord of the historic 700,000 ft site back in 2018.

It comes as 100 homeowners on the London estate realised the freehold to their properties is owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), The Times reports.

Bob Chan was pulled to the ground outside the gate of the Chinese consulate in manchester following a demonstration against the country's president Xi Jinping

Plans to create the large embassy, however, were called into question this week after a pro-democracy campaigner from Hong Kong was seen being dragged to the ground and beaten by Chinese officials outside the country's Manchester consulate.

The drama flared up on Sunday during a peaceful protest outside the consulate building.

Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters had reportedly organised a peaceful protest outside of the Consulate in response to the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, where President Xi Jinping is widely expected to announce another five years in power.

But scuffles broke out outside the diplomatic HQ after 30 to 40 pro-democracy started to put up posters.

British police intervened to stop Bob Chan being harmed further in what was called a 'chilling escalation' of violence.

Following the incident, Foreign Office minister Jesse Norman to issue a fresh warning to the Chinese Government, stating that the behaviour had been 'completely unacceptable'.

China has plans to convert the old Royal Mint building (pictured), opposite the Tower of London into their biggest European embassy

An independent police investigation is underway, with the UK warning that China does not waive immunity for any officials if charged with the assault of Mr Chan.

Footage of the incident has sparked an outcry among British politicians, calling for China's 'super-embassy' plans to be axed.

Lord Alton of Liverpool told The Times the UK's relationship with China had changed since 2018 and questioned whether the large embassy should be built.

He said: 'The idea that the Royal Mint should become a prime site for the promotion of the CCP is wrong.

'It will give them a great deal of prestige and I am sympathetic to the security issues and the concern from local residents.

'I think the secretary of state should call it in.'

If the plans go ahead, the embassy will be one of the largest diplomatic bases across the globe.

It would be a third bigger than the enormous new US embassy in Vauxhall, south London.

Chairman of the Royal Mint Estate Residents' Association Dave Lake said: 'All of a sudden the estate has been bought by the Chinese and the CCP are our freeholders.'

The concerned chairman added that it was a 'worrying prospect given the behaviour we have seen in Manchester this week'.

Metropolitan and Thames Valley housing association said it had 'no say or influence' over actions taken by freeholders.

Planning permission remains a local authority matter within the UK but the decision can be 'called in' by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, or central government.

Last year, residents living around the old Royal Mint, called for streets around the proposed embassy to be renamed after areas and local communities affected by the Chinese state of oppression.

The motion, heard at Tower Hamlets full council meeting, called for the local authority to rename the roads Tiananmen Square, in memory of the 1989 student protests in China, Uyghur Court, Hong Kong Road and Xiaobo Liu.

Reflecting on the proposed super-embassy, following on from the aggression in Manchester earlier this week, former leader of the Conservative Party Sir Iain Duncan Smith told The Times: 'Anything to do with China now has to be looked at.

'China is no longer benign.'

China has consulates in Edinburgh and Belfast as well as Manchester.

As of 2010 there were only 94 Chinese officials living in the UK but by 2020 the number has now surpassed 116, with 120 living in London alone.

Earlier this week, in a fresh political attack, Foreign Office Minister Jesse Norman told MPs: 'We have made it absolutely clear to the Chinese embassy that the apparent behaviour of consulate general officials during the incident, as it appears from footage, which even now more is coming out, is completely unacceptable.

'The independent police investigation is now under way. Greater Manchester Police have been clear there are many strands to what is a complex and sensitive inquiry and it may take some time.

'As the Foreign Secretary (James Cleverly) has said, we will await the details of the investigation, but in the meantime Ive instructed our ambassador to deliver a clear message directly to the ministry of foreign affairs in Beijing about the depth of concern at the apparent actions of consulate general staff.

'Let me be clear: if the police determine there are grounds to charge any officials, we would expect the Chinese consulate to waive immunity for those officials. If they do not, then diplomatic consequences will follow.'
He compared behaviour he saw while working in clinic to Munchausen by proxy

Parents of children as young as three were fabricating stories that their toddlers were transgender, a former psychiatrist at the Portman Clinic claims.

Dr Az Hakeem worked at the Portman Clinic for 12 years until 2012 running an exploratory Psychotherapy service for adults with gender dysphoria and said he expressed concerns the procedures followed by staff 'were mad', describing Tavistock as a 'transing factory'.

'You had three-year-olds coming in... I saw these parents who had a son but wanted a daughter or the other way around... the parents were saying ''Johnny never looked like a boy so we've changed his name and put on a wig'',' he said, according to The Telegraph.

'I remember saying to them, this is madness. What we're doing is madness. These are children. These are three-year-olds.'

Dr Az Hakeem (pictured) worked at the Portman Clinic for 12 years until 2012 and said he expressed concerns the procedures followed by staff 'were mad', describing Tavistock as a 'transing factory'

Dr Hakeem said there was an overrepresentation of grieving parents who had lost a child, only to become pregnant again.

He compared the behaviour of parents to Munchausen by proxy disease, in which a caregiver makes up symptoms in order to create an illusion that their child is sick, calling it 'Transhausen by proxy'.

His comments come after it was revealed at least 15 children under the age of four were directed to the controversial clinic in the past two years.

A similar number of five-year-olds were referred between 2021-2022.

The Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at the Tavistock clinic is the nation's only gender identity service for children.

NHS documents state that, in total, over 5,000 children were referred to Tavistock's service in the past two years, over concerns they were suffering from their gender identity not matching their biological sex.

Only half of referrals were for children aged 15-plus.

The figures were detailed in NHS England's draft guidelines for how gender care will operate in two new centres due to open in the spring to replace the Gender Identity Development Service at Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust

The NHS data, unveiled among some new guidelines for how to treat children with gender dysphoria, only concerns referrals to the GIDS at Tavistock.

Not all of the patients would have been taken on for actual treatment, which can include hormone suppressants for those past the onset of puberty and hormones that help change their bodies to align more with their gender identity (only offered from age 16).

NHS England is cracking down on how children are referred to gender identity care in the future, in the wake of the Tavistock chaos which saw its GIDS service ruled unsafe following a review.

Other mental health issues were 'overshadowed' in favour of gender identity treatment, prompting accusations that staff rushed children onto powerful drugs.

Under current guidelines, health and social service staff, teachers, and charities can refer a child they think is suffering from gender dysphoria to specialist NHS care.

At least 15 pre-primary school children were referred to the NHS England's gender identify service in 2021 and 2022

But under draft rules published this week, which could be enforced from the spring, referrals to NHS gender identity care would be restricted to GPs and health service staff.

Stella O'Malley, psychotherapist and director of campaign group Genspect said the fact children under the age of four were being referred for gender identity care, 'shocking and concerning'.

'Children up until the age of roughly seven or eight engage in magical thinking, for example they can believe that thinking about something can make it real,' she said.

'Very young kids who are gender non conforming should be free to live as they please- nobody should be responding to gender non conformity as a problem to be treated.'

The NHS estimates this change would slash referrals to gender identify care by 5 per cent, or about 250 children based on the latest data.

HOW THE TAVISTOCK SCANDAL UNFOLDED 2005: Sue Evans, a nurse at Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust's Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), warned that youngsters were being assessed too quickly and their treatment was influenced by transgender rights groups. 2009: GIDS became a national service responsible for treating all children in England with gender and identity issues. Demand skyrocketed, with fewer than 100 patients referred to the clinic in 2010, jumping more than 2,500 by 2018. 2018: A senior member of staff told the trust's board that children were wrongly fast-tracked into changing their gender  with the mental health and social reasons behind their wishes being overlooked February 2019: An internal report by Dr David Bell, who was on Tavistock's board, set out how patients were suffering 'long term damage' because GIDS could not 'stand up to the pressure' from 'highly politicised' campaigners and families. February 2019: Consultant psychotherapist Dr Marcus Evans  who had worked at the trust for decades and whose wife Sue first raised concerns about its practices in 2005  resigned in protest at the Tavistock's response to doctors who raised the alarm. July 2019: Dr Kirsty Entwhisle, a psychologist at GIDS Leeds hub, went public with accusations that staff misled patients and made decisions about young people's 'bodies and lives' without 'robust evidence'. October 2019: Former GIDS nurse Sue Evans and an anonymous mother of a 15-year-old GIDS patient launched the first legal action against Tavistock. They claimed the trust should not prescribe puberty blockers to children who could not give informed consent. January 2020: Keira Bell, who was prescribed the drugs when she was 16-years-old, replaced Mrs Evans as lead claimant. She underwent breast-removal surgery but regretted transitioning, claiming she was given puberty blockers after 'superficial conversations' with social workers' and was receiving testosterone shots a year later'. December 2020: In response to the claim, the High Court decided that under-16s could not give informed consent to the treatment. 2020: NHS England asks paediatrician Dr Hillary Cass to conduct a review into Tavistock. September 2021: Tavistock appealed the decision and it was overturned by the Court of Appeal, which claimed the previous ruling was 'inappropriate' and placed patients, parents and medics in a 'very difficult position'. September 2021: Sonia Appleby, the trust's safeguarding lead, awarded 20,000 by tribunal after claiming trust managers tried to stop her from carrying out her role when staff raised concerns. January 2021: The UK's health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission, gave GIDS the lowest rating it can, 'inadequate', after finding 'significant concerns' about how it operates. It demanded improvement. March 2022: In an interim report, Dr Cass hit out at the lack of 'open discussion' at the trust about its treatment, which was not subject to quality controls. She found other mental health issues were 'overshadowed' in favour of gender identity issues when children were referred to GIDS. She called for a 'fundamentally different service model' and 'rapid' research on the use of the drugs after she found 'insufficient evidence' on their benefits. July 2022: In a letter to the NHS, Dr Cass called for regional centres to be commissioned for gender identity treatment, with 'strong links' to mental health services and academic hubs that conduct ongoing research. July 2022: The NHS confirmed that GIDS will be replaced by regional centres at existing children's hospitals, which will provide more holistic care with 'strong links to mental health services'. Advertisement
Candidates need 100 backers, if only one reaches the mark they become leader

Their aim is to be so far ahead Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt drop out

Supporters of Rishi Sunak are hoping to gain an unassailable lead by Monday

Rishi Sunaks supporters are hoping to squeeze his Tory leadership rivals out of the race so he can gain a coronation on Monday before party members have a chance to vote.

The former Chancellor returned to London from his constituency in Yorkshire late on Thursday after Liz Trusss dramatic resignation as Prime Minister.

His team are targeting a knockout blow in the contest by gaining so much backing that rivals Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt have to drop out.

Mr Sunak hit the phones to drum up support from Tory MPs yesterday while allies were seen in Parliament getting his campaign into gear. He received a major boost last night as former Cabinet colleague Sajid Javid  who supported Miss Truss in the last contest  declared he was backing Mr Sunak.

Supporters of Rishi Sunak are hoping he will be so far ahead of rivals Boris Johnson and Penny Mourdant that they drop out of the leadership contest

A source close to Mr Sunaks campaign said: The focus at the moment is not on doing deals  it is about getting as many MP backers as possible.

The rules set a very high bar. You need 100 nominations, and that is going to be a struggle for some people.

The more supporters Rishi has the less there are available for anyone else.

Former health secretary Mr Javid said Mr Sunak has what it takes to match the challenges we face.

He wrote on Twitter: Our responsibility as public servants is to make decisions in the national interest, especially at a time like this.

Our country desperately needs economic stability, hard-headed decision-making and strong leadership.

It is abundantly clear that Rishi Sunak has what it takes to match the challenges we face  he is the right person to lead our party and take the country forward.

Mr Javid stressed: I also believe it is in the national interest to have a strong Conservative Party. The only way for our party to reclaim our values and recover our reputation for stewardship is to move on from mistakes of the past and come together to focus on the future.

Allies: Ex-health secretary Sajid Javid and Gillian Keegan are supporters of Rishi Sunak

Mr Javid and Mr Sunak had resigned within minutes of each other from Mr Johnsons Cabinet in July, triggering his downfall. Paymaster General Chris Philp also declared his backing for Mr Sunak yesterday, saying: I think he will serve our countrys national interest very well in the months and years ahead through globally turbulent times. I hope the party unites around whoever wins in the national interest.

Former minister Johnny Mercer also announced his support for Mr Sunak  and said he could not put himself or his constituents through another Boris Johnson leadership.

He told BBC Radio 4s PM programme: I think now we need to clearly come behind someone who is capable, professional, calm, competent and will deliver Government in a way people expect. For me, that is Rishi Sunak.

He added: Boris is a friend of mine, I love him to bits, hes a great guy. But I just dont think I can put myself through that again. I dont think I can ask my constituents to. I dont think I can ask my staff.

Many of Mr Sunaks backers have said he is the candidate to unite the fractious Tories rather than Mr Johnson and Miss Mordaunt. Senior backbencher Mel Stride said: If the Conservative Party wishes to get back into political contention and avoid the loss of a vast number of seats at the next general election then we need to unite with Rishi Sunak.

And health minister Robert Jenrick said Mr Sunak will unite the party and lead our country with integrity, judgement and competence.

Rishi Sunak already has more than 70 backers, putting him well ahead of Boris Johnson currently

Mr Sunaks other backers include former chief whips Gavin Williamson, Julian Smith and Mark Harper, ex-Cabinet minister Greg Clark and Africa minister Gillian Keegan.

The total number of MPs who had publicly announced their support for the ex-chancellor rose to more than 70 last night  placing him well ahead of Mr Johnson and Miss Mordaunt.

Sources close to Mr Sunak said he was focusing on winning over as many MPs as possible and had not spoken to Mr Johnson. He dramatically quit Mr Johnsons Cabinet over their different approaches to the economy. Allies last night suggested that the economic differences that led to the split were likely to be even bigger now than in July.

But Tory backbencher Paul Bristow, who is backing Mr Johnson, told BBC Breakfast: Were facing a crisis as a party. We could go down and be completely wiped out without Boris Johnson as our Prime Minister... Boris Johnson has a mandate from the members of the party and from the electorate.

Im sure my colleagues will reflect on that when they vote. And we can avoid a general election  we can go out and put this band back together. We can have political heavyweights around that Cabinet table and we can go on and win the next general election. Im convinced of that. Mr Sunak was the original front-runner in the summer Tory leadership race. But he lost out to Miss Truss in the final round following a vote by Tory members amid accusations of back-stabbing and a series of gaffes.

This included a controversial talk in affluent Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in which he boasted that he had diverted money from deprived urban areas to wealthier parts.
Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch were under pressure last night to step aside to avoid splitting the Tory Right.

Brexit-backing MPs warned that the MPs stood little chance of winning the leadership contest, but could dent the chances of Boris Johnson.

Mrs Braverman, who was ousted as home secretary on Wednesday, was still trying to persuade Conservative MPs to back her yesterday.

Suella Braverman, who was ousted as home secretary on Wednesday, was still trying to persuade Conservative MPs to back her yesterday

She has yet to declare whether she will stand, but even close allies admit that she is unlikely to succeed  especially if Mr Johnson runs.

Allies of Mrs Badenoch, the International Trade Secretary, said intensive discussions were continuing with colleagues across the party yesterday, but no formal bid had been launched.

One senior Tory said: 'Both of them are going to be a little bit late to the party if they stand.

Allies of Kemi Badenoch, the International Trade Secretary, said intensive discussions were continuing with colleagues across the party yesterday, but no formal bid had been launched

'I very much doubt whether Suella is going to stand, but if she did it would fragment the Right-wing vote.'

Referring to Mrs Braverman and Mrs Badenoch, another former Cabinet minister warned: 'If Boris is standing, that's like chucking a boulder in the pond and all the smaller fish will get washed aside.'

Brexiteer backbenchers in the European Research Group of Tory MPs will meet on Monday to discuss the candidates' policies.

Brexit-backing MPs warned that the MPs stood little chance of winning the leadership contest, but could dent the chances of Boris Johnson

In the last Conservative election the vote from the Right of the party was split across several candidates.

Mrs Braverman, pictured, previously promised 'rapid and large tax cuts' and the suspension of net-zero targets to deal with the energy crisis and pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Mrs Badenoch wanted lower taxes and 'limited government'.

She appeared to be targeting the anti-woke vote, complaining about 'the shutting down of debate' and stressing the need to 'reinvigorate the case for free speech'.
Several arrest warrants have been issued in South Korea for a former defence minister and a former coast guard chief over their alleged mishandling of the death of a state fishery employee.

An investigation has been underway into the final moments of Lee Dae-jin's life, before he was killed by North Korean troops two years ago.

The decision to issue the warrants, ordered by the Seoul Central District Court, was due to the risk of them fleeing or destroying evidence.

The latest documents from the parliamentary investigation revealed Lee was kept in water for nearly six hours as he drifted in and out of consciousness after he was found by North Koreans.

An investigation has been underway into the final moments of Lee Dae-jin's life, before he was killed by North Korean troops two years ago (stock image)

These documents allege the coast guard and navy violated rules during their initial rescue efforts by failing to seek help from other vessels and authorities nearby.

Both officials face charges that include dereliction of duty, abuse of power, forging official documents, and covering up and distorting facts in the case.

Lee's death has become a sensitive issue in South Korea, in part because of the fight by his brother to clear his name.

The previous administration of President Moon Jae-in portrayed his death as a failed defection attempt.

They said he attempted to defect due to his gambling debts, mental health issues and an unhappy life.

Meanwhile, state auditor the Board of Audit and Inspection last week said it had also requested prosecutors investigate 20 officials from five agencies, including a former national security advisor and a former national intelligence service chief of the previous government, in relation to the case.
Britons are on track to pay a record 7billion in inheritance tax this year as a result of frozen allowances and soaring house prices, experts warn.

The Treasury took 3.5billion in the last six months, with bereaved families forced to pay an extra 57,000 on average, figures show.

Investment group the Wealth Club, which made the calculations based on HMRC data, said the typical bill for those who have to pay inheritance tax could increase to 266,000 this tax year, up 27 per cent from 209,000 just three years ago.

Britons are on track to pay a record 7billion in inheritance tax this year as a result of frozen allowances and soaring house prices, experts warn

Total receipts are expected to exceed official forecasts, with the Office for Budget Responsibility predicting in April that the total take for 2022-23 would be 6.7billion.

Shaun Moore, a tax expert at wealth manager Quilter, said it is likely more than 7billion in death duties will be handed over this tax year.

The first 325,000 of inheritances are tax free, but above this they are taxed at 40 per cent. This threshold has not increased since 2009 and will not rise for four more years.

There is an additional allowance of 175,000 when the family home is left to 'direct descendants' such as children or grandchildren, and this has also been pegged for four more years.

Last year then chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a five-year freeze on inheritance tax allowances as part of a wider tax raid to plug the hole in Government finances created by the pandemic

Last year then chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a five-year freeze on inheritance tax allowances as part of a wider tax raid to plug the hole in Government finances created by the pandemic.

Dubbed a 'stealth tax', the fixing of the threshold has forced families to give up more of their inherited estate to the taxman  an effect known as fiscal drag.

Stephen Lowe, of retirement specialist Just Group, said hopes for a reversal of the freeze or even a tax cut have been 'obliterated' following Liz Truss's resignation as Prime Minister on Thursday.

There are fears the burden of death duties could increase further as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt seeks to balance the books.

Mr Lowe said: 'The Chancellor's warning that some taxes may have to go up suggests that the existing tax framework could be tightened  including inheritance tax.

'Such an approach almost guarantees that the thresholds won't be increased before 2026 and opens the door to either an increased rate or a reduced threshold for inheritance tax.'

Huge increases in property prices over the past decade have dragged more families over the threshold.

Stephen Lowe, of retirement specialist Just Group, said hopes for a reversal of the freeze or even a tax cut have been 'obliterated' following Liz Truss's resignation as Prime Minister on Thursday

The average price of a home in England has nearly doubled since 2009 when the inheritance allowance was fixed, from 169,603 in August 2009 to 315,965 in August this year, Land Registry figures show.

The property market has cooled recently and falling house prices could soften the blow for taxpayers in future but those paying death duties over the next six months will not benefit, Mr Moore said.

Inheritance tax paid by families has almost doubled in a decade, rising from 2.7billion in the 2010-11 tax year to 5.3billion in 2020-21.
A woman who shot and killed an off-duty firefighter who was brawling on the ground with her boyfriend will not face charges, prosecutors in Missouri announced.

Anthony 'Tony' Santi, 41, died on October 6 outside a gas station and liquor store in Independence, Missouri - a suburb of Kansas City.

He was shot in the back by an unnamed woman while wrestling her boyfriend, Ja'Von L. Taylor, 23, at around 2:30pm.

On Tuesday, Jackson County Prosecutor's Office said the woman would not face charges - after concluding that her actions were indeed reasonable.

They found that they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she acted outside Missouri self-defense laws when she shot and killed Santi.

Anthony Santi, 41, was shot and killed on October 6 as he tackled a man outside a gas station in Independence, Missouri - a suburb of Kansas City

Taylor is on the ground, with Santi on top of him. Taylor's girlfriend reaches across to grab Taylor's gun

'We grieve with the family and community over this tragic loss of life of Mr Santi,' the prosecutor's office wrote in a statement to The Star.

'Missouri law governs this case, specifically self-defense and defense of others, leading us to decline charges after a careful review.'

In the state, people can use guns as self defense if they reasonably believe that deadly force is necessary to defend themselves or others.

Missouri is also a Stand Your Ground state - meaning that you are not required by law to retreat before using defensive force.

Kevin Jamison, author of Missouri Weapons and Self-Defense Law, said: 'Technically it's called the defense of justification and your justification is you are saving the life of another person.'

Under these rules, prosecutors decided that the unnamed woman was within her rights to act how she did on the fateful day.

Graphic Content 



A Kansas City woman has been set free of charges tonight after protecting her boyfriend in a fight with a firefighter. The young lady seconds later killed the firefighter which has now been declared as self defense.  pic.twitter.com/tuxV15oTC1  KC Discover (@KcDiscover) October 19, 2022

The fatal incident started when the woman's boyfriend entered a gas station to buy cigars.

Taylor became angry when the clerk in the gas station said she did not have the product he wanted. She then asked him to leave.

Santi, who was off-duty and in the store at the time, stepped in to help the cashier, and asked Taylor to leave.

The pair began scuffling, and the fight continued outside. In the forecourt, the two men were on the ground fighting.

The woman, in red pants, screams at Santi to get off her boyfriend, yelling that he is 'killing him'

The woman stands over the pair, yelling at Santi to let Taylor go. When he refuses, the woman opens fire. She will not face charges after prosecutors concluded she feared for Taylor's life

Footage shot by a bystander shows Santi, who is white, overpowering Taylor, a slender black man, who squirms on the floor.

Taylor's girlfriend appears and can be seen in the footage screaming: 'Stop!'

The boyfriend then hands her a gun in his pocket, and she takes the weapon.

Taylor, a convicted felon found guilty of armed robbery in May 2019, was barred from possessing a gun.

'Stop!' she screams at Santi, as he tried to put Taylor in a head lock. 'Let him go! My kids are in the car! You're killing him!'

The woman then opens fire, shooting Santi in the back and fatally-injuring him.

Kansas City Fire Department said they were shocked and saddened by the death of Santi - father to Jillian Santi, and a lifelong Kansas City resident who joined the agency in 2011.

'As a close-knit organization, we are shocked by yesterday's tragic loss of FF Santi, and my deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends,' said Fire Chief Donna Lake.

His obituary said he 'dedicated to helping people through his role' as a firefighter and EMT.

His daughter was 'the light of his life,' and he had 'a vast love for nature and being outdoors.'
Russia has mined a huge hydroelectric dam in southern Ukraine in a plot to unleash a devastating flood, officials in Kyiv have warned.

Moscows nuclear blackmail had failed and the Kremlin was now resorting to new scare tactics, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Andriy Yermak said last night.

Ukraine will not succumb to peace by coercion, he added. They wont break us. We will hit back even harder.

His remarks came after President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russian terrorists for laying explosives along the barrier at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in the occupied Kherson region which Ukraine is pushing to retake.

Russian servicemen patrol at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, Kherson Oblast, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine

Seized by Russia at the beginning of the war, the Kakhovka dam provides one of the last remaining routes over the Dnipro river in the region

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russian terrorists for laying explosives along the barrier at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in the occupied Kherson region which Ukraine is pushing to retake

Seized by Russia at the beginning of the war, the Kakhovka dam provides one of the last remaining routes over the Dnipro river in the region.

Kherson has been the scene of intense fighting over the past week as the Ukrainian armed forces look to retake the regional capital of the same name, a key strategic port on the Black Sea.

Kyiv hopes to recapture the city before winter sets in.

In a desperate attempt to hang on to the territory, Russia yesterday ordered 2,000 conscripts to be dispatched to the area.

The Nova Kakhovka dam has been hit by Ukrainian missiles in the past because it is topped by a road used to supply Putin's troops, but they have stopped short of destroying it

Russia is plotting to blow up the hydroelectric dam at Nova Kakhovka in order to flood Kherson and cover their retreat from the city, experts have warned

Sergei Surovikin, Putin's new commander in Ukraine, has spoken about a Ukrainian attack on the dam - leading analysts to conclude he is laying the ground for a 'false flag' operation

Mr Zelensky said: Everyone in the world must act powerfully and quickly to prevent a new Russian terrorist attack.

Destroying the dam would mean a large-scale disaster.

If the dam is destroyed, the North Crimean canal will simply disappear. The canal provides the illegally occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea with 85 per cent of its water supplies.

Mykhailo Podolyak, another top aide to Mr Zelensky, said Moscows move was an attempt to halt the Ukrainian advance across the Kherson region.

Russia is preparing a man-made catastrophe by flooding [this] territory to stop Ukraines counter-offensive and block their own retreat, he wrote on Twitter.

Vladimir Putins puppet officials began evacuating civilians out of the area this week and claim the number could reach 60,000 in a move that Kyiv has described as forced deportations.

A report by the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said last night that Russia was likely continuing to prepare for a false flag attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant.

It added Moscow was creating the information conditions for Russian forces to blow up the dam after they pull out of western Kherson.

The ISW suggested Russia would then accuse Ukraine of flooding the river and surrounding settlements.

The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda, a Kremlin mouthpiece, said it would be difficult to survive such a grandiose water apocalypse.

In a self-styled exclusive investigation warning of major floods lasting three days, the newspaper said: In the event of a dam explosion, a wave five meters [16ft] high will go down the Dnipro at a speed of 25km/h [15mph].

It would wash away all the coastal villages that it met on the way. In two hours, this tsunami would be in Kherson.

The propaganda campaign underlines Russias desperation to hold on to the only regional capital it has successfully occupied in its eight-month invasion.

Retaking Kherson would be a significant morale boost for the Ukrainians, who have faced a barrage of deadly attacks by Iranian suicide drones over the past two weeks.

The Ukrainian air force said yesterday it was taking down 85 per cent of the drones fired by Russia but their deployment is forcing Kyiv to use up vital air defence supplies.
Norway says they are dealing with drone sightings spotted near vulnerable Norwegian energy infrastructure. This comes after the spate of attacks on these crucial structures when needed, like the NordStream pipeline, which was attacked recently.

Norway Threatened with Drone Sightings

It arises after many reported drone flights near the Norwegian and offshore oil and gas facilities over recent months, reported Euronews.

According to Hedvig Moe, deputy chief of the Norwegian Police Security Service, the UAV flights were planned so that the perpetrator could not simply reveal who they were.

These officials allege that the Russians are operating these unmanned aerial vehicles to spy or induce panic and anxiety. However, it has yet to be verified. But it has not been proven, noted the Reformer.

She said in such a news conference that Russia merely has more to gain and less to lose by undertaking covert operations in Norway presently compared to the circumstances well before the war. Due to sanctions, Moscow is in a tight situation and alone.

Additionally, a warning that the entire security and political climate are declining, with an unknown bad actor menacing and ultimately culminating in a rapidly deteriorating scenario for the country.

Russia Caught Conducting UAV Flights

Authorities in Norway have apprehended seven Russian nationals for flying drones and recording images of these photos about sites that officials classify. It includes vulnerable Norwegian energy infrastructure.

Read Also: Volodymyr Zelensky Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is the Ukraine President?

Last Wednesday, stories surfaced of the arrest of a 47-year-old man with mixed Russian and British citizenship flying a drone over the Arctic sea in Svalbard, mentioned The Local.

The 47-year-old man will be remanded in custody for two weeks. He is charged with violating sanctions after Russia launched a war on Ukraine, as said Moe but refused to elaborate.

According to Norwegian legislation, aircraft controlled by Russian enterprises or nationals are not permitted to land, take off, or fly over Norwegian territory. Oslo is not an official member of the EU, but the nation copies what the bloc does.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre sent a statement to an outlet stating that drone flights over airports were prohibited, and Russians could not fly them either. In addition, UAVs would not be permitted to fly over sites.

As said, airport operator, Avinor spoke to an outlet that 50 UAV incidents were disclosed in civilian airports, although there were 27 sightings in July.

Moe added that the Norwegian Police Security Service abbreviated PST, aims to cooperate closely with the local police agencies conducting probes.

After last month's underwater explosions, which ruptured two natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea created to transport Russian gas to Germany, several European countries beefed up security around key energy, communications, and energy infrastructure.

Norway and its enforcement agencies that deal with vulnerable Norwegian energy infrastructure are under threat after the NordStream pipeline.

Related Article: Russia Airs Grievances Against UN Security Council's Accusations That Kremlin Sabotaged Nord Stream Pipeline

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
An alarming increase in young Australians taking up vaping is a 'slow-moving train wreck', health authorities warned.

Vaping in the state of Victoria has doubled in frequency in four years, according to a Victorian Smoking & Health Survey, published on Wednesday.

In an alarming trend, the data also showed there had been a sharp 'five-fold' rise in women aged 18 to 24 using the e-cigarettes across the state.

The vaping products, which young people are breathing deep into their lungs, contain 200 plus chemicals, many of which are banned under current law

'If we want Victorians to live longer, healthier lives, we urgently need effective regulation of vaping that puts the health of our community first,' Dr Sandro Demaio (pictured, with wife, Olivia) said

Vapers in this age group, which made up 2.8 per cent of users under 30 in 2018-2019, has soared to 15.2 per cent in 2022, the research showed.

Victorians aged 18 to 30 also made up more than half of vape users in the state.

Dr Sandro Demaio from VicHealth, which funded the study, said the market has been flooded with cheaply imported, addictive products.

'[These items], which young people are breathing deep into their lungs, contain 200 plus chemicals, many of which are banned under current law,' the CEO told Nine News.

'Most of them contain nicotine but simply they don't put it on the packet.'

Dr Demaio (pictured) from VicHealth, which funded the study, said the market has been flooded with cheaply imported, addictive products

He said e-cigarettes contain formaldehyde and heavy metals, which can cause cancer and damage to the brain and lungs.

'We've seen a huge increase. In four years, a doubling among adults in Victoria and a five-fold increase in the use among young women,' Dr Demaio said.

Quit Victoria Director, Dr Sarah White, said decades of success in tobacco control could be undone with the ready availability of illegal e-cigarettes.

'We have an estimated 77,200 never smokers reporting they are currently using e-cigarettes, and more than half of past year e-cigarette users are vaping nicotine,' she said in a statement.

'At a time when, as a society, we are trying to reduce preventable ill-health, this is a slow-motion train wreck for Victoria.'

Vapers have already been calling up the state's Quitline, saying they can't shake the e-cigarette habit.

The data also showed Victorian vapers, who numbered 154,895 in 2018 to 2019, now amount to 308,827.

It also said almost one quarter of all Victorian adults currently using e-cigarettes have never previously smoked.

Dr Demaio said some of the vapes come in shapes like highlighters and have hoodie toggles, which kids can use to hide the e-cigarettes in their clothing

Dr Demaio said the colourful and multi-flavoured e-cigarettes are luring younger people in, with some vapes tasting like milk and fruit loops.

He added some of the vapes come in shapes like highlighters and have hoodie toggles, which kids can use to hide the e-cigarettes in their clothing.

The health advocate has called for tougher vaping laws, adding the problem was not just confined to Victoria.

He said the federal government needed to take action in keeping closer tabs on what comes into Australia.

A licensing scheme was also recommended in Victoria to identify vendors in the trade.

'We know a lot of the same chemicals and carcinogens in tobacco processing are contained in e-cigarette liquids,' Dr Demaio said in a statement.

'If we want Victorians to live longer, healthier lives, we urgently need effective regulation of vaping that puts the health of our community first.'
A California woman was left unrecognizable after she was horrifically attacked and raped by a Homeless man while walking her dogs.

Marissa Young, 44, of Torrance, was brutally assaulted on July 31 by Darrel Waters, 46, police say.

Waters was freed on knife charges just days beforehand. Young was on a walk near a field when she was 'tackled from behind' and raped by the homeless man - who also knocked out eight of her teeth during the ordeal.

'I heard nothing,' she told KTLA. 'I didnt have headphones in, I wasnt looking at my phone, I was just walking straight forward to my destination.'

He brutally attacked her, pushing her to the ground and punching her 'at least' 20 times, shattering her nose in four spots, breaking her cheekbone, knocking out eight teeth, while carrying out the horrific sexual assault.

Marissa Young, 44, of Torrance, (pictured) was brutally attacked and raped on July 31 by a homeless man cops say is Darrel Waters, 46. She was walking her dogs near a field when she was 'tackled from behind'

Waters (pictured) had been released from jail a few days prior for knife charges

She had five surgeries in three months and still suffers from facial swelling and is unable to work. She does, however, plan to go to nursing school soon

'You can still see a lot of swelling in my face,' she said.

Her injuries caused doctors to have to wire her jaw shut and she will need eight dental implants - that could cost up to $24,000 for the implants alone, not the extraction - and therapy to combat her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

She was able to get dental surgery on October 14, after doctors were able to unwire her jaw - two and a half months after the attack.

In total, she had five surgeries done over the course of three months and has not been able to work.

'For those that know her, you know how much she likes to laughbeing able to do so without being self-conscious about her teeth will be a huge step forward. It will take time, but having her beautiful smile back will make a huge difference in restoring her sense of self,' her friend Debbie Keyser said on the GoFundMe.

Police managed to track Waters down on August 1 and he is currently being held without bail and has been charged with three felonies, according to the fundraising page.

He attacked her, pushing her to the ground and punching her 'at least' 20 times, shattering her nose in four spots, breaking her cheekbone. In addition to the rape, he also knocked out eight of her teeth and caused to developed PTSD

Police identified him on surveillance footage from the night of the attack (pictured)

He was charged with rape, oral copulation, and sexual penetration with force.

Waters was seen on surveillance footage wearing a dark, baggy outfit wandering near a dumpster the night of the attack.

Just days earlier, he had been arrested for illegally having a dagger, but was released.

Torrance City Attorneys Office - which falls under the LA County District Attorney's Office - said Waters release was 'in accordance with the penal code.'

'It makes me angry,' Young told KTLA. 'Its horrifying to think that they were holding this guy with a huge knife that was taken off him thats illegal and he was let go the next day even though he has a record.

'Once something like this happens to you, it sort of changes your mind as to what the laws should be.'

Despite her horrific injuries and her ongoing healing process, Keyser said Young is still planning on starting nursing school soon.

DailyMail.com has attempted to contact Keyser and Young for comment.

Young is 'angered' that her attacker was released just days before her attack. She said: 'Its horrifying to think that they were holding this guy with a huge knife that was taken off him thats illegal and he was let go the next day even though he has a record'

The Torrance Attorney's Office - which is under George Gascon's Office - said Waters was released 'in accordance with penal code.' Gascon has been criticized on multiple occasions for being to 'soft on crime'
Two men have been arrested and an elderly woman is in hospital after she was allegedly run over in her own driveway during a carjacking.

Jean Parry, who is in her 70s, was sitting in her car in the driveway of her Hamilton Hill home, 23km south west of Perth, Western Australia, after she returned from a walk at about 8am on Friday when two men stole her Honda Civic.

The two men, aged 22 and 24, allegedly arrived on bike to the Ralston Street home where they forced Ms Parry out of her car and drove over her leg as they fled in the stolen vehicle.

Two men, aged 22 and 24, were arrested 40 minutes after they allegedly stole an elderly woman's car and broke her leg as they ran her over with her own car (pictured, police bodycam footage showing the moment the two men were arrested)

The stolen car was found in the nearby suburb of North Coogee about 40 minutes later with police arresting the two men in a dramatic beachside takedown.

Police bodycam footage shows officers arresting the shirtless assailants - one in a grassy field and the other on the sand at the beach.

Ms Parry was taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital and treated for her injuries, including a broken leg.

Detective Sergeant Jason Hutchison told Nine News there had been 'some form of altercation'.

'He's approached the vehicle, there's been some form of altercation, she's ended up on the ground and subsequently as the male has departed he's driven over her,' Mr Hutchison said.

Jean Parry (pictured), who is in her 70s, was run over by her own car in the driveway of her Hamilton Hill home, 23km south west of Perth, Western Australia, after the men stole her Honda Civic and fled the scene

Mr Hutchison described the attack as a 'brazen opportunistic offence' as detectives believe the men were not preying on Ms Parry, rather, pounced when they saw she left the car running to open her driveway gate.

Police have charged the two men with multiple offences, including aggravated grievous bodily harm.

The men will face court on Saturday.
America has broken its record for the highest number of illegal immigrants intercepted at the border in a single month and a single year.

Customs and Border Patrol figures released late Friday night revealed there were 227,547 'migrant encounters' last month alone.

And for the fiscal year ending in September 2022, there were a total of 2,378,944 illegal immigrants intercepted - the highest for any year ever.

In 2021, there were 1.734 million crossers intercepted for the whole of the financial year, with 458,000 intercepted throughout 2020, and 978,000 in 2019.

COVID border closures helped lower the figures during Donald Trump's final year of office, although Friday's numbers will deal a hammer blow to Joe Biden's midterm hopes.

By comparison for the month of September over the last four years there were 192,001 crossings in 2021, 57,674 in 2020 and 52,546 in September 2019.

The large number of individuals is largely driven by those failing authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba.

Illegal immigrants taken into custody after crossing the border unlawfully are, in a majority of cases, released into the U.S.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have been blamed for exacerbating the problem by presenting what has been seen as a softer-touch on illegal immigration.

They also sought to end Title 42, a COVID-era policy enacted by the Trump administration that immediately expelled migrants caught crossing into the US.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released data detailing the numbers of migrants crossing the southern border which are now at the highest level in Department of Homeland Security history

In total, there were 227,547 encounters along the southwest land border in September, a 12 percent increase compared to August - ending the fiscal year at an all-time high

It means for the Fiscal Year ending September 30th, there was a total of 2,378,944 encounters - the highest level ever recorded by the department

According to data collected by the CBP there were 227,547 'migrant encounters'.

Biden's Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus

This year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has begun bussing migrants to sanctuary cities that claim to welcome migrants, including New York, Chicago and Washington DC.

He and other GOP leaders, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Arizona Governor Greg Ducey, say they want to give those Democrat-run cities a taste of what life is like along the southern border.

Federal authorities arrested more than 2.493 million immigrants during the 2022 fiscal year. That far exceeded last years record of more than 1.7 million arrests.

Despite the record-breaking figures, the CBP attempted to place positive spin on the numbers by focusing on the large drop of Venezuelans crossing the border.

'While failing regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua continued to drive a new wave of migration across the western Hemisphere, the number of Venezuelans arriving at the southern border decreased sharply nearly every day since we launched additional joint actions with Mexico to reduce irregular migration and create a more fair, orderly and safe process for people fleeing the humanitarian and economic crisis in their country,' said CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus.

'Over the past week, the number of Venezuelans attempting to enter the country fell more than 80 percent compared to the week prior to the launch of the joint enforcement actions.

'While this early data is not reflected in the latest report, it confirms what we've said all along: when there is a lawful and orderly way to enter the country, individuals will be less likely to put their lives in the hands of smugglers and try to cross the border unlawfully.

'CBP and DHS will continue to work with our partners in the region to address the root causes of migration, expand legal pathways, facilitate removals, and take thousands of smugglers off the streets.

'No matter what smugglers say, those who do not have a legal basis to remain in the country will be removed and people should not make the dangerous journey.'

Venezuelan migrants, expelled from the U.S., and sent back to Mexico in Ciudad Juarez last week

Last month, Vice President Kamala Harris insisted the U.S.-Mexico border was secure

Politically, the Biden Administration has attempted to blame former President Trump's immigration policies for the problems now being encountered.

Speaking last month, Vice President Kamala Harris insisted the U.S.-Mexico border was secure but was quick to blame the Trump administration for a 'broken' immigration system.

'I think that there is no question that we have to do what the president and I asked Congress to do, the first request we made: pass a bill to create a pathway to citizenship,' Harris said. 'The border is secure, but we also have a broken immigration system, in particular, over the last four years before we came in, and it needs to be fixed.'

'We're going to have two million people cross this border for the first time ever. You're confident this border is secure?' interviewer Chuck Todd pressed the vice president in the interview.

President Biden appointed Harris to tackle the 'root causes' of immigration but appeared to have had little effect since taking on the role

President Biden appointed Harris to tackle the 'root causes' of immigration, but so far border agents have made over 2 million border apprehensions, an all-time record

'We have a secure border in that that is a priority for any nation including ours in our administration,' Harris replied.

'But there are still a lot of problems that we are trying to fix,' she added, calling for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

President Biden appointed Harris to tackle the 'root causes' of immigration but appeared to have had little effect since taking on the role.

Harris tried to shift blame onto Congress and Texas where State Governor Greg Abbott has been bussing migrants to liberal cities like Washington, D.C. and New York in a political play designed to show them what Texas has been feeling.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey followed suit. The political move prompted D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to request the help of the National Guard to deal with the influx of migrants, calling the matter a 'humanitarian crisis.

'Frankly it's a dereliction of duty when you are an elected leader to play those kinds of games with human lives and human beings,' Harris said, urging Republicans to be 'part of the solution.

She also blamed former President Donald Trump and his administration's policies for 'decimating' the process designed to help people come to the country and claim asylum when fleeing their homes.

On Thursday Arizona revealed how it is refusing to comply with the Biden administration's demand that the state remove double-stacked shipping containers placed at the border as a makeshift barrier in an attempt to quell illegal immigration.

Republican Governor Doug Ducey's government started placing the shipping containers on the U.S. side of the Arizona border with Mexico in August  and in a letter last week the Bureau of Reclamation instructed the state to not place any new containers and remove the existing ones.

Since August, more than 120 containers have been placed to help fill the gaps at the border, Ducey's communications director C.J. Karamargin told the Washington Examiner, adding that they are confused why it took months for the letter to come in.

'It took the feds since August to write a letter? If this is any indication of their sense of urgency, then perhaps that explains the problem we're having,' Karamargin said.

'As for the letter, we question their legal analysis and we are looking at our options,' Ducey's spokesperson added.

Arizona's Governor Doug Ducey suggested the state will not comply with a federal government request to take down double-stacked shipping containers to fill gaps in the border

The Bureau of Reclamation instructed the state in a letter last week to take down container and not place any new ones. Pictured: Doubled-stacked shipping containers fill gaps between parts of the border wall in Yuma, Arizona on September 27

The record number of border crossings has become a political hot potato for the Biden administration and for Democrats running in competitive races on the Southern border, such as Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, who is seeking re-election.

Republicans are using the issue to bash Biden this election year.

And some GOP politicians have paid to send migrants from the border to Democratic strongholds such as New York, Martha's Vineyard, Delaware and Illinois.

Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has sent a planeload of migrants to Martha Vineyard and is planning on flights to Delaware and Illinois.

Those would be the second and third times this year that DeSantis has flown migrants to liberal bastions.

And Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has sent busloads of illegal immigrants from his state to cities like Chicago, New York City and Washington DC.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has slammed DeSantis for using migrants as 'political pawns.'

'They are fleeing persecution, only to be used as a political pawn by the Florida governor,' she said.

She added of DeSantis: 'His only goal is - as he's made it really clear - is to create chaos, and use immigrants fleeing communism as political pawns.'

Federal authorities arrested more than 2.493 million immigrants during the 2022 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30; that far exceeded last years record of more than 1.7 million arrests
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A San Francisco tech entrepreneur has shared startling scenes of the deserted downtown of her city, with the previously bustling streets void of people and eerily quiet.

Michelle Tandler, founder of professional development firm Growth Path, posted the images to her Twitter account, and says she now fears for the future of the City by the Bay.

'This is downtown San Francisco, Monday morning at 9:20am,' she captioned one at the beginning of this week.

Her photos showed the streets to be largely empty, with only a scattering of people, and very few cars.

On Friday, she posted a video of the quiet city center.

'Historically these streets were bustling with office workers,' she wrote.

'Now, they are virtually empty.'

Recent data showed just 39 per cent of downtown San Francisco workers have returned to their offices, despite mask mandates ending seven months ago.

Tandler and others worry that many big firms won't renew their office leases, killing small businesses which depend on trade from workers.

That would also lead to a collapse in local tax revenues, and further desolation of an area already infamous for homelessness, public drug-taking and serious crime.

Tech entrepreneur Michelle Tandler spent the week photographing desolate San Francisco during weekday mornings, in areas that would have been bustling with workers pre-COVID

Tandler noted that the normally bustling downtown was eerily quiet, with so many people working remotely, a full seven months after mask mandates ended

The native San Franciscan expressed concern at the lack of life on the streets, describing it as ominous

Tandler pointed out that the offices were expensive to rent, and many companies would not renew their leases - which would lead to a serious drop in the city's tax revenues

Street after street photographed by Tandler was almost empty, with very few vehicles or people. Downtown San Francisco is notorious for crime and homelessness, with the desolation of its streets doing little to combat the problem

Tandler, founder of a professional development firm, said she hoped the local government realized how serious the problem was

She photographed the streets around the offices of financial services firm Chime, and the Salesforce Tower - the tallest in San Francisco. Salesforce's office still remains nearly empty, thanks to their workforce still remaining largely remote.

Tandler captioned the photos: '9:40am in San Francisco. Where is everybody...?'

She took another set at midday, with the streets still deserted.

'I don't think San Francisco government has fully grasped how problematic this is,' Tandler said.

'Either that, or they just don't care.

'When these leases come up, companies are going to downsize or leave.

'These buildings rely on rent. The landlords pay $$ in taxes...'

Tandler pointed out that, pre-pandemic, San Francisco was a lively and thriving metropolis

She noted that the city's streets were worryingly empty, and have been since local firms sent people to work from home in spring 2020

San Francisco has been slower than other cities to bounce back from the pandemic. Many of its locals are well-paid tech workers, who are easily able to work from home

The tech entrepreneur said she was shocked by the vacant streets, as Mayor London Breed came under fire over continued crime and homelessness

The heart of the city was eerily quiet, Tandler said, noting that it was ominous for the future of the city

San Francisco lifted its mask mandate in March, but still people continue to work from home. Among San Francisco's most famed tech firms is Twitter, whose prospective new owner Elon Musk has announced plans to fire 75 per cent of its 2,500 staff based in the city

The Salesforce Tower (pictured) is the tallest building in the city - and is largely empty. The company is allowing most people to continue to work from home

Earlier this month, security firm Kastle reviewed the situation and reported that San Francisco's total downtown office occupancy sat at 39 percent in late September - one of the lowest amounts in the nation, despite the mask mandates being lifted seven months ago.

Prior to COVID-19, San Francisco's office occupancy percentage was constantly at or near 100 percent, with many companies, especially tech firms, fighting for office space, the authors wrote.

San Francisco's office occupancy rate compares poorly to Austin, Texas, where 61 percent of workers are back; New York City, with 46 percent occupancy, and Los Angeles, with 45 percent.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Twitter's prospective new owner Elon Musk plans to slash 75 per cent of the woke tech firm's staff if he manages to buy it.

That would likely include many of the 2,500 workers who were once based out of the firm's global headquarters - in downtown San Francisco.

'San Francisco put a lot of their resources aimed at tech companies, and while that may have been a blessing last decade, them refusing to bring back workers to offices, or just plain leaving the city, have hurt San Francisco,' said Michelle Duggan, a building occupancy researcher.

She told The Californian Globe: 'The pandemic and the Great Resignation have changed how many see work. Many really like working remotely. No long commutes, no idiotic office politics, no high gas and vehicle repair costs. You get to work at home and even run errands during the day or stay with pets and kids.

'Even more, tech firms are wired to do this, adding to the reluctance on their part.

'Cities like San Francisco need to realize that it will never be the same, that they bet on the wrong industry to keep a a presence there in the end. But that's not happening right now. And probably will continue to do so as many companies may nix offices in favor of more remote work as a recession mounts.'

In July, the mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, wrote an op-ed on Medium entitled: 'Revitalizing Downtown and our Economic Core'.

London Breed, the mayor of San Francisco, is hoping to revitalize the downtown with a series of initiatives, which are yet to bear fruit

In it, she insisted her administration was working to bring the jobs back to the city center.

'There are no easy solutions here,' she warned.

'Along with AdvanceSF, we convened small business owners, large employers, property owners, and arts organizations to begin identifying initiatives and policies to support the future of our Economic Core.

'Through our Economic Core Forum, we are exploring ideas like how we might attract new businesses and industries to San Francisco, how to improve transportation to serve the needs of an ever-expanding region, and how to make our downtown more resilient to economic shocks like what we experienced in the pandemic.'

She proposed new festivals to bring life back to the city, and beautification of plazas and public spaces.

'To address storefront vacancies, we can pair property owners with artists and small businesses who can use the space for short-term activations that enliven the surrounding area and ensure the services and amenities visitors expect are available in our core,' she wrote.

She also said they intended to proactively approach new businesses, suggesting they move into the downtown area.

'San Francisco is a city of innovation and resilience,' she concluded.

'These are the values that will help us bring our city back from this pandemic.'

Breed's optimistic vision is yet to show results.

This month it emerged that the exodus of rich residents during the COVID-19 pandemic led to biggest drop in household income of any US city, 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.

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 it has seen the city's former progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin forced from office for his policies.

His replacement Brooke Jenkins has vowed to take a tougher stance on so-called quality-of-life crimes including theft and public drug taking.

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.
Anthony Albanese has given Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida a uniquely Australian welcome after the pair held koalas during his visit to the country.

The Australian Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart cuddled up to the native animals during a visit to Kings Park, in Perth, on Saturday.

It was a lighthearted break from an otherwise serious visit from the Japanese prime minister who had flown over for the annual Australia-Japan Leader's Meeting.

The two countries have agreed to boost Japan's access to hydrogen, LNG and minerals to improve energy security while making a shared push to net zero.

The two countries will also look to help other countries in the Indo-Pacific with their efforts to combat climate change.

As part of an updated security agreement aimed at sending a message to China, Japanese troops will train in the Top End with their Australian counterparts.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Mr Albanese began by addressing the urgency created by the widespread floods battering the east coast and inundating regional towns.

Anthony Albanese has given Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida a uniquely Australian welcome as the pair held koalas in Perth

The Australian Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart cuddled up to the native animals during a visit to Kings Park, in Perth, on Saturday (pictured, Mr Kishida holding a baby wallaby)

'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the five people who died in flood waters in Victoria and in New South Wales,' he said.

He said additional resources would be made available to the rescue efforts while financial support would be offered to families impacted by the wild weather.

'From tonight, three helicopters are on standby for night search and rescue in New South Wales and a further 150 Australian Defence Force personnel will be on helping,' Mr Albanese said.

'One hundred of them in northern New South Wales and 50 on standby in the Hunter. Three-hundred and fifty ADF personnel are now on the ground helping in Victoria.

'Grants of up to $25,000 will be available in 17 local government areas, including an upfront payment of $2,500.'

Mr Kishida's visit to Australia is the first by a Japanese prime minister since Shinzo Abe in 2018.

He was given a ceremonial welcome at the start of his visit to the Western Australia capital city.

The pair held talks covering defence, energy deals and climate change amid China's push for greater influence in the Asia-Pacific region

The political leaders also signed a security cooperation agreement updating a 2007 pact to respond to a changed regional security environment

He appeared to be all smiles with Mr Albanese as the pair walked together and posed for photographs with the koalas and wallabies.

Mr Albanese and Mr Kishida later signed a security cooperation agreement updating a 2007 pact to respond to a changed regional security environment.

'This landmark declaration sends a strong signal to the region of our strategic alignment', Mr Albanese said.

Under the accord, the two countries agreed military forces would train together in Northern Australia, and would 'expand and strengthen cooperation across defence, intelligence sharing'.

Without citing China or North Korea by name, Mr Kishida said the agreement was a response to an 'increasingly harsh strategic environment'.

Mr Kishida said the two countries faced an 'increasing harsh strategic environment'.

'We concurred that our special strategic partnership has risen to a new and higher level,' he said.

Perth was chosen as the stage for the meeting to showcase Western Australia's importance in supplying Japan's energy needs, including renewable energy

Neither Australia nor Japan has the armies of overseas intelligence operatives and foreign informants needed to play in the major leagues of global espionage.

Before Saturday's talks, Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Alex Bristow described the reciprocal agreement as 'tremendously important'.

'It makes operations much smoother, and it's important that both Australia and Japan are US alliance partners, increasing interoperability,' Dr Bristow said.

The summit is the fourth for the leaders, since Mr Albanese took office in May.

Mr Albanese and Mr Kishida were also due to discuss climate change, expressing support for a regional transition to net zero carbon emissions, including boosting investment in clean energy technologies.

Australia is a major supplier of iron ore, coal and gas to Japan.

Perth was chosen as the stage for the meeting to showcase Western Australia's importance in supplying Japan's energy needs, including renewable energy.

Under the accord, the two countries agreed military forces would train together in Northern Australia, and would 'expand and strengthen cooperation across defence, intelligence sharing'

The state is also a key source of beef and wheat to Japan.

Canberra and Tokyo recently bolstered security ties in response to China's growing military strength in the region.

In May, Mr Kishida and Mr Albanese pledged to work toward a new bilateral declaration on security cooperation.

A previous joint declaration outlined security cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism and North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

The two countries in 2014 elevated their relationship to a 'Special Strategic Partnership'.
Authorities were hunting for mother of a premature baby found in a bathroom

Five Australian women allegedly strip searched at gunpoint at Doha Airport after a baby was found in a bathroom have sued the Qatari government for assault and battery.

Hundreds of women were forcibly removed from aircraft at Doha on October 2, 2020 as officials searched for the mother of a newborn baby in a bathroom at the terminal.

The women were removed by armed guards and many say they were forced to conduct non-consensual gynaecological or intimate physical examinations.

Five Australian women are suing the Qatari government after they were forced off a Qatar Airways flight at Doha Airport on October 2, 2020 and strip searched after a premature baby (pictured) was found dumped in the terminal bathroom

The group, who were among 18 Aussie women forced to undergo non-consensual gynaecological or intimate physical examinations, are seeking damages for the alleged misconduct of the government-run Qatar Civil Aviation Authority and Qatar Airways (pictured)

Out of the 18 Australian women involved in the incident, five have now taken their action to the Federal Court after failing to gain compensation from the Qatari government through other channels.

'Sometimes you need to deploy a legal remedy in circumstances where either moral, or in fact even political or diplomatic pressure, is getting nowhere,' said Marque Lawyers partner Damian Sturzaker who acts for the five women.

The women, who cannot be legally named, were passengers on a flight from Doha to Sydney and are seeking damages for the alleged misconduct of the government-run Qatar Civil Aviation Authority and Qatar Airways.

One passenger was forced to undergo a strip search holding her five-month old son, the lawsuit claims. Another, who is elderly and legally blind, was directed out of the aircraft but was not subject to a search.

The incident was reported by the women to the Australian Federal Police upon their arrival in Sydney on October 3, 2020.

CCTV footage released by local media showed first responders crowded around the baby (pictured) at Doha Airport

Qatar Airways (pictured) also faces possible damages for negligence under the Montreal Convention which states an airline is liable for death or bodily injury that occurs while embarking or disembarking

They say they were subjected to 'unlawful physical contact' and now experience anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder.

The Qatari government has been accused of assault, battery, negligence and false imprisonment.

Qatar Airways also faces possible damages for negligence under the Montreal Convention which states an airline is liable for death or bodily injury that occurs while embarking or disembarking.
Areas in southeast Queensland to receive up to 300mm of rain in coming days

Lismore told to braces for worst following two major flood events

Severe weather warnings for NSW, QLD, and TAS as wild system hits the east

Australia's east coast will be lashed with torrential downpours, hail, and flash flooding as rain-weary residents are told to brace for 'difficult days ahead'.

New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania are forecast to receive heavy rain and thunderstorms with the miserable weather expected to continue next week.

Residents in NSW's northeast and southeast near the Victoria border will be particularly impacted by the deluge with dozens of towns put on alert.

NSW Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said emergency services were 'quite literally sandbagging the state' ahead of the 'high-impact rain event'.

'There is not a single part of New South Wales that I am not concerned about. It is important everyone stays on alert,' she told reporters on Saturday.

NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania will be battered by heavy downpours and thunderstorms as a slow moving low pressure system continues to wreak havoc

NSWs Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke (above) said emergency services were 'quite literally sandbagging the entire state' in anticipation for a 'high-impact' rain event

Up to 30,000 sandbags have been handed out in flood-stricken areas as emergency services prepare for an 'extremely busy' 24 to 48 hours.

The NSW SES has issued 121 active flood warnings with nine major warning for Lismore, Moree, Tamworth, Moama, Condobolin, Gunnedah and Warren.

Residents in Lismore will once again brace for major flooding after the embattled town NSW's northeast suffered two monster floods earlier this year.

Residents in parts of Moree and Carroll Village near Gunnedah were urged to leave their homes on Saturday or risk being engulfed by 'dangerous floodwaters'.

Those who live on several streets in southwest Narrandera, in the state's Riverina Region, have been told to evacuate their homes before 6pm on Sunday.

Forecasters warn there is a potential flood risk for the Hawkesbury-Nepean, the Lower Hunter and Colo Rivers on both Monday and Tuesday.

On the north coast, Byron Bay is expected to receive between 60 to 80mm and Coffs Harbour up to 50mm on Sunday as a system moves south from Queensland.

Up to 200 defence personnel will be deployed to Dubbo, Moree and the Northern Rivers in addition to 100 already in the central-west and 50 in the Hunter region.

ADF personnel hand out sandbags in Shepparton on Monday as floods battered Victoria

Residents on the east coast been told to prepare for the worst with the heavy downpours expected to last well into next week (pictured, Sydneysider in the rain)

Residents of Lismore (pictured above in March) have been once again told to prepare for severe weather and potential flash floods after enduring two major flood events this year

In Queensland, heavy rain will continue to lash the southeast before the system moves offshore and then southward into northeast NSW on Sunday.

Severe thunderstorms and flash floods are possible for the Sunshine Coast with forecasts of up to 300mm of rain for the Gold Coast, Wide Bay and Burnett areas.

An emergency alert has been issued for Brisbane for heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and flash floods for the next 48 hours.

Residents were told by local council to 'prepare your home, warn neighbours and take care when driving'.

Those in Gympie, Noosa and the Fraser Coast have been told to secure their belongings and stay off the roads amid warnings of flash-floods.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issued a warning for Redlands council residents who are at risk of flash flooding over the following two days.

'Remain alert by monitoring the local media and the Bureau website,' QFES has urged all Queenslanders on Saturday afternoon.

A major flood warning remains in place for the Macintyre River as its major flood level is expected to reach more than 8.5m on Saturday evening in Goodiwindi.

A driver was winched to safety after their car was swept off the causeway near the Bauple Drive-Bruce Highway exit in the state's Fraser Coast Region on Friday.

A resident in Forbes, in the central west region of NSW, walks along a flooded road after heavy rain led to flash flooding in the city on Monday

Victorians continue to battle rain (above) with severe weather warnings issued across the state

Regional Victoria has been hit by widespread flooding with Shepparton primarily affected (pictured, floodwaters in Shepparton on Tuesday)

Tasmanians have also been warned to brace for wild weather, with a flood watch actively monitoring rivers in the north as well as the Derwent River and Coal River.

Tasmania SES Acting Director, Leon Smith told residents to expect moderate rainfall in the northwest and northeast overnight, particularly in elevated areas.

'More significant falls are possible in the Western Tiers and surrounding areas,' he said. 'Afternoon thunderstorms are also possible in the southwest today and again tomorrow in the north and northeast, which could lead to isolated heavy rainfall.'

The low pressure system behind it will continue to develop over the coming week.

The SES expects Monday and Tuesday to be the wettest days in the state.

In Victoria, the flood crisis continued to worsen despite easing rainfall, with the Murray River on track to reach a record-high water level. Water levels are now on par with those recorded during the last major flood event in 1993.

Victoria SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch warned river levels were rising at a rapid pace and said emergency services were keeping an eye on affected areas.

Sky News Weather meteorologist Alison Osborne has warned the wild weather could become worse with the possibility of an East Coast Low forming over the weekend (pictured, flooding in Echuca, Victoria, on Monday)

Heavy downpours over the past week has led to flooding across NSW including Forbes

'We're currently seeing water levels around that 94.75m [mark] on the Murray River through to Echuca this morning,' he said.

'We are expecting the peak to occur from Sunday night into Monday, around that 95m mark. We're also keeping a very close eye on the Kerang community. Water levels are at 77.92m as it heads towards a peak of 78m.'

Residents in the northern Victorian town of Kerang are being told it's too late to leave but the community is standing strong in the face of rising floodwaters.

A bridge connecting the town to the Murray Valley Highway has been closed since Wednesday night, prompting warnings that people could no longer evacuate.

The SES has received more than 8,300 calls for help since the weather emergency began and more than 750 flood-related rescue requests.
One suspended for giving Nazi salute, swastika etched into class whiteboard

Boys pretended to have anal sex on a Melbourne tram, shared sexual imagery

Students from a Melbourne private school were sexually inappropriate in public and at school and sexually harassed and intimated a young female teacher, a leaked document has alleged.

The toxic culture among boys at St Bernard's College in Essendon emerged after independent interviews with staff members.

Teachers from the Christian Brothers catholic college detailed their concerns to an Independent Education Union of Victoria official, who compiled them into a 13-page report which has since been leaked.

The damning development is more bad news for under-fire Christian Brothers institutions after another school in the network was plagued by appalling student behaviour in May and their governing body was slammed in a report by KPMG two weeks ago.

The toxic culture among boys at St Bernard's College (main) at Essendon emerged after independent interviews with staff members.

St Bernard's College principal, Dr Michael Davies, (pictured) said he took the allegations 'extremely seriously' but defended most of the boys

In one instance a young female teacher feared for her safety after receiving threats from a male student who sexually harassed her, the Herald-Sun reported.

The teacher claimed the boy told her he knew the route she took home and correctly named the suburb she lived in after asking if she attended a gym there.

The same woman was subjected to comments about 'her looks' from another boy, who openly objectified her.

Another student was suspended for giving a Nazi salute while in class.

In one instance a young female teacher feared for her safety after receiving threats from a male student who sexually harassed her, while another boy claimed he knew the route she took to get home (stock image)

A swastika was etched into the teacher's whiteboard in the same classroom and only removed two weeks later.

St Bernard's College has 1,600 students from Year 7 through to Year 12.

The school took the allegations 'extremely seriously', claimed its principal, Dr Michael Davies in a letter to parents and caregivers.

He said 'the vast majority' of the school's students 'live our positive values'.

A student was suspended for giving a Nazi salute while in class and a swastika was etched into the teacher's whiteboard in the same classroom. Pictured, the swastika etched into a classroom whiteboard at St Bernard's College

The letter sent by St Bernard's College principal Dr Michael Davies to parents ahead of media coverage about a leaked report into student behaviour

Dr Davies told parents that staff 'acted immediately to condemn the unacceptable actions and punish the students.'

But in the report teachers alleged the school failed to properly deal with staff complaints.

The school's boys acted inappropriately in public on several occasions, it was also alleged.

During an excursion some boys simulated sex while others shared sexual imagery during a Melbourne tram trip, one teacher claimed.

'On an excursion [teacher's name withheld] had a group of boys on a tram where they proceeded to sing who let the dogs out in relation to a woman,' said one anecdote from the report.

It also alleged students acted inappropriately sexual during class at the school

Boys in a Year 9 class were 'dry humping' each other, while Year 11 students were comparing penis sizes.

Some of the teachers told the union official they believed the school's attitude to sexual harassment and violence by students was at times 'boys will be boys'.

They also told the official they were worried that reporting of the incidents could reflect on their teaching rather than the 'appalling' conduct of the boys.

The report recommended the school needed to appoint 'an independent person' to handle staff complaints.

An internal review found in July 2021 that St Kevin's College (pictured) had a 'sexist' and 'misogynist' culture

Educators at a private Catholic school 'don't feel safe walking across the school yard' (stock image)

The school, whose motto means 'to learn what is right and then to put it into practice', is part of he Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) network.

The EREA network was formerly known as the Christian Brothers.

Dr Davies pointed out in his letter to parents that the St Bernard's College's 'respectful relationships program' was being audited by child and youth wellbeing researcher, Professor Helen Cahill.

In May teachers at St Kevin's College, another Christian Brothers school, 'don't feel safe' after year seven and eight boys were caught out rating female staff's genitals on a sickening list.

A teacher revealed the boys had been ranking 'staff members' p*****s' and rating the sexual attractiveness of each other's sisters.

The shocking claims came after an internal review in July 2021 found that the $20,995-a-year school had a 'sexist' and 'misogynist' culture.

The KPMG report into the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia (TEREA) said the body was 'absent' and had 'evaded accountability'.

Catholic Education Commission Victoria ordered the KPMG report and demanded sweeping changes to TEREA.
An unearthed copy of a D.H Lawrence book owned by HG Wells, adorned with scribbles of a phallus, has revealed exactly what the latter really thought of 20th century author.

Sketches made by Wells on a signed first edition of Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover show multiple ink drawings ridiculing his rival author.

In one, Wells depicts Lawrence naked with an extremely large outsized member, captioned with 'Up Jenkins!'. Below, Wells writes: 'D.H.L by himself'.

On the corresponding page, lying at the foot of what looks to be a tall column, Lawrence is depicted staring at his much smaller genitals asking, 'Well, has any other man the equal of it?'.

Sketches made by Wells on a signed first edition of Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover show multiple ink drawings ridiculing his rival author

Beside him, a bottle labelled 'tonic' is drawn and the image is captioned: 'The real D.H.L'

Wells also writes on the page opposite his doodles: 'My God what stuff!'

The copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover is up for auction at Bonhams in London - with the auction house due to sell in November for an estimated 15,000 - 25,000.

Matthew Haley, Bonhams' managing director and head of books and manuscripts, described the sketches as a bout of 'literary bitchiness', he told the Times.

He said Wells's copy gave a 'fascinating insight' into the relationship between the authors.

'Earlier in their careers the two writers had written admiringly of each other's work,' he said. Lawrence wrote of Wells's 1909 novel Tono-Bungay that it was the 'best novel Wells has written  it is the best novel I have read for  oh, how long?'

Wells Wells Wells: Lawrence's damning review of Well's 1926 novel, The World of William Clissold pushed HG Wells to take his revenge, privately, in his copy of Lady Chatterley. Pictured: HG Wells in the 1920s.

Haley added: 'Lawrence's damning review of Wells's 1926 novel The World of William Clissold, however, obviously rankled and Wells took his revenge, albeit privately, in his copy of Lady Chatterley.

'The cartoons seem to suggest that although Lawrence fancied himself as the novel's virile working-class gamekeeper Mellors, he was actually more like Lady Chatterley's husband, the paralysed and cuckolded Sir Clifford.'

Wells's 1928 edition of the novel signed by Lawrence was one of 1,000 that had been privately printed in Italy.

Lawrence had been unable to find a British publisher that would put it out as the book's sexually graphic content was deemed to fall under Britain's obscenity laws.

The novel, which focuses on the affair between Mellors and Lady Chatterley, became an infamous mark of the 20th century when Penguin Books attempted to publish it in the 1960s and was prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act.

An Old Bailey jury ruled, however, that it was not obscene and when it was published one month later, all 200,000 copies were sold on the first day.

Haley said early editions of the novel did appear frequently with a 'not very good copy' selling for 1,500 this year.

Lawrence had been unable to find a British publisher that would put out Lady Chatterley's Lover as the book's sexually graphic content was deemed to fall under Britain's obscenity laws. Pictured: D.H Lawrence

'You don't normally get copies with inscriptions,' he added of the Wells' copy.

The November auction is also set to include archive materials relating to the novelist EM Forster, who was a witness for Penguin at the trial.

Among the items being sold is a letter from Forster to his biographer PN Furbank, asking him to arrange for the posthumous publication of Maurice, Forster's tale of homosexual love in 20th-century Britain.

Forster had stopped writing fiction in the 1920s, partly because of Britain's obscenity laws. The book was not published until 1971.

There are also letters to Furbank, who died in 2014, from Harry Daley, a policeman and suspected former lover of Forster.

Daley, who was publicly known as homosexual, but avoided prosecution, became a public figure after a series of talks on the BBC about life as a policeman, which are said to have inspired the television series, Dixon of Dock Green.
Former President Donald Trump's adviser Steve Bannon was sentenced by a US court to a four-month jail term on Friday for refusing to cooperate with legislators investigating the attack on the United States Capitol in January last year.

Two counts of contempt of Congress were upheld against Bannon in July for his refusal to cooperate with a House of Representatives committee investigating the attack on January 6, 2021, by providing documents or testimony, according to Reuters.

Steve Bannon's Controversial Remarks

The prosecution asked for a six-month jail term, while the legal team of Steve Bannon sought probation. US District Judge Carl Nichols also fined Bannon $6,500. The court put off Bannon's imprisonment so he could file an appeal of his verdict.

A prosecutor, J.P. Cooney, testified during Bannon's hearing on Friday, alleging that the defendant voluntarily mocked the legislative body. According to him, what makes the case significant is the fact that Steve Bannon "is not above the law."

Until their reconciliation in early 2018, the 68-year-old Bannon was former US President Trump's main White House adviser. Bannon, a controversial figure, was instrumental in shaping Trump's administration with his advocacy of 'America First' right-wing politics and staunch rejection of immigration.

Steve Bannon has championed right-wing causes and politicians in the United States and across the world and has played a pivotal role in right-wing media. When submitting their court documents, the Justice Department took the unprecedented step of detailing a series of aggressive and disparaging remarks Bannon made against the justice system and politicians.

He claimed the panel's leader, Democrat Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, is "gutless," and that the hearing is a "show trial." Bannon exploited the conspiracy theories he spread on his podcast to attack those he saw as his political rivals.

Prosecutor Cooney stated that before Bannon's sentence on Jan. 6, he failed to comply with the probation office and did not give over any documents to the committee. NPR reported that the year before, after his indictment, Bannon told reporters, "this is going to be the misdemeanor from hell for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Biden."

After a trial in July, a jury found Bannon guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for failing to appear before the Jan. 6 select committee and another for failing to turn over requested papers.

Read Also: Joe Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Won't Be Canceled After Supreme Court Makes Big Decision

Bannon Expresses Confidence in His Lawyers

In September 2021, the select committee issued a subpoena for Bannon to testify about his role in Trump's efforts to undermine the 2020 election. Three weeks after the House decided to hold him in contempt, in November 2021, prosecutors filed charges against him.

On Friday, as per a report from Politico, Bannon wore an unremarkable green farm jacket and carried a copy of the Financial Times as he entered the courthouse. He was not sporting a tie and, as is his norm, had tucked all three of his visible pens inside the outermost of his three shirts.

During his brief statement, the ex-White House chief strategist said he was happy with his lawyers and had enough time to go over the probation office's assessment of his behavior and history.

When offered the opportunity all defendants have to explain their acts, Bannon, who sat impassively throughout the hearing, chose to avoid speaking to Nichols. He said that his lawyers had already made his case.

Related Article: US Charges 7 Chinese Nationals Accused of Forced Repatriation Campaign, Harassment

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Loose Women's Denise Welch has paid tribute to the 'wonderful actress'

The EastEnders actress had been performing as Aunty Maggy in Nine Night

Loose Women's Denise Welch has paid tribute to EastEnders actress Josephine Melville after she died backstage while performing in a play.

The talk show panellist, 64, offered her respects to the actress, 61, who played Tessa Parker in the soap in the 1980s, tweeting: 'So so sad. A wonderful actress.'

Nottingham Playhouse said the actress died on Thursday after appearing in the production Nine Night.

Paramedics and a medically qualified audience member tried to treat the actress but she tragically died backstage.

Staff at the theatre were left in shock following the sudden death.

Melville had been performing as Aunty Maggie in the stage production.

EastEnders actress Josephine Melville died backstage after performing in Nine Night at Nottingham Playhouse on Thursday evening

The Essex-born actress became known for playing Tessa Parker in EastEnders during the 1980s

'So so sad. A wonderful actress,' Loose Women's Denise Welch tweeted in tribute to Josephine Melville

The Essex-born actress became known for playing Tessa Parker in EastEnders during the 1980s.

She has also appeared in The Bill and Casualty and a number of theatre roles. Earlier this year she appeared in the video for Ella Henderson's single Brave.

A statement from Nottingham Playhouse said: 'We are deeply saddened to announce that last night the actor Josephine Melville, passed away backstage at Nottingham Playhouse following the performance of the play, in which she was performing.

'Josephine's family have been informed, and our thoughts and deep condolences are with them.'

In light of the death, the theatre company has decided to cancel all performances of Nine Night at Nottingham Playhouse.

In light of the death, the theatre company has decided to cancel all performances of Nine Night at Nottingham Playhouse

Chief Executive of Nottingham Playhouse, Stephanie Sirr said: 'We send our love and condolences to Jo's family and friends.

'On a deeply tragic and extremely difficult evening we want to pay tribute to the company of Nine Night and to the whole Nottingham Playhouse team who managed the situation with empathy and professionalism.'

Cast member Andrea Davy, who played Trudy in the theatre production, said: 'Such a pleasure and honour to work with you Josephine. RIP.

'Our Nine Night family is lost without you. One Love Aunty Maggie! Trudy.'

Actress Adjoah Andoh, 59, who made appearances in EastEnders over the years wrote: 'AchI'm so shocked. A wonderful actress. Amazing comic timing.

'Part of a community of artists who understood the power of black stories.

'All blessings & condolences to the family. Full of light, rest in your power Jo.'

Ms Melville's agents, Pemberton Associates, wrote on Twitter: 'It's with great sadness we announce the sudden death of longstanding client Josephine Melville.

'Jo was taken ill performing in Nine Night, a co-production with Leeds Playhouse & Nottingham Playhouse.

'We are shocked & stunned by this sad news. Our thoughts are with Jo's family.'
However it seems unlikely based on how far apart the two are on key issues and that they both want top job

He is thought to be willing to meet with Mr Sunak to bury the hatchet and thrash out a deal to govern together

Mr Johnson arrived in the UK this morning after flying back from the Dominican Republican on Saturday

It has been reported that Mr Sunak currently has 115 MPs backing him while Boris Johnson has 55 supporters

The former Chancellor is the first candidate to secure the 100 nominations needed to be put on the ballot

Rishi Sunak is expected to announce he is running to be the next PM 'soon', according to campaign sources

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Ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak has rolled up his sleeves as he prepares to announce his bid to be the next Prime Minister as more than 100 MPs have publicly backed him.

The apparent frontrunner was seen arriving back at his home this afternoon after it was revealed he had the nominations needed to be on the ballot on Monday.

Mr Sunak was pictured leaving his house this morning in a white shirt and blue jumper but appeared to have relaxed his outfit by rolling up his sleeves on returning to his London home this afternoon.

The former Chancellor has received 115 endorsements from Conservative MPs so far while former PM Mr Johnson is on 55 however allies of the former PM have claimed he has 100 supporters.

It comes as Mr Johnson is understood to be willing to meet his estranged Mr Sunak in the hopes of burying the hatchet and thrashing out a deal to govern together.

A source close to bookies' favourite Mr Sunak last night played down the prospect of peace talks, saying that although he was 'willing to talk to all colleagues', there were 'no plans' for a meeting with Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson arrived back in the UK this morning after flying from the Dominican Republic last night following Liz truss's resignation, but him and wife Carrie left Gatwick Airport separately.

Ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak has scrolled up his sleeves as he prepares to announce his bid to be the next Prime Minister as more than 100 MPs have publicly backed him

Rishi Sunak was seen leaving his house this morning wearing a white shirt and blue jumper but donned a more casual fit on his return

The apparent frontrunner was seen arriving back at his home this afternoon after it was revealed he had the nominations needed to be on the ballot on Monday

The apparent frontrunner, who has reached 100 backers in the race to become the next PM, acknowledged photographers as he got into a car

The former Chancellor has received 115 endorsements from Conservative MPs so far while former PM Mr Johnson is on 55 however allies of the former PM have claimed he has 100 supporters

Mr Johnson arrived back in the UK this morning after flying from the Dominican Republic last night for the leadership contest

Bookmakers also slashed the odds of Mr Sunak becoming the next Prime Minister to 1/5, while Mr Johnson is at 4/1 and Penny Mordaunt is lagging at 11/1.

Mr Johnson's former Chief of Staff, Steve Barclay, and Lord Frost, who led the UK's negotiations with the EU, said they were both publicly endorsing Mr Sunak  marking a blow to the former PM.

With the battle to succeed Liz Truss fast becoming a two-horse race, a deal between the pair could end the contest immediately and may offer the best hope of healing the bitter divisions in Tory ranks.

There is speculation among backers of the old Downing Street neighbours that they could strike a deal to stand together, but this seems unlikely given how far apart the two are on key issues and how much they both want the top job.

According to the site, Paul Howell, MP for Sedgefield, became the 100th MP to throw his support behind the former Chancellor.

Bookmakers have slashed the odds of Mr Sunak replacing Liz Truss in Number 10, with Paddy Power offering him at 1/5. This means a punter putting 5,000 on Sunak to be the next PM will see a return of 6,000 - including their original stake.

Boris Johnson, who last night was almost even money before he returned to the UK has seen his odds stretch to 4/1, while Penny Mordaunt languishes at 11/1.

Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman, who have been touted as possible candidates from the right of the party, are both on offer at 100/1.

Currently Rishi Sunak is reported to have 115 backers while Boris Johnson is on 55 and Penny Mordaunt is on 23

Mr Sunak left his London home with a woman believed to be Lisa Lovering, his senior parliamentary assistant

The former PM's plane landed at Gatwick Airport on Saturday at around 10:30am, following a planned stop in Antigua

Carrie Johnson was pictured in a separate car to Boris after the pair landed in Gatwick following their flight from the Dominican Republic

Though, the first new cabinet after the next election is odds on to be led by Sir Keir Starmer at 4/5. A Labour minority government is at 10/3 while the Tories returning to Downing Street are a 5/1 chance.

Labour are also 3/10 to be the largest party compared to the Conservatives at 2/1.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson's tally of backers stands at 54 and Penny Mordaunt has 23 supporters, according to the website.

But Mr Johnson has told allies he is 'up for it' and flew back to the UK from the Dominican Republic to enter the race.

Sky News photographed the ex-PM and his wife Carrie Johnson on an overnight British Airways flight back from the Dominican Republic with their children and said the MP received 'one or two boos' as he boarded.

The former PM's plane landed at Gatwick Airport on Saturday at 10:18am, following a planned stop in Antigua.

His was the most tracked in the world at one point, with more the 7,000 people watching for the former premier's arrival.

Boris Johnson was photographed getting off the plane at Gatwick when his flight landed at 10:18 this morning

The former PM's plane landed at Gatwick Airport on Saturday at 10:18am, following a planned stop in Antigua, and Carrie was seen in a car without him

His travels follow two trips in August, when the then outgoing PM holidayed with Carrie for a belayed honeymoon in Slovenia, and then took a trip to Greece for a family holiday near Horto where his father Stanley has a house.

Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out, with a result being announced on Friday.

Mr Johnson won the support of six Cabinet ministers: Ben Wallace, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke, Chris Heaton-Harris, Alok Sharma and Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

But former Tory leader Lord William Hague warned Mr Johnson's return would lead to a 'death spiral' for the Conservative Party.

Lord Frost, who led the UK's negotiations with the EU, said Mr Johnson will 'always be a hero for delivering Brexit' but it is time to 'move on'.

His was the most tracked in the world at one point, with more the 7,000 people watching for the former premier's arrival

The former Chief Negotiator for Exiting the European Union David Frost tweeted his support for Mr Sunak, arguing the Tory Party 'must get behind a capable leader'.

Lord Frost said: 'Boris Johnson will always be a hero for delivering Brexit. But we must move on.

'It is simply not right to risk repeating the chaos & confusion of the last year.

'The Tory Party must get behind a capable leader who can deliver a Conservative programme. That is @RishiSunak.'

He said Mr Sunak 'understands the issues, can work the machine, and is a decent guy to boot', adding 'that's what we need now'.

Lord Frost previously backed Liz Truss over Mr Sunak in the summer leadership contest.

There is speculation among backers of the old Downing Street neighbours that they could strike a deal to stand together, but this seems unlikely given how far apart the two are on key issues and how much they both want the top job

Mr Sunak (pictured with his daughter Anoushka) has got 100 endorsements from Conservative MPs, the number required to formally enter the race to become the next Prime Minister

Mr Johnson's former Chief of Staff Steve Barclay also said Mr Sunak is best place to address the country's economic challenges.

Mr Barclay, who became Secretary of State for Health and Social Care following the resignation of Sajid Javid in July, said Mr Sunak is best place to address the country's economic challenges.

In a tweet the MP for North East Cambridgeshire said: 'Im backing @RishiSunak to be leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister.

'Our country faces significant economic challenges and Rishi is best placed to address this.'

Mail on Sunday Commentator Dan Hodges said that their endorsement 'has come as a significant blow' to Mr Johnson.

He added: 'Understand Boris is currently talking on the phone to key parliamentary allies.'
Baby P's evil stepfather is denied parole again for refusing to confront his crimes after he was jailed for causing death of tragic 17-month-old.

Steven Barker has spent 13 years in prison for raping a two-year-old girl and torturing and killing a toddler.

He has been denied parole four times since 2017 and was rejected every single time after the Parole Board said it was necessary for him to stay in jail.

The latest panel suggested Barker remained a threat after he refused to take part in 'offence-focused interventions' and had not made sufficient progress.

Barker has been denied parole four times since 2017 and was rejected every single time after the Parole Board said it was necessary for him to stay in jail. (Pictured: Baby P)

A Parole Board spokesperson said: 'Protecting the public is our number one priority.'

But he will be eligible for another parole review 'in due course'.

Barker is the last of three people who is serving his original sentence after killing 17-month-old Peter Connelly in 2007.

Mother Tracey Connelly, 39, was let out of prison in 2013 but was thrown behind bars again after reneging on her licence conditions.

Barker (pictured) is the last of three people who is serving his original sentence after killing 17-month-old Peter Connelly in 2007

The killer mother was freed in July again after a government bid to block her release was thrown out.

At the time Jason Owen, 48, received a six year jail sentence for allowing the toddler to die but has now been released.

Known publicly as Baby P, Peter had suffered more than 50 injuries despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police officers and health professionals over eight months.

Barker was given a minimum of 12 years in prison for the death of Baby P and was given a life sentence for raping a small child.
China's former leader Hu Jintao was forcibly removed from his seat next to President Xi Jinping at the televised Communist Party Congress today, before his name appeared to vanish from Chinese social media.

Hu Jintao was taken off stage shortly after foreign media came in to the Great Hall of the People, Beijing.

Search results for him on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, have appeared to be heavily censored since his hasty removal.

Late on Saturday, state media claimed Hu was 'not feeling well' when he was escorted out, but was doing 'much better' after getting some rest.

During the incident, the 79-year-old looked slightly disorientated as two assistants came to speak to him and reluctant to move in part of the clip.

Hu Jintao, 79, was taken off stage shortly after foreign media came in to the Great Hall of the People

The two assistants helped him stand, firstly trying to grab him under his arms.

Hu seemed downcast as he was dragged away, leaning down to speak to president Xi Jinping, 69, who nodded as one of the officials pulled his arm.

He also patted Premier Li Keqiang, seated to the right of Xi, on the shoulder.

The official seemed to be anxious to get him out of the room as he was then escorted out.

China's top legislator Li Zhanshu, seated to Hu's right, gave the former president's folder to a steward, wiping his own head with a cloth after Hu finally stood up.

The 79-year-old appeared slightly disorientated as two assistants came to speak to him and reluctant to move in part of the clip

Former Chinese president Hu Jintao is assisted at his seat during the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

The former Chinese leader preceded President Xi and had been in power between 2003 and 2013.

Speculation has been circulating about the incident, with some saying it was due to his health and others saying it was a deliberately orchestrated scene.

Some had noted that Hu Jintao seemed unsteady last Sunday when he was escorted on stage for the opening ceremony of the congress.

He seemed downcast as he was dragged away, leaning down to speak to president Xi Jinping, 69, as one of the officials pulled his arm

The official seemed to be anxious to get him out of the room as he was then escorted out

The congress lasts a week. It is expected that Xi Jinping will be announced as the president for a third term when the congress draws to a close tomorrow.

The Communist Party Congress is held in Beijing every five years and cemented Xi Jing Ping's position as a powerful leader.

Jiang Zemin, 96, who was president before Mr Hu, did not appear at this congress.

The incident with Hu Jintao comes as China prepares for a leadership shuffle on Sunday.

Xi Jinping gestures to former President Hu Jintao during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

Chinese Premier Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the nation's number two official and a chief proponent of economic reforms, is among four of the seven members of the nation's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee who will not be reappointed.

The departure of Li Keqiang will be seen as another affirmation of the Chinese president's hold on power in the country.

And he was missing from the ruling Communist Party's new 205-member Central Committee that was approved at the closing session of a week-long party congress, which set the leadership and agenda for the next five years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre, bottom, and other senior members of the government applaud during the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

Xi Jinping raises his hand as he votes during the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

Delegates leave after the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

Only Central Committee members can serve on the Standing Committee.

Also at the party congress, an amendment of the party constitution which could further enhance Mr Xi's stature as China's leader was approved.

The amendment text was not immediately released but before its approval the reasoning was read out by an announcer.

This announcer mentioned Mr Xi and his accomplishments including strengthening the military, economy and reinforcing the party's authority.

Mr Xi said that the revision of the amendment 'sets out clear requirements for upholding and strengthening the party's overall leadership', in brief closing remarks.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) reads documents as stewards pour beverages during the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

Attendees take photos during the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party

It comes after the party elevated Mr Xi's status at the previous congress in 2017 by enshrining his ideas, which they called Xi Jinping thought, in its charter.

Other Standing Committee members who were dropped were Shanghai party chief Han Zheng, party advisory body head Wang Yang, and Li Zhanshu.

Zhanshu was a longtime Xi ally and the head of the largely ceremonial National People's Congress.

When the new Standing Committee is revealed tomorrow, Mr Xi is expected to keep the top spot.

epa10258354 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

A TV screen shows a live broadcast of the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, at a restaurant in Hong Kong, China

Li Keqiang will remain as premier for about six more months until a new slate of government ministers is named.

If he had remained on the Standing Committee, it would have indicated some possible pushback within the leadership against Mr Xi's moves to expand state control over the economy, which analysts say is a drag on China's growth.

But Mr Xi had already taken control of most aspects of government, leaving Mr Li largely sidelined.

Li's departure was not a major surprise in the country.

The roughly 2,000 delegates to the party congress - wearing blue surgical masks under China's strict zero-Covid policy - met in the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.

Foreign media were not allowed into the first part of the meeting, presumably when the voting was taking place.
King Charles III said he will not progress with plans for a slimmed-down monarchy and will keep the number of working royals at 11, sources claim.

His Majesty's decision is more 'conservative' than critics and pundits have speculated after the monarch was expected to streamline the list of working royals.

The 73-year-old King will also pay tax like his late mother, after in 1993 she ripped up George VI's tax break agreed by Neville Chamberlin.

King Charles III said he will not progress with plans for a slimmed-down monarchy and will keep the number of working royals at 11

Sources told the Daily Express Kate and William will may have to increase their workload and take on new jobs

Close advisors believe with fewer generations of working royals the family will have to cut back on their 3,500 annual engagements (Pictured: Princess Anne (C), Princess Sophie, Countess of Wessex (2R) and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex)

Who are the working royals? King Charles III Camilla, Queen Consort Prince William and Kate, The Prince and Princess of Wales Anne, the Princess Royal Prince Edward and Princess Sophie, The Earl and Countess of Wessex Prince Richard and Birgitte, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester Princess Alexandra Duke of Kent, Prince Edward Advertisement

The news comes after the Palace said it wanted a cut-down Coronation which will have fewer arcane rituals and be significantly shorter than the 1953 ceremony when Queen Elizabeth was crowned.

Data shows the former Prince of Wales paid 5.8million in income tax after receiving 23million from the Duchy of Cornwall estate in 2021.

Close advisors believe with fewer generations of working royals the family will have to cut back on their 3,500 annual engagements.

Aides are discussing what will happen to charities which attract thousands of pounds through royal representation and visits.

One senior royal source told the Daily Express: 'These are things that are all being looked at as part of a wider review at the moment.'

Sources told the paper Kate and William may have to increase their workload and take on new jobs.

But Kate has made it clear that she would prefer to look after her own children than expand the family's portfolio.

The departure of Harry and Megan and Prince Andrew has put more strains on the group's ability to meet all of its commitments.

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra watched a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018

Harry and Meghan (pictured) leaving has raised issues and Prince Andrew leaving made matters more tricky.

One senior royal source told the Daily Express: 'These are things that are all being looked at as part of a wider review at the moment'

Senior royals can be defined as members of the family close to the line of the succession who represent the Crown on special visits.

For years reports were made that King Charles III wanted a 'slimmed down' monarchy which would cut down the number of working royals from eleven to 7.

Experts suggested this would make his operation a 'leaner machine' with 'less to gossip about'.

There would also be 'no hangers-on' in the Firm, with each member expected to pull their weight in a new and more streamlined monarchy.

As the new king, Charles will be front and centre of the new-look monarchy. The biggest change will be his residence. He will likely move to Buckingham Palace, having resided at Pictured: King Charles at Dumfries House, Scotland

It is believed King Charles will follow in his mother's footsteps and move into Buckingham Palace as king. One royal source told the Mail on Sunday in February: 'There is no question about it. HRH's view is that you need a monarch at monarchy HQ. This has never been in doubt.'

The former Duchess of Cornwall will have a major role in the new-look monarchy beside King Charles. The 74-year-old will be known as Queen Consort

The second child of the Queen, Princess Anne has consistently been one of the most popular royals. She was always expected to play an important role within King Charles's new operation

The youngest child of the Queen, Prince Edward and wife Sophie have developed an ever more prominent role in recent years, following recent royal scandals with other family members

But King Charles' original model, which reportedly involved a tight core of just seven people, including himself, has been thrown into doubt following a series of external events.

The plan, put in motion before the Queen's death, originally included the long-reigning monarch along with Prince Philip, King Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate and Prince Harry.

Philip died aged 99 in 2021, while Harry's future in the slimmed-down monarchy seems hugely doubtful following his decision to quit front line royal duties and move to America with his wife Meghan Markle.

Meanwhile, Prince Andrew, who would likely have featured in a slimmed-down monarchy as a son of the Queen and King Charles' brother, has been outcast since his US sex assault lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre.

But that has pushed Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, into the fray as 'key' parts of King Charles' future monarchy, according to royal watchers.

Royal experts always expected Princess Anne - who has always been one of the most popular royal figures according to polling - to play an important role in Charles's plans.

Edward and Sophie, Earl and Countess of Wessex took a significant chunk of work when Harry and Megan departed the royal family and may continue to play a central role.

They were more prominent than almost any other member of the Royal family in the days leading up to Prince Philip's funeral in 2021.

King Charles 'is planning Royal Family's biggest ever global tour to kick off his reign': Monarch 'will visit Australia, New Zealand and the Caribbean in two-year blitz to shore up support for the Crown' in echo of the Queen's 1953 Commonwealth tourB

By Alistair Lockhart

King Charles III will set off on the Royal Family's biggest world tour in history to mark the start of his reign.

The King will visit Australia, New Zealand and several Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean.

The monarch is reported to be planning various domestic and foreign trips by himself, leaving Queen Consort Camilla to attend to her personal projects at home.

A two year-long tour of the globe will introduce the new King to the world and 'extend a hand of friendship and support', according to royal sources.

King Charles could visit as many nations as Queen Elizabeth did in the 1970s, when she travelled to 52 Commonwealth countries and 21 others to mark her Silver Jubilee.

Buckingham Palace is said to be considering trips to Australia and Canada 'as soon as possible'. The King is also enthusiastic to visit at least a dozen other nations where he is the monarch.

Charles, then Prince of Wales, takes part in traditional Mexican clog dancing in Campeche in November 2014

The royal couple attend a reception in the small Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2019

Charles and Camilla arrive at Staubles Bay in Trinidad and Tobago as part of a royal tour of the Caribbean in March 2008

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit Addis Ababa in Ethiopia in 1965. The Queen made hundreds of royal trips during her historic reign

The King has toured dozens of Commonwealth countries over the years, including with Princess Diana in Australia in 1983

Diana, Princess of Wales and Charles stand in front of Ayers Rock, central Australia during their tour in 1983

William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, will take a more senior role in the new monarchy. Pictured: The couple in Jamaica earlier this year

He has already visited 45 of the 56 Commonwealth countries while Prince of Wales - many on several occasions.

The King is reported to be 'acutely aware' that many of the Caribbean countries will be contemplating becoming republics during his visits.

Charles and Camilla could make their first state visit to South Africa as early as next month as preparations are made for their arrival.

A royal insider said: 'The King and his family are keen to hit the ground running in these crucial first few months and years of his reign,' according to The Mirror.

'He certainly wants to carry on the long-held mantra from his late mother of being seen to be believed, and is very keen to get out and meet as many people as possible.'

The Foreign Office is also said to be planning to send the royal couple to European nations such as France and Germany to help build relations in the post-Brexit era.

The King and Queen Consort were originally planned to visit France next month, but this has been delayed until 2023.

Government officials in New South Wales this week revealed plans for a 'much-anticipated' royal tour in 2024 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of democracy in Australia, although sources suggest Prince William and Kate had also previously discussed plans for a tour Down Under in spring 2023.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will visit dozens of countries, both inside and outside the Commonwealth, over the next two years

The royal couple pictured next to the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt during their tour of the Middle East in 2021

Charles and Camilla take part in celebrations in the village of Artiya, India in 2006 on another royal visit

The Prince and Princess of Wales are also said to be preparing to take on a greater support role as the Royal Family adjusts to life without the Queen.

William and Kate will visit the United States in the coming weeks to take part in the William's Earthshot Prize environmental scheme.
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RAF fighter pilots have taken part in a 10-day live-fire exercise targeting drones flying off the Scottish coast.

Both Typhoon and F-35B Lighting II jets were involve in the exercise which saw pilots from eight different squadrons launch 53 missiles at target drones.

The RAF were testing out the latest Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air (ASRAAM) missiles at a Missile Practice Camp over the sea in the Hebridies Air Weapon Ranges.

The pilots used the 200,000 missiles to intercept drones approaching the area. According to the RAF it was 'the largest mass firing of the infra-red guided ASRAAM missiles from Typhoon and F-35B Lightning II'.

The missiles weigh 88kg and are 2.9metres long and have a range in excess of 25km.

One Australian pilot during a previous exercise was able to fire a shot 'over the shoulder' to strike a target behind the fighter jet.

This is the moment an RAF Typhoon pilot fires an Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air (ASRAAM) missile at a Missile Practice Camp over the sea in the Hebridies Air Weapon Ranges off the Scottish coast during a 10-day exercise

The 200,000 weapon streaked from the hardpoint under the wing of the Typhoon which is normally part of an RAF Quick Reaction Alert squadron tasked with protecting UK airspace from hostile incursions

The RAF and the Australian RAAF both use the 88kg missile which has a range of more than 25km

According to MBDA Missile Systems who developed and market the weapon, it is currently in service with the RAF and the Royal Australian Air Force, describing it as the 'Within Visual Range Dominance Weapon (WVR).

A spokesperson said: 'In WVR air combat, the ability to strike first is vital. A pilot engaging an enemy needs a missile that reacts more rapidly than ever before with the speed and agility to maximise the probability of a kill, regardless of evasive target manoeuvres or the deployment of countermeasures. ASRAAM has proven this capability.

'ASRAAM accepts target information via the aircraft sensors, such as the radar or helmet mounted sight but can also act as an autonomous infrared search and track system. The RAAF has demonstrated successful "over the shoulder" firing in Lock On After Launch (LOAL) mode against target drones that were behind the wing-line of the launch aircraft.'

RAF squadrons from Lossiemouth, Conningsby and Marham were all involved in the exercise.

One pilot who participated in the exercise said: 'It surpassed all expectations of what my first live firing exercise on the Typhoon would be. Selecting the weapon and knowing a live missile would come off the rail was a unique moment; hearing the missile tone and pulling the trigger, followed by a large whoosh sound and a slight wobble of the aircraft was fantastic'

Many of those pilots are either involved in Quick Reaction Alert squadrons who react to incursions by Russian aircraft.

Others will be deployed on the two Royal Navy aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales.

According to the RAF: 'The ability to end-to-end test these missiles develops confidence in the weapon, whilst simultaneously developing personnel from professions across the RAF. From the movement and loading of live weapons onto the aircraft, to the aircrafts transit to the Air Weapons Ranges, the integration of personnel and aircraft from around the country was key to the success of the event.

'The training has proved the impressive capability of Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles across both RAF combat air platforms, providing training and real-world feedback by destroying Banshee drone targets.'

One pilot based at RAF Lossiemouth said: 'It surpassed all expectations of what my first live firing exercise on the Typhoon would be. Selecting the weapon and knowing a live missile would come off the rail was a unique moment; hearing the missile tone and pulling the trigger, followed by a large whoosh sound and a slight wobble of the aircraft was fantastic.

'Watching the missile disappear into the sky in front of me was a moment to remember, it really is impressive how fast the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles can go. The experience has given me a real appreciation of the capability of the missile and how it can be employed in a real combat situation.'

The exercise was the largest mass firing of short range missiles in RAF history

In Parliament this week, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace revealed that a Russian fighter jet recently 'released a missile' in the vicinity of an RAF aircraft over the Black Sea.

Ben Wallace told the Commons the incident occurred in 'international airspace over the Black Sea' on September 29.

He added that an 'unarmed RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint'  a spy plane  was 'interacted with' by two Russian SU-27s, one of which 'released a missile in the vicinity of the RAF Rivet Joint beyond visual range'.

The Commons heard that the Russians blamed the incident on a 'technical malfunction'.

In a statement updating MPs on the war in Ukraine, Mr Wallace said: 'I would also like to share with the House details of a recent incident which occurred in international airspace over the Black Sea.

'On September 29 an unarmed RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint, a civilian-style aircraft, on routine patrol over the Black Sea was interacted with by two Russian armed SU-27 fighter aircraft. It is not unusual for aircraft to be shadowed and this day was no different.

'During that interaction, however, it transpired that one of the SU-27 aircraft released a missile in the vicinity of the RAF Rivet Joint beyond visual range.

'The total time of the interaction between the Russian aircraft and the Rivet Joint was approximately 90 minutes.

'The patrol completed and the aircraft returned to base.'

He added: 'In light of this potentially dangerous engagement, I have communicated my concerns directly to my Russian counterpart, Defence Minister (Sergei) Shoigu, and the chief of defence staff in Moscow.

An RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint spy plane had been flying over international waters near Crimea at the time of the incident last month (file image)

Two Russian Su-27 fighter jets 'interacted with' the British plane, Ben Wallace said (file image)

'In my letter I made clear the aircraft was unarmed, in international airspace, and following a pre-notified flight path.

'I felt it was prudent to suspend these patrols until a response was received by the Russian state.

'The reply by the Russian minister of defence on October 10 stated they have conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and stated it was a technical malfunction of the SU-27 fighter.

'They also acknowledge that the incident took place in international airspace.'

Concluding his report on the incident, the Cabinet minister said: 'The UK Ministry of Defence has shared this information with allies and, after consultation, I have restarted routine patrols, but this time escorted by fighter aircraft.

'Everything we do is considered and calibrated with regard to ongoing conflict in the region and in accordance with international law.

'We welcome Russias acknowledgement this was in international airspace, and the UK has conducted regular sorties with the RAF Rivet Joint in international airspace over the Black Sea since 2019 and we will continue to do so.'
She has announced her cabinet yesterday which includes members from Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party

Ms Meloni, 45, will be Italy's first far-right leader since fascist Mussolini was deposed during WW2 in 1943

The party has neo-fascist roots in the defunct Italian Social Movement founded by Mussolini supporters

Far-right leader of the Brothers of Italy party Giorgia Meloni was today sworn in as Italy's first female PM

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Giorgia Meloni has today been sworn in as Italy's first far-right premier since the end of the Second World War as well as the first woman to take the role of Italian Prime Minister.

Ms Meloni, 45, whose political party has neo-fascist roots, took the oath of office before the Italian president at the Quirinale Presidential Palace in Rome.

Her Brothers of Italy party received the most votes Italy during last month's Italian general election, winning 26 per cent of the vote, 119 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 65 in the Senate.

The party has neo-fascist origins in the Italian Social Movement, which was founded by Mussolini supporters.

Ms Meloni, 45, will be the leader of Italy's most far-right government since fascist Benito Mussolini was deposed during WW2 in 1943.

Ms Meloni announced her first cabinet yesterday evening.

Her coalition allies include the anti-immigrant and right-wing League of Matteo Salvini and the conservative Forza Italia party headed by former premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Ms Meloni recited the ritual oath of office, pledging to be faithful to Italy's post-war republic and to act 'in the exclusive interests of the nation'.

Giorgia Meloni has today been sworn in as Italy's first far-right premier since the end of the Second World War. Pictured: Giorgia Meloni, 45, waves to cameras before the swearing-in ceremony at the Quirinale Presidential Palace in Rome today

Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, and Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, during the swearing-in ceremony of the new Italian Government

The Prime Minister took the oath of office before the Italian president at the Quirinale Presidential Palace in Rome

The pledge of office was signed by Ms Meloni and countersigned by President Sergio Mattarella, who, in his role as head of state, serves as guarantor of the constitution, drafted in the years immediately after the end of the war, which saw the demise of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini

Newly appointed Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni shakes hand with Infrastructure, sustainable mobility and Vice premier Matteo Salvini

Husband of the Italian Premier Andrea Giambruno holds in his arm their daughter Ginevra flanked by sister Arianna Meloni

Matteo Salvini, one of the deputy prime ministers, shows his enthusiasm for the new leader during the swearing in of the Meloni government at the Quirinale Palace today

The pledge was signed by her and countersigned by President Sergio Mattarella, who, in his role as head of state, serves as guarantor of the constitution, drafted in the years immediately after the end of the war, which saw the demise of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

Ms Meloni's 24 ministers followed, similarly swearing in.

Five of the ministers are technocrats, not representing any party.

Six of them are women.

One of her new deputy prime ministers, Matteo Salivini, was seen making a heart symbol as he expressed his support to her.

Ms Meloni will head her first cabinet meeting on Sunday.

Her government replaces that led by Mario Draghi, a former European Central Bank chief, who was appointed by Mr Mattarella in 2021 to lead a pandemic national unity coalition.

Ms Meloni was the sole major party leader to refuse to join the coalition, insisting the nation's voters return to the polls, which they did on September 25.

Obtaining the premiership was a rapid rise to power for the Brothers of Italy. Meloni co-founded the party in December 2012, and it was considered a fringe movement on the right during its first years.

Italy along with much of the rest of Europe are struggling with soaring energy costs and the crisis caused by Russia's war in Ukraine, which could further impact gas supplies this winter and continue increasing household and business power bills.

President of Italy Sergio Mattarella shakes hand with Italy's new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as members of the government look on

Pictured: Italian President Sergio Mattarella (fourth-right, front row), Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (fifth-right) and members of the government pose for a group picture during the swearing-in ceremony

Newly sworn in Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, center, and her Cabinet pose for a family photo after being sworn-in

Newly sworn in Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, center, smiles flanked by Ministers after a family photo

Her election comes after a turbulent time in Italian politics as messy coalitions formed and fell apart before technocrat Mario Draghi was appointed to take control of the economy until an election could be held.

But Meloni's success is far from assured. She staunchly backs Ukraine in its war with Russia, but coalition partners Mr Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini - leader of the Lega Nord party - have voiced sympathies for Putin.

Tensions over the issue are said to have hobbled coalition talks, with leaked audio appearing to show Berlusconi discussing his ties to Moscow and view that Ukraine started the war.

However, in public he has been keen to insist his views are in lockstep with Ms Meloni and the European Union.

What bonds all three candidates are shared Eurosceptic views and a desire to see immigration to Italy greatly reduced.

Meloni's coalition wants to renegotiate Italy's part of the EU's post-Covid recovery fund, arguing the almost 200 billion euros it expects to receive should take into account the current energy crisis, exacerbated by Moscow's invasion.

But the funds are tied to a series of reforms only just begun by outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and analysts say she has limited room for manoeuvre.

Meloni had campaigned on a platform of 'God, country and family', sparking fears of a regression on rights in the Catholic-majority country.

She has distanced herself from her party's neo-fascist past - and her own, after praising dictator Benito Mussolini as a teenager - and presented herself as a straight-talking but unthreatening leader.

But she and her party have been outspoken against women's rights to an abortion and gay rights.

At political rallies Meloni has fiercely denounced what she calls 'gender ideology' and 'the LGBT lobby'.

Newly appointed Enterprise and Made in Italy Minister, Adolfo Urso, arrives with wife Olga at Quirinal presidential palace to be sworn in

Newly appointed Relations with Parliament Minister Luca Ciriani arrives with his wife Claudia Cusinato

Newly appointed Reforms Minister, Maria Elisabetta Casellati arrives to be sworn in

Newly appointed Minister for University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, center, to be sworn in

Meloni had campaigned on a platform of 'God, country and family', sparking fears of a regression on rights in the Catholic-majority country. Pictured: Newly appointed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni leaves the Quirinale Palace

Obtaining the premiership was a rapid rise to power for the Brothers of Italy. Meloni co-founded the party in December 2012, and it was considered a fringe movement on the right during its first years

Federico Mollicone, her culture spokesperson, said last week that same-sex parenting was not normal, triggering outrage.

Speaking in a television interview with San Marino's Rtv late on Thursday, Mollicone revived criticism he had previously expressed of an episode of the popular children's cartoon 'Peppa Pig' that featured a polar bear with two mothers.

'It is a very serious issue,' Mollicone said. 'As long as the Italian state does not legislate on these couples, presenting them as something absolutely normal is wrong, because it is not.'

He went on to say that 'in Italy homosexual couples are not legal, are not allowed' - despite the country having legalised same-sex civil unions in 2016 with a reform that FdI opposed in parliament.

During the campaign, Meloni has repeatedly denied suggestions she might roll back legislation on abortion or gay rights, while reaffirming her opposition to adoptions and surrogacy for LGBT couples.

Meloni said she wanted to give a choice to women unsure about terminating pregnancies.

'We won't touch the abortion law. We just want (women) to know there are other options,' she said.
A body has been found in a skip outside a major hospital yesterday after police sealed off an area close to an A&E unit.

Police made the grim discovery of the man in his 30s at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI), South Yorkshire, just before 8.30am.

Emergency services initially attended the incident, and place a cordon close to the hospital's Accident and Emergency entrance.

But police later confirmed that the man was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

And a source from the hospital told a local newspaper that the man's body was found in a waste disposal skip.

Police sealed off an area outside Doncaster Royal Infirmary yesterday after the body of a man in his 30s was found in a skip

The body of a man in his 30s was found in a skip outside the Accident and Emergency Unit of Doncaster Royal Infirmary yesterday morning

A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Police said there were no suspicious circumstances, and added that a report was being prepared by the coroner's office (file photograph)

A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Police said there were no suspicious circumstances, and added that a report was being prepared by the coroner's office.

They said: 'Officers were called just before 8.30am on October 21 to a report of a body found outside Doncaster Royal Infirmary on Armthorpe Road.

'Emergency services attended and a man in his 30s was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

'There are believed to be no suspicious circumstances and a report is being prepared for HM Coroner.

A spokesperson for Doncaster Royal Infirmary confirmed that the hospital was running as normal, but one of its entrances was only admitting 'urgent drop-offs'.

They said: 'Gate 3 at the Trust is currently closed (Emergency Department and Outpatients) to everything other than urgent drop-offs and ambulances - pedestrian access is unaffected.

'Please use either the hospital's main entrance at Gate 4, South Block entrance near Gate 6 or the entrance opposite the Women's and Children's Hospital at Gate 1.'
President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of trying to blow up a key dam as Russian puppet authorities in Ukraine told all residents in Kherson to leave 'immediately' ahead of an advance by Ukrainian troops.

Ukrainian President Zelensky said Russian troops planted explosives at the Nova Kakhovka dam at a massive reservoir in the south of country.

He claimed Putin's regime were planning to destroy the dam, and called on world leaders to say blowing it up would be responded to in 'exactly the same as the use of weapons of mass destruction'.

He added: 'Now everyone in the world must act powerfully and quickly to prevent a new Russian terrorist attack.

'Destroying the dam would mean a large-scale disaster.'

Zelensky's warning came after Kremlin-backed governments in southern Ukraine urged civilians to move deeper into Russian-held territory as Ukrainian forces advance.

Ukrainian President Zelensky said world leaders should 'act powerfully and quickly' to prevent the dam being destroyed

(File Photo) Russian troops patrol the Nova Kakhovka, which Ukraine claims has been packed with explosives

Evacuees from Kherson gather after arriving at the railway station in Dzhankoi, Crimea

Kherson has been held by Russia since the early days of the nearly 8-month-long war in Ukraine. The city is the capital one of four regions Vladimir Putin illegally annexed last month.

Thousands crowded over the river, many by boat to escape Kherson ahead of the Ukrainian advance.

'I really didn't want to (leave), I'm still in work,' one resident said. 'We wanted to stay here in the region, but now we don't know.'

The Russian-installed leader of Kherson said this week Russia was planning to move an estimated 10,000 residents a day from Kherson and that Russia was preparing to take in residents in anticipation of Ukraine's counterattack.

Despite the latest warning, the occupation authorities invited people still in the city on Saturday to attend an 'evening of Russian literature, music and art' in Kherson's Palace of Culture, with a book reading and orchestra playing.

On Friday, Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions across Kherson region, targeting pro-Kremlin forces' resupply routes as they prepare to reclaim the city.

Ukraine has retaken some villages in the region's north since launching its counteroffensive in late August.

Russian-installed officials were reported as trying desperately to turn the city of Kherson into a fortress while attempting to relocate tens of thousands of residents.

The Kremlin poured as many as 2,000 draftees into the surrounding region to replenish losses and strengthen front-line units, according to the Ukrainian army's general staff.

The wide Dnieper River figures as a major factor in the fighting, making it hard for Russia to supply its troops defending the city of Kherson and nearby areas on the west bank after relentless Ukrainian strikes rendered the main crossings unusable.

Taking control of Kherson has allowed Russia to resume fresh water supplies from the Dnieper to Crimea, which were cut by Ukraine after Moscow's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula.

Tens of thousands are being told to flee Kherson ahead of an expected Ukrainian advance

Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure in recent weeks

Firefighters tackle a blaze started by a Russia missile strike at a power station in Rivne

A Ukrainian soldier sits in shelter as he prepare fire the Russian positions with the mortar in Bakhmut, Donetsk region

The dam upstream from Kherson city is a key source of energy for the southern region. Ukraine and Russia accused each other of trying to blow it up to flood the region.

A Russia-installed official estimated Saturday that around 25,000 people from across the region had made their way over the Dnieper. In a Telegram post, Kirill Stremousov claimed that civilians were relocating willingly.

'People are actively moving because today the priority is life. We do not drag anyone anywhere,' he said, adding that some residents could be waiting for the Ukrainian army to reclaim the city.

Ukrainian and Western officials have expressed concern about potential forced transfers of residents to Russia or Russian-occupied territory.

Ukrainian officials urged Kherson residents to resist attempts to relocate them, with one local official alleging Moscow wanted to take civilians hostage and use them as human shields.

Elsewhere in the invaded country, hundreds of thousands of people in central and western Ukraine woke up on Saturday to power outages and periodic bursts of gunfire. In its latest war tactic, Russia has intensified strikes on power stations, water supply systems and other key infrastructure across the country.

Ukraine's air force said in a statement Saturday that Russia had launched 'a massive missile attack' targeting 'critical infrastructure,' adding that it had downed 18 out of 33 cruise missiles launched from the air and sea.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy later said Russia had launched 36 missiles, most of which were shot down.

'Those treacherous blows on critically important facilities are characteristic tactics of terrorists,' Zelenskyy said. 'The world can and must stop this terror.'

Air raid sirens blared across Ukraine twice by early afternoon, sending residents fleeing into shelters as Ukrainian air defense tried to shoot down explosive drones and incoming missiles.

'Several rockets' targeting Ukraine's capital were shot down Saturday morning, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging service.

The president's office said in its morning update that five suicide drones were downed in the central Cherkasy region southeast of Kyiv. Similar reports came from the governors of six western and central provinces, as well as of the southern Odesa region on the Black Sea.

Ukraine's top diplomat said the day's attacks proved Ukraine needed new Western-reinforced air defense systems 'without a minute of delay.'

'Air defense saves lives,' Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, said on Telegram that almost 1.4 million households lost power as a result of the strikes. He said some 672,000 homes in the western Khmelnytskyi region were affected and another 242,000 suffered outages in the Cherkasy region.

Most of the western city of Khmelnytskyi, which straddles the Bug River and had a pre-war population of 275,000, was left with no electricity, shortly after local media reported several loud explosions.

In a social media post on Saturday, the city council urged local residents to store water 'in case its also gone within an hour.'
Shopkeepers and factory workers in Iran have gone on strike as widespread protests raged across the country for the sixth week in a row following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Mahsa Amini, 22, was killed in custody after being accused of breaching Iran's strict dress code for women.

Her death has fuelled the biggest anti-government protests seen in the Islamic Republic for years.

Young women have led the charge, removing their headscarves, symbolically cutting their hair, chanting anti-government slogans and confronting security forces despite a brutal crackdown human rights groups say has killed at least 122 people.

Activists called for more demonstrations and strikes on Saturday, the first day of the Iranian working week. Workers in shops and factories are the latest to join the huge protests.

'On Saturday... We will be together for freedom,' activist Atena Daemi said in a Twitter post with an image of a bare-headed woman raising her fist.

The death of Mahsa Amini has sparked fierce protests against the Iranian regime in the Islamic Republic and across the world . Pictured: A protest abroad

Demonstrations have seen burning and protesters confronting security forces. Pictured: An anti-government protest in Tehran

Organisers said there were 'strikes in a couple of cities including Sanandaj, Bukan and Saqez', but added it was difficult to gauge numbers because of the government crackdown on internet use as it tries to disrupt the protests.

Saqez, in the western province of Kurdistan, is Amini's home town, where anger flared at her burial last month, helping to trigger the protest movement.

Iran accused the United States of using the protests to gain concessions in talks over reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

'The Americans continue to exchange messages with us, but they are trying to fan the flames of what has been going on inside Iran in recent days,' said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The organisers of a massive rally held in Berlin in solidarity with Iranian protesters called on 'democratic governments... to stop negotiating with the criminal state called the Islamic Republic'.

The Iranians for Justice and Human Rights group also called for the expulsion of the Islamic republic's ambassadors.

The group said: 'We are not asking you to interfere in Iran, wage war or sanction Iran's people.

'We want you to impose targeted sanctions on the leaders, operatives, oligarchs and lobbyists of the Islamic Republic.'

The Berlin rally, which drew thousands of people, is one of many demonstrations being held around the world, including in Britain, Australia and Japan.

A teachers' union in Iran has also called for a nationwide strike on Sunday and Monday.

The Co-ordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates said the 'sit-in' would be in response to 'systematic oppression' by the security forces at schools during the protests.

Activists have accused the authorities of a draconian campaign of mass arrests and travel bans to clamp down on the protests, with athletes, celebrities and journalists being seized by security forces.

Asra Panahi, 15, died after being beaten by the security forces at school, teachers say

Elnaz Rekabi a headband during a climbing competition in Seoul, in what many saw as gesture of solidarity with the Amini protests

An Iranian climber was placed under house arrest for competing abroad in Seoul last week without a headscarf.

Elnaz Rekabi, 33, returned to Iran to a hero's welcome on Wednesday. She said on Instagram: 'I sincerely thank all those who came to the airport for welcoming me, I love you.'

Rekabi's phone was reportedly seized from her before she flew home, where she was placed under house arrest.

On Friday, a New York-based human rights group called on the International Federation of Sport Climbing to do more to protect her.

IFSC 'should engage with rights organisations to protect pro climber #ElnazRekabi and all Iranian athletes', the Center for Human Rights in Iran tweeted.

The group added: 'Don't take the government in Iran's word at face value -- it has a documented history of detaining, maiming and killing those who oppose it.'
Uzbek journalist: Report to 20th CPC National Congress demonstrates Chinas confidence in development

People's Daily Online) 16:15, October 22, 2022

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 16. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a report on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee.

Kenjaev Ruslan, deputy editor-in-chief of Uzbek newspaper Narodnoe Slovo, poses for a photo at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing before the opening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Kenjaev Ruslan, deputy editor-in-chief of Uzbek newspaper Narodnoe Slovo, attended the opening session of the national congress and covered the event at the Great Hall of the People.

I, along with journalists from other countries, listened to the Chinese leaders report spanning nearly two hours, which covered a wide range of topics including promoting high-quality development and green development, advancing Party building, and foreign policy, he told Peoples Daily Online.

After giving a brief review of the achievements China made over the past decade, the report set forth the tasks for the next five years and the medium to long term. These tasks demonstrate Chinas confidence in its development, he said.

Ruslan paid particular attention to what was said in the report on safeguarding world peace and ensuring national security, which he believed is essential to the implementation of a country's plans in all key areas.

He said stability is of the highest interest for a country, as the world is undergoing unprecedented changes, with intensifying conflicts in many countries.

Kenjaev Ruslan, deputy editor-in-chief of Uzbek newspaper Narodnoe Slovo, poses for a photo before entering the Great Hall of the People in Beijing ahead of the opening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

China has resolutely pursued a holistic approach to national security to promote world peace and development. China has set an example for other countries in this regard, he said.

Previously, I received information that China's development achievements are mainly attributable to the leadership of the CPC. This time, as a journalist at the national congress, I saw in person how an efficient governance system works in China, and how the country pays attention to the voice of its 1.4 billion people and strives to fulfill their aspirations," Ruslan told Peoples Daily Online.

The national congress has drawn widespread attention from the international community, and its easy to understand why, according to Ruslan. He noted that China, the world's second largest economy, has contributed over 30 percent to global economic growth and over 70 percent to global poverty reduction. Events of great political significance in China have a significant impact on the global development process, he said.

A photo of a crossroad near Beijings East Third Ring Road taken by Kenjaev Ruslan, deputy editor-in-chief of Uzbek newspaper Narodnoe Slovo. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Ruslan has been to China many times and witnessed the changes that have taken place here. He said that compared with 10 years ago when he visited China for the first time, the country has become more liveable thanks to more convenient transport and greatly improved air quality in cities.

"This time, I visited many places in China and found that people's living conditions have improved remarkably, both in urban and rural areas," Ruslan said.

Ruslan has published several articles on China's economic and social development, seeking to tell readers what has allowed China to scale new heights.

I believe that one of the main reasons is that the Chinese people have united as one and the CPC has led them to continue advancing toward great goals, Ruslan said.

A photo of a tea garden in Pingli county, Ankang city, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province taken by Kenjaev Ruslan, deputy editor-in-chief of Uzbek newspaper Narodnoe Slovo. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is leading the race to replace Liz Truss to reclaim his old position as he gains traction against Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt.

Britain has now found itself back where it was before, with many citizens seeing the same faces competing for the region's third prime minister spot in just eight weeks, being left to watch on the sidelines.

Potential Boris Johnson Comeback

Supporters of the three front-running candidates were quick out of the blocks on Friday, making their pitches for why their chosen individual should win the race. Some argued that Johnson could make a comeback amid an active Bring Back Boris movement.

The former prime minister was out on a Caribbean vacation at the time when Truss announced her resignation on Thursday. His ally, James Duddridge, said that Johnson was flying back with the idea, "We are going to do this. I'm up for it."

On the other hand, the favorite of the bookies is Sunak, who is the former finance minister who fell to Truss in the last leadership race. He was able to anticipate Truss's plan to cut taxes and increase debt "fantasy island" economics, as per the Washington Post.

But the only formally-declared candidate as of Friday evening was Mordaunt, who is the Tory leader in the House of Commons. Not many in the public know of him but the polls show him with favorable numbers with Conservative Party members.

In a Twitter post, Mordaunt said that he was encouraged by support from his colleagues who wanted a fresh start for the country with a united party and leadership in the national interest. Now, most of the complexities of the race are happening behind the scenes.

According to Reuters, the candidates who are looking to replace Truss must secure 100 nominations from Conservative lawmakers by Monday. Truss succeeded Johnson after the latter was ousted by his colleagues in July.

Read Also: Liz Truss Net Worth 2022: How Rich is Shortest-Serving UK Prime Minister in UK History?

Shoring up Support

The Conservative Party hopes that the contest will revive its ailing fortunes as opinion polls suggest that lawmakers would be all but wiped out if a national election were held now. Five cabinet members have already expressed their support for Johnson as Sunak became the first candidate to hit the threshold to enter the contest before the deadline on Monday.

But a recent tally of Conservative lawmakers who have already made public declarations of support put Sunak with 70 supporters, Johnson with 37, and Mordaunt with 20. Johnson's support among lawmakers came as a YouGov poll showed that 52% of the people asked said they would be unhappy to see the former prime minister return to his post.

William Hague, the former Conservative leader, said that Johnson's return was possibly the worst idea that the official has had in almost half a century as a party member. Hauge noted that the decision would lead to a "death spiral" for the Conservatives.

When the race for prime minister only has two candidates left, the vote will be opened to the roughly 170,000 lawmakers who make up the Conservative Party. But not everyone in Johnson's party or his former cabinet is convinced that he could achieve a sweeping comeback against his rivals, Fox News reported.

Related Article: UK PM Liz Truss Resigns Following Controversial Economic Policies; What Will Happen Next?

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Cecchi-Azzolina: 'We get the most powerful people in the world that come here  no one really cares about you'

Both Campbell and Wintour would appear unannounced while demanding a table - and would even send back food at Raoul's Soho

Markle's handler reportedly demanded a private table because Markle was 'someone who is dating a prince'

Cecchi-Azzolina, who has worked as the maitre d' for several Michelin-starred restaurants, told stories of Meghan Markle, Naomi Campbell and Anna Wintour

Michael Cecchi-Azzolina laid out his stories of celebrities in his new book, 'Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maitre D''

Meghan Markle stood by silently as her handler furiously demanded a private table at New York City's Michelin-starred Le Coucou in 2017, according to a new book.

Former maitre d' Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, who worked at the restaurant for two and a half years, claims the star-turned-royal required a table because 'it's for someone who is dating a prince.'

'I said, 'I still don't have a private table for you,'' he wrote in his upcoming memoir, 'Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maitre D.'

Markle and her handler arrived at the restaurant 20 minutes early for their reservation and were subsequently aggressive with staff.

'Are you aware my guest is dating Prince Harry and about to be a duchess?' Cecchi-Azzolina recalls the handler asking. 'Don't you have a private area for us to wait?

'My first impulse was to laugh. I could give two s**ts about Prince Harry's date, and by the attention the escort was drawing from the crowd at the bar, nor did anyone else.'

During the encounter, Markle reportedly 'didn't say a word' and was described by Cecchi-Azzolina as 'aloof.'

'We get the most powerful people in the world that come here  no one really cares about you,' he said.

A new memoir alleges Meghan Markle's handler was aggressive with restaurant staff in 2017 while demanding a private table because 'it's for someone who is dating a prince'

Cecchi-Azzolina worked at New York City's Michelin-starred Le Coucou for two and a half years. He wrote his allegations in his memoir: 'Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maitre D'

Former maitre d' Michael Cecchi-Azzolina also alleges Anna Wintour (left) and Naomi Campbell were also repeat offenders at Raoul's Soho

He adds in other encounters with celebrities, including Vogue editor Anna Wintour and supermodel Naomi Campbell, both of whom allegedly regularly appeared unannounced and repeatedly sent food back at Raoul's Soho.

'Naomi Campbell would come, be rude and complain about her food almost every time,' Cecchi-Azzolina writes.

The supermodel would routinely appear at the restaurant in the early 2000s as she dated U2 bass player Adam Clayton.

'She was someone we dreaded coming in,' he told the New York Post.

'She needed a lot of attention. She sent her food back quite a few times. I want to say it was the rack of lamb.'

The memoir by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina is set to release December 6 and includes tales of countless demanding celebrities

Cecchi-Azzolina is a former maitre d' at several New York City Michelin-starred restaurants, including Le Coucou (pictured)

Wintour was similar, Cecchi-Azzolina adds, and was 'absolutely horrid' as she would 'march in with no reservation and demand a table.'

The Vogue editor ordered a steak 'very rare' and requested it be served 'immediately.'

'God forbid it was the least bit overcooked. She'd look at the server as though he'd just served her rat and have it sent back and redone. You'd think the raw meat would make her less sanguine,' he said.

'She'd just walk in or call and say, 'I'm coming.' One time she came in and we were closing the back room and she insisted on sitting in the back room and we had to keep a waiter there and give her own waiter. Boy, was that waitress pissed.'

'She doesn't really talk to the staff. She's like, 'I'm having this, and that's it.''

The announcement for the memoir, to be released December 6, follows a recent saga featuring James Corden and Balthazar owner Keith McNally.

In an Instagram post, the restaurateur recalled how the actor turned TV host had verbally abused his staff earlier this summer and shouted at one server: 'You can't do your job!'

Hours after posting that he had banned Corden from returning to the restaurant, McNally updated the story and said Corden called to apologize for his behavior.

'James Corden just called me and apologized profusely,' McNally wrote. 'Having f***** up myself more than most people, I strongly believe in second chances.

'So if James Corden lets me host his Late Late Show for 9 months, I'll immediately rescind his ban from Balthazar. No, of course not.

'But....anyone magnanimous enough to apologize to a deadbeat lay about like me (and my staff) doesn't deserve to be banned from anywhere. Especially Balthazar.

'So Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Corden, Jimmy Corden. All is Forgiven. xx'

Balthazar owner Keith McNally said James Corden was abusive to restaurant staff

McNally (pictured) initially banned Corden from the restaurant before retracting the ban after Corden apologized for his actions

McNally: 'James Corden just called me and apologized profusely, Having f***** up myself more than most people, I strongly believe in second chances'

The shocking allegations came months after the 'Into the Woods' star announced he would no longer be hosting the late-night talk show in 2023

Tony award-winner Corden, who earns $36 million a year, shot to fame in the U.S. on the hit CBS show, and became well known for his cheeky British humor

The shocking allegations came months after the 'Into the Woods' star announced he would no longer be hosting the late-night talk show in 2023.

Tony award-winner Corden, who earns $36 million a year, shot to fame in the U.S. on the hit CBS show, and became well known for his cheeky British humor.

McNally, who has a colorful history of booting out celebrities of his exclusive restaurants, claims that Corden also behaved similarly at his former restaurant, Cafe Luxembourg, on several occasions and left one server 'shaken'.

He posted earlier on Monday two separate examples of Corden's 'extremely nasty' behavior at the French brasserie in New York's Soho district on his Instagram account.

The 71-year-old started his post by calling the funnyman a 'hugely gifted comedian', before laying into his fellow Brit - who regularly tucks into meals with celebrities as part of a game on the show.
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Jackie Kennedy's Secret Service agent revealed that the former first lady was prepared to die with her children during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Clint Hill, 90, who worked under five presidents, said that as the nation panicked over fears of nuclear war with the Soviet Union in 1962, the first lady remained calm and patriotic.

Tweeting during the 60th anniversary of the Cold War confrontation, Hill said he was charged with securing the safety of the first family, but Jackie refused to hide.

'When I told Mrs. Kennedy we would take her and the children into the shelter if there were incoming missiles, she said she would take John and Caroline and walk onto the lawn like brave soldiers and face the same fate of every other American,' Hill wrote.

It is among the many stories Hill has shared of his time with Jackie, and his latest upcoming memoir, My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy, revealed the Secret Service agent attempted to take his own life following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, according to excerpts given to People Magazine.

Clint Hill reminiced of his days on the Secret Service with Jackie Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis and following JFK's assassination. Pictured: Hill (left) and Jackie (right) shopping for souvenirs in Rome, 1964

Hill famously jumped on top of JFK's car (above) when the president was shot to death during a motorcade in Dallas Texas, in 1963

This is the first time Hill, 90, (above) has opened up about his own personal struggles following the shocking murder of the president and his grieving family who Hill protected

Discussing his memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Hill said Jackie (left) remained calm under the fear of nuclear war

Hill said Jackie refused to hide in a shelter with her two children, instead opting to 'face the same fate of every other American.' Jackie is pictured with her kids, Caroline and John Jr.

Pictured: Jackie playing with her son, John Jr., in front of the White House lawn, where she was prepared to stand in should nuclear war break out

Hill recounted the story on Twitter during the 60th anniversary of the Cold War incident

Hill's latest memoir also goes into his personal turmoil and attempt to take his own life following Kennedy's assissination. He said he was haunted by the moment he jumped on the president's car and looked at Jackie's horrified face (above)

Hill's latest memoir about his days with Jackie Kennedy comes out October 25

In his book, Hill said he was consumed by feelings of guilt and failure when the president was shot on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.

'It was the time when everything changed,' Hill wrote. 'Mrs. Kennedy had lost all the things associated with the Presidency and the children no longer had a father.'

Hill said he remained guarding Jackie and her family, accompanying them to their regular trip to Palm Beach, Florida, the following month.

On the night of December 29, 1963, Hill couldn't stop thinking about the presidential assassination and walked into the ocean.

'Guilt and anguish consumed me,' he wrote. 'All I could think about was Dallas.

'I was running as fast as I could, my arm reaching for the handholds on the trunk but it was like my legs were in quicksand,' he said of the moment Kennedy was shot. 'Mrs. Kennedy climbing out of the back seat, her terrified eyes looking but not seeing me, like I wasn't there.'

Describing his suicide attempt, Hill wrote: 'Tears streamed down my cheeks, and as the cold water enveloped my legs, and then my chest, and up to my shoulders, the tears turned to sobs. I wanted the water to swallow me up.'

Hill said he was ultimately saved by a Palm Beach police officer, who dragged him out of the water.

It is the first time Hill has publically discussed his suicide attempt, noting that he's glad to finally open up about it.

'Somehow, there is a sense of freedom in no longer keeping that darkness to myself,' he wrote. 'People will judge me, I'm sure. But no one  no one  has ever walked in my shoes.'

Hill (above with Jackie on a trip in Italy in 1962) said that following the presidential assassination, he was racked with feelings of guilt and failure. He attempted to walk into the ocean after accompanying their grieving family to their Florida home

Hill served as Jackie's personal guard and followed the first lady on all her trips. He said everything changed for him and her family following her husband's murder. The two are pictured walking out of the Middleburg Community Center, in Virginia

'Mrs. Kennedy had lost all the things associated with the Presidency and the children no longer had a father,' Hill wrote of the assassination's aftermath

The newest memori is the first time Hill (above) has revealed his suicide attempt

The memoir, which is out on October 25, mainly recounts the travels of Hill and Kennedy and serves as a sequel of sorts to his 2012 bestseller, Mrs. Kennedy and Me.

It includes anecdotes of Kennedy's 1962 lunch with Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace, and her trip to Morocco in 1963 to visit King Hassan.

During the African trip, Hill joked about the moment the first lady and her sister, Lee Radziwill, dined with the king's brother and unknowingly ate desserts that contained cannabis, known as mahjoun.

'Mahjoun, as it turns out, was the Moroccan version of hash brownies,' Hill wrote.

Hill kept in touch with Jackie Kennedy for a few years after he stopped working for her and was reassigned to serve Lyndon B. Johnson.

In the immediate wake of Kennedy's assassination, Hill accompanied Kennedy's body to Parkland Memorial Hospital.

He was then tasked with buying a casket and ensuring it safely transported Kennedy's body back to the White House.

For his services to the first family and in quickly covering up the president's body during the shooting, Treasury Secretary Douglas Dillon presented Hill with an award for bravery in December 1963.

Pictured: Hill accompanying Jackie (up front) through Boston Public Gardens as fans of the first lady join them

Hill kept in touch with Jackie Kennedy for a few years after he stopped working on her security detail

Hill also reminisced about the time Jackie and her sister, Lee Radziwill, accidentally ate desserts laced with cannabis during their trip to Morocco, where such treats were common in the king's court. Pictured, Hill accompanying the sisters during a trip to New York in 1964

Hill has always lamented that he wasn't fast enough to use his body as a shield to protect JFK. Pictured: Hill (left) looking on as the president and first lady greet supporters outside the White House in 1962

Hill often accompanied the Kennedy's on their trips to their Palm Beach home, where the agent attempted to take his own life. Pictured: Hill looking after John Jr. as the president makes a phone call in the Florida home

Yet it wasn't until after he retired from the Secret Service in 1975 that Hill would seek help for his trauma over the assassination.

He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and spent six years in seclusion, according to the Sun.

From 1976 until 1982, he drank heavily and rarely saw anyone besides his wife and two children.

'I just didn't care about anything and I didn't want to have contact with anybody,' he said.

As a result, he says his children were forced to grow up 'pretty much without a father.'

But finally in 1982, he realized he needed to change if he wanted to live after a doctor friend warned he would die early if he didn't stop his pattern of destructive behavior.

In 1990, he was able to return to Dallas, where he walked around Dealey Plaza and looked up at the sixth floor window where Oswald fired his shots.

In 2013 his book - Five Days in November - was published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination.

Since then, Hill has gone on to share his stories serving the White House.
The suit alleges the Biden administration actively worked with social media companies and encouraged them to censor 'disfavored' viewpoints and were in violation of the First Amendment rights of those individuals

A federal judge has ordered Dr. Anthony Fauci and a slew of other high-ranking Biden officials to be deposed over the government's alleged collusion with social media companies to 'censor free speech.'

On Friday, the court granted the request brought by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, both republicans.

Both accused the Biden administration of having 'worked hand-in-hand' with social media giants to 'censor' news stories that reflect negatively on the White House and called it an 'egregious attack on our First Amendment,' a report said.

The suit alleges that the Biden administration actively worked with social media companies and encouraged them to censor 'disfavored' viewpoints and speakers in violation of the First Amendment rights of those individuals.

In his decision, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty asserted that Fauci's prior public comments in relation to national pandemic policy made him a relevant figure in the case and ordered his deposition.

'The American people deserve answers on how the federal government has colluded with social media companies to censor free speech,' Schmitt said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is seen walking in midtown on October 5, 2022 in New York City

Other high-ranking officials who must sit for deposition include: Jen Psaki, the former White House Press Secretary, Director of White House Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty or former White House Senior COVID-19 Advisory Andrew Slavitt.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Elvis Chan, CISA Director Jen Easterly or CISA official Lauren Protentis, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, CDC Chief of the Digital Media Branch Carol Crawford, and acting Coordinator of the State Departments Global Engagement Center Daniel Kimmage are also deposed.

'Throughout this case, we have uncovered a disturbing amount of collusion between Big Tech and Big Government,' Landry said in a statement on Monday.

The 164-page lawsuit was filed late last week, but an updated Monday filing indicates that the Republican officials are widening their legal efforts to target 47 more government departments, agencies and officials in addition to the 20 defendants originally listed.

President Joe Biden, current Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Nina Jankowicz, who was meant to head Biden's now-defunct Disinformation Governance Board, are among the dozens of defendants listed in the suit.

Maggie Haberman, of The New York Times, (pictured left) and Jen Psaki (right), the former White House Press Secretary, appear on Meet the Press in Washington, D.C. Sunday, Oct. 9

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (right) speaks to the media during a rally outside the offices of Mark Alford, Republican Candidate for Missouri's 4th Congressional District on October 14, in Raymore, Missouri. He is pictured with Ted Cruz (left)

'Lastly, Plaintiffs argue that Dr. Faucis credibility has been in question on matters related to supposed COVID-19 'misinformation' since 2020. Specifically, Plaintiffs state that Dr. Fauci has made public statements on the efficacy of masks, the percentage of the population needed for herd immunity, NIAIDs funding of 'gain-of-function' virus research in Wuhan, the lab-leak theory, and more,' he wrote.

'Plaintiffs urge that his comments on these important issues are relevant to the matter at hand and are further reasons why Dr. Fauci should be deposed. Plaintiffs assert that they should not be required to simply accept Dr. Faucis 'self-serving blanket denials' that were issued from someone other than himself at face value. The Court agrees,' he continued.

Doughty - who was appointed by Donald Trump - cast aside the Justice Department's attempt to use executive privilege, claiming that it would only apply to internal administration emails. Emails with outside executives were fair game, he ruled.

Their correspondences are also 'obviously very relevant' to the case, the judge wrote in his 10-page opinion.

'Dr. Faucis communications would be relevant to Plaintiffs allegations in reference to alleged suppression of speech relating to the lab-leak theory of COVID-19s origin, and to alleged suppression of speech about the efficiency of masks and COVID-19 lockdowns,' the court filing states.

'Jean-Pierres communications as White House Press Secretary could be relevant to all of Plaintiffs examples.'
A Russian 'research' ship sailed close to Shetland after undersea cables were mysteriously cut- as engineers battle to restore internet and phone communications.

Research ship Akademik Boris Petrov travelled through the Shetland-Orkney Gap on the afternoon of 21 October, a day after the south subsea cable between the island and mainland was cut and it lost power.

At 6pm on 21 October, the ship was seen north of Noup Head Lighthouse and continued towards a Minches transit.

According to the Auxiliary Shipping Forecast blog, the Dutch warship HNLMS Tromp moved to a position North East of the Isle of Lewis on the same day.

They added that the warship likely positioned there to intercept and escort Akademik Boris Petrov if it continued towards UK sensitive waters.

The underwater surveillance and intelligence gathering ship is a 'vessel of interest' for Western Navies.

The blog referred to the transit of the research ship as 'strategic messaging' to the UK amid increased interest and sensitivity regarding underwater infrastructure due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Akademik Boris Petrov travelled through the Shetland-Orkney Gap on the afternoon of 21 October, a day after the south subsea cable between the island and mainland was cut and it lost power

According to the Auxiliary Shipping Forecast blog, the Dutch warship HNLMS Tromp moved to a position North East of the Isle of Lewis on the same day. They added that the warship likely positioned there to intercept and escort Akademik Boris Petrov if it continued towards UK sensitive waters. Pictured: The Shetland Islands

Akademik Boris Petrov has now carried on its journey to Brazil. The ship had left Kaliningrad on October 17 for the expedition.

Its original route was set to see it go through the English Channel into the Atlantic.

But after it left the Skagerrak changed route. The blog added that the change of route was a likely plot to 'increase tensions' in the Northern Isles.

After Skagerrak it went past underwater infrastructure in the North Sea.

The blog added that waters off the north west of Ireland were likely surveilled by a spy vessel called 'Yantar' in August 2021. Pictured: Yantar in 2017

It was also scheduled to continue through sensitive waters off the Faslane Naval base, where Britain's nuclear-submarine based deterrent is.

The route was also set to take it through waters off of north west Ireland. In these waters, critical transatlantic infrastructure is kept.

The blog added that this area was likely surveilled by a spy vessel called 'Yantar' in August 2021.

Yantar is Russian Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research (GUGI) owned and there was a response to the vessel by the Irish Navy.

Meanwhile, in Shetland, phone and internet services had yesterday been restored with the help of a 'temporary solution.'

It came after the outage on Thursday which caused chaos on the island, with police declaring a major incident and patrolling to reassure residents.

People were warned not to try and make non urgent calls and to check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours as assistance alarms may not be working.

Nicola Sturgeon had declared the situation an 'emergency' for the island.

And the outage also came after a cable connecting Shetland and Faroe was damaged last week.

Meanwhile, in Shetland, pictured, phone and internet services had yesterday been restored with the help of a 'temporary solution'

After the outage on the island, ATM's were down and people were warned not to try and make non urgent calls

By this weekend, the company expects that the first damaged cable will be fully repaired by Faroese Telecom.

Afterwards, the subsea engineers will work on fixing the second damaged cable.

A top military man warned in January that Russian sabotage could wreck undersea cables that supply our internet and $10 trillion of financial deals a day.

Then just weeks ago senior politicians, defence chiefs and experts warned Europe's critical infrastructure is now at risk after the Nord Stream gas pipes were blown up in an attack widely thought to have been orchestrated by Russia.

BT said: 'While both cable links are being repaired by subsea engineers, engineers were able to reconnect all services via a temporary solution on Thursday afternoon.

'Further testing and monitoring overnight has shown that broadband services have remained stable, and we will continue to monitor this.

'As a precaution, we have specialist teams in Shetland with satellite backup links should either of the subsea cables fail while they are being repaired.'
She told one of her haters the only thing they were fighting was 'cholesterol'

Trolls have slammed the political commentator as 'fat, ugly and disgusting'

She took to Twitter to complain about the ordeal and received a $150 refund

Sydney Watson had been flying from New York to Dallas earlier this month

An Australian woman who sparked an online storm after she complained about being wedged between two 'obese people' on a flight has hit back at haters who asked her to 'square up' - saying the only thing their fighting is 'high cholesterol'.

Sydney Watson took to Twitter to defend herself against trolls who took offence after she said she was unfairly 'sandwiched' between two overweight people on an American Airlines flight from New York to Dallas earlier this month.

The 29-year-old posted a screenshot of a hate message she received from a woman who called her a 'fat, ugly, disgusting f***' and told her to 'rot in hell'.

Another took to their Instagram Stories and asked Ms Watson to 'square up'.

'You beat my a**. I leave you alone. I beat your a** you shut the f*** up and stop spewing your f***ing revolting, uneducated vitriol for once and all.'

'Ma'am please. The only thing you're fighting is high cholesterol,' Ms Watson replied.

Sydney Watson (pictured) took to Twitter to defend herself against trolls who took offence after she said she was unfairly 'sandwiched' between two overweight people on an American Airlines flight from New York to Dallas earlier this month

The 29-year-old posted a screenshot of a hate message she received from a woman who called her a 'fat, ugly, disgusting f***' and told her to 'rot in hell' (pictured)

'Words can not describe how much I wish you didn't have a platform to open your fat f***ing mouth ever again,' another troll wrote.

'I can't wait for the day you become a gross fat mom and we can all post photos of your body and make fun if it for millions to see.

'Go EAT THE BIGGEST FATTEST C***. F*** you S***dney'.

Ms Watson told her 300,000 followers she was going to make 'merch' inspired by the debacle which she joked had 'squashed' the sanity out of her.

She posted a side-by-side photo of her posing in a low-cut black dress with a message from a hater calling her 'fat' with the caption: 'Oh'.

'If anything, you need to eat more,' one of her supporters said.

The Australian-American conservative political commentator has double-downed on her suggestion obese people should have to pay for an extra seat on flights.

Sydney Watson sparked a storm after she shared a photo of her three-hour flight and complained about being 'wedged between two obese people'

'I don't think it's right ever to put a regular-sized person in a situation where they have their space encroached upon,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'For them (a regular-sized person) to be touched without their consent and in my case having to contort in really weird positions to fit in the situation.

'I don't think people really recognise or realise how bad it was because I wasn't able to get a full shot of how bad it was. But it was absurd.'

She posted several photos from her seat on the plane, telling Twitter followers she couldn't even use her arm rests 'because there's no f***ing room'.

'I'm sick of acting like fatness to this extent is normal. Let me assure you, it is not.'

'If you need a seat belt extender, you are TOO FAT TO BE ON A PLANE,' she wrote. 'Buy two seats or don't fly.'

After complaining about her ordeal online, American at first brushed off the complaint but later offered her a $US150 voucher towards another flight.

'My primary thing with what happened on the flight is that I had no personal space,' Ms Watson told Daily Mail Australia (pictured, is one of Ms Watson's tweets detailing her ordeal)

Ms Watson shared another picture of her legs squeezed between the two obese passengers

Ms Watson, who is spending two weeks in Melbourne to catch up with family, said her photos did not convey the 'absurdity' of the situation.

She said her biggest issue with the flight had been a lack of personal space.

Ms Watson asked the brother, who was sitting in the aisle seat, if he would swap with her to sit next to his sister but he declined.

'I have to assume it's because he knew being sandwiched with his sister for a multiple hour flight would have been quite uncomfortable for them,' she said.

'To have at least part of his body sitting out in the aisle was probably preferable to being squashed next to her and next to me.

'They were probably anticipating or hoping that there would be a vacant middle seat which is why they booked the way they did.'

American Airlines initially told Ms Watson it caters to passengers of all shapes and sizes before offering her a $150 coupon to use towards another flight - which she says isn't good enough

Ms Watson (pictured) said it is increasingly challenging to call out the problem of obesity because in many Western countries 'people are fatter than they are thinner'

Ms Watson told Daily Mail Australia the $150 voucher from American Airlines wasn't good enough and the airline should have followed its policy of making people who are too big to fit comfortably in a seat buy the one next to them.

The airline's website states customers who 'do not have enough space to even sit in their seat and buckle their seatbelt' are referred to as 'passengers of size'.

It states that 'any traveller who requires an additional seat will be given an additional seat whenever one is available'. If there are no empty seats on a plane 'that passenger may be required to purchase a second seat and wait for a new flight'.

She believes it is increasingly challenging to call out the problem of obesity because in many Western countries 'people are fatter than they are thinner'.

A 2008 study found that Australia had more obese adults as a percentage of population (26 per cent) than America did (25 per cent).

'The body positivity/fat acceptance movements have tried to harness this shame and do away with it,' Ms Watson said.

She shared an email she received from the company on Monday, where American Airlines apologised and offered her a US$150 coupon to use towards another flight

Ms Watson is an Australian-American conservative commentator with more than 300,000 Twitter followers who was raised in Melbourne but has lived in the United States since 2019

'Which is why you see so much of this "fat and proud" type of commentary from overweight people. Although, I personally think that's a "cope".

She said she had received support from self-confessed 'fat' people and said obesity is a problem that needs to be called appropriately.

'We absolutely need more truth in talking about this,' she said.

'More people die annually from obesity related issues than malnutrition.

'It doesn't help that our society isn't structured around healthiness - we're mostly sedentary, our food is full of chemicals and additives, going "to the gym" and "eating healthy" are considered an achievement.'
Radio 4 has been embroiled in another blue language storm after a caller stunned listeners by saying outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss was 'all fart and no s***'.

The comments were made during this afternoon's Any Answers? a phone where listeners can discuss the issues discussed on the just-aired edition of Any Questions?

Presenter Anita Anand was receiving calls from listeners about whether they think Boris Johnson should return to the role of PM, as his supporters claimed he has reached 100 Tory MP backers in the leadership race.

Olivia Correy from the fringes of Exmoor called in saying she disagreed with a previous listener's opinion of not wanting Boris to return to the role.

BBC Radio 4 Any Answers? presenter Anita Anand was shocked when a caller used foul language on today's show when referring to the outgoing Prime Minister

'She's all fart and no s***': Caller Olivia Correy was promptly cut off from Radio 4's Any Answers? after using rude language to describe Liz Truss

Ms Anand said: 'You might have heard Diana Coventry a little earlier... and has always been a stalwart Boris Johnson supporter, but on this occasion she says "please Boris Johnson, do not come back".

'You have a different opinion?' the presenter asked caller Ms Correy.

The seemingly mild-mannered sounding Ms Correy told the BBC Radio 4 presenter: 'I do... I consider Miss Truss to be a puff in the wind.

'She's all fart and no s***.'

The shocked presenter hastily interrupted: 'Oh no, oh no. You know we can't use that language on the BBC.'

'I'm sorry,' the caller replied.

'We just can't, so we'll say goodbye,' Ms Anand said.

'It's a shame because I don't mind passion, I really don't. I like it, it's good, people should care about politics. But we just can't talk like that.

'It's Radio 4, goodness me.'

She then went onto another caller who fortunately managed to restrain from using foul language.

This comes just a week after actress Miriam Margolyes dropped an F-bomb on last Saturday's Today programme, where she said revealed she wanted to tell Chancellor Jeremy Hunt 'f*** you, you b*****d!'.

'F*** you, you b*****d!' Comedian and actress Miriam Margolyes shocked BBC Radio 4 listeners last Saturday by telling presenters what she had 'really wanted to say' to Jeremy Hunt

Hunt had been interviewed by journalist Justin Webb about his plans for the government's new economic strategy on the Today Programme, in the slot before Margolyes.

The 81-year-old comedian had been on the show to speak about the passing of her friend, Harry Potter actor Robbie Coltrane, who died last Friday.

The actress said: 'I never thought Id be sitting in the seat [that Jeremy Hunt was sat in]' she told presenter Justin Webb.

'When I saw him there I just said "you've got a hell of a job, the best of luck", and what I really wanted to say was "f*** you, you b*****d!" But you can't say that.'

Margolyes told producers afterwards that she mistakenly believed she was off air, the BBC said.
Two animal rights activists have been acquitted in the Smithfield Piglet case after jurors believed the pair did not steal the two piglets but 'saved' them from being sent to the slaughterhouse at one of the largest pork producers in the country.

Wayne Hsiung, co-founder of the animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere and Paul Darwin Picklesimer conducted a three-month undercover operation and exposed the horrifying conditions at Smithfield's Circle Four Farms located in Milford, Utah.

The two baby pigs they rescued, were nursed back to health and given names - Lily and Lizzy - but all the others were left behind at the pork production facility that reportedly raises over a million pigs for slaughter every year.

The pair were at one point facing up to 11 years in prison on one of the counts that was later dismissed.

Their trial ended on October 8. After eight hours of jury deliberations by an eight-member panel the duo were found not guilty.

'It's an incredible win that I am still reeling from,' said Hsiung.

'Not just for transparency or accountability at Smithfield Farms, but the idea that animals are living things and not things to just be thrown away into a garbage can.'

'Operation Deathstar' took place in March 2017 by Wayne Hsiung, co-founder of the animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere and Paul Darwin Picklesimer. The pair pictured are wearing flashlights as they rescue two piglets as they uncoverd the horrifying conditions at Smithfield's Circle Four Farms located in Milford, Utah

The dark, cramped conditions that the pigs live in (pictured here). During filming, Hsiung said the pigs were wailing loudly and some were smashing their heads against the metal stalls trying to break free, in what he described as 'unfathomable misery'

The animal advocate and attorney said some of the jurors had expressed that what they did was unlawful and there needed to be some type of consequence, but many concluded that the pair lacked the intent to steal but instead intended to document the conditions and rescue any of the animals they saw were in need.

Hsiung said the jurors also felt the piglets had no value to Smithfield. And, as a result, the jury concluded they could not be the objects of a theft.

'They [the jurors] knew we were there because we were concerned about animal welfare,' Hsiung said.

'They knew we felt these animals needed medical care and that was enough for them to exonerate us for any criminal responsibility for burglary and theft.'

A mother pig surrounded by her piglets at the Smithfield Plant, one of the largest pork producers in the country

Hsiung inside the barn where hundreds of pigs being were being held in cages. In the March 2017 raid he shows the inhumane conditions at the Smithfield Plant that he captured on video dubbed 'Operation Deathstar'

The crackdown on the pork processing plant came after their video titled 'Operation Deathstar,' which they shared with The New York Times, went viral and got into the hands of many animal rights activists.

Smithfield claimed that the video appeared staged, but it was not, Hsiung said in his October 18 guest essay he wrote for The New York Times.

He said the authorities never recovered the stolen piglets, and the federal government declined to press charges.

But prosecutors in Utah pursued felony burglary and theft charges against the activists, who faced prison sentences if convicted.

In August, a multistate investigation was launched by F.B.I. agents. They raided animal sanctuaries in Utah and Colorado with search warrants for the two pigs.

At one sanctuary, government veterinarians sliced off part of a piglets ear in their search for DNA evidence of the crime.

'At the Colorado shelter, government veterinarians cut off part of Lizzies ear for DNA testing. Not long after, my four co-defendants and I were indicted in Utah,' he wrote.

'All this, despite the fact that a representative from the company testified at our trial that no one at the farm even noticed that the piglets were missing until a video appeared online. The piglets were, according to one of the prosecutions own witnesses, worth at most $42.20 each.'

Hsiung said that three of his co-defendants accepted plea deals with no prison or jail time but said that he and Picklesimer wanted a jury.

He said he wanted a jury so the public would 'wrestle with the moral implications of how living beings end up in grocery stores as packages of meat.'

The offices of the Smithfield Plant located in Milford, Utah

During their nighttime raid -that took place on March 2017 - the pair showed aisles and aisles of pigs in metal crates wailing desperately to get out.

'Folks we are about to head into Circle 4 this is the heart of evil. You can already hear the screams of the mother pigs inside - cramped and suffering - and we are going to try and expose what is happening inside,' Hsiung said on the video.

'You can hear the clanging they are desperate to get out of these crates they are smashing their heads to the point they have swelling and cuts to their faces. '

He showed how one of the mother pigs tried to break out and set herself free but then a tie was placed on the crate to prevent her from escaping.

'You see she broke open the bars so desperate to escape but there is no escape and even if she broke down the entire door she cannot squeeze through the space - that is how small the space that they have to live in is,' he said.

'Often times they bash their heads, bodies and noses against these steel bars so much that they are just defeated and fall to the ground collapse in fatigue and that is what is happening to this mother pig.'

He added: 'She will be stuck here four years sometimes five or six years living in a crate this size forcibly impregnated over and over again and then finally killed when she can no longer produce anymore piglets as this farm that wants her to produce.

'When she becomes unprofitable she will be killed. She will never step outside her entire life.'

In The New York Times essay, he details additional disturbing findings.

'Inside, we found and documented sick and underweight piglets. One of them could not walk properly or reach food because of an infected wound to her foot, according to a veterinarian who testified on our behalf.

'The other piglets face was covered in lesions and blood, and she struggled to nurse from a mother, whose teats showed gruesome reproductive injuries, the veterinarian, who reviewed video of the piglets and spoke to caretakers, said in a report. Given their conditions, both piglets were likely to be killed and potentially tossed into a landfill outside of Circle Four Farms, in which millions of pounds of dead pigs and other waste are discarded every year,' he wrote.

He added, 'Nationally, an estimated 14 percent of piglets die before theyre weaned.'

Hsuing standing in an area were hundreds of mother pigs are being kept for as long as six years

Lizzy and Lily were nursed back to health after being rescued by two passionate animal advocates
A teenage boy has been arrested in Scotland in connection with a man's murder in London.

Police detained the 17-year-old in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

He was then transferred to a London police station.

Zasheem Kane Ontre Moses, 19, died after being stabbed in Tottenham High Road near to Holcombe Market on Friday, September 30.

Police were called at 5.30pm after reports of 'an altercation'.

A post-mortem examination ruled Mr Moses died from a stab wound to the chest.

Zasheem Kane Ontre Moses, 19, died after being stabbed in Tottenham High Road near to Holcombe Market on Friday September 30

Police arrested the 17-year-old suspect in Edinburgh before transferring him to a London police station where he was charged with Mr Moses' murder

The Met's murder probe is led by Detective Inspector Daniel Catmull who, before the arrest, said: 'My heart goes out to the family of this young man. 'They are being supported by specialist officers and I can assure them of my total commitment to finding and bringing to justice whoever was responsible for this brutal attack'

The Met's murder probe is led by Detective Inspector Daniel Catmull who, before the arrest, said: 'My heart goes out to the family of this young man.

'They are being supported by specialist officers and I can assure them of my total commitment to finding and bringing to justice whoever was responsible for this brutal attack.'

Lesley Rose, Zasheem's stepmother, told MyLondon : 'Zasheem was one of five brothers, him being the second eldest at the young age of 19.

'Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes in life, but Zasheem was a good young man. He looked after his brothers, his mum, friends and anybody.

'He had his whole life ahead of him, and as a family and a community we are broken.

'There are no words that can explain the way we feel right now, we just want to thank everyone for their support at this time.'

Witnesses or anyone with information should call 101 ref 5327/30sep.

Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
One of Donald Trump's former lead attorneys told him Jewish Americans won't vote for him despite his commitment to Israel because they care about a myriad of issues, including gay rights and access to abortion.

Alan Dershowitz, who is Jewish, claimed Trump has repeatedly asked him: 'Why don't more Jews vote for me? I've been so good for Israel. I've been so good to the Jewish people.'

Drershowitz, who reiterated that he did not vote for Trump, told his boss that helping Israel was not enough and that he couldn't stand behind the GOP's agenda.

'Jews like me admire what you did for Israel, we appreciate it, but we can't vote Republican because Israel is not the only issue that we deeply care about,' he told Trump. 'We're Americans.'

Dershowitz said that like him, other Jewish Americans could be liberals who also care about gay rights, access to abortion, climate change and gun control, which are 'issues Republicans are not good on.'

It comes as the attorney continues to defend Trump, who faces anti-Semitism accusations following a bizarre post on Truth Social demanding Jewish American's appreciate him like they do in Israel, where he claimed he was so popular he could become the next prime minister.

Former Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz, above, said he's repeatedly told the former president Jewish Americans, who typically vote Democrat, won't vote for him because of his policies

Dershowitz said Trump (above) has long lamented that he does not get overwhelming support from America's Jewish community despite his commitments to Israel

The former president has come under fire for his post condemning his lack of support from Jewish Americans, telling them to 'get their act together'

Dershowitz said Trump asked him at dinner why only 27% of Jews voted for him when he strongly supported Israel. Dersh said he told Trump Jews also care about gay rights, abortion, climate change, gun control and separation of church and state, and he was terrible on those. pic.twitter.com/xHzgZUHM0k  Ron Filipkowski  (@RonFilipkowski) October 19, 2022

Last Sunday, the former president wrote: 'No President has done more for Israel than I have. Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S.

'Those living in Israel, though, are a different story - Highest approval rating in the World, could easily be P.M.!'

Trump concluded: 'U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel - Before it is too late!'

Dershowitz, who served on Trump's defense team during his first impeachment and criticized the FBI's raid on Mar-a-Lago, has tried defending the former president, who has come under fire by the Anti-Defamation League.

Speaking to Newsmax on Monday, Dershowitz said Trump is not an anti-Semite, and said his client has long questioned his popularity in the Jewish community.

'Virtually every time [Donald Trump] saw me, he would say to me, "Alan, how come, you know, the Jews don't show their admiration for me by voting for me?''

Dershowitz said he's explained to Trump that Jewish Americans care about a whole range of issues, but that the former president will retain the votes of those who list Israel as their top concern.

'Don't take it personally,' Dershowitz told Trump. 'It has nothing to do with you.

'I think every Jew I know really admires what you did for Israel. It's just that it isn't necessarily their top priority.'

During his presidency, Trump remained a strong ally of Israel. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner (left) is Jewish and served as a senior advisor

Alan Dershowitz: "Virtually every time [Donald Trump] saw me, he would say to me, 'Alan, how come, you know, the Jews don't show their admiration for me by voting for me?'" pic.twitter.com/yz4tqpM9JL  Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) October 17, 2022

For his statements last Sunday, The Anti-Defamation League accused Trump of 'Jewsplaining' in a statement to DailyMail.com.

'We don't need the former president, who curries favor with extremists and antisemites, to lecture us about the US-Israel relationship,' ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt said.

'It is not about a quid pro quo; it rests on shared values and security interests. This "Jewsplaining" is insulting and disgusting.'

The White House also condemned Trump's remarks, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying: 'Donald Trump's comments were anti-Semitic, as you all know, and insulting, both to Jews and to our Israeli allies.

But let's be clear - for years now, Donald Trump has aligned with extremist and anti-Semitic figures.'

Trump's daughter Ivanka, who converted to Judaism to marry Kushner, is seen at the unveiling of the US's embassy in Jerusalem

They also have a close relationship with Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

During his White House tenure, Trump had been a close ally of Israel's then-conservative government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

His upending of decades of US policy in the fragile region - including moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem - earned praise from conservative Jews at home and abroad.

Trump also shared a famously close relationship with Netanyahu himself, with both right-wing leaders often heaping public praise on the other.

In a show of appreciation for his support, Netanyahu named one of Israel's controversial planned settlements after Trump.

It's also worth noting Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is a devout Jew. Trump's daughter Ivanka converted to Judaism before marrying Kushner.

But Jewish Americans have historically been a Democrat voting bloc, a trend that did not change in the 2020 presidential race.

West continued his return to Twitter with a disturbing tweet where he suggested he would be 'going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE' while bringing back his 'White Lives Matter' T-shirt

Trump's Sunday morning tirade comes against the backdrop of a troubling rise in threats and attacks targeting vulnerable groups.

A new wave of anti-Semitism in America has prompted synagogues and other Jewish community centers to be on high alert across the country.

Rapper Ye, tweeted last week that he would go 'death con 3' on Jewish people, which got him removed from the site.

Some conservative pundits and members of the fringe-right leapt to his defense, claiming he was censored for exercising his free speech.

It emerged afterwards that an interview he did around the same time with Fox News' Tucker Carlson was edited to remove wild claims, including that Planned Parenthood was created to 'control the Jew populations' with eugenics.
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Prince Andrew has been spotted looking glum in Windsor horse-riding amid claims that he is in a 'self-imposed lockdown' binge-watching TV box sets all the time at home and he was called a 'dear friend' by Ghislaine Maxwell in an interview last week.

The 62-year-old appeared grumpy as he rode around on the Windsor Estate, clad in a blue jacket and dark trousers.

He had travelled to the estate from his house at the Royal Lodge, where he lives with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and was seen with a groom on another horse.

Prince Andrew is said to be a 'virtual recluse' who only ventures out to go horse-riding twice a week, for the occasional swim, or to walk the royal corgis Muick and Sandy and his and Fergie's five Norfolk terriers, insiders have revealed.

And his days outside have also decreased after his mother died at Balmoral last month. He used to visit her almost daily.

Today's rare trip out comes after he was called 'a dear friend' by convicted sex-trafficker Maxwell last week.

She also said in the interview with the Sun, her first since she was arrested in July 2020, that she feels 'so bad' for him as she spoke to the outlet from prison.

Maxwell, who is serving 20 years for sex trafficking, also said that she follows what is happening to him as Andrew remains under scrutiny for his friendship with her and Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019.

Ghislaine also spoke of her friendship with Andrew. She said: 'I accept that this friendship could not survive my conviction' after she was told that the Prince's lawyers had said they were never close.'

The 62-year-old appeared grumpy as he rode around on the Windsor Estate, clad in a blue jacket and dark trousers, pictured

He had travelled to the estate from his house at the Royal Lodge, where he lives with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and was seen with a groom on another horse, pictured. Prince Andrew is said to be a 'virtual recluse' who only ventures out to go horse-riding twice a week, for the occasional swim, or to walk the royal corgis Muick and Sandy and his and Fergie's five Norfolk terriers, insiders have revealed

Epstein had been under arrest for allegations of sex trafficking and child sexual abuse when he passed away.

Andrew was also quizzed over an image with Virginia Guiffre, who was an alleged sex trafficking victim of Epstein and Maxwell.

But Andrew has maintained that the photograph was not real, and has strenuously denied being involved in their sex trafficking ring.

This comes even after a car crash interview with Emily Maitlis about his relationship with the criminals and settling out of court with Virginia Guiffre for an undisclosed sum after she sued him over sex abuse allegations in her teens.

Today's rare trip out, pictured, comes after he was called 'a dear friend' by convicted sex-trafficker Maxwell last week. She also said in the interview with the Sun, her first since she was arrested in July 2020, that she feels 'so bad' for him as she spoke to the outlet from prison

Maxwell, who is serving 20 years for sex trafficking, also said that she follows what is happening to him as Andrew remains under scrutiny for his friendship with her and Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019. Pictured: Andrew on a day out today

Also in the interview, she told of her friendships with Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. She also spoke of her gratitude to former President Trump, who bestowed his good wishes on her after her arrest. Pictured: Andrew on his horse ride today

Also in the interview, she told of her friendships with Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. She also spoke of her gratitude to former President Trump, who bestowed his good wishes on her after her arrest.

'I was very grateful when he wished me well. He got bad media for it, but he dared while others didn't. It gave me a big boost.'

She added that being involved with Epstein had damaged those that she loved and said she was a 'wicked witch' hate figure because of their relationship.

Maxwell said that meeting Epstein was the greatest mistake of her life and wishes she could go back and make different choices.

She also dismissed the photograph, first revealed by the Mail on Sunday, of the Prince with his arm around Ms Roberts at Maxwell's home in Belgravia, Central London, in March 2001, saying: 'I don't recognise that picture and I don't believe it is a real picture. There's so many things wrong with it.

'There is no original and there isn't a true picture and there are that many other things besides that I cannot hardly get into I don't know how many points there are, but there are over 50 problems with the picture.'

Maxwell believes the image taken of Prince Andrew with his arm around then 17-year-old Virginia Roberts (above) as she smiles in the background is a fake

Maxwell, pictured with Epstein, complained she has been portrayed as a 'wicked witch' Disney character and accused the media of 'monstrous inaccuracies'

Her association with Epstein also saw her lose a friend in Bill Clinton, another friendship she had valued.

She described their friendship as 'special' and called him another 'victim' because of being associated with Jeffrey.

And she acknowledged that he can no longer be called a friend by him and others.

Friends claim Andrew privately admits his appearance on the BBC's flagship news programme in 2019 - where he was grilled by Emily Maitlis over claims that he abused Epstein 'sex-slave' Virginia Roberts Giuffre while she was a minor under US law - was 'by no means his finest hour'.

Though furious allies believe he was 'thrown under a bus' and cast as the 'archetypal pantomime villain' in the fallout, they insist the duke is 'philosophical' about his exile from public life.

Instead, the three years have been a period of 'intense self-reflection' for the duke - once dubbed the 'Playboy Prince' - who has spent time poring over 'every aspect of his life' to understand how 'everything went so wrong, and why'.

Maxwell was prepared to discuss her friendships with some of the rich and powerful men connected to her and Epstein, including former President Clinton (all pictured together)

Maxwell, who was convicted of helping Epstein (pictured together) abuse teenage girls, failed to deny suggestions that she and Andrew had been a couple

Friends say Andrew, who was stripped of his HRH title, military affiliations and royal patronages in the fallout from Newsnight, has finally resigned himself to playing a 'back seat' role and is committed to acting 'absolutely in the background' as a 'supportive figure' for 'The Firm'.

However, Andrew is regularly visited by his daughters Princess Beatrice - who it has emerged was the only person in his inner circle to warn him against the Newsnight interview - and Princess Eugenie, and their husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank. The father-of-two is also focusing on spending more time with his grandchildren, Beatrice's daughter Sienna and Eugenie's son August, both one.

It is reported that 'jobless' Andrew - who receives no taxpayer funding, may be paid just 20,000 a year from his Royal Navy pension yet recently splashed out on a new 220,000 Bentley Flying Spur - likely lives on the proceeds of the 15million purchase of Sunninghill by a Kazakh billionaire in 2007. It is also claimed that he is being financially supported by Fergie's business interests, including her lucrative book deal with Mills & Boon, which the Telegraph claims could be 'in the low millions'.

Prince Andrew driving near Windsor Castle. Friends say he has been 'on lockdown' since his Newsnight interview

There is also speculation that the Queen might have 'added to their coffers' to keep the duke financially secure and thereby 'protect the monarchy'.

Yet allies have indicated that Andrew is wary that Ms Giuffre could speak up again, having only been tied into what the paper claims is a one-year gagging clause after the duke reportedly paid around 8million out of court to settle her bombshell sex abuse lawsuit in the US.

A friend told the Telegraph: 'He has a much better understanding of the challenges he faces than at any other point in his life. He has a better sense of perspective - partly because he's had these three years to reflect  to do the work, and to focus on his immediate family. The Duke of York of today is much more thoughtful and more mindful than he has ever been.'

They added: 'He acknowledges privately that Newsnight was by no means his finest hour.

'The feeling that he has been treated abysmally is held by his nearest and dearest, but the duke's attitude is more along the lines of: It is what it is.'

Representatives for the duke declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

The Duke of York is a 'virtual recluse' who only goes out horse-riding twice a week, allies say

The Duke of York speaking about his links to Jeffrey Epstein in his car-crash Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019

Andrew and Maxwell at Ascot in 2000. A legal document submitted to a US court in January by the duke's lawyers contained 41 separate denials of allegations made by Virginia Roberts that he sexually abused her when she was a minor under US law, including her claim that 'Prince Andrew was a close friend of Ghislaine Maxwell'

Andrew has always denied claims that he abused Ms Roberts

Earlier this year, Euan Rellie, a former friend of Maxwell's, told ITV he believed she and Andrew 'had probably been girlfriend and boyfriend in the past'.

Asked about press reports that they were 'like a couple, an item', Maxwell said she would not address such speculation until after the appeal against her conviction. 'I have read and seen and heard and had reported to me so many monstrous inaccuracies that I can't start to pick apart all of them. If I pick apart one and then don't address all the others, it's going to say, "Well, she said no to this, what about all those others?" I'm not going to discuss anything of that nature until after the appeal.'

She has been in jail since July 2020 when more than 20 armed FBI agents raided her 156-acre, 800,000 New Hampshire home.

Andrew with Sarah Ferguson in their car just hours after Ghislaine Maxwell gave her interview to the MoS

Bombshell comments by Maxwell about their friendship contradict Andrew's denial to a US court that they had been close

Maxwell told the Mail on Sunday in an interview that the food at the MDC prison was 'truly terrible' and she was once so hungry she ate Vaseline. She is now in a cell measuring 10ft by 8ft that is too small for her and her three cellmates to all stand up in. 'It's very far from a cushy country club,' she said.

After Epstein killed himself as he awaited trial, prison bosses put her on suicide watch prior to her sentencing. Maxwell, who said she had never contemplated taking her own life, described wearing an anti-suicide smock - a long tunic made of thick nylon - adding: 'They strip you of any remaining shred of dignity that you have. They have you with no clothes, and they put you in a suicide smock, which has Velcro straps on it. So there's nothing to protect your modesty.'

The MoS revealed in June that a fellow inmate at the MDC had bragged she was going to murder Maxwell, claiming that there was a $1 million bounty on her head. Maxwell this weekend confirmed that a woman had threatened to murder her as she slept.

Maxwell now works in the prison's legal library, where she helps other inmates with their cases.

The duke declined to comment when the MoS contacted him.
Elon Musk and the White House have discussed the idea of installing SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service inside Iran, according to various people involved with the negotiations.

The Biden administration is looking for ways to support the Iranian protest movement that erupted just over a month ago after Mahsa Amini, 22, died apparently after being detained by the nation's morality police. The conversations, which have not previously been reported, are taking place at this time.

Biden Administration Seeks to Use Elon Musk's Starlink

The strong attempts by the Iranian regime to censor activists' access to the internet and communication are seen by the White House as having possible solutions, according to CNN.

If a plan is implemented, Ukraine would become the second significant region this year where the US government has requested assistance from Starlink to help supply essential communications services, despite concerns about Musk's dependability in his interactions with the US government.

The White House and Musk recently engaged in a public spat over whether or not Starlink service should continue in Ukraine. Starlink has been a crucial means of communication for Ukrainian soldiers ever since Russia started its invasion in February.

After SpaceX warned the Pentagon in a letter last month that it needed government support to continue operating its service to Ukraine, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh later said at a news conference that the US was looking at "other entities that we can certainly partner with when it comes to providing Ukraine with what they need on the battlefield."

Musk raised eyebrows with recent "peace" suggestions for ending the war in Ukraine which included many pro-Russian proposals before he finally relented last week and said Starlink would keep serving Ukraine for "free," though he added a bitter remark that the company "is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $."

Per Forbes, Musk also said Starlink would continue to serve Ukraine for "free." The Iranian government insists that Mahsa Amini, died as a result of anything other than police killing her.

Read Also: US Charges 7 Chinese Nationals Accused of Forced Repatriation Campaign, Harassment

Mahsa Amini's Death Sparks Protests in Iran

After demonstrations broke out last month over the death of Mahsa Amini, the government of Iran severely restricted internet access. A top member of the US administration declared, "We have our foot on the gas to do everything we can to assist the aspirations of the Iranian people."

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Starlink has been delivering internet connectivity to that nation using satellites to beam internet service to ground-based terminals. Last week, CNN reported that SpaceX has requested tens of millions of dollars per month from the Pentagon to support Starlink in Ukraine.

Musk tweeted that he has withdrawn the funding request after hearing about it in the news. It is unknown if Starlink is looking for money from the American government to enable it to operate in Iran.

Iran's morality police detained Amini on September 13 for "improper wearing of the hijab," and she passed away while in police detention three days later, igniting nationwide demonstrations, Voice of America reported.

Related Article: US Intel: Iran Sends 'Tech Support' to Help Russia Pilot Drone Weapons

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The plane disappeared from radar around 6pm as it traveled from Mexico to Limon. It was scheduled to land at Juan Santamaria airport around 7pm Friday

Two bodies have been found and four more people are feared dead after a small aircraft plunged into the water off the coast of Costa Rica.

Gold's Gym owner Rainer Schaller, 53, his girlfriend Christiane Schikorsky, 44, their children Aaron Schaller and Finja Sghikorsky, and the entrepreneur's personal trainer Marcus Kurreck, 40, were confirmed to be on the flight on Friday by one of his companies, McFit.

The plane's pilot, 66, who has not been identified, was Swiss.

Authorities have found the bodies of one adult and one child near the wreckage site around 20 miles from the Limon airport, according to Teletica, but have not released their identities,

The flight took off from Mexico and was scheduled to land in Limon. The plane reportedly lost communication with air traffic around Barra de Parismina, which is near Limon. And Costa Rica authorities were alerted the plane had gone missing, according to Security Minister Jorge Torres.

Gold's Gym owner Rainer Schaller, 53, is feared dead after his plane crashed off the coast of Costa Rica on Friday evening

His girlfriend Christiane Schikorsky, 44 (pictured together) and the entrepreneur's personal trainer Marcus Kurreck, 40, were believed to be on the flight

The couple's children Aaron and Finja were also on the flight, his company McFit confirmed

'Around six in the afternoon we received an alert about a flight coming from Mexico to the Limon airport, carrying five German passengers,' Torres said.

The plane was flying around 275mph and was roughly 230 feet in the air when it lost communication.

It is unknown what caused the plane to crash.

It was scheduled to land at Juan Santamaria airport shortly before 7pm.

A search started immediately but was called off temporarily due to bad weather, but resumed on Saturday.

Costa Rican authorities said pieces of the twin-engine turboprop aircraft were found in the water Saturday after the flight went missing Friday.

The plane was a nine-seat Italian-made Piaggio P180 Avanti, known for its distinctive profile.

Authorities have found two bodies - one adult and one child - among personal belongings and parts of the aircraft

Parts of the Italian-made Piaggio P180 Avanti have been found in the water

Personal belongings, such as makeup bags and backpacks were found by authorities. The flight lost communication with air traffic around 6pm and was found nearly 20 miles away from the airport

Costa Rican authorities said pieces of the twin-engine turboprop aircraft were found in the water Saturday

Schaller is listed as 'Founder, Owner and CEO of the RSG Group,' a conglomerate of 21 fitness, lifestyle and fashion brands that operates in 48 countries and has 41,000 employees, either directly or through franchises.

He was in the news in 2010 for his role as organizer of the Berlin Love Parade techno festival. A crush at the event killed 21 people and injured more than 500. Authorities at the time said Schaller's security failed to stop the flow of people into a tunnel when the situation was already tense at the entrance to the festival grounds.

Schaller fought back against the accusations of wrongdoing, noting that his security concept received official city approval.

Schaller is listed as 'Founder, Owner and CEO of the RSG Group,' a conglomerate of 21 fitness, lifestyle and fashion brands that operates in 48 countries and has 41,000 employees, either directly or through franchises

The happy couple (pictured) and the rest of their group was flying from Mexico to Limon

Schikorsky shared a photo of herself on a jet on her social media. It not clear if this is the same plane that crashed
Kemi Badenoch has backed Rishi Sunak to be the next Conservative Party leader and Britain's next Prime Minister, comparing the frontrunner to Margaret Thatcher.

Ms Badenoch, who stood to be Tory leader earlier this year, was expected by many in Boris Johnson's camp to support the former Prime Minister in his bid to return to Downing Street.

However, the Trade Secretary said that while she admired Mr Johnson, Sunak was 'the man for the job'.

She wrote in The Times: 'I have, on occasion, been a member of the Boris Johnson fan club. Even when I resigned from his government, I acknowledged his many strengths. He has been an asset to the country during some very difficult times.

'However, I am an even bigger fan of Margaret Thatcher, a formidable politician who did not duck difficult decisions, was extremely prudent and successfully carried out major reforms by winning the argument and taking the public with her.

Kemi Badenoch stood to be leader of the Conservative Party earlier this year

Rishi Sunak is currently leading the race for Downing Street with over 100 MPs backing him

'We need someone who can do the same. I believe that person is Rishi Sunak.'

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch were last night under pressure to step aside from the leadership contest to avoid splitting the Tory rights vote.

Brexit-backing MPs warned that the MPs stood little chance of winning the Conservative leadership contest but could dent the chances of Boris Johnson.

Ms Braverman, who was ousted as home secretary on Wednesday, was still trying to persuade Tory MPs to back her yesterday.

She has yet to declare if she will stand, but even close allies admit that she is unlikely to succeed - especially if Mr Johnson runs.

One senior Tory said: Both of them are going to be a little bit late to the party if they stand. I very much doubt whether Suella is going to stand, but if she did it would fragment the right-wing vote.

Many in Boris Johnson's camp thought Ms Badenonch might support his bid to return to No 10

If she does declare she will attract a certain level of support, but my own view is that I dont think she would attract 100 nominations and I think she knows that. And I dont think she wants to fragment the vote.

Another former Cabinet minister warned: If Boris is standing, thats like chucking a boulder in the pond and all the smaller fish [Suella and Kemi] will get washed aside.

Brexiteer backbenchers in the European Research Group (ERG) will meet on Monday for a plenary session to discuss the candidates policies, although they are unlikely to vote en masse.

Last time around the vote from the right of the party was split across several candidates.

Ms Braverman, a former Attorney General, previously promised rapid and large tax cuts and said she would suspend net-zero targets to deal with the energy crisis and pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ms Badenoch, meanwhile, said she wanted lower taxes and limited government that focuses on the essentials.

She appeared to be targeting the anti-woke vote, complaining about the shutting down of debate and stressing the need to reinvigorate the case for free speech.

Just hours before Miss Trusss resignation on Thursday, the right turned on her amid claims she sacked Ms Braverman over an immigration row.

Former Brexit chief Lord Frost and senior backbenchers vented fury at suggestions the Prime Minister wanted to soften rules on illegal immigration.

No 10 then further stoked anger by declining to confirm whether Miss Truss would stick to the Conservative Partys manifesto pledge to reduce overall net migration.

Ms Braverman was sacked as home secretary after a 90-minute shouting match in which she warned the PM that it would be insane to relax immigration rules in order to boost economic growth, sources said.

But Downing Street said she had resigned after sending a confidential document to a Tory MP in breach of the ministerial code.

The ousted home secretary used her resignation letter to accuse the PM of breaking key pledges and wobbling over manifesto commitments such as reduced migration.
A Spanish teenager who shot dead his parents and 10-year-old brother after being punished over his poor school grades has been jailed for six years.

The 15-year-old shot his mother with his grandfather's hunting rifle before turning the weapon on his younger sibling and father after being banned from using the internet or watching television.

He lived with their bodies for several days at the family home in La Algoda, near the Costa Blanca town of Elche, south of Alicante, before the horrific crime was discovered.

A Spanish 15-year-old boy who fatally shot his parents and 10-year-old brother has been jailed for six years. Pictured: Police investigating at the crime scene in February

On Saturday it emerged the triple teen killer, named only as Santi for legal reasons, had been sentenced to six years in custody and another three years of probation for the crime, which took place earlier this year.

He is expected to serve most of his sentence, the maximum possible under Spanish law for a boy of his age, in a closed young offender institution before being transferred to an adult prison.

Local reports said he had confessed to carrying out the murders, which took place on 8 February, during a trial which took place behind closed doors due to the involvement of a minor.

If he had been a year older when he committed his crimes, he could have been handed a ten-year custodial sentence.

Respected Alicante-based daily Diario Informacion said efforts by relatives of his victims to disinherit him would now continue.

The youngster told specialists after his arrest he had acted in a fit of rage after being left without a computer or television, as well as being banned from going out with his friends and made to help with domestic chores.

He shot his brother Gonzalo in the back as he tried to flee after killing his mum Encarni - and hid their bodies in a storeroom before using the weapon to murder his father Jaime when he returned home later the same day.

His injured father managed to wrestle the weapon out of his hands and throw it on the ground, before the teenage killer retrieved the rifle and fired off two more shots.

The family home in La Algoda, near the Costa Blanca town of Elche, south of Alicante

He spent the next three days in his room playing video games, posing as a relative to call his school and lie that he had Covid to buy time.

He finally confessed after his concerned aunts turned up at the family home.

Psychiatrists and other experts who interviewed him after his arrest ruled out any mental illness and said in a report he knew what he had done and recounted it with 'coldness and no regret.'

Reports at the time of the killings said the 'shy' student had read a book on his school reading list about a 16-year-old who murders his father and wounds two of his three siblings.

The youngster told specialists after his arrest he had acted in a fit of rage after being left without a computer or television, as well as being banned from going out with his friends. Pictured: Forensic officers at the crime scene in February 2022

The Angry Age, by prize-winning Spanish author Nando Lopez, focuses on a fictional attack by a boy called Marcos, who kills his father with a typewriter and uses scissors to hurt his other victims.
Despite their best efforts, he was tragically pronounced dead at the scene

Paramedics arrived at a house at 11pm on Friday and found the victim bleeding

Police are hunting a knifeman after 29-year-old man was stabbed in Birmingham

Police are hunting a knifeman after a 29-year-old man was stabbed to death in the street on a leafy cul-de-sac in a city suburb.

Emergency services were called to the Handsworth Wood area of Birmingham just after 11pm on Friday.

Paramedics battled to save the victim but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

A manhunt has been launched for the killer and a cordon remains in place in the area while forensic examinations are carried out.

Police are hunting a knifeman after a 29-year-old man was stabbed to death in the street on a leafy cul-de-sac in a Birmingham suburb on Friday night (Pictured: A police cordon at the scene)

Emergency services were called to the Handsworth Wood area of Birmingham just after 11pm on Friday, where they tried in vain to save the victim (Pictured: A police van and forensic tent at the scene, with flowers laid at an adjacent wall)

West Midlands Police said extra officers will be in the area on patrol over the next few days while house to house enquiries are carried out.

Detective Inspector Jim Mahon, from the force's homicide unit, said: "We are in the very early stages of our enquiry and we are asking anyone with information who hasn't already spoken to us to come forward.

"The victim's family have been informed and we have specialist family liaison officers with them after hearing just devastating news."

Anyone with information has been urged to contact police via Live Chat on their website or by calling 101 quoting log 4527 of 21/10.
With laser-like clarity, I remember the morning my mother failed to recognise me. It was five years ago this month. We had always been close, and I was living with her in London, acting as her carer. Then in her 80s, she had slowly but surely been losing her mobility and memory. Hungarian by birth, and the widow of a peer (my father was Lord Wyatt, the politician and chairman of gambling company The Tote), she had always been a distinctive and beloved figure in London society. Now, however, her grip on reality was becoming ever more tenuous.

It began, as these things do, in small ways, but they came in battalions. If she couldnt find a favourite skirt, she would assume it had been stolen. If her mobile wasnt working, she would ring the bank and ask them to repair it. Initially, this was faintly amusing (at least I pretended it was )  when, for example, she berated an employee of HSBC for refusing to provide her with a new iPhone charger. One day, she inexplicably invited her Uber driver to come and live with us. He found the idea agreeable, and it wasnt until Id paid 100 that he got back in his car.

Lady Verushka Wyatt, widow of Lord Wyatt of Weeford. Pictured when she was Verushka Banksy in 1955.

But that dull and rain-lashed morning, I could no longer force myself to laugh. I remember going into her room at about 9am.

Her usually bright, dark eyes were blank and hostile. She stood as erect and precise as the lines of a Clichy crystal and said: Who are you? I was woefully unprepared. My emotions ran full tilt into a wall. Its me. Your daughter.

No, you arent my daughter, she replied. Youre an impostor. She then threatened to have me arrested. Im calling the police, she said. I ran from the house, out into the street sobbing, in a universe of horror. We define ourselves through the eyes of others, mainly those closest to us. My father had died, aged 79, in 1997. Now I was nobodys. In the space of seconds, I had been orphaned. I didnt want to face the truth: that my mother had early-onset dementia. This brilliant woman had been an overwhelming presence in my life for so long. What would become of her  of me?

Her given name was Veronica, but everyone called her Verushka. A refugee from Communism, she had come to England aged 20, with a case full of black-market sterling that turned out to be counterfeit. She had triumphed over every setback.

Catching the eye of the director and producer Sir Alexander Korda, she received an entree into London society and the high-octane world of politics. It was in the 1960s that she met my father, who was then a Labour MP, and in 1966, they married.

My christening was attended by Harold Wilson and various members of the aristocracy and intelligentsia. People found my mother winsome and sharp, with an allure that crossed all frontiers. No slave to convention, she spoke her mind with trenchant wit.

Petronella Wyatt pictured with her mother who was diagnosed with dementia and struggled to recognise her family

Occasionally, as a child, this caused me embarrassment, but as I grew up I began to adore both her singularity and her company.

That someone so vital should succumb to dementia seemed unthinkable. Despite its increasing prevalence, dementia is the illness that still dares not speak its name. There remains a shocking failure to talk about dementia or to provide assistance to the relatives of sufferers. Its as if its victims are not ordinary human beings but Mrs Rochesters, who should be confined to attics or imprisoned in Bedlam. Diseases of the mind leave us palpably uneasy.

After my mother had denied me, her own daughter, I telephoned a GP she had been seeing for four years. My distress seemed to make no difference. Its old age, he said bluntly. She was always a bit eccentric. Deal with it. Old age? Always a bit eccentric? And how was I to deal with it?

For a few months, my mothers symptoms eased and she sometimes knew me again. But how was I to cope with her leaving the gas on  her sudden aggression that manifested itself in physical violence of a strength that was astonishing in a frail woman? On one occasion, I had to wrestle a kitchen knife out of her hand. As the disease progressed, I lived on a tightrope of anxiety.

Once, at 2am in the morning I was awakened by her banging on my door. Why are you asleep? she demanded. Its lunchtime. Im hungry. As I was to discover, to argue with dementia is futile. The reality of the sufferer is as real and fixed as our own. Increasingly, my mother had gone, replaced by a hostile stranger.

I could not find any help, even when she refused to go on taking the medicine her cardiologist had prescribed for her blood pressure.

After nine sleepless and harrowing months, I eventually went to another doctor. He suggested antidepressants. Are they for her, or for me? I asked. He explained they were mild anti-psychotics for my mother and would prevent further episodes of anger and distress.

How, I wondered, would I get her to take them? I need help, I kept saying. I need a professional.

His eyebrows lifted. Finally, he suggested I look for a carer. I spent days doing my research and called several London agencies. At nearly 2,000 a week, live-in care was beyond the budget of all but the very rich. I struggled on.

When friends asked how my mother was, I lied. I didnt want people to know, as wherever fear and superstition run in the veins, ignorance lays its traps. Malicious gossip was the last thing we needed. I tried to persuade her to take the anti-psychotics, but she wouldnt. Her mood swings became worse. And I couldnt help her. There is no cure for dementia, and doctors dont seem to know the exact cause. It is deeply depressing how little research is done into this disease, compared with other terminal illnesses. Perhaps my mothers brain was simply wearing out?

There is an adage that people either age from the neck down or the neck up. Eventually, after a year, I discovered I wasnt alone in my plight  I found a WhatsApp group of people who had parents with dementia. I wasnt heartened, however, when one of them told me it had taken three years to get an official diagnosis for her father.

That someone so vital should succumb to dementia seemed unthinkable. Despite its increasing prevalence, dementia is the illness that still dares not speak its name

What is Dementia? Dementia is a term used by medical professionals to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life. The disease is not specific, but several diseases can cause dementia. Though dementia generally involves memory loss, memory loss has different causes. Having memory loss alone doesn't lead to a diagnosis of dementia, although it's often one of the early signs of the condition. It is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. Depending on the area of the brain that's damaged, dementia can affect people differently and cause different symptoms. Progressive dementias that are irreversible include Alzheimer's Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy body Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Mixed dementia. Advertisement

Dementia is diagnosed in a way so primitive that it hasnt changed for 100 years. People are asked to draw a clock. But what if they wont co-operate? It was suggested I develop a different attitude towards my mothers illness. Dont argue with her. Try humour, if you can manage it. You might get the help of a social worker, but in my experience, most of them are very young and not properly trained.

A social worker did agree to visit. She was in her early 20s, pleasant and smelt of Jo Malone, but her attitude puzzled me. My mother had by this stage forgotten her marriage to my father, but had a supply of fictional husbands, one of whom was Rupert Murdoch. One afternoon, the social worker flicked her long hair and asked me to buy my mother a grand piano. She gave no reason for this other than she wants one. I pointed out that grand pianos were expensive.

But you must be one of the richest women in England, she went on. Your fathers Rupert Murdoch... I replied that a quick perusal of my Wikipedia entry would set her straight. She never visited again.

Over a year had gone by and soon my mother was claiming once more that I was not her daughter, or indeed related to her in any way, but an intruder. I was also becoming worried by her continuing refusal to take her blood-pressure medication, which she now believed was poison. Necessity made me formidable.

My own health was disintegrating. It became a question of survival. The catalyst came a few days later, when she contracted an infection but refused to go into hospital. An ambulance was called and there was a dreadful scene as we tried to persuade her to co-operate.

The doctor took me aside and finally put it into words: my mother lacked mental capacity. I travelled with her to the hospital, where they wanted to put her under observation for the weekend. I asked the hospital staff not to discharge Mum until I got back. They promised they wouldnt, but they did. They discharged a frail woman with dementia, and unable to feed herself, back into an empty house.

She was taken back to hospital. Still, nobody would make an official diagnosis. On and on it went, fruitlessly. I could no longer care for my mother, and she could not function. The system wasnt working. We lacked the money for a private care home and the local council didnt want her on their hands. She stayed in hospital for more than two months because the system heard our cries for help, then turned its face to the wall. There was no sympathy for either of us.

Ironically, I often wondered if my mother was happier than I, inhabiting her new world. She still managed to laugh and lived with a mischievous child inside her. There is no superior rationality in being unhappy. Most of us will be as happy as circumstances permit and if we find contemplation of the world painful beyond a point, we will contemplate something else instead.

My mother had left her problems and worries behind. She no longer fretted over bills or everyday travails. She believed herself to be rich. She told me she had bought a castle in Sussex and had taken a first-class flight to Australia. Dementia took her everywhere and opened all doors. One week she was chairman of the BBC, another she was an undercover policewoman. I was a little disturbed when she said she was the madam of a brothel.

Humans, like other animals, are adapted to a certain amount of struggle for life. We also need excitement. But some element of boredom is a necessary ingredient. It is usually possible to shut out the ordinary troubles of ordinary days in the evenings. But for me there was no such respite.

Once, the hospital moved her out of London to a hospital in Kent without informing me. They said they had needed the bed. Incandescent, I said I would consult a human rights lawyer. It was only this threat that achieved something. They began looking to find her a temporary place in care. Eventually, she was admitted to a care home near our house in London. At last, I assumed we had relief. She was safe and well looked after. Or so I thought.

Though most of the staff seemed very kind, items of clothing went missing, including new shoes I had bought her. Once again, there were complaints about my mothers behaviour. Dementia destroys the inhibitions. Of course my mothers language changed accordingly.

The staff were paid professionals. Why were they not equal to the situation? I had returned from a break abroad when I was told that sores on my mothers feet had become so severe that they had sent her back to hospital. When I saw her, I could see her image before me, but nothing else. Now she had thrown off her Britishness and reverted to the world of her motherland, speaking only in Hungarian.

Previously, I would remind her that I was her daughter and once in a while she had seemed to accept it, if only for a few minutes, before I had to tell her again. We would hold each other close. Now she wouldnt even let me touch her.

Physical contact is essential to humans, and without it our lives are pointless and bereft. This is the cruellest part of dementia: it exacts not one death, but two.

When, eventually, my mother dies, I wont know who to mourn. At present, she is in another home, but I keep her bedroom just as it was for when she comes back. My father passed away under the grimmest circumstances in a hospital, and I dont want that for her. I wish I could forget the nightmare that has overtaken us. God knows, Ive tried. Sometimes I wonder if the inscrutable gods, in robbing my darling mother of her memory, have been kinder to her than to me.
Two maternity ward nurses have been killed in a shooting near the delivery rooms at Methodist Dallas Medical Center on Saturday morning.

Texas police rushed to the hospital on North Beckley Avenue shortly before noon, after calls came in about a shooting inside the medical facility.

Police told WFAA that the suspect was shot at by an officer with Methodist Police and taken into custody.

Law enforcement officials confirmed that the two victims were maternity ward nurses at the hospital, who police found near the labor and delivery area of the hospital.

One was pronounced dead immediately, and the other died later.

Two maternity ward nurses have been killed in a shooting at Methodist Dallas Medical Center on Saturday morning. Police rushed to the scene shortly before noon (above)

Sources said the two victims were maternity nurses at the hospital, who police found near the labor and delivery area of the hospital

The suspected shooter was fired at by hospital police and taken into custody

'The Methodist Health System Family is heartbroken at the loss of two of our beloved team members,' the hospital said in a statement.

'Our entire organization is grieving this unimaginable tragedy.

'During this devastating time, we want to ensure our patients and employees that Methodist Dallas Medical Center is safe and that there is no ongoing threat.

'Our prayers are with our lost co-workers and their families, as well as our entire Methodist family.

'We appreciate the community's support during this difficult time.'

The Dallas Police Department Homicide Unit and Special Investigations Unit are on the scene investigating the shooting and assisting hospital police.

Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia called the shooting 'an abhorrent failure of our criminal justice system.'

A hospital spokesperson confirmed that the medical center was set to host a tour of its new Linda and Mitch Hart Breast Center for breast cancer survivors less than an hour before the shooting.

The shooting caused the event to be canceled and the hospital to go into lockdown.

The victims were located on the fourth floor of the hospital building.

The Dallas Police Department Homicide Unit and Special Investigations Unit are investigating the scene and assisting hospital police
Disgraced 'naughty Tory' Charlie Elphicke has reportedly agreed to pay one of his sexual assault victims an undisclosed sum.

The former MP was jailed for two years in 2020 after he was convicted of three sex attacks against two women.

One count related to a woman he chased around his house shouting 'I'm a naughty Tory'.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, brought a civil claim against Elphicke, a father-of-two, in the wake of his conviction.

According to the Sunday Mirror, Elphicke has now agreed to pay compensation to the victim in order to settle the civil claim out of court.

Details of the payout will not be made public.

Disgraced 'naughty Tory' Charlie Elphicke has reportedly agreed to pay one of his sexual assault victims an undisclosed sum

A source told the publication: 'Elphicke has settled the civil claim without it reaching court.'

During his trial, the jury heard that he forced himself on two young women in similar attacks, kissing them open-mouthed and groping their breasts.

Trial judge Mrs Justice Whipple described the assaults as 'terrifying'.

Elphicke became a Government whip during David Cameron's premiership in 2015 but returned to the backbenches when Theresa May came to power the following year.

The settlement comes just months after he told a court he had 'no money' to repay legal debts he'd accrued during the trial.

He claimed he was broke after spending what little money he had left on six months rent for a 475,000 one-bedroom flat in Fulham, having split from his wife.

Elphicke was the MP for Dover from 2010 to 2019. His ex-wife Natalie, who left him after learning he'd been unfaithful, is now the local representative

He told Uxbridge Magistrates Court in November 2021: I have no job, I have no career, I am long-term unemployed.

I am separated from my wife who has filed for divorce. I have had to find a new place to live.

The Elphickes recently sold their marital home in St Margarets Bay, Dover, for 1,525,000  almost double what they paid for it.

But Elphicke said he received only 51,000 from the proceeds of the sale, which went on legal fees and his rent. He said he had considerable debts, including a 100,000 loan from his estranged wife which was used to fund his trial defence fees.

Elphicke was the MP for Dover from 2010 to 2019. His ex-wife Natalie, who left him after learning he'd been unfaithful, is now the local representative.
Regulators supposed to be tackling the UKs biggest-ever energy crisis have to show up at their offices only one day a week.

As the UK faces record high gas and electricity prices  and potential blackouts  staff at the energy watchdog Ofgem are working from home for the majority of the week as they shift to what they call a hybrid working policy.

The policy, dated March 29, reads: Colleagues will be required to work 1-2 days each week within their designated office. Three days later Ofgems new higher price cap kicked in, causing alarm as typical bills rose 54 per cent to almost 2,000 a year. Bills increased again at the start of this month.

As the UK faces record high gas and electricity prices  and potential blackouts  staff at the energy watchdog Ofgem are working from home for the majority of the week as they shift to what they call a hybrid working policy

There are fresh concerns that bills will rise above 4,000 a year in May after the Government last week removed a promise to limit them to 2,500 for typical families.

Ofgem, which has 1,200 employees, allowed staff to begin working from home during the pandemic, but when the UKs energy market almost collapsed as a string of energy providers went bust between August and December last year, it led to accusations of them being asleep at the wheel.

Joe Ventre, from the TaxPayers Alliance, said: Taxpayers shouldnt be paying for empty desks. Ofgem staff may want to work from home, but there can be no excuse for poor performance during a devastating energy crisis. The regulator must ensure that objectives are being met for the sake of hard-pressed households.

The Mail on Sunday obtained the internal Ofgem documents outlining the new hybrid working situation via a Freedom of Information request.

Ofgems staff meetings are now typically conducted online, meaning there are far fewer staff making their way into its offices in East London and Glasgow. Staff have also been told that Ofgem will foot the bill for their desks, chairs and computers at home.

Employees will no longer have a set desk at their office and will have to book one in advance, as well as clear it completely when their shift ends.

Employees will no longer have a set desk at their office and will have to book one in advance

The policy, Ofgem says, lets parents do school runs and allows employees with religious beliefs to have alternate working patterns, as well as helping staff who are part-time carers.

The customers of bankrupted energy firms have had to be shifted to other providers and the debts then piled on to the bills of every household. The total cost of more than 5 billion has added at least 200 to every bill.

An Ofgem spokesman said last night: Our staff continue to work relentlessly to protect customers during these very difficult times, and its clear they can do just as well regardless of their location.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Saturday that director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing 'mild symptoms.'

According to a statement issued by the CDC, Walensky is now 'isolating at home.'

They also said that the CDC director will participate in her planned meetings virtually.

'CDC senior staff and close contacts have been informed of her positive test and are taking appropriate action to monitor their health,' the statement read.

Last month, Walensky received her bivalent, omicron-specific COVID-19 booster shot. After the vaccination on September 22, she was photographed giving the thumbs up that was posted in a CVS health tweet.

She began experiencing symptoms on Friday, almost exactly a month to the day after her booster shot.

The director, along with other health officials, has warned that the winter may bring an uptick of COVID-19 infections.

On Saturday, Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky tested positive for Covid-19. and is experiencing 'mild symptoms,' according to a statement issued by the CDC

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, pictured, was filmed getting her COVID booster shot on September 22

The consensus at a recent meeting that brought together federal officials and leading organizations in the health field that represents doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants was a 'broad agreement that the single-most important thing Americans, particularly the elderly, can do to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19 and serious illness is to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine without delay.'

Walensky and other health officials have urged the American public to get the booster.

Booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are displayed during a vaccine clinic in Vermont earlier this week. Public health experts bemoaned President Joe Biden's recent remark that 'the pandemic is over'

Last month, the CDC director revealed that boosters would provide broad protection against sublineages.

'The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant. They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants,' she said.
After two months she was asked by the board to resign from her position

A Russian woman whose family had links to the Kremlin was forced to quit as a board member of an influential British security body amid concerns about her background, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Anastasia Spiridonova, 23, was made a director of the Security Institute, the UKs largest professional membership body for security professionals, which has close ties to Westminster and whose members include intelligence officers, senior police and military.

But concerns were raised by some board members about her past and how her appointment might be publicly perceived following Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

The board was split and there were ructions, but she eventually agreed to step down in June after less than two months, said a source. It was very embarrassing.

Anastasia Spiridonova was made a director of the Security Institute despite her family's previous connections to the Kremlin

The 23-year-old was elected to be a voluntary non-executive director of the British security board, but then two months later she was asked to reign

Enquiries in Russia by this newspaper and the investigative website National Security News found that Ms Spiridonova, who speaks six languages and is described by several colleagues as exceptionally charming, is connected to the Putin regime through members of her family. Her grandfather was an MP in Putins United Russia party, while her mother Marina worked at the Kremlin in a department running resort hotels and presidential retreats around Russia.

Meanwhile, Ms Spiridonovas father, Grigory Bryukhov, was once president of Intourist, the privatised successor of the giant Soviet travel agency that was notoriously riddled with KGB spies.

After spending her early years in Moscow, Ms Spiridonova moved to the UK. She was educated at 40,000-a-year Sevenoaks School in Kent and studied modern languages at Stanford University in the US.

While at Stanford in 2019 she began applying for internships in the UK. An article in the Security Institutes in-house newspaper said she wanted to gain an insight into the legal or security sectors, and was particularly interested in experiencing work within the world of criminal, civil and corporate investigations. But it added: What she was not expecting... was to be accidentally copied into an email by the HR department of a large law firm with one comment on her application: Sounds like a spy to me.

Security Institute is the UKs largest professional membership body for security professionals and has close ties to Westminster

Ms Spiridonovas grandfather was an MP in Putins United Russia party, while her mother Marina worked at the Kremlin

She eventually got a job with a detective firm and joined the Security Institute, which boasts establishment credentials. Its patron is Princess Anne and its president is a member of the House of Lords.

A former president, Lord Carlile, was described as having astonishing access to Britains secret state as the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation and later put his expertise to lucrative new use by going into the international consultancy business with former MI6 chief Sir John Scarlett.

According to its website, membership of the institute bestows credibility, enhances career prospects, provides a valuable network of contacts and offers fantastic networking opportunities.

Companies House records show that Ms Spiridonova changed her nationality from Russian to British on June 7, 2022. She resigned from the Security Institute board on June 23, having joined in April.

Ms Spiridonova said last night: I was elected by the members of the Security Institute to be a voluntary non-executive director. I was then asked by the board to resign from my directorship position. In doing so, they acknowledged that this was no reflection on me as a person and that I was not at fault in any way. The reasoning for their decision is for them to explain, if they wish to.

It was an extremely upsetting time, especially as I have thoroughly enjoyed my journey as part of the institute. I always stated I would not go to the press about this. As I have been approached, I am simply commenting on the facts and reserving my personal opinion on this matter to myself.

I have always been transparent about my country of birth, heritage and international upbringing.

The Security Institute said it had a number of voluntary directors who are voted in by our members. All of our directors go through a process of vetting. We do not comment on individual cases.

Friends insisted neither Anastasia nor her family had any ties to the current regime in Russia.
By Manolo De Los Santos

October 19, 2022: Information Clearing House - Hurricane Ian lashed at western Cuba on September 27, 2022. I waited desperately for a phone call from my friends in Puerto Esperanza, a small fishing village on the northern coast of Pinar del Rio. Over a crackling phone line, my friends told me that the hurricane had ripped off the roofs of their houses and had cut their electricity supply. But they were safe. What comes next for them and their recovery from the loss and devastation caused by the hurricane is uncertain under the weight of a U.S. blockade that is now being overseen by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Since the Cuban Revolution triumphed in 1959, the United States has been at odds with the islands independent path. This led to the start of a blockade on all trading activities between Cuba and the United States in February 1962, and the continued imposition of the blockade has put maximum pressure on the 11 million people who live on the island. Cubans have been resilient while dealing with these sanctions, which is the longest embargo in modern history. However, over the past five years, the United States has tightened its blockade by putting in place 243 new sanctions, reversing the process of normalization that began under former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2014 (and culminated in Obamas visit to Cuba in 2016). Despite Bidens campaign promise to ensure a more balanced foreign policy toward Cuba, compared to the approach followed by former President Donald Trump, Biden has increased pressure on the country.

Maximum Pressure

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Cuba was fortunate to have a robust public health care system and an innovative biotechnological industry. However, under Trumpand later Bidensanctions put enormous pressure on Cubas ability to respond to the pandemic. As the number of Delta variant cases grew in Cuba, its only oxygen plant was rendered nonoperational due to the inability of the plants technicians to import spare parts because of the U.S. blockade. As thousands of Cuban patients gasped for air, oxygen had to be rationed. Washington refused to make an exception. Cuban scientists created five vaccine candidates; only after most Cubans were vaccinated with these vaccines did Washington make an offer of donating U.S.-made vaccines to Cuba.

Back in 2017, the United States said that the Cuban government had used sonic weapons to attack its embassya phenomenon called Havana syndromewhich was shown to be untrue. Nonetheless, it served as a pretext for the United States to freeze relations with Cuba. For example, tourism began to collapse, and the island lost revenue as more than 600,000 people from the United States stopped traveling to Cuba annually. The U.S. governments sanctions under Trump led to Western Unions seizing operations on the island in 2020, cutting off the ability of families to send and receive remittances. Visa services were suspended by the U.S. Embassy in Havana, and the largest wave of irregular migration since 1980 began as Cubans were forced to trek through Central America or across the Florida Straits to arrive in the United States.

Cubans suffered through this tightened blockade with the U.S. offering no respite. The gross domestic product of the country began to shrink as the government and other entities could no longer purchase food, medicine, and oil because banks refused to handle these basic commercial transactions.

Using Pain to Put More Pressure

On July 11, 2021, people across Cuba took to the streets to protest the difficult living conditions due to the scarcity brewed by the sanctions imposed by Washington. The U.S. government, from Biden to the lowest employee at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, did not waste any time before making a statement about the need to change the government in Cuba in response to the protests. They tried to spin the Cuban peoples protests over sanctions-related deprivation into an uprising for regime change, a core demand of a Miami mafia of Cuban exiles. The Cuban government was able to withstand that attempt by being as forthright as possible with the people about the range of problems that they face.

The year 2022 has not been any easier for the Cuban people. In August, the national energy grid began to suffer major signs of decay after years without repairs or renovations. Power cuts, a stark reminder of the special period during the 1990s when Cuba faced a similar power situation, have become ever-present from one end of the island to the other. Some provinces go without electricity for eight to ten hours. Then came the explosion of the Matanzas oil storage facility that left Cuba without urgently needed fuel and resulted in dozens dying while fighting the fire that raged on for five days. While Mexico and Venezuela immediately sent firefighters and equipment, the United States could only contribute with technical advice over the phone despite the call by U.S. activists, clergy, and intellectuals to provide more sizable aid.

Hurricane Ians assault on the island on September 27, 2022, has left behind devastation, with more than 50,000 homes damaged, Cubas tobacco crop deeply impacted, and its electricity grid damaged (although it is functional again for now).

Washingtons Rigidity

All eyes turned to Washingtonnot only to see whether it would send aid, which would be welcome, but also if it would remove Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list and end the sanctions. Cubas inclusion on the list had been a last-minute decision made by Trump as he was leaving the White House (despite Cubas recognized role in the Colombian peace process). These measures mean that banks in the United States and elsewhere are reluctant to process any financial transactions, including humanitarian donations, for the island. The United States has a mixed record regarding humanitarian aid to Cuba.

Rather than lift the sanctions even for a limited period, the U.S. government sat back and watched as mysterious forces from Miami unleashed a torrent of Facebook and WhatsApp messages to drive desperate Cubans onto the street. In Havana, a few hundred people spread across the city banged pots and pans and demanded water, electricity, and food. Foreign journalists eagerly expected scenes of heavy repression and mass arrests, but this time Cubas response was one closest to its political tradition. Leaders of the Communist Party began to arrive at protests to speak to the people. Angel Arzuaga Reyes, responsible for the partys international relations department, while speaking of his experience in the Diez de Octubre neighborhood, said that in those tense moments, promises or immediate solutions couldnt be made, but explanations and information could be given to all those protesting.

The Cuban people are not the kind to give up easily and have a history of resilience. Many Cubans are facing the crisis by laughing and fighting through it. Walking in Havana only a few days after the hurricane, the signs of recovery were clear. Brigades of electricians working nonstop reestablished power back in record time and volunteers have cleaned most of the city leaving very little trace of Hurricane Ians destruction. After his fourth visit to Pinar del Rio since September 27, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, surrounded by an anxious crowd, said, what we cant do is surrender or remain with our arms crossed. There is yet much to do, but Cubans are determined to overcome all obstacles that come their way.

Manolo De Los Santos is the co-executive director of the Peoples Forum and is a researcher at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He co-edited, most recently, Viviremos: Venezuela vs. Hybrid War (LeftWord Books/1804 Books, 2020) and Comrade of the Revolution: Selected Speeches of Fidel Castro (LeftWord Books/1804 Books, 2021). He is a co-coordinator of the Peoples Summit for Democracy.
Discussions are underway as to how the royal palace can modernise and shorten the event

It will be the first time an heir has held a formal role in the planning stages in three generations

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Prince William is expected to take an 'active role' in his father's coronation and help set the tone for the scaled-back event.

He is said to be particularly keen on ensuring the May 2023 coronation reflects modern Britain by avoiding any 'archaic, feudal or imperial' elements.

His inclusion in the planning process will be welcomed as a sign of continuity between King Charles III and his heir to the throne, and will mark the first time an heir has played an active role in a coronation in three generations.

Charles was just four when his mother was crowned and the late Queen was 11 at the time of her father's coronation. As such, neither played a formal role in proceedings.

The Prince of Wales is likely to hold an active advisory position in addition to taking part in the coronation itself, The Telegraph reported.

Discussions are underway as to how the royal palace can modernise and shorten the event while also ensuring it captures the significance of the occasion.

Prince William is expected to take an 'active role' in his father's coronation and help set the tone for the scaled-back event

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are both expected to have a role in the coronation

There are hopes Prince William will bring a fresh perspective to discussions and will instinctively reflect his own generation.

Buckingham Palace is yet to confirm who will partake in the coronation committee.

While plans for 'Operation Golden Orb' have been in the works for years, royal sources have previously said officials had never seriously considered the ins and outs of the event to ensure it would best reflect the 'climate at the time in which it happens'.

The coronation, which will see the eyes of the world once more turn onto the Britain, is set to take place on a Saturday - scuppering the hopes of many who might have wished for a bank holiday to mark the occasion, as insiders claim it is 'unlikely' extra time off will be given.

It will also take place on the fourth birthday of Harry and Meghan's son, Archie, potentially causing a clash in the Sussex household if the King's second son is invited to the ceremony as is expected.

It's not clear what - if any - role the Sussexes will play in the coronation.

His inclusion in the planning process will be welcomed as a sign of continuity between King Charles and his heir to the throne, and will mark the first time an heir has played an active role in a coronation in three generations

As the new king, Charles will be front and centre of the new-look monarchy. The biggest change will be his residence. He will likely move to Buckingham Palace. Pictured: King Charles at Dumfries House, Scotland

Charles 'right' not to go big By Michael Hamilton and Robin Perrie Two choristers who sang at the Queen's coronation say King Charles is right to scale back on the 'splendour and magic' for his crowning. Around 8,000 guests were invited to Elizabeth's event in 1953, while her son is set to have 2,000 on May 6 next year. And ceremonial robes are set to be ditched in favour of lounge suits. Adrian Dence, 82, and Stanley Roocroft, 84, were schoolboy choristerss at Westminster Abbey in '53. Retired food salesman Adrian, of Milford on Sea, Hants, said: 'I think they are right to have a toned-down event and not try to match the splendour of the Queen's coronation.' Stanley, of Hawes, West Yorks, was 'incredibly moved' by the Queen's passing. He said of her funeral: 'We do those events so well - the pomp and pageantry was something to behold.' Advertisement

King Charles, 73, is said to want a more modest affair than is tradition with the event being cut down to less than an hour, the guest list slashed by a three quarters and a less formal dress code.

'The Coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,' the Palace confirmed last month.

The announcement comes amid mounting speculation the momentous occasion is being slimmed down due to the cost of living crisis and to make way for a more streamlined, modern monarchy.

Palace insiders said that while the Coronation will include the same core elements of the traditional ceremony which has retained a similar structure for more than 1,000 years, it would recognise the 'spirit of our times'.

It is expected to be much 'smaller and simpler' than the three-hour spectacle of the late Queen's momentous Coronation in 1953.

The guestlist could also be slashed from 8,000 to just 2,000 with a more relaxed dress code. Peers may possibly be allowed to wear lounge suits rather than ceremonial robes.

Ancient and time-consuming rituals - including presenting the monarch with gold ingots - are also set to be axed to save time.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says the date itself will have been chosen after consultation with 'the Government, the Church of England and the Royal Household'.

Palace insiders have assured while the event will be smaller than the Queen's coronation, it will not be devoid of pageantry.

Sources told the Daily Express Kate and William will may have to increase their workload and take on new jobs

What was Queen Elizabeth II's coronation like? When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953 there was a carnival of celebration as millions rejoiced in the display which provided a morale boost to a nation on its knees after the war. For a day, street parties banished the hardship of post-war rationing and shortages, and even atrocious, unseasonal weather could not dampen the enthusiasm. People began to bed down in the streets of London as early as 48 hours before Tuesday June 2 1953, just to make sure they had a standing place to watch the Queen pass by. By Monday evening, in pouring rain and driving wind, half a million people were already lining the procession route. The public were not the only ones making preparations. In a tribute, Charles - now King - paid to his mother on her 80th birthday, he recalled the night before the big day when he was four years old. 'I have vivid memories of the coronation; of my mother coming to say goodnight to my sister and me while wearing the crown so that she could get used to its weight on her head before the coronation ceremony; of thousands of people gathered in The Mall outside Buckingham Palace chanting 'We want the Queen' and keeping me awake at night,' he said. Despite initial reservations, the Queen eventually agreed to the TV cameras being present in Westminster Abbey to capture the event. Licence holders doubled from one and a half million to three million in anticipation and many people rented a set for the day. An estimated 27 million people in Britain alone watched the coronation live on their black and white televisions and the images were beamed around the world. At Buckingham Palace after the ceremony, the Queen, wearing her crown, and Philip appeared on the balcony with the other members of the royal family. Their children, Charles and Anne, were greeted with great excitement by the crowds. In her broadcast address to the nation the same evening, the young Queen thanked the public for their support. All of you, near or far, have been united in one purpose. It is hard for me to find words in which to tell you of the strength which this knowledge has given me,' she said. She added: 'I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. 'Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.' The night came to an end as hundreds of thousands on Victoria Embankment watched a spectacular coronation fireworks display. Advertisement

King Charles 'WON'T progress with plans for slimmed-down monarchy and will keep number of working royals at 11'

By Tom Scotson for MailOnline

King Charles III said he will not progress with plans for a slimmed-down monarchy and will keep the number of working royals at 11, sources claim.

His Majesty's decision is more 'conservative' than critics and pundits have speculated after the monarch was expected to streamline the list of working royals.

The 73-year-old King will also pay tax like his late mother, after in 1993 she ripped up George VI's tax break agreed by Neville Chamberlin.

King Charles III said he will not progress with plans for a slimmed-down monarchy and will keep the number of working royals at 11

Who are the working royals? King Charles III Camilla, Queen Consort Prince William and Kate, The Prince and Princess of Wales Anne, the Princess Royal Prince Edward and Princess Sophie, The Earl and Countess of Wessex Prince Richard and Birgitte, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester Princess Alexandra Duke of Kent, Prince Edward Advertisement

The news comes after the Palace said it wanted a cut-down Coronation which will have fewer arcane rituals and be significantly shorter than the 1953 ceremony when Queen Elizabeth was crowned.

Data shows the former Prince of Wales paid 5.8million in income tax after receiving 23million from the Duchy of Cornwall estate in 2021.

Close advisors believe with fewer generations of working royals the family will have to cut back on their 3,500 annual engagements.

Aides are discussing what will happen to charities which attract thousands of pounds through royal representation and visits.

One senior royal source told the Daily Express: 'These are things that are all being looked at as part of a wider review at the moment.'

Sources told the paper Kate and William may have to increase their workload and take on new jobs.

But Kate has made it clear that she would prefer to look after her own children than expand the family's portfolio.

The departure of Harry and Megan and Prince Andrew has put more strains on the group's ability to meet all of its commitments.

Senior royals can be defined as members of the family close to the line of the succession who represent the Crown on special visits.

For years reports were made that King Charles III wanted a 'slimmed down' monarchy which would cut down the number of working royals from eleven to 7.

Experts suggested this would make his operation a 'leaner machine' with 'less to gossip about'.

There would also be 'no hangers-on' in the Firm, with each member expected to pull their weight in a new and more streamlined monarchy.

Harry and Meghan (pictured) leaving has raised issues and Prince Andrew leaving made matters more tricky.

One senior royal source told the Daily Express: 'These are things that are all being looked at as part of a wider review at the moment'

But King Charles' original model, which reportedly involved a tight core of just seven people, including himself, has been thrown into doubt following a series of external events.

The plan, put in motion before the Queen's death, originally included the long-reigning monarch along with Prince Philip, King Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate and Prince Harry.

Philip died aged 99 in 2021, while Harry's future in the slimmed-down monarchy seems hugely doubtful following his decision to quit front line royal duties and move to America with his wife Meghan Markle.

Meanwhile, Prince Andrew, who would likely have featured in a slimmed-down monarchy as a son of the Queen and King Charles' brother, has been outcast since his US sex assault lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre.

But that has pushed Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, into the fray as 'key' parts of King Charles' future monarchy, according to royal watchers.

Royal experts always expected Princess Anne - who has always been one of the most popular royal figures according to polling - to play an important role in Charles's plans.

Edward and Sophie, Earl and Countess of Wessex took a significant chunk of work when Harry and Megan departed the royal family and may continue to play a central role.

They were more prominent than almost any other member of the Royal family in the days leading up to Prince Philip's funeral in 2021.
Two Georgia men discovered they were the father of the same child after both arrived at a school to pick up a young girl who they believed was their daughter.

TikTok user Sheena Jackson, who said she works in the front office of the school, outlined the interaction between the two alleged fathers as they clashed over custody and confusion in a series of videos.

'And so, they both look at each other, and the dad was like, "Why are you checking my child out? Who are you?"' she said.

'And he was like, "Who are you? What do you mean, I'm her dad."'

Both men were listed as emergency contacts for the child and were properly identified after their IDs were checked.

Jackson then realized the men were about to fight and called to get the principal.

She 'and the secretary looked at each other, and I thought, I gotta get the principal right now because, at this point we need the principal. We need someone to call the school officer. What is really going on here?'

As soon as the principal arrived in the front office, Jackson was advised to call the mother to come to the school. The mother, upon arrival, began 'screaming and crying' as she watched both men 'going in.'

Even before the mother arrived inside the school to confirm that both men were eligible to pick up her daughter, one of the fathers ran up to accost her in the parking lot.

'When she got to the school, you know, one of the daddies ran in the parking lot to her,' Jackson said.

According to Jackson, the man was asking the woman to explain the baffling situation.

'"What's going on? What's going on? Why you didn't tell me?' So, we ran out in the parking lot with them. You all how about he hit her. He hit the mama.'

As soon as the principal arrived in the front office, Jackson was advised to call the mother to come to the school. The mother, upon arrival, began 'screaming and crying' as she watched both men 'going in.' According to Jackson, one of the purported fathers then began accosting the woman for answers

The daughter was not present at the time of the altercation, or during the moment of confusion and aggression between the two men.

Paramedics and police soon arrived to check out the mother.

'Nobody ever knew anything,' Jackson said. 'This was crazy.

'But, at the end of the day, the police (were) there. One of the daddies got locked up. You know, mama went to the EMS. Grandma had to come get the child, because nobody could get the child at that point.'

Jackson added that she followed up with the mother to ask questions about the incident. She said she was told the mother's best friend was responsible for both men arriving at the school simultaneously.

She added that the mother had not planned to tell her daughter about the two men.
Today's Mail on Sunday poll shows that Boris Johnson retains a level of electoral magnetism far outstripping that of any of his party colleagues  despite the months of scandal, intrigue and infighting that brought down his premiership in the summer.

Although the poll shows that Labour would still be ten points ahead if Mr Johnson were Prime Minister, the projected Labour majority of 26 that that would signal could be soon overturned in the course of a General Election campaign.

The same cannot be said of the 124-seat majority Labour are predicted to win if Rishi Sunak were leader, or the record-breaking 320-seat majority if Liz Truss were still at the helm.

Critically for Mr Johnson's renewed leadership hopes, private polling date circulating in the Tory Party indicates that Mr Johnson is the only candidate with a chance of winning the Red Wall seats that are key to Tory Election hopes.

According to a poll by the Mail on Sunday, having Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party would help the Tories secure the most seats at the next General Election

In those seats, according to a Portland Communications poll, Mr Johnson has a +36 per cent approval rating, compared with +21 for Mr Sunak and +22 for Penny Mordaunt. When asked which potential leader would make them more likely to vote Conservative at the next General Election, Mr Johnson came out on top with 56 per cent support, compared with 48 per cent for Mr Sunak.

Mr Johnson's electoral sway was highlighted last Friday night in Mr Sunak's own constituency, Richmond in Yorkshire, when the author Jeffrey Archer spoke at an event for Tory MP Matt Vickers. When the 200-strong crowd was asked for a show of hands on who they would prefer as leader, Johnson or Sunak, Boris won by 60 to 40.

And a YouGov survey of Tory members published last week showed the ousted PM's abiding popularity with the party faithful.

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak arriving back at his London home today. Mr Sunak is said to be meeting with Mr Johnson tonight

Released before Liz Truss resigned, it showed that Mr Johnson was party members' preferred replacement, with 32 per cent wanting him to come back compared to just 23 per cent for Rishi Sunak.

That was despite the fact that back in July, a YouGov poll revealed that 59 per cent of Tory members wanted Mr Johnson to quit.

But hanging over it all is the threat that just weeks after returning triumphant as PM, Mr Johnson could be suspended or even expelled all together from Parliament.

The Commons' Privileges Committee will next month begin taking evidence in public on whether Mr Johnson lied to fellow MPs over what he knew about lockdown-busting parties at No 10 during the pandemic.

Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt is the only candidate so far who has officially declared that she is running

If the committee  chaired by veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman  finds that Boris deliberately misled the Commons, it could propose a ten-day Commons suspension that in turn could require Mr Johnson to face a by-election in his marginal Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat.

The sentence would still have to be approved by the Commons  sparking threats from Johnson loyalists that they would seek to vote down the sanction.

Last night, a row erupted over claims that evidence already submitted to the inquiry was so damaging that even Conservative sources predicted Mr Johnson would be 'gone by Christmas'.

In a statement to The Mail on Sunday, Sir Charles Walker, a newly appointed Tory member of the committee, said he 'did not recognise' the evidence claims  not least as the committee 'has yet to start taking oral evidence'.

Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned from her position on Thursday sparking the second Tory leadership contest in two months

But some Johnson allies are nervous that the first month of his return to No 10 could be dominated by the televised hearings in a dusty Commons committee room  with the PM himself giving evidence.

Other MPs desperate for him to return privately dismiss the danger  insisting the public has 'moved on from the pandemic' and that the committee  which has an in-built Tory majority  will stop short of inflicting a ten-day suspension on a serving PM.

There are also suggestions that the fact that Mr Johnson would have been re-confirmed as PM would deter Ms Harman's committee from 'pulling the trigger'.

Mr Johnson's critics dismiss that as ridiculous.
Heavy downpours are set to batter nearly every major city as a massive rainband moves across the country.

Southeast Queensland and northern NSW will be hit by the brunt of the thunderstorms, with up to 100mm set to fall across the region on Sunday.

Rain will fall across most cities, with showers forecast for Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart.

Heavy downpours are set to batter nearly every major city as a massive rain band moves across the country

Lismore, in northern NSW, as residents brace for more heavy fain and thunderstorms

SES personnel have been busy distributing sandbags to residents as they prepare for more wild weather in Lismore

NSW is among the states set to be hit the hardest by the storms with towns like Lismore preparing for the worst

It comes after a weekend of heavy rain that saw hundreds of millimetres fall, with 325mm recorded at Tin Can Bay, in Queensland, over the last 48 hours.

Flash flooding across the eastern states has continued, with more floods expected to come and more than 100 warnings issued across NSW alone.

More wet weather is on the way, with downpours set to continue in some parts of the country and intensify throughout next week.

Sky News Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe has warned the conditions could worsen as the threat increases of an east coast low forming.

The powerful weather system is very destructive and can bring gale-force winds and heavy downpours.

The Sunshine Coast is expected to receive between 50 and 120mm while Brisbane will record between 80 to 120mm and the Gold Coast 150mm on Sunday.

Byron Bay will receive between 70 to 120mm, with another 20mm falling on Monday.

Grafton can expect 50-90mm on Sunday and another 15 to 30mm on Monday, while Port Macquarie will get 30mm today and 40mm the following day.

Sydney will receive as much as 10mm on Sunday before the rain intensifies, bringing between 20 to 35mm on Monday.

Sandbags are distributed to Lismore residents ahead of more flash flooding in the region

Sandbags set up outside a garage in Lismore amid warnings of more flash flooding

South east Queensland and northern NSW will be hit by the brunt of the thunderstorms with up to 100mm set to fall across the region on Sunday (stock image)

Melbourne will only get 5mm today before the downpours pick up and between 20 to 30mm falls on Monday and then 10mm on Tuesday.

The Victorian border town of Echuca is experiencing its worst flooding in decades as the Murray River rose above the 1993 peak.

The river surpassed the 1993 level of 94.77m above sea level at the town on the Victoria-NSW border on Saturday night and peaked at 95m overnight.

Meanwhile, in the state's southwest, the SES received about 140 requests for help from Geelong to Hamilton.

Three people were rescued after driving through floodwaters near Geelong.

Flash flooding across the eastern states has continued with more floods expected to come and more than 100 warnings issued across NSW alone (pictured, floods in Shepparton, Victoria)

Up to 30,000 sandbags have been handed out in flood-stricken areas in NSW with more delivered in Victoria (pictured, ADF personnel at Shepparton in Victoria)

Grafton can expect 50-90mm on Sunday and another 15 to 30mm on Monday while Port Macquarie will get 30mm today and 40mm the following day (pictured, flooded Forbes in NSW)

The SES has received more than 8,300 calls for help since the weather emergency began and more than 750 flood-related rescue requests.

Up to 30,000 sandbags have been handed out in flood-stricken areas in NSW as emergency services prepare for an 'extremely busy' 24 to 48 hours.

Those who live on several streets in southwest Narrandera, in the state's Riverina Region, have been told to evacuate their homes before 6pm on Sunday.

Forecasters warn there is a potential flood risk for the Hawkesbury-Nepean, the Lower Hunter and Colo Rivers on both Monday and Tuesday.

Up to 200 defence personnel will be deployed to Dubbo, Moree and the Northern Rivers in addition to 100 already in the central-west and 50 in the Hunter region.

Up to 200 defence personnel will be deployed to Dubbo, Moree and the Northern Rivers in addition to 100 already in the central-west and 50 in the Hunter region (pictured, flooded Lachlan River in the central west region of NSW)

'We are quite literally sandbagging the state,' NSW Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said.

'There is not a single part of NSW that I am not concerned about. It is important everyone stays on alert.'

Mr Sharpe expected conditions to ease throughout the week as the low-pressure system moves off the coast.

'After that event trails off through the southeast, we'll be looking at some dry weather taking hold,' he said.

'Yes, there will still be some showers and storms in the mix, particularly in northern inland parts of the country.

'But the risk will subside at least for a few days in the east, with just some potential of rain from Friday onward for further severe thunderstorm activity.'=
The mayor of New York City has recommended subway passengers stop using their phones or headphones while on the increasingly-dangerous transit system, to avoid falling victim to soaring crime.

Transit crime in America's largest city is up 41 percent year on year, with eight people murdered on the subway so far this year.

By contrast, in 2019 there were only three subway murders; one in 2018; and none in 2017.

Eric Adams, under increasing pressure to take decisive action and make the subway safer, on Friday was asked for his advice.

Adams said that there had been a 47 percent increase in subway arrests.

The Fox 5 news anchor, Bianca Peters, told Adams: 'I haven't put my AirPods in for over a year, because I feel like I need to be very much aware.'

Adams replied: 'Well first, I think that you were right about, you know, not having your iPods in  not focusing on the phone.

'And I say yes to that. I do the same, and we put out a video and information telling people about being aware of what's around them and what's taking place. I encourage New Yorkers to do that.

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, appeared on Fox News 5 on Friday and said he encouraged subway users not to listen to headphones or be distracted by their phones

The mayor of New York City has warned subway riders not to be distracted by their phones, amid rising crime

Transit crime in New York City is up 41 percent, year on year

In January, Adams said he felt unsafe riding the subway.

On Friday, he said the common denominator in incidents is the mental health crisis on the streets.

'It's the combination of ensuring that we deal with the actual violence, but also people must feel safe in the city of New York,' Adams said.

'Three point five million people use our subway system every day. We have an average of five felony crimes on the system per day.

'But you're seeing all of this disorder, people with mental health issues, people with the shooters you're reading about.

'You begin to not only feel unsafe but you're seeing some of the violence. So that's why we have to go about it both ways, that's why we're moving in both directions.

'And guns, guns, guns, that's what's driving this problem.'

Earlier this week, Queens man Heriberto Quintana, 48, died after falling onto the tracks and being struck by a train in Jackson Heights.

The fall was the result of an argument and shoving match that ensued when he bumped into Carlos Garcia, 50, on the platform, causing him to drop his cellphone.

Garcia then demanded Quintana go get his phone and when he refused, the two began arguing in Spanish and a shoving fight ensued - causing Quintana to be pushed onto the tracks and into an oncoming train.

Garcia was arrested on Tuesday and charged with manslaughter.

Heriberto Quintana died Monday after bumping into a fellow passenger on the platform and knocking his phone onto the train tracks in Jackson Heights, Queens

Carlos Garcia, 50, was charged in the death of 48-year-old Heriberto Quintana on Monday after a tussle that led to Quintana falling onto the F train subway tracks and being hit by a train

The scuffle at the 74th street and Broadway at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue station

At the end of September, father-of-three Tommy Bailey was slashed in the neck and killed by a homeless man on the L train to Atlantic Ave Station in Brooklyn.

At the time, he was trying to intervene when Alvin Charles started harassing a female NYPD officer.

During an argument between the pair, Charles pulled out a knife and stabbed the 43-year-old steamfitter in the neck.

Police arrested Charles, who had previously faced assault charges for stabbing another man last year.

He has been walking free ever since being allowed out when a judge denied that he be held on $50,000.

Tommy Bailey, 43, was onboard the L train to Atlantic Ave Station in Brooklyn when he got into an argument with homeless passenger Alvin Charles, who was harassing a cop on September 30. The homeless man pulled out a knife and slashed Bailey in the throat

Homeless man Alvin Charles (center) was arrested and charged with Bailey's murder

Bailey's death is just one of a string of senseless murders on the subway - three of which have occurred in the first three weeks of October.

Last week, 15-year-old Jayjon Burnett was shot dead by a known gang member on a Far Rockaway A train just days before his 16th birthday.

Keyondre Russell, 18, was charged with Burnett's murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

Assistant District Attorney Christine Occhiogrosso called the murder a 'gang-related incident.'

Charles Moore, 38, and a father was stabbed in the back and chest after leaving a northbound four train in the Bronx at 10.30pm on October 6.

Saquan Lemons, 27, was arrested for allegedly stabbing Moore. The attack was random and unprovoked, according to police.

Jayjon Burnett (left) was allegedly shot by Keyondre Russell, 18, (right) days before his 16th birthday on October 14. The shooting occurred after a dispute with two groups on a Far Rockaway A train in NYC

Marcus Bethea, 24, was shot and killed at the Jamaica Center subway station in April while working as a subway card swiper

Daniel Enriquez, 48, was riding on the Q train that was heading over the Manhattan Bridge, when a gunman opened fire without warning on May 22

Michelle Alyssa Go, 49, was killed on January 15 when she was shoved onto the subway tracks on the southbound by Simon Martial

Marcus Bethea, 24, was shot and killed at the Jamaica Center subway station in April while working as a subway card swiper.

Daniel Enriquez, 48, was riding on the Q train that was heading over the Manhattan Bridge, when a gunman opened fire without warning on May 22.

The Goldman Sachs employee never took the subway, his partner Adam Pollack told DailyMail.com at the time. But an Uber to and from Williamsburg would have cost him $80. Andrew Abdullah, 25, was arrested in that attack.

Another subway brawl located at the 137 street - City College train station - on June 9 left a 14-year-old dead from a stab wound to his stomach. Police recovered a knife and broomstick thought to have been involved in the crime.

Michelle Alyssa Go, 49, was killed on January 15 when she was shoved onto the subway tracks on the southbound N/Q/R/W platform at West 42nd Street and Broadway at around 9.40am in an unprovoked attack.

Simon Martial, 61, was arrested and charged with Go's death a day later. He was sent to a psychiatric facility after prosecutors declined to challenge a mental evaluation that found him unfit to stand trial.

On New Year's Day, Roland Huston was killed after jumping onto the tracks to rescue a man who'd been attacked by a group of knife-wielding thugs. Two boys, 16 and 17, were arrested for murder and gang assault weeks later.

On New Year's Day, Roland Huston was killed after jumping onto the tracks to rescue a man who'd been attacked by a group of teenagers

Miguel Ramirez (left), 35, was arrested for an unprovoked subway attack in the Bronx

German Sabio, 26, was shoved by Ramirez into the path of a northbound 6 train at the East 149th Street Station on Saturday

Miguel Ramirez frogmarched out of a police station and into a police car Monday, days after stalking and shoving German Sabio, 26, into the path of a northbound 6 train at the East 149th Street Station on Saturday morning.

The terrifying clip of the attack shows the suspect - who cops say is Ramirez - appear wild-eyed and unhinged moments before the shove took place.

Charges are pending against Ramirez while Sabio, who was rescued by good Samaritans, suffered leg injuries.

'Wow, all I can say to be honest is to give thanks to God, so that way this guy cannot do it again to somebody else,' Sabio told NBC.

'I have to take the train when I go to work and I still remember it in my memory, that feeling, that sensation. So, knowing this guy got arrested, I feel a little more easy.'

The terrifying clip of the attack shows the suspect - who cops say is Ramirez - appear wild-eyed and unhinged moments before the shove took place.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg previously pledged to crackdown on subway crime with the introduction of a designated, train task force. However, the impacts of those are unclear.

Recent data shows subway murders have risen to their highest in 25 years, despite plummeting ridership.

Between 1997 and 2020, there were never more than five murders a year on New York City subway trains.

That number rose to six in 2020, eight in 2021 and it's already at eight with two-and-half months left of the year.

Felony crime on the subway is up by 42 percent, but ridership has almost halved.

Murders in the city are down by 14.8 percent with 341 reported in 2022 to date in comparison to 400 last year.

Overall crime in the city is up 31.1 percent with felony assaults and robbery rates remaining high.

Upon his election, Adams vowed to crack down on subway crime with the introduction of a designated train task force.

The group has not yet made a dent in the worsening crime issue.

In January, Adams also introduced his 'subway safety plan,' which put more than 1,000 extra cops per day in the city's subways.

After 10-and-a-half months of the initiative, crime in the city's underground transportation tunnels remains upwards of 40 percent higher than in the same period in 2021.
Jared Kushner and former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are set to give speeches at a Saudi investment conference, despite White House tensions with the country.

The two men will be speaking on panels at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh on October 25 and 26.

Kushner will be sitting down with former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to discuss 'peace and prosperity,' while Mnuchin will be discussing global macro-finances with several others from Saudi, Bahrain, and India.

Mnuchin has been to the conference before, including as former President Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary.

No one in Biden's administration is attending the event.

The pair are attending the conference, despite the growing tensions between the US and Saudi after Biden announced he would be reevaluating the countries' relationship following the OPEC oil production cut.

Jared Kushner (pictured) and former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are set to give speeches at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh on October 25 and 26

Mnuchin (pictured) has been to the conference before as Trump's Treasury Secretary. No Biden officials will be attending

Cutting oil production in the Middle East by 2million barrels a day is sure to push gas prices even higher before the midterm elections, and has led to claims Saudi Arabia is 'aligned' with Russia.

For months, since the US cut off exports of Russian oil and the European Union moved toward divestment, Moscow has instead been selling its product to Saudi Arabia. The Saudis keep Russian oil for their own use and then sell theirs on the world market.

The Democrats have now vowed to get tough on the kingdom for the production cut, after Biden fist-bumped Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman in Jeddah in July.

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin also accused Saudi Arabia of wanting Russia to win the war in Ukraine.

'Do you think Saudi Arabia wants Russia to win in Ukraine?' CNN's John Berman asked him.

Kushner will be sitting down with former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to discuss 'peace and prosperity,' while Mnuchin will be discussing global macro-finances with several others from Saudi, Bahrain, and India

'Yeslet's be very candid about this. It's Putin and Saudi Arabia against the United States,' he said earlier this month.

Kirby reiterated his remarks in a press briefing later on.

'The president believes that we should review the bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia and to take take a look to see if that relationship is where it needs to be and that it is serving our national security interests and he is willing to discuss this relationship with members of Congress,' he said.

Menendez, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who has veto power over foreign arms sales, said in a statement that he 'will not green light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine.'

Earlier this month, Durbin, the Senate's number two Democrat, wrote in a tweet Saudi Arabia has 'never been a trustworthy ally' and that it's time for the US to 'imagine a world without their alliance.'

Energy ministers from the OPEC cartel, whose leading member is Saudi Arabia, and allied non-members including Russia met in person at the group's Vienna headquarters last week for the first time since early 2020.

They announced production cutbacks in early October and it is the largest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just this summer, Biden made a trip to the Middle East and met with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to discuss energy security and soaring gas prices in the US to avoid a problematic handshake with the leader Biden fist bumped bin Salman.

Biden announced earlier this month that he will reevaluate the US' relationship with Saudi after the oil-rich country cut production by 2million barrels a day

The announcement boosted Russian oil prices to bankroll the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. It also thwarts the West's efforts to choke off Moscow's energy dollars.

JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon took a veiled swipe at Biden as he said the U.S. should pump more oil and gas and should have been doing so for a long time.

'In my view, America should have been pumping more oil and gas and it should have been supported,' the famed billionaire chairman told CNBC on Monday.

'America needs to play a real leadership role. America is the swing producer, not Saudi Arabia. We should have gotten that right starting in March,' he added.

Biden is also considering telling American businesses to stop expanding their ties with Saudi, according to NBC News.
An 18-year-old Queensland woman's body has been found in bushland, with police charging a 19-year-old man with her murder.

The pair, who are known to each other, met on Saturday afternoon at a car park in Strathpine, north of Brisbane, police say.

The woman from Petrie did not return home, leading to her family raising concerns.

An 18-year-old Queensland woman's body has been found in bushland, with police charging a 19-year-old man with her murder

Police tracked down the Kallangur man on Saturday evening at a service station Nambour, about an hour's drive north of Strathpine.

The woman's body was found overnight in bushland at Nambour, and the man has since been charged with murder and moving a corpse.

He is expected to face Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday.

Detectives have made an appeal for witnesses to come forward if they spotted a white 2016 Ford Mustang near Rob Ackers Sports Reserve at Bells Pocket Road in Strathpine between 4pm and 6pm and at Park Road, Nambour between 6pm and 8.30pm on Saturday.

They are also appealing for people to contact police if they saw a blue 2012, Mazda 3 near the Rob Ackers Sports Reserve between 4pm and 6pm.

Park Road resident Deborah Burgin said her dog had begun to bark at 11pm with one of them focused on the nearby bushland and creek.

'I sort of came up and thought the cat was walking past and I had a look out my shades but couldn't actually see anything,' she said.

'I saw the police car and thought someone had dumped a car at first,' she said.
Police chiefs were last night facing calls to take tougher action against eco zealots after it emerged that only a quarter of Animal Rebellions milk-pouring protesters have been arrested.

The fanatics have been causing havoc in department stores and supermarkets in recent weeks by storming in and dumping milk, demanding the Government works towards a plant-based future.

About 30 activists have targeted shops around the country. There have been protests at Harrods, Fortnum and Mason and Selfridges in London, a Waitrose store in Edinburgh and branches of M&S in Manchester and Norwich.

Spilled: Protesters in Fortnum and Mason in London earlier this month

Analysis by The Mail on Sunday identified 18 activists who took part in Londons protests.

Yet the Metropolitan Police have arrested and charged only three people.

Police in Edinburgh made no arrests despite footage of the Waitrose protest being viewed more than 14million times on Twitter.

By contrast, Norfolk officers arrested all four protesters at an M&S store in Norwich last Saturday.

The activists, who also allegedly poured milk over shop staff when they were challenged, were bailed until next month.

Critics have questioned why other forces had not taken similarly tough action.

Susan Hall, chairman of the Police and Crime Committee at the Greater London Authority, said she would seek a response from Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.

It beggars belief what these people are getting away with and I wish that they were dealt with in a far more robust way, she said.

Meanwhile, Just Stop Oil activists caused chaos on ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns doorstep yesterday.

About 20 protesters staged a sit-in on Upper Street in Islington, North London. Police arrested 17 protesters for wilful obstruction of the highway.

Last week, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly slammed Animal Rebellion fanatics as attention seeking adult-toddlers.

About 20 protesters staged a sit-in on Upper Street in Islington, North London on Friday. Police arrested 17 protesters for wilful obstruction of the highway.

Im wondering what the reaction would be if a couple of black boys from Lewisham had thrown soup on a Van Gogh or poured milk over the floor in Harrods, he tweeted.

Last night, a Met police spokesman said: In advance of protest activity, we put plans in place in relation to those sites we believe are most likely to be targeted, but it is not possible to pre-empt where every incident will occur.

'When we are alerted to incidents as they happen, we respond immediately.
The Daily Mail has led the campaign for Netflix to recognise its obligation to act

It comes after Sir John Major condemned the show as a 'barrel load of nonsense'

Three Dames of the British Empire who starred in The Crown have said Netflix must add an onscreen disclaimer making clear the royal dramas explosive storylines are fiction rather than historical fact.

The call by Dame Eileen Atkins, Dame Harriet Walter and Dame Janet Suzman, who were made DBEs for their service to drama, comes after a string of public figures have already called on the US streaming giant to act.

Last week in this newspaper, Sir John Major condemned The Crown as a barrel load of malicious nonsense. And just days ago, Dame Judi Dench branded it crude sensationalism and urged Netflix to add a disclaimer.

The call by Dame Eileen Atkins, Dame Harriet Walter and Dame Janet Suzman, who were made DBEs for their service to drama, comes after a string of public figures have already called on the US streaming giant to act

Dame Harriet Walter and Dame Janet Suzman both played roles in the hit series and have argued the series need to recognise its obligation to act

Last night, Dame Eileen, who played Queen Mary in the first series, said: My friends in America tell me that many people there think its a documentary. Mostly if you are talking about real people, you say this is fiction based on fact. I dont know why this hasnt happened with this.

Dame Harriet, who played Sir Winston Churchills wife Clementine, said: People have believed Shakespeares version of Richard III for centuries, but no one is alive to object on his behalf. By contrast, there are many people alive now who could be hurt if they thought the public might believe this.

This newspaper has led the campaign for Netflix to recognise its obligation to act.

Dame Janet, who played a literary agent in series four, said: This is clearly fiction and people must know it.

Jemima Khan,who worked on the show until severing ties with it last year over its depiction of her friend Princess Diana, said: There should be a disclaimer in all episodes.

Last week Netflix released a new trailer, accompanied by a statement online that acknowledges the drama is a fictional dramatisation.

But so far it has refused to add a similar statement on TV.

The new series, covering the premiership of John Major and the break-up of Prince Charles and Diana, is set to be the most controversial yet

The new series, covering the premiership of John Major and the break-up of Prince Charles and Diana, is set to be the most controversial yet. It includes scenes without any foundation in fact, including Charles lobbying Major for his mothers abdication  prompting Sir John to make a rare public intervention last week.

The call for a disclaimer has been backed by big names in British drama. Sir Patrick Stewart told the MoS: Dame Judis comments are absolutely on the mark. And Jenny Agutter said: Its important to make sure people are aware that they are watching a fictionalised version of real peoples lives.

Downton Abbey actress Dame Penelope Wilton said: Rumour and innuendo only cause distress and there is enough of that at the moment.

Felicity Kendal said: If this series was made about any other family, there would be a libel case in court.

And historian Lady Antonia Fraser said: I believe strongly that there is a distinction between history and fiction. It should not be blurred. Netflix should alert viewers clearly to the fact that this is fiction at the beginning of each episode. They can then proceed with their highly enjoyable [fictional] series.
It's part of a collection of random aircraft in odd places at the tourist hot spot

It's rumoured he had abandoned the project after running out of cash

Locals suggested a businessman wanted to start up a restaurant with the plane

An abandoned Boeing 737 parked in the middle of a field has been sitting there for years and is now a popular tourist attraction.

The large plane sits in a limestone quarry near the Raya Nusa Dua Selatan Highway, not far from the Pandawa beach - a tourist hub.

Some Balinese have suggested the plane was brought in as parts and reassembled there by an ambitious entrepreneur keen to get a restaurant up and running inside it.

However, it's rumoured the restauranter ran out of cash to finish the project, leaving the plane lying abandoned in the quarry.

The plane sits with runway stairs seen propped up against the front entrance.

The abandoned plane on Bali's Bukit Peninsula (pictured) has been sitting there for years and has become a popular tourist attraction

The Boeing 737 (pictured) lives out its retirement near a limestone quarry close to tourist hub Pandawa beach in Bali

The 737 in the field near a major highway (pictured) is said to have had its parts brought there and reassembled on site for a tourist attraction

The aircraft has become a tourist attraction with a travel guide saying it is hard to spot and is next to a collection of shipping containers (far left)

The aircraft has become a tourist attraction with a travel guide saying it is hard to spot and is next to a collection of shipping containers.

The enclosed plane has no identification or branding on it.

It's not the only retired Boeing 737 on the island, as other disused planes have been spotted in other parts, some used as tourist attractions.

One of them rests right next to nearby Dunkin Donuts, with its wing resting on the diner's wall.

One Boeing sits next to a Dunkin Donuts diner in Bali (pictured) 6km from Kuta Beach and was thought to be used as an event venue, or an abandoned restaurant or a plan for someone's new home

Some guessed that jet, which has no engines, was another abandoned restaurant idea or had planned to be used as a home.

It is thought to have been there since 2007 and was used as an event venue in 2018.

One other retired jet was seen on top of a cliff at Nyang-Nyang beach in 2021.

The plane was hauled to the top of a seaside cliff in Bali last year thanks to investment from Felix Demin.

Last year, Demin said he hoped the attraction would help revive the area's tourism sector, which has been badly hit when Indonesian borders were amid the Covid pandemic.

He expects it to become a popular photography spot and is planning to convert the aircraft into tourist accommodation.

The Russian entrepreneur and Bali resident told AFP that the disassembled plane was about to be sold as scrap metal to China when he purchased it.

It took a week to transport the plane's parts to the cliff after securing necessary access permits.

Demin said the project offered hope for a revival of tourism in Bali, but some social media users expressed worry that it would spoil the seaside view.

On the seaside cliffs of Nyang-Nyang beach on the Bukit Peninsula lay half a Boeing that was there to lure tourists, with plans for it to be turned into a villa (pictured, in 2021)

The Nyang-Nyang Beach attraction in Bali (pictured in 2021) shows disassembled plane parts
By Patrick MacFarlan

October 22, 2022: Information Clearing House -- As it pertains to the American public, Ukraines response to the Russian invasion can be summed up with two words: "Zelensky demands."

To date, Washington elites and their politicians have been happy to provide  at public expense  lining their own pockets in the process.

As of this writing, U.S. aid for Ukraine has reached approximately $67.5 billion, a figure greater than Russias entire 2021 military budget. According to the State Department, this support includes $15.2 billion in direct military assistance. The support comes although 60-70% of lethal aid never reaches the front lines, according to a now-redacted CBS interview with on-the-ground activists.

Not only is the American taxpayer supporting much of the Ukrainian military, it is also supporting the Ukrainian government. The same working class Americans who were deemed "nonessential" in 2020  who saw their businesses shuttered and burned down  now have to pay entitlement programs both at home and in Ukraine.

As of September 30, 2022, the US has provided $13 billion in "direct budget support," which is ostensibly used;

to pay government salaries, meet pension obligations, maintain hospitals and schools, and protect critical infrastructure[,] support continuity operations at the national, regional, and local levels, support for [sic] the health sector, agricultural production, civil society, [and enable] programs to hold Russia and its forces accountable for their actions in Ukraine.

Although American taxpayers have already matched Russias 2021 military budget, Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky only demands more. During an October 4 phone call, President Biden reviewed Washingtons latest $625 million dole to Zelensky. It includes, inter alia, 4 additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 16 155mm Howitzers, 75,000 155 mm artillery rounds, 500 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds, 16 105mm Howitzers, 30,000 120 mm mortar rounds, and 200 MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles.

This latest boon notwithstanding, in the same phone call, Zelensky urged Biden to provide Ukraine with air defense systems that will be used to shoot down Russian planes. Par for the course, Washington elites will provide the weapons systems and have even expedited their shipment per Zelenskys demand.

Much like Washingtons response to COVID-19, a no-holds-barred approach to Ukraine is so widely supported, it is a foregone conclusion. Despite this, some Republicans have valiantly opposed this rampant and provocative spending. Notable dissenters are: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MS), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA), and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

Republicans like Taylor-Greene, Gaetz, and Hawley understand the cost of empire: endless warfare, a decaying home front, and a beclowned international reputation. They understand that a war between the U.S. and Russia will be unlike anything Americans have ever experienced. Although they cloak their condemnation of war with Russia in criticism of "weak Joe Biden," they understand it is the West that provoked this conflict and seeks to prolong it "to the last Ukrainian." They know that the conflict  even if it remains by-proxy  is a cost war-weary working class Americans do not want and cannot afford.

They must, then, realize that the same Washington elites waxing American fat off the Ukraine conflict are cultivating Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as a Zelensky in-waiting.

Although US military aid to Taiwan traditionally comes by way of arms sales, that may soon change. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have introduced the Taiwan Policy Act  a piece of legislation that would radically overhaul Sino-American relations.

In short, "the Taiwan Policy Act would give Taiwan $6.5 billion in military aid, give the island the benefits of being a major non-NATO ally, expedite arms sales to Taipei, and require sanction in the event of Chinese aggression." The bill would also authorize up to $2 billion in loans to Taiwan.

On September 14, the bill passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rather than passing it as a standalone piece of legislation, the bills supporters currently seek to incorporate "much" of the bill into the $817 billion 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Thankfully, on Monday, it was revealed that the diplomatic language applying sanctions against China and designating Taiwan as a "major non-NATO ally," was removed from the NDAA version of the Taiwan Policy Act. However, this latest NDAA version would almost double the $6.5 billion in direct military aid originally proposed, bringing the grand total to $10 billion.

A final vote on the modified NDAA is expected after the November midterm elections.

As above noted, the Taiwan Policy Act was introduced in the Senate on June 16, 2022 by Senators Bob Menendez and Lindsey Graham. Both Menendez and Graham are ardent supporters of Ukraine and Zelensky.

Graham met with Zelensky in July to hand deliver a plaque of his proposed Senate resolution to designate Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Since the Russian invasion, Graham has made regular appearances on Fox News whipping up lethal aid for Ukraine while calling for regime change in Moscow.

Menendez, as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has spearheaded Washingtons Ukraine support. In January, he began and continues to lead the comprehensive US sanctions campaign against Russia. In March, Menendez lambasted Congressional Republicans, mainly Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), for undermining Ukraine aid. In May, Menendez, among others, introduced a Senate resolution approving the bids of Finland and Sweden to join NATO (something Josh Hawley correctly opposed).

On June 23 Menendez specifically invoked the 75th anniversary of the Marshall Plan to stoke support for Ukraine. The problem with this comparison is that the Marshall Plan came after WWII, not during it. At this point in time, a similar plan would only further involve the US in a conflict with Russia.

Republicans opposing US support for Ukraine should take note that both Menendez and Graham have repeatedly met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to pledge American support for Taiwan. In their latest visit on April 15, 2022, president Ing-wen called Lindsey Graham a "pillar of strength for Taiwan in the US Congress" and dubbed Menendez one of Taiwans "staunchest friends."

In his meeting remarks, Graham likened US support for Ukraine to its support for Taiwan, saying:

[a]s were here today to show our support for Taiwan, all of us have our hearts broken regarding the people of UkraineI just want to let you know that, while weve been watching the Ukraine on television, while it has broken our hearts, the American people understand how important you are to usSo heres my promise to the Taiwanese people: Were going to start making China pay a greater price for what theyre doing all over the world. The support for Putin must come with a price. The never-ending cyberattacks on your economy and your people by the Communist Chinese need to come with a price.

Menendez echoed Grahams sentiment in his own remarks, shedding light on Washingtons Ukrainian plans for Taiwan:

I am proud to be back to reaffirm our rock-solid relationship with TaiwanSo you have a high-level delegation whose attention could be brought any place in the world  and for which many of our colleagues are right now in Europe, dealing with the challenges of Ukraine  but we understand that here in Taiwan, here in this region  this is where the future is. [Emphasis added].

Menendez followed up these remarks with an op-ed in The New York Times, stating:

Vladimir Putins brutal attack on his Ukrainian neighbors has sparked global outrage  and forged unprecedented unity  among the democratic nations of the world. Not so with Xi Jinping, the hypernationalist president of the Peoples Republic of China. Rather, he is no doubt taking notes and learning lessons from Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine to apply to his plans for Taiwan. The United States and our partners in the international community need to do the same to develop and put in place a new and more resilient strategy for Taiwan while there is still time.

These remarks should terrify working class Americans. Essentially, Menendez is proposing a redoubling of military support for Taiwan  the same "preventive policy" which played a large role in provoking Putin to invade Ukraine. We simply cannot afford it.

The above-named Congressional Republicans were right to oppose aid to Ukraine. For those same reasons, they should oppose adding Tsai Ing-wen to the same dole as the entitled and ungrateful Zelensky. Like Rand Paul, they should oppose the Taiwan Policy Act in all its forms.

This originally appeared at the Libertarian Institute

Patrick MacFarlane is the Justin Raimondo Fellow at the Libertarian Institute where he advocates a noninterventionist foreign policy. He is a Wisconsin attorney in private practice. He is the host of the Vital Dissent at www.vitaldissent.com, where he seeks to oppose calamitous escalation in US foreign policy by exposing establishment narratives with well-researched documentary content and insightful guest interviews. His work has appeared on antiwar.com, GlobalResearch.ca, and Zerohedge. He may be reached at patrick@libertarianinstitute.org.
'It's as though I've had the best blow-dry of my life, and I did it myself!' Three women tried out the new Shark FlexStyle - here's what they said
Jesse Marsch has called for unity from fans after they chanted for former boss Marcelo Bielsa during Leeds' latest loss at Leicester.

The American came under fire from supporters at the King Power Stadium on Thursday night as the Whites' winless run extended to seven games.

Marsch will be in the dugout for Sunday's visit of Fulham and believes he is still backed by club owner Andrea Radrizzani.

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch has called for united at the club amid a poor recent run of form

Whites fans sang for former manager Marcelo Bielsa during their 2-0 loss at Leicester

Bielsa was sacked by the club last season amid a relegation fight despite his relative success

However, he has wants all of Elland Road to get behind his team, warning that the crowd chanting against him could have a negative effect.

'Yes, I think it does impact the players,' said the Leeds boss. 'Whether it's fair or not doesn't really matter - they can express their opinion however they want.

'The one for Marcelo Bielsa, I'm OK with that. I'm OK with the fact that Marcelo is a club legend.

Marsch's side are now above the Premier League relegation zone on only goal difference

'But we need to be unified. The fans helped us last year in tough moments so we need them now.

'We're unified from the board's perspective and from the players' perspective.

'The club and the board supported Marcelo all the way for many, many years and I can only say that I have felt that same support.'
Jesinta Franklin put her modelling skills to the test during a beachside photo shoot in Coogee, Sydney, on Monday.

The model, 31, climbed a rock before posing in a gorgeous black one-piece swimsuit at Wyllie's Baths.

She flaunted her fit physique while wearing the black piece from Australian swimwear label Seafolly.

Jesinta Franklin, 31, put her modelling skills to the test during a beachside photo shoot in Coogee, Sydney, on Monday

The former Miss Universe Australia had her newly-dyed red hair styled in a messy, ocean-swept look.

She accessorised with a gold chain necklace and several gold rings.

When she propped herself on the rock, Jesinta made the photoshoot look effortless as she posed for the camera.

Jesinta made the photoshoot look effortless as she posed for the camera. She lay on her side with her right knee crossed over her leg while her left arm supported her head

Switching positions, she then lay on her back while she brushed her fingers through her hair

She reclined on her side with her right knee crossed over her toned leg while her left arm supported her head.

She then switched positions, laying on her back while she brushed her fingers through her hair.

Her rarely seen tattoos were concealed by the swimsuit, after previously being photographed in skimpy bikinis that revealed the initials of her AFL star husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin' on her right breast.

She received the tattoo in 2015 while she was dating her now-husband.

The former Miss Universe Australia had her newly-dyed red hair styled in a messy, ocean-swept look

She accessorised with a gold chain necklace and several gold rings

The design appears to resemble a heart or infinity symbol thanks to the positioning of the letters L and F.

Also hidden in this shoot was Jesinta's small star tattoo on the side of her left breast, which she got in 2015 during a messy night out.

The former Miss Universe Australia confirmed on the Today show at the time she'd made the 'regrettable' decision to visit a tattoo parlour while drunk.

'I've woken up with a tattoo, which is probably not the best spending,' she admitted, adding: 'It was just a little star.'

Her rarely seen tattoos were concealed by the swimsuit, after previously being photographed in skimpy bikinis that revealed the initials of her AFL star husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin

Jesinta looked right in her element during Monday's photo shoot as she modelled the bikini by swimwear brand Seafolly.

The mother of two proved she was in the best shape of her life and appeared to have a blast, occasionally chatting and laughing with the crew members on location.

Jesinta rose to fame in 2010 when she was crowned Miss Universe Australia.

She married Buddy of the Sydney Swans in 2016 after four years of dating.

They are parents to daughter Tullulah, two, and son Rocky, one.

Also hidden in this shoot was Jesinta's small star tattoo on the side of her left breast, which she got in 2015 during a messy night out

The former beauty pageant queen-turned-fashion influencer recently qualified as an accredited AFL player agent.

Rumours had circulated for months that the Franklins would be moving to the Gold Coast so Jesinta could make her mark in the business world.

However, this speculation proved to be incorrect as Buddy re-signed with the Swans for another year before the AFL Grand Final last month.
His gripping memoir has been lavishly praised, not least for its unsparing portrayal of bullying at Sidcot, his Quaker boarding school, in 1970s Somerset.

But I can reveal that BBC star Justin Webb now finds himself under fire from some of his contemporaries.

In a letter to Webb's publisher  which has been copied and sent to Sidcot's current headmaster  they take issue with his description of the school as a 'place of despair' and 'a wrecker of already damaged lives' where children were 'tortured'.

Insisting that it 'is not [a portrayal] we recognise', they then allege: 'We find it incomprehensible that a renowned and experienced BBC journalist should make claims upon a school that are so grossly exaggerated, irresponsibly inaccurate and, in most cases, simply untrue.'

BBC Radio 4 star Justin Webb finds himself under fire from some of his contemporaries

The Radio 4 Today presenter, 61, is having none of it. In his book, The Gift Of A Radio, he recounts how older boys brutalised younger ones, overturning their beds at night, 'half-drowning' them in 'uniquely disgusting' lavatories in the basement, and punching them in the showers.

Now, he tells me: 'I remember one of the signatories punching me in the mouth outside the Quaker meeting house in my first term. I would have been 11 or so. He was much older. I can't remember his exact words but they were to the effect of "We can do what we like with you". And here he is, writing a letter.'

Webb adds: 'It's defamatory, saying that I've lied about the school, which is demonstrably untrue.'

To prove the point, he provides me with one of many letters of support.

'I found your observations to be spot on,' its author writes.

Webb recently returned to Sidcot at the headmaster's invitation and was delighted to find it transformed. Unlike some of his contemporaries, it would seem

Butter wouldn't melt in the mouth of Dan Walker, but the Channel 5 newsreader was once grilled by the police over a suspected robbery.

'I was coming back from a student party at a house full of dentists, and the person who owned the house had a supply of new toothbrushes and she said, 'Would you like some toothbrushes?' ' explains the former Strictly star. 'I was a poor student, so I put them in my coat pocket.'

When police saw a 'very large bulky lump' under his jacket, they said: 'What's that? We're looking for somebody who has robbed a pharmacy.'

He adds: 'They did find the perpetrator, so I escaped.'

Rejection of the week

Thelma & Louise star Geena Davis has revealed the technique she used to fend off an unwanted proposal from Hollywood icon Jack Nicholson.

She says a note was slipped under her door when she was a model and aspiring actress, urging her to phone The Shining star, now 85.

'So I said, "Hello, Mr Nicholson. This is Geena, the model. You called me?" He said, "Hey Geena. When is it gonna happen?"'

Thelma & Louise star Geena Davis has revealed the technique she used to fend off an unwanted proposal from Hollywood icon Jack Nicholson

The alleged inquiry is said to have taken her by surprise. 'I was like, 'Oh no, why didn't I realise this is what it was going to be about?'' the 66-year-old actress says.

'But then it came into my head what to say: 'Uh, Jack, I would love to. You're very attractive. But I have a feeling we're going to work together at some point in the future, and I would hate to have ruined the sexual tension between us.'

'He was like, 'Oh man, where'd you get that?' So it worked.'

She says a note was slipped under her door when she was a model and aspiring actress, urging her to phone The Shining star, now 85

Jimmy's poet love casts a spell on fans

It didn't take much for Led Zeppelin star Jimmy Page to fall for Scarlett Sabet, a poet 45 years his junior. And she's having a similarly bewitching effect on those who hear her perform.

'Sometimes I've had people come to my poetry readings who say, 'I don't normally like poetry, but that was really great', and I take that as such a compliment,' the 33-year-old tells me.

She's been going out with the guitarist, 78, for eight years and collaborated with him on a spoken-word album, Catalyst, which was released in 2019.

It didn't take much for Led Zeppelin star Jimmy Page to fall for Scarlett Sabet, a poet 45 years his junior

'I find such freedom in my work and reading books,' she says. 'Part of the magic of stories is that you go on a journey, walk in someone else's shoes and forget who you are; forget you're even a woman and lose yourself.'

Queen drummer Roger Taylor does not appear likely to follow the example of Sir Rod Stewart and rent a home for refugees. 'What a wonderful thing for him to do,' Taylor tells me at a party in London's Soho. 'He's got enough [money], ain't he? If you can afford it, it's a wonderful gesture.' Asked if he had the means to do it himself, the musician, 73, replies: 'I am a mere pauper compared to Rod.' Taylor is said to have a fortune of about 166 million.

David Dimbleby's distinguished career saw him anchor the BBC's coverage of national events for four decades, but he still has one reason for remorse ahead of turning 84 next week. 'My only regret is not having done Strictly Come Dancing five years ago when I was asked,' he admits. 'Not now  too late. Anyway, Strictly's changed,' he says on Iain Dale's Book Club podcast. He would win backing from former judge Dame Arlene Phillips, 79. She told me earlier this month that older contestants should be competing for the glitterball trophy. 'People should be dancing, even when they're 80. It is time we had an older Strictly champion.'

The smart set's talking about... Laetitia's eco-engagement

The Marchioness of Blandford, Camilla Spencer-Churchill, can look forward to moving into Blenheim Palace, Britain's only non-royal palace, set on a 2,000-acre estate in Oxfordshire.

But her younger sister, Laetitia Thorp, can expect somewhere a little more modest, albeit with unbeatable green credentials.

I hear that interior designer Laetitia, 31, has accepted a proposal from eco-homes designer Christian Evans, 31, whose firm, Arks, creates luxury properties that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Laetitia Thorp, 31, has accepted a proposal from eco-homes designer Christian Evans, 31, whose firm, Arks, creates luxury properties that reduce greenhouse gas emissions

'We're delighted,' her mother, Philippa, tells me.

She shared this picture of Laetitia, an alumna of the 43,000-a-year Millfield School in Somerset, showing off her sparkler with Christian. He'll feel at home with his future in-laws, as Laetitia's father is architect James Thorp, and her mother is an interior designer.

Camilla, 35, wed George, the Marquess of Blandford, heir to the 12th Duke of Marlborough, in 2018. The reception was held at Blenheim, where Sir Winston Churchill was born.

Heartthrob Major's wife reveals health struggles

Thrust into the spotlight by his royal duties  both at the Queen's funeral and at the Proclamation of King Charles  Major Jonathan 'Johnny' Thompson has no shortage of female admirers.

But his head won't be turned: the King's equerry, 39, has been happily married since 2010.

He and his wife, Caroline, who have a four-year-old son, are now in the seventh house of their married lives  an inevitable consequence of Johnny's duties as an officer in the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Caroline Thompson, 44, has contended with 'struggles of her own', which led her to discover how physical exercise and horses can 'greatly help mental health'

In that time, Caroline, 44, has contended with 'struggles of her own', which led her to discover how physical exercise and horses can 'greatly help mental health'.

She now has a key role with Horses4Health, which raises money for a number of equestrian charities.

Its patron is the Queen Consort, Camilla  one of Major Johnny's fans, perhaps?

Tilly refuses to get rich quick

She was a hit on Strictly Come Dancing last year, has hosted the popular children's show Matilda And The Ramsay Bunch on CBBC, and boasts a huge following on social media, but TV chef Gordon Ramsay's daughter is in no rush to become a business mogul.

There was much talk about how she could make more than 300,000 from a clothing line, book deal and other endorsements, but accounts filed this week disclose that the business she set up, Tilly Ramsay Ltd, has assets of just 431 and owes 3,405. A friend tells me the debt is not owed to external creditors.

She was a hit on Strictly Come Dancing last year but TV chef Gordon Ramsay's daughter is in no rush to become a business mogul

There's no time to waste for Tilly, 20, to make her fortune, as her fiery father has made it clear that his five children will have to make their own way in the world, despite him reputedly being worth more than 150 million.

Fox 'denied access' to son on birthday

Laurence Fox, who was dropped by his agent after making a string of social media comments that critics deemed racist, has said he's been prevented from speaking to his teenage son, who turned 14 yesterday.

The actor, 44, who played DS Hathaway in the ITV detective series Lewis, took to Twitter to highlight his separation from son Winston. 'Kids need both parents,' he declared.

The political campaigner is understood to be involved in fresh court proceedings over the custody of his two sons with ex-wife, actress Billie Piper, 40, whom he divorced in 2016.

She also has a child with her musician boyfriend Johnny Lloyd. A spokesman for Piper refused to comment.

Quote of the week

'I did all the work and my brother got all the credit'

Hollywood legend Shirley MacLaine joked that she had enjoyed an even more active love life than renowned lothario Warren Beatty, according to fellow Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville.
Strictly's Jayde Adams has said she 'laughs with trolls' who comment on her weight in order to show resilience.

The comedian, 37, who is starring on the hit BBC dancing competition, explained that she 'knew it was going to happen' so chose to tackle the offensive messages.

Speaking on BBC Sounds Woman's Hour with Krupa Padhy, Jayde discussed the comments she receives from internet trolls and added that it will 'never stop.'

Strictly's Jayde Adams, 37, has said she 'laughs with trolls' who comment on her weight in order to show resilience (pictured with professional partner Karen Hauer)

She began: 'I knew it was going to happen to me because every time I'm on TV someone comments on my weight, I just knew it was going to happen.

'I could do one of two things, I could ignore it, or I could tackle it. I found it funny, I could show people who follow me some resilience.'

Speaking of the comments she added: 'Someone wrote, this is Jayde Adam's rocking up to Strictly, with a picture of the michelin man, and I laughed!'

Smiles: Speaking on BBC Sounds Woman's Hour with Krupa Padhy, Jayde discussed the comments she receives from internet trolls and added that it will 'never stop'

Jayde continued: 'I don't want people to say stuff like that but these people want to have a reaction.'

'The most useful thing to do it to not get at them, it's to show resilience because it's never going to stop.'

It comes as Jayde took to Instagram on Sunday to share the last photo with her sister Jenna, who died in 2011 aged 26 from an inoperable brain tumour.

Brushing it off: Speaking of the comments she added: 'Someone wrote, this is Jayde Adam's rocking up to Strictly, with a picture of the michelin man, and I laughed!'

The comedian dedicated her dance on Saturday's show to her beloved sibling, admitted that she would grieve the loss for the rest of her life.

Jayde also poignantly shared pictures of the pair as they danced together in their teens as well as a shot of a young Jenna beaming for the camera.

She penned: 'Last picture we ever had together. Her love for me was so strong, Ill never ever feel unloved in my life'.

'I will grieve my loss for her for the rest of my life, it is the most important thing that has ever happened and I am beyond grateful to be able to channel my grief through creativity, thank you @bbcstrictly @karenhauer'.

Memories: It comes as Jayde (left) took to Instagram on Sunday to share the last photo with her sister Jenna (right) who died in 2011 aged 26 from an inoperable brain tumour

Emotion: She penned: 'Last picture we ever had together. Her love for me was so strong, Ill never ever feel unloved in my life'

'This is Jenna Adams everyone, she will never be forgotten. And yes she would be so proud of me, astounded @claudiawinkle said her name and very jealous Im on Strictly, we loved this show together'.

During Saturday's show Jayde spoke about the lyrics to Bette Middler's Wind Beneath My Wings which was chosen for their spectacular routine.

She said: 'The lyrics really resonate... she was two years older than me and she died 11 years ago. I didn't just lose a sister, I lost a best friend, a dance partner. This song in particular is very special to me and my family and I hope I can do it justice this week.'
BBC bosses have come under fire for allowing two Strictly stars to plug brands on social media while appearing on the show.

Actor Will Mellor posted an advert for holiday company James Villa Holidays on Instagram this week.

Pop star Fleur East earlier promoted hair brand Wella on the same platform.

BBC rules state that stars should not capitalise on their fame while appearing on programmes, but bosses have agreed that they can post if the lucrative deals are pre-existing.

Celebrities can be paid between 5,000 and 20,000 per post on social media.

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Will Mellor posted an advert for holiday company James Villa Holidays on Instagram this week - which has been criticised by previous competitors

Now previous contestants on BBC1 dance hit Strictly are furious that they were told they could not take on paid social media partnerships while appearing on the series. One told the Mail: Its very frustrating because when we are on the show we are inundated with lucrative offers from brands but we have to ask the BBC who simply just say No.

Housewives favourite Mellor, who has starred in Coronation Street and Broadchurch, urged his 380,000 followers to book a trip with James Villa Holidays.

Declaring the post an advert, he shared early bird discounts as well as the companys website. Writing alongside a photo of himself, wife Michelle McSween and their teenage children in front of a villa, Mellor, 46, said: (AD) #Throwback to a memorable family holiday and that massive pool!

I dont know about you but this change in weather has got me thinking about where to go on holiday next year and the kind of getaway I want for the kids.

Who knows, maybe a #VillaHoliday is next on the cards? James Villas has a cracking offer on at the moment too.

Previous contestants on BBC1 dance hit Strictly are furious that they were told they could not take on paid social media partnerships while appearing on the series

BBC sources said Mellors deal was pre-existing but no other posts appear on his Instagram page from before his time on Strictly.

A BBC spokesman said: Celebrity contestants taking part in Strictly declare all pre-existing commercial commitments when they sign up for the show and can continue with those commitments as long as they do not associate the programme or the BBC to their commercial activities.

Meanwhile, former Come Dancing host Angela Rippon, 78, will make a surprise appearance on the Strictly dancefloor this weekend as part of the BBCs 100th birthday celebrations.

The long-time BBC newsreader and ex-Top Gear presenter will join actress Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima for their routine to the theme tune of Come Dancing, which ran on and off from 1949 until 1998. Miss Rippon hosted the series between 1988 and 1991 and is said to be ecstatic that she has been invited on to Strictly. A source said: She is a member of the Strictly and Come Dancing family.
Matthew Perry revealed that Jennifer Aniston confronted him about his drinking in the trailer for his upcoming ABC News interview with Diane Sawyer, which was obtained by E! News.

The 53-year-old actor discussed his relationship with Friends co-star Aniston, while speaking candidly about struggling with substance abuse at the height of his fame in the early 2000s.

'At the time I should have been the toast of the town, I was in a dark room meeting nothing but drug dealers and completely alone,' Perry explained to Sawyer.

He recalled Aniston approaching him one day on set of Friends, where she bluntly revealed to the actor that she and the rest of the cast '"know you're drinking."'

Confrontation: Matthew Perry revealed that Jennifer Aniston confronted him about his drinking in the trailer for his upcoming ABC News interview with Diane Sawyer, which was obtained by E! News

'Imagine how scary a moment that was,' he told Sawyer before talking more about the Office Space star's continued support during his recovery.

'[Aniston] was the one that reached out the most,' he revealed. 'I'm really grateful to her for that.'

The trailer for the interview, which will air Friday, October 28, on ABC, came after the star detailed how his drug and alcohol addiction left him with a 2% chance of survival because the opioids caused his colon to burst and left him in a two-week coma.

Candid: The 53-year-old actor discussed his relationship with Friends co-star Aniston, while speaking candidly about struggling with substance abuse at the height of his fame in the early 2000s; seen with Aniston

Struggling: 'At the time I should have been the toast of the town, I was in a dark room meeting nothing but drug dealers and completely alone,' Perry explained to Sawyer

They knew: He recalled Aniston approaching him one day on set of Friends, where she bluntly revealed to the actor that she and the rest of the cast '"know you're drinking"'

Mathew's drug addiction revelation was revealed on Thursday during his interview with People Magazine, while he was speaking about his upcoming memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

The actor, who is best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, is now sober.

During his interview, he spoke about his decades long battle to rid himself of the disease of addiction.

Matthew had revealed that he to have 14 surgeries on is stomach and had to use a colostomy bag for nine months; he said his stomach has a number of scars from the multiple surgeries.

Support: '[Aniston] was the one that reached out the most,' he revealed. 'I'm really grateful to her for that';

Preview: The trailer for the interview, which will air Friday, October 28, on ABC, came after the star detailed how his drug and alcohol addiction left him with a 2% chance of survival because the opioids caused his colon to burst and left him in a two-week coma

His therapist told him he may have to use a colostomy bag for the rest of his life if he takes drugs again, something that keeps him from relapsing.

The actor did not disclose when he got sober but said he is 'pretty healthy' now and choose to 'count each day.'

The actor also said he had to go to rehab 15 times in a bid to get clean; his first bout was in 1997 and then again in 2001 and in 2011.

During his interview, 'The doctors told my family that I had a two percent chance to live. I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that's called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.'

Memoir: Mathew's drug addiction revelation was revealed on Thursday during his interview with People Magazine, while he was speaking about his upcoming memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing

Surgeries: Matthew had revealed that he to have 14 surgeries on is stomach and had to use a colostomy bag for nine months; he said his stomach has a number of scars from the multiple surgeries

Adding: 'I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again.'

'I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober - and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction - to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people,' Matthew said.

The actor said his alcohol addiction began when he was 24 while starring on Friends, adding that he was 'entrenched in a lot of trouble' by age 34.

Mathew revealed that at one time he was taking 55 Vicodin a day while on Friends, noting that he was down to 128 pounds but 'didn't know how to stop.'

'I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober - and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction - to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people,' Matthew said of the memoir

'Pretty healthy': The actor did not disclose when he got sober but said he is 'pretty healthy' now and choose to 'count each day'

He said that his co-stars on Friends 'were understanding' and 'patient.' During season nine, Matthew was sober; that was the year he also was nominated for Best Actor.

He played Chandler from 1994 to 2004 on Friends alongside co-stars David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.

The show aired for 10 seasons and made the stars household names.

They reunited in 2021 - the first time after 17 years since the show ended - for a reunion special.

The latest: Matthew Perry was seen for the first time since revealing he nearly died from an opioid addiction; seen on Friday in LA heading to a pickleball game

Focused: The Friends star looked healthy as he played pickleball with friends in Los Angeles on Friday

Staying active: He headed to the court with his pals and was seen taking part in a friendly game together

Perry was seen for the first time since revealing his struggles with addiction.

In photos obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, the star looked healthy as he played pickleball with friends in Los Angeles on Friday.

Mathew was seen arriving with a pal to the court, rocking a black polo shirt and shorts, adding sunglasses and sneakers.

He headed to the court with his pals and was seen taking part in a friendly game together.
Wedding bells were ringing as Brittany Hockley celebrated her sister Sheri's wedding earlier this week.

The Life Uncut podcast co-host, 35, looked stunning as she shared several photos and videos to Instagram from the special day.

Sheri tied the knot with Jay Hothi, who is of Indian descent, and the couple held a traditional Indian wedding surrounded by family members.

Brittany Hockley, 35, looked stunning as she shared several photos and videos from her sister Sheri's wedding day. Pictured together

'Today my sister and best friend got married to her best friend,' Brittany captioned her first post.

'It was full of love, culture, colour and family. It was perfect, just like them, and I cant wait to show you more.

'Sheri is the closest person to me in the whole wide world and Im just so proud.'

Brittany looked stunning in a blue lehenga for her sister's traditional Indian wedding, which was held in Australia

In another post, Brittany gushed over her sister, sharing a video of her elegant red bridal dress

Brittany looked stunning in a blue lehenga for her sister's traditional Indian wedding, which was held in Australia.

Her bright blue eyes matched perfectly with the blue hues of her bridesmaid dress.

In another post, Brittany gushed over her sister, sharing a video of her elegant red bridal dress.

'The most magical day in the world watching these two souls become one,' she wrote.

'Theres nothing you want more in life to know that those closest to you are loved, safe and happy, and I know beyond anything that Sheri, you will have the most wonderful life.'

Sheri tied the knot with Jay Hothi, who is Indian descent, and the couple held a traditional Indian wedding surrounded by family members

Brittany's bright blue eyes matched perfectly with the blue hues of her bridesmaid dress

Sheri and her husband will later host another wedding which Brittany says will be 'Scottish / Australian'.

The radio host then gave fans an update to her 'long lost lehenga' which got misplaced by Singapore Airlines, after her brother-in-law's family arranged to fly the Indian bridesmaids' dresses into Australia from overseas.

'I truly felt so special in this beautiful outfit. After getting lost on a plane from overseas my beautiful bridesmaids outfit turned up at 8pm the night before the (630am start) wedding,' she revealed.

'Im so thankful to Jays family for choosing and bringing it and grateful it made it in time so I could match my beautiful sister and brother in law on their magical day.

The radio host also gave fans an update to her 'long lost lehenga' which got misplaced by Singapore Airlines, after her brother-in-law's family arranged to fly the Indian bridesmaids' dresses into Australia from overseas

'Also extremely grateful our families could learn each others culture cant wait to show you the Scottish / Australian wedding! What a wild week.'

She concluded her post, writing, 'I hope I find this kind of love.'

Several followers praised the former reality star for sharing the beautiful photos.

'Absolutely beautiful photos.. of all of you. Embracing culture the truest love!' one user commented.

'I cant deal with these photos! So beautiful,' another wrote.

'A million times wow!! You both look absolutely stunning and I hope it was the best day ever,' one added.

A day before the wedding, Brittany revealed Singapore Airlines lost a bag containing the dresses for all the bridesmaids at Sheri's wedding.

Brittany Hockley has revealed Singapore Airlines lost a bag containing the dresses for all the bridesmaids at her sister Sheri's wedding

The suitcase containing all the outfits was misplaced by the airline and the former Bachelor star said she couldn't get in touch with them.

Brittany took to Instagram to ask if any of her followers on the Gold Coast had a sari she could borrow for the ceremony.

Fortunately it wasn't necessary to borrow a last-minute garment because the dresses ended up arriving by courier with just 11 hours to spare before the wedding.

The saga began on Monday with Brittany explaining: 'It's 1.30pm and the wedding is at 7.30am tomorrow morning and I don't have my bridesmaids dress, my sari. It's not even my wedding and I could cry.

Her sister (right) is marrying a man of Indian descent and her future brother-in-law's family arranged to fly the Indian bridesmaids' dresses into Australia from overseas. But the suitcase containing all the outfits was misplaced by the airline and she couldn't get in touch with them

Brittany later looked far more relaxed in photos from her sister's Mehndi, a pre-wedding party for the bride and her closest female friends where henna is applied to the hands and feet

'Jay's family flew in from overseas and they were bringing the saris. Singapore Airlines lost the bags. Fine, it happens.

'They said it was going to be redelivered; it hasn't. They have no contact card, I can't contact them.

'I don't know what I'm going to do. This is such a long shot, but do I have any followers on the Gold Coast that have a sari I can borrow?

'It doesn't even have to be a bridesmaid sari. I'm just trying to save my sister and her wedding.'

Brittany shared photos of Sheri having her henna completed at the pre-wedding ceremony

She went on to explain she was specifically after a lehenga, or a two-piece lehenga, and she was 'very stressed' about the situation.

Luckily, a disaster was avoided when the bag arrived at 8pm, just 11 hours before the wedding was due to start.

'Guys, my sari will be couriered and arrive at 8pm tonight,' she wrote on Instagram, before thanking her followers for their help.

'We are back on track in the nick of time. Classic Hockley behaviour.'

Brittany later looked far more relaxed in photos from her sister's Mehndi, a pre-wedding party for the bride and her closest female friends where henna is applied to the hands and feet.
Vogue announced that it will no longer work with Kanye West following a series of controversies surrounding the 45-year-old rapper.

A spokesperson for the fashion magazine told Page Six that Vogue and its editor-in-chief Anna Wintour have no intention of working with the Gold Digger rapper in the future.

The spokesperson cited West's anti-Semitic rants as well as his support for the controversial White Lives Matter movement as principle reasons why they've decided to distance themselves.

Done with the rapper: Vogue announced that it will no longer work with Kanye West following a series of controversies surrounding the 45-year-old rapper (pictured Oct. 21, 2022)

Wintour, 72, has had a long relationship with Ye, first inviting him to the Met Gala back in 2009. She was pictured last month modeling sunglasses for West's Yeezy brand.

West, who appeared on a 2014 cover of Vogue with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, recently sparked backlash and he said he would go 'death con 3 on Jewish people.'

At the time of his initial anti-Semitic tweets, West claimed that he couldn't be anti-Semitic because he believes all Black people are also Jewish.

'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,' Kanye wrote last week.

No more work: A spokesperson for the fashion brand told Page Six that Vogue and its editor-in-chief Anna Wintour have no intention of working with the Gold Digger rapper (pictured Oct. 17, 2022)

White Lives Matter: The spokesperson cited West's anti-Semitic rants as well as his support for the White Lives Matter cause as principle reasons why

Canceled: Kanye promised to 'go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE' in a shocking tweet earlier this month

He later said to Piers Morgan: ''I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt with the 'death con' [comments].

'I feel like I caused hurt and confusion. And I'm sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through, and that I used my platform where you say hurt people hurt people. I was hurt.'

The rapper and clothing designer said on Piers Morgan Uncensored that he was only referencing certain Jewish people who he believes have screwed him over.

Despite offering up the half-hearted apology, Kanye, said he 'absolutely' does not regret his comments - which resulted in a huge backlash, with some of his social media accounts being suspended and sponsorships canned.

West also stormed out of the interview mid-way through, The Sun said.

Half-hearted: He later said to Piers Morgan: ''I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt with the 'death con' [comments].

Excuses: The rapper and clothing designer said on Piers Morgan Uncensored that he was only referencing certain Jewish people who he believes have screwed him over

Formerly in the inner circle: Kanye famously appeared on the cover of Vogue with ex-wife Kim Kardashian in 2014

West sparked controversy when he wore a White Lives Matter shirt at his surprise Yeezy fashion show in Paris earlier this month.

The Donda rapper posted a photo of the long-sleeved black shirt to his Instagram on Wednesday with the caption: 'Here's my latest response when people ask me why I made a tee that says white lives matter THEY DO.'

Kanye also took to Instagram later on to troll Justin Bieber's wife Hailey, 25, after she defended Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson for criticizing his White Lives Matter shirts.

Upset: Kanye also took to Instagram later on to hit out at Justin Bieber's wife Hailey, 25, after she defended Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson for criticizing his White Lives Matter shirts

Trolling: 'Wait am I canceled again??? Justin please let me know'

West shared a screenshot of his Google results with an E! News article discussing Bieber's support for Karefa-Johnson.

'Wait Am I canceled again??? Justin please let me know,' he captioned the Instagram post.

In another scorching post he went after Hailey again, telling Justin to 'get your girl before I get mad' before hitting out at John Legend and Karefa-Johnson yet again.

'I wanna just let everybody know there was also some fashion this week also,' he started the post. 'There was a major thing called fashion week which really last a month and there were some very well done crazy overpriced clothes being shown.'

'It wasn't just about my paradigm shifting T shirt. Just kidding my tee s*** on every body's showssss nothing happened but my t shirt,' further adding, 'remember my one t shirt took alllll the attention.'

Creative: He also shared a snap of Bella Hadid getting a spray on white dress during fashion week with the photoshopped 'White Lives Matter' slogan

Attacked: Karefa-Johnson said the t-shirts were 'deeply offensive, violent and dangerous,' and Kanye attacked her for it.

Standing by their editor: Vogue instantly stood up for its editor releasing a statement which read, 'Vogue stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, our global fashion editor at large and longtime contributor. She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable' (pictured September 2022)

'Because you're all f***** programmed sheep aaaaaand those boots gab was wearing were f***** traaaasssh. But I'm sure John Legend still wants a pair. And Justin get your girl before I get mad.'

Karefa-Johnson said the t-shirts were 'deeply offensive, violent and dangerous'.

West reacted with initially scorn, ridiculing her outfits online and saying she had no understanding of fashion before walking back his comments.

He later claimed he reconciled with Karefa-Johnson on Instagram, writing, 'IM NOT LETTING PEOPLE GO TO BED THINKING I DIDN'T MEET WITH GABRIELLE AT 5 PM TODAY FOR 2 HOURS THEN WE WENT TO DINNER AT FERDIE.' Ferdie is a popular Italian restaurant in New York City.

Vogue instantly stood up for its editor releasing a statement which read, 'Vogue stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, our global fashion editor at large and longtime contributor. She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable.

'Now more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.'

Vogue is just the latest brand to cut ties with West.

Balenciaga and Gap are also reportedly done with the rapper with Balenciaga citing his racist rhetoric.
Chris Hemsworth was spending a day strolling through his home town of Byron Bay while barefoot on Friday.

The Marvel action star, 39, sported a laidback casual look in a loose black t-shirt and matching shorts.

The father-of-three added a touch of sophistication to his appearance with a $75,000 Rolex gold wristwatch and designer sunglasses.

Chris Hemsworth (pictured) was out strolling through his home town of Byron Bay while barefoot on Friday

At one point Chris scratched his stomach which briefly exposed his jaw-dropping abs.

His rarely seen forearm tattoo of the letters C-E-I-T-S was also visible at one point as the Melbourne-born actor raised his iPhone to his ear.

The letters stand for Chris, his wife Elsa and their children India, Tristan and Sasha.

The Marvel action star sported a laidback casual look in a loose black t-shirt and matching shorts

He was engrossed in a deep conversation on his phone and had a focused expression on his face.

Chris looked relieved to be spending some time to himself after wrapping up four months of hard work filming Mad Max: Furiosa.

The sighting comes after Chris' plans to build a second home on a massive 35-hectare site in Byron Bay were approved.

His rarely seen forearm tattoo of the letters C-E-I-T-S was also visible at one point as the Melbourne-born actor raised his iPhone to his ear

At one point Chris reached scratched his stomach which briefly exposed his jaw-dropping abs

He and wife Elsa Pataky were given the green light in August to build a 'celebrity guesthouse' next to their own $30million mansion.

Chris bought the land for $4.25million in 2019 and proposed $4.4million worth of works, bringing the finished property to $8.6million, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Detailed plans show the home will have two dwellings with a total of seven bedrooms.

The primary mini-mansion will include five bedrooms while the second home will have two, each with its own ensuite bathroom.
By Representative Press

Declassified U.S. State Department documents prove that MSM and the U.S. government are deceiving the public. Russia is only asking for the same kind of security that the US demands for itself.

October 22, 2022





Documents show Gorbachev was assured US wouldn't expand NATO into Central and Eastern Europe - https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/167707

Declassified documents show security assurances against NATO expansion to Soviet leaders
Olivia Wilde flaunted her toned physique while hitting the gym in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon.

The Don't Worry Darling director, 38, rocked a tight white racerback tank top styled with classic black leggings.

She arrived to the gym with a white ball cap placed atop her head of flowing light brown hair.

Fit: Olivia Wilde flaunted her toned physique while hitting the gym in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon

Clearly a big fan of the hit Showtime series Hacks, Olivia's hat featured the show's logo in red embroidery just above the bill.

Olivia strolled through the parking lot in black lace-up sneakers.

She shielded her eyes with a large pair of sunglasses and appeared to be rocking a makeup-free face.

Instead of bringing a handbag, the girlfriend of Harry Styles carried her cellphone and water bottle in hand.

Classic: The Don't Worry Darling director, 38, rocked a tight white racerback tank top styled with classic black leggings

After her workout class, Olivia emerged with her hair tied up in a bun.

Earlier this week, the actress attended the star-studded ELLE Women In Hollywood event.

She exuded elegance in a plunging black satin dress with a dramatic skirt as she strolled the red carpet at the swanky awards.

Olivia slipped her incredible figure into the plunging black satin dress, with its dangerously low-cut front flashing plenty of cleavage.

The gown flowed into a dramatic oversized skirt with a puffball bottom as Olivia posed up a storm at the glitzy ELLE party.

Glamorous! Earlier this week, the actress attended the star-studded ELLE Women In Hollywood event

Olivia was among a slew of female stars who were honoured at ELLE's Women In Hollywood event, with the actress taking to the stage after being lauded for her filmmaking style in a male-dominated industry.

She said: 'Wow. I've learned so much from all of you tonightmostly that there are apparently other covers with other women on them. Which is a real curveball.

'I was so honoured and, frankly, shocked that you all showed up for my cover party, but this makes more sense. It tracks; it's fine.

'I've known some of you for a really, really long time, I believe it's been 20 minutes. Some of you I could've even met when I was a casting assistant; I was the one who over-served you coffee for three hours and then told you we had no bathroom or parking validation. Sorry about that.

'You were great; we just went another direction. So, for those of you I've known forever, hi again. Still me. For those of you I haven't met yet, it's a pleasure. I am Olivia, member of the Sigourney sisterhood.

Gorgeous: She exuded elegance in a plunging black satin dress with a dramatic skirt as she strolled the red carpet at the swanky awards

Honoree: Olivia was among a slew of female stars who were honoured at ELLE's Women In Hollywood event, with the actress taking to the stage after being lauded for her filmmaking style in a male-dominated industry

'I was an actress who started producing and then finally got the courage to start directing, and I wouldn't have started any of it at all if I knew Twitter would be invented.

'But here I am. It's a real thrill to have what is undeniably the greatest job on the planet.

'I'm here tonight because the wonderful Nina Garcia did me the honor of adding me to a truly extraordinary list of women who have not only inspired me foreverforeverbut who forged the very shape of this industry through their hard work, bold choices, and resilience.

'I am gobsmacked by this moment. I am deeply grateful for the support that it represents. These opportunities like tonight, to gather as women, are crucial. They're extremely impactful.

'They offer us a chance to look into each other's eyes and say, ''Keep going.'' Because, let's face it, it's not always easy to keep going.

Proud: 'I was so honoured and, frankly, shocked that you all showed up for my cover party, but this makes more sense. It tracks; it's fine,' she said during her speech

'In fact, sometimes it's tempting to excuse ourselves from the burning hellfire of the misogyny that defines this business and say, ''Good night, good luck, I'd rather eat glass for a living.''

'But we won't let each other give up. Recently, I've had several opportunities to personally experience this power of encouragement from other women in this business.

'It often takes the form of a tight grip of your shoulders and an intense stare into your eyes and a defiant ''Do not let them f**k with you.'' And it's always really tempting to reply, ''Well, if I didn't know things were bad before, I do now.'' Just kidding; it's always very much appreciated.

'But, you know, these moments are profound. Because they're maybe our most honest acknowledgement of a constant battle we are all fighting, in which we are allies.

'Relying on each other not to fall back and stop advancing because we are up against a seriously massive force of opposition that has, for centuries, tried to rein us in. If one of us steps back, we all step back.

'So, no matter how much the patriarchy relies on us to cut each other down in order to weaken our collective power, we have to resist the urge to play by their self-serving rules.

She added: 'But here I am. It's a real thrill to have what is undeniably the greatest job on the planet'

United: Olivia then vowed that women should continue to support one another, because they are up against 'a seriously massive force of opposition' (pictured with Jameela Jamil)

'Remind the world and specifically our daughters that we aren't so easily manipulated. So this evening, here tonight, thanks to Nina and to everyone at ELLE, this is one of those moments. I feel energised by you all, and I feel motivated to keep fighting through the hellfire.

'In some ways, the challenges are all a part of it, right? Real badges of honor, par for the course.

'Let's face it: You are not a woman in Hollywood until you've begged to be placed into a medically induced coma until your press tour is finished. Until then, you are just a woman residing in or around the Hollywood area.

'I love my life. I love my job. What more could I ask for except to be the only cover, but that's another conversation I'll have with Nina privately. Thank you so much. I'm deeply honoured.'

Olivia's outing comes amid her nasty custody battle with Jason Sudeikis, 47, and reports that she is preparing to move across the Atlantic to live with her boyfriend Harry Styles, 28, 'full-time.'

'Harry and Olivia are completely committed to each other and want to spend as much time together as possible,' a source recently told The Sun.

Yikes: Olivia's outing comes amid her nasty custody battle with Jason Sudeikis, 47, and reports that she is preparing to move across the Atlantic to live with her boyfriend Harry Styles, 28, 'full-time'; the former couple seen in 2012

Committed: 'Harry and Olivia are completely committed to each other and want to spend as much time together as possible,' a source recently told The Sun; Olivia and Harry seen in September

The Booksmart Director and the pop megastar have been caught in a whirlwind romance ever since meeting on the set of their recent hit Don't Worry Darling  a film which Wilde directed, with Styles starring as her male lead.

Wilde is currently embroiled in a bitter custody dispute with her former fiance Jason Sudeikis.

The filmmaker and Ted Lasso star have occasionally waged war in public, with Wilde lashing out at Sudeikis in the press after being served with custody papers on stage in front of 4,000 industry executives.

'It was my workplace,' Olivia said of the embarrassing incident in an interview with Variety. 'It was really upsetting. It shouldn't have been able to happen.'

The mother of two went on to add that she viewed the painful moment as 'something that required forethought' and hit back at Sudeikis in a more direct manner. 'There's a reason I left that relationship,' she said.

Olivia and Jason share two children together  a son named Otis Alexander, eight, and daughter Daisy Josephine, six. Olivia has been spotted touring a school in the UK, reportedly as a potential option for her children if and when they make the move overseas.

'The kids are always her first priority,' The Sun's source continued, 'so basing them in the UK is a viable option for their future, given she sees that with Harry, who wants to stay in London.'

A move to London may be one of the few things that Olivia and Jason can agree on as he spends a considerable amount of time in the city to film Ted Lasso.
Cancelled reality series The Real Housewives of Sydney is getting a reboot but only two of the original cast members have signed on.

Producers could only convince property developer Krissy March and beauty queen Nicole Gazal to return for the revival leaving several empty spaces.

The search is now on to sign other high-profile Sydney socialites and businesswomen to the series.

Cancelled reality series The Real Housewives of Sydney is getting a reboot but only two of the original cast members have signed on. Pictured: The 2017 cast

PR Queen Roxy Jacenko and Joh Bailey Hair co-founder Marilyn Koch are said to be strong contenders.

Roxy was previously approached by the show in 2017 but turned it down and later said the cast were too 'mean' to each other.

When contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment, Roxy said her appearance would be 'good TV'.

Producers could only convince property developer Krissy March (centre) and beauty queen Nicole Gazal (third from right) to return for the revival leaving several empty spaces

Daily Mail Australia also understands that Sydney socialite Christa Billich is also keen on making the cut - and has no qualms about going head-to-head with Roxy.

Original housewife Victoria Rees told The Sydney Morning Herald she was in talks with producers about potentially returning until her 19-year-old son urged her not to because it is 'embarrassing'.

Foxtel is reported to have exercised their option rights with franchise owner NBC Universal to prevent the format being snapped up by a competitor.

The search is now on to sign other high-profile Sydney socialites and businesswomen to the series with PR Queen Roxy Jacenko (pictured) said to be a strong contender

RHOS first aired on Foxtel in 2017, but it never made it to air in the U.S. after network executives at Bravo deemed it too extreme.

'A lot of the women in this show were nasty for nastys sake and had no redeeming features,' Foxtel's head of television Brian Walsh admitted at the time.

The series was cancelled after one season in early 2019.
He's known for his role in a slew of wacky comedies, including 2004 hit White Chicks.

And Marlon Wayans has now explained that we 'need' these kind of movies in the world, as he struck down on 'cancel culture'.

The actor, 50, claimed 'we can't laugh anymore' while discussing the 18 years since White Chicks' release, explaining that he won't change his ways or jokes.

'We can't laugh anymore': Marlon Wayans, 50, has hit back at cancel culture as he claims that movies such as White Chicks are 'needed'

Talking to Buzzfeed in a recent interview, Marlon shared that he would rather tell a joke and be 'cancelled' than be scared to tell a punchline.

When asked by the publication if White Chicks could thrive now, 18 years after its release and among stricter censorship, the actor said this kind of movie is 'needed'.

'I don't know what planet we're on, where you think people don't need laughter, and that people need to be censored and cancelled.

'If a joke is gonna get me cancelled, thank you for doing me that favour. It's sad that society is in this place where we can't laugh anymore,' he explained.

On-screen: Marlon starred in cult classic White Chicks alongside brother Shawn - with the pair portraying FBI agents who go undercover as cruise line heiresses (pictured in the film)

Needed: When asked by the publication if White Chicks could thrive now, he shared: 'I don't know what planet we're on, where you think people don't need laughter, and that people need to be censored and cancelled' (pictured in the film)

Marlon starred in White Chicks alongside brother Shawn, as the pair portrayed two FBI agents who went undercover as cruise line heiresses, in order to stop the real women getting abducted.

The film, which was directed by his brother Keenan, has been marked as a popular cult classic - despite a rocky release and 'worst picture' Razzie nomination back in 2004.

But throughout the years, there has been some controversy of its racial undertones as Marlon and Shawn's characters dress up with whiteface make-up.

Continuing: 'If a joke is gonna get me cancelled, thank you for doing me that favour. It's sad that society is in this place where we can't laugh anymore'

Telling Buzzfeed he has faith in his withstanding audience not to change what he does, Marlon said: 'These scared-a** people, these scared executives. Y'all do what you want to do? Great. I'm still gonna tell my jokes the way I tell them.

'And if you want to make some money, jump on board. And if not, then I'll find a way to do it myself. I know my audience.

Marlon has recently starred in new release The Curse of Bridge Hollow, with the role seeing him move from comedy and raunchy releases to a PG flick.

Admitting that the change comes as 'it's time to grow up', the star explained that as a parent he now thinks what he'd like to see with his family.

One of ten children in the famous Wayan clan, the actor shares two children, Shawn, 20 and Amai, 22, with his ex, Angela Zackery.

Family life: The actor shares two children, Shawn, 20 and Amai, 22, with his ex, Angela Zackery (pictured with both in the early 2000s)
Stormzy has revealed that he is willing to forgive his father for abandoning his family when he was younger and wishes to reconnect with him in a candid new interview.

Speaking to Louis Theroux on his new interview series, the rapper, 29, - who was raised by his single mother Abigail - said his father is now 'really sorry for the mistakes he made'.

In the wide-ranging chat, the Croydon-based star also revealed he was stabbed in his youth after getting involved in knife crime and he escaped the gang world via music.

Honest: Stormzy has revealed that he is willing to forgive his father for abandoning his family when he was younger and wishes to reconnect with him in a candid new interview

In the chat, he told how he is learning to tackle his resentment towards his father after he left his family to start and started another one - before coming back into his life to ask for money amid his rise to fame.

In exclusive quotes obtained by The Sun, he said: 'It's very right that I hold this pain because of what he's done, with him not being there.

'He's a flawed man, his mistake was a big one, but I know he's really sorry and he's reached out through my mother and my sisters.

Difficult: Speaking to Louis Theroux on his new interview series, the rapper, 29, - who was raised by his single mother Abigail (pictured together) - said his father is now 'really sorry for the mistakes he made'

'I am going to speak to him  I now have the power to say, "I forgive you".'

Stormzy also discussed his youth in South London, explaining that he was 'stabbed a few times' and had to be hospitalised for his injuries.

He also recalled the time he ended up in court charged with possession of a weapon before turning his life around with the help of his love for music.

He spoke about gang culture in general, saying it more often than not leads to injury, death or jail - after seeing many of his friends go down dangerous routes and end up dead due to knife crime.

Life: In the wide-ranging chat, the Croydon-based star also revealed he was stabbed in his youth after getting involved in knife crime and he escaped the gang world via music

He added that lots of his friends from his past now suffer with severe mental health problems due to their complicated pasts.

Elsewhere in the chat, Stormzy reflected on his painful split from his ex-girlfriend Maya Jama as he opened up about their relationship.

He admitted to making mistakes during their four year relationship but revealed he has since grown.

The couple, who split in 2019, have remained friends, despite Stormzy previously confessing to 'disrespecting' and being 'inconsiderate' towards her.

Opening up: Speaking to Louis Theroux on his new interview series, the rapper also discussed his youth in South London, explaining that he was 'stabbed a few times' and had to be hospitalised for his injuries

The musician spoke candidly to Louis, 52, and admitted that he had learned some tough lessons following their split.

Stormzy went on to hint at mistake that he made during his four-year relationship with Maya, adding that he never wished to feel that way again.

The notoriously private couple dated for four years but in 2019 were said to have ended their relationship in order to focus on their careers.

A representative for Maya confirmed the breakup to MailOnline at the time, with the Radio 1 DJ said to have already moved out of the rapper's home.

Maya's representative told MailOnline: 'I can confirm the relationship has ended and Maya has separated from Stormzy.'

It's not the first time that Stormzy has spoke of his relationship with Maya, having declared that he still loves her 'wholeheartedly' and wants to marry and have children with his ex-girlfriend in the future.

In 2020, he admitted he has 'never loved anyone how I've loved her' in a new YouTube interview with Charlamagne tha God.

The past: Elsewhere in the chat Stormzy reflected on his painful split from his ex-girlfriend Maya Jama as he opened up about their relationship (pictured in 2017)

'She's a f***ing G, bro,' the grime star said of his ex. 'I love her wholeheartedly. I've never loved anyone how I've loved her.'

The radio host asked if he thought the pair could ever reconcile, to which he responded: 'I would love for that to happen but I don't know...

'I would love to be the man who she needs, I would love to do all the things that make this work. I want to marry her, I want to have her children.'
She's in Barcelona to shoot her new TV series Land of Women.

But Eva Longoria proved her most important role was motherhood on Friday as she doted on son Santiago during a break from filming in the Spanish city.

The actress, 47, was seen giving her four-year-old boy a kiss and a cuddle before carrying him down the street during an outing with her mother Ella Eva Mireles and her sister.

That's my boy: Eva Longoria proved her most important role was motherhood on Friday as she doted on son Santiago during a break from Land of Women filming in Barcelona

Eva cut a casual figure, donning a plain white T-shirt which she teamed with a pair of slouchy pale grey joggers and white trainers.

The star draped a small black leather phone case/wallet with gold detailing from Bandolier across her middle while carrying a blue children's backpack - no doubt filled with her son's essentials for the day.

Paring back her usual Hollywood glam look, the Desperate Housewives favourite went make-up free, leaving her brunette locks to loosely fall about her shoulders.

Sweet: The actress, 47, was seen giving her four-year-old boy a kiss and a cuddle before carrying him down the street during an outing with her mother Ella Eva Mireles and her sister

Eva was every inch the doting mother as she carefully cradled her son, whom she shares with husband Jose Baston, during the walk.

However, she proved that she too needed her mother as she was seen sweetly holding Ella's hand as they strolled side-by-side.

Days earlier, Eva stood out in eye-catching yellow trousers as she filmed scenes for Land of Women alongside a handsome co-star.

Apple TV+ are creating Land of Women, which is inspired by award-winning author Sandra Barneda's bestselling novel of the same name.

Off-duty look: Eva cut a casual figure, donning a plain white T-shirt which she teamed with a pair of slouchy pale grey joggers and white trainers

Motherhood: Eva was every inch the doting mother as she carefully cradled her son, whom she shares with husband Jose Baston, during the walk

The series announced that they will create six episodes and will be shot in both Spanish and English.

Eva will play Gala, a New York empty nester whose life is turned upside down when her husband implicates the family in financial improprieties, and she is forced to flee the city alongside her ageing mother and college-age daughter.

The three woman hide in a wine town in Spain, after her husband vanishes, as they escape the dangerous criminals Gala's husband has debt with.

The Spanish town where the family fled, Gala's mother previously had been their 50 years ago and vowed to never return.

Gossip starts to spread around the small town and the families secrets and truths start to unfold.
Michael J. Fox cut a dapper figure on Friday as he headed to dinner at Giorgio Baldi restaurant in Santa Monica.

The actor, 61, dressed to impress in an electric blue blazer as he headed inside the Italian eatery with support from a pal.

Michael, who went public with his Parkinson's disease in 1998 - seven years after his diagnosis at age 29, teamed his jacket with a smart blue patterned shirt.

Looking sharp: Michael J. Fox cut a dapper figure on Friday as he headed to dinner at Giorgio Baldi restaurant in Santa Monica

He added black trousers and brown trainers to his look, while his friend who assisted him carried a cane, presumably for the star.

Parkinson's disease affects the body's nervous system and causes tremors, muscular rigidity and loss of balance. Medication can help control the symptoms but there is no cure.

Michael, who wore black-rimmed glasses, appeared in good spirits, as he made his way down the street ahead of his meal.

Earlier this month, Michael had an emotional reunion with his Back To The Future co-star Christopher Lloyd, almost 40 years after the sci-fi fantasy film saga was released, reuniting to talk of their previous adventures.

Dinner outing: The actor, 61, dressed to impress in an electric blue blazer as he headed inside the Italian eatery with support from a pal

Christopher and Michael who played Doc Brown and Marty respectively, sat in the Javit's Centre in New York for the Comic Con festival to join in on the panel conversation about the film trilogy.

Michael's health has been the topic of many fans' concern since his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease back in 1991.

It was evident that the degenerative disease was taking its physical toll on Michael's body as he was seen staggering as he walked on stage at Comic Con.

Taking to the stage to thousands of Back To The Future fans in New York, Canadian-American actor Michael recounted how he and Emmy-award-winning Christopher, 83, met for the first time.

Doc and Marty go Back To The Future! Earlier this month, Michael had an emotional reunion with his Back To The Future co-star Christopher Lloyd, almost 40 years after the sci-fi fantasy film saga was released

Back in the day: Michael (left as Marty) and Christopher (right as Doctor Emmett Brown) starred in the Back To The Future franchise since the 1980s

'The best part of this movie was working with Chris,' he said, also adding that he found it 'fun' working with Chris 'because he's just genius'.

He also said that the pair had an 'immediate chemistry' - while Lloyd called Fox the 'King of Exposition'.

But despite the rigidity and slowness in movement as he continues to experience the advances stages of the illness, he seemed in good spirits as he gave a cheery wave to the thousands of fans who gave him and Christopher Lloyd a standing ovation.

The pair also shared a heartfelt embrace - and Lloyd held his friend and former co-star as he hunched into his arms.

Reunited: Christopher and Michael who played the Doctor and Marty respectively, sat in the Javit's Centre in New York to join in on the panel conversation about the film trilogy

In June, the star shared how his illness impacted his acting career and the type of projects he now takes.

While appearing on Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out podcast he admitted that remembering lines has become harder since he was first diagnosed.

'When I did the spinoff from The Good Wife, which is The Good Fight, I couldn't remember the lines. I just had this blank, I couldn't remember the lines,' he stated.

Team: Christopher and Michael J. Fox made up the iconic duo of Doc Brown and Marty McFly

The Canadian star revealed that he didn't struggle with his lines when he was younger, as he reminisced on his role on Family Ties, an NBC sitcom that he starred on from 1982 to 1989.

'I'd go, "I'm in. Mallory, get off the phone." And I knew it, like in an instant, and it continued to be that way for me,' the actor said.

'I have 70 pages of dialogue on a [Brian] De Palma movie, and knowing that a hugely expensive Steadicam shot depends on me knowing the lines  not a trickle of sweat on my brow,' he added, referring to the 1989 film Casualties of War, where he starred alongside Sean Penn.

Fox admitted that he no longer take projects with a lot of lines: 'I can't remember five pages of dialogue. I can't do it,' he said. 'So I go to the beach.'
Yazmin Oukhellou sent temperatures soaring while putting on a very busty display in her Instagram Story on Saturday, during her sun-soaked Marbella getaway.

The TOWIE star, 28, exposed her ample cleavage in a plunging black shirt, which she combined with coordinating trousers and a leather Chanel handbag.

Having flawlessly applied a full face of make-up, she smouldered up a storm while posing for the eye-popping mirror selfie in her bathroom.

Hot stuff: Yazmin Oukhellou sent temperatures soaring while putting on a very busty display in her Instagram Story on Saturday, during her sun-soaked Marbella getaway

Just the day before, Yazmin flashed her legs and pert bottom in a tight black gym shorts and bra top co-ord as she was pictured out-and-about on the Spanish island.

The reality star took to Instagram on Monday to share details of her tumultuous mental health battle, in support of World Mental Health Day.

She detailed her recovery from the traumatic crash which killed her boyfriend Jake McLean earlier this year, describing it as the 'lowest I've ever been in my life'.

Yazmin accompanied the post with a video from her time in hospital as she recovered from the harrowing ordeal, during which she severed an artery and a nerve in her right arm.

Wow! The TOWIE star, 28, exposed her ample cleavage in a plunging black shirt, which she combined with coordinating trousers and a leather Chanel handbag

Looking good: Having flawlessly applied a full face of make-up, she smouldered up a storm while posing for another eye-popping selfie

World Mental Health Day takes place on October 10 each year internationally, dedicated to global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.

And joining in to support the day, Yazmin's video showed her in hospital with her arm in a cast, golding her hand over her face as she appeared in a low state.

She explained that the video was taken by her mum Lisa, who filmed her daily while in hospital to send to her dad Hamid as updates on her recovery.

Playing Ariana Grande's 'Keep Breathing' over the video, the reality star shared that while she wasn't aware that the videos were being taken - she's glad to look back on them.

Out of this world: Just the day before, Yazmin flashed her legs and pert bottom in a tight black gym shorts and bra top co-ord as she was pictured out-and-about on the Spanish island

Penning: 'Last week my mum shared this video with me which she sent to my dad during my time in hospital as she updated him daily. I was unaware it was being taken at the time but am glad I have this to see just how far I've come.'

Encouraging her followers that they can 'get through anything', Yazmin detailed her mental health struggle following the crash.

'This was me at the lowest I've ever been in my life. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. I'm sharing this today not only for World Mental Health Day but to also show you that with the right help and support you can and will get through anything.

'Something I've struggled with since the accident is people saying they feel bad sharing their problems with me as they seem small or silly in comparison. But no matter how big or small something is, if it bothers you or makes you upset, it's a problem and it is important.'

'It was the lowest I've ever been in my life': It comes after Yazmin detailed her mental health battle as she shared a video from her hospital recovery following the fatal Turkey crash which killed boyfriend Jake McLean

Urging her 740K followers to 'share your feelings', the star continued that she has had some 'really awful days' following the crash, but remains positive.

'I want to encourage you all to talk more. Journal more. Share your feelings. & MOST importantly when you feel this way take a moment to just BREATHE. Trust me it helps. I want you to live each day as positively as you can & appreciate the little things.

'Since the accident I have some really awful days but I try to put a brave face on and post something positive. On my worst days you simply won't hear from me at all.

'But World Mental Health Day has got me thinking that maybe I should be more real on here and share those times too which is why I have shared this today.'

Awful: Jake was killed when his blue Mercedes E class saloon crashed, while Yazmin was left with serious injuries after she had to break her own arm to escape the wreckage as Jake was in the driving seat unconscious

Concluding: I had days where I didn't think I'd ever feel normal again. We all struggle at some point in our lives and we can all help each other a little more. Let's be a bit kinder.

'So today I want you to take a few minutes and think about YOU and your mental health. Ask yourself am I okay? Really? If the answer is no or if there's even a slight hesitance I'd encourage you to speak to someone (a medical professional, family, friend or helpline).

'I have therapy once a week now with an amazing lady called Sandra. She has truly changed my life. I'm so proud of how far I've come and you all should be too. If your going through something awful right now just know you are loved and it won't last forever. Love Yaz #worldmentalhealthday'

An array of comments came in from friends of fans of Yazmin, with stars such as Ella Rae Wise and Coco Lodge encouraging; 'You've got this'.

Opening up: The reality star shared that while she wasn't aware that the videos were being taken - she's glad to look back on them

Yazmin has now returned to social media after the horrific ordeal in Bodrum, which took place on July 3.

Jake was killed when his blue Mercedes E class saloon crashed, while Yazmin was left with serious injuries after she had to break her own arm to escape the wreckage as Jake was in the driving seat unconscious.

The crash took place at around 4.30am and investigators have established that the car hurtled around 70 feet over a left turn bend and landed in a ravine almost 30 feet below.

His on-off lover Yazmin was left with serious injuries after she had to break her own arm to escape the wreckage while Jake was in the driving seat unconscious.

Parents She explained that the video was taken by her mum Lisa, who filmed her daily while in hospital to send to her dad Hamid as updates on her recovery (pictured with her dad Hamid)

Jake was pronounced dead at the scene while Yazmin was rushed to hospital, where she underwent treatment for her injured arm.

After the crash, she clambered through thick, thorny bushes to stop a passing motorist for help.

She has told of how she is still coping with post traumatic stress following her return to the UK.

If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
Charlotte Crosby has finally built bridges with her former Geordie Shore co-star Chantelle Connelly, after the pair were embroiled in an awkward 'feud' back in 2016.

The reality star, 32, was left devastated as Chantelle, who appeared on one season of the show, grew close to Gary Beadle - at the same time Charlotte was suffering an ectopic pregnancy with his baby.

But putting the past aside, the two now-mothers found common ground during this weeks episode of Geordie Shore: The Reunion.

Made up: Charlotte Crosby has finally ended her six-year 'feud' with Geordie Shore co-star Chantelle Connelly during the new reunion series

The episode, in which original members of the show reconciled years after originally shooting to fame together, saw Charlotte and co-stars such as Holly Hagan, Sophie Kaseai, James Tinsdale and Chloe Ferry all holidaying in Portugal.

And to their surprise, Marbella-based Chantelle also flew out to join in on the fun, making a shock entrance a day after everyone had arrived.

As the mother-of-one stepped in the house, Charlotte told co-stars: 'Someone's here, I can hear someone.'

Reunion! The episode, in which original members of the show reconcile years after originally shooting to fame together, saw Charlotte and co-stars such as Holly Hagan, Sophie Kaseai, James Tinsdale and Chloe Ferry all holidaying in Portugal when Chantelle joined

Surprise! Chantelle, who is now based in Marbella and a mother of one, shocked the house as she entered 24 hours later than the rest of the group

Before saying to the camera: 'I'm not gonna lie, I was secretly hoping that Chantelle wouldn't turn up, she went with Gary when I was at my lowest, I just don't need the awkwardness.'

The pre-recorded scenes then showed the pair greet one another, with Chantelle asking at-the-time pregnant Charlotte: 'What's your hormones like?'

'They're alright but I'm just tired,' admitted the In The Style Ambassador.

As Chantelle related: 'I know the feeling, I was a crazy b***h, psycho when I was pregnant.'

Awkward: 'I'm not gonna lie, I was secretly hoping that Chantelle woulnd't turn up, she went with Gary when I was at my lowest, I just don't need the awkwardness,' said Charlotte of Chantelle's arrival

Back in the day: Charlotte and Chantelle back in 2016 during their time on Geordie Shore (L-R) Charlotte Crosby, Holly Hagan, Chloe Etherington, Chantelle Connelly, Marnie Simpson, Sophie Kasaei Aaron Chalmers, Nathan Henry, Scotty T, Marty McKenna, James Tindale and Dan Thomas

And later during the holiday, the pair finally addressed their tension as Chantelle said: 'Me and you haven't really spoke.Gary.'

'You didn't know this but when you got with him, it was when I just went through me ectopic pregnancy,' explained Charlotte.

She continued: 'It's not even you that I'm hurt at, it's Gary and I'm glad that you're here as I'd like to start a friendship and maybe feel a lot closer than what we did before.'

'Right, well I'm really, really remorseful. I apologise,' admitted Chantelle.

Horrible ordeal: Back in 2016, Charlotte was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend Gary's child, when she started to suffer excruciating pain - leading to the ectopic pregnancy that she has previously revealed 'almost killed me' (Gary pictured in 2012 on Geordie Shore)

Congrats! But six years on, Charlotte welcomed her first baby girl this week via Caesarean-section with boyfriend Jake Ankers - sharing a slew of sweet snaps from the delivery to Instagram

Sharing that it was difficult to talk about, Charlotte said in a piece to camera: 'It's quite hard to tell Chantelle what I was going through at the time she was getting with Gary.

'It was a really sad and low and dark time of my life.'

Back in 2016, Charlotte was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend Gary's child, when she started to suffer excruciating pain - leading to the ectopic pregnancy that she has previously revealed 'almost killed me'.

She had to undergo emergency surgery to have her damaged fallopian tube removed, admitting her fear of never being able to have children.

But six years on, Charlotte welcomed her first baby girl via Caesarean-section with boyfriend Jake Ankers - sharing a slew of sweet snaps from the delivery to Instagram.
Kanye West is reportedly plotting to build a network of tiny planned cities called the 'Yecosystem' and has already filed copyright applications for it.

The 45-year-old, whose nicknames include Yeezy, is trying to trademark the words 'Yeezyverse,' 'Yzyverse' and 'Yxyverse' for the project, according to Rolling Stone.

He hopes for each city to be able to sustain itself, with its own branded homes, shops, schools, news outlets and production houses.

Incoming?: Kanye West is reportedly plotting to build a network of tiny planned cities called the 'Yecosystem' and has already filed copyright applications for it

Each of his cities is also to include such essentials as a beauty shop and a healthcare system, the magazine reported this week.

Kanye is said to have been developing the idea for some time now, suggesting it may has been percolating since before his scandalous new antisemitism row.

'He comes from a good place. Its definitely his goal that everything that people touch thats his is a good thing and has a good impact on the world,' said a source.

Based on the trademark application, the massive undertaking will see towns built all over the United States beginning next year.

Looking ahead: The 45-year-old, whose nicknames include Yeezy, is trying to trademark the words 'Yeezyverse,' 'Yzyverse' and 'Yxyverse' for the project, according to Rolling Stone

News of the 'Yecosystem' comes after it was reported that resellers of his Yeezy sneakers are nervous about the potential fallout of his anti-semitic comments and his 'White Lives Matter' shirts.

The resellers are apparently waiting to see whether Adidas will sever ties with him, as it is rumored they might, and whether Kanye's fanbase will let his remarks go.

One of the other factors the resellers will weigh is how Kanye's public will respond of he puts out more music or merchandising, TMZ reports.

The sneakers will stop being mass-produced if Adidas parts ways with Kanye - and if Adidas stays with him but the public does not, the shoes will sink in market value.

Wary: News of the 'Yecosystem' comes after it was reported that resellers of his Yeezy shoes are nervous about the potential fallout of his anti-semitic comments

Meanwhile Vogue recently announced that it will no longer work with Kanye following a series of controversies surrounding him.

A spokesperson for the fashion magazine told Page Six that Vogue and its editor-in-chief Anna Wintour have no intention of working with the Gold Digger rapper in the future.

The spokesperson cited West's anti-Semitic rants as well as his support for the controversial White Lives Matter movement as principle reasons why they've decided to distance themselves.

Done with the rapper: Vogue announced that it will no longer work with Kanye West following a series of controversies surrounding the 45-year-old rapper (pictured Oct. 21, 2022)

Wintour, 72, has had a long relationship with Ye, first inviting him to the Met Gala back in 2009. She was pictured last month modeling sunglasses for West's Yeezy brand.

West, who appeared on a 2014 cover of Vogue with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, recently sparked backlash and he said he would go 'death con 3 on Jewish people.'

At the time of his initial anti-Semitic tweets, West claimed that he couldn't be anti-Semitic because he believes all Black people are also Jewish.

'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,' Kanye wrote last week.

No more work: A spokesperson for the fashion brand told Page Six that Vogue and its editor-in-chief Anna Wintour have no intention of working with the Gold Digger rapper (pictured Oct. 17, 2022)

White Lives Matter: The spokesperson cited West's anti-Semitic rants as well as his support for the White Lives Matter cause as principle reasons why

Canceled: Kanye promised to 'go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE' in a shocking tweet earlier this month

He later said to Piers Morgan: ''I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt with the 'death con' [comments].

'I feel like I caused hurt and confusion. And I'm sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through, and that I used my platform where you say hurt people hurt people. I was hurt.'

The rapper and clothing designer said on Piers Morgan Uncensored that he was only referencing certain Jewish people who he believes have screwed him over.

Despite offering up the half-hearted apology, Kanye, said he 'absolutely' does not regret his comments - which resulted in a huge backlash, with some of his social media accounts being suspended and sponsorships canned.

West also stormed out of the interview mid-way through, The Sun said.

Half-hearted: He later said to Piers Morgan: ''I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt with the 'death con' [comments].

Formerly in the inner circle: Kanye famously appeared on the cover of Vogue with ex-wife Kim Kardashian in 2014

West sparked controversy when he wore a White Lives Matter shirt at his surprise Yeezy fashion show in Paris earlier this month.

The Donda rapper posted a photo of the long-sleeved black shirt to his Instagram on Wednesday with the caption: 'Here's my latest response when people ask me why I made a tee that says white lives matter THEY DO.'

Kanye also took to Instagram later on to troll Justin Bieber's wife Hailey, 25, after she defended Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson for criticizing his White Lives Matter shirts.

Upset: Kanye also took to Instagram later on to hit out at Justin Bieber's wife Hailey, 25, after she defended Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson for criticizing his White Lives Matter shirts

Trolling: 'Wait am I canceled again??? Justin please let me know'

West shared a screenshot of his Google results with an E! News article discussing Bieber's support for Karefa-Johnson.

'Wait Am I canceled again??? Justin please let me know,' he captioned the Instagram post.

In another scorching post he went after Hailey again, telling Justin to 'get your girl before I get mad' before hitting out at John Legend and Karefa-Johnson yet again.

'I wanna just let everybody know there was also some fashion this week also,' he started the post. 'There was a major thing called fashion week which really last a month and there were some very well done crazy overpriced clothes being shown.'

'It wasn't just about my paradigm shifting T shirt. Just kidding my tee s*** on every body's showssss nothing happened but my t shirt,' further adding, 'remember my one t shirt took alllll the attention.'

Creative: He also shared a snap of Bella Hadid getting a spray on white dress during fashion week with the photoshopped 'White Lives Matter' slogan

Attacked: Karefa-Johnson said the t-shirts were 'deeply offensive, violent and dangerous,' and Kanye attacked her for it.

Standing by their editor: Vogue instantly stood up for its editor releasing a statement which read, 'Vogue stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, our global fashion editor at large and longtime contributor. She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable' (pictured September 2022)

'Because you're all f***** programmed sheep aaaaaand those boots gab was wearing were f***** traaaasssh. But I'm sure John Legend still wants a pair. And Justin get your girl before I get mad.'

Karefa-Johnson said the t-shirts were 'deeply offensive, violent and dangerous'.

West reacted with initially scorn, ridiculing her outfits online and saying she had no understanding of fashion before walking back his comments.

He later claimed he reconciled with Karefa-Johnson on Instagram, writing, 'IM NOT LETTING PEOPLE GO TO BED THINKING I DIDN'T MEET WITH GABRIELLE AT 5 PM TODAY FOR 2 HOURS THEN WE WENT TO DINNER AT FERDIE.' Ferdie is a popular Italian restaurant in New York City.

Vogue instantly stood up for its editor releasing a statement which read, 'Vogue stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, our global fashion editor at large and longtime contributor. She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable.

'Now more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.'

Vogue is just the latest brand to cut ties with West.

Balenciaga and Gap are also reportedly done with the rapper with Balenciaga citing his racist rhetoric.
Olivia Frazer has revealed that she is happy to be called a 'mean girl'.

The Married At First Sight star, who has previously said she was left traumatised by her 'villain edit' on this year's season of the show, made the comments when replying to a fan on her Instagram Stories.

'It's better to be a 'mean girl' and call a duck a duck than to call it a rabbit and be ignorant' a fan said to her during a question and answer session on Saturday.

Olivia Frazer (pictured) has revealed that she is happy to be called a 'mean girl'. The Married At First Sight star, who has previously said she was left traumatised by her 'villain edit' on this year's season of the show, made the comments when replying to a fan on her Instagram Stories

The controversial 29-year-old reality star replied simply, 'Pretty much'.

It comes after Olivia admitted she she had suicidal thoughts after being portrayed as the 'villain' on this year's season.

Olivia, who was forced to resign from her teaching job because of the brutal backlash from viewers, told Yahoo Lifestyle she experiences severe mood swings and even contemplated ending her life.

'It's better to be a 'mean girl' and call a duck a duck than to call it a rabbit and be ignorant' a fan said to her during a question and answer session. The controversial 29-year-old reality star replied simply, 'Pretty much'

In a heartbreaking admission earlier this year, she said the only thing that stops her from harming herself is the thought of her then-boyfriend Jackson Lonie coming home from work and finding her body.

When asked how she was coping six weeks after the MAFS finale aired, Olivia said her mood changes from day to day.

'It very much ebbs and flows. I have really good days where I'm like, 'Oh, [it's] water off a duck's back! I'm fine!'

It comes after Olivia admitted she she had suicidal thoughts after being portrayed as the 'villain' on this year's season. Pictured with Jackson Lonie

In a heartbreaking admission earlier this year, she said the only thing that stops her from harming herself is the thought of her then-boyfriend Jackson finding her body

'And then I have other days where I'm like - sorry to be graphic - but I am suicidal and I am like, 'Okay, don't kill yourself because you don't want Jackson to come home to that.'

'It is at that point where it's such a severe instability in my moods and my mental health.'

Fortunately, her suicidal thoughts are becoming more infrequent over time, but she expects to be 'skating on thin ice for a few more months until the hate dies down'.

Fortunately, her suicidal thoughts are becoming more infrequent over time, but she expects to be 'skating on thin ice for a few more months until the hate dies down'

Olivia, from the NSW Central Coast, was labelled public enemy No. 1 on this year's season of MAFS after her feud with rival bride Domenica Calarco.

Domenica was given a sympathetic edit after being outed as an OnlyFans model by Olivia, who in turn was portrayed as mean-spirited and vindictive.

However, sources have confirmed to Daily Mail Australia this did not tell the full story.

One of the show's participants broke ranks to reveal Domenica's behaviour during filming was just as bad as Olivia's.

Olivia, from the NSW Central Coast, was labelled public enemy No. 1 on this year's season of MAFS after her feud with rival bride Domenica Calarco

Cody Bromley said the feud between the warring brides could 'easily' have been edited to make Domenica the villain, adding: 'There were no heroes or villains.'

'It's a shame. The edit could have gone either way with the whole Domenica and Olivia thing,' he said.

'[The edit] could have easily made Dom look like the villain and Liv look like the hero, but it didn't pan out like that.

'It's just a shame to see that there is that divide and a lot of people being nasty.'

If you are struggling, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Samaritans (UK) on 116 123
Ukraine: U.S. lawmakers look to lock in a further $50 billion assistance package

By Dan De Luce, Julie Tsirkin and Scott Wong

October 22, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " NBC " - Amid concerns that a new Congress could take a more skeptical view of aid to Ukraine, lawmakers from both parties are looking to lock in billions of dollars in military assistance to Kyiv before newly elected members are sworn in in January, according to a lawmaker and congressional staffers.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who is poised to take over as speaker if the GOP wins a majority in the House in the November midterm elections, warned this week that his fellow party members are not going to write a blank check to Ukraine.

With that threat to Ukraine aid looming, the bipartisan idea under consideration would use a government funding bill during the lame-duck session after the midterms to secure a much higher level of military and other assistance than prior aid packages for Ukraine, according to the lawmaker and the aides.

Congress last month approved $12 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine, but the package being contemplated would be dramatically larger, the sources said.

The amount would be enough to make sure [Ukraine] can get through the year, a Republican senator with knowledge of the matter told NBC News. Itll make the $12 billion look like pocket change.

The new aid package, which most likely would be part of an omnibus spending bill, could be within the range of roughly $50 billion, congressional aides and a source close to the Ukraine government said. The Biden administration has not yet made a formal request for new funding.

Congress has allocated a total of $65 billion in funding to Ukraine since Russia attacked the country in February.

Put your own oxygen mask on

Many Republican candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump have questioned the amount of U.S. aid delivered to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian forces, which invaded the country in February. They argue that the U.S. has more pressing domestic problems, that Ukraines fate is not tied to U.S. national interests and that European allies should be delivering a larger share of the weapons and other assistance to Kyiv.

On Thursday evening, President Joe Biden said of Republicans, They said that if they win theyre not likely to fund, to continue to fund Ukraine.

These guys dont get it. Its a lot bigger than Ukraine. Its Eastern Europe. Its NATO. Its really serious, serious consequential outcomes.

House conservatives argue America needs to shore up its southern border and address the illegal immigration before worrying about Ukraines border with Russia.

My constituents are saying, Why are we more worried about Ukraines borders than we are about Americas borders? My constituents are not sitting there going, Gosh, we have to save Ukraines borders, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, a member of the conservative Trump-aligned Freedom Caucus, said in an interview.

Like Davidson, conservative Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said her heart breaks for the Ukrainian people, but she has not voted for recent Ukraine aid packages and isnt inclined to do so next year if Republicans take control of the House, as most polls predict.

I liken it to the airline videos they do before you take off: You need to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others, Cammack, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, told NBC News. And I just dont think as a legislator that I could, in good conscience, support billions and billions of funding going overseas when we have such dire needs here.

But some other Republicans in and outside of Congress disagree, reflecting deep divisions in the party over Ukraine and foreign policy more generally.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee that controls spending, said providing weapons and other assistance to Ukraine is crucial to halting Russias unprovoked invasion.

I voted for the first funding bill, and I would be open to discussing more funding, Fleischmann said. If we do not take the necessary steps for Ukraine to protect its nation and sovereignty against Russia, I think the ripple effects will end up costing not only the United States but the world a lot more.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at a Heritage Foundation event on Wednesday, castigated Republicans who opposed backing Ukraine as apologists for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

As Russia continues its unconscionable war of aggression to Ukraine, I believe that conservatives must make it clear that Putin must stop and Putin will pay, Pence said. There can be no room in the conservative movement for apologists to Putin. There is only room in this movement for champions of freedom.

The Republican House leadership has every incentive to see a large aid package passed now while Democrats hold the majority, so that they do not have to face a divisive, internal debate over the issue if the GOP wins back control of the House, according to Daniel Vajdich, an adviser to Ukraine's state-owned energy industry and president of Yorktown Solutions, a Washington lobbying firm.

They dont want to deal with it next year, said Vajdich, a former Republican congressional staffer.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a staunch supporter of military aid to Ukraine, said last month that he had discussed the issue with McCarthy and that he agreed other countries need to do more to assist Ukraine. But he predicted Ukraine would continue to receive the support it needed.

I think you can expect Republicans to ask others to do more, Graham said, referring to Americas NATO partners. In the House majority, which I think is likely, I am confident that the speaker and most members of the conference in the House on the Republican side understand that the outcome in Ukraine directly impacts our national security.

But Ukraine, Eastern European governments and Kyivs supporters in Congress on both sides of the aisle are worried that a larger contingent of pro-Trump, isolationist-minded lawmakers in Congress could jeopardize the flow of weapons, ammunition and economic aid that has enabled Ukraine to gain ground against Russian troops in recent months.

We are incredibly concerned that the MAGA wing of the party is planning to block life-saving aid to Ukraine if Republicans take over the House, said one Democratic congressional aide.

We are going to have to get creative in the coming months to front load as much aid to Ukraine as possible, given that we may again find ourselves in the calamitous position where Putins interests are once again aligned with that of Trump and his followers.

Ukraine relies heavily on outside funding and arms deliveries to keep up its war effort against Russia. If U.S. aid were to dry up, Ukraine could eventually see a shortage of artillery ammunition, as it burns through thousands of artillery rounds a day, according to defense officials and military analysts. With Russian stepping up drone attacks on its electricity grid and other targets, Ukraine also is depleting its supply of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles and other air defense systems as it tries to counter the aerial assault.

Asked about concerns that congressional support for aid to Ukraine could be at risk, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have been very clear that our commitment to our Ukrainian partners is not just unwavering, but it is ironclad. And were going to continue to take steps to do what we can to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, to defend its territorial integrity and to put it in the best position possible at a potential negotiating table whenever that might be.
Dwayne Johnson has called for his former The Mummy Returns co-star Brendan Fraser to bag an Oscar for his role in The Whale.

The action star, 50, has thrown his support behind Brendan, 53, and told how he'd love to see him pick up an Academy Award for his portrayal as a morbidly-obese teacher named Charlie in the Darren Aronofsky-directed motion picture.

In a new interview, Dwayne has insisted that he wants Brendan 'to go all the way' amid the Hollywood star's full-fledged career comeback role, which has already seen him earn minutes-long standing ovations from audiences.

Big support: Dwayne Johnson has called for his former The Mummy Returns co-star Brendan Fraser to bag an Oscar for his role in The Whale

Speaking to MTV News, the hunk insisted he was 'so happy' for Brendan, adding: 'I want him to go all the way, man, I wanna see him on that Oscar stage, and hold that sucker up, and deliver, I'm sure, what will be an amazing speech.'

Former wrestler Dwayne, known to fans as The Rock, made his acting debut in the 2001 The Mummy sequel as the Scorpion King, alongside lead actor Brendan who portrayed adventurer Rick O'Connell.

And the star credits Brendan - who was already a a big name thanks to roles including George Of The Jungle - for kick-starting his Hollywood career.

Role: The action star, 50, has thrown his support behind Brendan, 53, and told how he'd love to see him pick up an Academy Award for his portrayal as morbidly-obese teacher Charlie

Dwayne explained that Brendan had to give the 'OK' for him to star in the movie but said he was coming from his background in WWE and they had never met before.

But he admitted he was thrilled when he was told by their director Stephen Sommers that Brendan 'loved' the idea of him being in the film.

'I had never been on a movie set before ever and, all of a sudden, I'm in the middle of the Sahara Desert making The Mummy Returns,' he said.

'And I get that kind of nod of acceptance from the star of the movie, it really meant a lot to me - so many years later, I never forgot it.'

The Black Adam actor has previously shared his support for Brendan's latest role after Brendan broke down in tears after getting a standing ovation at the Venice screening for The Whale.

Award-worthy: In a new interview, Dwayne has insisted that he wants Brendan 'to go all the way' amid the Hollywood star's full-fledged career comeback role

Rotting for his pal: 'I want him to go all the way, man. I wanna see him on that Oscar stage, and hold that sucker up, and deliver, I'm sure, what will be an amazing speech'

Dwayne congratulated him on his return to the Hollywood spotlight, following a years-long break during which Brendan battled depression and myriad health issues.

'Man this makes me so happy to see this beautiful ovation for Brendan,' Dwayne wrote. 'He supported me coming into his Mummy Returns franchise for my first ever role, which kicked off my Hollywood career.

'Rooting for all your success brother and congrats to my bud Darren Aronofsky.'

Co-stars: Former wrestler Dwayne, known to fans as The Rock, made his acting debut in the 2001 The Mummy sequel as the Scorpion King, alongside lead actor Brendan who portrayed adventurer Rick O'Connell (both pictured in the film)

Thank you: the star credits Brendan - who was already a a big name thanks to roles including George Of The Jungle - for kick-starting his Hollywood career (pictured together in 2001)

The movie marks the legendary star's comeback after grappling with depression following a claim of sexual assault and being in and out of hospital for health issues.

The film is set to hit theatres on December 9, and marks Brendan's first lead role in a movie since thriller Breakout in 2013.

The Whale is a psychological drama which saw Brendan undergo a physical transformation, as he plays a 600-pound man confined to a wheelchair, a role for which he also had to wear prosthetics.

The official synopsis reads: 'A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.'
She's expecting her first child with boyfriend Sam Rason next year.

And Amy Hart was glowing on Saturday as she and her beau attended The Baby Show at Olympia London.

The Love Island star, 30, cradled her baby bump while beaming for snaps during the day out, while looking stylish in a monochrome outfit.

Radiant: Pregnant Amy Hart, 30, looked stylish on Saturday in leather-look leggings as her beau Sam Rason cradled her baby bump while they attended The Baby Show in London

Amy donned a pair of leather-look leggings for the outing, paired with a simple white vest top and black blazer.

She added chunky black sock-shoes, while bundling her blonde locks into an up-do, leaving two sections to fall at the front.

The reality star donned a dewy make-up look as she beamed alongside boyfriend Sam, who matched her look with a pair of black trousers and a white T-shirt.

Expectant mother: Amy donned a pair of leather-look leggings for the outing, paired with a simple white vest top and black blazer

Cute: The reality star donned a dewy makeup look as she beamed alongside boyfriend Sam

The look: She added chunky black sock-shoes, while bundling her blonde locks into an up-do, leaving two sections to fall at the front

Adding a cream shacket on top, he placed his hand on Amy's bump while wrapping an arm around her - before the pair shared a kiss.

Getting their practice in, Amy and Sam giggled while holding onto a toy baby doll, as they grabbed some shopping for the arrival too.

The beauty also took some snaps with TOWIE's Georgia Kousoulou, who looked stunning in a pair of light wash denim jeans and a bright green cardigan.

Smitten smooch: The loved-up pair shared a kiss while grabbing some pictures

Adding a cream shacket on top of his outfit, Sam placed his hand on Amy's bump while wrapping an arm around her

Georgia, who shares her one-year-old son Brody with fiance Tommy Mallet, also browsed the show after posing for snaps.

The yearly-run Baby Show helps new and expectant parents with products, services, and advice - allowing them to shop and try everything in one place.

Amy, who is due to give birth on March 5, 2023, appeared in her element throughout the event - after revealing her pregnancy news just last month.

Practicing: Getting their practice in, Amy and Sam giggled while holding onto a toy baby doll, as they grabbed some shopping for the arrival too

Event: The yearly-run Baby Show helps new and expectant parents with products, services, and advice - allowing them to shop and try everything in one place

Pals: The beauty also took some snaps with TOWIE's Georgia Kousoulou, who looked stunning in a pair of light wash denim jeans and a bright green cardigan

Browsing: Georgia, who is mum to one-year-old son Brody, checked out what the baby show had to offer - after previously admitting she would like more children with fiance Tommy Mallet

Sprinter Iwan Thomas was also in attendance for the day, opting for a pair of nude chinos with a light blue overshirt as he flashed a thumbs up to the camera.

The dad-of-two took to the stage during the show in a 'fathers panel' alongside Dr Amit Patel, Nigel Clarke and George Lewis to discuss fatherhood.

While athlete Bianca Williams was in attendance to check out the show - sporting a cream ribbed jumper dress and sheer tights as she nailed autumnal style.

Beauty: The TOWIE star had her lengthy blonde locks styled in a sleek curl, as she added a bright palette of makeup to the look

Comfort: She kept comfortable in grey and white trainers, adding a crossbody black bag to finish

Stunner: Seema Jaswal was also in attendance, looking radiant as she sported a charcoal midi dress

Familair faces: Athletes Iwan Thomas (left) and Bianca Williams (right) also took to the show

Smiles: Beaming for the camera, she left her dark locks to fall in a natural waved style
French Montana has been honored for his efforts to change and save lives.

The Pencils of Promise charity honored the diamond-selling rapper, 37, on Thursday for his efforts as an innovator that helped raise more than $226 million for healthcare in Africa, including funds for the Budondo Suubi Hope Health Center.

The facility is the primary source of healthcare for new mothers and their babies in an otherwise desolate region of Uganda.

Honor: French Montana, 37, has been honored by the Pencil of Promise charity for his efforts to change and save lives

The ceremony took place in New York. The BET Hip Hop award winner began his humanitarian efforts after traveling to Uganda to shoot the video for Unforgettable in 2017.

In an interview with TMZ the artist praised the group's working saying they are 'doing groundbreaking work globally to keep kids in school and make sure they have a safe environment to learn. This reminds me of my humble beginnings growing up in Morocco when I didn't know how to speak English.'

Speaking from experience, the Moroccan native explained, 'Education was fundamental to my journey immigrating to the U.S. and starting my career as an artist, which is why this work is so important to our youth.'

Innovator: The diamond-selling rapper was named an innovator for his effort to raise millions of dollars for healthcare in Africa

Humanitarian: The rapper was inspired to begin his humanitarian efforts after traveling to Uganda to shoot the video for Unforgettable

French also thanked his partners Global Citizen and Mama Hope.

The All Day artist stayed true to his personal style at the black-tie event, donning a pair of distressed blue jeans, a white Celine sweater and work boots.

He wore a diamond encrusted Coke Boys necklace and kept his hair and beard closely cropped.

Groundbreaking: French praised Pencils of Promise for their work to keep kids around the world in schools and make sure they have a safe place to learn. Seen here with PoP founder Adam Braun and CEO Kailee Scales

The recognition for humanitarian efforts comes as his latest song, Fenty, featuring Nav was released.

Meadow Walker, daughter of the late actor Paul Walker, was honored by PoP with their advocacy award.

Since 2019, the model has been a key advocate of PoPs WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) program.
Hugh Jackman enjoyed a leisurely dog walk with his wife Deborra-Lee Furness before heading to a matinee performance of The Music Man in New York City.

While stepping out in a 'Gotcha4Life Foundation' crew neck and sweats, the 54-year-old actor enjoyed a friendly chat with his longtime spouse as they took their Terrier-Poodle mix, Allegra.

For their laid-back, the Australian actress, 66, sported a long furry coat over an all-black, matching sneakers and light blonde hair in a ponytail.

Hugh Jackman enjoyed a leisurely dog walk with his wife Deborra-Lee Furness before heading to a matinee performance of The Music Man in New York City on Friday

Following their brisk neighborhood walk, he changed into a fitted light blue long sleeve, light grey jeans and white sneakers and headed to Broadway.

The Wolverine star, who made his Broadway debut in the biographical musical The Boy from Oz back in 2003, his kept his hazel eyes protected under a pair of blue-tinted sunglasses.

In April, the Wolverine star penned a gushing tribute to his wife on Instagram as they celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary.

Happy couple: While stepping out in a 'Gotcha4Life Foundation' crew neck and sweats, the 54-year-old actor enjoyed a friendly chat with his longtime spouse as they took their Terrier-Poodle mix, Allegra

'Today I celebrate 26 years of marriage to my extraordinary wife,' he wrote.

'Every single day is filled with so much laughter, joy and backgammon! Deb, you light up my life. I love you with all my heart!'

The pair married on April 11, 1996, just one year after meeting on the set of Australian drama Corelli.

Handsome: Following their brisk neighborhood walk, he changed into a fitted light blue long sleeve, light grey jeans and white sneakers and headed to Broadway

Hugh previously said he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with Deborra-Lee after just two weeks of knowing her.

They have two adopted children, son Oscar, 21, and daughter Ava, 16.

Hugh's next project is the heartstring-tugging drama The Son, which will be released in November.

Long term love: In April, the Wolverine star penned a gushing tribute to his wife on Instagram as they celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary

The Australian actor is joined by Laura Dern as a divorced couple who struggle to help their teenage son, who seems to be going through a mental health crisis.

The Son is directed and co-written by Florian Zeller, based on his 2018 play Le Fils. Zeller previously won Best Adapted Screenplay for his film The Father at the 93rd Academy Awards, while its star Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar for Best Actor.

The Son is part of a thematic trilogy with The Father and Zeller's play The Mother.
Friends star Matthew Perry has told how he wooed Julia Roberts with hundreds of fax messages  before ditching her because he feared she would leave him.

Perry, 53, revealed that their romance began after the Pretty Woman actress was approached to appear in the sitcom in 1995. Producers urged him to contact Ms Roberts after she stipulated she would only take a guest role if she could be in a storyline with his character, Chandler Bing.

Perry said: I sent her three dozen red roses and the card read, The only thing more exciting than the prospect of you doing the show is that I finally have an excuse to send you flowers.

Not only did Julia agree to do the show, but she also sent me a gift  bagels, lots and lots of bagels, he tells The Times.

Her agreement to star in a special episode of the second series of Friends prompted what Perry now describes as a three-month courtship through daily faxes while she was working on a film in France. By the time shooting for the episode started, they were a couple.

Writing in his forthcoming autobiography, Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing, Perry reveals that they exchanged hundreds of messages in the days before email was commonplace.

Friends star Matthew Perry, 53, revealed that his romance with Julia Roberts began after she was approached to appear in the sitcom in 1995 (pictured)

He writes: Three or four times a day I would sit by my fax machine and watch the piece of paper slowly revealing her next missive. I was so excited that some nights I would find myself out at some party sharing a flirtatious exchange with an attractive woman and cut the conversation short so I could race home and see if a new fax had arrived. Nine times out of ten, one had.

He and Ms Roberts, who turns 55 this week, eventually embarked on a relationship, but Perry dumped her two months after she appeared on the show.

He admits: Dating Julia Roberts had been too much for me. I had been constantly certain that she was going to break up with me. Why would she not? I was not enough; I could never be enough; I was broken, bent, unlovable.

So instead of facing the inevitable agony of losing her, I broke up with the beautiful and brilliant Julia Roberts.

She might have considered herself slumming it with a TV guy, and TV guy was now breaking up with her. I cant begin to describe the look of confusion on her face.

In the book, which will be published on November 1, Perry also reveals his near-death experience with opioids. And he confesses that five years after splitting from Ms Roberts, he watched her pick up an Oscar for her role in Erin Brockovich while he was sweating and twitching in rehab, surrounded by fellow patients.

Perry and Ms Roberts, who turns 55 this week, eventually embarked on a relationship (pictured at the time), but Perry dumped her two months after she appeared on the show

Perry writes: As she made her speech, a voice rose in that room in that rehab, urgent, sad, soft, angry, pleading, filled with longing and tears. I made a joke. Ill take you back, I said. Ill take you back. The whole room laughed, though this was not a funny line in a sitcom. This was real life now. Those people on the TV were no longer my people. No, the people I was lying in front of, shaking, covered in blankets, were my people now.

Perry also reveals that he was infatuated with Jennifer Aniston, whom he met through mutual acquaintances three years before they starred in Friends together.

He says: I was immediately taken by her (how could I not be?) and liked her. And I got the sense she was intrigued too  maybe it was going to be something. Back then I got two jobs in one day a funniest home videos-type show and a sitcom. So I called Jennifer and I said, Youre the first person I wanted to tell this to. Bad idea. I could feel ice forming through the phone.

Looking back, it was clear that this made her think I liked her too much or in the wrong kind of way and I only compounded the error by then asking her out.

She declined (which made it very difficult to actually go out with her), but said that shed love to be friends with me.

I compounded the compound by blurting, We cant be friends!
Craig Revel Horwood has revealed that Bruno Tonioli wishes he left Strictly Come Dancing with 'more of a fanfare' in a tell-all interview.

The 57-year-old Australian choreogrpaher and Strictly judge also described Motsi Mabuse as a 'diva' for needing several people to do her hair and makeup for the show.

He defended fellow judge Shirley Ballas after she was branded 'sexist' by Strictly Come Dancing viewers who were left unimpressed by her seemingly favouring the male stars on the show.

Tell all: Strictly's Craig Revel Horwood revealed that Bruno Tonioli wishes he left the hit BBC One show with 'more of a fanfare' in a tell-all interview

Speaking to The Sun, Anton said of his 'dear friend Bruno' initially being covered by Anton Du Beke: 'Bruno just wished he had more of a fanfare because it sort of just dwindled out, which is a shame because of Covid.'

He added that the Italian dance professional, who reportedly picks up 1million per series on Dancing With The Stars, is enjoying his life in LA with a 'massive set of friends'.

And on his fellow judge Motsi Mabuse, 41, he bragged that he has a far less time-consuming and less demanding beauty routine.

'Motsi's got six people in her dressing room doing the make-up, the lipstick, the eyes, the false eyelashes, her hair, her dress. She's a diva...' he said, 'Whereas I have no one. I do my own. I do my own hair and make-up.'

Jibe: Craig also described Motsi Mabuse (pictured) as a 'diva' for needing several people to do her hair and makeup for the show

And on the recent anguish against series judge Shirley Ballas, 62, who was accused of having 'favourites whether they have ability or not', Craig defended his colleague.

Some viewers called for her to be sacked on Twitter as they claim she has 'no credibility as a judge'.

It comes after the twinkle-toed star called for the television audience at home to

have 'respect' after she received a flurry of 'hurtful messages' on social media.

Following a dance off on Week Two, judges Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse chose to save Fleur East whereas Shirley said she would have saved Richie Anderson, who was given the boot from the show.

Good pals: Craig said of his 'dear friend Bruno' Tonioli (pictured in 2020): 'Bruno just wished he had more of a fanfare because it sort of just dwindled out, which is a shame'

It prompted one viewer to tweet: 'Sexist Shirley would have saved Richie over Fleur. Ffs, Richies dance had negligible Samba content and he fannied around the judges tables for half the dance.

'Fleurs dance was elegant and beautiful. She has no credibility as a judge.'

One viewer wrote: 'Shirley seems to have completely lost the plot this season. She is downright rude, sexist and blatantly has her favourites whether they have ability or not. I am rapidly losing all respect for her!!!'

In reaction to the backlash, Craig said that Shirley acts as a 'forewoman' who has to base her reasoning on technicalities.

Co-stars: And on his fellow judge Motsi Mabuse, 41, (centre right) he bragged that he has a far less time-consuming and less demanding beauty routine

'I base mine on artistry, on arms, on telling the stories. We're all four different judges, from different walks of life and entitled to our opinions. I don't think it is sexist.'

Shirley got tearful when she hit back against the online backlash against her during a TV interview the following week.

Shirley, who landed the head judge role in 2017, is at the centre of a new fix row as some Twitter trolls demand she is sacked over her critique of this series' celebrity contestants.

Stars: On the recent anguish against series judge Shirley Ballas, 62, (centre right) who was accused of having 'favourites whether they have ability or not', Craig defended his colleague

Appearing on Wednesday's episode of Loose Women, Shirley insisted 'I don't have a mean bone in my body' as she called out the 'hurtful' and 'explicit' comments online.

The backlash and trolling has been a lot,' Shirley told the Loose Women panel.

'I appreciate the audience has been there for 20 years,' she continued, 'but when you watch a screen you can only see half of what I see, the feet and everything. I love that they have an opinion but then it goes overboard and its not nice.'
His head bowed in unspeakable grief, Prince William walks alongside the Duke of Edinburgh in the procession of mourners behind the coffin of his mother.

This is Netflix's ghoulish staging of Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, in scenes that are certain to cause distress to the Royal Family.

In a callous recreation of the heartbreaking events, the Royal Standard is draped over the coffin on the gun carriage  just as it was in real life  while actors dressed in the ceremonial uniform of the Welsh Guards march alongside.

Amid continuing outrage over the show's disregard for historical truth, the macabre scenes revealed in our exclusive pictures are set to plunge Netflix into new controversy over The Crown.

This is Netflix's ghoulish staging of Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, in scenes that are certain to cause distress to the Royal Family

The scene depicting a grief-stricken William and Prince Harry  then aged 15 and 12  was filmed in secrecy at a disused RAF base and is due to be broadcast in season six next year.

To the further horror of Diana's family and friends, The Crown's production team will be in Paris next week to recreate her final hours, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Last night those close to the Royal Family lambasted the Netflix series as 'crude, cruel and totally insensitive, particularly in light of the Queen's recent death'.

William Shawcross, the Queen Mother's official biographer, said: 'Nothing is sacred to [the writer of The Crown] Peter Morgan. He has made his republican sentiments and his contempt for our late Queen very clear.

'This is a vile series which lies to the public and has been incredibly hurtful to the Royal Family from the Queen and our new King down. Unlike any other family, they cannot sue.'

It is most unlikely that Morgan and his colleagues on The Crown will have failed to understand the sensitivities around recreating the day William and Harry had to say goodbye to their beloved mother, who died aged 36.

Both Princes have spoken publicly of their anguish at having to follow the coffin for its final mile along the Mall, through Horse Guards Parade, along Whitehall to Parliament Square and on to Westminster Abbey.

The family pictured at Diana's 1997 funeral. Netflix's scene depicting a grief-stricken William and Prince Harry  then aged 15 and 12  was filmed in secrecy at a disused RAF base and is due to be broadcast in season six next year

The Duke of Sussex has been notably outspoken, telling biographer Angela Levin: 'My mother had just died and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television.

'I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today. No child should lose their mother at such a young age and then have his grief observed by thousands of people.'

Ms Levin said of The Crown's decision to recreate the funeral procession: 'It's inhuman, beyond any sense of decency and hurtful.

'When I first went to interview Harry, he asked if I had seen The Crown, which at the time was on Series 2. I said no and he said: 'Oh you must watch it. My only problem is they've got to stop before they get to me.'

However, Prince Harry, who has a deal with Netflix for a docu-series, defended the Crown in an interview with James Cordon last year, saying that it was 'obviously fiction'.

To the further horror of Diana's family and friends, The Crown's production team will be in Paris next week to recreate her final hours, The Mail on Sunday can reveal

Speaking in 2017, the Prince of Wales said: 'It was one of the hardest things I've ever done  that walk. It felt like she was almost walking along beside us to get us through it.'

Diana's brother Earl Spencer revealed he told courtiers she would not have wanted her sons to go through this experience.

He said: 'I had been a passionate advocate for William and Harry not to have to walk behind their mother's body. I thought it was a bizarre and cruel thing for them to be asked to do.

'I was liaising with some courtier at Buckingham Palace and he mentioned it and I went, well of course not and he said, 'Well, it's been decided.'

This perhaps explains why Netflix decided not to film the scenes in Central London but instead at a disused RAF base five miles outside Bicester, Oxfordshire.

Last Wednesday, little-known actors Rufus Kampa and Will Powell, who portray William and Harry, Dominic West as King Charles and Jonathan Pryce as the late Duke of Edinburgh travelled to nearby Upper Heyford, where they were joined by hundreds of extras.

The show's producers made the rare decision to shoot with a green screen that allows production experts to drop what they have filmed on to a background of their choice later. Few of the drama's storylines have used the technology and a source close to The Crown said the decision was made due to the sensitivities of the scenes.

Pictures show the Funeral Procession for Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales, filmed for the hit Netflix series The Crown in Oxfordshire

'As well as it being impossible to have filmed these scenes in secret if it was done in the middle of London, it was also decided that it would be wholly inappropriate,' the source said.

'They were in and out of the airbase in a day and the scenes will form part of the funeral, which will span across an episode.'

The upset is likely to continue for the Princes as Netflix crews travel to Paris this week.

They will shoot scenes of Diana's final days, spent in the French capital with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. While it is understood that the crash in which they died won't be recreated, scenes of them leaving the Ritz hotel together will be.

Meanwhile, Prince William is also said to be furious the Netflix series  due to begin next month  will fictionalise his mother's BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir, which was obtained through 'deceit'.

Then Duke of Cambridge, he recorded a rare statement in which he said the way in which the interview was obtained meant it 'holds no legitimacy' and 'should never be aired again'.

He added: 'It effectively established a false narrative which has been commercialised by the BBC and others.'
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Kim Kardashian looking nothing short of sensational in a completely sheer lace gown, which displayed her black lingerie underneath, while arriving to her 42nd birthday party in Calabasas, California on Friday.

As she prepared to ring in the rest of her special day with an intimate bash with her loved ones, including sister Kourtney, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Travis Barker, Kris Jenner and more, the reality star showed off her famous curves in her risque frock, which hugged her sculpted curves.

For the special occasion, the mother-of-four wore her platinum blonde hair in loose waves, which cascaded down her back, as she sauntered into her office space, which was decked out with long tables adorned with dozens of candles.

Birthday girl: Kim Kardashian looking nothing short of sensational in a completely sheer lace gown, which displayed her black lingerie underneath, while arriving to her 42nd birthday party in Calabasas, California on Friday

She completed her head-turning look with a tiny shimmery purse, white stiletto heels with criss-cross straps that laced up to her knees, a silver cross necklace and matching ring, which were her only accessorizes for the night.

The SKIMS founder's makeup, which consisted of a glossy nude gloss, blush, foundation and bronzer, made her look absolutely flawless as she gave onlookers a friendly wave and soft smile.

Her dress' incredibly low neckline barely contained her ample assets as she gracefully slid out of her car before spending the rest of her evening with friends and family, before indulging in some dessert from Hansen's Cakes.

Radiant: She completed her head-turning look with a tiny shimmery purse, white stiletto heels with criss-cross straps that laced up to her knees, a silver cross necklace and matching ring, which were her only accessorizes for the night

Glamorous: The SKIMS founder's makeup, which consisted of a glossy nude gloss, blush, foundation and bronzer, made her look absolutely flawless as she gave onlookers a friendly wave and soft smile

Adored: Throughout the day, she was flooded with sweet messages across social media, including many from her famous family

'You handle everything that you go through with such incredible grace,' Kris praised. 'You are such an amazing example of strength and calm through anything'

Throughout the day, she was flooded with sweet messages across social media, including many from her famous family.

Her mom was among the first to take to Instagram to pen a message to the birthday girl, who she described as 'the strongest woman I know.'

'You handle everything that you go through with such incredible grace,' Kris praised. 'You are such an amazing example of strength and calm through anything.'

Proud: Kris went on to say: ''You are an amazing mommy, daughter, granddaughter, auntie, sister, cousin and friend. You love so hard, you are so kind, loyal, supportive, smart, funny, creative, resilient, respectful of everyone and truly the most beautiful woman inside and out!'

Life of the party: Kim smiled once inside, where she sat next to her younger sister Kylie Jenner and across from Khloe Kardashian

Letting loose: The beauty enjoyed a much-needed break from her four children as she marked another year around the sun

Kris went on to say: ''You are an amazing mommy, daughter, granddaughter, auntie, sister, cousin and friend. You love so hard, you are so kind, loyal, supportive, smart, funny, creative, resilient, respectful of everyone and truly the most beautiful woman inside and out!'

On Instagram, Simon Huck gave an inside look at Kim's party while hanging out with Stephanie Shepherd.

Additionally, he shared the moment, Kim was served a white birthday white cake with buttercream frosting as friends cheered loudly in the background.

Bootylicious: Her backless gown clung to her curves and pert derriere

Bootylicious: Her backless gown clung to her curves and pert derriere

Special guests: Family members also attended Kim's party to support her, including Kourtney Kardashian and her husband, Travis Barker

Hand-in-hand: The happy couple both donned all-black ensembles to attend the birthday bash

Stepping out: The Blink-182 drummer was pictured getting out of a car as he arrived at the party

Support: Kim's mother, Kris Jenner, was seen in a shimmering dress and black heels as she arrived at the birthday party

Helpful: Kris was accompanied by her boyfriend, Corey Gamble, and he was seen helping her out of a car at the party

Eye-catching ensemble: The reality star opted for a sparkling minidress as she celebrated her daughter's 42nd birthday

Big night: Kim's family members took time to wish her a happy birthday earlier Friday evening in Calabasas
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How the pro-Ukraine NAFO troll operation crowd-funds war criminals

By Alexander Rubinstein

October 22, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " Grayzone" Celebrated in mainstream US media for its anti-Russian trolling, the Twitter operation known as NAFO was founded by a Polish antisemite to raise money for a militia that has hosted war criminals, white nationalists and wanted murderers.

Whether they know it or not, anyone who has checked Twitter for recent coverage of the Ukraine proxy war has likely encountered at least one of the thousands of trolls that comprise NAFO, or the North Atlantic Fellas Organization. Thanks to the efforts of NAFO and its fellas, any journalist or prominent figure critical of Ukraine or NATO on Twitter is likely to receive hundreds of replies accusing them of being paid by Russian President Vladimir Putin (or even performing fellatio on him) from accounts with Shiba Inu dog avatars.

Since its inception several months ago, NAFO has earned gushing praise from the Washington Post, which hailed it for show[ing] that the tables could be turned on Russia, when it came to trolling. The arms industry-funded, Washington DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), meanwhile, hosted an online panel highlighting NAFO as an instrumental weapon in the Russia-Ukraine infowars.

Yet NAFOs beltway boosters often gloss over its role as a fundraising machine for the Georgian Legion, a US-backed Ukrainian fighting group that stands accused of gruesome battlefield atrocities. Several former members of the Legion have produced first-hand testimony documenting its perpetration of war crimes, including the torture and execution of POWs and civilians.

One NAFO founder explained that he chose the Georgian Legion as a funding recipient precisely because of the units reputation as a band of mercenaries and criminals that was willing to carry out barbarous acts which could cause foreign governments to shy away from supporting it. Another NAFO founder has praised the Georgian Legions leader for killing Russians since the 90s.

Among the Georgian Legions most notorious members are US fugitive and murderer Craig Lang, as well as Paul Gray, an American whose past involvement in several neo-Nazi organizations was never mentioned during the friendly primetime interviews he was granted by Fox News and its local affiliates.

While providing a financial feeding tube to a militia that revels in its own atrocities, NAFO continues to attract effusive support from mainstream US journalists and think tankers who portray the operation as little more than a grassroots expression of online solidarity with Ukraine.

Obsessively online interventionists find meaning and purpose as fellas

Employing cartoon memes of the Shiba Inu dog breed, NAFOs postmodern aesthetic, irreverent style and dedication to viciously trolling any critic of the Ukraine proxy war has garnered the adulation of Western media and interventionist government officials alike.

To outsiders, the lingo that flows through internal NAFO chats might seem unintelligible: fellas refers to members; nafoarticle5 is a call to action that urges fellas to dog-pile on a particular social media post; vatnik serves as a pejorative for Russians and virtually anyone critical of the US-backed proxy war. Phrases such as NAFO expansion is non-negotiable and sarcastic claims that they are funded by the CIA (which they simultaneously claim doesnt exist) are also ubiquitous.

Behind the anonymously named Twitter accounts of NAFO members lies a base of extremely online, mostly male civilians seeking a sense of purpose and community. Some participants have tattooed Shiba Inu avatars onto their bodies while others have published photos of their newborn babies in the arms of an adult sporting a NAFO shirt.

One member of the troll operation tweeted a photo of an elaborate NAFO tattoo emblazoned on his arm, but has since deleted it.

In public, NAFO leaders market the image of a charity-focused community of do-gooders, however, many posts by its fellas reflect the kind of psychologically deranged outbursts familiar to young adult men who spend endless hours ranting on a messaging platform built for gamers. In mid-October, for example, an administrator complained that she was forced to ban two members of the NAFO Discord for publicly plotting the murder of a third member of the community.

While US corporate media have declared that within NAFO there is no command structure, effectively releasing the groups founders from accountability for the fellas behavior, this reporter found all the hallmarks of an organizational hierarchy. The groups Discord server is run by founders, assigned administrators, moderators, and forgers who make memes used for harassing people on social media. Verified fellas are granted access to otherwise locked channels, while regular fellas are assigned more mundane roles.

Its preferred that people who are not heavily involved in the day to day do not speak on behalf of NAFO or what NAFO is to the press, one administrator wrote in the servers announcements channel.

Inside NAFOs social media crowdfunding nexus

There are three ways to obtain a NAFO avatar and become a verified fella. The first is to make a donation to the Georgian National Legion through an email address attached to PayPal and belonging to Taras Reshetylo, a field commander of the Georgian Legion. Another way to join is by donating to an organization called Protect Ukraine Defenders, or a merchandise purchase from a website called Saint Javelin. Saint Javelins logo depicts the Virgin Mary bearing a US-manufactured Javelin missile.

Though distinct from NAFO at its foundation, Saint Javelin sold merchandise for the organization and recently incorporated NAFO into its brand. For months, all of Saint Javelins proceeds from NAFO merchandise went directly to the Georgian Legion, according to its website. Like NAFO, Saint Javelin estimates that it has raised huge sums for the war  more than a million dollars.

Besides fundraising for the Georgian Legion, Saint Javelin passes on proceeds to United24, an initiative launched by Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky as the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine. It also channels money to the Ukrainian World Congress, an organization which has defended the legacy of World War Two-era Nazi collaborator and mass murderer Stepan Bandera, branding him the undisputed symbol of Ukraines lengthy and tragic struggle for independence.

Saint Javelins partnership with Zelenskys United24 aims to help raise funds to build an army of drones.

The Saint Javelin website was launched by a former journalist named Christian Borys whose employment history spans NATO state-funded outlets including Canadas CBC and Britains BBC. Borys has also authored articles for the US government-sponsored outlet Radio Free Europe.

One of Borys most notorious journalistic escapades consisted of a night of bar-hopping in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, where he patronized an antisemitic restaurant and returned with a review for Vice News portraying it as one of the citys many weird and wonderful haunts.

The restaurant converts anti-Jewish tropes into a marketing gimmick; its waiters dress as Orthodox Jews who haggle with patrons over the prices of menu items. If you play your cards right [its] ridiculously cheap, Borys gushed in his review.

Noting that Lviv was home to around 220,000 Jewish people, Borys wrote that the population now only hovers around 1,100, Strangely though, he neglected to explain how the genocidal rampage of Stepan Banderas Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists helped violently extinguish the local Jewish population. He merely stated that the restaurant pays homage [to the local Jewish population] in a weird way.

The Ukrainian ethnic-owned restaurant contains a terrace that overlooks the ruins of one of the most important synagogues in Eastern Europe.

In the same 2015 article, Borys described going to a bar where youre served by little people, visiting another that forces you to recite ultra-nationalist slogans before entering, and emptying an AK-47 clip in a target depicting Putins face at a local shooting range.

VICE News publishes a supplied photograph of President Zelensky being handed a Saint Javelin t-shirt by the countrys Minister of Defense

On Twitter, Borys erupted with glee when a member of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion was spotted wearing a Saint Javelin patch. He seemed equally thrilled when his former employer published photographs from an unstated source of Ukraines Defense Minister Olekseii Reznikov handing President Zelensky a Saint Javelin t-shirt.

In the NAFO Discord chat, Borys suggested paying protesters to hold NAFO demonstrations outside Russian embassies.

A retired Marine and amateur conflict pundit named Matt Moores claimed to have established the relationship between NAFO and Borys after co-founding the former organization. On October 7, NAFO was incorporated into the Saint Javelin brand, with the latter becoming the formers parent company, according to a post by a NAFO administrator in the Discord servers announcement channel.

The third organization for which NAFO fundraises, Protect Ukraine Defenders, was launched by a well-connected functionary of the Brussels-based intelligentsia named Ievgen Vorobiov. Vorobiov started as an intern for the European Union state-funded Centre for European Policy Studies think tank, then moved on to gigs at the Polish government-founded Polish Institute of International Affairs and Foreign Policy magazine. Before founding Protect Ukraine Defenders, Vorobiov spent nearly four years at the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine.

An anchor for amplifying pro-proxy war Twitter accounts

While Twitter has responded to NATO state pressure to suppress accounts associated with Russian state media, and has banned numerous other users for simply questioning the official Western version of events in Ukraine, organizations connected with NAFO have seen explosive growth since the Ukraine proxy war began. Saint Javelin, for its part, has received verification from Twitter and amassed nearly 70,000 followers since launching an account this February.

A NAFO founder who operates under the pseudonym Kama Kamilia had less than 200 Twitter followers in April 2022; today they broadcast to an audience of over 22,000. NAFO co-founder Christian Borys had less than 5,500 followers in February 2022 and now boasts more than 36,000. Similarly, Matt Moores Twitter account grew by more than 16,000 followers since January.

Kama Kamilia has explicitly linked the Georgian Legions follower count to the popularity of his NAFO organization: I think they had 4,000 followers when we started [now] they have more than 20,000. As of early October, that number is more than 110,000.

In September, the Discord tech company granted NAFO partnered status, meaning it now serves as a corporate role model and is considered one of the best servers out there. Yet it is composed of just over 3,000 members, raising questions about the tens of thousands of new followers NAFO has suddenly accumulated on Twitter.

NAFOs expansion has also driven the growth of hundreds, if not thousands, of otherwise insignificant Twitter accounts which have participated in online harassment and used the group to push crowdfunding efforts.

One NAFO-stylized account which the Georgian Legion follows and at least one administrator of the NAFO Discord boasted that they were able to purchase gear for a Ukrainian soldier named Igor. In the photographs attached to the Tweet, Igor can be seen wearing a Nazi Sonnenrad patch.

The war crimes of the Georgian Legion

Behind the goofy Shibu Ina avatars and rambunctious chat sessions lies a mission that defines NAFO: to raise as much money as possible for the Georgian National Legion. One administrator of the official NAFO discord put it succinctly: NAFO has always been about supporting the Georgian Legion first and foremost.

Another administrator stated on July 2 of this year that $43,000 (USD) has been raised by the fellas for the Georgian Legion. Three months later, a NAFO member estimated the figure to be likely totaling over $1 million, a metric of the explosive growth of the group. It is the most organic movement Ive been involved with, he told the Wall Street Journal.

While NAFO fundraises for several allied organizations, supporters are most frequently directed to donate to the Georgian Legion. Matt Moores, the US Marine veteran who co-founded NAFO and describes himself as very online, has explained in interviews that NAFO started as a fundraiser really.

Beyond the memes, beyond the jokes, beyond the humor, there is a real component of it with, you know, fundraising. These little cartoon dog avatars that they have, each one of them is made by a volunteer, a fella forger, in our community and these little small donations have raised close to $300,000 so far, Moores explained.

With an existing Twitter following, Moores reached out to someone who posts online under the Kama Kamilia in May. It was then that NAFO was born.

I was looking and saw that someone was posting these little cartoon dogs and using them to, you know, mock and to belittle these, you know, propaganda statements and the supposed achievements of the Russian military and just trying to throw these little jabs wherever you could get them in, Moores said. One day someone asked Kamil how do I get one of these? And he said if you send $20 or whatever it is to the Georgian Legion well make you one of these. So from there it has really gotten quite out of hand.

Little is known about the NAFO co-founder Kama Kamilia, as corporate media outlets hyping them as a pro-Ukraine influencer extraordinaire have refused to disclose his real name. However, this reporter and researcher Moss Robeson have determined that he is Kamil Dyszewski, a 29-year-old Polish national and failed criminologist-turned-video game reviewer living somewhere near London.

The NAFO founder has posted a number of antisemitic memes, including some mocking Jewish victims of the Holocaust, seemingly glorifying Adolf Hitler, and calling for the deportation of President Trumps Jewish son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to Tel Aviv.

I just stumbled my way through life, now into this. What fuels it for me is the absolute hatred and vitriol I have towards the Russians, Dyszewski has said. I just found a way which we could expedite the process of getting them [the Russian government] removed.

Dyszewski explained that he chose the Georgian Legion to be the recipients of the funds he raised because he believed their reputation as mercenaries and criminals would preclude them from receiving support from foreign governments.

The fighting group, which was incorporated into the official Ukrainian military, is led by Mamuka Mamulashvili, a Georgian-born veteran of several conflicts against Russia who swore to execute Russian POWs, an act which constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Convention.

We will not take Russian soldiers we will not take prisoners, not a single person will be captured, Mamulashvili has said. Yes, we tie their hands and feet sometimes. I speak for the Georgian Legion, we will never take Russian soldiers prisoner. Not a single one of them will be taken prisoner.

Mamulashvilis comment came in response to a viral video which depicted one of his fighters casually executing wounded Russian POWs.

Mamulashvili is a key suspect in the massacre by snipers of 49 protesters in Maidan square in 2014, a likely false flag attack designed to intensify opposition to the elected government of Ukraine. At the same time, he has been awarded the National Hero of Ukraine recognition, the highest national title in the country.

In a March 2022 interview with this reporter, Henry Hoeft, an American veteran named who volunteered with the Georgian National Legion, described witnessing war crimes committed by members of his unit. According to Hoeft, two men blew a checkpoint after members of the Georgian Legion accused them of being Russian spies. His fellow soldiers shot their car up [and] black-bagged them.

Georgian Legion fighters then fucking slit their throats in the basement of the fucking building, Hoeft recalled. We dont even know if they were actually spies or just people who ran a checkpoint.

Another former American volunteer in Ukraine known only by the alias Benjamin Velcro described witnessing fellow Georgian Legion volunteers torture and execute a captured teen whom he estimated was about 18.

Velcro remarked, Wed been told to take no prisoners.

The Georgian Legion veteran continued: We made a lesson to him. We fucking cut his achilles heels and made him swim across the Severdonetsk river and he drowned. Or he was shot. We were all taking kind of like practice shots at him to see how well our shot was as he swam without achilles heels either way hes dead, Velcro said.

Of course those fucking Georgian Legion guys did that stuff because theyre Georgians and theyre retards, Velcro remarked.

The Georgian Legion has hosted two other notorious US foreign fighters profiled by The Grayzone: Craig Lang and Paul Gray. Lang was a member of the group before he returned to the United States, where he is wanted for robbed and murdering a married couple to finance his return trip to Ukraine. The Federal Bureau of Investigations has obtained video showing Lang participating in war crimes in eastern Ukraine, including beating and drowning a girl after a fellow fighter injected her with adrenaline so that she would not lose consciousness as she was drowned.

Gray, who is still active with the Georgian Legion, has been involved with multiple US-based neo-Nazi organizations, including Atomwaffen, which is listed as a terrorist organization by several countries. On its Twitter account, the Georgian Legion promoted a Fox News appearance by Gray. Similarly, Mamulashvili has posted Langs photograph on his Facebook page.

The Georgian Legion boss, Mamulashvili, has enjoyed close ties to Washington throughout years of low-intensity conflict in the eastern Ukraine, junketing to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers with seats on foreign affairs committees in the House and Senate.

Though NAFO co-founder Moores speaks only infrequently about the Georgian Legion, he makes no secret of his support for the outfit: Anywho, how about those Georgians, he has written on Discord. Boy they sure do kill Russians good, Ill tell you what. Similarly, Moores has praised the warlord Mamulashvili, marveling that this dude has been killing Russians since the 90s.

On Twitter, Moores posts under the handle @iAmTheWarax, where he has discussed Mamulashvilis surprised reaction to the fact that cartoon dogs were raising thousands of dollars for his legion.

Moores, a former banker who joined the Marine Corps to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a tank operator, was first deployed to Libya in 2011, where the US and NATO overthrew and murdered the countrys longtime leader, Muammar Gaddafi, instantly transforming a once prosperous African country into a despotic hellhole. Moores has described his experience in Afghanistan, a country occupied, destabilized, and abandoned by the US military, as based.

For his part, Kamil Dyszewski  or Kama Kamilia as he is known online  has promoted the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion and celebrated the Ukrainian governments October 8 suicide bombing attack on the Kerch bridge, retweeting several posts from fellow NAFO members that photoshopped Shiba Inu dogs into the scene of the attack. In the Discord server, Dyszewski wrote, I need Russia to apologize for its audacity to exist. It can do so by ceasing to exist.

The Grayzone has closely reviewed NAFOs Discord server and gained access to channels accessible only to verified members. As the second part of this two part investigation will show, the server is a cesspool of hatred, with fellas delighting in videos of wounded and dying Russians and cracking gay jokes at their expense. Prominent journalists can also be found in the chats colluding with NAFO leaders on how to spin their coverage of the troll farm and cultivate support from DC power-brokers.
More than 39,000 Nacogdoches County residents are registered to cast a ballot going into early voting, which begins Monday.

That number could decrease by Election Day as other counties update their rolls and remove voters who were once registered here, county election administrator Todd Stallings said.

Losing some registered voters  especially former Stephen F. Austin State University students  to other counties is typical as the election nears, he said.

As they continued to enter voter registration applications it pulled some people off of our voter roll, he said. I expect the same to happen again this year over the next few weeks. By the time all the dust settles, I think well be running about even with what we had in November 2020.

Nacogdoches had 38,942 registered voters on Election Day in 2020, and had 39,137 as of late last week.

Requests for mail-in ballots are down by about 40% since 2020, Stallings said. Around 2,500 voters cast a ballot by mail in 2020. Just over 1,000 have requested a ballot this year. Applications to vote by mail are due Oct. 28.

If I had to guess, we may get up to 1,200 mail ballots before the deadline, but Im not sure, he said.

Early voting begins Monday at the elections office, 203 W. Main St. Suite 113. Any voter in the county may cast an early ballot.

Voting at the elections office is from 8 to 5 p.m. Monday though Oct. 28. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 29 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 30. Early voting polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 31 though Nov. 4 at the elections office.

Additionally, early voting branches will be open Nov. 3 and 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Branches are:

Central Heights ISD, 10317 U.S. 259 North;

University Baptist Church, 118 W. California St.;

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 2508 Appleby Sand Road;

Martinsville Baptist Church, 10892 FM 95 North; and

Woden ISD, 5236 FM 223

Voters will decide federal, state, county and local school elections. Heres a rundown of whats on the ballot.

On every ballot

U.S Rep. District 17

The job: Representing this portion of East Texas at the federal level

Who is running:

Pete Sessions, Republican

Mary Jo Woods, Democrat

Governor

The job: Chief executive of Texas; able to convene special sessions of the legislature and sign or veto bills among other duties

Who is running:

Greg Abbott, Republican

Beto ORourke, Democrat

Mark Tippets, Libertarian

Delilah Barrios, Green

Jacqueline Abernathy*

Mark V. Goloby*

* denotes write-in candidate whose name will not appear on the ballot

Lieutenant Governor

The job: Leader of the Texas Senate with the ability to allow or prevent legislation from being heard among other duties

Who is running:

Dan Patrick, Republican

Mike Collier, Democrat

Shanna Steele, Libertarian

Attorney General

The job: Defending the State of Texas and its laws by providing legal representation; renders legal opinions; reviews bonds of public security; enforcing the Texas Public Information Act

Who is running:

Ken Paxton, Republican

Rochelle Mercedes Garza, Democrat

Mark Ash, Libertarian

Comptroller

The job: Receives, disburses, counts, safeguards, records, allocates, manages and reports on the states cash; heads Texas Broadband Development Office.

Who is running:

Glenn Hegar, Republican

Janet T. Dudding, Democrat

V. Alonzo Echevarria-Garza, Libertarian

Land commissioner

The job: Manage state-owned land and assets

Who is running:

Dawn Buckingham, Republican

Jay Kleberg, Democrat

Alfred Molison Jr., Green

Carrie Evelyn Menger *

* denotes write-in candidate whose name will not appear on the ballot

Ag commissioner

The job: Oversees the Texas Department of Agriculture, with promotes production agriculture, consumer protection, economic development and healthy living.

Sid Miller, Republican

Susan Hays, Democrat

Railroad Commissioner

The job: Regulatory jurisdiction over the oil and gas industry, pipelines and mining

Who is running:

Wayne Christian, Republican

Luke Warford, Democrat

Jamie Andres Diez, Libertarian

Hunter Wayne Crow, Green

Supreme Court Place 3

The job: A seat on the highest state appellate court for civil matters

Debra Lehrmann, Republican

Erin A. Nowell, Democrat

Thomas Edward Oxford, Libertarian

Supreme Court Place 5

The job: A seat on the highest state appellate court for civil matters

Rebeca Huddle, Republican

Amanda Reichek, Democrat

Supreme Court Place 9

The job: A seat on the highest state appellate court for civil matters

Who is running:

Evan Young, Republican

Julia Maldonado, Democrat

Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

The job: A seat on the highest state appellate court for criminal matters

Who is running:

Scott Walker, Republican

Dana Huffman, Democrat

Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6

The job: A seat on the highest state appellate court for criminal matters

Who is running:

Jesse F. McClure III, Republican

Robert Johnson, Democrat

State Senate District 3

The job: Representing a large portion of East Texas in the state senate

Who is running:

Robert Nichols, Republican

Steve Russell, Democrat

Desarea Lindsey, Libertarian

Precinct 4

Justice of the Peace

The job: Jurisdiction over traffic and some misdemeanor cases; small claims court; handles landlord and tenant disputes; conducts inquests

Who is running:

Brian Moreau, Republican

James Ervin, Democrat

Central Heights ISDThe job: Five candidates are vying for three seats on the board that governs Central Heights ISD board.

Who is running:

Liz Perry

Edward Dailey

Don Shoemaker

Greg Fuller

Jesse Roth

Shoemaker, Clifton and Perry are incumbents whose terms expire this year for the countys second largest school district.

Martinsville ISD

The job: Four candidates are running for three positions on the board that governs Martinsville ISD.

Who is running:

Mike Montario

Teresa Weaver

Ronald Murdock

Gregory Fig Newton

Weaver, Murdock and Newton are incumbents for the district that covers a portion of the county east of Nacogdoches.
Question Everything! Purpose and Intent of this website: Israeli occupation is illegal under international law: UN Commission By Commission of Inquiry October 22, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " OHCR " - There are reasonable grounds to conclude that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is now unlawful under international law due to its permanence and the Israeli Governments de-facto annexation policies, according to the first report to the General Assembly issued today by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. Underlining that under international humanitarian law the occupation of territory in wartime is a temporary situation and does not deprive the occupied Power of its statehood nor its sovereignty, the three-person Commission called on the General Assembly to request an urgent Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of Israels continued refusal to end its occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Recent statements by the Secretary-General and numerous member States have clearly indicated that any attempt at unilateral annexation of a States territory by another State is a violation of international law and is null and void; 143 member States including Israel last week voted in favour of a General Assembly resolution reaffirming this, stated Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission. Unless universally applied, including to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, this core principle of the United Nations Charter will become meaningless, she added. In reaching its findings, the Commission reviewed the policies and actions employed by the Governments of Israel to maintain the occupation, and annex parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Commissions review was based on interviews with experts and stakeholders, and submissions received following a call for submissions issued on 22 September 2021. The 28-page report focuses on the sustenance and advancement of the settlement enterprise, including statements made by Israeli officials indicating the intent to maintain permanent control over the land in violation of international law. The Commission concludes that by continuing to occupy the territory by force, Israel incurs international responsibilities and remains accountable for violations of the rights of the Palestinians individually and as a people. By ignoring international law in establishing or facilitating the establishment of settlements, and directly or indirectly transferring Israeli civilians into these settlements, successive Israel governments have set facts on the ground to ensure permanent Israeli control in the West Bank, Ms. Pillay stated. In producing its report, the Commission reviewed Israels expropriation and exploitation of land and natural resources, and Israels restrictive urban planning and zoning policies in the West Bank, noting that land is often confiscated for military purposes but is then used for settlement construction. The Commission reviewed statements by Israeli officials indicating that Palestinian construction is seen as an impediment to Israeli settlements, requiring action such as confiscation, demolitions and displacement. The Commission also observed similar processes in East Jerusalem where the restrictive planning and zoning regimes, which have obstructed adequate housing, infrastructure and livelihoods, have contributed to shrinking space for Palestinians. The report also points to Israeli Government policies which have had a serious and multi-faceted impact on all areas of Palestinian life, including access to clean and affordable water, which has impacted the entire Palestinian agricultural sector, limiting opportunities for livelihoods particularly affecting women. There is so much silent harm and psychological trauma, that may not be immediately apparent, resulting from the erosion of economic, social and cultural rights. These debilitating processes have severe short and long-term consequences and must be urgently addressed, said Commissioner Miloon Kothari. The Commission dedicated a significant part of its report to reviewing the impact of Israels occupation and de-facto annexation policies on Palestinian human rights, noting the coercive environment intended to force Palestinians to leave their homes and alter the demographic composition of certain areas. To this effect, the Commission reviewed the demolition of homes and destruction of property, the excessive use of force by security forces, mass incarceration, settler violence, restrictions of movement, and limitations on access to livelihoods, basic necessities, services and humanitarian assistance. The Commission emphasised that this ongoing coercive environment has fragmented Palestinian society and ensured that Palestinians are unable of fulfil their right to self-determination among other rights. The Commission also noted the extremely harmful impact of the air, land and sea blockade of Gaza on Palestinian human rights. The report outlines a specifically damaging impact on children, who experience constant military presence, arrest and detention, frequent attacks and acts of violence, restrictions on movement, home demolition and destruction of infrastructure and property. The Commission emphasised that the cumulative effects of occupation practices, including restrictions on movement, have had a pervasive discriminatory effect on Palestinian women, noting that they experience gender-based violence during their everyday activities. The report concludes by saying that some of the policies and actions of the Israeli Government leading to permanent occupation and de-facto annexation may constitute elements of crimes under international criminal law, including the war crime of transferring, directly or indirectly, part of one's own civilian population into occupied territory, and the crime against humanity of deportation or forcible transfer. The actions of Israeli Governments reviewed in our report constitute an illegal occupation and annexation regime that must be addressed, stated Commissioner Chris Sidoti. The international system and individual States must act and uphold their obligations under international law. That must begin at this session of the General Assembly with a referral to the International Court of Justice, he added. Background The UN Human Rights Council mandated the Commission on 27 May 2021 to investigate, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up and since 13 April 2021. In July 2021, the President of the Human Rights Council announced the appointment of Navanethem Pillay (South Africa), Miloon Kothari (India) and Christopher Sidoti (Australia) to serve as the three members of the Commission and indicated that Ms. Pillay would serve as Chair. Resolution A/HRC/RES/S-30/1 further requested the commission of inquiry to investigate all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity. The Commission of Inquiry was mandated to report to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly annually from June 2022 and September 2022, respectively. The Commissioners will present their report to the General Assembly on 27 October.

The full report in six languages and more information on the work of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, can be found at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/co-israel/index Views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Reader financed- No Advertising - No Government Grants - No Algorithm - This Is Independent Get Our Free Newsletter Registration is not necessary to post comments. We ask only that you do not use obscene or offensive language. Please be respectful of others. See also
Chitradurga: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said he will soon be travelling to New Delhi to meet BJP central leadership to discuss the cabinet exercise, but maintained suspense on whether it will be expansion or reshuffle of the Ministry.

He said the BJP high command will finally decide on who has to be inducted into the cabinet.

"I will soon be going to Delhi (to discuss cabinet expansion)," Bommai told reporters in response to a question.

To a question whether opportunity will be given to seniors from the district, which has been subjected to "step motherly" treatment, he said, "it is not step motherly treatment, due to political situation, representation could not be given (to Chitradurga), will try to give representation."

Asked whether leaders who had resigned from the Ministry following certain allegations (like K S Eshwarappa, Ramesh Jarkiholi) will be inducted into the Ministry as some of them have reportedly met party leaders, the Chief Minister said, "I can't respond to guess questions... all aspirants make attempts, but finally it is the high command which decides."

Responding to a question whether it will be expansion or reshuffle of the cabinet, he merely said, "wait and watch."

Earlier, Bommai on Tuesday had said that he will be travelling to New Delhi this week to discuss with the party leadership on the cabinet exercise.

The CM has been under intense pressure for some time now, over expansion and rejig of Cabinet not taking place, to make way for the fresh faces, ahead of assembly elections next year.

Though there were reports of Cabinet expansion by filling in six vacant posts or some kind of a rejig by dropping a few and inducting equal number of new faces, also talks that- Gujarat like complete top to bottom overhaul of the state ministry- may take place, nothing has happened so far, and many aspirants feel it is "too late now" with polls fast approaching.
HYDERABAD: India Cements Ltd got a huge relief from the Telangana High Court which on Friday quashed the criminal proceedings against the company that were invoked by the CBI pertaining to the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddys disproportionate assets case.

Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuynan, while pronouncing the orders in the quash petition filed by the firm, represented by its vice-chairman and managing director N. Srinivasan, said the petitioner was a corporate entity, an artificial person, who was not discernible and that it would not secure the ends of justice if the criminal prosecution was allowed to continue against the petitioner.

However, the full copy of the orders is yet to be released.

The CBI had made India Cements and Srinivasan accused in the case related to investments made by various companies in Jagan Mohan Reddy's firms for alleged favours bestowed on them when his father Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy was Chief Minister. They were in the form of land allotments for development of port and industrial corridor, besides exemption under the Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Act, the agency had maintained. India Cements made alleged quid pro quo investments to the tune of Rs 140 crore.

V.D. Rajagopal, former director of mines and geology did not get any relief from the High Court, in a quash petition he had filed urging it to dismiss the CBIs charges against related to allotment of limestone mining leases to Pennar Cements. Chief Justice Bhuyan dismissed the petition.

The CBI had filed FIR against Pennar Cements for its investments in the Jagathi Group, promoted by Jagan Mohan Reddy. It alleged that Rajagopal, who was the highest authority in the mining department, had played a key role in granting leases illegally to the cement company and made him one of the accused.
HYDERABAD: The leak of an audio tape in which Congress Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy was heard urging a party leader to support his brother and Munugode BJP candidate Rajgopal Reddy created furore in the party on Friday.

The leak, apparently by Munugode Congress leaders, was seen as an angry reaction of the core party workers over what they described as an attempt to sabotage the party candidates Palvai Sravanthis chances from within in the bypoll.

Interestingly, the leak came a day after Pradesh Congress Committee president A. Revanth Reddy made an emotional appeal to party workers to protect the Congress from the onslaught of the BJP and the TRS which he said were conspiring jointly to uproot the party from Telangana.

The elder brothers attempt came in for sharp criticism from Congress leaders. Irate party workers burnt Venkat Reddys effigy at Gandhi Bhavan, the PCC headquarters, in the city. They raised slogans calling Venkat Reddy a betrayer. They also demanded, through sloganeering, the removal of the MP from the primary membership of the party.

Rajgopal Reddy, however, offered an excuse that even TRS legislators were asking the Munugode electorate to vote for him. Venkat Reddy was unavailable for comment.

As per the leaked audio tape, Venkat Reddy was talking to one Jabbar, a local Congress sympathiser. The MP asked him to rise above political affiliations and support Rajagopal Reddy because he was always at the service of the people of Munugode. Chaavaina, pellaina sayam chestadu (Rajgopal Redy stands by the people), the Congress MP said.

The Congress leaders were also upset over the audacity with which Venkat Reddy spoke about his appointment as PCC chief after the bypoll and heading the Congress government after the next elections. I will go on a padayatra and bring the party to power. I will take care. No need to worry, he told the party leader.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former minister Shabbir Ali said the party would discuss Venkat Reddys conduct in the party forum.

Another video that went viral on social media in the evening did more harm to Venkat Reddy than good. A person claiming to be Jabbar, a resident of Dubbakalva village, , released a video message claiming that the audio tape was of 2018. Ironically, Venkat Reddy made it clear that there would be change in PCC presidentship after Munugode and that he would tour entire state and bring Congress to power. He also said everyone should support Rajgopal Reddy outside of party affiliations.

Venkat Reddy is said to have left for a foreign jaunt with his family members. Sources close to him said he had gone to Australia and would return on November 2, a day ahead of the Munugode bypoll.
In four years, KCR removed the opposition, suppressed our voices. I am the only MLA who spoke the most about the constituency. KCR throttled voices like mine.  DC Image

Munugode: Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy is a man besieged by the TRS and the Congress as he battles to drive home his message to the Munugode electorate that his resignation was all about them, getting the constituency developed, and of course, ending "dictatorial rule" of TRS and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in Telangana.

He took a break from campaigning on Friday and spent most of the day speaking with his devoted supporters, BJP members and local party leaders about election-related topics. Rajgopal Reddy spoke with Deccan Chronicle during the hustle and bustle of a "break day" about what this election means to him and, in his words, "for the state".

Excerpts:

Q. You are competing against Palvai Sravanthi of the Congress and Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy of the TRS. What message, if any, would you like them to receive from you?

A. The problem is that they are contesting without understanding why. The TRS candidate has no idea; during his five years as MLA, he did nothing to help Munugode. Under his leadership, there was no advancement. They are just involved for the sake of their political future; nothing else. I don't personally have any malice or hostility toward them. My fight is against the KCR family's dictatorship. And Munugode will drive this change.

Q. You have been branded "RG Paul" by the TRS for your social media posts. Why do you think that is?

A. I don't want to respond to that question. I am a fighter, a warrior. TRS is frightened of me right now. If not, why do Munugode's 100 TRS MLAs and ministers need to form the "Kaurav Sena"? Why is KCR afraid of me? The question is who is the joker, broker and cheater. And they are KCR and KTR. Here, Rajgopal is the warrior and fighter.

Q. Is there any BJP leader that you would like to campaign for you?

A. Everybody from BJP in Telangana is campaigning for me, be it Bandi Sanjay, D.K. Aruna, Muralidhar Rao, Kishan Reddy, and every other BJP member. I'm delighted and am welcoming everyone to join the campaign. As far as Central BJP leaders are concerned, Amit Shah has already come. I have requested party president J.P. Nadda to address a public meeting on October 31. He said he is tied up with elections in Himachal Pradesh but that he will try and make it.

Q. Which section of the voters worry you the most? Who do you think you still need to convince?

A. I am not worried about this aspect at all, everyone is with me. This election is about self-respect. I was severely slandered by the TRS government. I fought for the development of the people who elected me, but the government never responded. I never received a single appointment with KCR, despite being an MLA. They took our 12 MLAs, and killed the Opposition. The judgment here will bring change in Telangana.

Q. TRS is using your comment that you could not do anything in four years, and asking what is that you can do now?

A. In four years, KCR removed the opposition, suppressed our voices. I am the only MLA who spoke the most about the constituency. KCR throttled voices like mine. When I met with Amit Shah, I discussed Munugode's backwardness, lack of roads, hospitals, skill development centre, sought a handloom textile cluster, and Mudra loans for women. Shah said the BJP government will surely help in development, and support Munugode.
Hyderabad: TRS Munugode candidate Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy, who won from the constituency in 2014, is determined to wrest the seat on the back of the TRS government's welfare schemes and development programmes. He believes people in Munugode were repenting their decision of electing Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy in 2018.

In addition to the TRS welfare programmes, Prabhakar thinks the unprecedented support provided by the party leadership by stationing 14 ministers and 86 MLAs in the constituency will be to his advantage.

Prabhakar, who is preoccupied with visiting a dozen villages every day, claimed in an exclusive phone conversation with Deccan Chronicle on Friday that his win is inevitable and that he is only aiming at securing majority:

Excerpts:

It's been three months since you began campaigning. How are the people responding?

I have covered all seven mandals, two municipalities, and nearly 100 of the 157 gram panchayats. I will cover the rest before the campaigning ends. I've noticed that the people want the TRS to win so that the welfare schemes and development programmes that were derailed during the last three-and-a-half years of Rajgopal's tenure, will resume. All our survey reports indicate that TRS will win this bypoll with a margin of 40,000 to 50,000 votes, with BJP and Congress just competing for second place.

Why are 86 MLAs and 14 ministers camping since Dasara if the TRS is confident?

This is our party's plan of action. Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Gujarat every other day with scores of Union ministers?

You were defeated by the same voters less than four years ago and you face the same rival, Rajgopal Reddy. How has the situation changed?

Everywhere I go, people are regretting supporting Rajgopal. They believe he ignored the constituency. In the previous four years, he hardly ever went to Munugode. He didn't even have time to hand over the cheques for the CMRF, Kalyana Laxmi, and Shaadi Mubarak. Because Rajgopal never bothered to submit any development ideas to the government, the funds that the state government had sanctioned for Munugode were returned.

Rajgopal was only interested in his business activities and contracts. He joined Congress in 2009 for contracts and quit to join BJP for a Rs 18,000 crore coal contract. I am sure Munugode people will not commit the same mistake.

The TRS claims that almost every household is receiving one or the other welfare scheme and they will ensure victory for TRS. But these schemes were also there in 2018 and at Dubbak and Huzurabad.

I feel people believed their (Oppositions) fake promises of ``2 lakh crop loan waiver, Rs 3,000 pension to farmers, unemployed etc. But within no time, people realised that they won on the back of deception and treachery and they are now ready to teach a fitting lesson to the BJP and Congress in Munugode bypoll.

The TRS has been in power for more than eight years. How can anti-incumbency be avoided?

Our party's biggest strengths are Chief Minister K. Chandrasekar Rao and working president K. T. Rama Rao. The people have the utmost faith in them. They have delivered more than what people expected in the last eight years in terms of welfare schemes and development programmes. People cannot quickly forget the good work of the TRS government. I have faith that people would recognise and value the wonderful job done by the TRS government and continue to support TRS. If anti-incumbency exists, it will be overshadowed by the reputation that KCR and KTR.
By Ray McGovern

October 22, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " Anti War " - A Rose has bloomed In the Blinken/Sullivan/Biden desert of ideas on Ukraine. I refer to Rose Gottemoeller, 69, who was Under Secretary of State for Arms Control during the Obama/Biden second term and knows much more about the real world than the boys Biden has in the back room (if I may risk damning her with faint praise).

Looking for adults in the room? Gottemoeller could be the woman of the hour, if Bidens ivy-mantled advisers would stop preening, sit down, and listen.

Lowering the Nuclear Temperature

Writing in The Financial Times two weeks ago, Gottemoeller referred to the "quiet bargain" that ended the Cuban missile crisis of exactly 60 years ago. As for Ukraine, she dismisses military options:

Which brings us to diplomacy. Is there any chance that negotiation could change Putins calculus? The Cuban missile crisis ended with a quiet bargain  some quiet nuclear diplomacy might produce results.

Two years ago, Putin offered to remove Russias new ground-based intermediate-range nuclear missile from Europe under verifiable conditions, thus underpinning a moratorium on such missiles in Europe. When Putin and Xi Jinping met in Beijing prior to the February invasion, they spoke of extending such a moratorium to Asia.

Perhaps it is time to launch discreet talks, if only at a technical level, to explore what the two men had in mind. It would not solve the horrendous crisis in Ukraine, but it might lower the nuclear temperature.

Now get this. Gottemoellers very sensible suggestion found its way past the Washington Post censors. Columnist Ishaan Tharoor was able to tack some of the former Under Secretary of States thoughts onto the end of an article Tuesday titled "The uncomfortable need to talk about diplomacy with Russia." Common sense in the Post on this issue is something of a breakthrough.

Biden: Still Looking for an Off-Ramp?

The day before Gottemoellers article appeared, President Biden lamented:

First time since the Cuban missile crisis, we have a direct threat of the use (of a) nuclear weapon if in fact things continue down the path they are going  Im trying to figure out what is Putins off ramp?

It should be no secret to Biden that there is, as Gottemoeller suggests, in so many words  an off-ramp for both  a ramp with time-tested guardrails called "inspections." Trust but verify.

As I noted in an earlier piece, which compared the Cuban crisis to the current one in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Dec. 21, 2021 that "if US and NATO missile systems are deployed in Ukraine, their flight time to Moscow will be only 710 minutes, or even five minutes for hypersonic systems." [Emphasis added.] (Shades of MRBMs detected 60 years ago in Cuba.)

On December 30, 2021, Biden and Putin talked by phone at Putins urgent request. The Kremlin readout stated: "Joseph Biden emphasized  that Washington had no intention of deploying offensive strike weapons in Ukraine." [Emphasis added.]

The mood in the Kremlin was upbeat. The Geneva negotiations, just ten days away were off to a good start. Oops! A couple of days after those talks started, Bidens promise on the non-deployment of strike weapons systems on Ukrainian territory had fallen into the cracks. This became clear during the next conversation between Biden and Putin (Feb. 12).

Putin may feel diddled  and not for the first time. Yet, his chief strategic concern, in my view, is the medium-range ballistic missiles (cruise and hypersonic) that can be inserted virtually overnight into capsules in Romania, Poland, and eventually elsewhere on Russias periphery. The evidence suggests that, in due course, Putin would be willing to deal on this issue.

Is Biden, Like Dan Quayle, No John Kennedy?

The jury is out. Harvards Graham Allison claims that:

"In Biden, we have a seasoned cold warrior who has thought about the Cuban Missile Crisis and has thought about nuclear war. He has thought about what a full-scale war would look like, hes even gone through scenarios on this  I know, personally."

In my view, much will depend on whether President Biden can be brought to recognize how poorly served he, and the country, have been by his current coterie of advisers. Gottemoeller has a generation more experience than Jake Sullivan. She has dealt extensively with the Russians and with NATO. (From 2016 to 2019 she was Deputy Secretary General at the UN, so she knows how to mold the malleable Jens Stoltenberg, as well.)

Will the Biden boys let an adult into the room. They had better.

Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. His 27-year career as a CIA analyst includes serving as Chief of the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch and preparer/briefer of the Presidents Daily Brief. He is co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy donates to the Flag Fund on Police Commemoration Day at the IGMC Stadium in Vijayawada. (C. Narayana Rao/DC)

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that a recruitment drive has been taken up in the state with a view to reducing the pressure on the police.

The aim is to fill 6,511 posts in the police department, he said after paying floral tributes to police martyrs during the police commemoration day in IGMC stadium here on Friday. He said the government will extend full support to the police in discharging their responsibilities. He cited the governments decision to present YSR Achievement Awards to five constables.

The CM, who took the salute at the stadium, called upon the police personnel to accord utmost priority for maintaining law and order and ensuring safety of women, children and the oppressed. The protection of women and children should be the polices top priority.

He lauded the state police for bringing down the investigation period vis-a-vis crimes against women from 164 days in 2018 to 42 days.

Orders have been issued to fill up 6511 police vacancies. These include the vacancies in AR battalions in Chittoor, Prakasam, Srikakulam and Rajamahendravaram districts. Home guards will get reservation in the filling up of these vacancies. With this, police personnel would get their weekly-off without fail, he said.

The chief minister said Maoist violence has come down in the state as the fruits of various welfare schemes have been reaching every nook and corner including tribal areas. Criminal acts have also come down.

He said 16,000 women police are staffing the village and ward secretariats. The setting up of Disha Police stations and appointment of public prosecutors in all districts are helping reduce the crime rate against women.

More than 117 lakh registrations over the Disha App have been completed. Disha police saved women in 1237 instances, acting swiftly on receipt of calls while registering 2323 cases in response to complaints on Disha App. The app recorded a total of 23039 calls.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday congratulated far-right leader Giorgia Meloni on becoming Italian prime minister and said she looked forward to "constructive cooperation" with her government.

"Congratulations to Giorgia Meloni on her appointment as Italian Prime Minister, the first woman to hold the post," von der Leyen tweeted.

Congratulations to @GiorgiaMeloni on her appointment as Italian Prime Minister, the first woman to hold the post. I count on and look forward to constructive cooperation with the new government on the challenges we face together.  Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 22, 2022

"I count on and look forward to constructive cooperation with the new government on the challenges we face together."

The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, also welcomed Meloni as Italy's new premier, and tweeted: "Let's work together for the benefit of Italy and the EU."

The congratulations were echoed by the speaker of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who tweeted in Italian that "Europe needs Italy".

Congratulations to @GiorgiaMeloni as you take office as Italys first female Prime Minister. Lets work together for the benefit of Italy  and the EU  La aspetto al Consiglio Europeo per lavorare insieme per il bene dellUnione Europea #EUCO  Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) October 22, 2022

Meloni, the 45-year-old leader of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, was named Italian prime minister on Friday, taking the helm of the EU's third-biggest economy.

She named a former European Parliament speaker, Antonio Tajani, as her foreign minister.

Meloni's coalition wants to renegotiate Italy's portion of an EU post-Covid recovery fund, arguing that the current energy crisis should be taken into account for their disbursement.

But the funds are tied to a series of reforms and analysts say Meloni has limited room for manoeuvre on that issue.
With the latest development in the Financial Action Task Force list wherein Pakistan got dropped from the 'Grey list', let us understand in depth the different aspects of this development and what it means for Pakistan to be out of the list.

What is FATF?

An inter-governmental body, The Financial Action Task Force is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog that folmulates international standards aiming to prevent illegal activities around the world. In order to strengthen its risk redressal standards, the FATF constantly reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and monitors whether all the countries are adhering to its standards.

What are the two lists under FATF?

Grey List: Countries that fall under the grey list are those that require increased monitoring, as they actively work with the body to ensure that they counter money laundering and address the other deficiencies in their regimes.

Black List: The countries that FATF deems as non-cooperative in the fight against money laundering and terrorist funding fall under this list.

Read | Engagement with FATF led to improvements in laws and procedures, says Pakistan after removal from grey list

Why did Pakistan enter the grey list?

In 2018, Pakistan was declared as an addition to the FATF grey list which meant increased monitoring for the country. According to a Pakistan daily, Dawn, the country was put in the list due to its structural deficiencies in what FATF calls AML/CFT(anti money laundering and combating financing of terrorism). Apart from 2018, Pakistan was on the grey list in the year 2008 as well as between 2012-2015.

What is the process to leave the grey list?

On June 17, FATF declared that they would conduct an on site visit to Pakistan considering the country had met all the requirements of the action plan.

In order to be released from the increased monitoring list, the review process of FATF requires the country to address all or nearly all components of the action plan. Once the monitoring body has confirmed that the country has done so, it will conduct an on-site visit in order to confirm that an implementation of the necessary legal, regulatory, and/or operational reforms is under way and there is the necessary political commitment and institutional capacity to sustain implementation.

If the FATF has a positive take away from the on site visit, it will remove the jurisdiction from the list.

What is Pakistans current position in FATF?

On Friday, October 21, FATF issued that Pakistan has been removed from the FATFs Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring list, often referred to as the grey list.

Pakistan and Nicaragua have been removed from the FATFs Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring list, often referred to as the 'grey list'. See the full update on the list here https://t.co/OvPfPyeWPA #FollowTheMoney pic.twitter.com/7p7j9lzrIC  FATF (@FATFNews) October 21, 2022

What were FATFs observations about Pakistan?

Welcoming Pakistans progress in improving its regime that combats financial terrorism and money laundering (AML/CFT), on October 21, FATF noted that Pakistan has addressed technical deficiencies to meet the commitments of its action plans regarding strategic deficiencies that the FATF identified in June 2018 and June 2021, and declared that Pakistan is no longer in need of advanced monitoring.

What does this development mean for Pakistan?

While it would not have an impact on the countrys struggling economy as a whole, it would help reduce scrutiny of global transactions involving Pakistan, said economist Yousuf Nazar in a conversation with Dawn.

With Pakistan's exit from the grey list, Islamabad can now also try to get financial aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union (EU), to boost its cash-strapped economy.

What does India have to say about Paks new position?

Considering the latest development in Indias neigbhours position in FATF, Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs released a statement on his Twitter.

We understand that Pakistan will continue to work with the Asia Pacific Group on Money laundering to further improve its Anti Money Laundering (AML/Counter terror financing(CFT) system.

Acknowledging the steps taken by Pak to curb financial terrorism, Bagchi said, As a result of FATF scrutiny, Pakistan has been forced to take some action against well known terrorists including those involved in attacks against the entire international community in Mumbai on 26/11.

Our response to media queries on Pakistan and the FATF "Grey List"https://t.co/JDQQMeCMi2 pic.twitter.com/TxgCAQiRMJ  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) October 21, 2022

(With agency inputs)
A close aide of Kenyan President William Ruto has claimed that the two missing Indians in Kenya have been killed by the disbanded DCI unit, a media report said on Friday.

Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan and his friend Mohamed Zaid Sami Kidwai, who were part of the Kenya Kwanza digital campaign team, went missing alongside taxi driver Nicodemus Mwania from Mombasa Road in July.

The two contributed immensely to the success of Rutos campaign, said Itumbi, who was at the heart of Rutos presidential campaigns, The Nation newspaper reported.

Sometimes when our team was overwhelmed and we needed graphics, I sent (material) their way and they paused whatever they were doing and did me the favour, he said in a Facebook post.

They visited Mombasa, Homa Bay, (Masai) Mara, nyama choma joints and loved our dance joints too. They invited me to India; I told them I would visit after (the) elections. Their eyes were primarily on enjoying Kenya as much as they could. When they sat down, they produced very appealing content, he added.

The revelation comes against a backdrop of the disbandment of the Special Service Unit (SSU), a group that has been accused of extrajudicial killings.

The team is suspected to be behind the disappearance of the two Indians.

President Ruto ordered the disbandment of SSU last Saturday after a probe into the disappearance of the two Indians was linked to the unit, the report said.

A total of 21 detectives who served under the unit have been summoned to the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) headquarters in Nairobi on Friday, it added.

And now Itumbi claims that the two Indians and their driver could be dead. He did not offer any proof, only promising a part two of his expose.

As usual they (Zaid and Khan) always did something extra. A meme here, a video there, a box quote and much more, he said.

We even had a Telegram group that rarely went silent, with endless ideas, he said.

Just two days before they returned to India, Itumbi recalled, he learnt that the duo had lost a phone during a night out.

"They could not be reached. Just the other day, I finally got to know their painful last moments in the hands of people whose only mission was to ensure Dr Ruto does not become President even if it means killing people, he said.

India has been in touch with the Kenyan authorities on the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in New Delhi last week.

As far as we understand, there were two Indian nationals, Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan and Zaid Sami Kidwai, and they have been missing in Kenya since mid-July. A police complaint was filed there soon after that," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

"Subsequently, a habeas corpus petition was filed in the Kenyan court. We understand that the issue is now sub-judice in the high court of Kenya and a number of hearings have taken place," Bagchi said.

He said the Indian High Commission in Kenya has been in continuous touch with the Kenyan authorities.

"We are also, I think, in touch with some family members We are keeping a close eye on the issue I am afraid they're still missing," Bagchi said.
Justice Minister Naomi Long has announced funding of 100,000 for Northern Ireland Search and Rescue (NISAR) groups, bringing the total allocated to more than 1.2million in the past seven years.

Nine voluntary search and rescue groups provide assistance to Northern Ireland emergency services on inland waterways, coastal areas, mountains and caves. A specialist search dogs unit and sky watch aviation facility are also among the services deployed in rescue operations.

Speaking after a visit to Foyle Search and Rescue centre, Justice Minister Naomi Long highlighted the essential work carried out by committed and selfless volunteers: It has never been more important to support our voluntary search and rescue groups.

"With a reported increase in emergency call-outs post Covid, and the current pressure on the cost of living and running costs, the work of dedicated volunteers is impressive and increasingly needed.

I know there are more than 500 volunteers working with the various search and rescue groups - men and women of all ages who give freely of their time to learn expert life-saving skills and put themselves at risk to help search for and rescue others.

"The funding I have announced today will assist with day to day running costs, and help to replace protective clothing, equipment and support ongoing training.

The Minister added: The visit today has given me an opportunity to see first-hand how our search and rescue volunteers mobilise and respond. It has also provided me with the opportunity to thank all those involved in Foyle Search and Rescue and the wider NISAR groups, for their tireless commitment to helping others in need.

Since its inception back in 1993, Foyle Search and Rescue has been responsible for saving 490 people from the River Foyle and helping over 4.500 people who intended to enter the water.

During the visit, the Minister met staff and volunteers who took time to explain the many pieces of equipment they use in search and rescue on the River Foyle as well as in emergencies across the province.

Stephen Twells, FSAR Chair, said: The financial support we receive from the Department of Justice and other public organisations helps with our considerable running costs.

Without it we would struggle to maintain the level of service which we currently provide.
Following spectacular light shows in March and coding and poetry workshops in Derry schools, About Us Now will offer fun creative STEM and poetry activities linking to the theme of connectivity and the Universe.

Stemettes and The Poetry Society, in collaboration with 59 Productions, are delighted to be returning to Derry for a day of hands-on STEAM sessions for the whole family and open to the public on Tuesday, 1st November 2022, 10.00am to 4.00pm at Newmarket Street.

Commissioned as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, About Us Now - Derry will involve physical STEAM learning activities planned for ages 7 - 25 to encourage participants to learn skills such as 3D modelling, illustration, HTML and poetry development.

About Us Now - Derry is part of About Us, the first in a series of ten sensational projects commissioned as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, a ground-breaking UK-wide celebration of creativity in 2022. Earlier in March this year, they organised spectacular light shows in Guildhall Square and Waterloo Place, transforming the historic location into a vast canvas combining awe-inspiring live projection-mapped animation with poetry, music, and beautiful live choral singing to create a unique spectacle.

On the day they will celebrate STEAM learning with the aim to build skills and encourage young people to collaborate in Derry and surrounding areas.

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Co-founder and CEO of Stemettes said: Im excited to be serving the local community in Derry and to be bringing the arts and STEM together for young ones to explore their creativity and place in the world. New skills, good food and fun connections to peers and role models are guaranteed!

Judith Palmer, Director, The Poetry Society, said: Were delighted to be working with even more young people this autumn from Derry, with an exciting interactive programme of events harnessing young people's creativity.

About Us celebrates the creativity at the heart of both STEM subjects and poetry; these events are a chance for young people to explore how these disciplines intersect, to learn about career pathways in STEAM, and to try their hand at modelling, design and poetry writing. We can't wait to see what young people create in this next phase of the project.

Lysander Ashton, Project Director, About Us and Director, 59 Productions, said: 59 Productions are really excited to continue the work after the spectacular shows earlier in the year and to dive deeper into the incredible stories of how connected we all are.

About Us Now is a collaboration between 59 Productions  the award-winning design studio and production company who created the video design for the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony; Stemettes  the award-winning social enterprise working to bring young women and non-binary young people into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers; and The Poetry Society  one of the UKs most dynamic arts organisations.
Police have named a man who was killed in an attack in Co Antrim as Ryan MacNab.

A murder investigation has been launched following the death of the 31-year-old.

Detectives investigating the murder of a man in Rathcoole have named the victim as 31-year-old Ryan MacNab from north Belfast. Read more here: https://t.co/GIzIFy7PP9 pic.twitter.com/j2VDNpvY3L  Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) October 22, 2022

Mr MacNab, from north Belfast, died on Friday evening in the Rathcoole area of Newtownabbey after what police described as a serious assault.

Detectives said police received a report shortly after 8.15pm on Friday evening of a serious assault at an address in the Barna Square area.

Despite received medical treatment, Mr MacNab died from his injuries at the scene.

A 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder remains in custody.

Detectives from our Major Investigation Team have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in his 30s in the Rathcoole area of Newtownabbey on Friday evening, 21st October. pic.twitter.com/culnAgOj8z  Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) October 21, 2022

Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Kelly reiterated the police appeal for anyone with any information to come forward.

He said: I am continuing to appeal to anyone who believes they may have information which could assist detectives with their investigation to contact us at the Major Investigation Team on 101 quoting reference 1779 of 21/10/22.

I will add that we are aware of footage from the scene circulating and would ask people not to share this out of respect for the family.
The South Korean tech giant LG has released a new smart monitor with a 4K screen resolution, AirPlay 2 and runs on WebOS. The smart monitor is a successor of the LG StanbyMe (yes, that was its name) released in February this year, which only offered 1080p resolution. However, the model had availability issues, and in spite of coming in a battery-powered variant, StanbyMe did not do well. Nevertheless, the new LG Smart Monitor with model number 32SQ780S seems promising.

LG's new Smart Monitor comes with a 4K display

First, the LG Smart Monitor comes with a 32-inch 4K screen, which makes the monitor both handy and useful. It runs on WebOS, a Linux-based operating system for smart monitors and TVs developed by the company. The smart monitor also has a feature called AirPlay 2 that allows it to stream audio to multiple devices simultaneously. Users can use the smart monitor to relay audio to multiple Bluetooth speakers or headsets simultaneously.

In terms of connectivity, the LG Smart Monitor provides many options, including two HDMI ports, three USB-A ports, one USB-C port and an RJ45 port if someone wants to use a wired internet connection. Hence, users can connect the smart monitor to a plethora of devices. In addition, the monitor comes with a triple-jointed stand that can be adjusted at several angles. It has a built-in clamp that holds it in place and provides a sturdy point of movement for the monitor.

The LG Smart Monitor could be priced at around US $499

Overall, the LG smart monitor is a hybrid monitor/TV as it provides all the functionality of a smart TV unless one wants a large TV screen. The 32-inch LG Smart Monitor is listed on Amazon; however, it cannot be ordered now. The price of the smart monitor will reportedly be around US $499, and it will come in a white finish only. However, LG has not yet announced a smart monitor release date; hence, the pricing can change.
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Home Search ICH Question Everything! Purpose and Intent of this website: Putin's Winter Offensive By Mike Whitney Every dead Russian and Ukrainian in this war, every family anywhere in the world that suffers the consequences of this war, every business that shuts down because of the economic damage this war is causing and the increased risk of nuclear annihilation, its all US Govt made. Twitter @KimDotcom Proxy War (def) a war instigated by a major power which does not itself become involved. October 22, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " Unz Review " - Ukrainian gains on the battlefield have been met by a widely-anticipated Russian escalation. On September 21, in a rare national address, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the mobilsation of 300,000 reservists who would be called to serve in the war in Ukraine. In recent weeks, the Russian army has suffered a number of setbacks due to its lack of sufficient manpower in the battlespace. Simply put, the Russians did not have enough combat troops to carry out their mission or to defend the vast area that has recently been annexed by Moscow. Russias Special Military Operation was never designed to seize and occupy great swaths of Ukrainian territory. In essence, the SMO was a police operation aimed at locating and eliminating the Ukrainian forces that had been bombarding and killing ethnic Russians living in east Ukraine. After numerous clashes with advancing NATO-trained battalions, its clear that Russia needs significant reinforcements to roll back Ukrainian forces and impose a security buffer around its new provinces. Russias critics see the under-staffing as an indication of military incompetence but, in fact, Moscow is merely adapting to a fluid situation in which both parties continue to raise the stakes. Here is an excerpt from a post by Big Serge at Substack that helps to clarify whats going on: Of all the phantasmagorical claims that have been made about the Russo-Ukrainian War, few are as difficult to believe as the claim that Russia intended to conquer Ukraine with fewer than 200,000 men. Indeed, a central truth of the war that observers simply must come to grasp with is the fact that the Russian army has been badly outnumbered from day one. On paper, Russia has committed an expeditionary force of less than 200,000 men, though of course that full amount has not been on the frontline in active combat lately. The light force deployment is related to Russias rather unique service model, which has combined contract soldiers  the professional core of the army  with a reservist pool that is generated with an annual conscription wave.The transition from a Soviet mobilization scheme to a smaller, leaner, professional ready force was part and parcel of Russias neoliberal austerity regime throughout much of the Putin years. . This Russian contract force can still accomplish a great deal, militarily speaking  it can destroy Ukrainian military installations, wreak havoc with artillery, bash its way into urban agglomerations in the Donbas, and destroy much of Ukraines indigenous war-making potential. It cannot, however, wage a multi-year continental war against an enemy which outnumbers it by at least four to one, and which is sustained with intelligence, command and control, and material which are beyond its immediate reach More force deployment is needed. Russia must transcend the neoliberal austerity army. It has the material capacity to mobilize the needed forces  it has many millions in its reservist pool, enormous inventories of equipment, and indigenous production capacity undergirded by the natural resources and production potential of the Eurasian bloc that has closed ranks around it. But remember  military mobilization is also political mobilization. (Politics By Other Means; Putin and Clausewitz, Big Serge Thoughts, Substack) Russias critics, of course, will dismiss this explanation as nonsense, even so, the calling up of 300,000 reservists shows that Putins generals realize they cannot achieve their strategic objectives with merely an expeditionary force but must adjust to changes on the ground. And that is precisely what they are doing; they are beefing up their forces at a time when Putins public approval rating is at an eye-watering 77%. So, while an earlier mobilization would have undoubtedly been met with widespread condemnation and rejection, the great majority of Russians now fully support the policy. Simply put, Putin has won the hearts and minds of the Russian people. He has convinced them that their country, traditions, culture and lives face an unprecedented existential threat. Heres more from Big Serge: Putin and those around him conceived of the Russo-Ukrainian War in existential terms from the very beginning. It is unlikely, however, that most Russians understood this. What has happened in the months since February 24 is rather remarkable. The existential war for the Russian nation has been incarnated and made real for Russian citizens. Sanctions and anti-Russian propaganda  demonizing the entire nation as orcs  has rallied even initially skeptical Russians behind the war, and Putins approval rating has soared. A core western assumption, that Russians would turn on the government, has reversed. Videos showing the torture of Russian POWs by frothing Ukrainians, of Ukrainian soldiers calling Russian mothers to mockingly tell them their sons are dead, of Russian children killed by shelling in Donetsk, have served to validate Putins implicit claim that Ukraine is a demon possessed state that must be exorcised with high explosives The government of Ukraine (in now deleted tweets) publicly claimed that Russians are prone to barbarism because they are a mongrel race with Asiatic blood mixing. (Big Serge, Substack) In short, the establishment media and political class have made Putins job easier for him by persuading even left-leaning Russians that the western nations led by the US despise all-things Russian and are determined to destroy their country and subjugate their people. Heres Putin: I want to underscore again that their insatiability and determination to preserve their unfettered dominance are the real causes of the hybrid war that the collective West is waging against Russia. They do not want us to be free; they want us to be a colony. They do not want equal cooperation; they want to loot. They do not want to see us a free society, but a mass of soulless slaves.I would like to remind you that in the past, ambitions of world domination have repeatedly shattered against the courage and resilience of our people. Russia will always be Russia. We will continue to defend our values and our Motherland. We have never agreed to and will never agree to such political nationalism and racism. What else, if not racism, is the Russophobia being spread around the world? What, if not racism, is the Wests dogmatic conviction that its civilisation and neoliberal culture is an indisputable model for the entire world to follow? Today, we are fighting so that it would never occur to anyone that Russia, our people, our language, or our culture can be erased from history. Today, we need a united society, and this unification can only be based on sovereignty, freedom, creation, and justice. Our values are humanity, mercy and compassion. (Speech on the Accession of the New Regions to Russia, Vladimir Putin, Unz Review) According to Putin, the collective west wants to plunder Russia, enslave its people, and create a colony whose wealth can be siphoned off by tyrannical bigots and foreign profiteers. The medias relentless attack on Russian athletes, scholars, scientists, musicians and even businessmen has only reinforced the view among ordinary Russians that they have entered the crosshairs of a violent and out-of-control western coalition that intends to deliver the same lethal death-blow to Russia that they did to Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and countless other nations. Putins soaring public approval ratings underscore the fact that most Russians think the threat is real and that the battle must be joined. Heres more from Big Serge: Putin has  achieved his project of formal annexation of Ukraines old eastern rim. This has also legally transformed the war into an existential struggle. Further Ukrainian advances in the east are now, in the eyes of the Russian state, an assault on sovereign Russian territory and an attempt to destroy the integrity of the Russian state. Recent polling shows that a supermajority of Russians support defending these new territories at any cost. (Substack) The speed at which Putin annexed the four regions in Ukraine suggests that the real purpose of the action goes far beyond the expansion of Russias western border. The real reason Putin rushed through the measure was to fundamentally change the rules of engagement. Needless to say, a Special Military Operation is worlds apart from the defense of ones own sovereign territory. In other words, the real purpose of the referendum was to indicate that the gloves are off and that Russia is going to respond to Ukraines attacks with unexpected ferocity. Heres Serge again: A political consensus for higher mobilization and greater intensity has been achieved. Now all that remains is the implementation of this consensus in the material world of fist and boot, bullet and shell, blood and iron. .. Russia is massing for a winter escalation and offensive, and is currently engaged in a calculated trade wherein they give up space in exchange for time and Ukrainian casualties. Russia continues to retreat where positions are either operationally compromised or faced with overwhelming Ukrainian numbers, but they are very careful to extract forces out of operational danger. Russia will likely continue to pull back over the coming weeks, withdrawing units intact under their artillery and air umbrella, grinding down Ukrainian heavy equipment stocks and wearing away their manpower. Meanwhile, new equipment continues to congregate in Belgorod, Zaporizhia, and Crimea. My expectation remains the same: episodic Russian withdrawal until the front stabilizes roughly at the end of October, followed by an operational pause until the ground freezes, followed by escalation and a winter offensive by Russia once they have finished amassing sufficient units. There is an eerie calm radiating from the Kremlin.. The disconnect between the Kremlins stoicism and the deterioration of the front are striking. Perhaps Putin and the entire Russian general staff really are criminally incompetent  perhaps the Russian reserves really are nothing but a bunch of drunks. Perhaps there is no plan. Or perhaps, Russias sons will answer the call of the motherland again, as they did in 1709, in 1812, and in 1941. As the wolves once more prowl at the door, the old bear rises again to fight. (Big Serge, Substack) Bottom line: Russia has now laid the groundwork for a broader and more violent conflict. 300,000 reservists have been called up, vast amounts of military hardware are being shipped to the front, and public opinion overwhelmingly supports the war-effort. All the signs point to a significant escalation in the fighting that will leave much of Ukraine in ruins while pushing Washington and Moscow closer to a direct confrontation. Mearsheimers Chilling Prediction: The Russians are going to turn Ukraine into rubble. (2 minute video) Views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Reader financed- No Advertising - No Government Grants - No Algorithm - This Is Independent Get Our Free Newsletter Registration is not necessary to post comments. We ask only that you do not use obscene or offensive language. Please be respectful of others. See also European MP Blatantly Calls Out Europe & USA for Being the Biggest Terrorist Search Information Clearing House The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. 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A refugee turned star hurler is among the guests of this week's (Oct 21) Late Late Show.

From life in a refugee camp in Iraq to hurling in Croke Park for Leitrim, Zak Moradi will speak to host Ryan Tubridy about the power of sport and the importance of community.

Hollywood actor Richard E. Grant will be live in studio to chat about his memoir A Pocketful of Happiness. Richard lost his wife of 34 years Joan to cancer and describes the sadness and rawness that a terminal illness brings to a family. It's a love story that spans the early days of their relationship when Richard was a waiter to the highs of being nominated for an Oscar.



Sing Street star Jack Reynor will chat to Ryan about being thrust into worldwide fame at just 21 years old, his new Prime Video show The Peripheral and why he will never swap beautiful Blessington for the Hollywood Hills.



Comedian and broadcaster PJ Gallagher will discuss his personal story of mental illness and why he wants to share his experience after a stay in hospital earlier this year saved his life.



Ryan will meet some of the remarkable children together with their mothers and fathers who communicate through Lamh, a manual sign language, and are taking part in a landmark children's television programme on RTEjr called Dizzy Deliveries.



The show will also have music from cutting-edge rapper Malaki performing his new single, while Susan ONeill returns with a song from her current EP.



And- calling all big kids! - a very special not-to-missed Late Late Toy Show update will be announced on Friday nights show.

The show will air on October 21st at 9.35pm.
Educational links and twinning of towns were discussed during a whistle-stop visit to Donegal by the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland.

Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid visited Donegal earlier this week for a series of engagements.

On arrival to the county, the Ambassador expressed deepest condolences to the victims and bereaved of the Creeslough tragedy on behalf of the Palestinian people.

Later, the Ambassador, who was accompanied on her visit by Ms Dania Dasouqi, also of the Mission of Palestine to Ireland, was warmly received by the Bishop of Raphoe, Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ, who assured the Ambassador of his support for the Palestinian people and reminded her of the Vaticans unwavering support for Palestine.

During her visit, the Ambassador also met with local independent TD, Thomas Pringle who spoke to her about keeping the cause of Palestine on the agenda in the Dail and expressed the solidarity of the people of Donegal to the Palestinian people.

At the headquarters of Donegal County Council, in Lifford, the Ambassador paid a courtesy visit and met with Leas Cathaoirleach, Cllr Michael Naughton and Chief Executive John G McLaughlin. They discussed matters of mutual interest such as twinning opportunities and educational links. Gifts were also exchanged as a token of the links between the people of Donegal and the people of Palestine.

The day ended with a public meeting at Dillons Hotel, Letterkenny, where the Ambassador outlined the plight of the Palestinian people to an interested audience. The meeting was chaired by local Sinn Fein councillor Gerry McGonagle.
An Tain Arts Centre said they are delighted to bring back their successful Louth Culture Quest walking tours of the Dundalk and Drogheda Zones of the county-wide treasure hunt.

Having recently featured on Today FMs Dermot and Dave and Newstalks Pat Kenny show, comedian Joe Rooney will host the tours on Sunday 6th November at 12pm in Dundalk and 2:30pm in Drogheda.

Audiences will need to download the Louth Culture Quest App in advance to enjoy the walking tour.

Louth Culture Quest is a county-wide, futuristic art and heritage treasure hunt, where audiences download the app, solve the clues, find the artwork and explore the heritage sites of County Louth.

Audiences can also claim a limited-edition reward pin, if they complete all four zones of the quest. An Tain Arts Centre are also thrilled to announce a competition to be in with a chance to win a 50 voucher for The Glyde Inn, Annagassan and a Louth Culture Quest merchandise package.

To enter: Download the Louth Culture Quest App from the Google Play or App Store and: (1) Post a review of Louth Culture Quest on the Google Play or App Store OR (2) Publish a post on Facebook or Instagram of you experiencing the quest, or at an artwork, please tag @antainarts and use the #louthculturequest

The Glyde Inn, winner of the Best Food Pub in the North East (Irish Pub Awards) has a delicious menu of seafood and you might even stumble upon an LCQ artwork!

The LCQ merch package features a LCQ mini Cooler, branded umbrella, and a limited edition reward pin, all featuring the LCQ brand by Grandson Studio.

The winner will be announced on Saturday 22nd of October.

Book the Louth Culture Quest walking tours today at www.antain.ie and armed with your mobile device and guided by the custodian from the future named Lugh, performed by Fr Ted's Joe Rooney, take a journey through time, exploring the heritage sites of County Louth, engaging with newly commissioned pieces of art and changing the course of history.

Louth Culture Quest Walking Tours take place on Sunday 6th November at 12pm in Dundalk and 2:30pm in Drogheda. Tickets are 3.50 (plus 1.50 booking fee per ticket) and participants will need to download the Louth Culture Quest App costing 4.99 from the Google Play or App Store in advance of the tour. For further information contact info@antain.ie or visit www.antain.ie
Sinn Fein spokesperson on Media, Imelda Munster TD, has called on RTE to ensure the concerns of workers who were subject to bogus self-employment work practices in the past are addressed.

The Louth TD also called for additional time to be given to unions and RTE to negotiate the terms of any deal to compensate those affected. Deputy Munster wrote to Director General of RTE, Dee Forbes on this matter, asking her to intervene to ensure that the concerns of workers are addressed.

Deputy Munster said: Ive been contacted by workers from RTE who were subject to bogus self-employment work practices at RTE for years. These issues were examined by the Public Accounts Committee, a Committee I sit on. The matter was also examined by consultants Eversheds Sutherland and is currently under investigation by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

These investigations determined that many workers were incorrectly placed on self-employment contracts for many years, and decades in some cases, which has caused them to miss out on many employment benefits such as holiday pay, sick pay and pension benefits."

She continued, workers have been in touch saying that RTE have made an offer, but that it falls very short of what is needed to adequately compensate those affected, particularly those worst affected. They are particularly worried that pension benefits have not been addressed. Some workers who have worked for RTE for years or decades are now left without a staff pension.

The deadline for a decision on this deal is this Friday the 21st October which workers say is an unreasonable amount of time to make an informed decision on such an important matter. I wrote to Ms Forbes today asking her to address the issues raised by staff, and to facilitate further negotiations between RTE and union representatives to work out a proposal that will provide adequate compensation for all staff affected."

Deputy Munster added, RTE were in the wrong here, and its up to them to ensure that they now do right by their staff, and finally treat them fairly.
Chapel Street Dundalk was busier than usual this September as the new term began in the Adult Learning Service.

LMETB Adult Learning Service has been to the forefront of the response to the increased number of refugees from Ukraine.

Since March they have doubled the number of English classes for speakers of other languages to answer the demand.

Kinga Byrne, the Adult Literacy Organiser (ALO) said she was delighted to be able to welcome existing and new learners back to class after the summer break.

2022 has been a challenging year for both learners and staff but the overwhelming feeling of learners and staff alike is that they are delighted to be able to attend the Centre, she said.

The learning environment we have created here is one of support and encouragement and our aim is to help our learners thrive.

The range of courses that we offer in the service is growing all the time.

We try to accommodate what learners are looking for with a range of English, computer Maths and one to one support tuition.

As many as 2,517 learners have benefited from the Adult Learning Service LMETB in Dundalk and Ardee to date in 2022, this figure is an indication of the huge demand for the service.

September and October is a time when many people decide to return to education and the Adult Learning Service welcomes enquiries from learners for information. Coming into the Centre is easy to do, and you can ring to make an appointment or just pop in. We will have a quick chat and match you to a course to meet your needs, a spokesperson said.

There are a range of classes including career preparation; Read, Write and Spell Well; Intensive Numeracy and Literacy, Beginner Computer Classes; Practical Maths.

One to one support is also available for those who do not feel ready to join a class.

They have a range of English for Speakers of Other Languages courses from complete beginners to more advanced groups.

They also have daytime and evening options, and their classes are all part-time and most importantly free of charge.

Many of our learners who have come back this term have progressed to higher level classes, and we are delighted to have been able to help them on this journey, a spokesperson said.

As the restrictions are removed and it is safe to do so we look forward to our awards presentation night in December where learners receive their certificates in recognition of all their hard work.

Most of our courses are QQI accredited, which is nationally recognized by employers, so your certificates will also improve your prospects if you are looking to return to work.

So, if you would like to call in to see us pop in to Adult Learning Service LMETB, Chapel Street, Dundalk ,call 0860598585, email alslouth@lmetb.ie or visit our facebook page @alslouth and we will help you on your learning journey, the spokesperson concluded.

All their courses are funded by the Irish Government and the European Union.
*Over the past 40 years, China has contributed close to three-quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty, according to a joint report released in April by China's Ministry of Finance, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and the World Bank. The World Bank also estimates that the infrastructure investment in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could lift 7.6 million people worldwide out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty. *Over the past decades, China has been not only talking about fixing the peace deficit through the pursuit of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, but also walking the talk with concrete actions. *Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second-largest funding contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and has contributed more peacekeepers than any other permanent members of the Security Council. *Always championing a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, China consistently maintains that all countries -- big or small, rich or poor -- are equal members of the international community. BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A protracted pandemic rarely seen in a century, the rising tide of de-globalization, a wobbling global economy ... the list of unprecedented challenges tormenting humanity as a whole seems unending, and is growing. In this dire moment for the human race, the global community must come together, and better coordinate its actions. And to tackle the root causes of those planetary conundrums, the world needs to fix global deficits in peace, development, trust, and governance. For that end, China's visions and commitment evident in the twice-in-a-decade national congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) are of global relevance. DEVELOPMENT HOLDS THE KEY Development is the eternal theme of human society and a master key to addressing major problems, especially poverty. Over the past 40 years, China has contributed close to three-quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty, according to a joint report released in April by China's Ministry of Finance, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and the World Bank. The World Bank also estimates that the infrastructure investment in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could lift 7.6 million people worldwide out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty. This aerial photo taken on Oct. 16, 2022 shows the construction site of the erection of the last box girder along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Purwakarta, Indonesia. (Xinhua/Xu Qin) While reducing destitution is important, it is always a common desire for people everywhere to pursue a better life. This demands not only faster development, but more balanced and equitable development. China will accelerate creating a new development pattern and pursue high-quality development, said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in his report to the 20th CPC National Congress. "We must fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy, promote high-standard opening up, and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows," Xi said. China's commitment to promoting high-standard opening up is very positive for the rest of the world, as countries are recovering from the COVID-19 recession, said Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser for Malaysia's Pacific Research Center. In a recent joint interview with Chinese media, Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called the BRI "one of the most remarkable initiatives," since China helped build the infrastructure to boost the economy, create jobs, boost resilience in terms of natural disasters, and address poverty in terms of climate change in Latin America and Africa. In September 2021, with the future of all humanity in mind, Xi put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. The initiative calls for staying committed to development as a priority, to a people-centered approach, to benefits for all, to innovation-driven development, to harmony between man and nature, and to results-oriented actions. For Skerrit, the GDI creates a favorable mechanism for developing countries that focuses on cooperation and partnerships, and is dedicated to addressing such issues as extreme poverty, food security, access to vaccines, and climate change. The China-proposed development initiatives exemplify a correct understanding of global issues as well as a focus on collective progress, said Farhad Javanbakht Kheirabadi, a China scholar at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran. An Egyptian driver operates a light rail train during a trial run of Egypt's first electrified light rail transit (LRT) system jointly built by Chinese and Egyptian companies, in Cairo, Egypt, July 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) A SAFER WORLD While delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022 in April, Xi proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), offering a China solution to the questions posed by the times such as what security concept the world needs and how countries can achieve common security. The initiative advocates cooperative and synergy-driven approaches to replace the zero-sum Cold War mindset of maximization of security through power contestation and arms racing, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told Xinhua. Carrying forward the spirit of the UN Charter, the initiative provides a fundamental solution to eliminating the peace deficit, said Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia. Over the past decades, China has been not only talking about fixing the peace deficit through the pursuit of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, but also walking the talk with concrete actions. Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second-largest funding contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and has contributed more peacekeepers than any other permanent members of the Security Council. In the eyes of Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, China has been "a strong buttress to the blue flag (of the UN)." China has also played an active part in tackling security challenges of various forms and safeguarding regional peace within regional mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said that China-proposed initiatives including the GSI are "essential to reinforce multilateralism, international cooperation and solidarity to address global challenges and concerns for common interests." Building a global community of security for all "addresses the issues of peace deficit and governance deficit, and seeks peace and development," which will certainly gain steam, said B. R. Deepak, chairperson of the Center of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University. GLOBAL GOVERNANCE THAT WORKS More than two years into the once-in-a-century pandemic, the global sustainable development is facing strong headwinds, the North-South gap keeps widening, and crises are emerging in food and energy security. Yet some countries have chosen coercion over cooperation, willfully slapped sanctions, and stoked divisions worldwide. These all cast shadow on the future of the global governance. While this is an age where all countries should jointly rise to their common challenges, they should also respect each other's core interests and choice of development paths, treat each other as equals, and reject the practice of the strong bullying the weak or the big bullying the small. At the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in June, Xi called on the world to "promote extensive consultation and joint contribution to deliver shared benefits" to ensure that "all countries enjoy equal rights, follow the rules as equals, and share equal opportunities." Behind Xi's call for the equal rights, rules and opportunities is an aspiration for "a just, fair, multipolar world order," John Pang, a senior fellow at New York-based Bard College, observed. Through South-South cooperation mechanisms like BRICS, developing countries "enhance mutual understanding and trust and make the pie of cooperation bigger," said Deepak. This aerial photo taken on Feb. 15, 2019 shows a container ship of the COSCO Shipping approaching Piraeus port, Greece. (Xinhua/Wu Lu) Always championing a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, China consistently maintains that all countries -- big or small, rich or poor -- are equal members of the international community. In the case of cooperation between China and African countries, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said there are always some people who like to point fingers despite the fact that China has sincerely helped Kenya solve problems and meet its needs with actions. Having witnessed the completion of the Chinese-built Kipevu Oil Terminal project in the coastal Kenyan city of Mombasa in January, Kenyatta said he is often asked why Kenya and China cooperate so closely, and he responded that is because China and Kenya respect each other and treat each other as equals. Still, to fix all those problems perplexing the human community, trust is a pre-condition. Without trust, there is no way to avoid conflicts or to carry out real cooperation. Therefore, bridging the trust gap requires all nations to treat each other in good faith, mean what they say and follow through their commitments. China has over the years been a firm believer in honoring its words with actions, a promoter of dialogues and a champion of inter-cultural exchanges so as to seek common ground while shelving and narrowing differences, increase strategic trust, and reduce mutual suspicion. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 30, 2019 shows the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge in Maldives. (Photo by Wang Mingliang/Xinhua) "The Chinese direction has been that of multilateralism, bringing countries together, creating development and creating unity based on the principles of the United Nations Charter," said William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review. Changes will be seen in the world that can show China's vision is successful, which will lead to global prosperity rather than conflict, said Jones. (Video reporters: Wu Changwei, Wan Po, Nguon Sovan, Zhao Xu, Kang Wenjun, Wang Feng, Zhang Baoping, Xie Er, Wang Huan, Jiang Chao, Ali Jaswal, Jiang Lei; video editors: Liu Ruoshi, Mu Xurao, Wang Houyuan)
Spotify crashed earlier today, but it's not because of a hack or a bug.

Users of the popular audio streaming platform had recently gone to social media to air out their frustrations of being unable to access Spotify when Taylor Swift's latest album was released.

Swift's "Midnights" album was set to be released for launch on Oct. 21 at 9 PM PST worldwide, per the Los Angeles Times.

Spotify Taylor Swift-Induced Crash Details

Fans of Taylor Swift that use Spotify mentioned in their respective social media accounts that they couldn't open Spotify for an unknown reason when Swift's latest album, "Midnights," was released.

According to a report from Bloomberg, these users have also gone to global monitoring service Downdetector to report their inability to open the app at that time, leading to 7,844 outages being reported worldwide by 1:10 AM EDT.

This number could mean that the number of people opening Spotify at the same time overwhelmed Spotify's servers, which led to the app crashing for people.

POV: youre a spotify user anytime taylor releases anything pic.twitter.com/YntX7VMABE  jen  (@inallmydreams13) October 21, 2022

Interestingly, phrases about the release of Swift's "Midnights" album were trending globally on Twitter, with "Spotify" being the second trending word due to the volume of users airing out their frustration on the platform.

Fortunately, Spotify was able to rectify the problem just in time for people to enjoy some of Swift's new music tracks hours before the release of her album's first music video, "Anti-Hero," per We Got This Covered.

Read More: Capcom Releases Third-Person Mode Demo of Resident Evil Village  Here's What You Need To Know

Downdetector's graph confirms this series of events, with the global monitoring service reporting that 233 new outage reports were made after some time.

As of the writing of this article, Spotify is now accessible worldwide, and reports of outages have been scarce since 1:10 AM EDT.

Additionally, Spotify and Swift have yet to comment on the former's crash publicly. However, Swift took to her official Twitter account to thank her fans and supporters for her album's success. She also thanked Jack Antonoff and the other collaborators she worked with for their contributions to the album.

"Midnights is a collage of intensity, highs and lows and ebbs and flows," Swift tweeted. "Life can be dark, starry, cloudy, terrifying, electrifying, hot, cold, romantic or lonely. Just like Midnights. Which is out now."

'Spotify-buster' Certified?

did taylor swift just crash spotify  Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) November 12, 2021

Interestingly, this isn't the first time Spotify crashed due to a release of a Taylor Swift album. According to Newsweek, Spotify went down for the first time due to a Taylor Swift album when the pop artist released a re-recording of her 2012 album, "Red."

Just like today, Swifties and other Spotify users took to social media to air out their frustrations of being unable to open the app, with some congratulating Swift for the crash.

Some users have even went to the app's Community webpage to report the problem to Spotify, as evidenced by one of the post of one of its users.

Spotify eventually fixed the issue, though, and by the time Newsweek's article was published, the app became accessible again.

Related Article: Taylor Swift to Feature in Apple Fitness+ Workouts
Alphabet-owned Wing company has announced that it will soon expand its drone delivery service in Lusk, Ireland, a small town 10 miles north of Dublin. According to Engadget, the pilot program in the area is slated to begin in the coming weeks.

Alphabet-owned Company is Eager to Bring Drone Service to More European Communities

The company currently offers drone deliveries in Christiansburg, Virginia; Helsinki, Finland; and Logan and Canberra, Australia. With the upcoming pilot program in the area, Lusk will be the fifth city where if offers its services.

According to the Alphabet-owned company, Ireland was chosen as its next area of operation because "the country has embraced drone technology." Moreover, it appears that the country is a "great incubator for future innovations."

To support its operation in Ireland, the company is using its existing partnerships and approvals granted in Finland in addition to the recognition from the IAA (Irish Aviation Authority), according to Digital Trends.

According to Wing's head of Policy, Regulatory and Community Affairs Margaret Nagle, the company is eager to launch a second pilot program in the European Union.

Nagle said EU has recently made notable development in crafting regulations for uncrewed aviation. This could provide an excellent framework for safe and scalable drone delivery.

"Wing is encouraged by what's taking shape, and now we're excited to explore the ways we can leverage these new regulations to bring this service to more European communities," Nagle said.

Furthermore, the company said that the goal of its program is to expand its European operations into Ireland.

Moreover, it wants to gain experience operating in the area in order to know the types of drone delivery services that would bring the local community the most value.

Read Also: Alphabet-Owned Wing Food Delivery Drone Crashes into Power Lines

Wing Conducts Community Meeting with Residents of Lusk, Ireland

According to Nagle, it's likely that Wing will be fostering partnership with a number of local businesses. From these local businesses, select online shoppers will be able to order snacks and drinks, small household items, and medications.

Once the shopper has placed an order, a drone will fly to the delivery address carrying the order. Once the location is reached, the drone would lower the goods on a tether. Once this is done, it would return to the base.

Some residents in other areas where Wing is operating complained about the buzzing noise of drones in their neighborhood. To deal with this problem, the company made a less noisy drone model.

However, just last month, one of the company's drones hit some power lines in Brisbane, Australia. This caused temporary power outage in nearby areas.

As the company aims to have a smooth launch in Lusk, Ireland, it is conducting preliminary talks with local leaders regarding its proposed pilot program in the area.

Moreover, the company is also conducting a conversation with residents of the town this week. In the community meeting with the residents, questions can be asked about Wing's plans. Moreover, residents can check the drones up close before they fly into the skies.

Related Article: Alphabet's Wing Set to Begin Drone Deliveries on April 7 - Where Will It Be?
GRAINNE Murphy is never not writing. Her third novel Winter People has just hit Cork bookshelves, but she already has another on the go, with a few more tucked away in the bottom drawer.

Her first two novels, Where The Edge Is and The Ghostlights, come highly recommended, both written in beautiful prose by a writer who bravely explores the intricacies of human relationships. Like her third offering, her previous novels are published by Legend Press in the UK, who approached the talented author after her nominations for various literary awards.

I went straight to worry when I got the book deal, she tells me over a coffee, But then my son looked at me and said Mum, this is your dream, so I got it together.

Grainne started writing seriously after the death of her daughter Ali. She worked on a non-fiction account of what had happened, wanting to remember and record the details of her babys short life, to preserve it for herself and her husband and for the remaining two of her three children.

Time can be strange and treacherous. I had become used to condensing our story, mostly to make other people feel comfortable. Saying things like our daughter died last year, so I felt compelled to write Alis story out.

Once she began to write, the fiction followed.

The fiction came alongside that, maybe to balance it out, to manage it.

This third book, Winter People, is her first with literary agents Northbank Talent Management. She is extremely grateful to her personal agent Hannah Weatherill, who, oozing humility, she says made the book a lot better.

Multiple point of view stories are my favourite ones to read, and to write, and Winter People is written this way too, moving from one character to the next.

"Initially, I wrote the book in three parts, one part per character, but my agent reminded me I was expecting people to remember a lot for a long time. Now each part contains the perspectives of all three characters under the section headings of: Storm, Sea and Sky. It flows so much better this way.

Murphys three characters sound fascinating. Two originally appeared in a short story she wrote called Further West, longlisted for the Sunday Times Short Story Award. It is from the point of view of a man called Peter who comes to repossess the home of Sis Cotter.

Sis Cotter continued to live in my head long after the story had been written, and she overtook Peter within the story too. Later, shed intrude on other novels, so I knew I had to write an entire story around her.

Peter is still a sheriff repossessing Sis Cotters home in Winter People but their lives are fleshed out in vivid detail.

They are three people living on a beach, which is an amalgam of all the beaches I know and love in West Cork. Sis Cotter is there, and Peter, and a woman called Lydia. But it was important for me that they live far apart on the beach  that theres a sense of separation and isolation.

The author explains that she wrote the novel during lockdown when she noticed how people were almost competing for sympathy, ranking their situation against other people.

I wanted to convey that sense of judging someones life from the outside without really knowing what its like for someone. I wanted Sis and Lydia to look at each other that way.

Her third character, Peter, was going to be another woman.

I wanted to show a good man and I wanted to depict a good male friendship because I dont think that gets enough space in writing.

The writer confides that the story is about the things we need to say to one another in life. It considers what happens when we do or dont.

The biggest questions in life happen in the smallest moments. And when people change, that change tends to happen quite quickly. Thats one reason why my books always work within a short time frame. In my own life, Ali was diagnosed on a Monday night and by Tuesday morning I was a different person  I looked at the world differently.

The hugely likeable, candid writer shares that she has thoroughly enjoyed writing in Cork since her family returned from Belgium several years ago.

My first two novels came out in lockdown so that killed the possibility of community involvement but still, bookshops were brilliant. Any time I went into any Cork bookshop like Waterstones or Dubray or my local bookshops in Kinsale, they really made me feel welcome as a writer.

She also mentions the great collaborative work of the Irish Writers Union, Cork City Library and Corks World Book Festival, commenting that everyone just wanted writers and bookshops to get through the pandemic.

Grainne finishes our conversation by adding that the setting of Winter People is important.

It is set on this desolate beach in November and that relates to the title. By winter people, I mean people who are happy to have the emotional door closed. Thats Sis Cotter. Summer people are happy to have the emotional door open. Thats Lydia.

And Peter? I ask, shyly?

She offers me a smile  as if to say Ill have to go away and read the book. She can count on it.
A COUPLE who met in secondary school when they were 16 years old tied the knot recently, surrounded by family and friends.

Chloe Walsh, from Piltown, Kinsalebeg, and Mark, from, Youghal are both teachers, now based in East Cork/West Waterford.

They live in Grange, County Waterford. This week they feature in our Wedding of the Week.

The couple with their wedding car, outside Faithlegg House Hotel, where they enjoyed their wedding reception surrounded by family and friends.

The happy couple got engaged in Youghal in December, 2019, just before the Covid lockdowns were introduced in early 2020.

They got married on August 9, 2022, in St Bartholomews Church in Chloes home parish, followed by their wedding reception in Faithlegg House Hotel, Waterford.

The brides dress was from Say I Do bridal boutique in Midelton.

She said: It was based on old Hollywood glamour with puff sleeves.

The brides hair was styled by Kim from Kim Glam hair in Aglish, County Waterford, and make-up was by Jodi Roche Makeup in Abbeyside.

The suits for the men were from Noel Devereux in Dungarvan.

The couple, who are both teachers, are working in schools in East Cork/ West Waterford.

Recalling the guest list, Chloe said: We were very lucky that all family members could attend.

From grandparents to aunts, uncles, cousins and friends!

The bridal party included her two sisters Sophie and Hannah and Marks sister Laura.

Groomsmen were Ryan and Leon and James, all of whom are Marks cousins.

After the Church, Nom Nom Cafe in Cork provided tea and coffee to all guests from their coffee van which was located outside the church.

The happy couple, Chloe Walsh and Mark Coady, with their wedding party, made up of sisters and also cousins.

The wedding cake was made by Marks grandmother Lee, who put tremendous detail and time into creating it.

It was a three-tiered cake with three different flavour tiers, said Chloe.

The couple had their first dance to You Make My Dreams Come True, by Hall and Oates.

The bride recalled: It was sung by our amazing wedding band, the Shellakybookies, who were just fantastic on the day.

The couple enjoyed their wedding reception at Faithlegg House Hotel in Waterford.

As to what was the most memorable thing about the day?

Chloe said: The most memorable part of the day was getting to dance with our family and friends and have the best time!

They said they had an amazing photographer on the day, Irina Duane, who made the event run so smoothly and seamlessly.

Their videographer was Greg from DG videos.

He was also a dream to deal with! We cannot wait to see the video!
DeBARRAS Folk Club in Clonakilty will host Brixton band Alabama 3 on Wednesday, October 26 as part of the groups acoustic Irish tour.

The thought of not having Alabama 3 fills me with horror, Stephen King once said. A man who, to be fair, knows a lot about horror.

Alabama 3 Acoustic and Unplugged is a four-piece outfit consisting of Larry Love on vocals, Aurora Dawn on vocals, Rock Freebase on guitar, and Harpo Strangelove on harmonica.

With this line up, they bring a new dimension to the songs made famous by Alabama 3, eschewing acid house music for country/gospel/delta blues, but played with a rhythm which still calls the faithful to dance.

With the addition of Aurora Dawn to the line-up theres an added injection of soul  or, as it says on the cover of the bands latest album Revolver Soul, this is soul music with a gun against your head.

With a tag like that, it might not quite be the sound listened to by respected family man Anthony John Soprano on his drive home to North Caldwell, New Jersey, but the late waste management consultant would probably still approve.

By performing in this stripped-down acoustic way, the bands aim was to show the songs in a format reminiscent of that pioneered by the people who have been their inspiration, chiefly the old Delta Blues players like Fred MacDowell and Bukka White.

Ray Blackwell, manager at DeBarras, said the venue was very excited to welcome Alabama 3 back to Clonakilty, 12 years on from their sold-out appearance at the Clonakilty Waterfront Festival.

This joyous return to West Cork will be a far more intimate affair this time round with this seminal band presenting their narco-acoustic slant on Alabama 3 and the music that has inspired them along the way in DeBarras Folk Club, he said. This will be an enviable chance to see this band up close.

Tickets, 25, are available from debarras.ie, with the venue welcoming a line-up of artists from near and far over the next few weeks.

Among those acts will be: Seba Safe (27 October), John Spillane (3 November), Shane Clifford (4 November), Wallis Bird (10 November), Lisa ONeill (13 November), Andrew Ryan (24 November), and Cinder Well (27 November). Full listings at debarras.ie.
A FEW years back, the publishing industry was gripped by a new phenomenon which became known as misery memoirs.

These were first-hand accounts of traumatic and godawful life experiences - think Angelas Ashes: the dark, the grinding poverty, and all that biblical rain pelting down from Limericks leaden skies.

I could never understand why anyone would want to read such depressing books, and similarly, I feel the same about another publishing phenomenon in recent years with unremitting misery at its core, this time in the non-fiction genre: The climate change Book of the Apocalypse.

You know the type: The world is going to end in ten minutes, there is nothing we can do, its too late...

At least the Bible had some good bits and a generally uplifting message; these environmental tomes seem to all tell us we are going to be crucified on the altar of fossil fuels and the end of the world is nigh.

It was therefore with some trepidation that I began reading a new environmental book by a Cork writer, Eoghan Daltun.

Called An Irish Atlantic Rainforest, it documents his attempts to rewild a 73-acre farm he bought on the Beara Peninsula.

And, rather than a holier-than-thou preacher man, I was delighted to find somebody upbeat, positive, and, yes, inspiring.

More than that, Daltun is a beautiful writer, passionate about his life and work - and I have no hesitation in saying he has written the most fascinating, informative, yet accessible books about nature and the environment I have read in ages.

He certainly doesnt hold back on the problems the planet is facing, but what makes Daltun unusual is he is not an academic or a political animal (that I can see), in fact, he is pretty much self-taught in the sphere of rewilding.

He is therefore not afraid to go against the environmental herd, and propose different and real-world solutions to the clear and present danger our planet is facing.

Just like that entrepreneur who was so impressed with a razor, he bought the company, Daltun was so committed to the dream of creating a renewed wilderness in Ireland, that he ploughed his own money into a farm in West Cork and turned his dream into reality.

In the book, he explains how this island - once made up of 80% forest - now has the lowest levels in Europe of it, just 1%. Farmland covers 72% of the Republic, but as Daltun posits, this isnt the green and pleasant land it may first appear, in fact, it is quite the opposite, and far from natural.

Theres a striking lack of real wilderness in Ireland, and we have to act to change this.

Instead of wringing his hands about it, Daltun has dedicated himself to creating a little bit of wilderness on the Beara.

One of the most interesting sections of his book concerns the writers attitudes to returning native species to the lands they were banished from centuries, even millennia ago, by human hunting, fire, and agriculture.

Most of this debate tends to revolve around reintroducing wolves, and usually someone swiftly points out the fact Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has called for them to be reintroduced in Ireland almost 250 years after the species became extinct here.

Cue predictable hysteria from anyone who recalls reading Little Red Riding Hood as a child.

An Iberian lynx.

While Daltun acknowledges rewilding wolves is a contentious issue, he does come up with an alternative project for Ireland: The lynx.

Dont be alarmed by visions of big cats prowling the streets of Bishopstown and Hollyhill (and dont be put off by the photo with this story either!) Lynx would be released in remote regions, and in any case are said to be perfectly harmless towards humans - indeed, they are so shy and secretive that we would hardly ever see one. (Ive been living in badger country for 20 years and never seen a live one yet).

Its been 1,300 years since lynx roamed the UK - and plans are afoot to re-introduce them there, in Scotland and Northumberland - while a near 9,000-year-old lynx bone found in Kilgreaney Cave in Waterford suggests these beasts once lived here too.

So, you ask, what good would rewilding lynx in parts of Cork and Kerry do? Actually, as Daltun points out, quite a lot.

They would be highly beneficial to our eco-system. The predators eat deer and rabbits, both of which are a threat to the natural environment when they are allowed to breed without anyone above them in the food chain. (Indeed, deer are a threat to the odd car windscreen too).

Lynx would also help keep down fox and grey squirrel populations - helping the red thrive.

Now dont go all Bambi and Thumper on me. Cordoning off the plentiful deer and rabbit populations from his paradise found was one of the first things Daltun did when he bought his farm and set out to create a proper Irish wilderness. Deer can do great damage to tree barks, for instance.

Yes, there really is method in this apparent madness of bringing a big cat into Munster and encouraging it to breed and stay.

Its hardly as radical as you think either, a type of lynx still exists in the wild in some parts of Europe, such as Spain.

Daltun points out that any reintroduction of the lynx would need to keep farmers onside with reassurances and fall-back payments in case their livestock was affected.

He also makes the very good point that we in the West are mad keen to see big predators like lions and tigers survive in the wilds of Africa - despite the obvious dangers to their human populations.

And yet we cant welcome back the cute old lynx through a misplaced fear that it will attack us? Come off it.

As for all you lovers of the domestic cat, worried that the lynx may be a threat to Tiddles... rest assured, there is no evidence of wild lynx attacking pet cats.

I, for one, am converted to this idea. Lets bring back the lynx. As Daltun says: What are we afraid of? Fleeting shadows?

Oh, and buy his book, its a fantastic read.

An Irish Atlantic Rainforest: A Personal Journey Into The Magic Of Rewilding, by Eoghan Daltun, is published by Hachette Books Ireland.
High Court reporters

The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is not entitled to orders allowing it to seize some 1.7 million of assets linked to alleged senior Kinahan organised crime gang member Ross Browning, the High Court has heard.

CAB is seeking orders under section 3 of the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act in respect of assets, including two properties, plots of land, cars, jewellery and luxury watches it claims were acquired with monies from Mr Browning, described as the Kinahan gang's "principal representative" in Ireland.

CAB says the assets were obtained by Mr Browning "intermingling" cash derived from the proceeds of the gang's criminal activities with monies belonging to several members of his family.

While Mr Browning has not contested CAB's application, lawyers representing several members of his family, including his mother Julie Conway and the estate of his late grandfather, William Conway, deny the CAB claims.

The family members have contested the application on grounds including that they have an interest in the assets and say that monies spent on the various items came from legitimate sources.

Represented by Shane Costelloe SC, Mr Conway's estate claims any claim by CAB in relation to assets in Mr Conway's name should have been made, within two years after his death in November 2018, but were not.

CAB's application must fail because the statute of limitations for any claim on the estate has expired, her argued.

The court heard that a property in Garristown in north Co Dublin, which CAB claims was acquired by money from Mr Browning, was acquired by money legitimately obtained by the late Mr Conway.

Mr Browning's mother, Julie Conway, and her husband, retired garda David O'Brien, say they live in a renovated cottage on the Garristown lands, now called Chestnut Lodge.

They claim Mr Conway had verbally said he wanted the couple to have Chestnut Lodge but had died intestate.

Borrowed money

The couple say that they borrowed money from financial institutions and other legitimate sources to renovate what was a derelict cottage at a cost of between 80,000-100,000.

However, they strongly reject CAB's claim that some 330,000 was spent on the property.

Ms Conway also claimed that she acquired two small plots of land in Rush, Co Dublin with monies that she had also borrowed.

CAB has also claimed that a house purchased in 2012 in Deanstown Road, Finglas by Mr Conway for 56,000 was also acquired, and renovated, with the monies from Mr Browning.

CAB's claim the property was renovated at a cost of over 200,000 is disputed, and it is claimed that the property was paid for by money Mr Conway got from after being made redundant from his bar management job, and from an award he received from the State.

The monies from the sale of that house to Mr Ian O'Haire were used by Mr Conway to acquire the lands in Garristown, the court heard.

Mr O'Haire, a relative of Mr Conway and Mr Browning, said he bought the house from Mr Conway in 2013 for 120,000.

Mr O'Haire, who disputes CAB's claims about the proceeds of crime being expended on the property, claims he paid for the house out of funds he says received in a personal injuries award.

An aunt of Mr Browning, Lesley Conway, who said she had helped out at a Dublin gym he operated, rejected a CAB claim that a car she owned had been acquired with the proceeds of crime.

Two-year limit

Counsel argued that just because a large group or family of persons who may be related to someone involved in criminal activity it cannot be said that their expenditure or acquisition of assets was done with the proceeds of crime.

In reply, CAB, represented by Benedict O Flionn SC and Grainne O'Neill Bl, rejected the respondents' claims.

CAB says it is entitled to the orders sought against the estate because the assets in question were acquired with the proceeds of crime.

They also claim that the proceedings were brought inside the two-year time limit.

CAB claims the lifestyle enjoyed by Mr Browning and his family members, which included multiple foreign trips, could not have been paid for by legitimate earnings.

Following the conclusion of submissions from both parties, Mr Justice Alexander Owens reserved his decision and said he would give his judgement as soon as it is ready.

At the opening of the case, the court heard that Mr Browning is a leading member of the transnational Kinahan organised crime gang, whose operations have an estimated worth of 1 billion.

The Kinahan gang, counsel added, is involved in criminal activities, including drug dealing, the importation of weapons, murder and money laundering in South America, the Middle East and mainland Europe as well as in Ireland.

CAB also claim that Mr Browning is an associate of senior gang members, including Christopher Kinahan Snr, and his sons, Daniel and Christopher Jnr.

The court also heard that Mr Browning is the gang's "principal representative in this jurisdiction" and has also associated with other gang members including Liam Byrne, Glen Holland, Freddie Thompson, Gary Finnegan and Barry Finnegan, who is the partner of Mr Browning's sister, Cheryl.
While other multinational companies reduced their dependence on China, considered "The World's Factory," the German optical company bucked the trend when it broke ground for its US$25 million plant in the eastern city of Suzhou, China.

Germany's optical systems giant, Carl Zeiss AG, said the work on the new plant started on Tuesday, Oct. 18, the company, according to South China Morning Post, said.

The company will use the new facility for the production of ophthalmic equipment as well as research and development.

China Is 'World's Factory'

China, the second largest economy in the world next to the United States, has become a powerhouse in manufacturing. Its products with "Made in China" tag have found every corner of the world as its market.

Other investors may have thought that China is all about cheap labor propelling it to become an economic powerhouse.

There is so much about China other than cheap labor, according to Investopedia.

While labor is relatively low in China, Investopedia said other factors include a strong business ecosystem, low taxes and duties, lax regulatory compliance, and a competitive currency.

Read Also: Buy Digital Yuan? Gain Proficiency With The Process in Brief

Here are the four reasons why multinationals flocked to China:

Companies relocate their production facilities to China because of the availability of lower-wage workers.

The country's business ecosystem - the network of suppliers, component manufacturers, and distributors - resulted in a more efficient and cost-effective country for manufacturing.

Western manufacturers easily fall in line to comply with various health, safety, employment, and environmental regulations. Their Chinese counterparts do not.

China was able to keep the value of its currency at a rate that kept the prices of its products cheaper than those produced by Western competitors.

Not Anymore

However, the trend has shifted with more companies relocating their manufacturing businesses somewhere in Southeast Asia.

One of the top reasons cited by investors is the rigid Covid control China has implemented. Due to this rigid control, many companies suffered losses as their production hit bottom.

Another reason is the rising labor cost in China as its economy matures.

A Cushman and Wakefield report, Where in the World," has identified Taiwan and Malaysia as the new favorite destinations of manufacturing companies.

The report cited that the cost of labor and operational costs are rising.

Confidence in China

China has been the destination of choice for multinationals due to its competitive advantage, mainly because of its cheap labor cost.

But the economic behemoth is losing that edge, The Wall Street Journal reported. Many manufacturers are relocating to Southeast Asia, where labor costs remain attractive.

This trend did not deter Germany's optical maker from building its new plant, some 80 kilometers from Shanghai.

Maximilian Josef Foerst, Zeiss China president, said the company remains confident in China. The new plant in Suzhou is a testament to that confidence,

The new plant Zeiss has started to build, he said, reflects the company's commitment to strengthen its ties with China further, its largest market worldwide.

Related Article: Chinese President Xi Jinping's Stern COVID Response Strikes Microsoft, Chipmakers
Adrian Kwiatkowski, a hacker from Ipswich in England who stole two unreleased songs by Ed Sheeran, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, according to the BBC. Kwiatkowski sold Sheeran's tracks, along with 12 other songs by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert, for cryptocurrency worth 131,000 (US$148,000) on the dark web. UK prosecutors said Kwiatkowski got his hands on the unreleased tracks by hacking into their cloud-based accounts. They didn't specify which cloud services those were, but he stole from a lot more artists, because authorities found 1,263 unreleased songs in his possession.

American authorities launched an investigation back in 2019 after several musicians reported to the New York District Attorney's office that someone using the name Spirdark had hacked their accounts and was selling their content online. Investigators eventually linked Kwiatkowski to the email address Spirdark used with the cryptocurrency account involved in the case. Further, his UK address was linked to an IP address that was found in relation to one of the hacked devices.

When he was arrested, London police found seven devices that contained 1,263 unreleased songs by 89 different artists. Authorities found more incriminating files in his hard drive, including a document where he detailed the method he used to hack into the victims' accounts. They also found his Bitcoins, which he admitted to receiving in return for the songs. In all, he pled guilty to 19 charges that included copyright infringement and possessing criminal property, enough to put him away for a year-and-a-half.
China still holds the title of the largest cryptocurrency market in East Asia, with total transactions of over US$220 billion for the period between June 2021 and July 2022.

The sheer amount of transactions was staggering despite the crackdown by Beijing against mining and trading of the digital currency, a report said.

The June 2021-July 2022 performance had surpassed Japan and South Korea for the period, said the South China Morning Post quoting Chainalysis.

Circumvent The Great Firewall

Before China decided to clamp down on digital assets in 2021, the country was in the vortex of the crypto world. The free environment spawned big exchanges among bitcoin mining companies, including Binance Holdings.

Eventually, Beijing, in Sept. 2021, declared all cryptocurrency transactions illegal.

The move dampened the enthusiasm among big crypto industry players, sending all players shivers. Many have thought the booming domestic crypto industry would die.

With the Great Firewall, a digital firewall erected in the 1990s, Beijing appeared to have succeeded. But bitcoin traders have found their redemption in virtual private networks (VPN).

By using VPNs, traders and miners of the digital assets could circumvent the Great Firewall, Zennon Kapron, fintech consultancy Kapronasia founder, said.

Bitcoin traders, at least some of them, persisted on a smaller scale, he said.

Read Also: Bitcoin, Ethereum Price Crash Worries Short-term Investors, But Analysts Claim Crypto Winter Is Not Coming

Skirt The Regulations

China phased out the trading of crypto in 2013. It also banned digital tokens in May 2021.

The price of Bitcoin nosedived by more than $2,000 (1,460) during the Chinese announcement, the BBC reports.

The Draconian regulations, however, failed to dampen the growth of the domestic industry. Many went underground to skit the regulations imposed by the government.

Banned by the government, traders and miners found comfort online.

Two of China's special administrative regions, Macau and Hong Kong, also benefited from the windfall. Both regions ranked seventh and fifth in East Asia in terms of transactions.

31% Decrease

Although China is still in the top spot in East Asia, domestically, the crypto industry is reeling from the clampdown.

Total transactions in mainland China dipped by 31 percent for the same period last year. The dismal performance had dragged East Asia on the total year-on-year growth to only 4 percent, which was the poorest performance worldwide.

The main reason for the decline was the reduced cryptocurrency in China, South China Morning Post quoted a report.

Schemes to Shield Crypto

The country's central bank, the People's Bank of China, announced last month it had succeeded in clamping down on crypto-related transactions.

The announcement did not make a dent in the resolve of traders and miners to shield the crypto and weather the attack in time.

A manager of QuantBlock, a blockchain advisory company, blockchain and crypto advocates in China had devised schemes to keep their activities beyond the radar of government regulators.

The enthusiasm in the domestic crypto industry remains high despite the crackdown, Yip Ki-nang, manager of QuantBlock, said.

During the crackdown, China has emerged again as the largest bitcoin mining hub in East Asia, the report released in May by Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance (CCAF) said.

Related Article: Bitcoin, Dogecoin, And Ethereum Price Crash: China Crackdown, 'Mother of All Crashes,' And Expert Explains How You Should Invest
One of the Pixel 7 family's signature software features is available to try if you're willing to live on the bleeding edge. Android Police reports Google has shared a third beta for Android 13's first Quarterly Platform Release (QPR1) that adds Clear Calling for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Enable it in the sound settings and AI will eliminate background noise on the other end of cellular calls while boosting voices. You might not have to ask someone to repeat themselves when traffic sounds drown them out.

Google notes that Clear Calling availability depends on your cellular and WiFi connections, and that the company doesn't collect any call content. The beta also adds a toggle for voice calls over 5G and a few cosmetic interface tweaks.

You'll have to wait considerably longer if you'd rather not beta-test a patch. The completed QPR1 release isn't expected until December. You'll have something to look forward to then whether or not you're a tester, though. 9to5Google noticed that the Pixel 7's free lifetime Google One VPN will be available that same month, so you'll have an easy way to secure your mobile internet access.

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There's no mention of if or when Clear Calling will come to non-Google devices. Google sometimes makes Pixel-first features available elsewhere after a delay, but others tend to remain exclusive. You may have to sit on the sidelines if you use a third-party Android device.
It is an irony that recent incidents such as the chopping off of a living human body into several pieces, granting remission to rapists, and release of those who committed heinous social crimes against Dalits, provide ample grounds for us to position ourselves in a matrix within which an enlightenment project is threatening to take a dystopian turn. It has seemingly trapped humanity in its barbaric logic, which is otherwise constitutive of peace-loving beings. The editorial comment in the current issue of EPW brings the much wider context of such a matrix to our critical notice within which it seeks to position the barbaric act of the tormentors who were driven by superstitions, on the one hand, and the challenge that the left parties in Kerala have to mount for creating a robust social basis for enlightenment, on the other. It also argues for taking a consistent position through ones moral assessment as to where does one stand vis-a-vis such barbaric acts that jeopardise humanity.

It is important to examine as to where does one stand on the ethical scale of acquiring a decent humanhood. Achieving such a state of being depends upon expanding the moral and ethical basis of our society. This can be done by taking on board and accounting for what we owe to each other. This consists of all those who situate their sense of reciprocal concerns in a community of shared principles that exists well beyond the narrow frames of caste and religion. As human beings, they owe equal moral worth to each other. One could perhaps define humanhood in terms of going beyond narrow social confines by refraining from subjecting other human beings to horrendous violence inflicted by tormentors who, in some cases, also enjoy the protection of the ruling party.
Over the past year and a half, bulldozers have become hyper-visible in the Indian news media landscape. The state machinerys use of the bulldozer, particularly in states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi, has put it at the centre of Indian political and media discourses. The hardy earth-moving machine has emerged as a symbol of repressive action against those seen to be flouting the law. Many political and civil society leaders have slammed it as an act of political vendetta against the marginalised and minority sections of our society. Independent news organisation The Wire notes that between January 2021 and March 2022, the national and various state governments destroyed more than 60,000 homes, the majority of which belonged to low-income families. In New Delhi, while the Bharatiya Janata Party-led civic body maintained that only illegal shops and constructions were bulldozed, the owners of these propertiesmostly small stalls, kiosks, handcarts, and shopssaid the move was politically and communally driven, targeting Muslims. Such acts by any ruling dispensation can be read as a violation of the right to property act under Article 300A.

During all such demolition drives carried out by governments, the most astonishing factor was the response of the mainstream media, especially the national television news channels. Many television journalists covered the demolition activities as if it was a matter of festivity. In Delhi, in April 2022, one of the famed news anchors from a television channel rode one of the bulldozers and asked the operator as to why he did not demolish the entire structure of a juice corner and only razed the lintel. Another editor of one of the most watched English news channels tweeted, Dramatic increase in demand for bulldozers. Are we increasing domestic capacity for manufacturing, or will we have to depend on imports?? #JustAsking with emojis of laughter at the end. Other television news channels broadcast live coverage of their reporters running after the bulldozers, asking questions to their operators and screaming to inform the viewers about the movements of the machines amid all the noises. Further, news broadcasts and related programmes were given titles that glorified the bulldozer as a tool to curb communal violence and punish the culprits: Bulldozer se rukenge dange? (Will the bulldozers stop riots?), Dangayion ka ilaaj bulldozer? (Rioters could be dealt with bulldozers?), Danga karoge to bulldozer chalega! (If you riot, you have to face bulldozers!), etc.
The brand new serial crystallography beamline ID29, one of the Extremely Brilliant Source flagship beamlines, has had its first users, in three different experiments. They all focused on ways of scanning thousands of minuscule crystals (smaller than 10 microns) effectively with the new EBS powerful beam.

A bunch of scientists and engineers nervously observe the computer screens in the control cabin until a pattern with dots comes up in front of their eyes. They then draw big smiles: it works. The scene has repeated itself three times in the last month. The scientist in charge of the new beamline, Daniele de Sanctis, is relieved: In a new beamline, and especially if it is unique in the world, you can expect a few teething problems, but weve all been very pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the three first experiments have gone. Together with the other team members, Shibom Basu from European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and Julien Orlans, we were confident of our work, but it is nevertheless exciting to see the outcome of such a long project, made possible thanks to EBS. Welcome to the new ID29!

The beamline is run jointly with the EMBL, in the frame of the long-standing collaboration that the ESRF and EMBL have set up on the EPN science campus in Grenoble.

Levitating crystals

It worked on the first shot, says Takashi Tomizaki, scientist at Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) and one of the inventors of the acoustic levitation diffractometer, a device to scan thousands of crystals within a few seconds. After some tests elsewhere, we have finally managed to get really good scans, he adds. What he is referring to is no small feat: the device they have developed uses ultrasonic acoustic wave to levitate and rotate a film dispensed with tiny crystals, which are scanned on ID29 on several rounds. The danger of destroying the sample is very real, but this is overcome thanks to the pulsed beam of ID29. The team came to the beamline because of the high flux, the high brightness of the beam, as well as the fact that it is equipped with the high-frame rate X-ray image detector Jungfrau that is optimized for high-flux experiments, and the flexibility to install our special machine. In fact, thanks to the support of the ID29 scientists in advance, the installation of the levitator was extremely easy, explains Tomizaki.

Our set-up will allow us to study samples that are difficult to purify, such as membrane proteins, without damaging the crystals and at room temperature, adds Tomizaki. Ultimately, the PSI team wants to improve the study of these tiny crystals. Today it is very laborious to study crystals of this size, as we need to work on each of the crystals, but we hope this will be a thing of the past soon, concludes Tomizaki.

'Tapedrive

Scientists from the Technical Applied University of Lubeck (TH Lubeck, Germany) came this month to ID29 to test their new tapedrive, a project of TH Lubeck led by Manfred Role in cooperation with the ESRF, funded by the German ministry of science and education, the BMBF. The aim of this project: to develop a sample environment for the new beamline ID29 with optimized signal to noise ratio for small protein crystals for serial crystallography, the tapedrive. In it, a perforated polymer belt stays in constant movement with fresh microcrystals supplied onto it, while a second tape blots away mother liquor before the X-ray interaction zone so that quasi naked crystals are irradiated . Our goal is to study time-resolved structural changes induced by light activation, ligand mixing or pH jump in many micrometer-sized crystals, very fast and with a high signal to noise ratio, explains Mia Lahey-Rudolph, researcher at the TH Lubeck.

At ID29, they verified the beneficial effect of blotting, and obtained very promising proof-of principle results of a time-resolved pH jump experiment with the fluorescent protein twist-cerulean undergoing a fast pH induced colour change. The tapedrive will be permanently available for ID29 users in 2023.

Extruding crystals to study antibiotics mechanisms

Viewing the inactivation of antibiotics by enzymes in real time at room temperature may make it easier to develop new, improved treatments to overcome antibiotic resistance in the future. This is the aim of the team from the Instituto de Quimica Fisica Rocasolano (IQFR-CSIC) in Spain, who came to the new ID29 beamline to test the new injector set-up that the ESRF has developed to study multiple crystals of 5-10 microns in a high viscosity medium.

Jose Manuel Martin Garcia, researcher at the IQFR-CSIC and leading scientist, explains his first experience on the beamline: It is a privilege to be able to be one of the first ones to exploit the capabilities of this new beamline, we are delighted with the data and expect that, in upcoming experiments, the combination of the Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS) beam and the capabilities of the beamline allow us to discover new information that could make a difference in the development of new treatments.

Text and video by Montserrat Capellas Espuny
Elon Musk could be deliberately dodging the question of when Tesla will finally deliver the promised self-driving cars as he kept changing his language about the car.

The billionaire and electric car maker CEO issued statements that would make him appear certain about the fate of the company's effort to have an autonomous vehicle. But those words often change.

He repeatedly promised the company could deliver the self-driving system, including all vehicles it produced since 2016, by a mere software update.

Sel-Driving Capabilities

In 2019, the CEO was verbose as he promised to the attendees of Tesla's Autonomy Day the company would achieve a completely autonomous vehicle system. Electrek was able to document his statement through a three-minute video.

In the video, Musk said there would be no need to touch the " robotaxis " steering wheel the company will produce. The billionaire also said looking out of the window of the ride-hailing autonomous vehicles will no longer be necessary.

Musk talked of delivering those capabilities in 2020.

Two years later, Tesla's Full Self-Driving Capability (FSD) did not go beyond beta. In beta, the FSD even needs a driver that is attentive all the time, contrary to what Musk had promised.

Read Also: Tesla Releases New Full Self-Driving Beta Software Update - Here's What You Need To Know

Behind Schedule

There is no question Tesla has failed to deliver its promise. But the CEO was, again, changing his language.

Musk has stopped talking about one million robotaxis by the end of the year. He talked extensively about a wider release of the beta instead.

Curiously, Musk, in a conference call after the release of the company's Q3 2022 financial report, appeared to be careful of his words about FSD.

He talked at length about FSD Beta during the event. But that is beside the point. He must have updated the public on what happened to the self-driving vehicle efforts.

Wider Release of FSD Beta

Musk appeared unstoppable from talking about FSD - in beta only - urging the people who planned to cash in on the FSD package to avail of the beta program.

Things got uncertain when somebody, an analyst, asked the CEO about the timeline for Tesla to release the FSD that needs no driver's attention.

The CEO did not answer in clear terms. He was bubbling instead of company debate about the interventions the vehicle needs for every mile. Then wandered off to non-specifics of the issue.

Musk further talked about Tesla's plans to have an FSD update next year. That is, he said, will tell the regulators the car is a lot safer than an average human being.

Credibility Problem

With all the changing language about FSD and vague answers to serious questions, Musk appeared to be having a credibility problem, at least with the issue of a timeline.

When pressed about the timeline, the CEO would lamely resort to answers urging the public to look at how FSD Beta fared so far. Again, according to Electrek, that is beside the issue.

To avail of the beta program or not while waiting for the FSD release is a decision everyone must seriously consider.

Related Article: Elon Musk: Tesla's Self-Driving EVs No Longer Need Humans by 2023
UPDATE: OCT. 21 AT 8:15 A.M.

According to the Montana Department of Justice, Zella Dennis has been located.

The Missing Endangered Person Advisory has been cancelled.

BUTTE, Mont. - A Missing and Endangered Person Advisory has been issued for a 61-year-old woman who is without her medication.

Zella Dennis is a white woman who is described as being five feet, eight inches tall, weighs 208 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes.

Zella was last seen wearing blue jeans and a light blue V-neck t-shirt and she was last seen on Oct. 19 at 11:18 am.

There is no known direction of travel, however, Zella has family in Bozeman and Idaho.

According to the advisory, she is an insulin dependent diabetic without her medication and there is concern for her physical well-being.

Zella is traveling in a 2005 Subaru Outback with a small dent in the hood with Montana license plate 168839A.

If you have any information on Zella, you are asked to please contact Butte Silver Bow LEA at 406-497-1120 or dial 911.
Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge. (Provided by the Montana Department of Corrections.)

Visitation for inmates at the over-capacity and short-staffed Montana State Prison will be suspended Oct. 31 until further notice.

The vacancy rates at the facility are holding steady, Department of Corrections Carolynn Bright said Friday in an email. However, while we recognize the importance of in-person visitation to inmates and their friends and families, we must place safety and security of the public, staff and inmates above all else.

The prison in Deer Lodge has operated over capacity every day in October with as many as 1,602 inmates to the listed 1,582 capacity level, according to the DOCs data dashboard. Bright said it has run over capacity to varying degrees the past few months, as has the Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby.

Visitation is suspended in Deer Lodge only, according to the DOC.

Staffing shortages have hit many different industries, and they have been severe at the Deer Lodge prison. In August, a letter from the DOC to legislators noted a 35 percent vacancy rate there, or 90 open positions out of 257.

This summer, Montana State Prison Employees Local 4700 Union President Cathy Clark described the situation at the prison with both inmates and workers under high stress as a pressure cooker. Employees have said the conditions are unsafe for both staff and people who are incarcerated.

In her email, Bright noted the safety of staff, inmates and the public is a priority for the DOC.

She also said the DOC must prioritize activities that benefit the greatest number of inmates. For example, she said recreation involves 150 inmates at once while visitation involves 15.

It is the departments intention to resume normal visitation as soon as it is safely possible, Bright said.

Bright also noted the department is taking many different steps to try to improve recruitment and retention, including attending career and job fairs; running social media campaigns; investigating employee transportation from Butte and Anaconda to Deer Lodge; exploring opportunities for employee housing and RV parking; championing for competitive wages for correctional officers in the 2023 Legislative Session; and more.

She also said the DOC is offering inmates two free 2o-minute video visits each week in order to help ease the effects of the suspension of in-person visitation.

This is in addition to the two free, weekly phone calls each inmate receives, she said in her email. In fact, the department is in the process of increasing the length of those calls from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

The post Montana State Prison over capacity, shutting down visitation due to staffing shortages appeared first on Daily Montanan.
The UK's safety watchdog has issued a call for farmers to keep kids safe as figures show eight children were killed on farms in the space of five years.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has urged adults working on farms that children and young people must be kept safe as October half term begins.

Agriculture has one of the highest fatal injury rates of any industry in Britain, but is the only high-risk industry that also sees children often present.

Children and young people up to the age of 18 are regularly killed and injured on farms across the country, the HSE warned.

Figures published by the watchdog show that eight children were killed on farms in the five years up to March 2022.

The ways in which children and adults are killed on farms varies little from year to year. The most common causes of death and major injury in the last decade includes being killed by moving vehicles.

Coming into contact with machinery while it is operating, falling from height, being killed by animals, and being struck by falling objects, are also causes.

The HSE said that if children are visiting the farm workplace, they must be kept away from higher risk areas such as operating machinery, slurry pits and bale stacks.

Most importantly, they should be with an adult who understands the risks on the farm and is not engaged in any work activity, the regulator added.

Children under 13 should not 'under any circumstances' operate or ride on agricultural machinery - it is illegal - and children under 16 should not operate adult sized ATVs in the farm workplace.

Where children over 13 are allowed to operate some machinery, this should only be allowed after careful risk assessment, while under close supervision, the HSE said, and crucially after the child has received appropriate and structured training.

HSEs acting principal inspector for agriculture, Wayne Owen said working farms were "no place for children".

"The best way to ensure the safety of children is simply to keep them away from the working farm.

If older children are starting to help out on the farm, anything but the very simplest of tasks is likely to expose them to risk of injury or death and is unacceptable.

"In addition, all children should be under full supervision by an adult not engaged in any work activity."
Registering an impressive growth of 20.8 per cent year-on-year, garment exports from Sri Lanka stood at $3,773.1 million in January-August 2022 compared to exports of $3,122.6 million in the same period of the previous year, according to statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

During the same period, textile exports from the island nation increased by 5.9 per cent year-on-year to $240.9 million. However, exports of other made-up textile articles stood at $81.6 million during January-August 2022, registering a negative growth of 3.8 per cent, according to the central banks report External Sector Performance  July 2022.

Textiles, garment and other made-up textile articles exports together accounted for 56.07 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka during the period under review, the report showed.

Registering an impressive growth of 20.8 per cent YoY, garment exports from Sri Lanka stood at $3,773.1 million in January-August 2022 compared to exports of $3,122.6 million in the same period last year, as per the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. During the same period, textile exports from the island nation increased by 5.9 per cent YoY to $240.9 million.

On the other hand, imports of textiles and textile articles rose by 11.9 per cent to $2,175.7 million, while clothing and accessories imports were up by 14.4 per cent to $158.6 million during January-August 2022.

During the month of August 2022, garment and textile exports from the South Asian nation registered a growth of 14.9 per cent year-on-year. Category-wise, garment exports increased by 19.8 per cent to $526.7 million, while textile exports dropped by 26.7 per cent to $31.7 million. The exports of other made-up textile articles were down by 18.7 per cent to $8.5 million.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2022) - Builders Capital Mortgage Corp. (TSXV: BCF) ("Builders", the "Company" or "we") today announced that it is offering rights (the '"Rights Offering") to eligible holders of its Class A non-voting common shares (the "Class A Shares") of record at the close of business on October 28, 2022 (the "Record Date"). Pursuant to the Rights Offering, each holder of Class A Shares will receive one right (a "Right") for each Class A Share held. Every 3 Rights will entitle the holder to subscribe for one whole Class A Share of the Company at a price of $9.30 per Class A Share (the "Subscription Price").

The Company expects to raise gross proceeds of up to $6.6 million from the Rights Offering and intends to use all of the proceeds, less offering expenses, to fund the Company's mortgage lending business.

Sandy Loutitt, president and Chief Executive Officer said, "Housing demand currently exceeds housing supply in Canada. These conditions are expected to continue into the foreseeable future resulting in a robust housing construction market and a corresponding high demand for our construction finance product. We believe the time is ripe to expand our capital base and to capitalize on strong conditions in our target markets to continue to grow our mortgage portfolio and the Company. Raising capital through a Rights Offering can provide a benefit to existing shareholders as we expect it to result in lower capital raising costs than we have historically incurred."

Directors and senior officers, collectively holding, directly and indirectly, approximately 60,000 Class A Shares, have indicated their intention to exercise some or all of their Rights, subject to market conditions.

The Rights will trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BCF.RT commencing on October 27, 2022 and will be halted from trading at 12:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on November 25, 2022. The ex-rights trading date for the Class A Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange will be October 27, 2022. This means that Class A Shares purchased after October 27, 2022 will not be entitled to receive Rights under the Rights Offering. Rights are exercisable until 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on November 25, 2022 (the '"Expiry Time"), after which time unexercised Rights will be void and of no value and will be delisted. Shareholders must hold at least 3 Class A Shares to exercise their Rights, as no fractional Class A Shares will be issued.

The Rights Offering includes an additional subscription privilege under which eligible holders of Rights who fully exercise their Rights will be entitled to subscribe for additional Class A Shares, if available, that are not otherwise subscribed for in the Rights Offering.

There are currently 2,002,871 Class A Shares outstanding. Following completion of the Rights Offering, the Company expects that there will be up to 2,670,494 Class A Shares outstanding. The Company expects the Rights Offering to close on November 28, 2022.

The Rights Offering will be conducted only in the provinces and territories of Canada (the '"Eligible Jurisdictions'"). Accordingly, and subject to the detailed provisions of a Rights Offering circular (the "Circular"), Rights will not be delivered to, nor will they be exercisable by, persons resident outside of the Eligible Jurisdictions. Rather, such Rights may be sold on their behalf.

Details of the Rights Offering will be set out in a Notice and Circular, which are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Notice and accompanying direct registration system statement and subscription form (the "Rights DRS Advice") will be mailed to each eligible shareholder of the Company as at the Record Date. To subscribe, registered shareholders must forward the completed Rights DRS Advice, together with the applicable funds, to the depositary and subscription agent, Computershare Investor Services, Inc., prior to the Expiry Time. Shareholders who own their Class A Shares through an intermediary, such as a bank, trust company, securities dealer or broker, will receive materials and instructions from their intermediary.

The Rights and the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and accordingly, the Rights and the Class A Shares are not being publicly offered for sale in the "United States" or to "U.S. persons" (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended). This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction.

There shall be no sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy or a sale would be unlawful.

The Company is a public company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BCF and is a reporting issuer in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

Builders Capital is a mortgage lender providing short-term course of construction financing, primarily to residential builders. The company is a mortgage investment corporation ("MIC") within the meaning of Section 130.2(6) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and is governed by the laws of the Province of Alberta.

As an MIC, the Company is not subject to income tax provided that we distribute all of our taxable income as dividends to shareholders within 90 days of our December 31st year-end. For income tax purposes, such dividends are generally treated by shareholders as interest income, so that each shareholder is in the same tax position as if their proportionate share of mortgage investments made by the company had been made directly by the shareholder.

For further information, please contact:

Builders Capital Mortgage Corp.

Website: www.builderscapital.ca

e-mail: info@builderscapital.ca

phone: (403)685-9888

Sandy Loutitt

President and Chief Executive Officer

sandy@builderscapital.ca

John Strangway

Chief Financial Officer

jstrangway@builderscapital.ca

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information can be identified by words such as: "expect", "intend," "plan," "seek," "believe," "estimate," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar forward-looking language. The expected proceeds to be raised under the Rights Offering and the use thereof constitutes forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on a number of assumptions which we believe to be reasonable, including assumptions relating to the completion of the Rights Offering and the timing thereof, the amount of proceeds raised, and the expected use of proceeds from the Rights Offering. Forward-looking information entails various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, that shareholders will not exercise all or any portion of the Rights, that the Company may not be able to find a suitable use of the proceeds of the Rights Offering, the level of dilution that will be experienced by shareholders who do not exercise all or a portion of their Rights, failure to complete or a delay in the Rights Offering for any other reason, the lack of a trading market for the Rights developing and the trading price of the Class A Shares following completion of the offering. In addition, general risks relating to capital markets, economic conditions, regulatory changes, as well as the operations of our business may also cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance, and management's assumptions upon which such forward-looking information are based may prove to be incorrect. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information contained herein. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information contained in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUT10N OR DISSEMINAT10N INTO THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/141496
SHARJAH, UAE, Oct. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Britts Imperial University College is one of the leading university colleges in the Middle East offering accredited MBA programmes for working professionals and students from around the world. For the busy working professionals, they facilitate top-class faculty with real flexibility and ease their journey to achieve the prestigious MBA degrees in multiple specialisations.

As the leading university college in providing global education with international accreditations and certifications, learners are granted the opportunity to accelerate their careers by pursuing a plethora of career progression and advancement prospects. The coveted executive MBA programme has become a popular choice amongst the working executives from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Qatar, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Singapore and Malaysia.

Students can now integrate their education into a busy work and home life by customizing where, how, and what they study with Britts Imperial's highly flexible Global Executive Master's programmes. UAE's first truly global three country MBA programmes designed specifically for professionals from all around the globe, with personalised once-in-a-month learning pattern. Three-day symposiums in cities like Dubai, Paris and Hong Kong makes it a truly global educational experience for all the learners.

Students can also benefit from the triple gem accreditations wherein the students can earn the most prestigious European degree, a British certification and an American diploma that is not only affordable, but also achievable given the case study-based assessments as well as the easy monthly installments options. That's not all, learners can also opt for an opportunity to earn a dual Masters within the same duration.

The Executive MBA programme is structured to encourage students to balance work, education, and personal goals. No matter what stage of growth the students are in their career, Britts Imperial's Executive MBA programme will support them to enhance their career to the next level. This innovative executive MBA programme is designed for global online learners and the degrees are awarded by Euclea Business School, a prestigious top-ranking business school in France and a world renowned private higher education degree-granting institution recognised by the State and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

WHY CHOOSE BRITTS IMPERIAL?

Truly Global - A three country Executive Master's Programme with certifications from three continents.

Truly Personalised - Multiple MBA specialisations yet a personalized learning journey for every executive student.

Truly Flexible and Achievable - Live interactive lectures conducted once in a week/ month with case study-based assessments.

Truly Affordable - easy monthly installment structure for all learners.

Truly Career Oriented - Personalised career services like Career Planner, CV 360, CV Builder, Interview 360, Assessment Centre Tool, Career Pathways, Employer Advice, Job Search Engine, etc.

Contact:

Britts Imperial University College

+971(06)7675511, +971-522161590

info@brittsimperial.com

www.brittsimperial.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1926919/BIUC_Executive_MBA.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/accelerate-career-growth-with-executive-mba-degrees-designed-specifically-for-professionals-301656106.html
CEAM solo artist set to close out exhibition with gallery walkthrough

For more than a decade, Florine Demosthene has explored the concept of love that we all chase but never fully understand through conversations with close friends and strangers from her travels.



As I reflected on a lot of the conversations I had over the years, its always a battle between a religious version of love, a traditional version of love, and a modern version of love, she said.



These conflicting ideas of love are the basis for her Crisp-Ellert Art Museum exhibition Always in All Ways which she considers to be a continuation of her exhibition in Paris earlier this year In the Realm of Love.

The exhibition runs through Sunday, Oct. 22 but Demosthene will give a walkthrough of the show in conjunction with First Friday Art Walk on Friday, Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. The walkthrough is free to attend and open to the public. Students and community members are encouraged to come and actively engage with Demosthene while she details the themes and elements of her artwork.

Always in All Ways consists of twelve mixed-media collages on paper and a sculpture display. Demosthene bases her collages on digital self-photography and completely arranges them on a computer before even touching her materials which she said creates a more streamlined process.

This process allows Demosthene to move through the work and move through the ideas really quickly.

The decision to base her work on photos of her own body was strictly practical and Demosthene said she doesnt see her art as autobiographical.

I just have the access to a physical body that I want to use, she said.

A desire for her art to allow universal understanding underscores the separation Demosthene creates between herself and the content of her work.

The number one thing for me is when an average person can walk up to my work and understand what its about, she said.

The familiar themes of love Demosthene conveys through Always in All Ways are well suited for this goal.

I want them to see themselves in it, I want them to think about their own experiences, she said.

Not only does Demosthene want her art to easily register with anyone, but she said the responses from students and everyday people to her work are also incredibly valuable. She said it was this value along with her affinity for art education that drew her to Flagler for this exhibition.

Im not always chasing the big art things, the small things are equally important, Demosthene said.

She spent her years as an art student studying in New York City, earning a bachelors degree in fine arts from Parsons School for Design and a masters degree in fine arts from Hunter College. While she has worked outside of the art world, namely in higher education, Demosthenes career as an artist has been prolific and extensive.

With work displayed across the world in places like the Smithsonian Museum of African American History & Culture, Demosthene said she understands the value of exhibiting in colleges and universities because of her own time as an art student.

I know what it means when youre not in a big city and you dont have the access to art, everythings online or in books, she said.

Demosthene wanted to be a part of creating this real-life art exposure for Flagler students and encourages other artists to do the same.

I think its important for them to exchange with students, she said. Also, a lot of artists have an M.F.A., so they know, they remember what it was like.

Tagged As
Hackers linked to the Iranian government are active only weeks into the 2022 US midterm elections, a US federal agency warned on Thursday, Oct. 20.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said a group of hackers, the same group who tried to interfere in the 2020 elections, are active. This group of hackers is clearly a threat to the United States, the agency added.

Iranian Cyber Company

The group, FBI, identified as Emennet Pasargad, is currently involved in operations that will attempt to hack and leak information and other materials of value.

These hackers operate from an Iranian cybersecurity company. The FBI did not name the company.

The operations may target American organizations, the FBI warned.

Iran Hand

In Oct. 2020, NBC News reported the involvement of Iranian intelligence in sending emails to Florida voters per information from the FBI.

The emails, according to the report, ordered Democrat voters in Florida to switch parties and vote for the Republican candidates. The email was supposed to come from "Proud Boys." the right-wing groups of Trump supporters.

The FBI further warned of the engagement of Russia to influence the election outcome.

Both Russia and Iran forcefully denied the FBI report. Two months later, the US Justice Department indicted two Iranian nationals for trying to interfere with the elections.

In filing the charges, the intelligence officials accused the two suspects of trying to hack the voter registration websites in at least 11 states.

The suspects succeeded in compromising voter registration in one state.

The purpose of the hack-and-leak operations was to create a situation where voters would doubt the credibility of the election outcome.

Read Also: Resident Evil Developer CapCom Gets Hacked in Cyber Attack

Scheme

The scheme, according to a Justice Department official, was to demonstrate that the election websites can accept illegal ballots.

In 2021, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Emennet Pasargad and six other Iranians with ties to the group for interfering with the 2020 US elections.

Officials named the accused as Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi and Sajjad Kashian.

The duo also faced charges for producing and distributing a video that sought voters to doubt the integrity of the elections. Officials also accused the two of hacking the computer network of an unnamed media company.

US Entities, Israeli Companies

The agency warned the scheme might also target US entities based on Emennet's cyber operations. In 2020, the group targeted the 2020 US Presidential election.

Emennet, the FBI said, is also known for including Israeli companies as targets of their hack-and-leak operations.

The group remains a cyber threat to the US, the FBI warning said.

False-flag Campaign

The Iranian group is using false-flag campaigns pretending to be multiple personalities, such as cyber-criminal groups or hacktivist.

To evade US sanctions, a company known as Net Peygard Samavat and Eeleyanet Gostar, has to change its name to avoid identification and arrest constantly.

The State Department offered on Wednesday, Oct. 19, a US$10 million reward for anyone who has knowledge of the group's operations.

In February, the US government offered the same amount for anyone who could provide information that would lead to the arrest of the group's two members involved in the criminal act.

Related Article: US Accuses Russia of Using Cyber Attack to Interfere With Presidential Election
On September 21, 2022 local time, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was attending the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York.

Vucic asked Wang Yi to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping. He said that Serbia-China relations truly reflect mutual respect and mutual trust, and the pragmatic economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has been developing by leaps and bounds. He once again thanked China for its strong support and help for Serbia's economic and social development. Serbia cherishes the friendship established with China, firmly pursues the one-China policy, and believes that there is but one China in the world, a position it will never change.

Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping's warm greetings to President Vucic. Wang Yi commended the fact that all the people throughout Serbia have stayed united, firmly safeguarded state sovereignty, national dignity and legitimate rights and interests, and made sustained and positive achievements in national development. Wang Yi said , China and Serbia are trustworthy and reliable partners to each other. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Serbia relations have entered a new era of vigorous development, and pragmatic cooperation has made great strides, boosting Serbia's efforts to speed up development and revitalization. China and Serbia have further upgraded our friendship, consolidated solidarity and mutual trust while fighting together against the pandemic. China will continue to provide help and support for Serbia in light of its needs, and work together to forge closer China-Serbia relations.

The two sides exchanged views on the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC). Wang Yi said that over the ten years since its launch, the China-CEEC cooperation has always focused on pragmatic cooperation, upheld openness and transparency and leveraged complementary advantages. The outcomes have been emerging constantly and more potentials are still to untap. China looks forward to working with CEEC, including Serbia, to continuously promote mutually beneficial China-CEEC cooperation.
Tesla owners will decide where the next Supercharger stations will be.

The all-electric automaker is letting the public decide where the next supercharger stations will be. The public can cast their votes in the company's Supercharger voting site, as per Electrek.

Tesla Opens Website for Public Voting on the Location of its Next Supercharger Station

Tesla Superchargers have obtained "high penetration levels already." Compared to other charging stations, the company is leading in terms of charging experience satisfaction as currently, only few routes are left uncovered by the automaker's network.

However, despite the 35% year-over-year increase in the charging stations that it deployed, the company is still planning to increase the network of its Supercharger station.

The company hopes to fill in gaps, especially on roads which are away from the main interstate highway system.

With this, the automaker made a decision to involve the public in their network development. The company sent a tweet and put up a website to ask for location suggestions for the upcoming Superchargers station.

The poll is now open and you can choose from the 183 suggestions which are included in the option. These locations covered various continents including North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia.

On Friday, Tesla opened the website dedicated to the public voting to determine the next location of the company's Supercharger. On the site, you can cast up to five votes for cities you think a station should be put up.

On the right side of the site, you will find a leaderboard showing which city is getting the highest votes. As of writing, Big Bear Lake, California is leading. Bolzano, Italy followed closely.

The company originally announced its intention to let the public decide on the location of its next Supercharger Station last month. Now, Tesla already put up the website where the public can vote.

Through Twitter, the company invited the public to vote. In the voting page, you can also find the option where you can suggest location that's not included in the list yet.

Read Also: Tesla Needs Billions Of Dollars To Continue Supercharger Project, Is It Feasible?

Non-Tesla Owners May Also Cast Their Votes

According to Tesla the votes will "help us decide on new Supercharger locations." The voting is a means for the company to collect information where to put its next Supercharger station.

Meanwhile, there is no word from Tesla how many stations the company is planning to build. Likewise, it is unclear how long the voting would last.

However, the voting site indicates that users can visit the site every three months to vote again in a new cycle.

The company is not issuing a statement how big each Supercharger station will be. Likewise, there's no word yet regarding the number of chargers at each station.

According to CNET, even non-Tesla owners may want to cast their votes. The report from the news site revealed that soon, even non-Tesla electric vehicles may be able to use the Supercharger stations to recharge.

However, there is no clear date yet when the company is planning to roll out the software update necessary for the non-Tesla vehicles to use the station to recharge.

Related Article: Elon Musk: Tesla Supercharger Stations To Add CSS Connectors in the US
Apple created its first smartwatch by accident. According to a report from Business Insider, the tech giant didn't know why it wanted a smartwatch during the time it was being worked on.

Wired writer David Pierce even mentioned in his report that the main idea behind the Apple Watch was to give Apple customers a device preventing them from spending hours on it while only important information, such as the user's heart rate.

Little did Apple know that their smartwatch would become something that saved the life of an adolescent.

A 12-year-old girl had reportedly spotted and had her cancer treated just in time thanks to her Apple Watch's heart rate notifications, per Hour Detroit.

The Apple Watch has been saving lives since its introduction ins 2014 thanks to features that enable the device to detect falls and car crashes, per 9to5Mac.

Apple Watch - The Story Behind The Cancer Detector

Imani Miles, the 12-year-old in question, and her mother, Jessica Kitchen, are living normal lives. Miles owns and wears an Apple Watch even at home. For a time, things were normal.

However, the normality of their lives would be shattered when one night, Miles' Apple Watch became incessant in its constant beeping due to its heart rate monitor alerting them to an abnormally high heart rate.

Concerned about her daughter's health, Kitchen took Imani to the doctor and discovered that Imani not only had appendicitis. She also had a cancer-producing neuroendocrine tumor - something rarely seen in children.

Read More: German Optical Company Bucks Trend, Breaks Ground on $25 Million Plant in Suzhou, China

Unfortunately, by the time Imani's cancer was found, it had already spread to other parts of her body. However, thanks to the Apple Watch's heart rate monitor detecting it early on, all doctors had to do was remove the tumor and cancer via surgery.

Kitchen said that were it not for the Apple Watch's constant beeping, she would have taken Imani to the hospital a few days later, which could have been fatal to the 12-year-old adolescent.

"If she didn't have that watch, it could have been so much worse," Kitchen said.

Thanks to Imani's successful surgery, she was discharged from the hospital and is now recovering at home. She now wears her Apple Watch every day, along with her spreading the word about the benefits of smartwatches and wearable technology.

Other Evidence of Apple Watch Saving Lives

Imani wasn't the only person Apple Watches has saved since its introduction in 2014, and in some cases. A 70-year-old man's life was saved when his Apple Watch contacted emergency services for him when he fainted and hit his head hard on the floor, per Science Times.

Apple Insider's report made mention of a 67-year-old woman who received multiple notifications from the warnings her Apple Watch raised, saying that her heart was in atrial fibrillation. She later found out through her doctors that what she had was myxoma, a rare tumor that can grow fast and constrict the blood supply to the heart, causing a stroke.

Related Article: Apple Watch health Tracking: Walking Steadiness, Respiratory Rate Monitor Revealed
The Korea Exchange (KRX) building in Yeouido, Seoul / Courtesy of KRX





By Yoon Ja-young







Businesses listed on the KONEX market will hold a joint IR session on Oct. 26, the country's bourse operator, Korea Exchange (KRX), said Friday.







The IR session will be held in conjunction with the Korea Investors Relations Service and KONEX Association, which is comprised of companies listed on the small businesses-focused KONEX market.







A total of 26 companies from promising business sectors, such as bio and cosmetics, are scheduled to participate in the joint IR. There will also be an additional IR session in November for companies not participating in the October IR session, according to the bourse operator.







The IR session will be held at KRX in Yeouido, Seoul, with analysts, institutional investors and venture capital managers participating. The event is also open to small investors. The session will include group meetings and presentations, and investors can participate by either applying in advance or at the venue. Those applying in advance through the website of the Korea Investors Relations Service will be given a small gift. At the group meeting, each company will meet for two hours at their booths with investors. Two companies currently planning to transfer their stock listing from KONEX to the tech-heavy Kosdaq market will also hold presentation sessions.







There will also be a presentation by experts on sectors that are hot among investors, such as bio, pharmaceutical and daily consumption goods, as well as a lecture on stock listing transfers to the Kosdaq market.







"We plan to support diverse forms of IR sessions and expand the supply of information on KONEX-listed firms, to satisfy investors' demand for such information and boost the KONEX market," an official at the bourse operator said.


Denzel Washington Officially Shooting Sequel To One Of His Best Movies

New stills confirm Denzel Washington is currently filming The Equalizer 3.

By Mark McKee |

Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua are back for #TheEqualizer3, joined by Dakota Fanning and Gaia Scodellaro. Now in production on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. pic.twitter.com/FG1sdJ1XWg  The Equalizer (@TheEqualizer) October 19, 2022

Antoine Fuqua is one of the most talented directors in Hollywood, with hits such as Training Day, Shooter, Olympus Has Fallen, and King Arthur. There are also a few actors that he has worked with in multiple projects, such as Mark Wahlberg in the movie adaptation of the Bob Lee Swagger novel series Shooter and the Paramount+ sci-fi production of Infinite. His most frequent collaborator is one of the most legendary actors of all time, Denzel Washington: he directed him first in 2001s Training Day, then again 13 years later in The Equalizer, followed by Magnificent Seven and The Equalizer 2. Now, Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington have connected again for The Equalizer 3, and according to Collider, the film has begun shooting.

According to the report, production stills have been released to show Denzel Washington and other cast members are shooting The Equalizer 3, on the Amalfi coast. The films are based on a tv series running from 1985 to 1989 on CBS, and not only has the series been adapted to the Antoine Fuqua films, but a new reboot on CBS starring Queen Latifa as well. While the plot of the latest installment hasnt been released, the photo stills and the knowledge that the film has begun filming means we are probably fairly close to finding out what will happen to the cast moving forward.

The Equalizer 3 is not only the reunion of Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua, but it also is bringing the legendary actor back together with former child actress Dakota Fanning. Fanning starred with Washington in the 2004 film helmed by Tony Scott, Man on Fire. That film saw Creasy (Washington) as a burnt-out man of action hired by a wealthy couple played by Marc Anthony (Hackers and The Substitute) and Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black and Olympus Has Fallen) to protect their daughter (Fanning) in a dangerous city wrought with abductions. While the film centered on their relationship, as he became a quasi-father figure to the girl, it isnt likely it will be a similar relationship their characters will play in this film.

The first film in the series introduced a new generation to the character of Robert McCall (Washington), a former US Marine and DIA Intelligence Officer who springs into action again to protect a young prostitute from the Russian Mafia. The film also starred Chloe Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Melissa Leo, and Bill Pullman. The second film sees Washington return as McCall and along with Leo and Pullman, with McCall on the path of revenge after the death of a friend. The second film also stars Pedro Pascal, but no word on any of the former stars returning to play alongside Denzel Washington for Equalizer 3.

As of now, there are very few details about what Denzel Washington will face in The Equalizer 3, but you can bet it will involve Robert McCall reaching down to find the deepest depths of the capability of human violence to dispatch the worst of the worst. Maybe Dakota Fanning is in trouble and needs his help nearly 20 years later, or better yet, perhaps she is the one he is up against. We will have to wait and see.
BUFFALO GROVE, Ill., Oct. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PPC Flexible Packaging LLC, a leading provider of custom flexible packaging, announces the acquisition of Kansas City, KS-based Plastic Packaging Technologies, LLC (PPT).

PPC, headquartered in Buffalo Grove, IL, is a leader in printing and converting of flexible films, pouches, and other innovative packaging designs, including prototypes. It is a recognized pioneer in cleanroom packaging for healthcare and medical applications, consumer snack and organic brands, specialty produce, pet, nutraceutical, bakery and horticulture markets. With the addition of PPT, the firm now operates 13 manufacturing facilities in Buffalo Grove, IL, Mission and Kansas City, KS, Rome, GA, Payson, UT, Pewaukee, WI, Colombia, South America, McKinney, TX, Columbus and Alliance, OH, North Salt Lake, UT, and Hartland, WI. Its facilities are AIB, SQF level II and ISO-9001 certified. Founded in 2017 with its first acquisition, PPC provides the highest quality products with best-in-class lead times to service both emerging and recognized brands.

Founded in the early 1970s and acquired by David and Dan Staker in 2002, PPT has become an industry leader in delivering the highest quality, value-added flexible packaging solutions. The Company has built an impeccable reputation for delivering value through its customer- and people-centric culture providing innovative packaging formats and features with extraordinary service. PPT's products include up to 11-color high-definition printed roll stock films, high barrier laminations and an array of pre-made pouch formats, including flat bottom, box and pinch bottom, stand-up and quad-bags, incorporating a variety of convenience-oriented features and attributes. PPT serves blue-chip consumer packaged goods companies, as well as emerging brands and co-manufacturers, throughout North America. PPT employs 425 associates in manufacturing and distribution facilities strategically located in Kansas City, KS, and Columbus, OH.

Kevin Keneally, President & CEO of PPC, said, "We've known David and Dan for the entire 20 years of their ownership of PPT and have watched them build one of the most respected, technology-driven firms in our industry. We're thrilled the Stakers, and their entire talented leadership team, are joining the PPC family to merge and integrate our businesses and cultures into what we believe will be one of the most powerfully differentiated flexible packaging converters in North America!"

David Staker, President and CEO of PPT, said "We're excited to join forces with Kevin and the PPC team. This combination is truly complementary, and solidifies our position as the leader in purposeful, powerful packaging to the pet care, food and beverage, healthcare and specialty consumer markets in North America. This partnership will enable us to deliver even greater value to our customers, with broader and deeper capabilities and capacity, greater technical and financial resources to support continued strong growth, and significant opportunities for our associates to contribute and develop professionally in a fast-growing, robust industry."

Headquartered in Buffalo Grove, IL, and fueled by GTCR, a Chicago, IL-based growth equity partner, PPC Flexible Packaging has steadily grown and evolved, both organically and through acquisition, into a premier Top 20 flexible packaging manufacturer. PPC is a dynamic team of design and packaging professionals dedicated to providing creative packaging solutions incorporating the latest technologies. PPC's people, along with its capabilities and speed-to-market service, have always been its greatest strengths - establishing it as a trusted leader within the consumer and cleanroom markets.

Contact Information:

Tatiana Castro

VP Sales & Marketing

tatiana.castro@ppcflex.com

305.500.9292 ext 503



Related Files

PPC PPT Announcement_10_21.pdf

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.
COLLINGWOOD, Ontario, Oct. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Limestone Boat Company Limited (the "Corporation") (TSXV: BOAT |OTCQB: LMSBF) is pleased to announce the terms of a proposed non-brokered private placement of secured debentures ("Debentures") representing an aggregate principal amount of up to C$2.0 million of Debentures (the "Private Placement"). The Corporation expects to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement for working capital and general corporate purposes.



Up to 200 individual Debentures may be issued pursuant to the Private Placement, each consisting of C$10,000 in principal amount per Debenture. Each Debenture will mature on the date that is four months from the closing date of the Private Placement (the "Maturity Date"). The principal amount of the Debentures will bear interest at a rate of 17.0% per annum, which shall be payable on the Maturity Date. In connection with the Private Placement, the Corporation has agreed to issue to each subscriber, for no additional consideration, such number of common shares in the capital of the Corporation (each, a "Bonus Share") as is equal to 3.0% of the principal amount of Debentures purchased by each such subscriber divided by $0.05.

As consideration for certain services provided to the Corporation in connection with the Private Placement, the Corporation has agreed to pay a finder's fee to various finders, comprised of: (i) a cash fee equal to 5.0% of the principal amount of Debentures purchased by subscribers that were introduced to the Corporation by each such finder (the "Cash Fee") (other than in respect of Debentures sold to persons included on the president's list of the Corporation (the "President's List"), for which no Cash Fee shall be payable), and (ii) such number of compensation warrants as is equal to 5.0% of the principal amount of Debentures purchased by subscribers that were introduced to the Corporation by each such finder divided by $0.05 ("Finder's Warrants") (other than in respect of Debentures sold to persons included on the President's List, for which no Finder's Warrants shall be issued). Each Finder's Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Corporation (each, a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.06 per Warrant Share for a period of one year following the closing date of the Private Placement.

The Private Placement, including the issuance of the Debentures, Bonus Shares and Finder's Warrants, remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). Further, the Debentures, Bonus Shares, Finder's Warrants and any Warrant Shares will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day following the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities laws.

About Limestone Boat Company Limited:

The Limestone Boat Company - owner and builder of Aquasport Boats, Limestone Boats and Boca Bay Boats - is publicly traded on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol BOAT. They are headquartered in Collingwood, Ontario with a 145,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in White Bluff, Tennessee. The company is backed by a large, skilled labor force and dealer partners throughout the United States and the Canadian Great Lakes Region.

For more information, contact:

Investor Relations:

Bill Mitoulas

800-720-2395

bill@limestoneboats.com

www.limestoneboatcompany.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "believe", "could" "should", "would", "estimate", "expect", "forecast", "indicate", "intend", "likely", "may", "plan", "potential", "project", "outlook", "seek", "target", "trend" or "will" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the parties' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the Corporation's objectives, goals or future expectations; the use of proceeds of the Private Placement; the ability of the Corporation to complete the Private Placement (if at all) on the terms announced herein; the approval by the Exchange of the issuance of the Private Placement and all matters related thereto; the ability of the Corporation to meet its obligations under the terms of the Debentures and all other obligations related thereto. The forward- looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the parties are not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward- looking information contained herein.

Many factors could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward- looking statements. All the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors in this press release. There can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Corporation. Unless required by applicable securities law, the Corporation does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
All amounts expressed in US dollars

NORTH MARA, Tanzania, Oct. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With its North Mara and Bulyanhulu gold mines set to achieve a combined production in excess of 500,000 ounces1 for the second year running, Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD)(TSX:ABX) is looking to expand its East African footprint from this base.



Speaking to media at a briefing at a local school near to the North Mara Mine, president and chief executive Mark Bristow said the resurrection of these moribund mines and their transformation into an asset with the potential to be included in Barricks elite Tier One2 portfolio as a combined complex was a remarkable success story.

Our groundbreaking Twiga partnership with the Tanzanian government not only settled its long-running disputes with the mines previous operators but has established a model for mutually beneficial cooperation between miners and their host countries, particularly in Africa. By demonstrating that Tanzania is an investor-friendly destination it also augurs well for the future of the countrys mining industry, he said.

Both North Mara and Bulyanhulu have been ramping up production, with North Mara hitting a record 505,000 tonnes of ore and waste mined last quarter1. It continues to optimize the underground operation while the change to an owner-mining strategy has boosted the expansion of both the mine and open pit operations. At Bulyanhulu, the development of the main declines to access the Deep West zone of the orebody started last quarter. The production ramp-up at both mines is being supported by fleet upgrades.

We continue to target further growth through reconnaissance and the consolidation of key licences. Extension opportunities are being assessed along the Gokona strike and throughout the Bulyanhulu Inlier. Results from the deep drilling at Gokona are pointing to a significant potential for extending North Maras life, Bristow said.

In addition to the brownfields exploration designed to maintain the positive trend on resource expansion and conversion at the two mines, we are also looking further afield. A better understanding of the regions geological architecture will improve our ability to discover new world-class development opportunities in our areas of interest.

In line with Barricks localization policy, Tanzanians make up 96% of mines workforces, with 45% drawn from the communities surrounding the mines. Host country nationals account for 58% of the senior management. During the past quarter the mines spent $339 million with Tanzanian suppliers and service providers. Since it took over the mines in 2019, Barrick has contributed over $2.1 billion to the Tanzanian economy.

Barrick Enquiries

President and CEO

Mark Bristow

+1 647 205 7694

+44 788 071 1386

Country manager, Tanzania

Melkiory Ngido

+255 686 945 222

Email: melkiory.ngido@barrick.com

Investor and media relations

Kathy du Plessis

+44 20 7557 7738

Email: barrick@dpapr.com

Website: www.barrick.com

Endnote 1

On a 100% basis.

Endnote 2

A Tier One Gold Asset is an asset with a reserve potential to deliver a minimum 10-year life, annual production of at least 500,000 ounces of gold and total cash costs per ounce over the mine life that are in the lower half of the industry cost curve.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release, including any information as to our strategy, projects, plans, or future financial or operating performance, constitutes forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words target, set to achieve, looking to expand, potential, future, continue, improve, would, commit, advance, generate, expect, will, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, with respect to: expected production and cost levels for the North Mara and Bulyanhulu mines and their Tier One potential as a combined complex; Barricks partnership with the Government of Tanzania under the framework agreement; the ramp-up of production at North Mara and Bulyanhulu, optimization of production and fleet upgrades; potential mine life extensions, resource expansion and new development opportunities identified through drilling and other exploration activities; planned investments by Barrick in Tanzania including to develop healthcare, education and infrastructure; Barricks contributions to the local economy, including local hiring and procurement programs and spending as well as anticipated contributions to value-adding national projects.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions including material estimates and assumptions related to the factors set forth below that, while considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of this press release in light of managements experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, copper, or certain other commodities (such as silver, diesel fuel, natural gas, and electricity); the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; changes in mineral production performance, exploitation, and exploration successes; risks associated with projects in the early stages of evaluation, and for which additional engineering and other analysis is required; failure to comply with environmental and health and safety laws and regulations; timing of receipt of, or failure to comply with, necessary permits and approvals; uncertainty whether some or all of the targeted investments and projects will meet the Companys capital allocation objectives and internal hurdle rate; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/ or changes in the administration of laws, policies and practices, expropriation or nationalization of property and political or economic developments in Tanzania and other jurisdictions in which the Company or its affiliates do or may carry on business in the future; our ability to convert resources into reserves; increased costs, delays, suspensions and technical challenges associated with the construction of capital projects; risks associated with working with partners in jointly controlled assets; damage to the Companys reputation due to the actual or perceived occurrence of any number of events, including negative publicity with respect to the Companys handling of environmental matters or dealings with community groups, whether true or not; risks associated with new diseases, epidemics and pandemics, including the effects and potential effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic; litigation and legal and administrative proceedings; employee relations including loss of key employees; increased costs and physical risks, including extreme weather events and resource shortages, related to climate change; and availability and increased costs associated with mining inputs and labor. Barrick also cautions that its guidance may be impacted by the unprecedented business and social disruption caused by the spread of Covid-19. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and gold bullion, copper cathode or gold or copper concentrate losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks).

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a more detailed discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the risks that may affect Barricks ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

Barrick disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Kim Yong, deputy head of the Democratic Party of Korea-affiliated Institute for Democracy / Korea Times file



A court on Saturday issued an arrest warrant for a close confidant of Lee Jae-myung, the chairperson of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), on charges of taking illegal political funds from real estate developers.



The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant for Kim Yong, deputy head of the DPK-affiliated Institute for Democracy think tank, on suspicion of receiving a total of 847 million won ($593,552) from property developers in the city of Seongnam in violation of the political fund law.



He allegedly took the funds between April and August last year ahead of the party's primary election to pick the candidate to run for this year's presidential election. Lee won the party's presidential nomination but was defeated by a narrow margin by President Yoon Suk-yeol in the March election.



Kim served as a high-level aide in charge of fundraising on the primary election campaign for Lee.



The real estate developers in question are key suspects in a corruption case involving a lucrative housing development project in Seongnam's Daejang-dong district that is currently under a prosecution probe. Lee was Seongnam mayor when the project was launched in 2015.



The arrest warrant against Kim is widely interpreted as a sign the probe is closing in on Lee.



Earlier this week, prosecutors apprehended Kim and searched his home in a probe into the allegations. They also attempted to raid his office inside the DPK's headquarters only to face intense resistance and protest by party politicians.



On Thursday, Lee strongly denounced the prosecution's attempted raid as "oppression" of the opposition party and claimed Kim's innocence. Lee also flatly denied the allegations, saying he has never used a penny of illegal funds.



Prosecutors are expected to expand the investigation to determine whether any illegal political funds were used in Lee's 2014 run for the Seongnam mayoralty or any other elections. (Yonhap)


NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Rite Aid Corporation (Rite Aid or the Company) (NYSE: RAD) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and docketed under 22-cv-04201, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Rite Aid securities between April 14, 2022 and September 28, 2022, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.



If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Rite Aid securities during the Class Period, you have until December 19, 2022 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Rite Aid, through its subsidiaries, operates a chain of retail drugstores in the U.S. The Company operates through two segments, Retail Pharmacy and Pharmacy Services. The Pharmacy Services segment provides integrated suite of pharmacy benefit management (PBM) offerings through, inter alia, the Companys Elixir subsidiary, including technology solutions, mail delivery services, specialty pharmacy, network and rebate administration, claims adjudication, and pharmacy discount programs.

In Rite Aids Q4 2022 earnings call on April 14, 2022, Rite Aids President and CEO, Defendant Heyward Rutledge Donigan (Donigan), addressed the growth of Elixirs PBM services business during the selling season ending January 1, 2023, stating that (i) in the past few months, Elixir had already sold 35,000 new members (as against a total of 55,000 new members in the prior year), (ii) Elixir was a finalist for 150,000 additional new members, and results have shown that once we get to finalist, were winning deals 35% of the time, and (iii) Elixir had a current pipeline of nearly 1 million members and growing.

In a letter to shareholders, dated June 10, 2022, appearing in Rite Aids 2022 Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement, Defendant Donigan stated, [o]ur Elixir account and sales teams are gaining momentum, and we are executing more efficiently by consolidating functions. And the market is noticingwe have added 34,000 individuals covered by Elixirs PBM services since January 1, 2022, with many more in the pipeline.

In Rite Aids Q1 2023 earnings call on June 23, 2022, Defendant Donigan stated concerning the PBM services business that [o]ur strong network contracts, new rebate capabilities, innovative clinical services and expertise in government programs have enabled us to add 80,000 new lives for January 1, 2023 start date. These are more new lives than we sold last year. And additionally, the selling season is still in progress, and we've got close to 1 million lives remaining in the pipeline for January 1, 2023. On the same call, Elixirs COO, Defendant Chris DuPaul, advised that weve had a pretty strong start to our selling season, particularly on the health plan side, and were feeling really good about where our lives are headed going into [1/1/23]. . .

The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) despite representations to the contrary, the number of new members (i.e., lives) that the Elixir PBM services business was adding during the selling season ending on January 1, 2023 was in material decline; (ii) Rite Aid was likely to recognize a significant charge for the impairment of goodwill related to Elixir due to a decrease in lives covered by Elixirs PBM services business; and (iii) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On September 29, 2022, Rite Aid announced a $252.2 million charge for the impairment of goodwill related to the Companys Elixir subsidiary. On an earnings call held later in the day, Rite Aids Chief Financial Officer, Matt Schroeder, explained that the large impairment charge was related to Elixir based on an update to our estimate of lives for 2023 based on the latest selling season, and that Rite Aid expected[ed] lives to go down.

On this news, Rite Aids stock price fell $1.97 per share, or 28.02%, to close at $5.06 per share on September 29, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, 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:
NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda or the Company) (NYSE: HMC). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.



The investigation concerns whether Honda 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 September 28, 2022, a putative class action was filed against Honda alleging that the Company sold thousands of vehicles that contain a critical safety flaw putting drivers and others at serious risk of injury. Specifically, the lawsuit against Honda alleges that a wide range of Honda vehicles share a flawed auto start/stop function (also called Idle Stop) intended to save fuel by shutting the engine down at stops, and that the Idle Stop system in these vehicles routinely fails to restart the engine as designed, leaving drivers unable to move their vehicles. The lawsuit further alleges that Honda was fully aware of the defect before marketing the vehicles.

On this news, Hondas American Depositary Receipt (ADR) price fell $0.74 per ADR, or 3.23%, to close at $22.19 per ADR on September 29, 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:
Tens of thousands of conservative and progressive activists staged large rallies in downtown Seoul, Oct. 22, causing traffic disruptions. Yonhap



Tens of thousands of conservative and progressive activists staged large-scale rallies in downtown Seoul on Saturday, chanting opposing slogans about sensitive political issues. The demonstrations ended without clashes.



Right-wing activists, including members of the far-right Liberty Unification Party, held a rally in Gwanghwamun against what they call pro-North Korea sympathizers.



Police estimated about 32,000 activists participated in the event.



Progressive activists also held an anti-government protest on nearby streets, with police projecting about 16,000 people joined the rally.



The massive rallies caused severe traffic disruptions surrounding main roads spanning from Gwanghwamun to City Hall in central Seoul.





This photo, taken Oct. 22, shows police mobilized to prevent possible clashes among conservative and progressive activists, as they held respective large-scale rallies in downtown Seoul. Yonhap
Courtesy of Nathan Dumlao



By David Tizzard




Chinese President Xi Jinping reacts during the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China, Oct. 22. EPA-Yonhap



China's five-yearly Communist Party Congress began its closing session on Saturday, with President Xi Jinping likely to seal an unprecedented third term in power.



Xi began delivering a speech about midday (0400 GMT) in one of the final events of the week-long gathering at Beijing's Great Hall of the People.



The closing ceremony will conclude a week of largely rubber-stamp meetings among 2,300 party delegates, who will approve a reshuffle of the party's top leadership likely to have been determined well in advance.

However in an unexpected move at such a heavily choreographed event, former leader Hu Jintao was led out of the closing ceremony. No official explanation was given.



The new Central Committee of around 200 senior Party officials was elected shortly after 11 am Saturday, state media agency Xinhua reported, without disclosing a full list of members.



Delegates also voted to endorse Xi's "work report" delivered at the Congress's opening last Sunday and rubber-stamped a resolution on the Party's constitution.



Xi is now widely expected to be unveiled as general secretary on Sunday, shortly after the first meeting of the new Central Committee.



This will allow Xi to sail through to a third term as China's president, due to be announced during the government's annual legislative sessions in March.



Xi previously abolished the presidential two-term limit in 2018, paving the way for him to rule indefinitely.



The weekend will also see the new Central Committee approve a reshuffled 25-member Politburo, as well as a Politburo Standing Committee  China's apex of power  of around seven people, which analysts expect to be stacked with Xi allies.





Delegates applaud as Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Oct. 16. AP-Yonhap



At Sunday's Congress opening ceremony, Xi delivered a 105-minute speech lauding the party's achievements and glossing over domestic problems such as the stalling economy and the damage wrought by his harsh zero-COVID policy.



Heavy on ideological rhetoric and light on policy, a defiant Xi also urged Communist Party members to steel themselves against numerous challenges including a hardening geopolitical climate.

"We must... be ready to withstand high winds, choppy waters and even dangerous storms," he said.

"Confronted with drastic changes in the international landscape, especially external attempts to blackmail, contain, (and) blockade... China, we have put our national interests first."

Security was also a main focus of the speech, in which Xi lauded Hong Kong's transition from "chaos to governance" and vowed to "never commit to abandoning the use of force" to seize the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

The work report "is a carefully scripted drama through which the power of the Party, its leader, and its ideas are meant to be elevated and amplified", wrote David Bandurski, editor of the University of Hong Kong's China Media Project.





A security personnel checks on a journalist near a TV screen showing image of President Xi Jinping at a media hotel in Beijing, Oct. 21. AP-Yonhap
Researchers have developed a nickel-stabilized, ruthenium dioxide (Ni-RuO 2 ) anode catalyst for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. The rutheniuma more abundant precious metalserves as a promising alternative to the more rare and expensive iridiumcurrently the practical anode catalyst for electrolysis.

The Ni-RuO 2 catalyst shows high activity and durability in acidic OER for PEM water electrolysis. Although pristine RuO 2 shows poor acidic OER stability and degradesd within a short period of continuous operation, the incorporation of Ni greatly stabilizes the RuO 2 lattice and extends its durability by more than one order of magnitude.





A schematic shows the experimental water electrolyzer developed at Rice to use a nickel-doped ruthenium catalyst. Illustration by Zhen-Yu Wu

A paper on the work by the lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Haotian Wang at Rices George R. Brown School of Engineering and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Virginia is published in Nature Materials.

When applied to the anode of a PEM water electrolyser, our Ni-RuO 2 catalyst demonstrated >1,000 h stability under a water-splitting current of 200 mA cm2, suggesting potential for practical applications. Density functional theory studies, coupled with operando differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy analysis, confirmed the adsorbate-evolving mechanism on Ni-RuO 2 , as well as the critical role of Ni dopants in stabilization of surface Ru and subsurface oxygen for improved OER durability. Wu et al.

Iridium costs roughly eight times more than ruthenium, Wang said, and it could account for 20% to 40% of the expense in commercial device manufacturing, especially in future large-scale deployments.

Water splitting involves the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions by which polarized catalysts rearrange water molecules to release oxygen and hydrogen.

The cathode is very stable and not a big problem, but the anode is more prone to corrosion when using an acidic electrolyte. Commonly used transition metals like manganese, iron, nickel and cobalt get oxidized and dissolve into the electrolyte. Thats why the only practical material used in commercial proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers is iridium. Its stable for tens of thousands of hours, but its very expensive. Feng-Yang Chen

The lab is working to improve its ruthenium catalyst to slot into current industrial processes.

Now that weve reached this stability milestone, our challenge is to increase the current density by at least five to 10 times while still maintaining this kind of stability. This is very challenging, but still possible. The annual production of iridium wont help us to produce the amount of hydrogen we need today. Even using all the iridium globally produced will simply not generate the amount of hydrogen we will need if we want it to be produced via water electrolysis. That means we cant fully rely on iridium. We have to develop new catalysts to either reduce its use or eliminate it from the process entirely. Haotian Wang

Boyang Li of the University of Pittsburgh is co-lead author of the paper. Co-authors are Rice graduate student Peng Zhu; graduate student Shen-Wei Yu at Virginia; physicist Zou Finfrock at Argonne National Laboratory; scientist Debora Motta Meira of Argonne and Canadian Light Source; Virginia alumnus Zhouyang Yin; and Qiang-Qiang Yan, Ming-Xi Chen, Tian-Wei Song and Hai-Wei Liang of the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei. Co-corresponding authors are Sen Zhang, an associate professor of chemistry at Virginia, and Guofeng Wang, a professor of mechanical and materials science at Pittsburgh. Haotian Wang is the William Marsh Trustee Chair at Rice and an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.

The research was supported by the Welch Foundation (C-2051-20200401), the David and Lucile Packard Foundation (202071371), a Roy E. Campbell Faculty Development Award, the National Science Foundation (1905572, 2004808), the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research Computing and the Advanced Photon Source of Argonne National Laboratory.

Resources
Diplomats and others attend a meeting at the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council on the ongoing war in Ukraine on Oct. 21, at U.N. Headquarters in New York City. Following drone attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine has accused Iran of violating a U.N. Security Council ban on the transfer of drones. AFP-Yonhap





The United States and key Western allies accused Russia on Friday of using Iranian drones to attack civilians and power plants in Ukraine in violation of a 2015 U.N. Security Council resolution and international humanitarian law.







Russia countered by accusing Ukraine of attacking infrastructure and civilians for eight years in the eastern separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed earlier this year.







The U.S., France, Germany and Britain supported Ukraine's call for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to send a team to investigate the origin of the drones.







Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the drones are Russian and warned that an investigation would violate the U.N. Charter and seriously affect relations between Russia and the United Nations.







U.S. deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis said that ''the U.N. must investigate any violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions  and we must not allow Russia or others to impede or threaten the U.N. from carrying out its mandated responsibilities.''







The Western clash with Russia over attacks on civilians and infrastructure and the use of Iranian drones came at an open council meeting that also focused on the dire humanitarian situation in Ukraine as winter approaches. Almost 18 million people, more than 40 percent of Ukraine's population, need humanitarian assistance, U.N. humanitarian coordinator Denise Brown says.







U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo expressed grave concern to the council that Russian missile and drone attacks between Oct. 10 and Oct. 18 in cities and towns across Ukraine killed at least 38 Ukrainian civilians, injured at least 117 and destroyed critical energy infrastructure, including power plants.







Firefighters work after a drone attack on buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, Oct. 17. AP-Yonhap





She cited the Ukrainian government's announcement that 30 percent of the country's energy facilities have been hit, most notably in the capital Kyiv and in the Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions.







''Combined with soaring gas and coal prices, the deprivation caused by these attacks threatens to expose millions of civilians to extreme hardship and even life-endangering conditions this winter,'' she said.







DiCarlo, the U.N. undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, said that ''under international humanitarian law, attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited.'' So are ''attacks against military objectives that may be expected to cause harm to civilians that would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated,'' she said.







Nebenzia claimed that high-precision missile strikes and Russian drones  not Iranian drones  hit a large number of military targets that included infrastructure in an effort to degrade Ukrainian military activities.







''Of course, this did not sit well with the West and they became hysterical, and this is what we're witnessing loudly and clearly today at the meeting,'' the Russian ambassador said.







He said the West doesn't want ''to face facts'' and acknowledge that civilian infrastructure was hit only in cases where drones had to change course because of Ukrainian defense actions. He said Ukrainian air defenses also hit civilian sites because they missed incoming attacks.







In a letter to the Security Council on Wednesday, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya accused Iran of violating a Security Council ban on the transfer of drones capable of flying 300 kilometers (about 185 miles).



That provision was part of Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six key nations  the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany  aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear activities and preventing the country from developing a nuclear weapon.







U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear agreement in 2018 and negotiations between the Biden administration and Iran for the United States to rejoin the deal have stalled.







Under the resolution, a conventional arms embargo on Iran was in place until October 2020. But restrictions on missiles and related technologies run until October 2023, and Western diplomats say that includes the export and purchase of advanced military systems such as drones, which are also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs.







Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Wednesday that he ''categorically rejected unfounded and unsubstantiated claims that Iran has transferred UAVs for the use (in) the conflict in Ukraine.'' He accused unnamed countries of trying to launch a disinformation campaign to ''wrongly establish a link'' with the U.N. resolution.







''Moreover, Iran is of the firm belief that none of its arms exports, including UAVs, to any country'' violate Resolution 2231, he added.







France, Germany and Britain on Friday supported Ukraine's accusation that Iranian has supplies drones to Russia in violation of the 2015 resolution and they are being used in attacks on civilians and power plants in Ukraine. They backed Kyiv's call for a U.N. investigation.







The three European countries said in a joint letter to the 15 council members that reports in open sources suggest Iran intends to transfer more drones to Russia along with ballistic missiles.







Neither Iran nor Russia sought advance approval from the council for the transfer of Mohajer and Shahed UAVs and therefore ''have violated resolution 2231,'' the letter said.







The U.S. sent a similar letter, saying Iranian drones were transferred to Russia in late August and requesting the U.N. Secretariat team responsible for monitoring the resolution's implementation to ''conduct a technical and impartial investigation that assesses the type of UAV's involved in these transfers.''







Nebenzia also sent a letter contending that DiCarlo is siding with the West on carrying out an investigation. His letter insists that ''the U.N. Secretariat has no authority to conduct, or in any other form engage, in any 'investigation''' related to Resolution 2231. (AP)


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Galaxy users out there might remember Samsung's promise to bring One UI 5 and Android 13 to the S22 line in October. The Korean giant seems to be honoring said promise, with reports already coming in of S22 Ultra units in Italy receiving the coveted OTA.



OTA release notes in Italian

The package in question has an S908BXXU2BVJA firmware version, weighs in at 2854.03 MB and includes the latest October 2022 security patches. That's just the icing on the proverbial cake, though, since, as you can imagine, the changelog for this particular update is extremely long. You can check it out in more detail in the screenshots or at the source link. The key features are:

New icons

New call pop-up and new notification layout

New management for device customization (lock screen, wallpapers, new layout for widgets)

Productivity optimization (improved multitasking, a new possibility of extracting and scanning a text, optimized Samsung Dex and Samsung Notes, Connected Devices)

Optimized routine mode

New Sleep mode

Privacy and security optimization

Now for the even better news - we are expecting the stable One UI 5 and Android 13 update for the S22 family of devices to start seeding in Europe on Monday, October 24. That is just a few hours away and would be in keeping with Samsung's original promise. Speaking of which, industry sources claim that Samsung will also release One UI 5.0 for the Z Fold4, Z Flip4 and the Galaxy S21 family before the end of 2022. Together with the Galaxy Z Fold3, Galaxy Z Flip3, Galaxy Z Fold4, and Galaxy Z Flip4. Also likely the Galaxy A53.

If you are interested in One UI 5 and some of its top features, you can read Samsung's own account here.

Source
On Saturday, guests were whisked back in time to 1959 and treated to a Grease themed evening at Circle Ks Craft Beer and Whiskey Festival, which was held at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort in Tumon.

The festival shone a spotlight on ten vendors and marks the return of Circle Ks celebration of the local craft beer and whiskey scene since the annual affair was put on pause due to the pandemic.

The festival offered attendees the chance to explore the diversity of alcoholic selections through special samplers while grooving to 50s and 60s jams and embracing their inner Pink Ladies.

Its a great opportunity to try different whiskeys and craft beers without necessarily committing to a whole bottle. Maybe you didnt know that you liked IPAs or that you liked Scotch versus bourbon. Its a chance to expand the palette, said Vanessa Villanueva, Circle Ks category manager for alcohol.

This is Circle Ks sixth year presenting the festival, which was last held in 2019. The company is excited to feature Harland Brewing Co., a rising craft beer star with a fun connection to Guam.

We brought in a special brewery from San Diego, which is of course the craft beer mecca. Theyre known for their ube milkshake. Actually, the master brewer and his wife, who is chief of staff with Harlands, is of Guam descent, with the maiden name Nauta, Villanueva said.

After a visit here to Guam in 2018 right before creating Harlands and the pandemic hitting, they got inspired by ube here and it sparked the idea of ube milkshake craft beer.

That kind of put them on the map in San Diego, theyre really popular up there now. Its really cool to have them back here, its their second time ever coming to Guam, Villanueva said.

The festival also welcomed newcomers like Maolek Beverage, which debuted on Guam only a year ago and aims to please islander palettes.

We have two lines in our portfolio  weve been carrying Stone Brewing, which is a craft brewing company from San Diego. What Im really excited to offer here is probably one of our special releases, said Melva Calvo, Maolek Beverages business development manager.

Its called the Stone Peak Conditions Hazy Double IPA. I think something that locals and the community here will appreciate about the taste is that it has notes of passionfruit, orange and guava, so thats kind of all of those flavors that we like to try here.

The Buenaveza Lager is a Mexican-style lager thats also a very light and refreshing beer. Its good for hitting up the beach or barbecues; its pretty much your everyday or every occasion kind of beer.

Festival attendees mingled among the vendors, some dressed in homage to John Travoltas classic leather ensemble and others rocking vintage costumes.

Jenise Guerrero, the on-premise sales manager for Island Beverage Distributors, has participated in the festival since it first started.

Today, were bringing out the majority of our craft brands such as Blue Moon, Sierra Nevada, and we have the Guam Brewery. Its gonna be fun because its one of the first events back since the pandemic, so everybodys super excited.

We just hope that everyone continues eating and drinks responsibly. Were at a totally different venue so Dusit brings up a different vibe, Guerrero said.

Experience

Festival attendees enjoyed Circle Ks total dedication to the Grease theme, which included opportunities to pose with Sandy and Danny cut-outs, and a decked-out banner that welcomed guests to Rydell High.

It was Emma Cooneys first time experiencing the festival.

Its a very cool vibe, all out for the theme. Im excited to try more and make my way around the booths, Cooney said.

From beach beers and distinctly island flavor profiles to premiere Japanese whiskeys, the festival had something for every palette.

This is my first time at the festival, I didnt know what to expect. All I knew is that we needed to just eat before we got here, said attendee Kyle San Nicolas with a laugh.

Its a Saturday, its lit, Im here for a good time. I tried the Titan Imports booth. We started off with a Japanese whiskey shot, it was pretty good and really smooth, San Nicolas said.
SCHOLARSHIPS

Filipino-American Presidents Club of Guam

The Filipino-American Presidents Club of Guam is offering a $500 scholarship to undergraduate students at the University of Guam. Applicants must be permanent residents of Guam or U.S. citizens enrolled full-time at UOG with a minimum of a 2.5-grade point average at the end of each semester. Applicants who are incoming freshmen must provide a high school transcript. Deadline 2 p.m. Nov. 4. Complete application form and submit to the UOG Financial Aid Office. Application and more information can be found at bit.ly/FilAmPres2022.

Felix M. and Gov. Carlos G. Camacho Scholarship Foundation

The Felix M. and Governor Carlos G. Camacho Scholarship Foundation gives $2,000 per awardee per academic year. Applicants must be residents of Guam and enrolled full-time and in good standing at the University of Guam School of Business and Public Administration. Deadline is 5 p.m. Oct. 31. Applications can be found at bit.ly/3eeLDYW.

AANAPISI

The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution Scholarship Program is offering scholarships from one-time $2,500 awards to multi-year $5,000 awards to students attending APIA Scholars AANAPISI partner campuses, including Guam Community College. Eligibility requirements:

Be able to describe their ethnicity, heritage or ancestry to the countries, territories or lands in Asia or the Pacific Islands.

Be a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States. Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau are eligible.

Enrolled as a full-time student in an undergraduate degree-seeking program during the Fall 2023 semester.

Completed the 2023-24 FAFSA application.

Deadline is Jan 19, 2023. Awards are distributed in Fall 2023. For more information, go to apiascholars.org.
U.S. President Joe Biden gives remarks on student debt relief at Delaware State University on Oct. 21, in Dover, Delaware. Yesterday a federal judge ruled that six states trying to block Biden's student loan forgiveness program lacked standing. AFP-Yonhap





A federal appeals court late Friday issued an administrative stay temporarily blocking President Joe Biden's plan to cancel billions of dollars in federal student loans, throwing the program into limbo just days after people began applying for loan forgiveness.







The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issued the stay while it considers a motion from six Republican-led states to block the program. The stay ordered the Biden administration not to act on the program while it considers the appeal.







It's unclear what the decision means for the 22 million borrowers who already applied for the relief. The Biden administration had promised not to clear any debt before Oct. 23 as it battled the legal challenges, but the soonest it was expected to begin erasing debt was mid-November.







White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre encouraged borrowers to continue to apply for the relief, saying the court's temporary order did not prevent applications or the review of applications.







''We will continue to move full speed ahead in our preparations in compliance with this order,'' she said in a statement. ''And, the Administration will continue to fight Republican officials suing to block our efforts to provide relief to working families.''







The crucial question now is whether the issue will be resolved before Jan. 1, when payments on federal student loans are expected to restart after being paused during the pandemic. Millions of Americans were expected to get their debt canceled entirely under Biden's plan, but they now face uncertainty about whether they will need to start making payments in January.







Biden has said his previous extension of the payment pause would be the final one, but economists worry that many Americans may not have regained financial footing after the upheaval of the pandemic. If borrowers who were expecting debt cancellation are asked to make payments in January, there's fear that many could fall behind on the bills and default on their loans.







A notice of appeal to the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was filed late Thursday, hours after U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey in St. Louis ruled that since the states of Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina failed to establish standing, ''the Court lacks jurisdiction to hear this case.''







Separately, the six states also asked the district court for an injunction prohibiting the administration from implementing the debt cancellation plan until the appeals process plays out.







Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, one of the six attorneys general leading the effort to block the debt relief program, praised the court's decision.







President Joe Biden speaks about student loan relief at Delaware State University, Oct. 21, in Dover, Delaware. AP-Yonhap





''We are pleased the temporary stay has been granted,'' Peterson said in a statement. ''It's very important that the legal issues involving presidential power be analyzed by the court before transferring over $400 billion in debt to American taxpayers.''







Speaking before Friday's ruling at Delaware State University, a historically Black university where the majority of students receive federal Pell Grants, Biden touted the number of applicants who have applied for the loan relief in the week since his administration made its online application available.







The plan, announced in August, would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, will get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.







The Congressional Budget Office has said the program will cost about $400 billion over the next three decades. James Campbell, an attorney for the Nebraska attorney general's office, told Autrey at an Oct. 12 hearing that the administration is acting outside its authorities in a way that will cost states millions of dollars.







The cancellation applies to federal student loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate school, along with Parent Plus loans. Current college students qualify if their loans were disbursed before July 1. The plan makes 43 million borrowers eligible for some debt forgiveness, with 20 million who could get their debt erased entirely, according to the administration.







The announcement immediately became a major political issue ahead of the November midterm elections.







Conservative attorneys, Republican lawmakers and business-oriented groups have asserted that Biden overstepped his authority in taking such sweeping action without the assent of Congress. They called it an unfair government giveaway for relatively affluent people at the expense of taxpayers who didn't pursue higher education.







Many Democratic lawmakers facing tough reelection contests have distanced themselves from the plan.







Biden on Friday blasted Republicans who have criticized his relief program, saying ''their outrage is wrong and it's hypocritical.'' He noted that some Republican officials had debt and pandemic relief loans forgiven.







The six states sued in September. Lawyers for the administration countered that the Department of Education has ''broad authority to manage the federal student financial aid programs.'' A court filing stated that the 2003 Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act, or HEROES Act, allows the secretary of education to waive or modify terms of federal student loans in times of war or national emergency.







''COVID-19 is such an emergency,'' the filing stated.







The HEROES Act was enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to help members of the military. The Justice Department says the law allows Biden to reduce or erase student loan debt during a national emergency. Republicans argue the administration is misinterpreting the law, in part because the pandemic no longer qualifies as a national emergency.







Justice Department attorney Brian Netter told Autrey at the Oct. 12 hearing that fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is still rippling. He said student loan defaults have skyrocketed over the past 2 1/2 years.







Other lawsuits also have sought to stop the program. Earlier Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected an appeal from a Wisconsin taxpayers group seeking to stop the debt cancellation program.







Barrett, who oversees emergency appeals from Wisconsin and neighboring states, did not comment in turning away the appeal from the Brown County Taxpayers Association. The group wrote in its Supreme Court filing that it needed an emergency order because the administration could begin canceling outstanding student debt as soon as Sunday. (AP)


Editor's note: The following biography was provided by the Sisters of Mercy. It has been edited for style.

Isabel and Dominator Aguilo welcomed their daughter, Soledad Crisostomo Aguilo, into the world on Sept. 12, 1953, in Tamuning, Guam. She has five siblings.

Soledad entered the Mercy Community on Aug. 14, 1972. She describes her desire to become a Sister of Mercy in these words: I grew up in a loving Catholic family and have always been strong in my faith. The example and influence of the Mercy Sisters in my youth planted the seeds of my vocation. Gods hands guided the rest. I was drawn to serve by bringing the light of Gods loving presence to the world.

When Sister Soledad made her final vows as a Sister of Mercy in 1981, she chose as her motto: I Will Celebrate Your Love Forever. This is exactly what Sister Soledad has been doing in her life day by day.

Before moving to North Carolina in 1978, Sister Soledad received a bachelor's in secondary education from the University of Guam, and was involved in the education ministry of the Sisters of Mercy on the island. Later, she was the recipient of a master's in fine arts from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.

Sister Soledads ministries in North Carolina and Florida include teaching in the elementary and middle schools. In higher education, she has been a university art instructor. As a freelance artist, she conducts art classes and workshops.

Sister Soledads present ministry is providing support to the elder Sisters in the retirement community, while continuing her work as a freelance artist. Her special interests are art, jewelry making, travel and spending time with her Mercy Community, family and friends.

Sister Soledad is a very generous person with her time, talents, and making those feel special in her caring ways. She is very creative, as can be seen in her art masterpieces and in the jewelry she makes.

Fun-loving and joyful, hardworking and devoted  all make Sister Soledad a perfect witness to the mission of Mercy. She surely shows all around her that ``The Circle of Mercy is timeless, it is Spirit of Life itself!

Congratulations, Sister Soledad, on your 50 years as a Sister of Mercy. May God continue to bless you today and all the years ahead as you proclaim Mercy by the example of your life.
The Port of Guam container terminal as seen from the bridge of the motor vessel CGA CGM Herodote moored in Guam, on Aug. 10, 2022. The Port of Guam receives about 90 percent of the islands imports.
The Department of Public Works will launch road improvements Monday in Tamuning and Chalan Pago that will result in a temporary road closure and lane shifts.

These highway improvements build on our administrations evolving commitment to revitalize our communities and strengthen our road to recovery, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said in a news release announcing the closure. Right now, there are ongoing projects islandwide that are actively building a better quality of life for our people.

Ypao Road in Tamuning will be completely closed as a large-scale renovation and the resurfacing project begins.

Construction will take place between Congressman Paul D. Palting Loop in the Seventh-day Adventist Clinic area and Pale San Vitores Road in Tamuning.

Improvements include the reconstruction and widening of Route 14B (Ypao Road) from its intersection with Carmen Memorial Drive to the intersection of Pale San Vitores Road for a total length of 0.35 miles, according to the release.

Additional enhancements will be made to bicycle lanes, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, storm drainage systems, retaining walls and utility relocations.

Area residents and businesses are advised to drive cautiously through the construction zone, observe the speed limit and construction signs, and carefully heed flaggers when present.

Project completion is anticipated for May 2023.

Chalan Pago

In addition, improvements previously announced for the Route 4 and Route 10 intersection and Chalan Kinaka Street in Chalan Pago will also launch Monday.

This project will result in temporary lane shifts for southbound traffic daily between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Improvements include milling and paving, installing raised pavement markers and guardrails, striping and spot repairs.

Area residents and drivers are advised that road construction may affect the flow of traffic.

Anticipate temporary delays and adjust accordingly as work proceeds.

Our responsible and balanced investments with federal funds are strengthening our communities now and furthering the prosperity of our future, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio said in the news release.
To help recruit more people for a variety of positions, the Guam Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Family Violence held its first job fair on Saturday at the Agana Shopping Center.

At our last training in June, we had a lot of our agency partners mention they were in the hiring process and still looking to fill positions. We decided it was a good idea to get all of the agencies together for a job fair, said Amalia Duenas, public awareness project coordinator for the coalition.

Along with the coalition, other groups that participated in the fair were Sanctuary, Inc., WestCare Pacific Islands, the Advocacy Center, Department of Public Health and Social Services Bureau of Social Services Administration, Little Learners Early Childhood Academy and the National Organization of Asians and Pacific Islanders Ending Sexual Violence.

Johnathan Bermudes, of Mongmong, picked up two applications while walking through the mall, one for a Public Health social worker position and another for a home navigator for WestCare Pacific Islands.

I would love to get into those two programs given that I want to help people find a good place on Guam. Its not easy finding a house or job, said Bermudes.

He said he is currently employed but is also looking for another job because of the current financial situation on island.

Duenas said the coalition is looking for interpreters for a variety of languages on a contract basis to assist their partner agencies.

For example, if an organization is working with a client that primarily communicates in a Chinese dialect, the coalition can connect them with a translator.

The Little Learners Early Childhood Academy is looking for an office clerk and more childcare providers for ages 0 to 12 years old.

The position is for the second location that will be opening in Tamuning in November. The current Mangilao location facilitates 118 kids, said academy Director Emi Keju.

For more information about the event, call the coalition at 671-479-2277, or send an email to info@guamcoalition.org.
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, right, shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after signing a new joint declaration on security cooperation, in Perth, Australia, Oct. 22. AP-Yonhap





Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida agreed on Saturday to strengthen security ties between the two U.S. allies amid China's push for greater influence in the Asia-Pacific region.







At the annual Australia-Japan Leaders' Meeting held in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, the two signed a security cooperation agreement updating a 2007 pact, to respond to a changed regional security environment.







As part of the bolstered security partnership, Albanese said Japan's military would train and exercise in northern Australia alongside Australian Defense Force personnel.







In their fourth summit since Albanese took office in May, they said the agreement would serve "as a compass" for security cooperation for the next decade. They agreed to consult and study responses to emergencies that could affect regional security.







Albanese and Kishida also discussed climate change, expressing support for a regional transition to net zero carbon emissions and boosting investment in clean energy tech.







"Both our countries are committed to net zero by 2050," Albanese told reporters after a signing ceremony.







Among those efforts, the leaders agreed to help build secure supply chains between the two nations for "critical minerals, including those that are required for building the green technologies of the future," Albanese said.







"This partnership will mean we build secure supply chains, promote investment, develop Australia's domestic sector and make sure Japan's advanced manufacturers have the critical minerals they need."







As well as building a framework for secure supply chains, the partnership would promote information sharing and collaboration, including research, investment and commercial arrangements between Japanese and Australian critical minerals projects, the Australian government said in a statement.











Kishida told reporters signing the updated joint security declaration was one of the largest achievements of his visit.







"I expressed my determination that all necessary options for the defense of our country, including the so-called counterstrike capability, would become contemplated and Japan's defense capability will be fundamentally reinforced in the next five years, which is supported by Anthony," he said.







The Japanese leader said the two nations had been working to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific under "an increasingly severe strategic environment".







"Through this experience, the bonds that tie Japan and Australia together have become much stronger. And our two countries have become the central pillar of cooperation among like-minded countries," he said.







Australia is a major supplier of iron ore, coal and gas to Japan. Locating the meeting in Perth, 3,700 km (2,300 miles) from the national capital Canberra, was meant to showcase Western Australia's importance in supplying Japan's energy needs, including renewable energy. The state is also a key source of beef and wheat to Japan.







"Prime Minister Albanese told me Australia intends to remain as a reliable partner and a safe investment destination. We agreed to further bolster our cooperation in the areas of energy and natural resources," Kishida told reporters.







Stable energy supply is increasingly critical for resource-poor countries such as Japan, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised the risk of supply disruption.







Canberra and Tokyo recently bolstered security ties in response to China's growing military strength in the region. In May, Kishida and Albanese pledged to work toward a new bilateral declaration on security cooperation.







A previous joint declaration outlined security cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism and North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs. The two countries in 2014 elevated their relationship to a "Special Strategic Partnership". (Reuters)






Chinese President Xi Jinping raises his hand to vote during the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China, Oct. 22. EPA-Yonhap





Chinese President Xi Jinping locked in full control of the Communist Party as its Congress ended on Saturday, all but assuring he will secure a historic third term in power.







At the end of the week-long gathering in Beijing, China's ruling party approved a sweeping reshuffle that saw a number of top officials  including Premier Li Keqiang  step down, allowing Xi to appoint new allies.







The largely rubber-stamp meeting of around 2,300 party delegates was meticulously choreographed, with Xi determined to avoid any surprises as he enshrined his leadership for the next five years.







But in an unexpected move that punctured the proceedings at the Great Hall of the People, former leader Hu Jintao was led out of the closing ceremony.







The frail-looking 79-year-old seemed reluctant to leave the front row where he was sitting next to Xi.







No official explanation was given and AFP did not receive any response from Chinese authorities on the incident.







Delegates then approved a call obliging all party members to "uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole", according to a unanimously passed resolution on changes to the party charter.







Xi is now all but certain to be unveiled as general secretary on Sunday, shortly after the first meeting of the new Central Committee.







This will allow Xi to sail through to a third term as China's president, due to be announced during the government's annual legislative sessions in March.







The Central Committee of around 200 senior party officials was elected shortly before the closing ceremony.







A list of officials in the group revealed that four out of seven members of the party's Standing Committee  the apex of power  would retire.







Among them is current Premier Li Keqiang, as well as fellow Politburo Standing Committee members Wang Yang  who was touted as a possible successor to Li  Han Zheng, and Li Zhanshu.







Han and Li Zhanshu were widely expected to step down, having surpassed the informal age limit of 68 for Politburo-level officials  a requirement not extended to 69-year-old Xi.







Wang and Li Keqiang, both 67, could still have continued in the Standing Committee or 25-member Politburo for another five-year term.







Other high-profile Communist Party top brass absent from the new Central Committee include high-ranking diplomat Yang Jiechi and economic tsar Liu He.







Delegates leave after the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct. 22. AP-Yonhap









Analysts were closely watching for whether the party charter would be amended to enshrine "Xi Jinping Thought" as a guiding philosophy, a move that would put Xi on a par with Mao Zedong.







That did not take place, though the resolution did call the creed "the Marxism of contemporary China and of the 21st century", adding that it "embodies the best Chinese culture and ethos of this era".







Xi previously abolished the presidential two-term limit in 2018, paving the way for him to rule indefinitely.







The Congress has effectively cemented Xi's position as China's most powerful leader since Mao.







"Xi's power will be akin to that of the dictator of China, and there will be next to no scope for anyone to advise him to attempt course correction," said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London.







One of the key questions outstanding is if Xi will appoint a potential successor to the Politburo Standing Committee. This could be answered on Sunday when the Standing Committee is unveiled.







Delegates also on Saturday enshrined in the party's constitution opposition to Taiwanese independence. Beijing has always pledged to re-take the self-ruled democratic island, by force if necessary. (AFP)






Haiti - Crisis : At the UN, Haiti welcomes the adoption of sanctions and recalls the urgency of armed intervention





The Security Council Friday, October 21, 2022 established a sanctions regime on Haiti, imposing a targeted arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze upon individuals and entities designated for such measures, who are responsible for or complicit in actions that threaten the peace, security or stability of the country.



Unanimously adopting resolution 2653 (2022), the Council decided to establish a Committee of the Security Council consisting of all the members of the 15-member organ, to undertake, among other tasks, the monitoring of the implementations of travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo measures imposed upon individuals and entities designated by the Committee; to seek and review information regarding them; and to designate individuals and entities to be subject to the aforementioned measures.



It also requested the Secretary-General to create for an initial period of 13 months, in consultation with the Committee, a group of four experts (Panel of Experts) to assist it in carrying out its mandate, and to make the necessary financial and security arrangements to support the work of the Panel.



Further, the Council affirmed that it would keep the situation in Haiti under continuous review and that it shall be prepared to review the appropriateness of the measures contained in the resolution, including the strengthening, modification, suspension or lifting of the measures. It went on to request, in this regard, the Secretary-General, in close coordination with the Panel of Experts, to conduct, no later than 15 September 2023, an assessment of progress achieved.



By other terms, the Council demanded an immediate cessation of violence, criminal activities, and human rights abuses which undermine the peace, stability and security of Haiti and the region, including kidnappings, sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants, and homicides, extrajudicial killings and recruitment of children by armed groups and criminal networks. It also urged all political actors to engage in meaningful negotiations to overcome the current political stalemate to allow the holding of inclusive, free and fair legislative and presidential elections, as soon as the local security situation permits.



For his part, Ambassador Antonio Rodrigue, Permanent Representative of Haiti to the UN, welcoming the unanimous adoption of the resolution, stated that the new restrictive measures, including travel bans and asset freezes, will contribute to bringing an end to the violent and deadly activities of the armed groups in his country. "It demonstrates the desire of the international community to play its role in settling this serious multidimensional crisis and to show the people that Haiti is not alone and its cries for help have been heard," he added.



Pointing out that sanctions alone cannot eradicate the high level of violence ravaging his country, he reiterated that the national police does not have the capacity commensurate with the threat posed by the armed groups, further requesting for robust support in the form of a specialized force. Highlighting that his country is in a race against time, he noted that it continues to plunge further into violence and insecurity each day.



Note : As soon as the resolution is available at the UN we will make it available for our readers.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37943-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37937-haiti-flash-the-security-council-will-vote-today-on-the-resolution-imposing-sanctions.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37927-haiti-flash-resolution-on-sanctions-vote-postponed-at-the-un.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37919-haiti-un-barbecue-at-the-top-of-a-blacklist-vote-of-the-resolution-pending.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-37904-icihaiti-insecurity-the-bahamas-could-join-a-multinational-rapid-intervention-force.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37903-haiti-flash-the-un-security-council-decides-today-on-the-aid-to-be-provided-to-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37891-haiti-politic-the-usa-ready-to-participate-in-a-multinational-rapid-action-force.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-37882-icihaiti-un-the-security-council-discusses-intervention-options-for-haiti.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-37866-icihaiti-request-for-armed-intervention-letter-from-prime-minister-to-the-un-secretary-general.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37863-haiti-usa-jo-biden-examines-haiti-s-request-for-armed-intervention.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37831-haiti-flash-towards-a-foreign-armed-intervention-in-haiti-to-eliminate-gangs.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37847-haiti-politic-the-senate-asks-the-pm-to-postpone-the-intervention-of-a-foreign-armed-force-in-haiti.html

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.icihaiti.com/en/news-37842-icihaiti-insecurity-the-oas-hopes-that-the-un-can-give-a-quick-response-to-haiti-s-request.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37825-haiti-politic-the-oas-asks-member-states-for-support-to-restore-security-in-haiti.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Crisis : Prime Minister Trudeau met with CARICOM Heads of Government





Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and CARICOM leaders heard from Prime Minister a.i. Ariel Henry, present (by videoconference) an update on the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in Haiti. The leaders expressed their deep concern about the current instability and suffering, as well as the violent acts committed by armed gangs against the population of Port-au-Prince and neighboring regions.



Prime Minister Trudeau updated CARICOM leaders on Canadas assistance to Haiti and the assessment of the current situation. He highlighted recent support for Haiti, including joint airlift operations with the United States to deliver tactical and armoured vehicles and supplies to the Haitian National Police to help restore security and stability. He noted the creation of the Joint Programme for the Haitian National Police United Nations Development Program basket fund, with seed funding of $10 million from Canada and USD $3 million from the United States  which he encouraged CARICOM members to contribute to.



The leaders discussed the need to remove blockades by gangs, including at the Varreux terminal, that are exacerbating the humanitarian crisis by restricting access to the fuel, water, and medicine urgently needed to respond to food insecurity and the rising number of cholera cases in Haiti. The leaders also discussed the importance of sanctions to break the cycle of corruption in Haiti, halting funding to the armed gangs, and holding those responsible for the crisis to account https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37944-haiti-crisis-at-the-un-haiti-welcomes-the-adoption-of-sanctions-and-recalls-the-urgency-of-armed-intervention.html



The Prime Minister commended CARICOMs leadership and focus on addressing the complex humanitarian, security, and political crises Haiti faces. In turn, CARICOM leaders underscored the value of Canadas commitment to close collaboration with CARICOM and regional and international partners to find a durable solution to Haitis long-term stability and sustainable development. The leaders emphasized the need to continue working closely together in response to Haitis immediate humanitarian and security needs, and also to facilitate inclusive, Haitian-led political dialogue towards free and fair elections at the earliest possible opportunity.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37944-haiti-crisis-at-the-un-haiti-welcomes-the-adoption-of-sanctions-and-recalls-the-urgency-of-armed-intervention.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















A CHRISTMAS single written about Henley by a former Mayor has reached the semi-finals of a national songwriting competition.

Henley on Christmas was co-written and released by Councillor Sarah Miller in 2020 to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.

Last year, she released an accompanying music video which was filmed at different place around the town with vocalist Matt Richardson and band Hot Stuff.

In July, Ms Miller entered the song in the UK Songwriting Contest and has now learned it is shortlisted.

She said: I didnt think about it for ages after submitting it but then I checked and saw we were in the semi-finals. Im delighted. I don;t usually enter competitions but I saw this one and thought why not?

Councillor Miller will be releasing the song and video again this year and will raise money for the Henley Lions fuel poverty campaign which helps local families.

She said: Its Christmassy and its upbeat which people need at the moment as everyones feeling so rotten.

The music by Peter is amazing and its just a really festive and singalong tune.
Satellite image shows the Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River near Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine, Oct. 18. Reuters-Yonhap



Sveta has no doubt about why the Ukrainian-held southern city of Mykolaiv, a ship-building center that is home to a half a million people, has gone without fresh water for the past six months.



"They (the Russians) are committing genocide against us," she growled as she waited this week with dozens of others to fill containers with water from tanks hauled to a downtown thoroughfare aboard an electric tramway repair car.



The shutoff is bitter affirmation for Sveta, and some 220,000 other residents who remain in the oft-shelled city, that Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine extends beyond the battlefield to civilian infrastructure.



The Kremlin dramatically intensified strikes on energy facilities with pre-winter missile and drone onslaughts over the past two weeks, in what Putin has called legitimate retaliation for an attack on Russia's bridge to Crimea.



The attacks have disrupted electricity across large parts of Ukraine, killing dozens of people and leaving other places without access to clean water.



But Mykolaiv's water problems have gone on much longer.



The Russians, Ukrainian officials say, closed the city's freshwater intakes in the adjacent Kherson province after they overran the region as part of what Putin calls "a special military operation."



"We don't know whether this was an intentional explosion or an accidental ammunition strike," municipal water chief Borys Dydenko told Reuters. He said he believed the Russians shut the intakes to avenge Ukraine's closure of freshwater supplies to Crimea in 2014. The Kremlin and the Russian defence ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.





Employees of a municipal water supply company repair damaged water pipes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Oct. 17. Reuters-Yonhap



'The way we live'



Every day, Mykolaiv's residents lug plastic containers by hand or in carts to water distribution points across the city that sits at the sweeping confluence of the Dnipro and Southern Buh rivers.



"This is the way we live," lamented Yaroslav, 78, a retiree who worked at the Chernomorsk Shipbuilding Yard, as he queued behind Sveta. "We live through one day and there is no joy and then there is the next day."



Peter Gleick, a senior fellow at the Pacific Institute, a California think tank that documents the impact of conflicts on water resources worldwide, said Russia has weaponized water since launching its full-scale invasion in February.



"Ukraine's water infrastructure, from dams to water treatment and wastewater systems, has been extensively targeted by Russia," Gleick wrote in an email. International law, he noted, makes striking civilian infrastructure a war crime.









In just the first three months of the war, Gleick said, he and his colleagues documented more than 60 instances in which Ukraine's civilian water supplies were disrupted and dams for both water and hydroelectric power attacked.



Russia has acknowledged targeting power plants while also saying it makes every effort to spare the civilian population. The United Nations has confirmed more than 14,000 civilian deaths and says actual numbers are likely considerably higher.



Ukraine, according to the Pacific Institute's database, has occasionally also used water as a weapon, cutting supplies off to Crimea after Russia seized the peninsula in 2014.



While Kyiv had no legal obligation to maintain the supply "it could be argued that it would have been a humanitarian thing to do," Gleick said.



Ukrainian troops released water from a Dnipro River dam to slow Russia's failed assault on Kyiv in February, according to the database. Residents in the eastern city of Donetsk, captured by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014, have also suffered water shortages. The Russian-installed government there did not immediately respond to a request for details of the situation.



Dydenko said Mykolaiv's water crisis was the worst.



"Others have problems of a local nature and are able to solve them," Dydenko told Reuters. "We are the only ones with such a colossal disaster."



After nearly a month without water, city officials were forced to begin pumping yellowish, salty water from the Southern Buh River estuary to clear sewers and let residents flush toilets and wash. It emits a pungent industrial odor, foams in toilets, and makes soap hard to lather and rinse.



Worst of all, it is corroding holes in the city's pipes.





Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled Kherson region of Ukraine arrive at a railway station in the town of Dzhankoi, Crimea, Oct. 21. Reuters-Yonhap
An interior view of an electric power plant partially damaged in shelling by Russian forces in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Oct. 20. EPA-Yonhap





More than a dozen Russian missiles pounded energy facilities and other infrastructure across Ukraine on Saturday, the Ukrainian air force said, with strikes causing blackouts in parts of different regions.







President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Russian attacks had struck on a "very wide" scale. He pledged that his military would improve on an already good record of downing missiles with help from its partners.







At the same time, Russian occupation authorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson urged civilians to leave immediately, citing what they called a tense military situation.







The Ukrainian military said it was making gains as its forces moved southward through Kherson region, taking over at least two villages it said Russian troops had abandoned.







Since Oct. 10, Russia has launched devastating salvos at Ukraine's power infrastructure, which have hit at least half of its thermal power generation and up to 40 percent of the entire system.







Shortly after daybreak, officials in a swath of regions reported strikes on energy facilities and power outages as engineers scrambled to restore the network. Governors advised residents to stock up on water.







Parts of Kyiv suffered power cuts into the evening. In one central district, shops were closed and traffic lights were off.







"The geography of this latest mass strike is very wide," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, citing regions in western, central and southern Ukraine.







"Of course we don't have the technical ability to knock down 100 percent of the Russian missiles and strike drones. I am sure that, gradually, we will achieve that, with help from our partners. Already now, we are downing a majority of cruise missiles, a majority of drones."






Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni leaves after the swearing-in ceremony of the new Italian Government at Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy, Oct. 22. EPA-Yonhap



Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as Italy's first woman prime minister on Saturday alongside her cabinet team, giving the country its most right-wing government since World War Two.



She takes office at an especially fraught moment, with Italy's debt-laden economy once again heading into recession, firms buckling under the weight of soaring energy bills, and splits within her coalition over the war in Ukraine.



Standing beneath the crystal chandeliers of a frescoed chamber in the presidential palace, Meloni took her oath of office as her 6-year-old daughter looked on.



Head of the nationalist Brothers of Italy, Meloni swept to victory in an election last month as part of a coalition that included Forza Italia, led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and Matteo Salvini's anti-immigrant League.



Her government, the 12th this century, replaces a national unity administration piloted by former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, who was at the forefront of European Union efforts to sanction Russia after it invaded Ukraine in February.



While Meloni has pledged support for Ukraine, Berlusconi has repeatedly undercut her, earlier this week blaming Kyiv for the war and revealing he had exchanged gifts and "sweet letters" with his old friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin.



After days of often tense talks, Meloni unveiled her team on Friday, giving five ministries each to the League and Forza Italia and reserving nine cabinet posts for her own party.



Technocrats make up the rest of the 24-strong squad, which includes just six women and where the average age is 60.



Italy's perennially weak economy and ballooning national debt were entrusted to Giancarlo Giorgetti, seen as a moderate member of the League. The Foreign Ministry was handed to Forza Italia veteran Antonio Tajani, seen as a pro-European dove.



Tajani told a local television channel his first act would be to call his Ukrainian counterpart to assure him of Italy's continued solidarity.



'Patriots coming to power'



Meloni's party has neo-fascist roots, but she sought to project a moderate image during the election campaign, dropping previous anti-EU rhetoric and pledging to keep Italy at the heart of European and Western institutions.



European Commission leaders in Brussels sent her messages of congratulations on Saturday.



"I count on and look forward to constructive cooperation with the new government on the challenges we face together," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.



Meloni also received plaudits from Europe's nationalist conservatives, who hope her government will prove a powerful ally in their regular battles with Brussels.



"Congratulations Giorgia Meloni on the formation of your government! Big day for the European Right!" Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote on Twitter.



French far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted: "All over Europe, patriots are coming to power."



Meloni is due to hold her first cabinet meeting on Sunday following a formal handover of power with Draghi.

She will then will face obligatory confidence votes in parliament during the week that she will easily win given her comfortable majority. (Reuters)




Roger Dow, who helped lead the U.S. travel industry out of its post-9/11 doldrums and take it to new heights, then helped guide the industry through the COVID-19 pandemic and position it for a rebound, received the Lifetime Achievement in Sales Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) at its 2022 Sales Leader Forum on October 20 in Frisco, Texas.

Dow was recognized at an awards ceremony that also honored Paul Papadopulos, corporate director of national sales at Atrium Hospitality, and Alex Biondi, area director of sales for Aimbridge Hospitality, as the off- and on-property Sales Professionals of the Year, respectively. HSMAI also presented the inaugural Sales Educator of the Year award to Katie Davin, an associate professor in the College of Hospitality Management at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Roger stepped down from his role as president and CEO of U.S. Travel on July 31, 2022, but he is not retiring from the industry; instead, he is starting a new venture to tackle the two biggest travel challenges he sees on the horizonworkforce recruitment and retention and sustainability. With his relentless focus on improving the travel industry and helping it grow, Roger is a most deserving recipient of HSMAIs Lifetime Achievement Award.

About HSMAI

HSMAI is a global organization of sales, marketing, and revenue management professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry while operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and sales, marketing, and revenue management disciplines, as well as connecting its members with customers. Founded in the United States in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprised of nearly 5,000 members from 35 countries and chapters worldwide. HSMAI operates regionally around the globe via Regional boards of directors and staff. There are four regions: the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. Each region has signature programs and services for association members. HSMAI has a Global board that is comprised of delegates from each Region.
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The Retired Investor: Pray for a Mild Winter

Household heating prices this winter are expected to be higher as a result of the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict. Depending on the severity of the winter, gas supplies could be in short supply, especially in the Northeast.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration is forecasting that Americans who heat their homes with natural gas will see their heating bills rise by an average of 28 percent. Given that almost half of the households burn natural gas as their primary heating fuel, that is a painful poke in the eye for consumers who are already contending with high gasoline and food prices

Those who use oil for their home heating needs will not fare much better, with heating bills expected to climb as high as 27 percent. On average, your oil bill will cost $2,354 this year versus $1,212 in 2020, while gas bills will average $1,094.

Over the last few weeks, natural gas prices have fallen, but they are still up 68 percent thus far in 2022. Unseasonably warm weather in October, as well as an ongoing shutdown in a large liquified, natural gas (LNG) plant, has depressed prices. In addition, several LNG export terminals have closed temporarily for maintenance.

Before you ask, yes, we do have an overabundance of natural gas in this country, however natural gas, like oil, has become a political chip in the present conflict in Europe. Natural gas, as we know, has become the Achilles heel of Europe's conflict with Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. As a result, demand for LNG exports from the U.S. has become a critical lifeline for the European Union in both industry and consumers.

In the U.S., New England utilities depend on natural gas to generate electricity, unlike other areas of the country. This situation has worsened with the closing of antiquated, oil, nuclear-powered, and coal generators, which historically had accounted for about 25 percent of peak demand in the winter months. That is not a new situation. The Northeast has been wrestling with energy supply problems for more than a decade.

One of the main issues is New England's limited pipeline capacity. One proposed pipeline, for example, which would have transported natural gas from Appalachia to New England has been blockaded by "not in my back yard" opposition by New Yorkers. Today, more than one-third of natural gas supplies in the form of LNG are imported during periods of peak demand, according to EIA. What's worse, thanks to the Jones Act, which restricts the movement of cargo ships between U.S. ports, sea delivery of U.S. natural gas is almost impossible.

As a result, the Northeast is in the unenviable position of competing with Europe and other nations for foreign LNG. The going price for natural gas in Europe is $100 per million British thermal units (BTU), versus $30 per BTU in New England. That makes securing off-shore LNG an extremely expensive prospect. In addition, most utilities only purchase a portion of their imported gas on fixed-price agreements. They rely instead on the volatile, natural gas spot market to purchase additional supplies.

If the winter turns out to be severe, utilities could be paying several times today's prices for fuel on an ongoing basis. In Europe, in countries such as Germany, frantic efforts to purchase and store natural gas in preparation for winter have been going on for months. Right now, the EUs storage tanks are full and LNG tankers are lined up off the coast of Spain.

However, in New England, utilities have a limited capacity to store natural gas. We could see a situation that a harsh winter could set up a bidding war for supplies around the world.

As it stands today, if the Northeast has a moderate winter, natural gas supplies, while expensive, will be sufficient. However, if the opposite occurs, the grid may be in trouble as more gas will be diverted to heat homes, and less to generate electricity. If so, that could result in rolling blackouts, or conservation efforts to keep electricity supply and demand in balance similar to what happened in parts of California this summer during the states heat waves.

Thus far, the National Weather Service is forecasting warmer than normal temperatures across the southern and eastern U.S., lets hope that is accurate.
During the lecture, Tuesday, eighth-grade students Lillian Howe, Abbe Ali-Nixon, and Esme Aalberts handed over a $1,000 check to a BIC Volunteer Coordinator Charles Bonenti.

Mount Greylock Students Raise $1,000 for Berkshire Immigrant Center

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Mount Greylock Regional High School students donated $1,000 to the Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC) during a Greylock Talks presentation focusing on immigration in the Berkshires.

During the lecture, Tuesday, eighth-grade students Lillian Howe, Abbe Ali-Nixon, and Esme Aalberts handed over a $1,000 check to a BIC Volunteer Coordinator Charles Bonenti.

"[The student raising money is] remarkable to me. We may hire them as fundraisers for other projects we have going here in the districts. It's really impressive," Superintendent Jason Mccandless said.

The three students raised money over the summer by baking and selling cookies. Director of Curriculum and Instruction Joelle Brookner said she was not surprised to hear of this kind gesture.

"I've known them since elementary school, and they're just always thinking beyond themselves so it's wonderful and it's really not all that surprising," Brookner said.

The Berkshire Immigrant Center advocates for the rights of all immigrants by guiding them through the United States immigration system. The center assists more than 700 individuals annually from more than 60 countries, their website reads.

This is not the first time the trio raised money for a special cause, and over the last two summers, the group held a bake sale to donate funds to the Berkshire Food Project in North Adams. They raised $920 in their first two years of fundraising.

"During the school year, we don't really have time to do any charity or anything like that because we're so busy, Howe said. But in the summer, I feel like we might as well if we're baking cookies, then we might as well make them for a good cause.

During the actual presentation, Mount Greylock students heard from two speakers: Kyungmin Yook, a Williams College student who won a grant to study resources and services for local immigrants and Bonenti.

"I think as a superintendent, as an educator, as a dad, anything we can do that that gets our students to think about life beyond their town life, beyond their current friend and acquaintance group, to think about the bigger world and their place in it, and the impact that they can make is worthwhile," Superintendent Mccandless said

Mount Greylock Regional High School graduates Jake and Sam Kobrin started Greylock Talks in 2014 hoping to create a platform for conversation that do not always happen in the normal school curriculum.

"A talk like this makes me think of people in our community doing great work and opportunities for our students to learn about these things that are happening in our community that we might not know about," Mount Greylock Regional High School sophomore and Greylock Talks subcommittee chair Caleb Low said.
Berkshire Museum Welcomes New Trustees

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The Trustees of Berkshire Museum held their Annual Meeting on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022 - the first fully in-person board meeting since early 2020  at which they elected officers and appointed three new Trustees.

Ethan Kelpetar will continue as President for one more year. Jeffrey Belair will serve a full two-year term as Vice President, as will Rachel Melendez Mabee as Secretary, and Brian Tremblay as Treasurer.

Judith Bookbinder, James Greenfield, and Charles Walker were all duly elected to serve full terms on the Berkshire Museum's Board of Trustees.

"This is an exciting time at the Museum. We are thrilled to have Kim Bush Tomio as our new Executive Director, and we are working on the plans for a significant renovation of the first floor. It is the perfect time to welcome these new highly qualified and experienced people to our Board. We are so grateful for their commitment and to all Trustees, past and present, who have given so much to the Museum over the years," said Ethan Klepetar.

About the new Trustees:

Judith Bookbinder joins the Berkshire Museum Board of Trustees after being the Vice President of Creative Communications at The Hearst Corporation for 27 years. Judith retired from her position at Hearst in December 2021 and is currently working as a special projects consultant. Judith has established a deep connection to the Berkshire Museum through her grandchildren, having attended several birthday parties and many family events at the Museum. Judith and her husband, Larry Fischer, have resided in both New York City and the Berkshires since 1988. They now spend most of their time in their home in Lenox. Judith currently serves on the boards of the ANA Education Foundation (AEF) in New York, NY, and the Pine Cobble School in Williamstown.

James Greenfield has served on the Investment Subcommittee of the Berkshire Museum for the past two years. He brings with him 36 years of investment experience in serving wealthy families and endowments as an investment portfolio manager. Jim and his wife Marla have a connection to the Berkshires of over 40 years.

Charles Walker joins the Berkshire Museum Board of Trustees having recently retired from Disney/ABC News based in New York, NY where he served in multiple senior management roles including Director of Broadcast Engineering & Operations, Operations Producer, and Technical Production Manager. After retirement in 2021, Chuck decided to make Pittsfield and the Berkshires his permanent year-round home. For years prior to moving here, he would often visit the Berkshire Museum to learn more about the people, history, culture, and community of the Berkshires.
FEMA Awards Funds to Massachusetts for COVID-19 Pandemic Administrative Costs

BOSTON  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will send more than $26 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for some of the administrative costs incurred responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) will receive a total of $26,077,698 in federal funding through FEMA's Public Assistance grant program to reimburse the cost of administering grants FEMA provided to the commonwealth for such expenses as testing, sheltering and providing meals to vulnerable populations.

The administrative costs are calculated as a percentage of the grants provided.

"FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs," said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation."

FEMA's Public Assistance program is a source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $1.3 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.
Sri-Nagar based journalist Sanna Irshad Mattoo, who along with other four members of Reuter team won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize, was barred from flying to the United States to receive the prize. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the unjustified travel ban and urges the Indian authorities to allow journalists to travel safely and freely.

Journalist Mattoo, who had a valid US visa and air ticket, was stopped by the immigration authorities at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport on 18 October and prevented from travelling to attend the Pulitzer Prize award ceremony scheduled to take place on 20 October. Following the immigrations action, journalist Mattoo reached out to many officials for assistance, but in vain.

Mattoo posted on Twitter a photograph of her ticket with an immigration officials stamp canceled without prejudice. The authorities have not provided a reason for cancelation of her international travel.

The journalist is one of the four members of Reuters team getting the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 2022 for their coronavirus pandemic -coverage in India. Mattoo, 28 years, has extensively covered all the facets of Kashmir and plights of Kashmir populations in her photographs that have been published in various national and international media outlets including Al Jazeera.

Pulitzer Prize administrator have announced that, that despite Mattoos absence, she will be awarded her share of the prize.

The U.S. State Department said that it noted the reports about Mattoo being barred from traveling to the US while Reuters issued a statement saying the organization was disappointed by Indian immigration officials move to prevent Mattoo from flying to the United States to receive her prize.

This is not the first time Mattoo was barred from travelling internationally. She was barred by immigration authorities at the Delhi airport from flying to France on 2 July. She was planning to fly to France to participate in a book launch and photography exhibition as one of the 10 award winners of the Serendipity Arles Grant 2020. She was not given any reason for the cancellation of her flight, either.

The IFJ considers this incident as an attack on the media and journalists from India administered Kashmir to silence their critical reporting and to stop international exposure of the situation. On 26 July, Aakash Hassan, another Kashmiri journalist who used to write for The Guardian newspaper, was prevented from travelling to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Similarly, another Kashmiri journalist Gowhar Geelani was stopped from flying to Germany in 2019.

The IFJ said: Travel ban imposed on Sanna Irshad Mattoo is the latest example of the Indian government's harassment against Kashmir-based journalists through censorship of their reporting's content. The IFJ condemns the travel ban against photojournalist Mattoo and urges the Indian authorities to cease imposing restrictions on independent journalists and media workers.
SS Rajamoulis fantasy film RRR has finally been released in Japan. The film has been declared a mega-blockbuster in India and has also impressed the Japanese audience.

In the films release run-up, SS Rajamouli and stars Jr NTR and Ram Charan were seen attending promotional events in Japan.

The RRR team arrived in Japan with their family members before the film's release and is currently having a great time. Ram Charan, Jr., NTR, and their better halves have shared glimpses of their experiences on social media.

Ram recently took to social media to share a video with Jr. NTR, setting some major friendship goals. In one of the videos shared by Ram Charan, they could be seen wandering around the streets of Japan.

In the video, the cast of RRR is seen wandering the streets while holding the hands of their better halves.

Fans are in awe of their friendship and were quick to call them "friendship" goals.

There is another video doing the rounds on social media that proves that cinema, indeed, transcends every boundary.



The video shows NTR interacting with fans while promoting RRR in Japan.

It was posted on Instagram on Friday by a paparazzi account with the description, "NTR Jr.'s fandom transcends boundaries!

Seeing their favorite celebrity in Japan for #RRR promotions moved his fans to tears. Fans can be seen in the video taking selfies and signing NTR's autograph. A fan wearing a t-shirt with NTR's face on it breaks down in tears and wipes them away in one scene when she sees the actor.

Another image captures several fans sobbing as they approach NTR for a photo.

Fans claimed this indicated how the actor's fame transcended national boundaries, with some comments referring to him as a "asli (real) hero."

Helmed by SS Rajamouli, RRR is a fictional story based on the lives of two Telugu freedom fighters, Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Ram Charan and Jr NTR played lead roles, respectively. The film collected over Rs 1,200 crore worldwide.

Only NTR Fan's Can Feel This High  pic.twitter.com/hz9WA1QacZ  Troll NTR Haters (@TrollNTRHaterz) October 19, 2022

Recently, RRR fans were disappointed as SS Rajamoulis directorial was not selected as Indias official entry for Oscars 2023. However, last week, the makers brought smiles to everyones faces by applying RRR in 14 categories under the For your consideration campaign.

The makers have applied to The Academy For the Oscars in main categories. RRR team has asked for consideration in categories including Best Picture (DVV Danayya), Best Director (SS Rajamouli), Best Actor (Jr NTR and Ram Charan), Best Supporting Actor (Ajay Devgn), Best Supporting Actress (Alia Bhatt) and more.

Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn also starred in the blockbuster.



(To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment)


1. Karisma Kapoor Shares Photo With 'OG' Aishwarya Rai, Fans Call It Real 'Selena-Hailey' Reunion

Instagram

Aishwarya and Karisma met each other at Manish Malhotra's Diwali party. Not only they were cordial with each other, they happily posed too, thus ending the rumours of a rift between them. As Karisma shared the photo, in the caption, she wrote, "Reunited with the OGs."



2. 'My Head Hurts', Janhvi Kapoor's Answer During An Interview Leaves Fans Scratching Their Heads

Twitter

The actress answered, "There are two things that I firmly believe and Ive come to this realization fairly recently. I think theres a misconception that a lot of actors live with and a lot of people in the audience live with is that an actors job is to pretend".



3. 'I Feel Happy', Rishab Shetty After Kangana Ranaut Says 'Kantara' Should Be Sent To Oscars

Twitter

He said that he is happy that the story of his village is being loved by people. "As soon as I got her (Kangana) message, I shared it on my Instagram Stories and tagged her as well. It feels nice to get praise for a rooted, regional film. I always used to think more regional is more universal. This is the story of my village which I am presenting to the world. It is being loved across the globe. People are talking elements like about our beliefs, tradition, culture, ritual, way of life. As a writer, I feel happy," he told Filmibeat.com.



4. Kid Turned Adult In 4 Years! Before Riva Arora, Hansika Motwani Allegedly Took Hormone Injections

Twitter

In every '90s and '00s kids' favourite movie Koi Mil Gaya, Hansika Motwani was a kid who essayed the role of Hrithik Rohan's companion. This was in the year 2003. In 2007, she appeared in Aap Kaa Surroor, Himesh Reshammiya's debut movie and left everyone in shock. From a kid, she turned into an adult in a matter of just few years. She was 16 years old at that time.



5. Meet GD 47, The Punjabi Rapper Who Has Found A Fan In Virat Kohli & Badshah Wants To Work With

YouTube

Gagandeep Singh who is known by his stage name GD 47 is an underground rapper who is now making waves across the nation. He was a well-known name in the hip-hop/rap world, but now the entire nation is singing praises for him. Thanks to MTV Hustle.



(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)






The most recent article published by Bloomberg News states that India's Adani Group is participating in preliminary discussions with Moroccan authorities regarding a massive renewable energy project to supply Europe with emission-free energy, including electricity and green fuel.





According to people familiar with the proposals (and who have requested anonymity to discuss private details), the company is considering building wind and solar generation plants in the North African nation and facilities to produce green hydrogen for export. The sources added that the project, which would be Adani's most extensive clean power development outside of India, could be as large as 10 gigawatts in capacity. That would be almost equal to Morocco's existing installed energy generation capacity, including about 2.8 gigawatts of wind and solar (as per BloombergNEF data).





Image Attribute: The file photo of Adani's Kamuthi Solar Park in Tamil Nadu, Southern State of India. Dubbed as one of the largest solar photovoltaic plants in the world. / Source: Wikimedia Commons





The development would be carried out in two stages, each of which would be 5 gigawatts. It would involve both the provision of supplying power locally and the direct export of some of that power to Europe. Adani is also in discussions with the state-owned OCP Group regarding the sale of hydrogen, which the fertilizer manufacturer could use as feedstock to produce carbon-free ammonia.





Because of their abundant sunshine and wind and proximity to important export markets like Europe, countries in North Africa and parts of the Middle East are increasingly being recognized as having the potential to become major hubs for producing green hydrogen. For instance, in July, ReNew Energy Global, another Indian company, signed an initial pact to construct a green hydrogen project in Egypt that is estimated to cost $8 billion.
The message at the screening of Voice of Americas documentary, Symphony of Courage, was one of hope, as the films public debut preceded an October 1 concert by the Afghan National Institute of Music, the educational home of the musicians featured in the film  and their first performance since they fled from the Taliban a year ago. The event, held at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Auditorium in downtown Lisbon, Portugal, featured ANIM and VOA speakers and drew many local residents and dignitaries.

The VOA documentary recounts the 2021 escape from Afghanistan to a new home in Braga, Portugal, of the entire school, including its acclaimed all-female Zohra ensemble.

The music will not die in Afghanistan, ANIM Director Dr. Ahmad Sarmast told the VOA films audience, as his students prepared to play traditional Afghan music and Western classical music selections.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban banned most musical performances following their takeover of the country and capital city of Kabul in August 2021. Symphony of Courage follows the flight of the last two students, teenage cousins Farida and Zohra Ahmadi, who also perform with ANIMs all-girl ensemble and were the last students to secure passage to safety. The girls spoke in Portuguese at the documentary screening about the events of the last year that brought them from Afghanistan to their new home.

Through their eyes and their experience, we see the struggle of the Afghan people who have temporarily had their music taken from them, Acting VOA Director Yolanda Lpez told the crowd at the screening. For girls back home, the loss is compounded by the theft of their education and their very future.

In the film, the audience saw the girls harrowing wait for official papers to depart the country; their uncertain journey through the streets of Kabul to the airport; and their emotional reunion with the schools director, Dr. Sarmast, upon their arrival in Lisbon.

I thought we captured a moment in history in a way that other news organizations hadnt done, said VOA executive producer and director, Beth Mendelson, in a panel discussion following the screening. And I think this [film] gives you an emotional, behind-the-scenes look at what people went through there [in Afghanistan].

Lpez noted how life changed for those forced to remain under the Taliban, including the loss of what was a growing tradition of independent media.

The loss of the freedom to create, perform and enjoy music in Kabul mirrors the loss of many other freedoms in Afghanistan under the Taliban, like freedom of speech and freedom of the press, Lopez told the audience. We see this clearly each day as people in Afghanistan continue to watch and listen to VOA and often call in to our programs. We see their hunger for information and for music.

In the VOA documentary, Farida Ahmadi speaks of her hope for the future  both hers and that of her country. Once I become a good musician, if circumstances allow, Id like to return to Afghanistan to show my music to Afghan children and teach them, she says.

The theme of hope was echoed in closing remarks by Acting VOA Director Lopez when she said, Hope for the Afghan people  that someday they can recover their music, the education of girls like Farida and Zohra, as well as the freedom of all Afghans to express themselves.

For a special inside look at the event, click here.
On Friday morning, Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman, the man with direct responsibility for Irelands asylum seeker programmes, said that he could not guarantee that incoming refugees would not have to sleep on the street after arriving in Ireland.

What we are making clear is were not in a position to guarantee everyone an offer of accommodation, he told RTEs Morning Ireland.

It was a stark admission  one that shows just how stretched Ireland is at present in terms of immigration and housing. And its not just the Ukrainian conflict sending people to Irish shores.

Numbers were on the rise from other countries, Georgia being a noteworthy example, long before Vladimir Putin invaded his neighbour on February 24, outstripping expected demand at a rate of knots.

The Russian war in Ukraine has certainly complicated the issue  more than 50,000 Ukrainians have since claimed asylum in Ireland.

Up to five times more refugees have entered Ireland in 2022 than the numbers that came here in previous years. This would be a difficult trend to sustain, even in a country with an adequate housing supply.

But Ireland is currently stuck in the worst housing crisis it has experienced in living memory. It is a difficult situation to manage, to put it mildly.

The situation isnt the same for all migrants, however, which brings us to the benignly titled Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP).

Unlike direct provision, this immigrant programme did not transfer to the Department of Children in October 2020, but stayed with the Department of Justice, which first introduced it in 2012.

At the time Ireland was in a sorry state. Bailed out by the troika, dealing with a housing market collapse and the endless bloodletting stemming from the 64bn hole punched in the economy by the banks, the IIP doubtless felt like a no-brainer. A short, sharp injection of cash into the economy in return for residency for high-net-worth individuals.

What exactly is the Immigrant Investor Programme? Its a migrant programme for millionaires only. Or, as one senior public servant told us, 'its basically citizenship for sale'.

Applicants must be originally native to a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA). They must have a net worth of at least 2m, and they must be willing to invest a minimum of 1m for at least three years, and that money cannot be sourced from loans or any sort of debt  it has to come from the investors own resources.

Other prerequisites are that each applicant must be free from criminal convictions in any country and be of good character.

There are four strands to the IIP via which each person applying can place their funds: investments in Irish enterprises (minimum 1m); money placed in investment funds as approved by the Central Bank (minimum 1m); Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs  the controversial vehicles which kickstarted the trend of corporate landlords in the Irish rental market  minimum 2m investment); and endowment (a minimum philanthropic  as opposed to investment  contribution of 400,000 placed in a project of public benefit to Ireland).

Two-year residency

In return, the investor gets a two-year residency in Ireland, which can be extended for a further three years and then an additional five years following mandatory reviews by the State.

Ireland has received just under 1.2bn in inward investment under the programme to date  the most lucrative year being 2017, when 251m worth of investments were approved. Some 132m, via 192 applications, has been approved to date in 2022.

The Department of Justice said the fund was initially set up to encourage inward investment for the creation of business and employment opportunities in the State.

It added, however, that it is difficult to evaluate the programmes effectiveness as the various investments have not matured fully.

Though the programme was set up due to Irelands economic need at the time of inception, it didnt bear significant fruit for several years.

Just 126 applications were approved in the first five years. That doesnt mean the department was necessarily being picky  applications didnt begin to ramp up significantly until 2016, when requests for admission jumped from 75 to 334 in just 12 months.

If that jump seems noteworthy, the hike in applications seen to date in 2022 is eyebrow-raising: some 812 official inquiries had been received by the end of September, a more than 200% increase on the 258 received in the entirety of 2021.

Whether that spike in applications has anything to do with the fact the Government is currently considering the findings of a review of the programme is unknown.

So where are these wealthy investors coming from? Theres a one-word answer: China.

Some 1,613 applications have been accepted to date (a 52% approval rate, though the real figure is doubtless a good deal higher, given the number of approvals doesnt take into account the time lag for due diligence being performed)  1,511, an astonishing 94%, of those applications have been from Chinese nationals.

Of the remaining applicants, 31 were from the US, 12 from Vietnam, five from Saudi Arabia, and four from South Africa, with the remaining 50 designated as Rest of World.

The department has made clear that it has no influence as to what projects the various investors put their money into  that is already decided pre-application. More than half of the applications received to date  and at 703m, 60% of the investments  have gone into Irish enterprise.

Lucky Khambule of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland described the programme as effectively meaning if you have money in Ireland, then you are good to go.

Interestingly, a minuscule number of investments  just six  have been into REITs.

Applications are approved by the minister for justice following the recommendation of a panel of senior public and civil servants, which meets at least four times a year.

While little is known about the specifics of the investments, some light has been shed on the nature of some of the payments by, of all organisations, the GAA, whose county boards have been benefitting no end from the endowment section of the programme.

At least three Leinster counties  Meath, Louth, and Kildare  are known to have sourced, or to have attempted to source, funding from the programme. Early in 2021, Meath officials announced 400,000 had been injected into the redevelopment of Pairc Tailteann in Navan via the IIP.

That stands as nothing compared with what the Louth County Board, via local independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick, has pulled off  with just under 15m to be injected into its new 20m county stadium in Dundalk via 37 separate investors.

Mr Fitzpatrick denied there was any question of passports or citizenship or anything like that, adding that one of the advantages to the investors is to be able to send their children to college in Ireland during their stay.

'Win-win for everybody'

I personally think its a win-win for everybody, he told Newstalk. Its all above board. Theyre not going to be gangsters; theyre not going to be laundering money.

Lucky Khambule of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI), however, described the programme as effectively meaning if you have money in Ireland, then you are good to go.

He said the IIP does not make sense at a time of global crisis.

No one knows about this programme in our community, it is a shock, he said. It doesnt make sense to be doing something like this at a time when people with nothing are in such desperate need for protection and shelter, whose lives have been destroyed.

These are economic migrants, he said of the IIPs investors. I would think you have to be connected to get into a scheme like that.
A large Australian healthcare group is doing interviews this weekend to hire Irish nurses, midwives, and other healthcare staff for 17 hospitals in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia.

The recruitment drive follows a billboard campaign in Dublin and Cork, organised by Victoria state government, which is seeking to address gaps in the Australian healthcare sector.

The surge in interest from Australia comes at a bad time for the HSE, just as it is urgently ramping up recruitment campaigns in Ireland and abroad amid increased concern about staff shortages here.

The health system in Ireland already faces competition from private hospitals which have been known to offer lucrative sweeteners to persuade staff to jump ship, and now the Australians are getting in on the act.

Australia's St John of God Health Care has been interviewing in England and Scotland for three weeks, and will begin on Saturday in Ireland.

The groups lead on mental health strategy Colman ODriscoll, originally from Mayfield in Cork, is hoping to add some Irish voices to his workplace this week.

He trained as a psychiatric nurse at St Patricks Hospital and Trinity College, Dublin, before moving to Sydney in 2003 with his now wife.

Colman O'Driscoll leads mental health services at the St John of God Burwood and Richmond hospitals in Sydney.

We were two young Irish people who wanted an adventure, and Australia gave that to us, and wonderful career opportunities and a great lifestyle, he said.

And a capacity to grow, that I think from afar looking back on Ireland, we just wouldnt have had in Ireland.

He said the scale of healthcare is different as the larger population means nurses can opt for different challenges in large cities or more remote regional towns.

I was really blown away by the flexibility around rostering, but also by the capacity to advance your career.

Within a couple of years of being here I had a role as a unit manager in a hospital, and not long after that, I was the director of a service and in other senior roles. Now Im CEO for the mental health part of the St John of God business. I was appointed to that role when I was 42.

He said, from talking with friends who work in Irish hospitals, the system does not seem as open for younger people.

I still feel Ireland is very much about you have to put in your time, and then when youve got a certain number of years done, you might get a chance to progress, he said.

His colleague, group director of nursing and patient experience Dani Meinema said they encourage nurses to take on training or promotions.

As an organisational value, its about valuing all of our caregivers, it doesnt matter if you are a nurse, a cleaner, or a medical practitioner, we are all here delivering the care, she said.

Group director of nursing and patient experience Dani Meinema, St John of God Health Care Australia.

Basic salaries for registered nurses and midwives in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia, where this group operates, range from $72,000 to $92,000 (46,500 to 59,400).

Across the wider healthcare system in Australia, however, some other issues will be all too familiar to Irish nurses.

On September 1, thousands of angry nurses and midwives in Australia walked off the job for the third time this year. The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association said it was a  fight for safe staffing ratios.

The government in Victoria, the state behind the billboard campaign here, announced in August it will hire and train more than 17,000 nurses and midwives.

Victoria's minister for health Mary-Anne Thomas said: You cant deliver a health system with empty hospitals, which is why we are investing in hardworking nurses and midwives that are helping Victorian patients every single day.

Also in August, Australian broadcaster ABC News reported on a teenager recovering from cancer who waited over 27 hours on a hospital hallway for a bed.

Pictures supplied by his mother look grimly familiar to Irish eyes.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows 260,000 nurses working in Australia last year, a jump of 19% since 2016.

Census data shows over 40% of registered nurses and aged and disabled carers were born overseas, with almost 40,000 arriving since 2016, said Australian statistician David Gruen.

A 40% share born overseas is significantly higher than the average across all occupations of 32% born overseas.

Conversely, the latest Irish figures show large numbers of foreign staff arriving here.

Between June 2021 and May this year, 4,937 new nurses started work here, 3,021 of whom were from outside the EU and 361 from EU countries.

Among them were 188 Australian nurses and 42 from New Zealand, figures from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland show.

Most new nurses came from India, at 2,364, followed by 391 from the Philippines, 250 from the UK, and 132 from Zimbabwe.

There were 1,555 new Irish nurses, with about 1,800 expected this year, said the board.

Nursing has always been a mobile profession. Some observers say all this movement is simply the result of pent-up demand from the closed borders during the pandemic. Covid-19 is also driving pressures on hospitals and carers in ways never seen before, with words such as unprecedented attached to almost every new patient statistics update.

It is not a great time to be a patient on a waiting list or a hospital manager struggling to find staff, but it certainly seems for nurses and midwives, the world is waiting.
The Government is appealing to hotels, owners of buildings and the public to offer their homes to accommodate Ukrainian refugees as it is understood that 33 refugees were forced to sleep in Dublin Airport overnight.

This follows warnings from the Government that the State can no longer guarantee refugees housing and Minister for Integration Roderic OGorman admitting that some international protection applicants could end up sleeping on the streets.

It has emerged that 33 Ukrainian refugees were told there was no accommodation available after arriving in Ireland as the at-capacity Citywest transit hub is closed to new arrivals.

Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon said he understood that 33 Ukrainian men were processed at Citywest in Dublin but were unable to be accommodated last night. "My understanding is that 33 male Ukrainians were not able to be accommodated last night. That is a really disappointing place for us to be in. We don't want to be in that space.

We can't guarantee everybody who comes here a bed right now. We have to be honest and upfront about that as we redouble our efforts.

"There has been a huge effort in terms of dealing with this scale of this. We are talking about 60,000 people who have come to our shores this year who are seeking and who have been accommodated by the State to date. That is the equivalent of the population of Waterford city. That is an absolutely massive undertaking."

The Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has said that all those affected were single men.

From Monday there will be an overnight facility in Dublin Airport where refugees will stay if arriving into Ireland on a late flight before being transferred to Citywest the next day to be processed.

A significant increase in the number of people seeking accommodation and the closure of Citywest has sparked a scramble for accommodation, with Junior Minister Niall Collins describing the government's approach to the issue as "multi-faceted".

"The Department is seeking ways to generate more capacity to deal with the influx of people fleeing the war in Ukraine, whether that's in hotels or whether that's public buildings or whether it's people offering their own private accommodation," Mr Collins said.

The Head of Policy and Communication with the Simon Community, Wayne Stanley, has said whilst frontline services plan to everything in their power to support Ukrainians as they arrive in Ireland the situation facing those who make their way to this country is "very worrying."

Mr Stanley told RTE's Saturday with Katie Hannon, that there isn't capacity in the system to house people.

"We know that it is likely, particularly if the numbers coming in to Ireland continue, that the situation is likely to get worse and more stressful on the front line. Obviously the Simon Community and all the homeless services in Dublin and around the country will do everything we can to support people. But there is no capacity in the system at the moment.

Perfect Storm

So it is a tired and overused phrase but this really is a 'perfect storm' that we are heading in to. "

Mr Stanley said he had witnessed one or two isolated incidents of refugees sleeping rough. However, up to now it has not been a cause for concern within the service.

"It is not something we have been seeing. The outreach team haven't seen it on the streets in any scale. Obviously the coming weeks are going to be very difficult so we are very concerned."

Mr Stanley said the government is prioritising vulnerable people on arrival. However, he is worried that families could face harsh circumstances in the coming months.

"As the capacity tightens further, it is a very worrying vista that even families could get caught up in this as well. There is no right person to sleep rough. But obviously the level of protection for children is the higher standard we all set for ourselves.

What is really important to us is that we start to look beyond the crisis accommodation. We need to look where we are going to move people on to. It appears unfortunately that this war is going to continue."

Paul Murphy, People Before Profit TD for Dublin South-West, urged the Government to take more hotel rooms to house refugees and those facing eviction.

He told broadcaster Katie Hannon of his belief that vacant properties must be utilised in the longer term.

"We have 50,000 vacant homes in the State, other than holiday homes, which have been vacant for five years or more. We need to use them."

On Thursday, Mr O'Gorman said that in the interests of the welfare of those presently at Citywest, a decision had been taken to pause arrivals to the transit hub.

A significant increase in the number of people seeking accommodation and the closure of Citywest has sparked a scramble for accommodation for refugees. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

"What we are making clear is we're not in a position to guarantee everyone an offer of accommodation," he told RTE's Morning Ireland programme.

"So what we will do is we will prioritise vulnerable people, we will prioritise women and children in terms of the provision of accommodation."

When asked whether there was a danger that people would have to sleep on the streets, Mr O'Gorman said: "I can't rule that out.

"That's why we're letting people know that if they have an option  if they're in another EU member state  to either stay there or look to other EU member states, that we can't guarantee State-provided accommodation into next week."

The Government warned in July that it was facing a "severe shortage" of accommodation for arriving Ukrainians, which resulted in

asylum seekers having to stay in a Dublin Airport terminal overnight.

The Department of Integration is accommodating more than 58,000 people (42,000 Ukrainian, 16,000 International Protection). This figure compares with 7,250 at this time last year.
WARNING: Some readers may find the following report upsetting

The judge in the case of three young men who drove a vulnerable teenager to a beach and gang-raped her has been urged to consider their youth at the time when sentencing them.

Dion Genockey, Troy Ryan and Daryl Rooney, all aged 24, were 17 and 18 years old when they drove the then 18-year-old teenager to Dollymount Strand six years ago, where they took turns raping her.

The court heard that after she was raped by the three men, the woman was told to get into a second car which had arrived at the scene. Two more men from that car then raped her, before leaving her on the beach. These men are not before the court.

Genockey of Clarion Quay Apartments, Rooney of Railway Street and Ryan of Lower Gardiner Street, all in Dublin city centre, were convicted of raping the woman at Bull Island, Dollymount, Dublin, on January 5, 2016, following a second trial at the Central Criminal Court in March this year.

The jury in the first trial, which was held in 2020, was unable to reach a verdict.

Mr Justice David Keane on Friday heard pleas of mitigation from defence counsel representing the three men. The court was initially packed with supporters but prior to the sentence hearing, the court was cleared so that just two family members were present for each defendant. The complainant listened to the proceedings via video-link.

The court heard none of the men accept the verdict of the jury and maintain their innocence. They have been in custody since the guilty verdicts were handed down last April. The court heard the men all have partners who support them.

Defence pleas

Conor Devally SC, representing Genockey, and Mark Nicholas SC, representing Ryan, told the court that their clients were both minors at the time of the offence and should be treated as such. Dominic McGinn SC said that although his client, Rooney, was 18 at the time, he was just a couple of months older than the others and should be treated in the same way.

He was not any more mature than the other two and maybe less so, Mr McGinn said, adding Rooney was diagnosed with ADHD and found to have a mild intellectual disability.

The court heard Rooney has 225 previous convictions, including violent disorder, drugs, public order offences, trespass, theft and road traffic matters. Mr McGinn said that since serving a prison sentence for prior offences and since becoming a father, Rooney has resolved to put his petty offending, violence and drug use behind him. He said sexual offending was completely out of character for Rooney.

Mr Devally outlined Genockey's background, telling the court that he set up his own bike repair shop business with the help of his parents. He has no previous convictions. Mr Devally said the deprivation of liberty was painful for Genockey, who has a child with his current partner.

Although Genockey has found it difficult to accept his status as a sex offender, he is open to getting treatment in prison and has been found to be at a low risk of reoffending, the court heard.

Mr Nicholas said Ryan has matured in the last six years since the offence. Although he maintains he did not commit a crime, he is reconsidering whether consent was given, the court heard. He was a 17-year-old immature person at the time, Mr Nicholas said, but now has empathy for the victim and her difficult background.

Ryan has 24 previous convictions including for theft and drugs but had no previous convictions at the time of the rape.

Eilis Brennan SC, prosecuting, said that if the men had been adults at the time of the offending, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) would have recommended a headline sentence of 10 to 15 years. Mr Justice Keane said he would pass down sentence on November 4.

Victim impact statement

The young woman in the case previously told the court her life has been on hold for the last six years. I have been waiting fearfully for the day they would get away with the pain and trauma they caused me, she said. I never felt like me again after they raped me and left me scared for my safety.

The woman said she had to go through two trials where she was cross-examined for days on end and cruelly questioned about her past and her childhood, much of which was spent in care.

She said:

I did not feel like the victim.

My mental health has suffered so much since they gang-raped me, she said. She told the court she has struggled with drug addiction, and she will never get these years back.

I fought hard to get justice, she said. I didn't give up. I didn't give up when I was threatened. I fought back. I fought back to get justice for me and for the safety of other women.

The woman concluded her statement by saying she hopes the three men pay for the pain, trauma and loss they cost me on that night.

Case background

Sergeant Paul Sweeney told the court that on the day in question, the young woman, who had recently left State care, travelled to Dublin to meet with friends. Later that evening, she purchased some Xanax pills and then went to an internet cafe.

While there, she was approached by a boy and told that the three teenagers, who she had never met before, wanted to talk to her. The men told her they wanted to bring her for a quick spin.

The woman initially declined but eventually agreed and left the cafe with Ryan (17) and Rooney (18) to get into a car outside, which was driven by Genockey (17). The trial was shown CCTV footage from the internet cafe.

The court heard the men drove out to Clontarf and down to the end of the wooden bridge at Dollymount Strand where they stopped by a shelter. Genockey then asked the woman: Are we going to have some fun? The woman replied no, she didn't want to and she had only wanted to go for a short drive, but the men were refusing to listen, the court heard.

Genockey and Rooney got out of the car and stood in the shelter while Ryan produced a condom from a stash in the glove box of the car and proceeded to rape the woman. When he was finished, Genockey got in and put a condom on.

Genockey tried to sweet talk the woman, the court heard, and said he wasn't going to hurt her, before he proceeded to rape her. Genockey then handed a condom to Rooney who raped the woman.

At this stage, the woman didn't even get a chance to say no. It was three against one and she didn't have a choice, the court heard. The trial heard her door had a child lock on it and she could not get out of the car.

The woman was told another person was going to pick her up and bring her home and the men left the scene quickly. Another car arrived containing three men and she was raped by two of the men in this car. She said that the men all got into the car afterwards, laughed and drove away, leaving her in the middle of nowhere.

The court heard mobile phone evidence from one of the men's phones showed he rang an occupant of the second car. The woman immediately called 999 and was taken to hospital. The men were identified from CCTV footage taken from the internet cafe and arrested in 2018.

Genockey gave evidence at trial and said he never disrespected a woman in his life. Defence counsel claimed the woman initiated sex and Genockey said the woman was treated with nothing but respect by himself and his two gentlemen friends.

- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.
Burma Myanmar blacklisted, Russia sidelined by money-laundering watchdog

A money changer in Yangon. / AFP

PARISMyanmar was added on Friday to a global financial blacklist while Russia was sidelined by the international money-laundering watchdog FATF.

The move by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) puts Myanmar alongside North Korea and Iran as outcasts of the global financial system.

Citing a continued lack of progress and the fact the majority of the actions Myanmar had promised to take had not been completed more than a year after a deadline, the FATF put the country on the so-called blacklist.

Other nations are required to apply enhanced measures to screen transactions with countries on the blacklist to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

Those measures can act as an impediment to trade and investment.

The Paris-based FATF also further cut back Russias role in the organisation due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia is sidelined at the FATF, said the organisations director, Raja Kumar.

FATF had already taken some measures to exclude Russia in June.

Russias actions continue to violate FATFs core principles, which aim to promote security, safety and the integrity of the financial system, the FATF said.

Nicaragua and Pakistan were taken off the FATFs grey list of countries subject to increased monitoring of financial transactions.

Twenty-four countries remain on the grey list.

Pakistans foreign ministry said in a statement the decision was much-awaited good news.

Congratulations to the people of Pakistan, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted.
Analysis Why Myanmar Juntas Four Cuts Arson Strategy is Failing to Quell Resistance

Houses in Thantlang town, Chin State, burn during a series of arson attacks by regime forces in February. Photo- The Chinland Post

In a return to its infamous four cuts strategy, the Myanmar military is launching near-daily arson attacks on civilian houses to weaken the national anti-regime movement in its strongholds.

The past two weeks has seen regime forces torch houses in at least 20 villages in Sagaing and Magwe regions, the countrys hub of armed resistance.

Several-hundred houses were burned and several-thousand residents forced back into homelessness by the latest round of junta arson attacks.

The Myanmar militarys Four Cuts policy was developed in the 1970s during the former regime of the Burmese Socialist Programme Party. The aim was to undermine ethnic militias by cutting their access to food, funds, information and recruits  a policy that often had devastating consequences.

Now the regime has partially returned to its old strategy, hoping that repeated raids and arson attacks on villages in areas of rebellion will deter locals from supporting resistance fighters and sever their four lifelines.

The junta launched its first arson attack following the Feb. 2021 coup in Pauk Township, Magwe Region, on June 15 last year. Regime troops burned almost all of the 240 houses in In Ma Village in retaliation for an ambush by local resistance forces nearby.

After the mass-arson attack drew strong condemnation from the domestic and international community, the military regime loudly claimed its forces were not responsible, amid strong evidence and eyewitnesses attesting to the contrary.

Junta forces escalated their campaign of arson, arbitrary and extrajudicial killings, indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes on both resistance forces and civilian targets in September last year, when Myanmars parallel National Unity Government declared a war of resistance against the junta.

Regime forces perpetrating the raids and arson attacks routinely loot valuables including gold, cashes, furniture, and electronic devices as well as killing livestock for food. They also burn other property including food, rice, seeds, agricultural machinery and vehicles used by locals to make their living.

As of August 25 this year, an estimated 28,434 civilian houses and religious buildings had been destroyed by junta arson attacks across the country, according to Data for Myanmar, an independent research group documenting the regimes destruction of civilian property.

However, the research group believes the actual number of houses burned down by junta soldiers is far higher, since it has been unable to verify many other arson attacks.

The worst damage has been done in Sagaing Region, a resistance hub where around 20,153 houses have been torched by junta forces. Of the 37 townships in Sagaing, 31 have reported regime arson attacks and destruction.

Neighboring Magwe Region, another resistance stronghold, has lost around 5,418 properties to junta arson attacks.

Third-worst hit is neighboring Chin State, with 1,474 houses torched by regime troops.

The Chin town of Thanglang was reduced to ashes after regime forces burned almost all of its 1,300 houses and religious buildings in repeated attacks between September 2021 and June 2022.

The junta responded to the growing number of resistance attacks by escalating its arson campaign from April to June this year, destroying a total of 15,000 houses in just three months.

By September 26, an estimated 1,017,000 people across the country had been displaced by conflict and violence since the military coup last year, according to the United Nations childrens fund (Unicef).

More than half of those displaced are from Sagaing Region, where 545,200 people have fled, Unicef reported.

Systematic attacks directed against any civilian population constitute a crime against humanity, according to international law.

More than one year after it began, we might ask whether the regimes arson campaign has achieved its objective of cutting access to food, funds, information and recruits.

Given the unrelenting, near-daily attacks on regime targets and mushrooming of resistance forces in Sagaing and Magwe regions, the answer is a resounding no. On the contrary, the attacks appear to have united civilian populations and made them more determined to fight the regime.

The more civilian houses the junta destroys, the more people revolt, a Sagaing resistance told The Irrawaddy. People who have lost everything have joined the resistance, he added.
Junta Watch Junta Watch: Russians Arrive in Myanmar to Buy Gems; EAOs Wooed; and More

Min Aung Hlaing attends the opening of the gems emporium in Naypyitaw on October 19.

Junta deepens economic ties with Russia

For the first time, the Myanmar military regime has invited Russian traders to a jade and gems emporium in Naypyitaw, as it seeks to earn hard currency by selling the countrys jewels.

Their unprecedented presence is a sign of junta chief Min Aung Hlaings growing dependence on Russia, as his crimes against Myanmar leave him increasingly isolated on the international stage. Min Aung Hlaing has been seeking closer economic cooperation with Russia, the largest arms supplier to the regime.

The ongoing emporium, which will be held until Oct. 25, is the fourth since Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a coup in February last year. Jade, gems and pearls are being sold at the emporium.

Previously, gemstones were sold to foreigners only in euros and US dollars. This time, however, the regime is allowing foreign buyers to use yuan and baht.

Last years April fair earned the regime over 33.5 billion kyats (US$18 million), according to junta-controlled media.

Foreign countries including the US and Britain have imposed sanctions against Myanmars gems industry, the regimes main source of foreign currency. The civilian National Unity Government has also warned local gem companies that it would blacklist them and respond as necessary if they buy from the regime.

Min Aung Hlaing invites EAO leaders to serve him

Looking to kill two birds with one stone, Min Aung Hlaing has offered ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) a legislative incentive.

In an address to mark the seventh anniversary of the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, the junta chief invited EAO leaders to field candidates for parliament, promising that separate legislative powers would be granted to their respective parliaments in order to respect ethnic rights.

Min Aung Hlaing is planning to hold an election next year, and expects to become the president then so that he can retain his grip on power as the legitimate elected leader of Myanmar. However, powerful EAOs, alongside the Peoples Defense Force, are fighting the regime in many parts of the country.

If Min Aung Hlaing can successfully convince EAOs to join next years election, it will save him a lot trouble. He will be able to focus on crushing PDFs and will have a greater chance of holding the election as planned.

Min Aung Hlaing is confident of winning the election. He is replacing the current first-past-the-post electoral system with a proportional representation system to make sure a single party does not win a majority as the National League for Democracy did in the 2015 and 2020 general elections.

With 25 percent of seats guaranteed for the military by the army-drafted 2008 Constitution, Min Aung Hlaing only needs the militarys proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party and its allies to win 26 percent. And PR is now in place to help them do that.

To hold an election that allows proportional representation of all the ethnic groups is one of five stated objectives for Myanmars 75th Independence Day, which falls on Jan. 4, 2023.

Junta, Belarus forge ties as civilian casualties rise in Myanmar

Myanmars military regime and one of its major arms suppliers, Belarus, are fostering diplomatic ties with the two countries appointing ambassadors recently.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing accepted credentials from Belarus Ambassador to Myanmar Uladzimir Baravikou at the Credentials Hall of the office of the regimes administrative body, the State Administration Council, on Thursday.

The two discussed promotion of trade, cooperation in science and technology, and further cooperation in the defense sector, according to junta media.

On Sept. 30, Myanmar Ambassador to Belarus U Lwin Oo presented his credentials to the Belarus president. So, the regimes ties with its major arms dealers Russia and Belarus are flourishing as it continues to kill Myanmar civilians with weapons provided by the two.

Like China and Russia, Belarus has shown support for the regime on the international stage. When the UN passed a resolution calling for an arms embargo against the Myanmar regime, Belarus was the only country that voted against it.

Neither Myanmar nor Belarus was invited to the funeral of Elizabeth II, which was attended by world leaders. Myanmar was not invited as Britain has downgraded its diplomatic relationship with the country since the coup. Belarus was excluded due to its involvement in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

White elephant on its way to Min Aung Hlaings embrace

State leaders and pagoda trustees of Uppatasanti Pagoda in Naypyitaw are having the dwelling of white elephants at the pagoda extended to accommodate the white elephant being brought from Rakhine State, and donations are invited for [the] extension, said the juntas mouthpiece newspaper on Friday.

The regime started transporting the 3-month-old elephant calf from Rakhines Taungup to Naypyitaw some 10 days ago.

The calf in question was born in July in Taungup Township to a tamed pachyderm owned by the state-owned Myanmar Timber Enterprise, according to the junta.

Successive Myanmar military leaders have had obsessions with white elephants, and they tend to see the albino pachyderms as natures confirmation of their own greatness.

There is no connection between white elephants and the development of the country. Elephants are animals whether they are white or black, said prominent historian Dr. Than Tun.

Min Aung Hlaing has boasted that his white elephant possesses more of the requisite traits for white elephant status than eight previous specimens found during the time of the previous military regime led by his predecessor Than Shwe and U Thein Seins quasi-civilian government, which can be interpreted as saying he is greater than his predecessors.
On Friday, the exodus of Cubans leaving the island continued, although this time, not in homemade sea vessels but rather a small plane.

According to a report by NBC-6 Miami, the single engine Antonov An-2 plane landed at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Florida Everglades.

The pilot was identified as 29-year-old Ruben Martinez, who told officials he started his flight from Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.

Martinez was taken in for questioning by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

For the complete NBC 6 report, click here.
Internet group WikiLeaks has released nearly 400,000 classified reports from the US military that cover secret level information from the Iraq War on this day in 2010.

According to Wired, the leak on the war's log page shows information that documents raw field reports of "Significant Action" that the US forces made on ground.

While it has been 12 years since news outlets have provided details and analysis of the information from the leak, here are five things you need to know from the US-Iraq War:

1. Files Suggest Evidences Of Deaths in Thousands

The reports show the range and frequency of the tragedies that hit Iraquis in the war, which logged 109,000 violent deaths between 2004 and the end of 2009.

According to the BBC, these deaths included 66,081 civilians, 23,984 "enemies," 15,196 members of Iraqi security, and 3,771 coalition troops.

In a cross-checking analysis of the logs, Iraq Body Count has been able to identify around 15,000 previously unknown civilians.

2. Iraq's PM Accuses WikiLeaks of Sabotage

Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq's Prime Minister, claims that the release of these confidential documents has caused political unrest in his country.

In a statement from the PM's office, WikiLeaks has been accused of trying to sabotage his attempt to form a new government by triggering anger against leaders like himself.

However, his opponents believe that the documents further highlight the need to establish power-sharing structures in the government rather than an authoritarian one under al-Maliki.

Read More: Wikileaks' Allegations Against CIA: Should You Be Worried?

3. US Authorities And Reports Of Abuse

Reuters writes that the US authorities have also faced accusations of neglect after failing to investigate cases of abuse of Iraqi prisoners by police and soldiers.

The leaks also says that have been cases of abuse under the US custody, including accounts that suspects US soldiers torturing and raping civilian detainees.

4. Iranians And Their War Influence

Reuters also says that military intelligence reports have revealed that Iranian agents have been training, arming, and directing militants in the war, which has concerned the US at the time.

One document even claims that the US military has warned that a militia commander behind the deaths and kidnapping of both US troops and Iraqi officials have been because of Iran.

Additionally, the WikiLeaks files have also shown that American hikers have been detained on the Iraqi side of the border, which has raised persistent external threats on the nations.

5. 'Collateral Murder' Video Sparks Controversy

The files released by the internet group have also shown a video report of a separate shooting involving the Apache helicopter that has bombed Bahgdad during the US-Iraq war.

This video from 2007 has shown that two Reuters and an unarmed Iraqi man have gone on the scene to try and rescue a wounded war victim, Wired reports.

In relation to this leak, Bradley Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst has been arrested for confessing to supplying WikiLeaks with the classified videos and documents.

Related Article: Wikileaks Reveals That CIA Is Using Messaging Apps To Spy On Their Owners
Mark Dreyfus: "We need better laws to regulate how companies manage the huge amount of data they collect, and bigger penalties to incentivise better behaviour."

The Federal Government says it will put in place legislation to increase penalties for repeated or serious privacy breaches.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the fines would rise from the existing $2.22 million to one of three higher amounts.

The government move comes a month after telco Singtel Optus announced a massive breach of its systems.

There have been seven other breaches made public in less than a month, affecting EnergyAustralia, Telstra, G4S, Costa Group, Dialog, MyDeal and Medibank Group.

Said Dreyfus: "The Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill 2022 will increase maximum penalties that can be applied under the Privacy Act 1988 for serious or repeated privacy breaches from the current $2.22 million penalty to whichever is the greater of:

"$50 million;

"three times the value of any benefit obtained through the misuse of information; or

"30% of a company's adjusted turnover in the relevant period."

He said the Bill would also:

"provide the Australian Information Commissioner with greater powers to resolve privacy breaches;

"strengthen the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme to ensure the Australian Information Commissioner has comprehensive knowledge and understanding of information compromised in a breach to assess the risk of harm to individuals; and

"equip the Australian Information Commissioner and the Australian Communications and Media Authority with greater information-sharing powers."

Dreyfus said the recent breaches had shown that existing safeguards were inadequate. "It's not enough for a penalty for a major data breach to be seen as the cost of doing business," he noted.

"We need better laws to regulate how companies manage the huge amount of data they collect, and bigger penalties to incentivise better behaviour.

"This Bill is in addition to a comprehensive review of the Privacy Act by the Attorney-General's Department that will be completed this year, with recommendations expected for further reform.

"I look forward to support from across the Parliament for this Bill, which is an essential part of the government's agenda to ensure Australia's privacy framework is able to respond to new challenges in the digital era."
GUEST OPINION: Did you know almost eight of every 10 -- specifically 77% -- Fortune 500 companies have blogs? Its also worth noting that 81% of consumers trust blog content, so it pays to consider a strategic blogging effort at your place of business. Done correctly, youll win over customers.

Businesses in all industries should have blogging strategies -- so it goes without saying that tech companies are no exception. What you do day in and day out might differ from companies in other industries. But all businesses need to attract and retain customers.

One of the primary goals of blogging strategically and consistently is driving traffic to your corporate website. And which company in the digital age doesn't want more clients?

Keep reading to see five reasons tech companies should blog -- and how to go about it.

1. Increase Brand Exposure

Your business needs a blog to establish a strong web presence in this digital era. Leveraging the power of a blog, you can establish your company as a thought leader, comment on developments relevant to your demographic, and highlight the value proposition of your products and services.

Blogging will allow your business to create a unique voice that builds brand awareness. Consumers have many options, so your blog can be a differentiator that sets your business apart.

2. Ensure the Website Doesnt Become Static

A blogging strategy will generate more leads, keep customers coming back to your site, and give search engine algorithms the data needed to boost the visibility of your website. If you create a website but dont update it, the website will become static. There are around 2 billion websites on the internet -- but fewer than 400 million of them are active.

Its been said that if you build it, they will come. But thats never been true. When you build something, you need to give customers a reason to come. And once youve done that, you need to ensure they continue coming back. Blogging can help to engage and re-engage your clients.

3. Address Customer Needs Directly

Another reason tech companies should have blogs is that blogging provides a way to address customer needs directly. Does your business sell products and services that are complex? If so, a blogging strategy will provide a way to explain what the offering is, what problems the offering resolves, how to use the offering, and why customers should use the offering over rival offerings.

If your customer care or help desk department continually gets customer queries about certain issues, responding via a blogging strategy can help to educate your customer base. In fact, some customers may check out your blog before they resort to calling or emailing the helpdesk. This could help keep call volumes lower so those who do call in wont have to wait too long.

4. Boost Click-Through Rates

If your business has a corporate website, youll want to ensure the URL ranks high in search engine results. You can generate more leads from prospective customers through higher click-through rates when you boost visibility. One way you can achieve this is by focusing on your blog. Providing content your demographic wants and can use will help you accomplish this.

5. Build Trust

A blogging strategy can also build trust between your company and its customers. People want to know about the businesses they patronize, and a blogging strategy is one way your company can fulfil this need. Through a blog, your business can answer questions, share market insights, provide updates on market or company news, and generally keep consumers well informed.

If they start to trust you and then come to trust your products and services, the chances are good that theyll remain loyal, repeat customers going forward.

These are just a few reasons why it makes sense for tech companies and companies in other spaces to invest in blogging strategies. If youre unsure where to start, some platforms make it easy to launch and maintain a blog. One of them is The Blog Starter. Whatever way you choose to start your blog, holding off on moving forward shouldnt be an option. Theres too much to gain with a blogging strategy and too much to lose without one.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Australia on Saturday, where he is expected to sign a revised security agreement with his Australian counterpart to address Chinas rapidly expanding military capability.

Kishida met Anthony Albanese for talks to finalize an agreement to share more sensitive information and deepen military cooperation.

Relationships between Japan and Australia on security issues have been building over many years, a Japanese foreign ministry official said ahead of the meeting in the western city of Perth.

We hope that this visit will be an opportunity to further deepen security cooperation.

It is the first visit by a Japanese prime minister to Australia since 2018.

The two Pacific nations are expected to focus on sharing information  particularly signals and geospatial data coming from electronic listening devices and high-tech satellites.

Neither country has extensive foreign spy networks or armies of human resources abroad  Japan has no foreign spy agency equivalent to the American CIA, Britains MI6, or even Australias much smaller agency ASIO.

But according to expert Bryce Wakefield, both Australia and Japan have sophisticated signals intelligence capabilities  a form of intelligence gathering by intercepting communications.

Wakefield, director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, said the deal could be a model for Japan to develop deeper security ties with countries like Britain.

There have long been rumors of behind-the-scenes intelligence cooperation between Japan and Australia.

This agreement will deepen and codify this partnership, but it is also seen as another small step towards Japan joining the powerful Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance between Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

It is a landmark event that Japan can share SIGINT (signals intelligence) with a foreign nation other than the United States, Ken Kotani, an expert on the history of Japanese intelligence at Nihon University, told AFP.

Closer cooperation has been hampered by long-standing concerns about Japans ability to handle sensitive confidential material and transmit it securely.

For now, Australia will likely be forced to screen all information leaked to Japan for information sourced from the Five Eyes network.

 China in mind 

Prime Ministers Kishida and Albanese are also expected to pledge more military and energy cooperation.

Japan is a major buyer of Australian gas and has made a number of big bets on Australian-produced hydrogen energy as it seeks to reduce domestic power generation shortages and fossil fuel dependency.

Japan imports 40 percent of its LNG from Australia. Therefore, it is very important for Japan to have a stable relationship with Australia from the point of view of energy, the Japanese official said.

Saturdays deal is expected to update a 2007 deal agreed upon when Beijing was much weaker militarily and much less bellicose in its dealings with the world.

Since Xi Jinping came to power, Beijings military has become much stronger and its stance more aggressive.
The newborn, peeping out of a pink blanket at a hospital on the north bank of Ukraines Dnieper River, may never see his grandparents back home in the Russian-occupied south.

Her mother fled to the relative safety of government-held Zaporizhzhia to ensure the baby was born a citizen of the country the Russians invaded eight months earlier.

But her grandparents stayed behind and unreachable on the opposite side of the bank.

Maybe its too late for her to come out, lamented 19-year-old Anastasia Skachko, while stealing glances at her as-yet-unnamed girl.

I dont even want them to try. The streets are all either mined or under fire.

A Ukrainian counter-offensive, with the Russians abandoning most of the captured land north of the vast war zone, has reached the strategically important south.

And the great Dnieper River, flowing through the fighting-devoured country, forms a natural new front, dividing families and halting the Ukrainian advance.

 clung to 

Russias disheartened troops are clinging to the southern Kherson region  a land bridge giving the Kremlin access to the annexed Crimea peninsula  and shelling the advancing Ukrainians with renewed force.

The fighting is destroying riverside towns and blocking escape routes that families could somehow still use in the early stages of the war.

Skachko said she was able to reach her mother via WhatsApp to let her know she is now a grandmother.

But the phone she reached began with the Russian international dialing code +7 instead of the Ukrainian +38.

The Russians have severed existing lines from the Ukrainian system to consolidate their authority and disrupt the flow of messages.

Its hard to say how shell ever see the little one, Skachko said.

We both understand that. But neither of us wanted to talk about it on the phone.

 Open Prison 

The martial law being imposed by the retreating Kremlin forces over countries still claimed by Russia makes daily life even more unpredictable.

Russia has effectively sealed the last checkpoint in the south to prevent people fleeing to government-controlled countries.

Some are taken from the front to areas under tighter Russian control  a process Ukrainians liken to forced deportation.

The handful of people who managed to talk their way past the soldiers and reached the town of Zaporizhia described life back home as an open prison.

Reporters can only visit the region as part of scheduled Kremlin tours.

There are soldiers with dogs and machine guns on every corner, said Oleksandra Boyko from Melitopol after escaping with her own baby.

Most of them are Chechens.

The Kremlin has relied on Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrovs personally trained army to control part of the conquered country.

Those who fled described her as the most lawless of all the invading forces they had encountered.

The guys from (neighboring) Dagestan are a bit nicer, but Kadyrovs men are just brutal, said Natalia Voloshyna from Berdyansk.

 Psychological pressure 

But many described the psychological pressures of the invasion as even more painful than acute security fears.

All the women AFP spoke to said that the Kremlin-installed rulers only hire or help people who give up their Ukrainian citizenship and apply for Russian one.

They tell you either you work with us or you get nothing. I told them no straight away, Voloshyna said.

They dont necessarily touch you. But then you live without salary, without help.

Boyko said her family had been offered huge payments if she would register their four-month-old child as a Russian citizen.

I said no on principle. I am Ukrainian. She should be Ukrainian, said the native of Melitopoli.

But there are people who agree, because there is almost no work and they will not hire you without a Russian passport, she said.
More than 300 people have been mobilized to fight a fire on the slopes of Tanzanias famous Mount Kilimanjaro, local officials said on Saturday, with police and locals helping firefighters.

The fire burned near the Karanga camp, used by mountaineers scaling the mountain, at about 4,000 meters (13,000 ft) on the south side of the mountain.

At 5,895 meters, Kilimanjaro in the northeast of the country is the highest peak in Africa.

Officials have not yet determined how the fire started, but it comes exactly two years after another blaze that raged 95 square kilometers (37 sq mi) for a week in October 2020.

No one was killed in that fire and on Saturday officials said the current fire had not threatened any of the tourists on the mountain. Kilimanjaro is popular with both hikers and climbers.

The fire broke out Friday night and was spread by strong winds during the night, regional officials said. They couldnt yet tell how much ground it covered.

A plane carrying local officials and senior members of Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) to visit to assess the situation failed to land on Saturday.

Big clouds and the smoke prevented us from reaching the fire zone, Kilimanjaro Prefect Nurdin Babu told journalists. We will try again when the situation improves.

The regions police chief, Yahaya Mdogo, said the focus was on bringing the fire under control and could not yet say how big it was or what impact it was having on the population.

But videos posted to social media appeared to show the flames engulfing vegetation and emitting thick plumes of gray smoke.

Police, firefighters, students from the local university and even tour operators were working hard to bring the blaze under control, TANAPA said in a brief statement.

Kilimanjaro with its snow-capped peak is known all over the world.
Central Okanagan school board chair Moyra Baxter will preside over a trustees' meeting next Wednesday even though she did not run for re-election last Saturday. Most town and city councils do not hold a meeting between an election and the first gathering of the new council.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham asked the Supreme Court on October 21 to block a subpoena from the Atlanta-area special grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum, fourth from left, and U.S. Strategic Command chief Adm. Charles Richard, fifth from left, discuss measures to beef up security and strategic cooperation in the Korean Peninsula during a meeting at the U.S. Strategic Command headquarters in Nebraska on Oct. 21, 2022, in U.S. time. Courtesy of JCS





South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum met with senior U.S. commanders to discuss measures to beef up security and strategic cooperation on the Korean Peninsula, including the U.S. provision of extended deterrence, the JCS said on Saturday.







Kim visited U.S. Strategic Command in Nebraska on Friday (U.S. time) for talks with Commander Adm. Charles Richard on ways to strengthen coordination against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Kim was accompanied by Gen. Paul J. LaCamera, top commander of the U.S. Forces Korea.







Richard said the U.S. is prepared to effectively cope with North Korean nuclear threats of any kind. The U.S. admiral also emphasized that the U.S. will provide all possible means for extended deterrence to South Korea if necessary.







In addition, the two sides agreed to actively cooperate in deployment of strategic assets, joint drills and the expansion of strategic dialogue, the JCS said.







Kim also visited the U.S. Space Command in Colorado and met with its chief, Gen. James Dickinson, to discuss ways to tighten the two countries' alliance against increasing aerospace challenges.







Kim and Dickinson agreed that the Seoul-Washington alliance is the linchpin of the peace, security and lasting stability of the Korean Peninsula, JCS said.







The JCS said the two countries will enhance the joint aerospace operations on the Korean Peninsula, and operate a joint Seoul-Washington military aerospace organization.







The JCS added that South Korea will increase its space capacities through increased participation in the U.S. space drills.







Kim visited the U.S. to attend the annual Military Committee Meeting between the two countries held in Washington on Wednesday. Kim also held a trilateral meeting with his counterparts in the U.S. and Japan,  Gen. Mark Milley and Gen. Koji Yamazaki, respectively  the following day. (Yonhap)


Dr. Terry Gaff is a physician in northeast Indiana. Contact him at drgaff@kpcmedia.com or on Facebook. To read past columns and to post comments go to kpcnews.com/columnists/terry_gaff.
Calicut (Kerala) [India], October 22 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Aster MIMS Hospital, Kozhikode and India Medtronic Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), today announced their partnership to build a comprehensive program for stroke patients in Kerala.

The program involves a hub and spoke model wherein, Aster MIMS will build a network of identified hospitals in and around Calicut and provide them with teleconsultation support and resources to mobilize stroke patients who are at a critical stage and in urgent need of therapy.

Also Read | Home Minister @AmitShah Inaugurated the Tehkhand Waste to Energy Plant, Which Generates   Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services.

As part of the partnership, Medtronic will be providing education and training support to the identified hospitals along with awareness tools and technologies to manage stroke. The partnership is aimed towards addressing accessibility and awareness of stroke, and its management.

The program aims to create a strong network of healthcare centers that work in close collaboration with Aster MIMS to elevate stroke care in Kerala

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi at Rozgar Mela, Says 100-Year-Old Unemployment Problem Can't Be Solved in 100 Days.

In India, nearly 1.18 million patients are affected by stroke each year of which 68-80 per cent of the strokes are ischemic (i.e., blood clot in the brain).1,2 Stroke is a medical emergency during which the blood flow is blocked to the brain.

The most important course of treatment is to remove the block in the brain as soon as possible- and must be done within 24 hours from the onset of symptoms. There are two ways to remove the block in the brain - IV thrombolysis (administering clot-dissolving medicine) and mechanical thrombectomy (physically removing the clot).

"Due to lack of stroke ready centers, most patients do not get these treatments on time. The aim of our partnership with Medtronic is to support patients who may be affected by stroke and are not aware of the symptoms and criticality of the treatment window. Aster MIMS is a comprehensive stroke care center, and our team is available 24x7 to treat stroke.

Through this hub and spoke model, we want to extend our expertise to more patients in and around Kerala," said Dr Jacob P.Alapatt, HoD and Senior Consultant, Neurosurgery, Aster MIMS, Calicut.

"Although current clinical practice guidelines recommend the use of mechanical thrombectomy for stroke management, patient utilization remains low in India. While more than 2.7 lakhs patients are eligible for mechanical thrombectomy each year, fewer than 1500 or ~0.5 per cent are treated with it.3The program is designed to break down barriers to treatment and standardize patient care pathways -- to reduce the overall burden of stroke. Through our partnership with Aster MIMS, we aim to increase access to life-saving therapies for more patients in India," said Madan Krishnan, Vice President & Managing Director, Medtronic India.

As per the hub and spoke model, Aster MIMS will be the centralized hub, connecting other hospitals in different sectors with the help of advanced technologies. If a patient with stroke symptoms visits one of the network hospitals (spokes), their scan and other vitals will be passed on to team of experts at Aster MIMS for further evaluation.

The subsequent treatment and medication would be advised accordingly. The condition of the patient will be continuously assessed through telemedicine. There will be 24-hour service of multiple neuro-interventional surgeons for conducting mechanical thrombectomy.

For Medtronic, the partnership with Aster MIMS for holistic stroke management is the first in the series. The aim is to leverage partnerships across India that can help in advancing care to more patients even in smaller towns.

"To provide our patients with advanced and efficient treatment methods, we've partnered with Medtronic earlier. With the new partnership, Aster MIMS will be able to offer a comprehensive stroke treatment program for patients in Kerala. We are pleased to be able to offer patients in Kerala and across India such advanced healthcare technologies and therapies," said Farhan Yasin, Regional Director, Aster Hospitals-Kerala & Oman.

Madan Krishnan - Vice President & Managing Director, Medtronic India, Farhan Yasin - Regional Director - Aster Kerala and Oman Cluster, Dr Jacob Alappatt - HOD & Senior Consultant - Neurosurgery, Aster MIMS Calicut, Dr Abraham Mammen - CMS & HOD Pediatrics Surgery, Dr Noufal Basheer - Dy.CMS& Senior Consultant, Dr Abdurehiman KP, Senior Consultant and Head of Neurology, Dr Ashraf V V, Senior Consultant and Director, Neurology attended the press conference.

**

References

1. Banerjee TK, Das SK. Fifty years of stroke researches in India. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2016;19(1):1-8. doi:10.4103/0972-2327.168631

2. GBD 2016 Stroke Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of stroke, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol. 2019;18(5):439-458. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30034-1

3. Sundar K, Panwar A, Yagaval DR, Huded V, Sylaja PN. Mission Thrombectomy 2020 (MT2020)--India's Biggest Healthcare Challenge Yet. J Stroke Med. 2020;3(2):62-71. doi:10.1177/2516608520984276

This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)

(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 22: India's foreign exchange reserves during the week that ended on October 14 fell to an over two-year low of USD 528.367 billion, a drop of USD 4.5 billion from the previous week.

In the preceding week, the country's foreign exchange reserves were at USD 532.868 billion, RBI data showed. Video: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Says Rupee Not Sliding, Dollar Strengthening When Asked About INRs Record Fall Against USD.

According to RBI's data, India's foreign currency assets, which are the biggest component of the forex reserves, declined by USD 2.828 billion to USD 468.668 billion during the week. The value of gold reserves dropped by USD 1.5 billion to USD 37.453 billion during the week.

The value of India's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund declined by USD 149 million to USD 17.433 billion during the week under review, the RBI data showed. The reserves have been falling for months now because of RBI's likely intervention in the market to defend the depreciating rupee against a surging US dollar. Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani To Launch 5G Services in Rajasthan From Shrinathji Temple on Saturday.

For the record, the Indian rupee has been weakening over the past few weeks to hit fresh new all-time lows as the US dollar strengthened against major global currencies. On Wednesday, the rupee breached the 83 mark for the first time in its history.

So far this year, the rupee has depreciated around 11-12 per cent, market data showed. Typically, the RBI intervenes in the market through liquidity management, including through the selling of dollars, with a view to preventing a steep depreciation in the rupee. India's forex reserves have declined by around USD 100 billion ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February when imports of energy and other commodities got costlier globally.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington [US], October 22 (ANI): A recent study has discovered that a large number of chimps in Europe have low vitamin D levels, which might have a severe impact on their health.

The study, which is the largest of its kind, is published in the journal Scientific Reports. The authors say this research will help improve care and nutrition practices in these endangered animals.

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Vitamin D deficiency is described by some as a pandemic, thought to affect up to 1 billion people worldwide. Vitamin D is well-known for its importance in maintaining calcium levels in the body, which is essential to the functioning of bones and muscles. However, vitamin D has a much wider range of biological functions, and prolonged vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a variety of disorders in humans such as heart diseases, cancers, autoimmune diseases, and respiratory infections.

Comparatively little is known about vitamin D in non-human primates. An international team of experts, including academics at the Universities of Nottingham, Birmingham, St George's and Hong Kong, as well as zoo veterinarians from Twycross and Perth zoos, have set up a Europe-wide research project to investigate this in our closest animal relatives.

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The international study found that inadequate vitamin D levels are widespread in chimpanzees living in Europe. This in turn could be a risk factor for the development of a mysterious heart disease that commonly affects them: IMF, or Idiopathic Myocardial Fibrosis.

The same research group previously investigated IMF in detail and found that a majority of chimpanzees from Europe showed the characteristic changes of this disease, but animals from Africa were not affected.

Dr Melissa Grant at the University of Birmingham said "This is essential research to further understand the factors contributing to maintaining a healthy in-human-care chimpanzee population for the future of the species. Such a wide range of individuals and locations has not been explored before and this reveals potential new ways to care for these animals."

During the study, the team analysed samples from around 20% of all chimpanzees living in Europe. The samples came from 32 European zoos and sanctuaries, and were collected opportunistically when the animals were anaesthetised for health checks or minor veterinary procedures. The researchers analysed the samples along with detailed information about the individual animals and their care practices, as well as their geographical location, to understand which factors could be important for their vitamin D supply.

Sophie Moittie, who led the study originally at Twycross Zoo and is now an assistant professor at the University of St George's, said: "There is clear correlation between vitamin D status and several diseases in humans. We share 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees, therefore we need to assume that they might be at risk as well. It is our responsibility to ensure they get the best care possible, so we can preserve them into the future."

Their findings show that unlimited outdoor access resulted in higher vitamin D levels, even for those animals living in Northern Europe, where sunny days are rare compared with their natural African habitat. Like in humans, there were also clear differences in vitamin D between seasons, and for many chimpanzees their end-of-summer concentrations may not be high enough to avoid a winter deficiency. Even chimpanzees living in Southern Europe are at risk of becoming vitamin D deficient, similarly to the humans living there.

These findings will now inform how these animals are cared for in zoos and sanctuaries, contributing to continuous improvements in welfare standards.

Professor Kate White from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham said: "This is a really good example of clinical research informing best practice: unlimited outdoor access for these captive animals is likely to be more important than we previously thought."

Professor Kerstin Baiker, the lead pathologist of this study from City University of Hong Kong said: "Vitamin D plays an important role in the transcriptional control of pro-fibrogenic and pro-inflammatory factors in the body, so adequate Vitamin D levels are vital for the health of chimpanzees in our care."

Though vitamin D was long thought to be important only for bone health, its relevance nowadays is considered very profound. Hundreds, if not thousands of biological processes rely on its presence in humans and other animals, and a lack of this vitamin might be an important contributing factor to many modern human diseases. Understanding these in other great apes can both provide significant benefits to their conservation, and we also might learn important lessons for humans too. (ANI)

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Ballia (UP), Oct 22 (PTI) Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members on Saturday took out a procession demanding an enquiry into the death of a teenage girl who died at a hospital after fighting for her life for six days.

A 13-year-old girl was cremated in Varanasi on Saturday, Police said.

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To ensure law and order, about a hundred police personnel, including ten station in-charges, have been deployed in the village, claiming the situation to be under control, police officials said.

The members of the right-wing group have demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter. They also staged a protest in the collectorate premises and accused the police of hiding the truth.

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People are also demanding justice for the victim's family on social media, a protestor said.

ABVP office-bearer Saurabh Gaur said, "We will fight for justice at every level and if all the accused are not arrested within a week, then the members of the Vidyarthi Parishad will launch a big agitation in the district".

"The administration has failed to arrest all the accused. We all demand justice for the victim's family. Action should be taken by forming a high level inquiry committee in this matter," another office-bearer Shivam Pandey said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shiv Narayan Vais said the teen died in a hospital in Varanasi on Friday evening.

According to the police, the girl had gone to see a fair in her village on the evening of October 14 and went missing. The next morning, she was found in a seriously injured condition on the Tadibaragaon-Rupwar-Sikarhata road in the Nagra area.

She was admitted to a hospital in Varanasi in critical condition.

Police have arrested a youth named Naushad in connection with the case.

The girl's family is suspecting it to be a rape case.

Superintendent of Police (SP) RK Nayyar said, "An investigation is going on in this case, if any fact becomes public, it will be made part of the investigation and police will act upon it. We will take legal action against the accused following investigation."

On Thursday, BJP leader and former minister Anand Swaroop Shukla wrote a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding a high-level inquiry into the matter.

Minister of State for Transport Daya Shankar Singh has assured justice to the victim's family.

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Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 22 (ANI): A 39-year-old alleged contraband drug dealer who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) with a considerable amount of drugs in his possession allegedly jumped off the third floor of the office of the NCB agency in Chennai.

The incident took place on Friday night.

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The deceased Rayappa Raju Anthony a resident of Hyderabad allegedly jumped off the building while an NCB team was preparing to take him to the government hospital for a medical check up.

"At around 9.30 pm on October 21, the NCB Chennai team was ready to take Rayappa Raju Anthony for a medical checkup at Avadi Government Hospital before producing him before the honourable court at Ponneri, Rayappa Raju Anthony jumped from the third floor of NCB, Chennai office in an attempt to commit suicide," the statement from NCB said.

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The statement added that the doctors at the Avadi Government Hospital performed emergency treatment on him and declared him dead.

"Based on the complaint a case in T10 Thirumullaivoyal Police Station was registered and taken for investigation. In this connection, a requisition was sent to Judicial magistrate Ambattur for conducting an inquest and enquiry," it added.

According to NCB officials, Raju Anthony was intercepted by NCB near Karanodai Toll Plaza in Chennai on Friday and 48,300 kg of white crystalline stick substance were seized from his passion. (ANI)

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Ayodhya, Oct 22 (PTI) Around 18 lakh earthen lamps will be lit on Sunday here as part of Deepotsav, the Diwali celebrations that will include fireworks, a laser show and the staging of Ramlilas.

The sixth edition of the Deepotsav will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner Navdeep Rinwa said over 15 lakh earthen lamps will be lit by more than 22,000 volunteers at Ram ki Paudi near the Saryu bank.

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The rest will be placed at important intersections and spots, officials said.

Volunteers have been told to arrange 256 earthen lamps in a square and the distance between two squares will be approximately two to three feet, Deepotsav organisers said.

Rinwa said there will also be a laser show, 3D projection mapping show and fireworks.

Ramlila will also be staged by cultural troupes from other countries and states, he said.

At the Ram Katha park, Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, Lord Lakshman and Lord Hanuman will be shown descending from a "pushpak vimana".

An aarti of the Saryu river will also be performed on this occasion, he said.

"October 23 being a Sunday will see Ram Lalla wearing a red-pink dress and a new set of dresses is being stitched for Lord Ram and his brothers," said Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of the Ram temple here.

Das said the chosen colour is regarded as auspicious for Sunday.

The Lord wears dresses of different colour on different days, he said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a tweet in Hindi said, "Shree Ayodhya ji is ready for a grand and divine Deepotsav. All of you are welcome. Jai Shree Ram."

Adityanath also tweeted the new logo of the event.

Meanwhile, Mahant Raju Das of the Hanumangarhi temple said hectic preparations are underway for the occasion.

Ayodhya Mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay said the entire city is ready to welcome people arriving from different parts of the country and world to witness the spectacle.

Ayurved doctor RP Pandey said, "It seems that the 'tretayuga' (the era of Lord Ram) has returned to Ayodhya. This Deepotsav is going to be more grand and memorable for us as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be coming for the event."

He added that at around 25 road crossings, Ramlilas are being staged. "Apart from this, a number of organisations too will light lamps to mark the festival," he said.

A visibly excited Rajat Singh said he and his family members are eagerly waiting for the Deepotsav.

Monu Singh, a resident of Gosaiganj area of the district, said he along with his family plans to witness the lighting of lamps.

"Deepotsav is an occasion, which is characterised by happiness, excitement and enthusiasm. People themselves are decorating the city using rangolis," Lavkush Srivastava said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ayodhya on Sunday to perform a "puja" at the Ram temple.

Modi will also inspect the construction work of the Ram temple and later perform a symbolic coronation of the Lord, according to a statement issued by his office on Saturday.

Around 6.30 pm, the Prime Minister will witness an "aarti" on the banks of the Saryu, which will be followed by the launch of the grand "Deepotsav" celebrations by him, the statement said.

Five animated tableaux and 11 Ramlila tableaux showcasing dance forms from different states will also be presented during the Deepotsav.

Modi will also witness a 3-D holographic projection mapping show at Ram ki Paidi on the banks of the Saryu, along with a grand musical laser show, the Prime Minister's Office 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, Oct 22 (PTI) Taking a stern view of the failure of Gujarat government officials to send a compliance report on transfer and posting of officials ahead of the Assembly polls, the Election Commission has sought an explanation from the state chief secretary and DGP.

Citing a letter the EC shot off to the Gujarat chief secretary on Friday, sources said despite reminders the chief secretary and the Director General of Police failed to send compliance reports on transfer and posting of certain category of officials ahead of the polls.

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Now they have been asked to explain the circumstances as to why the compliance reports have not been furnished "so far even after the lapse of stipulated time limit despite issuing of the reminder in the matter," a source said quoting the letter.

The letters regarding transfer and posting of officials were sent to Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

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While Himachal Pradesh will go to polls on November 12, dates are yet to be announced for Gujarat election.

The commission had directed the two state governments to transfer officials posted in their home districts and those who have spent three years in a district in the last four years.

It is usual for the poll panel to issue such directions ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly polls to ensure free and fair elections.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Banda (UP), Oct 22 (PTI) A former village head was shot at here on Saturday over political rivalry, police said.

One person has been arrested in connection with the incident which took place in Balla village, they said.

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Circle Officer (CO) Anand Kumar Pandey said Omkar Dwivedi (54), a former head of Balla village, was shot at around 10 am. He was rushed to the Kanpur medical college where his condition remains critical.

Hours after the incident, Bhanjan Singh (56) was arrested in connection with the attack, he said.

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Singh allegedly shot at Dwivedi over political rivalry. Further investigation in the case is underway, the police said.

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Jammu and Kashmir [India], October 22 (ANI): In a significant achievement, Jammu and Kashmir won the top awards in the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-Urban) during the three-day "India Urban Housing Conclave 2022" (IUHC 2022), the government informed in a release.

The conclave was organized by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Rajkot, Gujarat. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 19, 2022.

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J&K has won two awards including 'Overall best performing Union Territory and best performing UT for implementation of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs)'.

The Principal Secretary, H&UDD, Dheeraj Gupta received the award on behalf of the UT Government.

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The J&K team, which was led by Dheeraj Gupta, comprised SA Keen, the Managing Director, the J&K Housing Board and other officials of PMAY (Urban) Mission.

The conclave included an exhibition of departmental stalls highlighting the achievements and best practices adopted across the states and UTs in implementing the Mission.

As per the release, PMAY-U is a flagship Mission of the Government of India being implemented by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) which addresses urban housing shortage among the EWS/LIG and MIG categories including the slum dwellers by ensuring a pucca house to all eligible urban households by the year 2022, when Nation completes 75 years of Independence.

Pertinently, J&K has achieved 100 per cent saturation in the implementation of the PMAY Mission. About 44,701 beneficiaries have been identified and approved under the BLC component, out of which, 44630 dwelling units have been grounded and will be completed within the prescribed time schedule.

The UT government has for the first time introduced a new initiative wherein an interest-free loan/subsidy is being provided for a number of Rs. 2.00 lakh per beneficiary for the construction of dwelling units under the BLC component. Besides, 336 houses are being reconstructed under Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) at Sunjwan, Jammu while 968 flats are being constructed at Bhalwal and lower Roopnagar Jammu under the Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) component.

Also, a Demonstration Housing Project (DHP) under the Technology Sub-Mission (TSM) of the Mission has been taken up at Bhalwal, Jammu. The technology to be used for DHP is EPS Core Panels. After completion, J&K Housing Board will not only gainfully utilize the structure. Still, it will also showcase it as the latest proven alternate/green technology solution suitable to the geo-climatic & hazardous conditions of the Jammu region.

The Government of Jammu & Kashmir is committed to ensuring that there is no urban houseless in the Union Territory by March 2023, the release said. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) TMC leader Derek O'Brien described the "Rozgar Mela" launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday as a publicity stunt and accused the government of having failed to deliver on its promises of providing employment.

"Jumla Raja Prime Minister Modi had promised 16 crore jobs to the youth and failed to deliver. Data given by the Modi government inside Parliament shows that 22 crore people applied for government jobs since 2014, and only seven lakh got jobs," O'Brien, the leader of the TMC in Rajya Sabha, said in a statement.

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Modi launched the "Rozgar Mela" on Saturday to recruit 10 lakh people and underscored his government's efforts to create jobs in the last eight years amid the opposition's constant criticism of it on the issue of unemployment.

As part of the recruitment drive, more than 50 Union ministers handed over appointment letters to thousands of youngsters at different locations across the country.

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The TMC MP said, "While there has been a 45 per cent decrease in employment in the country, the figure for employment in West Bengal has risen by 40 per cent. Young people want jobs and Modi has failed badly. All he continues to do to cover up his failures is organise these publicity stunts."

The TMC is in power in West Bengal.

(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 22 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the 'Rojgar Mela', a recruitment drive for 10 lakh personnel, through video conferencing today.

During the ceremony, appointment letters will be handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees, a statement from Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

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Prime Minister will also address these appointees on the occasion.

The PMO statement said this will be a significant step forward towards fulfilling the continuous commitment of the Prime Minister to providing job opportunities for the youth and ensuring the welfare of citizens.

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"As per the directions of the Prime Minister, all Ministries and Departments are working towards filling up existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in Mission Mode," the statement said. The new recruits from across the country will join 38 Ministries/Departments of the Government of India.

"The appointees will join the government at various levels viz Group - A, Group - B (Gazetted), Group - B (Non-Gazetted) and Group - C. The posts on which appointments are being made include Central Armed Force Personnel, Sub Inspector, Constable, LDC, Steno, PA, Income Tax Inspectors, MTS, among others," the PMO statement said.

These recruitments are being done in mission mode by Ministries and Departments either by themselves or through recruiting agencies such as UPSC, SSC, and Railway Recruitment Board.

"For expeditious recruitment, selection processes have been simplified and made tech-enabled," the statement concluded. (ANI)

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Pune (Maharashtra) [India], October 22 (ANI): A 31-year-old food delivery man, who was missing since October 17, was found dead in a drain in Pune's Mohammedwadi on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as Sanjay Kumar Yadav a native of Bihar, currently residing in the Ghorpadi area of Pune.

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Sanjay Kumar Yadav had gone for delivery on October 17 and his family filed a missing person's complaint on October 19.

On Friday morning, the Pune fire brigade recovered the dead body from nallah after some local people gave information about it.

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"Sanjay was a food delivery boy wearing the uniform of an online food delivery aggregator. His missing complaint was registered on October 19 by his brother that Sanjay was missing since October 17. Sanjay Kumar had made the last delivery on October 17 around 10.30 pm," the police said.

Police suspect that Sanjay has fallen into a flooded nallah near the Mohammadi area and would have washed away. Pune city has received very heavy rainfall in the past few days which led to a flood-like situation in various parts of the city.

The body of the deceased has been sent for post-mortem.

Further investigation is underway. (ANI)

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Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 22 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday expressed grief over the death of 15 people in the Rewa bus accident and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to critically injured.

Navneet Bhasin, Rewa Superintendent of Police, said most of the passengers on the bus were residents of Uttar Pradesh.

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As many as 15 people died in the road mishap in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district on Friday night in which a passenger bus collided with a truck. At least 40 people have been injured in the accident.

"The loss of life in a road accident in Rewa is very sad incident. Praying to Lord Shri Ram to give place to the departed souls at his feet and speedy recovery to the injured. My condolences are with the bereaved families," the UP Chief Minister's Office said in a tweet.

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UP Chief Minister further said that he had held talks with his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan for treatment of the injured and for the transportation of mortal remains of the deceased.

"Talks held with Chief Minister Chouhan Shivraj for proper treatment of injured and transporting mortal remains of deceased Uttar Pradesh residents to the state. Instructions have been given to provide assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each deceased and Rs 50 thousand to the seriously injured," CMO added.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also expressed grief over the loss of lives.

Chouhan assured the UP Chief Minister that the mortal remains of passengers would be brought to Prayagraj by the Madhya Pradesh government.

"Injured passengers have been sent to Prayagraj in two buses overnight, after getting treatment. Critically injured passengers are getting treated free of cost at MP's Rewa Medical College. Rewa district administration is ensuring all necessary arrangements," said MP CMO in a statement.

The accident took place between 10:30 pm to 11 pm on Friday when the bus with about 100 people on board, headed to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, collided with a truck trolley in the Suhagi Pahari area.

Rewa District Collector Manoj Pushp said: "It seems that the trolley truck had an accident with a truck in front of it and when the driver applied brakes, the bus behind it rammed into it. Rescue operations were conducted and the injured have been sent to the hospital."

According to the Collector rescue operations were completed last night and police, administration and local people are present at the site. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Saturday extended the interim bail granted to former CMD of Amrapali Group of Companies Anil Kumar Sharma and the real estate firm's ex-director Shiva Priya on medical grounds.

A bench of Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi, which conducted a special hearing on a non-working day for the apex court, allowed Sharma to continue on interim bail as he is scheduled to undergo surgery for cataract and glaucoma, after it was submitted that he had lost around 90-95 per cent of his vision.

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The bench allowed him to visit a hospital in Chennai for the surgery and said he will have to file a report about his medical condition five days after the procedure.

At the outset, advocate Manoj Singh, appearing for Sharma, said his medical reports indicate he has to undergo surgery for both his eyes.

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"Doctors have said that he will first have to undergo surgery for left eye and then there will be a rest of four weeks after which surgery in right eye will be conducted. All relevant materials including opinions of doctors have been placed on record. We are praying for eight to ten weeks of interim bail," Singh said.

The bench, then asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for central investigating agencies, who said she has no objection to the bail but suggested the court should call for the report, after the first surgery.

Advocate ML Lahoty, appearing for home buyers, also did not oppose the bail on medical grounds but said glaucoma is a very common problem and it would not be appropriate to grant bail for such a long period.

The bench, however, extended the interim bail granted to Sharma on August 8 and said after his first surgery of left eye, he should file a report, indicating the status of his medical condition.

Similarly, the top court also granted extension of interim bail to Shiva Priya, who was granted interim bail on August 22 by two weeks and said he should surrender by November 7 before the trial court or he will be arrested and sent back to jail.

The top court noted that since he was granted interim bail on August 22, on account of his daughter's ill-health and now she recovered and advised rest by the doctors.

"Since it is festival week and the petitioner is on interim bail since August 22, we will not ask him to go to jail immediately. Instead, we will ask him to surrender by November 7, failing which he will be arrested and sent to jail," the bench said.

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, told the top court that Shiva Priya has been booked in 24 cases and he has been granted bail in six cases.

"Out of 24 cases, a charge sheet has been filed in 20 cases. He has been granted bail in six cases including one in which a charge sheet has been filed. Charges have been framed in one case," Kumar said while giving the details of the cases.

The bench said that one of the cases relates to money laundering in which his bail has been rejected by the trial court and the accused intends to file an appeal in the high court.

"We are not disposing of your petition for regular bail, instead we are keeping it pending so that after the culmination of proceedings before the high court, you can revive this plea," the bench told Kumar.

Both Sharma and Shiva Priya have been in jail after their arrest in 2018 for various offences including that of cheating, criminal breach of trust and money laundering and have spent nearly four years in prison. Both have been accused of siphoning home buyers money.

The bench did not grant any relief to former chief financial officer Chander Prakash Wadhwa and asked him to move the trial court for remedy under law.

CJI Lalit said since his superannuation is on November 8, he has virtually six working days left after Diwali vacation, when the court will reopen on October 31 and hence, the special bench, which is hearing Amrapali matter will assemble for the one last time on October 31 and try to dispose of the issue related to sale of floor area ratio.

It heard the submission of senior advocate Ravindra Kumar, appearing for Noida and Greater Noida, and said that on October 31, it would hear submissions of Attorney General R Venkatramani, who is also the court appointed receiver for Amrapali properties and Lahoty, counsel for the home buyers.

Venkatramani told the bench that to complete the stalled projects, funds will be needed and despite the payment of home buyers, selling of unsold inventories and bank loans, the amount collected will be very less as compared to funds required for completion of pending projects and therefore they need to sell unused FAR.

The apex court, in its July 23, 2019 verdict, had cracked down on errant builders for breaching the trust reposed by the home buyers and ordered the cancellation of registration of the Amrapali Group under real estate law RERA and ousted it from prime properties in the national capital region (NCR) by nixing the land leases.

The top court had directed a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged money laundering by realtors, providing relief to over 42,000 home buyers of the Amrapali Group with the verdict.

Besides ED, the Economic Offence Wing (EoW) of Delhi Police and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has also been investigating various cases lodged against the former officials of the real estate group.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 22 (ANI): State Investigation Agency in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday conducted searches at multiple locations across the valley in the terror funding case and recovered incriminating material from the spot.

"The searches were conducted in about 14 houses and business premise of suspects in Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla and Shopian were searched in compliance to a search warrant obtained from the Court of the special judge designated under the NIA Act Srinagar in connection with an investigation of case FIR No. 7/2022 u/s 13, 18, 19, 39, 40 UA(P) Act, 121, 121-A IPC, registered in Police Station CIK (SIA) Kashmir," an official statement said.

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The case pertains to financial networks of terror outfits operating in the valley.

"The case came to be registered on reliable information that a group of overground workers of terrorist organisations in connivance with and active support from their Pakistan-based terror handlers including terrorists who had exfiltrated from the valley, now based in Pakistan are arranging a variety of logistic support including channelling finances with the overall objective of furthering and sustaining terror activities in J-K in order to destabilize the Union of India by clandestinely waging war," it stated.

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During the searches, incriminating material, electronic gadgets, mobile phones, bank documents and other articles having bearing on the investigation have been recovered and seized.

"Analysis of the data would follow and leads that would emerge would become the basis for further investigation," it said.

The searches were aimed at dismantling the financial networks of the terrorist outfits. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Beijing, Oct 22 (PTI) China is expected to boost its nuclear arsenal after President Xi Jinping's remarks at the key Congress of the ruling Communist Party here for the first time that Beijing will establish strong strategic deterrence, experts have said.

We will establish a strong system of strategic deterrence, Xi, who is widely expected to be endorsed for a record third five-year term by the Congress of the CPC, told its opening session on October 16.

Also Read | UK PM Race: Rishi Sunak Qualifies To Contest After Crossing Minimum Nomination Threshold, Becomes First Tory Leadership Contender To Reach 100-Nomination Mark.

In the 63-page report, Xi, who also heads the Central Military Commission (CMC) - the overall high command of the two million-strong People's Liberation Army (PLA) - devoted a special section to the military titled Achieving the Central Goal of the PLA and Further Modernising National Defence and Military.

He also called for accelerated development of unmanned, intelligent combat capabilities, promotion of coordinated development and application of the network information system.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: FATF Condemns Russian Invasion of Kyiv, Imposes Additional Restrictions on Moscow.

There was no mention of the concept of strategic deterrence in Xi's last party Congress report in 2017 or in his historical resolution last year.

But the country's 14th five-year plan report released last year emphasised the need to build a high-standard strategic deterrence, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

Analysts said Xi's mention indicated China would improve its nuclear deterrence capability amid its increasing rivalry with the US, which is a major nuclear power.

Song Zhongping, a former People's Liberation Army instructor, said the statement meant China would strengthen its development of strategic nuclear forces to safeguard its national security.

Song said the PLA must strengthen its nuclear triad forces  its combination of ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched missiles and air-launched weapons  as well as its second-nuclear strike capability to respond to a nuclear attack.

All of these require the PLA to have a modern nuclear-armed force  and to moderately increase the nuclear arsenal, he said.

The US has warned of the expansion of China's nuclear weapons in the past, with a report released by the Pentagon in November estimating China could have up to 700 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2027 and at least 1,000 by 2030, the Post report said.

Song said the need for strong strategic deterrence had arisen as the US had challenged the bottom line of both China and Russia over the Taiwan issue and the Ukraine war, and only when China has a strong nuclear capability can it effectively safeguard our national security.

There have been calls in recent years for China to build up its nuclear arsenal. China claims it has the lowest number of nuclear weapons to build up its nuclear arsenal.

Zhao Tong, a senior fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy in Beijing, told the Post that the new wording pointed to an ongoing, significant change in China's nuclear policy.

In 2021, the country moved from its traditional policy of building a lean and effective deterrent to one of constructing a high-standard strategic deterrent. Then this year the declaration was to create a strong strategic deterrent capability.

He said it was significant especially when considering that for many decades China had maintained a traditionally small nuclear arsenal and a very modest, self-restrained nuclear posture. All of this appears to have become history now.

Zhao said it was very hard to tell how many nuclear weapons China planned to build eventually and the appearance of an open-ended nuclear build-up was what was driving concerns in the United States and other countries.

Analysing Xi's report, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation and a Beijing-based US expert on China, said that national security is more comprehensive in Xi's report than he has stated before, and encompasses every aspect of Chinese society.

Saying "security" and "safety" are stressed much more often in the report, Kuhn said China must be prepared to withstand major challenges.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Conakry, Oct 22 (AP) The government led by Guinea's coup leader reached an agreement late Friday with West African regional mediators on a schedule for holding new elections a little over two years from now.

The regional bloc known as ECOWAS has spent more than a year negotiating with Col. Mamady Doumbouya's government following the September 2021 coup and had imposed sanctions on the junta leadership. It was not immediately known how soon those might be lifted.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: FATF Condemns Russian Invasion of Kyiv, Imposes Additional Restrictions on Moscow.

The junta initially proposed a three-year transition, which was rejected by the regional mediators who already had obtained two-year transition deals after similar coups in both Mali and Burkina Faso. Guinea's two-year clock starts in January, with elections then due in early 2025.

For some, the news was bittersweet as demonstrations protesting the duration of the transition in Guinea have turned deadly, including three killed on Thursday.

Also Read | UK PM Race: Ben Wallace Rules Himself Out, To Back Boris Johnson As Next Prime Minister After Liz Truss' Resignation.

It took more than 17 deaths to reach a consensus, complained Aly Balde, whose brother was shot dead in Conakry.

Guinea became the second country hit by a recent coup in West Africa, a little over a year after Mali's military junta overthrew that country's democratically elected ruler. Since then, Burkina Faso has seen two coups of its own.

Burkina Faso and Mali already have agreed with ECOWAS on election dates  Mali's is scheduled to be held by March 2024, but the situation in Burkina Faso is now in doubt after the latest coup there.

A deal had been reached with the man who first toppled Burkina Faso's president in January to hold a vote by July 2024. But it remains to be seen whether Capt. Ibrahim Traore, who seized power on September 30, will fully honour that agreement.

ECOWAS has said that Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso will all remain suspended from the bloc until elections are held.

Beyond setting dates, ECOWAS also has expressed concerns about what shape the future elections will take and whether the coup leaders turned interim presidents will be allowed to run as candidates.

Earlier this month, Doumbouya reiterated that neither he nor any member of the junta or the transitional government would take part in the eventual elections now due by January 2025.

Doumbouya emerged as the leader after mutinous soldiers overthrew President Alpha Conde last year.

Conde had won a landmark 2010 election after decades of dictatorship and strongman rule in Guinea, only to eventually try to seek a third term in office. He claimed the country's term limits did not apply to him. While he succeeded in winning a third term, he was overthrown nine months later. (AP)

(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 22 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday spoke with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and discussed several issues including bilateral relationship, and the Ukraine conflict.

"Received a call from FM @ABaerbock of Germany. Discussed our bilateral relationship, sustainable development and the Ukraine conflict. Agreed to continue our conversations," Jaishankar tweeted.

Also Read | UK Political Crisis: Boris Johnson Returns to Britain to Launch Leadership Bid, Say Media Reports.

The phone call between the two ministers comes a few weeks after Baerbock, during a joint press conference with her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Berlin, mentioned the Kashmir issues.

"Germany also has a role and responsibility with regard to the situation of Kashmir. Therefore, we support intensively the engagement of the United Nations to find the peaceful solution in the regions," Baerbock said.

Also Read | Pakistan: Imran Khan Challenges Election Commission's Disqualification Ruling in Islamabad High Court.

In a sharp response, India said that global community members have a crucial role to play in calling out international terrorism and stressed on the fact that foreign nationals have been its victim too.

"All serious and conscientious members of the global community have a role and responsibility to call out international terrorism, especially of a cross-border nature. The Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has borne the brunt of such a terrorist campaign for decades. This continues till now. Foreign nationals have been victims there, as also in other parts of India. The UN Security Council and FATF are still pursuing Pakistan-based terrorists involved in the horrific 26/11 attacks", MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a press release.

The MEA said that when states do not recognize such dangers, they do grave injustice to the victims of terrorism.

"When states do not recognise such dangers, either because of self-interest or indifference, they undermine the cause of peace, not promote it. They also do grave injustice to the victims of terrorism," the press release stated. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Rome, Oct 22 (AP) Nearly 300 migrants disembarked in the southern Italian port of Taranto on Saturday after their rescue at sea in five different operations by the crew of a humanitarian vessel operated by Doctors Without Borders.

About half of the 293 rescued passengers on the Geo Barents were unaccompanied minors, according to the operators of the mission.

Also Read | Pakistan: Imran Khan Challenges Election Commission's Disqualification Ruling in Islamabad High Court.

Doctors Without Borders said on Twitter that the men, women and children faced harrowing journeys, abuse, and detention in Libya before they set out to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

They were rescued in international waters off Libya and Malta, it said.

Also Read | UK Political Crisis: Priti Patel Endorses Boris Johnson As New British PM to Replace Liz Truss.

Most of the migrants were from Gambia, Egypt and Libya, according to the rescuers.

Italian authorities assigned Geo Barents the port in Taranto in the southeast heel of the country nine days after the initial rescue.

The time needed before obtaining a port for disembarking is still too long. It should be assigned immediately after the rescue operation, Riccardo Gatti of Doctors Without Borders, who was aboard the ship.

In a separate operation early Saturday, another humanitarian rescue ship, the Ocean Viking, saved about 35 migrants, including three children, most of them from Syria, in international waters off Malta.

Italy's new far-right premier, Giorgia Meloni, who took office on Saturday, vowed during her campaign to crack down on illegal immigration.

One of her main coalition partners is League leader Matteo Salvini.

As Italy's interior minister in 2018-19, Salvini sought to stop rescue boats from bringing migrants to Italian ports. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Keene (US), Oct 22 (AP) A small plane crashed into a building in New Hampshire, killing the two people on board and sparking a large fire on the ground, authorities said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement Saturday that a single-engine Beechcraft Sierra aircraft crashed into a building north of Keene Dillant-Hopkins Airport in Keene, New Hampshire on Friday evening. City officials said on their Facebook page that no one was injured in the building that was hit by the plane but that those on the plane have perished."

Also Read | UK Political Crisis: Boris Johnson Returns to Britain to Launch Leadership Bid, Say Media Reports.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates, the FAA said.

Keene Mayor Mayor George Hansel told The Associated Press that two people on the plane died but that they have not been identified. He said the the plane hit a two-story barn connected to a multi-family apartment building. All eight people were evacuated from the apartment building due to the subsequent fire and have since been relocated.

Also Read | Pakistan: Imran Khan Challenges Election Commission's Disqualification Ruling in Islamabad High Court.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

We are very fortunate in some ways that the plane didn't hit a part of the building where people were, he said. This obviously could have been much worse but any loss of life is a tragedy.

Shaughn Calkins told WMUR-TV that he saw the fire as he was driving.

We were probably close to quarter of a mile away, and you could feel the heat from the fire, Calkins said. It was billowing, so it was a big fire. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chennai, October 22: With a shortage of rockets to launch satellites, India with its LVM3 or GSLV Mk3 rocket now has a slot in the global commercial satellite launch market, said S.Somanath, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He also said India is planning to ramp up production of the LVM3 rocket.

"There is a shortage of commercial satellite launch vehicles for putting into orbit multiple satellites to form a constellation. The Russian rockets are not in consideration now. Further the Ariane 6 rocket of Arianespace got delayed. The commercial potential of Chinese rockets is not accepted by the West. Hence India has a slot now," Somanath told IANS. ISROs 36 OneWeb Satellites: Countdown Begins For Indian Space Agencys Historic LVM3 Rocket Launch.

It was IANS which first said that India has an opportunity in the global commercial satellite launch market soon after the US and Europe's economic sanctions against Russia for its military action.

"All those countries feeling the pinch due to the absence of Russian rockets for satellite launches may look at alternatives. While the bulk of the satellite launch contracts will be taken by the US and Europe, there will be others who may look at other options. India's neutrality has created a new market segment," Chaitanya Giri, Founder, DAWON Advisory & Intelligence, had told IANS. ISRO To Launch Rs 50 Crores Worth SSLV Rocket To Celebrate Indias 75 Years of Independence.

Space sector exports had told IANS that to cash in on the opportunities, India should accelerate its satellite launch capabilities, and announce productivity-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for the aerospace sector.

"A plan is being made to ramp up LVM3 production to four or five per year after one to two years. And investments are needed for that. NewSpace India Ltd (NAIL-commercial arm of ISRO) will look into how to do this," Somanath said.

Starting in 1999, ISRO has put into orbit 345 small foreign satellites till date using its rocket called Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). For the first time ISRO is introducing its heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-MkIII (GSLV-MkIII) into the global commercial launch market renaming it as LVM3.

Normally, the GSLV rocket is used for launching India's geostationary communication satellites. And hence it was named as GeoSynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The GSLV MkIII refers to the third generation rocket.

As the rocket that will fly on Sunday morning will be orbiting the OneWeb satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), ISRO has renamed GSLV MkIII as LVM3 M2 (Launch Vehicle MkIII).

On Sunday at 12.07 a.m. the LVM3 will fly with 36 small satellites of Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb) in LEO. OneWeb, is a joint venture between India Bharti Global and the UK government. The satellite company plans to have a constellation of about 650 satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) to offer communication services.

The LVM3 M2 is a three stage rocket with the first stage fired with liquid fuel, the two strap on motors powered by solid fuel, the second by liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic engine.

The ISRO's heavy lift rocket has a carrying capacity of 10 ton to the LEO and four ton to the Geo Transfer Orbit (GTO). The total launch mass of OneWeb satellites will be 5,796 kg, said ISRO. "We have contracted for one more launch of 36 OneWeb satellites. More launches may come based on our performance," Somanath remarked.

The Indian space agency's other rocket PSLV has a carrying capacity, of 3.2 ton to 3.8 ton to LEO orbit depending on the variant. With LVM3, ISRO can offer two rockets for the global commercial launch market.

Queried about the small satellite market Somanath said: "There are too many predictions based on different approaches. Primarily by the LEO communication network and small satellite imaging services. However it will be a few thousands per year." He said NSIL is offering PSLV and will also take up the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to tap this market in the next few years.

The SSLV has a carrying capacity of 500 kg to LEO. The ISRO Chairman said GSLV rocket will be launched up to two per year to meet the NavIC (India's navigation satellite system) and other scheduled missions.

"The GSLV rocket will be for internal (domestic) demand. Only PSLV and LVM3 are into commercial service now," Somanath said.

"We need to make industries ready to produce PSLV, SSLV and LVM3 in bulk on their own. Otherwise, large scale launch service is difficult. This can also be modulated by geopolitical conditions evolving," Somanath remarked. The first step towards sourcing PSLV rockets by NSIL has been taken with the award of Rs.860 crore contract to make five rockets to HAL-L&T consortium.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2022 11:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
A UN Security Council resolution approved imposing sanctions on #Haiti, targeting gang leaders and their financiers, in an effort to end months of violence and lawlessness. pic.twitter.com/HO6mYuWnLW IANS (@ians_india) October 22, 2022

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Belarus provides Russia with 24 more tanks.



The T-72A tanks were sent towards Russian-occupied Donetsk, according to Belarusian Hajun, a civic watchdog that monitors the movement of military equipment in Belarus. The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) October 21, 2022

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ISW: Russia will likely attempt to blow up Kakhovka Power Plant dam to cover withdrawal from Kherson.



The Institute for the Study of War said Russia may blow up the dam to prevent Ukraine's forces from pursuing Russian forces deeper into occupied Kherson Oblast. The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) October 22, 2022

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
 Russia reports shelling in Belgorod Oblast, claims 5 people wounded.



Local authorities didn't directly blame Ukraine for the alleged attack.



The region borders Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast, liberated from Russian invaders in September. The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) October 22, 2022

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
The Tallahassee Police Department announced in a statement via social media that the skeletal remains found last Monday may belong to the missing Florida man, a father of four, Jason Winoker. He was 52 years old when he was last seen last year.

The skeletal remains were found by a group of people around 3 pm on Monday around a heavily wooded area" on the 2600 block of Apalachee Parkway in Tallahassee. According to police, their preliminary findings revealed that the body might be of Winoker.

According to the Tallahassee Police Department, "This case remains open and active and there are no further updates available at this time."

The Disappearance of Jason Winoker

According to NBC News, Winoker was last seen by family members during the early morning hours of August 17, 2021. His disappearance was then filed with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

Before he disappeared, he was staying at the Sprinfield Suites Hotel in Tallahassee, Florida, which is less than half a mile from where the human remains were found.

The Florida man was actually from Tampa and he and his wife traveled to Tallahassee to drop off one of their children at Florida State University. His disappearance remained a mystery until the skeletal remains were found.

In an interview with local CBS Affiliate channel WCTV, Winoker's wife, Renee, stated that he woke up disoriented at around 1:00 a.m. on the day he disappeared. He then grabbed his wallet and keys and left their hotel room without his phone.

READ MORE: Parkland School Shooting Verdict: Gunman Nikolas Cruz Escapes Death Penalty, Gets Life in Prison Without Parole

"I've been married to my husband for 21 years and it's not like him to just disappear," Renee told the news outlet. She later tried looking for him in the lobby and then realized he was not there and has not yet returned. She soon reported to the police that her husband was missing.

When he went missing, Tallahassee police stated that they did not expect any foul play. However, his wife and children still expressed that they are worried for the father of four. When the body was discovered, the Tallahassee Medical Examiner said the investigation remains open

Jason Winoker's Friend Speaks After Human Remains Were Found in Tallahassee, Florida

Following the discovery of his alleged remains by a group of individuals in a heavily-wooded area, a friend of Winoker spoke with ABC 27 to talk about the man who was missing for over a year.

That friend, Susan Cohen, stated that Winoker was a wonderful person and a big family man. That friend added that Winoker loved his family and loved his kids and that he was just a very good person.

Family and friends of the missing Florida man now say that they finally have some sense of closure following the discovery of his alleged remains.

He is survived by his wife Renee and four children.

READ NEXT: Donald Trump Admitted to Bob Woodward That Letters to North Korea's Kim Jong Un Were Top Secret and Not Declassified

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Friend of once missing Jason Winoker speak on Winoker's human remains discovered - WTXL - Tallahassee, FL
SNAP benefits scams are rampant right now in various states across the country, with fraudsters targeting the SNAP benefits EBT card system, according to California state officials.

CBS News reported that the frequency of benefits reported stolen has increased by approximately 4,000%, aiming at the Electronic Benefits Transfer system that has been serving some of California's poorest households.

One California resident who became a victim of an EBT card scam, Leticia Monroe, noted that it was the only way that she can take care of her bills.

Monroe is a disabled single mother and relies solely on public assistance. She was targeted by fraudsters last month, with around $700 stolen from her card the day the funds were deposited.

Experts issued a warning to those using EBT, saying that they should stay vigilant and aware of every transaction they do.

Experts added that scammers only seem to be taking out small amounts of money at a time to remain inconspicuous.

READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits Update: USDA Warns of Scammers Using EBT Card Skimming to Steal Your Money

EBT Card Scam

California Department of Social Services noted that the state paid around $92,000 in fraud claims by July last year.

In 2022, they paid out nearly $3.8 million to victims of EBT fraud.

DSS noted that the funds are being taken through scammers with phishing schemes and skimmers in card readers, according to a Fox 26 News report.

Fresno County officials said that they are working on getting emergency funds to the victims.

Fresno County authorities released a statement saying that they have received several calls regarding the problem, adding that they are working with people to provide them with emergency funds.

Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crimes division is investigating the matter.

Another California county, Merced County, noted that most of the accounts hacked have been with people with new cards and enhanced security.

The California Department of Social Services noted that it is working with local, state, and law enforcement agencies to address the EBT card scams.

The DSS said that it has recently received a $740,000 federal SNAP Fraud Framework Implementation Grant to be more effective in preventing and detecting fraudulent activities.

SNAP Benefits EBT Card Scheme

In September 16 people were charged in what prosecutors described as massive EBT fraud scheme targeting SNAP benefits, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said at the time that the case involves the theft of private account information of California EBT card holders, and the creation of illegal cloned cards with the victims' information.

The county's top prosecutor noted in a statement that stealing funds intended to feed children and families "is nothing short of disgusting."

Aside from the arrest of the 16 people involved in the case, authorities also confiscated $130,000 in cash and more than 300 cloned EBT cards, approximately $400,000 in value.

Southern California High Tech Task Force led the investigation with the involvement of numerous law enforcement agencies and in partnership with the U.S. Agriculture Department's Office of Inspector General.

READ MORE: SNAP Benefits 2022: Beware of These Scams That Aim to Steal Your Food Stamps

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: CalFresh program losing millions per month to organized crime - from KCRA News


The Kanye West-Balenciaga partnership is over. The French fashion house will no longer collaborate with the rapper.

According to Daily News, Balenciaga cut ties with Kanye after he made several anti-Semitic comments in the past week.

"Balenciaga no longer has any relationship with nor any plans for future projects related to this artist," the fashion brand's parent company told Women's Wear Daily Friday.

Kanye was at a Paris fashion show for designers earlier this month. It was during the Paris Fashion Week he showed off a shirt with the words "White Lives Matter" on its back. The rapper immediately faced backlash after the show.

Right-wing media provocateurs liked the move, but it was criticized by people like the editor-at-large of Vogue, who said, "There is no excuse, there is no art here."

In subsequent interviews, including one with NewsNation host Chris Cuomo on Monday, Kanye claimed he was being persecuted by "the Jewish underground media mafia."

Kanye West had been collaborating with the Balenciaga and The Gap franchise before it ended last month. The collaboration had been going on for just over two years.

READ NEXT: George Floyd's Death: Family Slaps Kanye West With $250 Million Lawsuit Over False Fentanyl Death Claims

Kanye West, Adidas Partnership Is Also Under Review

Following the Adidas announcement that they were reviewing their partnership with Kanye West, the rapper posted on Instagram: "F******CK ADIDAS I AM ADIDAS, ADIDAS RAPED AND STOLE MY DESIGNS."

The company then stated: "After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period."

Adidas and Kanye's tumultuous relationship has been heavily covered in the media. The first item produced by the Kanye West-Adidas collaboration was the YEEZY BOOST 750 shoes, which were released in 2015.

Adidas and Kanye have continued to release Yeezy shoes and slides with bizarre designs. According to Yahoo, the Yeezy line brings in about $2 billion annually, about 10% of Adidas' total annual revenue.

However, Kanye warned about the company's new Adilette 22 sandals in June, calling them "a fake YEEZY created by Adidas themselves," The Daily Beast reported.

Adidas did not say anything about the rapper's controversial posts until October, when they said their deal with him was being looked at.

The Anti-Defamation League and other well-known personalities in the fashion industry, like Gigi Hadid, have criticized Kanye for how he acts and speaks.

However, it did not stop the rapper from spewing his hate speech and antisemitic rhetoric. In the Drink Champs podcast this week, Kanye West said: "The thing about it being Adidas is like, I can literally say antisemitic s*** and they cannot drop me... Now what?"

Big Names Might Not Do Business With Kanye West, Too

In an op-ed for the Financial Times, Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel urged Apple and Spotify not to collaborate with Kanye West.

"West is not just any person-he is a pop culture icon with millions of fans around the world... And among them are young people whose views are still being formed. This is why it is necessary for all of us to speak out," Emanuel said.

"Hatred and antisemitism should have no place in our society, no matter how much money is at stake," he added.

Emanuel praised his clients, LeBron James and Maverick Carter, for deciding not to show Kanye West's allegedly offensive interview on "The Shop."

READ MORE: Kanye West Says Joe Biden Is F***ing Retarded for Not Meeting With Elon Musk and Taking His Advice

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Balenciaga Has Cut Ties With Kanye West - From E! News
Pfizer will be charging up to $130 per dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2023 when the U.S. government possibly no longer makes the jabs free.

Pfizer told Daily Mail on Friday that the shot will be available commercially in early 2023, and it will cost between $110 and $130 per jab.

The U.S. government is moving away from distributing the COVID-19 vaccines to roll them out through the traditional healthcare system.

Americans will be able to get the shot from their primary care provider. However, there may still be some out-of-pocket payments.

The vaccine maker said the $130 price will apply to doses for Americans 12 and older, while the price for those younger patients, wherein doses are smaller, has not been decided yet.

Last year, the pharmaceutical giant said it was charging the U.S. government $19.50 per dose. It added that it had three tiers of pricing globally, depending on each country's financial situation.

The company said in June that the U.S. government will be buying more than 105 million doses in a deal that was priced at around $30 per shot.

READ NEXT: Pfizer Executive 'Shockingly' Admits COVID-19 Vaccine Was Never Tested on Preventing Transmission Before Release

Pfizer to Charge $130 Per COVID-19 Vaccine Shot

The U.S. government has shouldered the bill and provided vaccines for free ever since they became widely available.

Pfizer's U.S. President of Global Primary Call, Angela Lukin, told Fierce Pharma that anyone with commercial or government insurance eligible to be vaccinated should be able to avail of the COVID-19 vaccine without paying any of the costs.

The new pricing for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will take effect in early 2023 when the U.S. exhausts its stockpile of COVID-19 vaccines and changes its distribution to a commercial model.

Lukin said one of the reasons behind the increase was that the company will provide vaccines in a single-dose vial instead of the current multi-dose vials.

The Pfizer official noted that it changed due to "consumer preference." Pfizer also mentioned its "50/50 gross profit split" with BioNTech, and the reinvestment cost as the company continues to ramp up manufacturing and develop the vaccine as the virus evolves.

Lukin further noted that the co-administration of flu and COVID-19 vaccine shots has increased to 40%. Wells Fargo analyst Mohit Bansal expected a $50 price for the Pfizer vaccine per dose. Meanwhile, Moderna has yet to respond on whether they plan to charge for its COVID-19 vaccine.

Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

Recently, the company came under scrutiny on social media over alleged admissions about clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued "key considerations" for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials as vaccines were still being researched and developed in June 2020.

Pfizer clarified that its phase 3 clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine was designed to review how effective the vaccine was at keeping people from getting sick, CBS8 News reported.

A spokesperson for the company noted that the trials were not created to "evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness against transmission" of COVID-19. In December 2020, the FDA authorized Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the U.S.

READ MORE: Pres. Joe Biden Labels Supreme Court Leaked Opinion on Abortion Case as "Radical Decision"

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Pfizer to Start Charging for COVID-19 Vaccines When Government Funding Stops - From KSBY News
A judge on Friday sentenced Steve Bannon, an ally of former President Donald Trump, to four months in prison after he defied a subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol.

This may be a preview of what will happen to Trump should he defy a subpoena from the same committee.

According to Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled that the right-wing radio host and former Trump chief strategist be sent to jail for four months and pay a fine of $6,500. However, the judge allowed Bannon to stay free pending appeal, which is likely a lengthy process.

READ NEXT: Donald Trump Finally Subpoenaed by the January 6 Committee

Steve Bannon Tried to Get a Lighter Sentence but Was Denied

Steve Bannon was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress back in July.

The first one was for refusing to sit for a deposition, while the other was for refusing to provide the January 6 committee with documents.

Bannon's lawyers asked the judge to sentence him to probation, but prosecutors asked the court to send Bannon to jail for six months.

In sentencing the Trump ally to four months in prison, Nichols clarified that "contempt of Congress is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of at least one month behind bars."

According to CNN, Nichols noted that the former Trump campaign chief strategist showed no remorse for his actions, leading to the judge imposing a heavier punishment on Bannon.

"In my view, Mr. Bannon has not taken responsibility for his actions... Others must be deterred from committing similar crimes," the judge said before imposing the sentence.

Nichols also pointed out that there were "problems" with Bannon's position that Trump had "executive privilege," which means that he could not testify nor turn over documents.

However, it was not all against Bannon as the judge said, "Mr. Bannon did not completely ignore the fact that he had received a subpoena."

Nichols noted that Bannon's attorney was the one who engaged with the committee, which meant that he did not completely ignore the subpoena.

Bannon had reportedly been compliant with the conditions of pretrial release and in the proceedings in the judge's courtroom.

What Steve Bannon's Contempt of Congress Sentence Could Mean For Donald Trump

Steve Bannon's sentencing came just a few hours before the House January 6 committee issued the subpoena for Donald Trump.

According to the BBC, this timing is significant for the committee. Bannon being sentenced to serve behind bars represented "one of the most high-profile punishments yet handed down to his backers." However, Bannon remained defiant, telling a group of journalists before entering a Washington, D.C. federal courthouse on Friday that the "illegitimate regime, their judgment day is on 8th November, when the Biden administration ends."

The BBC reported that this kind of language got Bannon in trouble in the first place.

Nichols said he hoped his ruling could at least have a cautionary effect on others as he showed that courts were willing to take actions recommended by the January 6 panel.

READ MORE: January 6 Hearing: Donald Trump Finally Subpoenaed After One Year of Investigations

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Steve Bannon sentenced to 4 months in prison for criminal contempt of Congress - From ABC News
Police are looking for a Michigan family of four who mysteriously disappeared after the father started acting "paranoid" last weekend.

According to ABC7, no one has seen or heard from Anthony "Tony" John Cirigliano, 51; his wife, Suzette Lee Cirigliano, 51; and their two sons, Noah Alexander Cirigliano, 15; and Brandon Michael Cirigliano, 19, who both have autism, since October 16.

The Fremont Police Department said the family "unexpectedly" left their home in Fremont in California's San Francisco Bay Area.

Police noted that the family is believed to be traveling in a silver 2005 Toyota Sienna LE minivan with Michigan license plates reading DJL1982. The Fremont Police Department is leading the investigation with the assistance of the Michigan State Police.

Authorities said the family turned off all their cell phones and left behind their pets and Suzette's elderly mother, who has dementia and requires full-time care.

The Michigan family's grandmother, who lives with them, was found lost in the neighborhood on October 17, and the police could not bring her back to her family. Tim Rodwell, the Fremont Police Chief, said other family members are now taking care of her.

"They're all very concerned that Tony and Suzette and the boys have not been in contact with anyone," Rodwell told WZZM.

READ NEXT: Missing Family Survives 34 Days in the Jungle by 'Eating Berries'

Police Released 911 Call of Father Before the Michigan Family Vanished

The Fremont Police Department released Anthony Cirigliano's 911 call the day he and his family were last seen.

According to WZZM, Cirigliano called 911 at around 12:40 a.m. on Sunday and asked for immediate police protection as he had information about September 11.

"It is of vital national interest," Cirigliano calmly told a dispatcher during the call released to WZZM.

He claimed that there were people who wanted to "erase" him "from the face of the earth." He went on to say that he was a Christian and not crazy.

"Mr. Geeting [Fremont police sergeant Jon Geeting] knows me... I just need some help. And then the U.S. government will take it from here. I know this sounds crazy. You don't have instructions for this. Please send someone that knows Geeting and can talk to U.S. authorities, please," he noted.

The dispatcher said Cirigliano had no weapons at the time of the call. He asked for Geeting to come to his home with the police lights off to not frighten his children.

The Michigan family went missing after police responded to the Ciriglianos' home shortly after midnight on October 16.

Missing Michigan Family Seen at a Gas Station

The Michigan family was spotted at a gas station on Monday. Crime Online reported that the family was spotted at a BP gas station in Gulliver, Michigan.

The Fremont Police Department confirmed that the family was there early Monday, and one of the children tried to place a call but was unsuccessful.

"They all describe this as extremely abnormal behavior from Tony and Suzette. We don't see any signs of violence. We don't see any signs of foul play right now. There are no signs of struggle inside the home," Police Chief Tim Rodwell told WOOD.

Anthony was described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, and with dark hair. Suzette is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 120 pounds, with blond hair and glasses.

Brandon is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds, while Noah is 5 feet 6 inches tall and about 120 pounds. Both have brown eyes and brown hair.

The Fremont Police Department is asking anyone with information on the family's whereabouts to contact them at 231-924-2100.

READ MORE: Texas Twins Escape House of Horrors Where They Were Forced to Drink Own Urine and Eat Own Feces

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Michigan Family Of 4 Missing After 'Abnormal' 911 Call - From NBC News
Netflix may be happy with the success of its show "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," but the dad of Milwaukee's terrifying cannibal serial killer feels the opposite.

The caretaker of Lionel Dahmer, 86, told the U.S. Sun that he was upset that he was never contacted regarding the controversial drama series that was released last month.

Lionel's assistant also said that the elder Dahmer was not happy that Netflix did not ask permission to use the tape recordings from his son's legal team for the "Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes." It was Netflix's other Jeffrey Dahmer docuseries released earlier this month.

READ NEXT: Jeffrey Dahmer's Cuban-Born Inmate Reveals the Real Reason Why He Tried to Kill Milwaukee's Terrifying Cannibal Serial Killer

Milwaukee's Terrifying Cannibal Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer's Dad to Sue Netflix?

Lionel Dahmer's 34-year-old caretaker, who wished to be identified only as Jeb, told the U.S. Sun that from his understanding and from everything he has seen and witnessed, the serial killer's dad was not contacted about these shows on Netflix.

Jeb said Lionel is now seeking legal advice on whether to sue Netflix over the two shows made about his son.

"I've personally talked to a few lawyers and we've talked to his publisher about it, too due to all the chaos that is going on and the stories we've seen," he noted.

He said: "Lionel and his power of attorney are gathering information and looking at a possible lawsuit against the production team or possibly Netflix," adding that "there was zero care whatsoever about Lionel's wellbeing."

The new Netflix releases about his son have reportedly affected Lionel's life negatively. According to the New York Post, the elder Dahmer now lives in Ohio and has not commented on the Netflix series. However, the series has attracted people, including deranged fans, to visit his home, leaving the elder Dahmer in a "nervous wreck."

Due to the sudden craze, Lionel's assistant said they decided to put up "No Trespassing" signs at the elder Dahmer's property, and he even decided to arm himself for protection.

The assistant further noted that while he has yet to watch the new Netflix series in full, he felt that the serial killer's dad was not portrayed fairly. He said the elder Dahmer was a "very caring father" and tried to "do his best in a time of uncertainty."

Jeb noted that when he asked Lionel Dahmer what he wanted to tell people, the serial killer's dad told him that everything he had to say was in his book.

"He [Lionel Dahmer] thinks that none of this should have been made. All the information that needs to be public is right there in his book," the caretaker said.

"Everything else is just glamorized and provides attention to details that aren't proven fact... They don't know the conservations between Jeff and the victim," he added.

Jeffrey Dahmer's dad published a memoir, "A Father's Story," in January 1994 - just months before Milwaukee's terrifying cannibal serial killer was bludgeoned to death in prison by fellow inmate Christopher Scarver.

According to Jeb, Lionel Dahmer was still angry over his son's gruesome death and believed the prison guards looked the other way.

"When Scarver gets brought up, he gets pissed... Why weren't there any guards standing there watching? Why didn't any of them do anything?" Jeb told the U.S. Sun.

He added that as far as he knows, since he last talked to the elder Dahmer, Lionel "believes the guards looked the other way and let it happen."

Cannibal Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer Inspires New Tourism Trend in Milwaukee

Jeffrey Dahmer regained new popularity because of the Netflix series.

According to New York Post, it has also boosted the tourism industry in Milwaukee, as fans travel to the area where the cannibal serial killer once hunted his victims.

Several true crime buffs are reportedly retracing the serial killer's footsteps. Bob Weiss, who owns Hangman Tours and operates the "Cream City Cannibal" walking tour in Milwaukee, highly welcomed these tourists.

Weiss' tour is described as a 75-minute excursion to the places where the notorious serial killer "poached seven of his 17 victims."

Since Netflix started streaming the "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" series, Weiss has seen an increase in tours, and he's facing an overwhelming number of new bookings lately.

"We don't glorify anything that Dahmer did, we don't make light of anything, there are some significant lessons that I think society needs to be reminded of," Weiss told the Post.

However, Charese Gardner, owner of Wall Street Stock Bar, which used to be the infamous Club 219, where Dahmer picked up many of his victims, is not pleased about this latest development.

Gardner told Fox6 that she could not stand hearing Jeffrey Dahmer's name or thinking about what he did to her hometown.

She noted that whenever true crime tourists come to see her bar, she was not interested in encouraging them in the slightest.

READ MORE: Colombian Serial Killer Pedro Alonso Lopez Disappeared; Is It Possible 'The Monster of the Andes' Still Doing His Horrific Acts?

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Jeffrey Dahmer, Explained - From Netflix
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - The United Nations (UN) has condemned Thursday's deadly clashes between police and demonstrators protesting against the army's grip on power in Chad, which left at least 50 people dead, including members of the security forces, and more than 500 arrested
A public representative who is getting grief from residents is not happy with Laois County Councils reliance on Irish Water to fix a flooding problem that is the source of the complaints he is facing.

Cllr Paddy Bracken, Fianna Fail, called into question the possibility of problems in Mountmellick being addressed when other work is done that has yet to be given a timeframe.

He tabled a motion calling on County Hall to resolve the flooding issue and install a storm water gully at Connolly Street/Lord Edward Street.

In reply Mr. Edmond Kenny, District Engineer said it is anticipated that the upgrade of the drainage network at this junction will coincide with the water main rehabilitation at the same location.

This didnt satisfy Cllr Bracken.

Im not happy with that because there has been severe flooding there, he said.

Cllr Bracken said a house on the corner has been destroyed with water. He does not believe that there is any gully at the location.

Im getting grief on it, he said.

He called upon the council to do the work separately from the water project.

The issue was raised at the Borris-in-Osory Mountmelllick Municipal District Meeting in October.
Emmanuel Macron leaves a press conference on the second day of an EU leaders' summit in Brussels, October 21, 2022. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP

Does France's decision signal the beginning of the end of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT)? Following in the footsteps of other European countries, Paris announced on Friday, October 21, that it would withdraw from this controversial agreement, signed thirty years ago and accused of "protecting polluters." "I watch with concern as the most polluting hydrocarbons and fossil fuels return," explained Emmanuel Macron from Brussels, where he was attending a European summit. "The war on European soil must not make us forget our climate commitments and the imperative to reduce our CO emissions. Withdrawing from this treaty is part of that strategy."

The ECT, ratified by some 50 countries and the European Union (EU), was created at the end of the Cold War in 1994 to protect investors in the energy sector. The treaty allows them to seek compensation from an arbitration tribunal against a government if their decisions could affect the profitability of their investments. Since then, many legal actions have been launched by companies or investment funds following regulatory or legislative changes.

Read more Subscribers only European citizens challenge Energy Charter Treaty for protecting fossil fuels

In February 2021, for example, the German multinational RWE announced that it was suing the Netherlands over the country's plans to end coal-fired power production by 2030. In early September, Italy was ordered to pay at least 180 million euros to the British oil company Rockhopper for denying it an offshore drilling permit. For the first time, France was also sued in early September, this time by the German renewable energy producer Encavis AG, after the government's decision to lower the feed-in tariff for photovoltaic electricity. In total, at least 146 ECT-related disputes have been identified.

'Domino effect'

The ECT fully embodies the rules and institutions of globalization in the 1990s and 2000s that delay, increase the cost of or block the energy transition," said Maxime Combes, an economist with the International Organization of Technicians, Experts and Researchers (AITEC). "It allows investors to sue states that decide to shut down coal-fired power plants or manage support mechanisms for renewable energies more carefully, which they need to do."

The critics of this treaty, who have campaigned against it for several years, welcomed France's decision. Yet they also hope that it will have a ripple effect and lead to a coordinated withdrawal of all European countries from the ECT. In 2015, Italy unilaterally withdrew from the agreement. Since then, the context has changed. While a revised version of the ECT is to be submitted for approval to the signatory countries at the end of November, Spain, which has been the target of some 50 claims, announced on October 12 that it was withdrawing from the agreement.

The Netherlands, which until now had been considered favorable to protecting foreign investors, followed suit on Thursday. Poland, for reasons of energy sovereignty, has also just initiated a legislative process to withdraw from the treaty. Germany's State Secretary for International Climate Action, Jennifer Morgan, said in an interview with Le Monde that Berlin was "very concerned" about the ECT and should make a decision about the treaty by the end of November.

"There is going to be a domino effect that changes the situation considerably," said Mr. Combes. "When three countries state things so clearly, it has consequences." "Many countries said that once a certain number of governments were out, they would follow," explained Yamina Saheb, an energy and climate expert and member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). "There is still some work to be done to organize this withdrawal, but the battle has been won!"

Read more Subscribers only In France, new projections suggest global warming effects could be worse than expected

'Survival Clause'

At a hearing before France's National Assembly on October 4, Minister for Foreign Trade Olivier Becht had stated that the option of a coordinated withdrawal was "clearly on the table." In a policy paper released on Thursday, the Haut Conseil pour le climat ("High Council on Climate") also called for a coordinated withdrawal by France and the EU from the ECT, stressing that the agreement is "incompatible" with climate goals and commitments to be reached by 2030. The council reiterated, as formulated by the IPCC, that "the rapid cessation and reduced use of existing fossil fuel infrastructure" as well as "the canceling of new facilities" are essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming.

Such a collective exit would also solve, in large part, another problem. Today, the ECT contains a "survival clause" which stipulates the protection of fossil fuel installations covered by the treaty for twenty years after the withdrawal of a signatory country. Even after France's exit, the litigation initiated by Encavis AG could continue, and new proceedings could be launched. On the other hand, if all EU countries were to leave the ECT together, they could make it impossible for new litigation to take place on European territory.

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After several years and 15 rounds of negotiations, a "modernized" version of the treaty was finalized in June. EU member states are expected to decide whether or not they support the text in a qualified majority vote at a forthcoming European Council of Ministers, ahead of a general assembly of ECT signatories scheduled for November 22 in Mongolia. "If there is no qualified majority, the text will not be adopted and the EU will not have a mandate to vote for it in Mongolia," said Mr. Combes. "The treaty will then have no reason to exist. The EU has the key to its own future."

Perrine Mouterde Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.
LETTER FROM RIO DE JANEIRO

Indigenous politician Sonia Guajajara (center) at a protest against violence, logging, mining and illegal ranching in Sao Paulo, Brazil, September 4, 2022. ANDRE PENNER / AP

For many, this is one of the few pieces of good news to come from the Brazilian elections: The October 2, 2022 legislative vote (which was held on the same day as the first round of the presidential election) resulted in a significant increase in the number of representatives from Indigenous peoples in the Congress located in Brasilia. There are now seven legislators sitting under its two emblematic domes, compared to only one in the previous term.

"For us, this victory is both historic and symbolic," said Kleber Karipuna, coordinator of the National of Indigenous Peoples' Association (APIB), which provided sponsorship to 30 Indigenous candidacies this year. In total, counting the local elections, 186 Indigenous people ran in 2022, 40 % more than in the last election in 2018. "Among them, the majority are women. They are at the heart of the movement!" Ms. Karipuna added proudly.

Read more Subscribers only Thousands of indigenous people gather in Brasilia to defend their land and environment

Some of the women elected to Congress are already national or even international figures. This is the case of Celia Xakriaba, a 32-year-old teacher, now a member of parliament in Minas Gerais (Southeast). There is also the distinguished 48-year-old Sonia Guajajara, who was elected in Sao Paulo. A leading figure in the fight for Indigenous peoples in Brazil, the native of the State of Maranhao (Northeast), who was Guilherme Boulos's candidate for the vice-presidency of Brazil in 2018, was included in Time magazine's prestigious list of the 100 most influential people in the world this year.

Vanderlecia Ortega dos Santos, candidate for deputy of the state of Amazonas for the Rede party, in Manaus (Brazil), on September 20, 2022. BRUNO KELLY / REUTERS

"These victories did not come out of nowhere. They are the result of a very long process of maturation," Ms. Karipuna emphasized. After the arrival of Portuguese settlers, the Indigenous people died in huge numbers or were exterminated; today there are only 896,000 left in Brazil while there were 5 million five centuries ago. It took decades of struggle to ensure the protection of their rights, their culture and their ancestral lands, as guaranteed by the 1988 Constitution. They occupy 487 of these ancestral lands, which today counts for 13% of the national territory.

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Called 'cave men' by Bolsonaro

For a long time, Brazil's Indigenous people suffered from an almost total lack of political representation. It was not until 1982 that the first candidate was elected to the Chamber of Deputies  Mario Juruna, a great Xavante leader. In 1996 the first Indigenous mayor, from the Galibi-Marworno people, took office in Oiapoque, a small Amazonian town on the border with French Guiana. However, these were both exceptions: between 1987 and 2019, or for 32 years, no representative of any Indigenous peoples sat in Congress in Brasilia.

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Evacuees from Kherson gather upon their arrival at the railway station in Dzhankoi, Crimea, Friday, October 21, 2022. Russian authorities have encouraged residents of Kherson to evacuate, warning that the city may come under massive Ukrainian shelling. AP

Pro-Russian authorities on Saturday urged residents in the southern Kherson region, which Moscow claims to have annexed, to leave the main city "immediately" in the face of Kyiv's advancing counter-offensive. The call came as President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched 36 rockets overnight in a "massive attack" on Ukraine, following reported strikes on energy infrastructure that resulted in power outages across the country.

Kyiv's forces have been advancing along the west bank of the Dnipro river, towards the Kherson region's eponymous main city. Kherson was the first major city to fall to Moscow's troops, and retaking it would be a major prize in Ukraine's counter-offensive. In recent days, Russia has been moving residents in the region  which Moscow claims to have annexed in September  east to Russia, in efforts Kyiv has denounced as "deportations".

"Due to the tense situation on the front, the increased danger of mass shelling of the city and the threat of terrorist attacks, all civilians must immediately leave the city and cross to the left bank" of the Dnipro river, the region's pro-Russian authorities announced on social media.

Read more Subscribers only What Putin's decision to impose martial law in annexed regions means for Russia

A Moscow-installed official in Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, told Russian news agency Interfax on Saturday that around 25,000 people had made the crossing. Sergiy Khlan, the Ukrainian deputy head of the Kherson region, said Russians were removing property and documents from banks and the passport office as they withdrew. Ukraine's general staff said Moscow's forces had abandoned two more settlements in Kherson and were evacuating medical personnel from a third, accusing them of looting local civilians.

A 'serious threat'

Earlier Saturday, Japan's Mr. Kishida denounced Moscow's comments regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict. "Russia's act of threatening the use of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to the peace and security of the international community and absolutely unacceptable," he said. The 77-year period of no nuclear weapons use "must not be ended", said Kishida, speaking in Australia.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Putin has made several thinly veiled threats about his willingness to deploy tactical nuclear weapons. Earlier this month, the European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that the Russian army would be "annihilated" if Russia launched such an attack. Washington has also warned Moscow of "catastrophic" consequences should they use such weapons.

Japan is the only country ever to have been hit with nuclear weapons: the US atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, which killed 140,000 people, and the second US bomb on Nagasaki, three days later, which killed 74,000 people.

Air defence 'highest priority'

In his evening address Saturday, Mr. Zelensky said Ukraine was working with international partners to extend sanctions to "all Russian propagandists, so-called 'opinion leaders' and show business representatives who support or justify terror". Russian media workers and celebrities who had backed Russia's invasion "should receive a full package of individual sanctions so that they can't do anything around the world at all", he added.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that he had had his first call with Italy's newly appointed foreign minister Antonio Tajani. Wishing him success, Mr. Kuleba stressed that Ukraine's "highest priority" was to "swiftly receive air defence systems".

Russian air strikes on energy facilities across the country have left more than a million households in Ukraine without electricity, the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidency Kyrylo Tymoshenko said earlier on Saturday. Fresh strikes targeted energy infrastructure in Ukraine's west, Ukraine's energy operator Ukrenergo said on social media, and officials in several regions of the war-scarred country reported power outages. "These are vile strikes on critical objects," Mr. Zelensky said earlier Saturday. "The world can and must stop this terror." Power outages were reported in other parts of the country and local officials repeated calls to reduce energy use. Some parts of Ukraine have already cut their electricity use by up to 20 percent, according to Ukrenergo.

Read more Subscribers only Facing Russian attacks and an electricity crisis, residents of Stepnohirsk find hope in their 'big, beautiful family'

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In the Russian Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, at least two civilians were killed in strikes on Saturday, according to the local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Nearly 15,000 people were left without electricity, he added.

Russia last week reported a "considerable increase" in Ukrainian fire into its territory, saying attacks had largely concentrated on Belgorod region and neighbouring regions of Bryansk and Kursk.

Le Monde with AP and AFP
This combination of file pictures created on January 6, 2022 shows US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on September 29, 2021 in Washington, DC; and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, on February 23, 2021. ALEXEI DRUZHININ, ROD LAMKEY / AFP

Russia's defence minister held rare telephone talks with his US counterpart Friday, after pro-Kremlin officials said they were turning Ukraine's southern city of Kherson into a "fortress" as Kyiv's forces advance. Few details emerged of the conversation between Russia's Sergei Shoigu and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, but both sides confirmed they had discussed Ukraine.

"Topical issues of international security  including the situation in Ukraine were discussed," said Russia's defence ministry. "Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine," a US military spokesman said.

It was only the second call between the ministers since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24. Back in May, Austin had urged Moscow to implement an "immediate ceasefire". At the time, Russia's invading force had been beaten back from the capital Kyiv but were making steady gains in the eastern Donbas and Kharkiv regions and had consolidated their position in the south.

Six months on, however, Ukraine's forces have pushed back. Kyiv's forces in recent weeks  aided by Western weapons  have been advancing along the west bank of the Dnieper river towards the region's main city Kherson. The first major city to fall to Moscow's troops, retaking it would be a significant prize in Ukraine's counter-offensive.

Read more Subscribers only The lesser-known weapons helping Ukraine fight back against Russia

Kyiv said Friday it had retaken a total of 88 towns and villages in the region since launching its offensive to retake Kherson in the late summer while President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the capture of Russian arms by his forces in the region.

'Fortress' Kherson

Moscow-installed authorities in the region on Friday accused Kyiv's forces of attacking a bridge being used by civilians. "Four people were killed," pro-Moscow official Kirill Stremousov said on Telegram. "The city of Kherson, like a fortress, is preparing for its defence."

Russian investigators said later two of the dead were journalists and that 13 people had been wounded. A Ukrainian military spokeswoman Nataliya Gumenyuk denied Kyiv's forces were responsible, saying they did not target local populations. Kyiv has denounced the organised movement of Kherson residents to Russia and other Moscow-controlled regions as "deportations" of Ukrainian citizens.

More on this topic Subscribers only Blinken, Austin, Sullivan: President Biden's men handling the Ukraine response

Zelensky told European leaders Thursday that Russian forces had mined the nearby Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant with the intent of blowing it up. Its destruction could cause flash-flooding for hundreds of thousands of people, he warned. On Friday, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmygal called for an international monitoring mission to deploy at the dam.

Cutting water supplies to the south could also hit the cooling systems of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, he added. Both sides have accused the other of repeatedly shelling the nuclear facility, endangering operations.

Grain shipments 'delayed'

Ukraine's push in the south comes after a sweeping counter-offensive in the northeast Kharkiv region that has badly impaired Russia's supply routes and logistics corridors in the eastern Donbas region. But Russian forces have continued shelling the region's largest city, Kharkiv, and the presidency said six people were wounded Friday when "industrial infrastructure" was hit in the city.

Also Friday, the Ukraine presidency said Russian forces were shelling sections along the entire front line of Donbas and that two had been killed in the Donetsk region.

And later Friday, Mr. Zelensky accused Russia of "deliberately delaying the passage of ships" exporting grain from Ukrainian ports bound for countries in Africa and Asia. "Russia is doing everything to ensure that at least hundreds of thousands of these people become forced migrants, who will seek asylum... or die of hunger," he said in his nightly video address. More than 150 ships had been affected, he said, listing Algeria, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia as among the countries hit by the delays.

In late July, Turkey and the United Nations brokered a landmark deal with Moscow and Kyiv that designated three Black Sea ports for Ukraine to send much-needed grain supplies through a Russian blockade. Russia has complained its own exports have suffered and contended that most deliveries were arriving to Europe, rather than poor countries where grain is most needed.

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Read more Subscribers only War in Ukraine: Crimea, the Russian annexation troubling the West

Moscow's forces have carried out a series of strikes targeting Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure in recent days with drones the West says were supplied by Iran  an issue France, Britain and Germany said Friday should be investigated by the United Nations. The UN ambassadors of the three countries wrote in a letter that they were "deeply concerned by the transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Iran to Russia in violation" of a Security Council resolution. "These UAVs are being used by Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine in attacks against civilian infrastructure and cities across Ukraine, leading to the death of innocent civilians," they wrote.

Le Monde with AFP
THE JOYCE Brothers and Ballyhoura walking festivals were a celebration of music and stunning countryside but also of culinary delights.

Kilfinane Community Council hosted a very successful cultural food fair at Ballyhoura Apple Farm which dished up tasty treats to 500 people. Local residents from 13 different nations prepared traditional dishes from their home countries .

Ruth McAuliffe, chairperson of Kilfinane Community Council, said they received very positive feedback from locals as well as from visitors attending the walking and music festivals. It brings to mind Shakespeares phrase, If music be the food of love, play on.

We timed it so people attending music workshops and returning from walks could also attend but we were amazed at the turnout. There was a queue going the whole way along the apple farm for an hour and a half. We had bought compostable plates, cups and cutlery and ran out of the 300 plates after only half an hour! We still had plenty of bowls and cups left and enough food to feed people for another hour after that, said Ms McAuliffe.

The cuisine didnt cost a cent!

A lot of people were surprised that the food was free but I feel its important to do it this way because for me, the focus is on bringing people together in Kilfinane. We heard some comments from older residents saying it reminds them of years ago when there was a fair held in Kilfinane and that it is a great social event. Its lovely to hear things like this. The people cooking love taking part, said Ms McAuliffe.

Kilfinane Community Council held the cultural food fair in 2019 but then Covid arrived in 2020.

We had been asked a few times earlier this year if we would be doing it again. We still had people asking the day before if they could cook food! It was too late then for this year but we will be planning even earlier to do this again next year so hopefully they will participate then.

We are grateful to everyone who participated and helped out in any way especially our own Kilfinane Community Council members, people who cooked the delicious food, Scoil Pol students who volunteered, Ballyhoura Apple Farm for the lovely venue, TUS workers for setting up the marquees and flags, Ballyhoura CCE musicians for the music, children in Scoil Fhionain for making the colourful flags and Ballyhoura Development for helping us source funding, said Ms McAuliffe, who also thanked the good people of Kildorrery and Galbally for their generosity.
MORE than 300 people from across Limerick attended the Salesian Primary School Fashion Show which had to be postponted in 2020 due to Covid-19.

The show, at the Limerick Strand Hotel, was produced and directed by Asta Lee and the Holman Lee Agency and showcased fashion from all over Limerick city and county.

Teachers from the school, including Principal Claire Rea and Deputy Principal Aine Ahern graced the catwalk with loads of support from the crowd.

Commenting afterwards, Ms Rea said. "I am so delighted to be here, Id like to say a big thank you to the committee and our parents' association for organising this event. We will use the funds for a sensory room and to renovate and extend our school library. The last fashion show in 2018, helped to create our meditation room and a science room for all of our children to enjoy and learn in"

The Salesians Primary School Fashion Show was originally scheduled March 26, 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid lockdown.

The resilience of the committee, including chairperson Anna Walsh, meant the Fashion Show finally proceeded after three years.

"We are very excited to finally be here tonight and to have this night of fashion and fun while raising funds for a school that is so close to all of our hearts," said Ms Walsh.

Over 3,000 worth of prizes were given out on the night with a raffle and giving tree. The event, which attracted a large crowd, also included a Prosecco reception was a huge success.

The stars of the night included several dads and school caretaker Eoin O'Brien, Brian Ahern, Dave Power and Paul McCarthy all modelling for local store Connolly Man.

There were plenty of festive season offerings on show including from Brown Thomas, Ivory Closet, Marion Murphy Cooney and Caroline Mitchell.
Lincoln University of Missouri has joined a consortium of universities preparing college students for careers in U.S. intelligence agencies as part of a $2.5 million grant from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The grant will fund creation of the new Midwest-Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence on the Saint Louis University campus to recruit and educate talented students interested in careers in intelligence and national security. Students at Lincoln, Saint Louis University and Harris-Stowe State University are eligible for the program.

The Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence program began in 2005. The competitive program is designed to meet the demand for a diverse corps of professionals serving in national security. The grant will fund the design and development of intelligence-related curriculum and training opportunities in the nations intelligence and national security priorities and obligations. Students will partake in a variety of initiatives such as on-campus and virtual events, scholarships, travel and study abroad. An intelligence conference will take place in spring 2023.

The Midwest-Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence will allow university faculty, staff, students and intelligence community members to work collaboratively in engaged learning and teaching experiences. The leadership team will focus on student success, building vital partnerships and bringing individuals together in an active learning community. Program leaders include Joe Lyons and Steven Winton of Saint Louis University, Michael Bardot of Lincoln and Gary Higgs of Harris-Stowe State University.

The grant includes five years of funding for program development plus an option for four additional years of sustainment funding to ensure long-term program viability.
A slate of flop Bollywood movies have hit Indias top cinemas hard, leaving the industry to bank heavily on the current festive quarter to revive its fortunes

Inox and PVR, the top multiplex operators in the country who reported results this week, both blamed a lack of good content for lackluster second-quarter performance, and said they are betting on the third quarter to put them back on a growth track.

"Q3 is crucial (for the companies)," said Karan Taurani, an analyst at Elara Capital.

Audiences have traditionally flocked to theatres during India's busy festival season, which culminates in the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, which will be celebrated on Monday.

Producers save the biggest films of the year for a Diwali release, and the industry expects them to do well during this period, but it may not be quite as festive this year.

"Even the Q3 releases, which happen to take place during the festive season, are somewhat muted and underwhelming in the response they are getting," film producer and trade analyst Girish Johar said.

Occupancy rates at Inox were at 17% for the quarter, with PVR at 24%, analysts at domestic brokerage and research firm Nirmal Bang said, blaming the lackluster attendance on "poor consumer connect with the content released in the second quarter."

In the first quarter, Inox reported a 29% occupancy rate, while PVR said its rate was 33.6% in the same period.

The two chains are set to merge in an all-stock deal and become the country's largest exhibition company with 1,546 screens across 109 cities.

"We all know that occupancy is related to the content which we are showing. And we have some major challenges with the content in Q2," Inox Chief Executive Alok Tandon said in an earnings call on Wednesday.

In addition, the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime during the COVID pandemic has combined with growing Bollywood fatigue among younger generations who view many of its movies as outdated and unfashionable.

"Ram Setu" (The Bridge of Lord Ram) and "Thank God" are the two main Bollywood releases scheduled for next week, both starring actors who have proven to be a hit at the box office in the past.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - Some 15 suspected terrorists were neutralized on Monday in response to an attack that killed four civilians in western Burkina Faso, the army announced in a statement on Friday evening
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson could have the support of 100 Members of Parliament that is required to contest in the race to succeed Liz Truss as the country's next Prime Minister. Boris Johnson, who was ousted as the Prime Minister in July came back to the country cutting short his Caribbean trip in a bid to reportedly contest in the leadership race.

The 58-year-old leader has so far not made his decision to contest in the race publically but multiple reports now claim he has acquired the support of 100 MPs required to be shortlisted in the party election.

Earlier, UK trade minister and Johnson supporter James Duddridge had claimed Johnson had told him he is "up for it" in reference to the former Prime Minister's contention in the contest.

However, Johnson's bid to contest the elections for the top post has been criticized by members of the opposition as well as his own party. Former Deputy Prime Minister in the Johnson government Dominic Raab had criticized Johnson's contention saying inquiry into the "Partygate" scandal could prove too distracting.

He added, "We cannot go backwards. We cannot have another episode of the groundhog day, of the soap opera, of partygate. We must get the country and the government moving forward,"

Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak has also garnered the support of 100 MPs and could well be facing his old boss in the online Tory membership vote due to happen next week.

Rishi had the right plan in the summer and I think it is the right plan now," Raab told the BBC while speaking about Sunak's candidature.

He added, "I think he is the best-placed candidate to provide some stability, to provide confidence for the millions of workers and businesses up and down the country."

While both Sunak and Johnson have left it to their allies to make their intentions for the Tory race clear, Cabinet member Penny Mordaunt became the first leader to declare her candidature. The 49-year-old leader said she was running for "a fresh start, a united party, and leadership in the national interest."

Rumors are also ripe among backers of both candidates that the two leaders may strike some kind of a deal.
A human shadow on the steps of a bank in Hiroshima, following the explosion of the nuclear bomb in August 1945. (Image credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

(opens in new tab)

Black shadows of humans and objects, like bicycles, were found scattered across the sidewalks and buildings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki , two of the largest cities in Japan, in the wake of the atomic blast detonated over each city on Aug. 6 and 9, 1945, respectively.

It's hard to fathom that these shadows likely encapsulated each person's last moments. But how did these shadows come to be?

According to Dr. Michael Hartshorne, emeritus trustee of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and professor emeritus of radiology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, when each bomb exploded, the intense light and heat spread out from the point of implosion. Objects and people in its path shielded objects behind them by absorbing the light and energy. The surrounding light bleached the concrete or stone around the "shadow."

In other words, those eerie shadows are actually how the sidewalk or building looked, more or less, before the nuclear blast. It's just that the rest of the surfaces were bleached, making the regularly colored area look like a dark shadow.

Related: Why do nuclear bombs form mushroom clouds?

Powered by fission

The intense energy released during an atomic explosion is the result of nuclear fission . According to the Atomic Heritage Foundation , a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., fission occurs when a neutron strikes the nucleus of a heavy atom, like the isotopes uranium 235 or plutonium 239. (An isotope is an element with varying numbers of neutrons in its nucleus.) During the collision, the element's nucleus is broken apart, releasing a large amount of energy. The initial collision sets off a chain reaction that continues until all of the parent material is exhausted.

"The chain reaction occurs in a pattern of exponential growth that last[s] a millisecond or so," said Alex Wellerstein, an assistant professor of science and technology studies at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. "This reaction splits about a trillion, trillion atoms in that period of time before the reaction stop[s]."

The atomic weapons used in the 1945 attacks were fueled by uranium 235 and plutonium 239 and released a massive amount of heat and very shortwave, gamma radiation.

Energy flows as photon waves of varying lengths, including in long waves, like radio waves , and in shortwaves, like X-rays and gamma-rays . Between long waves and shortwaves lie visible wavelengths that contain energy that our eyes perceive as colors. However, unlike energy with longer waves, gamma radiation is destructive to the human body because it can pass through clothing and skin, causing ionizations, or the loss of electrons, that damage tissue and DNA , according to Columbia University .

The gamma radiation released by the atomic bombs also traveled as thermal energy that could reach 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,538 degrees Celsius), Real Clear Science reported. When the energy hit an object, like a bicycle or a person, the energy was absorbed, shielding objects in the path and creating a bleaching effect outside the shadow.

In fact, there were likely many shadows initially, but "most of the shadows would have been destroyed by subsequent blast waves and heat," Hartshorne told Live Science.

A person's shadow on bank steps in Hiroshima, Japan, which was created during the 1945 nuclear blast. (Image credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Fat Man and Little Boy

On Aug. 6, 1945, an atomic bomb nicknamed Little Boy detonated 1,900 feet (580 meters) above Hiroshima, Japan's seventh-largest city. According to the World Nuclear Association , the explosion was equivalent to 16,000 tons (14,500 metric tons) of TNT exploding, which sent a pulse of thermal energy rippling across the city. The pulse flattened 5 square miles (13 square kilometers) of the city. Almost one-quarter of the population of Hiroshima died immediately. Another quarter died of the effects of radiation poisoning and cancer in the months that followed.

Three days after that blast, the United States detonated a second atomic bomb, nicknamed Fat Man, over Nagasaki. The plutonium 239 bomb released a 21,000-ton (19,000 metric tons) explosion that produced similar patterns of destruction and death across the city.

Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender on Aug. 15 and signed the formal declaration on Sept. 2, 1945, ending the hostilities in the Pacific War and bringing World War II to a close.

Related: How does an atomic clock work?

Remembrance

The United States targeted both Japanese cities during the war for their military significance. As time has passed, the long-term consequences of the radiation released by each bomb has raised significant questions about their use. Many of the shadows etched into the stone were lost to weathering and erosion by wind and water. Several nuclear shadows have been removed and preserved in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum for future generations to ponder these events.

"I think it is very important to keep in mind the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons," Wellerstein told Live Science. "It is very easy to regard these weapons as tools of statecraft and not weapons of mass destruction. The nuclear shadows serve as a potent reminder of the human cost of [atomic weapon] use."

Originally published on Live Science.
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Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan and Maltese officials discussed on Friday in Valletta the initiative of connecting electricity and securing energy supply for both countries to realize the best investment of Libya's renewable energy sources
The Taoiseach has defended the Irish Governments response to the accommodation shortage for Ukrainian refugees, describing it as remarkably fast.

Micheal Martin admitted it was not satisfactory that more than 30 Ukrainian refugees were left without accommodation on Friday.

But he rejected the suggestion that the increased numbers of refugees arriving in the country was predicted months ago.

It has emerged that more than 30 Ukrainian refugees were left without accommodation on Friday.

It comes after the Government admitted on Thursday that it cannot rule out that Ukrainian refugees will not end up on the streets due to a shortage of accommodation.

Speaking ahead of the Cairde Fail dinner in Dublin on Saturday, Mr Martin said it was not a fair argument to suggest that the Government should have predicted the need for accommodation.

The figures were not expected to be higher, he said.

Certainly not before the summer they were not expected to be anywhere near higher levels than we currently have.

And the state hasnt been slow. The state has been remarkably fast, I would argue, in terms of responding to a wartime situation, the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Second World War.

Weve witnessed the displacement of well over six million people and Ireland in percentage terms per capita terms has responded in my view, in an extraordinary way, an unprecedented way, in terms of the sheer numbers weve already accommodated.

He added: Just because somebody said there could be 200,000, doesnt mean you magic up 200,000 spaces overnight.

Up to 55,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the country since the outbreak of the war in February.

Mr Martin said the Government was urgently seeking further accommodation, admitting it was under pressure.

Asked whether he knew the exact numbers of refugees being told there is no accommodation, Mr Martin replied: Thirty-three is the number I have now and I believe some have gone back to the airport.

The Fianna Fail leader added that the Government will do everything it can to speed things up to accommodate the increasing numbers of refugees.

Some countries have had people in tents for quite a long time because of the sheer numbers fleeing war, the Taoiseach said.

So I think this is not just an Irish phenomenon. It is a European-wide phenomenon, unfortunately.

We certainly will do everything we can to speed things up and get more accommodation into play.

Earlier Junior Minister Martin Heyden said it was disappointing that refugees did not have accommodation, adding that it was not the space the Government wanted to be in.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth confirmed to the PA news agency on Saturday that 33 refugees, all single men, were told on Friday that there was no accommodation available for them.

A spokesman said: Thirty-three people, all single males, were informed yesterday that no accommodation was available and asked to provide contact details for when it does become available.

The Citywest transit hub, which processes new arrivals, has reached capacity. It is understood some slept in Dublin Airport overnight.

Mr Heyden told RTEs Saturday with Katie Hannon that from Monday an overnight facility will be in place at Dublin Airport to take in refugees who arrive on late flights, before being processed at the Citywest transit hub the next day.

He said an increase in people coming from Ukraine has put stress and strain on the system.

He added: We cant guarantee everybody who comes here a bed now because of the situation were in. We have to be honest and upfront about that while we redouble our efforts, work across Government, across State agencies to develop those medium term solutions.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said on Thursday night that the Citywest transit centre had reached capacity amid a severe constraint on suitable accommodation.

A group representing NGOs said that pregnant women and the elderly were sleeping on chairs and on the floor at the overcrowded Citywest facility.
Local News, Crime

By Long Island Published: October 22 2022

John OKelly, of East Williston is charged with felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers and interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder, as well as related misdemeanor offenses.

A Long Island man was arrested today on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement officers, for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

John OKelly, 66, of East Williston, New York, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers and interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder, as well as related misdemeanor offenses. OKelly was arrested in East Williston. He later is expected to make his initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York.

According to court documents, on the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, OKelly illegally made his way to the West front of the Capitol grounds where rioters were fighting with law enforcement officers attempting to maintain a police barrier. At approximately 2:28 pm, OKelly emerged from the crowd and grabbed at the baton of an officer, attempting to take the weapon from the officer. The officer fought back and was able to keep the baton in his possession. OKelly then took a step back and pushed a metal bike rack being used to secure the perimeter into the line of officers.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York.

The case is being investigated by the FBIs New York Field Office and its Long Island Resident Agency, and the FBIs Washington Field Office, which identified OKelly as #294 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 21 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 880 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
(Alliance News) - Rishi Sunak is believed to have become the first Conservative leadership candidate to secure the backing of 100 members of Parliament, shoring up sufficient support to be on the ballot for Monday's vote.

On Friday night the former chancellor's supporters said he had amassed the necessary numbers to reach the threshold, way ahead of the deadline.

Boris Johnson was lagging behind, as was Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt who became the first to confirm her candidacy to replace Liz Truss as prime minister.

But Johnson has told allies he is "up for it" and was flying back overnight from his holiday in the Dominican Republic to enter the race and attempt an extraordinary comeback.

Sky News photographed the ex-PM and his wife Carrie Johnson on an overnight British Airways flight back from the Dominican Republic with their children and said the MP received "one or two boos" as he boarded.

There was speculation among backers of the old Downing Street neighbours that they could strike a deal to stand together, but this would need them both to bury a lot of rancour.

Sunak, who came second against Truss in the last race six weeks ago, has around 82 public declarations, far ahead Johnson's 48, while Mordaunt struggles on 18.

But a source in the former chancellor's camp told the PA news agency he had won the backing of 100 colleagues to make it to the next stage.

Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out, with a result being announced on Friday.

Johnson won the support of six Cabinet ministers: Ben Wallace, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke, Chris Heaton-Harris, Alok Sharma and Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Rees-Mogg said Tory party members should decide who is the next leader rather than MPs, telling the Daily Telegraph's Chopper's Politics podcast that returning Johnson to No 10 would calm the stock markets.

The business secretary said Johnson's reinstalment would provide financial stability because it would mean the general election would not need to be held until late 2024.

Rees-Mogg added: "I'm always in favour of the members deciding the leadership  I think that's the right place for it to go. And I think the 1922 Committee and the board of the Tory Party have done really well to get it to a position where that can be done swiftly. I'm in favour of it going to the membership."

He went on to say that it was "an error" for Tory MPs to dump Johnson, adding: "Boris Johnson's attraction is that he is a big, charismatic political figure who is able to get things done and who is able to connect with voters in a way that no other politician of this era can."

Rees-Mogg's market prediction was contrary to that of some economists, with the head of currency strategy at Rabobank, Jane Foley, telling the Financial Times Johnson's time in office had been characterised by "a lack of leadership from a government very distracted by one scandal after another", and "the chance that that could come back is not going to be welcomed by markets".

Analysts at Berenberg Bank said there were greater market risks from a Johnson government, with FT reporting the bank told its clients: "Given that a majority of Conservative MPs probably do not want Johnson as their leader, the prospects of mass resignations and a further descent into chaos would loom large."

It came as former Tory leader William Hague warned Johnson's return would lead to a "death spiral" for the Conservative Party.

"And I think it's possibly the worst idea I've heard of in the 46 years I've been a member of the Conservative Party," he told Times Radio.

Neither Johnson or Sunak have officially launched their campaigns, unlike Mordaunt who put her name forward with a pledge to re-unite the bitterly divided Tory Party.

The Leader of the House  who finished third in the last leadership election  said she had been encouraged by the support she had received from fellow Conservative MPs.

"I've been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest," she said in a statement posted on social media.

"I'm running to be the leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister  to unite our country, deliver our pledges and win the next [general election]."

The announcement from Mordaunt came after she assured Jeremy Hunt he could stay on as chancellor if she won.

Johnson's supporters have been urging him to mount a comeback six weeks after he left No 10 when he was forced to resign by a Cabinet rebellion over a series of scandals.

Ally James Duddridge said Johnson has told him he is "up for it", and would head back from his Caribbean holiday and land in the UK on Saturday.

The trade minister told the PA news agency: "I've been in contact with the boss via WhatsApp.

"He's going to fly back. He said, 'I'm flying back, Dudders. We are going to do this. I'm up for it'."

Some MPs have warned they would resign the Tory whip and sit in the Commons as independents if Johnson returns to Downing Street.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace ruled himself out as a candidate, saying he was "leaning towards" backing his long-time ally Johnson.

Wallace praised his record on investing in defence and pointing to the "huge majority" he won in 2019.

He told broadcasters: "This will be potentially our third prime minister since the general election of 2019  that means we have to think about that legitimacy question that the public will be asking themselves, and also about who could win the next election  that's obviously important for any political party at the time."

Candidates have until 2pm on Monday to secure the 100 nominations, limiting the ballot to a maximum of three candidates.

Supporters of Johnson believe that if he can make it to the last two, he will win in the final online ballot of party activists with whom he remains hugely popular.

Sunak won the backing of Sajid Javid, his predecessor as chancellor who backed Truss in the last race and Johnson in 2019.

Javid said Sunak has the "values our party needs" to help them "move on from the mistakes of the past".

Former minister Johnny Mercer also backed Sunak, and argued he could not put himself or his constituents through another Johnson administration after the "terrible" lows last time around.

"Boris is a friend of mine, I love him to bits, he's a great guy, but I just don't think I can put myself through that again. I don't think I can ask my constituents to, I don't think I can ask my staff" he told BBC Radio 4's PM programme.

"I love Boris to bits, and he's got amazing qualities for this country, but it is now time for serious, competent, straight-forward and values-based governance."

By Sam Blewett, Gavin Cordon and Amy Gibbons, PA Political Staff

source: PA

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Maxs Restaurant, the iconic Filipino restaurant chain famous for its Sarap-to-the-Bones Fried Chicken is celebrated its 77th anniversary last October 18.

The brand looks back to where it all began amidst the ashes of the Post-World-War-2 era, when Stanford-educated teacher Maximo Gimenez would host his American GI friends for drinks in his home along Scout Tuazon, Quezon Citywith his niece Ruby Trota giving birth to the signature fried chicken recipe, with its iconic pairing of Banana Ketchup and a tangy dash of Worcestershire Sauce to go with a hearty side of kamote fries and piping-hot dinner rolls.

Since then, this home-crafted dish has grown to become a sentimental favorite among generations of Pinoy families, both in the Philippines and across such geographies as the United States of America, Canada, the Middle East, and Singapore, where Maxs has likewise spread through the decades to bring pride to Filipino cuisine. Thus, as a way to give thanks to both new and loyal fans, special deals and surprises are lined up throughout the entire month of October.





A TRIBUTE TO MAX: RUBY

This momentous 77th anniversary pays homage to its founders, Maximo Gimenez and Nanay Ruby by sharing an exclusive treat with anyone bearing the same name. Diners who have either Max or Ruby in their name can get a free Pancit from October 18-23, 2022. They simply need to show their identification or social media account to the store to avail this beloved Maxs house special for a minimum purchase of P 500.





PINOY CELEBRATION STICKERS

As brand that is proudly Filipino, Maxs will be collaborating with popular Pinoy artists for limited-edition sticker packs that reflect the fun and vibrant culture of the country as well as the brands signature favorite dishes. This year, the brand is glad to partner with award-winning illustrator Robert Alejandro, one of the pillars of Papemelroti; critically-acclaimed artist Manix Abrera, the man behind the popular Kikomachine Komix; and Chinggay Nuque, widely known as Tita Witty, the creator and co-owner of fun and humorous journals of Witty Will Save the World.





CHICKIE BOY CHALLENGE

Dancing will always be part of any celebration, as any true-blooded Filipino would tell you. For the anniversary month, Maxs trademark mascot Chickie Boy will be inviting everyone to a dance challenge through Instagram and Facebook. Check out the link posted on the brands social media pages to start busting a move or interacting with Chickie Boy. Fans who use the filterwhether as a post, a story, or a reel, get a free ice-cold Samalamig of their choice. Just show the post using the filter at any branch across the country.





MAXS WISHBONE

For 77 years, Maxs has been spreading happiness through good food. To bring more joy and surprise to its valued guests, it will act as a virtual wishbone for Pinoys by giving out special Maxs wish packages to 77 lucky fans. This will be done through an online contest. Just state the reason why a loved one deserves a celebration at Maxs, and share the brand post on Facebook. The first 77 to share the post and their party wish will win a set meal worth P 8,000.

CHECK ALSO: MAX'S 77TH ANNIVERSARY PROMOS





1945 BUNDLE

Since 1945, Maxs has been the go-to place for sumptuous Pinoy dishes. To mark this memorable year, its offering the 1945 bundle which consists of the following favorites, new and old:

Regular Whole Chicken

 Lechon Kawali Kare-Kare

Any Regular Pancit

Medium Buko Pandan

Pepsi Pitcher (dine-in) or a 1.5L Pepsi (take-out or delivery)

 Large Plain Rice

The set is appropriately priced at only P1,945, offering savings of as much as P 725. It can be purchased for dine-in, take-out, or delivery. Orders can be made through delivery.maxchicken.com or 888-79000 (Metro Manila).





NEW BREAKFAST OFFERS

This exciting month is also the launch of its new delightful breakfast offers that will officially kick off this October 21 to show a new dawn for Maxs amidst a global pandemic. Diners can now enjoy all-day breakfast favorites such as Corned Beef, Vigan Longganisa, Liempo Bacon Chips, and Omelettes complete with two sunny-side-up eggs, garlic rice, and side relish.

For a complete weekend morning feast for the whole family, theres also the Breakfast Set Meal that comes with the new dishes, fruit platter, and coffee, perfect for sharing any time of the day. This is available for dine-in for only P 1699. Another one to look forward to for go-anywhere gatherings is theindulgent Breakfast Tray that will keep everyone full. Each tray is packed with Corned Beef, ViganLongganisa, Liempo Bacon Chips, your choice of Omelette, Pickled Cucumber, and Rice for only P 1899 (take-out). The Breakfast Tray will be available starting November.





SPECIAL SWEET TREATS

Any celebration calls for sweet treats! Starting October 14, Maxs will be offering its Anniversary Message Cake through its Maxs Corner Bakery imprint, designed to bring joy to any occasion. Its a soft, fluffy chiffon cake designed with elegant rosette buttercream icing and colorful sprinkles in vibrant, unexpectedly modern hues. Guests can choose from three all-time favorite flavors to indulge inVanilla, Mocha, and Chocolate for only P 549 (dine-in).





CHECK ALSO: MAX'S P 77 OFF ON ENSAIMADA PROMO

Further commemorating the brands 77 th anniversary, its also offering P77 off for every purchase of a box of six Ensaimadas (Classic, Yema, or Chocolate) or Mamon starting October 7. Visit the official Facebook page at @MaxsRestaurant and use the hashtag








The United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin is normally filled with celebrities from all orders, but this year Brad Pitt has been garnering much attention and his steps are being followed closely, specially after reports emerged of his negotiations with the F1 regarding his upcoming movie in which he'll portray a veteran driver.

Brad Pitt met with Formula 1's top executives

Brad Pitt arrived earlier than what most celebrities attending the US Grand Prix do and his reasoning to do so might be his upcoming Formula 1 movie and how he wants to absorb a much knowledge as he can while talking to team executives and spending as much time as he can in the paddock alongside the drivers.

The actor was joined by producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski during his meetings with the F1's team bosses and gave them an input about his plans for the movie.

The group sees this movie as racing's equivalent of the movie "Top Gun: Maverick", coincidentally produced by Bruckheimer.

F1's CEO talked about Brad Pitt's upcoming movie

This movie will have seven-time world champion driver, Lewis Hamilton as a producer and F1's CEO, Stefano Domenicali explained how all teams and drivers will be involved in the project, which will include real cars and their actual sponsors in the big screen, and thinks it's some serious stuff.

"I'm very excited because we are somewhere where people think, 'What's next?'", he told Motorsport.com before adding that this will help them to continue growing the sport.

"We truly believe that it will enable F1 to be in another dimension that was not explored so deeply, and so well, until today. You will see a lot of things will happen next year on the preparation, and it's exciting because all the teams will be involved, the drivers, everyone. So it's fantastic.", Domenicali acknowledged.
A case of bullying has left the community in Arving, California outraged.

A boy in a blue T-shirt can be seen with several children around him cutting his hair.

While this is going on, other children are laughing and recording the scene with their cell phones, but none come forward to help or get the others to stop.

Outrage on social media

On social media, several people came to the defense of the child, whose name is unknown.

"Poor baby. And he has special needs too. They took full advantage of him!@arvinhighschool give a solution," wrote one Twitter user.

Others added to the condemnations: "They are going to pay for what they did. Poor little guy how I wish I could hug him. My blood is burning, I can already imagine how the mom feels."

School statement

"Regarding the recent events at Arvin High School, please know that the school has taken and will continue to take action. Due to the age of those involved, disciplinary actions will remain confidential. We appreciate your strong emotions and anger at the incident. The school staff shares your feelings. We do not allow these actions and please know that we educate against bullying."

Despite the official statement from the school, several people protested outside the facility asking for the sanctions to be made public.

They also asked that the school security guards who did nothing to prevent the act be sanctioned as well.

Micah Parsons responds

The Dallas Cowboys player posted a tweet asking for someone to put him in contact with the child.

Parsons has a history of reaching out and helping others. In June, he gave $120 to several people so they could fill up their gas tanks.

Before joining the Cowboys, he fulfilled a promise to buy a house for his mother.

Social media have praised his actions, though it's still unknown whether he as able to get in contact with the child and his family.

Meanwhile, there is already a fundraiser to help the child. Set up by Samantha Alcala, a woman who works in the district.

So far, she has raised more than $25,000 dollars. The money will go to a school fund in the child's name.
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
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
The internet has been buzzing a lot lately, thanks to Heineken Silvers launch party that is doing the rounds online.

Believe us when we say that the stellar launch of Heineken Silver at UB Tower held last weekend was an absolute banger. It included a curated immersive experience that combined the best of cutting-edge tech with virtual reality and sci-fi vibes. But what really stole the show was the state-ofthe-art synchronised projection mapping of the iconic UB Tower itself.

When we realised where our favourite internet stars had gone after they vanished, what was unveiled was truly amazing.

Heineken

Recently, influencers like Karan Tacker, Krishna Shroff, BeYouNick and Apoorva Arora vanished into thin air. And once their disappearances were all anyone could talk about, we found out that they had gone to witness the birth of Heineken Silver.

What it resulted in was what we call the coolest event of the year  Indias first-of-its-kind, most memorable launch party! How exciting is that?

Heineken Silvers Smoothest Mega Party is the talk of the town

The unexpectedly smooooth Heineken Silvers Smoothest Mega Party was a FOMO-inducing launch of every Gen Z-ers dream, packed with exciting engagement zones and special experiences for attendees.

With dynamic screens, the smooth tunnels at the entry points set the tone as gateways to the futuristic Silververse!

Heineken is renowned for its magnificent events, but this was unexpected in the best possible way.

Its definitely set a new standard for launches with the best fusion of music, technology, and alluring experiences.

Held at one of the most happening landmarks in Bangalore, the launch welcomed many prominent stars as well. Even after the main event, UB Tower remained lit by some absolutely stunning projection mapping sequences  like the space-man who danced into the night along with the audience.

Heineken

Here are some bits from the smoooothest party in town

Heineken

A VR Zone, LED Bar & So Much More! A spectacular VR zone, where the audience stepped into the virtual Silververse

Heineken Kicks, an artistic pair of sneakers with beer in their soles (literally) designed and produced exclusively by the Shoe Surgeon  Dominic Chambrone  stars like Nikhil Chinapa, Jordindian and other sneakerheads were seen vibing with it

The countrys first dynamic, curved LED bar, which was lit  literally and metaphorically A dedicated photo zone but get this  it was not just any photo zone! Images captured on camera were simultaneously projected onto the UB Tower!

Heineken

Feeling more FOMO? Word has it that the Silververse is headed to Mumbais MMRDA Grounds on November 5!

Follow Heineken Silver on their official IG handle  @heineken_in

Get ready, Mumbai, and stay tuned for more info!

Have you experienced the smoooothness yet?


There is a powerful view among many researchers that this apparently growing incidence of hunger should not be taken as evidence of people becoming worse off over time.

by Prabhat Patnaik

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) for 2022 has just come out, which shows India occupying the 107th position among the 121 countries for which the index is prepared (countries where hunger is not a noteworthy problem are left out of the index). Indias score on the hunger index is 29.1 which is worse than the score of 28.2 it had in 2014. (The lower the figure the less is hunger). One is so bombarded these days by official talk about India being among the fastest-growing economies of the world, India within sight of becoming a $5 trillion economy, and India being an emerging economic power, that news such as the GHI brings one down to earth. Ironically, the only country in South Asia that is below India on the hunger index, and that too only marginally, is war-ravaged Afghanistan (rank 109); the rank of crisis-hit Sri Lanka is 64, of Nepal 81, of Bangladesh 84 and of Pakistan 99.

Per capita consumption is not the only way to measure poverty and so there have been attempts to develop other methods, but data deficiency and excessive subjectivity have been problems [ Photo: Mint, India]

The GHI news however should come as no surprise. The fact that hunger in the country is acute and growing, has been pointed out by several scholars. They have used data on per capita daily calorie intake, and per capita annual foodgrain availability to make this point. And they have argued that since growing hunger is a symptom of growing poverty, a proposition that the Planning Commission had originally accepted, the period of neo-liberalism which has seen secularly growing hunger culminating in this years GHI, despite the much lauded high GDP growth, must also be a period of growing absolute poverty.

The evidence on secularly growing hunger in the neo-liberal period is quite overwhelming. If we take 1993-94 and 2011-12, the first an NSS large sample year closest to the beginning of neo-liberalism, and the second the last NSS large sample year for which data have been released by the government, we find that the proportion of the population below 2200 calories per person per day in rural India increased from 58 to 68 per cent; the corresponding figures for urban India where the benchmark was 2100 calories per person per day increased from 57 to 65 per cent. The figures for 2017-18, another NSS large sample year, were apparently so appalling that the government decided to suppress them altogether, and even to discontinue the NSS in the old form. But leaked data show that per capita real expenditure for rural India as a whole had fallen by 9 per cent between 2011-12 and 2017-18.

There is however a powerful view among many researchers that this apparently growing incidence of hunger should not be taken as evidence of people becoming worse off over time. There are two strands of this argument. One states that because of pervasive mechanisation, the drudgery of manual work has declined over time, so that working people these days do not need as many calories as they used to earlier. They spend less on food than they used to, and diversify their spending towards other ends. The second strand does not mention the decline in the extent of arduous work, but simply states that people are voluntarily diversifying their expenditure away from such elementary goods as foodgrains, towards both more refined and sophisticated food items, and also towards other commodities like childrens education and proper healthcare.

On both these counts according to them, the decline in per capita foodgrain absorption is symptomatic not of a worsening living standard as of an improvement in living standard; hence to draw conclusions about growing poverty from what appears at first sight as growing hunger (but in fact is a voluntary reduction of foodgrain consumption as part of a better life), is entirely illegitimate. The incidence of poverty, it follows, is not growing but declining, as the government and the World Bank have been claiming (though the latter has recently talked of a rise in poverty during the pandemic).

To repeat, there is no dispute about the decline in per capita foodgrain consumption in India, taking both direct and indirect consumption together, the latter through processed foods and animal feeds; nor is there any dispute about the decline in per capita calorie intake. The real difference is whether this signifies growing poverty or a diversification of consumption away from foodgrains that is symptomatic of a fall in poverty. The fact that an increase in poverty would cause greater hunger is not in doubt; the point is whether the reverse is true, whether reduced ingestion of foodgrains can be taken as proof of growing poverty. The Global Hunger Index becomes useful here.

If reduced food intake was indeed a symptom of an improvement in the condition of life, then we should be expecting many more countries whose growth-rates appear impressive to join India at the bottom of the GHI table. But the countries in Indias neighbourhood on the GHI table, where our rank is 107, are Rwanda (rank 102), Nigeria (103), Ethiopia (104), Republic of Congo (105), Sudan (106), Zambia (108), Afghanistan (109) and Timor-Leste (110). All these are countries that are generally regarded as poor countries, so that their being at the bottom of the table is no surprise. By contrast, countries with which we would like our economic performance to be compared, such as China, are at the top of the table. China appears within the top 17 countries which are collectively, rather than individually, ranked. Its GHI score of less than 5 is way better than Indias 29.1.

The fact that not a single one of the so-called high-growth economies figures alongside India underscores the complete vacuity of the arguments that emphasize a change in tastes (greater keenness for childrens education) or a reduction in drudgery (through mechanisation) as being responsible for a (voluntary) reduction in foodgrain consumption. The reduction in drudgery owing to mechanisation, or the desire for childrens education, are not characteristics specific to the Indian people; they are universal phenomena. Then why should India alone among the high-growth economies figure near the bottom of the GHI table?

It may be argued that while the desire for childrens education and proper healthcare may be common to people everywhere, in India these are expensive services while in China they may be cheaper. Because of this, parents in India enrolling their children in the more expensive schools may have to cut back on their food consumption, while in China schooling being less expensive, there is no need to cut back on food intake for educating children.

But that is precisely our point, and it has nothing to do with any change of taste. Everywhere, parents are keen on their childrens education, but if in a particular country putting them to school requires having to forego food, then this foregoing is symptomatic of an increase in poverty. It indicates an increase in the price of one of the goods in the basket consumed by the people, and hence an increase in the cost of living which is not accompanied by a corresponding increase in money incomes, and leads to a cut in foodgrain consumption. This cut in foodgrain consumption, which means an increase in hunger, is therefore a reflection of a rise in cost of living and hence of a reduced real income; and that exactly is what one means by an increase in poverty.

Put differently, any increase in real income must mean some increase in the consumption of every good in a basket of goods on which this income is spent (or some substitute good for one of these goods). An increase in real income, as cross-section data within India and across countries show, invariably means a rise in foodgrains consumption, not direct consumption alone but direct and indirect consumption taken together. But if there is a decline in the total direct and indirect foodgrain intake, as has been the case in India, then that must mean a decline in real incomes of the majority of the people, and hence a rise in poverty. The link between growing hunger and growing poverty therefore remains valid.

The reason why poverty according to official and World Bank estimates appears to have declined in India, on the basis of which it is claimed that the link between poverty and hunger no longer holds, is because they use a poverty line, a particular level of per capita money expenditure below which people are considered poor, which is updated by using a cost-of-living index. But the index as constructed in India does not reckon with the rise in cost of living owing to the privatisation of services like education and health. Therefore the true rise in cost of living is not taken into account, and the poverty line that is updated by using it, keeps falling below what it should have been. This underestimates the magnitude of poverty and the elite laps up this estimated, supposedly-declining, poverty ratio. The Global Hunger Index exposes the falsity of such poverty estimates.

Views expressed are personal

Prabhat Patnaik is an Indian Marxist economist and political commentator. He taught at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning in the School of Social Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, from 1974 until his retirement in 2010.
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Following a prophecy on his life by a certain self-styled prophet in 2021, the controversial reggae-dancehall act, Charles Nii Armah Mensah, better known as Shatta Wale, faked a gun attack.

He later admitted that the gun attack on him was a hoax.

He indicated that he staged it out of fear, citing the 'false' September 2021 prophecy.

However, on October 19, the Ghana Police arrested him to assist them with investigation.

Shatta reacted in a recent interview on TV3's Showbiz 360 on the speculation that he was humbled by the arrest and his few days in prison.

He debunked that assertion claiming that some prisoners who had heard about him but had never met him physically treated him like a king and did everything for him.

He said the feeling was as if he was on a vacation.

When I went to jail, I actually felt like I was at home. Because people have been in there for 30 years, and theyve never seen Shatta Wale. So, as they saw me, they fetched water for me. Some brought me food (mostly from their visitors). Just like the way people see me on the streets and kneel down, it was the same way in the jailhouse, he revealed.

He added that it wasnt like they took me there to suffer, it was like a vacation. It didnt really humble me.
On Monday, October 17, 2022, I ran a small poll on my Facebook timeline following a heated discussion I had with some of my colleagues at the office.

We were locked in a debate on who makes it to the top 4 Ghanaian artistes list, at present.

My Facebook survey, although quite anecdotal, seems to give a picture of which artistes are on top at the moment. It gives an idea about Ghanaian musicians who have won the hearts of music consumers either through their songs, shows, tours, stunts, or controversy.

Out of the 206 respondents, 175 valid votes were recorded.

The results put Black Sherif, Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Shatta Wale in the top 4 positions, with KiDi, Camidoh, Kofi Kinaata, and Gyakie also making fair representations.

There were mentions of King Promise, Lasmid, Adina, R2Bees, M.anifest, Wiyaala, and Chief One.

In the gospel music arena, names like Piesie Esther, Perez Musik, Diana Hamilton, Obaapa Christy, and Evans Scott came up.

See the results below:

1. Black Sherif  41 votes

2. Stonebwoy  31 votes

3. Sarkodie  22 votes

4. Shatta Wale  19 votes

5. KiDi  13 votes

6. Camidoh  11 votes

7. Gyakie  10 votes

8. Kinaata  8 votes

9. King Promise  5 votes

10. R2Bees  4 votes

11. Adina  3 votes

12. M.anifest  2 votes

13. Lasmid  2 votes

14. Wiyaala  2 votes

15. Chief One  2 votes

I did not give the respondents any metrics to use for their assessment. It did not give them specific timelines. I just used the phrase at present. Ideally, we could look at the past three months or if we want to expand it, we take this year 2022.

Ordinarily, some people would be biased by nominating their favourites without taking into consideration numbers, relevance, visibility, audience appeal, popularity, and trends.

However, I made some observations from the results.

Black Sherif

Black Sherif, has within the past two years, moved from oblivion to not just a mainstream artiste, but one of the top acts at the moment.

After his 1st Sermon, the light shone on his path, he got a Burna Boy feature on his 2nd Sermon Remix, got an Empire distribution deal, and won Best New Artiste of the Year in both 3Music and Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.

This is someone who had endorsements from a lot of international celebrities. The magnitude of the global recognition hes got is very impressive.

He went ahead to get nominated for All Africa Music Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, and currently MTV Europe Music Awards.

From gracing the cover of Apple Musics Rap Life playlist to being named YouTubes Foundry Class of 2022, a Spotify Radar Artiste in May, and Audiomacks #UpNow Artiste in August, Black Sherif can definitely not be taken from the list of top acts in the country.

His maiden album, The Villain I Never Was which was released on October 6, 2022is not only getting rave reviews but topping charts on the global scene. The album has over 100 million views on Boomplay alone.

In fact, he is the most talked about Ghanaian artiste at the moment.

Stonebwoy

A few years ago, the top 4 musicians list included Stonebwoy, Samini, Sarkodie, and Shatta Wale. At a point in time, the list threw in either KiDi or Kuami Eugene. But things have changed.

Stonebwoy still finds himself on the list due to his hard work and resilience. This is one artiste who has played a lot of shows in and out of the country in 2022.

This year, he embarked on the Therapy Summer Festival. He started the tour on July 2, 2022 and performed at Summer jam Festival in Germany. He also featured at the Afrobeats Festival in Berlin, Uppsala Reggae Festival in Sweden, among other events.

He also held his annual Ashaiman to the World Festival right after his tour.

The BHIM Nation President was also one of the musicians that performed at the Global Citizen Festival, which was held at the Black Star Square in Accra on September 24, 2022.

Stonebwoy is always on the grind, producing music and building his brand. He may not have produced a mega-hit in recent times, but his deal with Def Jam Records shored up his brand.

Sarkodie

If there is anybody whose achievement in the music industry in the past has kept him afloat this year, it is Sarkodie. He continues to earn a lot of respect and admiration for the formidable brand he has built over the years. After his No Pressure album which was released last year, Sarkodie has not really shaken the system with any mega-hit this year. He only released Labadi Song featuring King Promise, ahead of his forthcoming album titled Jamz.

His coruscating performance at the Global Citizen Festival in Accra seems to have reminded music lovers of his place in the industry.

Obviously, even if Sarkodie does not release a song in two years, you will still be billed to perform at the biggest shows in the country; he has a lot of hit songs in his repertoire.

Shatta Wale

Shatta Wale has always been in the news and will always find a way to get people talking about him. But for the timely intervention of his On God, he wouldnt have had a hit song in a long while.

His attention-seeking antics seem to have lost steam in recent times. A lot of his moves have become predictable, so most people hardly fall for some of his gimmicks, lately. That notwithstanding, his loyal fans have always been his backbone. They are the reason he is still relevant.

Shatta Wale performed at the SummerStage Festival in New York on August 13, 2022. He also performed at the Asafotufiami concert at Ada on August 6, 2022.

KiDi didnt make the Top 4?

KiDi is one of the hard-working artistes of our time. After winning Artiste of the Year in 3Music and Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, one would have expected to see him in the Top 4.

Earlier this year, played a concert at the Indigo at the O2 in London, with his label mate Kuami Eugene.

Following their incredibly successful sold-out concert at Londons Indigo O2 in March 2022, KiDi and Kuami again toured 10 cities in Europe.

He released Blessed which also entered various charts and has an EP titled 4Play out. Already, Champaign has been widely accepted by music lovers, while other songs on the EP are steadily creeping their way into the hearts of music fans.

But who would he have ousted? Shatta Wale, Sarkodie or Stonebwoy? Perhaps a poll of a bigger sample size may put in a comfortable lead ahead of one of the aforementioned, but the fact also remains that past glory really gives a spill-over effect to the brands of artistes (all things being equal).

Camidoh

This young man has done a lot with his Sugarcane song . The smartest move by his management led by George Britton was to have done a remix of the song. The remix which features Ghanas King Promise, Nigerias Mayorkun and Darkoo is the biggest thing to have happened to his music career.

He got a lot of global recognition from this.

A few weeks after Black Sherifs Kwaku The Traveller climbed to the top of Nigerias Apple Music Top 100 chart, Camidoh, also annexed the same spot, with his Sugarcane remix.

Gyakie and King Promise are two artistes who are also making great strides in the music space.

No Kuami Eugene?

It was surprising that Kuami Eugene didnt feature prominently in the responses of the poll. He is one of the many artistes who had single mentions. (Refer to poll on Facebook)

Have people forgotten about Kuami so soon?

Well, all the results, as presented in this piece, were what some people on Facebook produced as their votes in my small survey.

Do you agree with them? Are these the top four artistes in Ghana at present?
Guinea's top prosecutor is calling for a crackdown on the organisers and participants of anti-junta protests while the opposition and justice minister said Friday three civilians were killed in the unrest.

Young protesters clashed on Thursday with security forces in the capital Conakry in demonstrations called by an outlawed group against the country's ruling junta.

Conakry's Prosecutor General Yamoussa Conte said six security forces personnel were wounded, five of whom were in serious condition, adding that two civilians were injured.

He called for action "against the organisers and all the participants of the said banned demonstration," according to a statement read on state television.

He named seven opposition leaders who allegedly called for the demonstration or supported it.

The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) had called for the protest to demand a quick return to a civilian led government and the release of all prisoners detained for political reasons.

In a statement released overnight Thursday to Friday, the FNDC called the ruling junta "dictatorial."

The group identified the three people killed as Thierno Bella Diallo, Boubacar Diallo and Thierno Moussa Barry. It said 20 people suffered gunshot wounds while many others were arrested.

Justice Minister Alphonse Charles Wright confirmed their deaths in a statement on Friday, but said the causes "remain to be clarified by autopsy".

He ordered prosecutions, without commenting on the alleged perpetrators.

Wright also stressed the authorities' determination to combat impunity.

'More severe sanctions'

Rights activists regularly accuse Guinean police and gendarmes of using excessive force, and the authorities of turning a blind eye in a country with a history of political violence.

The justice minister ordered the identification "without delay" of a member of the security forces whose image has gone viral on social networks. A video shows him firing a pistol at a target who is not visible in the footage.

The poor but mineral-rich West African state has been under military government since a September 2021 coup that ousted president Alpha Conde after more than 10 years in power.

An alliance of political parties, trade unions and civil groups, the FNDC spearheaded protests against Conde before his ouster.

It was officially dissolved in August by the junta-appointed government.

The coalition had called for peaceful demonstrations to take place in Conakry on Thursday, followed by nationwide protests on October 26.

West African leaders suspended Guinea from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and imposed sanctions last month on a number of individuals.

It gave the ruling junta one month to present a "reasonable and acceptable" timetable for the return of civilian rule, an ultimatum that theoretically expires this weekend.

If they fail to do so, ECOWAS has warned that it will adopt "more severe sanctions".
Tigray's rebel authorities said Friday they would attend talks next week aimed at ending war in Ethiopia, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed vowed fighting "will end and peace will prevail".

The government has also said it would participate in negotiations in South Africa being organised by the African Union on Monday, as diplomatic pressure mounts for a settlement to nearly two years of bloodshed.

"Our delegation will attend," Kindeya Gebrehiwot, a spokesman for the rebel authorities in Tigray, told AFP in a text message when asked if they would join the table on October 24.

It comes ahead of a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss the spiralling crisis in Africa's second-most populous country.

The AU's Peace and Security Council also convened Friday and was briefed by its Horn of Africa envoy Olusegun Obasanjo, who is expected to mediate the talks.

International pressure for a ceasefire has grown since the AU failed earlier this month to bring the warring sides to the negotiating table, and fighting has intensified in embattled Tigray.

The government this week vowed to seize airports and other federal sites from rebel control as Ethiopian forces and their Eritrean allies seized a string of towns in Tigray, sending civilians fleeing.

Abiy, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who sent the army into Tigray in November 2020 to oust the region's dissident authorities, said the war "would end and peace will prevail."

"Ethiopia will be peaceful, we will not continue fighting indefinitely," he told an audience on Thursday at the opening of a civil project outside Addis Ababa.

"Ethiopia will be peaceful, we will not continue fighting indefinitely. I hope the day when we will stand with our Tigrayan brothers to work together for development is near."

'Great concern'

Fighting resumed in August, shattering a truce and halting aid into Tigray, a region of six million that lacks food, medicine and other life-saving essentials.

Map of Ethiopia locating Tigray region.. By Aude GENET (AFP)

In recent weeks combat has intensified, spurring alarm for civilians and aid workers trapped in the warzone, and global calls for a ceasefire.

A humanitarian source told AFP on Friday that heavy fighting was underway between the cities of Shire and Axum in northern Tigray.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the UNSC and AU meetings "demonstrate the international community's great concern about the situation" and the need for violence to stop.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he also renewed calls for a resumption of humanitarian aid to Tigray, and the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Ethiopia.

The closed-door meeting of the AU's 15-member Peace and Security Council was the first since violence exploded again in August.

The continent-wide bloc was "widely perceived as responding inadequately to this situation" but had been trying to ensure talks got underway next week as planned, the AU-focused Amani Africa think tank said Friday in a briefing note.

The aborted talks earlier this month were to be mediated by Obasanjo and supported by South Africa's former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta.

Logistical problems were blamed for that meeting never taking place.

The conflict began nearly two years ago when Abiy accused the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the region's ruling party which resisted central authority, of attacking army camps.

The TPLF dominated Ethiopia's ruling political alliance for decades before Abiy took power in 2018 and sidelined the party.
Residents of Yeji have appealed to the Government to consider the rehabilitation of the town's roads as part of the prioritised national urban roads reshaping projects to give the town a facelift.

They said that would also make the town a befitting district capital.

The rehabilitation of the town's roads, according to the residents, would also not only enhance its status as one of the nation's known fish trading and general agriculture produce marketing centre, but promote the socio-economic activities of the people for increased wealth-creation in the area.

Most of the town's roads are in a deplorable state and that had been impeding quick and easy movement of goods and services by both residents and non-residents who had been coming there for business purposes.

The appeal was made in an interview with a cross section of residents during a visit to the town in the Pru East District of Bono East Region by the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

Mr Muntari Ishau and Mr Charles Ametepeh both local taxi drivers, lamented the unmotorable nature of the road network, saying it had been causing constant damage and breakdown of their vehicles.

They said the situation was affecting their scanty daily sales because of frequent maintenance and its associated high cost.

When contacted, Alhaji Adams Abdulaih, the District Chief Executive, said the rehabilitation of the town's roads had been given on contract and assured work would soon begin for socio-economic activities to improve.

GNA
From October 24th-28th 2022, Nazarbayev University (NU) hosts the international Asian University Alliance (AUA) Youth Forum on "Creating the Meta-Silk Road: Integrating Asian Cultures in a Real and Virtual Universe".

The AUA Youth Forum (AUAYF) is an annual flagship platform dedicated to jointly addressing developmental issues in the Asian region, enhancing youth empowerment, and promoting cultural and academic exchanges among AUA students.

Each forum focuses on a particular theme that corresponds to the concept of the AUA year. Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, Asian Civilisations, and Future Habitats are at the centre of discussion this year.

The Youth Forum programme includes master classes from NU professors on topics such as: Research in AI, AR/XR/VR, data science, and computer graphics, AI in Environmental Health, Cyber Security and Blockchain, Data as the new oil, Preserving Silk Roads Heritage, and more.

Professor Ilesanmi Adesida, NU Provost, says, "We are happy to host students from our sister institutions in the AUA family as participants in the Forum on Meta-Silk Road. Artificial Intelligence and Smart Systems have become the infrastructure of life; this Forum will examine their intersection with the areas of business, finance, environment and their impact on culture in the heart of the Ancient Silk Road."

Established at the initiative of Tsinghua University in 2017, the AUA brought together 15 founding members with the mission of jointly addressing regional and global challenges, specifically related to higher education and economic, scientific, and technological development, by strengthening collaboration among member institutions. The AUA also acknowledges and promotes shared identity and values.

For students, the AUA provides unique opportunities to embrace diversity, develop critical mindset, enhance entrepreneurship skills and learn more about innovations, and understand new trends in human capital development.
In the most recent Midterms Election, the "Republican Red Wave" turned out to be a "Republican Red Ripple," which, as in all elections, confounded the political prognosticators of what to expect down the governing /political road: What, and who, do you think is best for this meandering Representative Republic in the near future?

Because they know how to best allocate the public's money back to the right part of the public, the Democrats will NOW always prevail and get my vote.

With patriotic pragmatism the cornerstone of the best of the Republican Party, they will ultimately save this Constitutional Republic from self-destruction.

Since the Executive Branch is so important to turn this Representative Republic around, I am still on Team Trump in 2024.

Since the nation may need a different path to Conservative patriotism in the Executive, I am joining Team DeSantis.
A ceremony has been held in Obuasi to usher in over 100 youth from Obuasi into the AGA's Community Youth Apprentice programme.

The training program is expected to equip the youth with practical training to prepare them for the job market.

The one-year program will be held at the Mac Partners Training Institute formerly known as AGA Engineering Training Centre in Obuasi.

This years enrolment is the 3rd batch of the Youth Apprenticeship program. The training will ostensibly focus on welding and fabrication, Mechanical technician and electrical technician, with Anglogold Ashanti absorbing the cost of the training.

The Managing Director of Anglogold Ashanti Eric Asubonteng in his speech mentioned that since redevelopment of the Obuasi Mine in 2019, AGA has been able to train 128 youth in welding and fabrication, auto mechanics, auto electrician, forklift operation and graders as part of their erstwhile 3-year Social Management Plan.

Mr Asubonteng again said that a key feature in their 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan launched in July this year was the Youth Apprenticeship Training programme which he said, he was particularly excited the company has been able to honor their commitment to the communities through the training.

Furtherance to this, he reminded the beneficiaries to remain dedicated, work hard a remain focused in their quest to acquire hands-on experience in their chosen fields.

" I am optimistic that these youth who are the future of Obuasi will be focused, be punctual and learn to apply themselves to good work "

The CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Sulemanu Koney also expressed his delight over the development of various skills of the youth in the host community. He emphasized the need to develop a pipeline of skills which is one of the problems of management in the country.

He added that basic technical skills are needed to develop the country so that the skills of foreign experts and expatriates are not relied on.

He recognized and acknowledged Mac-Partners Training Institute as a center of excellence and a member of the Ghana Chamber of Mines. He added that the economy of Obuasi will be boosted by the presence of school in Obuasi

He also pleaded for collaboration and support from various stakeholders to Anglogold Ashanti as a means of providing leverage and rendering their support to help brighten the fortunes of the Obuasi Community and Ghana as a whole.

The Adansehene, Opagyakotwere Bonsrah Afriyie II reiterated that a big opportunity has been given the beneficiaries of the Community Youth Apprenticeship Training programme hence urged them to take full advantage of it.

He was particularly excited about the involvement stating that "whatever a man can do, a woman can do it better.

Through the joint venture, students who would want to be entrepreneurs can also come together and establish their own businesses to reduce the current rate of unemployment in society and the nation at large. Students who have been selected for this training are to develop a strong passion for what they do in other to yield a positive output at the end of the training.

Lydia Obiribia Asubonteng, an electrical student and a beneficiary of the 2022-2023 Community Youth Apprentice Training expressed her gratitude to Anglogold Ashanti for enrolling them onto the program.

She vouched on behalf of herself and her other colleagues to be committed and devoted to the opportunity that has come their way.
Gabby Otchere Asare Darko, a leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has taken a swipe at Accra-based TV3 over its negative cedi depreciation headlines.

On Thursday, October 20, Ghanaians woke up to an exchange rate of 13 cedis per dollar only for the day to end with 15 cedis per dollar in less than 12 hours.

As many started talking about it, TV3, in a headline on Thursday's edition of its News 360, wrote, "Worthless 'Cedi hits new low" which provoked Gabby to reply in a lengthy Facebook post on October 21, seen by Modernghana News.

According to Gabby, a popular and influential media house of its sort should know better, accusing it of fueling speculations which are causing more trouble for the cedi.

This is the headline of a major television station in Ghana - TV3. Even as reputable analysts, such as JP Morgan, are today describing the cedi in a mixed tone as at least 15% undervalued and its net risk as positive, but our forex market distorted, a big Ghanaian media house is busily and loudly describing the cedi as worthless. Journalists can report and influence.

But where the default mode is to influence negatively, such media houses run the risk of becoming partners in speculation. It is not the job of journalists and analysts to fix the cedi, but fixing it is not helped if they make it more their job to fuel speculations, portions of his post read.

He sympathised with business owners and many Ghanaians who have been greatly affected by the Cedis current poor performance and assured them of possible relief in the coming days.

The cedi may be worth 60% less now than what it was to the US dollar last year. But it is not worthless! My sympathies go to the many, many businesses and consumers out there who simply do not know where to turn.

There is hope because there is every indication that the new injection of more forex, should reduce the influence of black market operators on rates, giving the local currency a necessary relief from next week, he emphasised.
Just Imagining What A Dictator  Turned a Democrat Will Discuss with a Democrat Who Will Later Show Seeming Symptoms of Dictatorship & Seeming Intolerance Before His Presidential Inauguration

I am not by nature a skeptic, an unbeliever, a cynic, a scoffer or an agnostic but then when something out of the ordinary happens, I become intrigued by the very act or nature to want to make sense of it, question what has necessitated the occurrence and fashion out an understanding in order to place it into its proper perspective and history.

Indeed, I have allowed time to pass over what I found to be most mystical because I was hoping others might also have questioned the mysticism of that happenstance to make it a public debate, so if I am writing this after six years plus, then I know we all took it for granted as a people and as a nation; and I can understand why nobody has made the connection as yet or for a public consideration.

However, I would want to set this piece in its proper perspective of two gentlemen, who from the context or mindset of the ordinary Ghanaian or the politics of traditional relativity, should be the worst of enemies and could not even stand the warped shadows of each other: the late former first President of Ghanas Fourth Republic, the former Chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the former Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Committee (PNDC), Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and the current President of the Fourth Republic, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

As a young graduate of the AFRC and PNDC military  eras, I have watched with unbelieving pride and fascination, the seeming courage and daredevil-status of then a young Ghanaian, who spoke such impeccable, flowery British English, looking every bit an Oxford luminary and who could dare the very power base of those military juntas.

Our current President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was that young Ghanaian of cult status for me for his participation in political demonstrations and of specific mention was the KUME PREKO demonstration of 1995.

For those who were not old enough to recall, KUME PREKO was the name given to an anti-government demonstration that occurred in Ghana in 1995, led by Dr. Charles Wereko Brobbey, otherwise known also as TARZAN in his prime, and others including the current President of the Republic.

Indeed, those at the forefront of that protest also included Kwasi Pratt Junior, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, Abdul Malik Baako, Akoto Ampaw, Victor Newman, Kwaku Opoku, Nana Kofi Coomson and Napoleon Abdulai.

The protest took place in opposition to the Value Added Tax (VAT) initiative, which was introduced under the Jerry John Rawlings administration. It is said to have been one of the biggest protests ever organized in the country, with an estimated one hundred thousand (100,000) people participating. The demonstration was initially billed as a peaceful protest but quickly became violent when unidentified assailants shot live bullets into the crowd resulting in the deaths of a few protestors. (WIKIPEDIA)

According to several reports, it was also a period in which able-bodied and hardworking citizens could not afford one decent meal a day for a family. In addition, the drop-out rate in educational institutions was said to be rising at a very alarming rate.

Please check yourself in the mirror, I am not reporting on the state of Ghana now but what happened in 1995; many sustained severe injuries and others died from the attacks; amazing how cyclical our lives as Ghanaians have been under this Fourth Republican Dispensation?

Look for the STATESMAN, DAILY GUIDE and GHANAIAN CHRONICLE newspapers articles on the 1995 Kume Preko demonstration and its aftermath and how the same papers report on current affairs and you would wonder, as I did then and do now, how come we have inherited such media in this political dispensation?

But this is not the essence of this article!

You see, what I saw on that fateful day of TUESDAY, 27TH DECEMBER, 2016, on live television, was the visit of the then fresh President  Elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the Ridge Residence of the late Jerry John Rawlings, the 1st President of the Fourth Republican Dispensation and against whom the former had waged all manner of wars of attritions over a period of thirty plus (30+) years from the days of the PNDC.

I was not only gaping at the unfolding historic event but it immediately set me wondering the type of game plan the then President-Elect had in mind to make him, admittedly his first major call on his once nemesis  definitely a call that will obviously shape his tenure of office.

I remember all the name  calling, expletives used by the former President at the Cape Coast Stadium NDC Political Rally: these people, no matter how many times they change their political party names, they will always remain the same; like their fathers before them, it isnt the interest of the mass of our people that they are interested in but themselves

To most of the people, their kind of politics will always be about their lifestyles, new form of aristocracy, elitism, gentility, nobility, bourgeoisie-ism, gentry, upper class, jet set (now you understand the hiring of private jets at any cost), beau monde, carriage trade and plutocracy.

Remember we are taking back our nation, our land, our resources  the inferences by the wife of my Mfantsipim senior?

As an innocent bystander, I could only try to situate all the occurrences of life, both seeming and real, in our beloved country within the context of what lies ahead of the youth, who are the real heirs of everything.

I thus presumed that the inferences at the Cape Coast NDC Rally was more to emphasize the position the party as that for the masses, peasantry, populace, rank and file, working class, rabblement, riffraff or the other part of the elite with the heart for the masses, than the real nature of the party.

On that fateful Tuesday, I was not only bemused, bewildered, confused, amazed or better still dazed by the spectacle of the arrival of the then President-Elect at Jerry John Rawlings residence, knowing how he could not stand the sight of then Chairman of the then PNDC and his stand against the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) to ask myself: How could this be?

Dont forget, this wasnt a NICODEMUS VISIT but in the full glare of both local and international media.

I became more confused to learn, rightly or wrongly, that that was a very private visit with no aides.

Since nobody was thus privy to the discussions, I assumed the most logical way to measure, trace or sniff what they could have talked about or the kind of issues that the then President-Elect could have sought pieces of advice like security: How can I prevent a possible overthrow of my government, considering what happened to the Presidency of my late father, Edward Akufo-Addo, the second President of Ghana, who was removed from office by a coup detat led by General I. K. Acheampong?

What would you recommend as the kind of security architecture that would prevent the possibilities of the kind of demonstrations that we organized against your military regime and your NDC government? or Better still, how do I create my own special 64 Battalion for special duties including operations during elections and what would you recommend as my best options to ensure a second term of office?

I can again envisage another question possibility as such: I know, you didnt try or never tried any family and friends government but with the kind of family I have and their contributions as well as purported roles they played as Founding Fathers, how do I re-engineer the systems of state and government to restore them to their rightful places in the history books?

Your Excellency, former President, JJ Rawlings, what would you also propose I do with the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, especially as it was constructed during your tenure by the remnants of the CPP, who were serving under you then: how do I change it the FOUNDERS WALKWAY to incorporate the rest of the Founding Fathers?

Please, do not over-stretch your imaginations because I was raised in a village, where nightlife hinged mostly on story-telling and that is why I am still at a loss as to what other issues were discussed during the fateful TUESDAY, 27TH DECEMBER, 2016 Very Private Meeting between then President-Elect Akufo-Addo and former President J. J. Rawlings but I can conjuncture that it could also have included: You know I am not a fan of motor-bikes as my passion is more inclined towards Mercedes Benz, so how many times can I change the models or that will be dependent on how they introduce the models?

What I have tried to achieve is to demystify the myth surrounding that fateful day set against the fact that once when President Akufo-Addo returned from a visit to his colleague and friend, the President of Cote dIvoire, Alassane Ouattara, I am not sure what transpired in Abidjan but that was after his friend had altered their Constitution to over-stay his tenure, our President was reported to have said he will never overstay his term.

I was taken aback by the innocent statement because after scanned our media landscape, I never saw it reported anywhere that President Akufo-Addo was harboring desires for a third time like his friend except the desire for BREAKING THE EIGHT by his party.

This life here on earth has funny twists and turns and sometimes for leaders, Heads of States and Presidents, it will always be prudent to be ever mindful of the people, who votes make it possible to live your dreams as well as the dreams of your fathers, mindful that you are only but a SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE and definitely not their Lord.

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME, sooner than laterneed I say more,

By Magnus Naabe RexDanquah, the Ghanaian - is a Land Economist & Appraiser,

Events Architect & Planner, SportBusiness Consultant, Social Commentator and an Author.
22.10.2022 LISTEN

My first and foremost advice is to assume they are opponents that you may win over through the right steps, but reality is they can be already enemies or grow to be enemies, especially if you /they miss the right steps. Even atheists will agree you may have enemies within your inner family, but both the Bible and Koran also admit to that fact, but the remedies in the two popular books may differ. Considering human family, everyone is your family, but some people are closer Families. The blood family may be very vital, but it is one that comes through the 'fun' branch to be further tested in the learning and working families, then some other fun Families, sometimes including a new blood family . Didn't your parents had fun until they had you as family? As children you may fought unnecessarily, but why do you fight as adult offspring? It is a world of should , can, and want; but humans have different leanings or values on the three, especially on wants. The arrogance of imposing wants, the unnecessary fear of should , can, and want of minorities, etc can bring problems in blood Families, school Families, working families, between citizens, etc. Over expectations are sometimes big issues even in a relationship of just two, so where you expect your family to push with you can be a just, unjust, or tolerable expectation. This is why ch.103 is a consistent huge blessing, but interpreting it requires conscience or ready to grow conscience.

Mathew 10:36: 'And a persons enemies will be those of his own household.' Well, that is just a 'what', how to deal with them should have followed. Ch. 64:14 of the Recitation (Koran): 'O you who believe! Among your partners and your children are enemies to you, so be aware of them. But if you pardon, and overlook, and forgive -- God is forgiver and Merciful.' Still relatively vague , but have very good hints. 'Be Aware ' is to be cautious and that can mean up to separation. The other words are very self explanatory and is certainly referring to the opponent type of family, not enemies . The root word of enemy in Arabic includes opponents, so translators can choose what they deem most befitting. The very next verse, 64:15: 'Your possessions and your children are a test, but with God is a splendid reward.' Wealth and children are big desires , but acquiring and managing them often include choices God will have to judge. The number of people who over value wealth and children will surpass those who under value them, or why even the LGBTQ are seeking children?

Parents preferring one child over another can sometimes start with gender, and often for wealth. In places like Africa, where communal living is very strong, some parents or even siblings may prefer the richer offspring and find excuses to discriminate , look down, or even abuse poorer ones. Ch. 103 will demand a victim before punishment, and to still fulfil the responsibility of 'Exhort each other to Truth and patience...' Both Truth and Patience are major branches with many sub branches. Sometimes just talking it out and having patience for one to grow, or speak Truth and separate for God to judge?

The school and work Families are largely under government, but even more under God. How we act matters, and how we react can sometimes be most paramount. Majority is not always right, from rules to laws. The family rules at home or company rules at work can ignore 'should ' and biasly or blindly leans on 'wants'. You can also have cliquey allies at work, just like we see countries do at international stages . When I started selling appliances as commission employee, the people I found were not very welcoming and I had to fight in the spirit of ch.103. One Sunday, a group of them went to report me to our supervisor, literally lying that I was being unfair. The fact was God was just helping me, I successfully sold a customer while they were talking to customers, then I went to another customer and successfully sold again. So two sales within thirty minutes and somehow not one of them succeeded with their customers, and jealousy or fear affected them. Indeed I believe in efforts, but luck truly exist and God can give it to you as test for you and/or others. When a group of fairly successful sales people for years report a rookie on alleged malpractices , the supervisor may blindly believe Majority or investigate for evidence? They have blood Families at home to feed, but the work and work family are all vital aspects of the tests by God. After listening to the supervisor, I wrote what happened and the supervisor was seemingly convinced I was right. Eventually, they accepted me and God gave each of us enough sales for years, we became fairly good families, then God returned me to Africa for further testing?

Many Africans suffer a lot on international stage, but sometimes we are guilty at home through the same mindset. Many Africans make too many unnecessary rules and laws, especially against minorities. Many Africans focus too much on wants, ignoring should and tolerance. Like I often said, some of our children of other races are not innocent and sometimes worse than us.

You can study your children at home and make rules that may affect one over another, and claim equal treatment? Similarly, you can see your whites or females prefer alcohol and urge for its legalisation, and ask society to tolerate and pursue super abusers through charges... Fear or sheer hatred may see blacks prefer cannabis and you call for its prohibition, indifferent to the disproportionate effects of the law, and claim equality? The law should not be above anyone, but between creatures and with just consideration of all parties, even before created. Beside intentional wrongs, once you understand humans can be sincerely mistaken, then you should humbly embrace patience where you cannot clearly Identify a victim who needs help. Remember 'don't want ' by one or group of people is not enough to deny others their God given rights or responsibilities. No form of family is above ch.103 and your rules should always accommodate this special chapter, or the family may become lost. People will get angry even over truth, so trying to satisfy the wants of questionable family members can defeat you.

Intentions versus effects: the saying, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions...' is simply telling you intentions may not be enough, although very vital. When some African parents wanted to over protect their daughters and chose FGM, they had good intentions, but how was the effects even on earth? Hell. When the u.s prohibited alcohol, they probably had Good intentions, but the effects was hell or worse than legalising it. So your family rules at home, social media, workplaces, etc may have good intentions or trying to over satisfy a questionable majority, but if it misses ch.103, then brace for a nasty surprise, unless you learn... If you separate, God will likely judge and those who cannot tolerate even beneficial things due to worshipping of desires or wants are in gross errors...

Unity versus harmony, versus tolerance: I have often said 'fools love for unity brings disunity.' This does not mean I hate unity, I think training our minds to value harmony and tolerance is safer than unity. A macro example is how the states in the u.s Identify where each state decides on some issues and the federal decide on others. It is largely brilliant, but the person have rights that the state or federal family should not violate. You cannot make the laws out of fear, greed, and arrogantly expect people to follow. One day, God will inspire someone to say the law is wrong, educate others, and bravely fight to success. The majority may count on visible powers, ability to oppress minority, or indifferent to expelling the 'Edward Snowdens.' Too long, too much, of a wrong thing cannot make a wrong thing a right thing. Whereas the word tolerance largely means imperfection, the tolerated may be better at times. The Bible tells us: 'the rejected stone has become the head corner stone'. The Koran tells us, 'the people of heaven where looked down upon as fools...' My point is tolerance is an aspect of kindness and humility, it is largely for others to learn and grow, but the one tolerating may also learn and grow. We can co-exist diversely in the world of fun+, so remember Truth, tolerance, and patience as super good deeds, while unity as good deed. Where the 'can' is one choice, then majority have to choose; but where 'can' can be multiple choices, then avoid asking minority to sacrifice for majority? Families must tolerate to grow, or separate In peace and search for a family or God. Blood is not the primary family in the sight of the God of the Koran, or why Noah was told his blood son 'is not his Family. '

So when I am defeating my u.s family on marijuana legalisation and trying to defeat my SeneGambian+ families, ch.103 becomes a crucial tool. What kind of a family will support a law that wants to put me or my type in the worst place on earth, prison? Opponent or enemy, you force me to report you to God and confront you on world stage, Internet. Everyday my prayer is for my opponents to change or God's curse be upon them. I did no wrong to the Gambia or xyz, so laws that are based on wants will be confronted from every corner, blood family level to world and God's court level. May God bless us with Showlove Trinity : Let's learn, let's work, let's have fun, as family and families.

By Jarga Kebba Gigo

An Activist and Transformer

Optional note :

Although you have family members who will shoot you with a gun or poison you, they are very minimal and not worth to be the focus. There are other Verses in the Koran that warrants killing siblings who attack you in the battle field, because faith divided just like Jesus famously said, 'I come to set brother against brother...' It is not only faith that may divide, but you can have divisions on faith and not fight, but exercise patience. Seeking the good deed call money can divide people, but can also unite, or some will employ patience where it divides. The biggest divider is truth, it is aspects of truth in faith that divides, but even secular truth can be very divisive, but uplifting in a family willing to learn. The primary purpose of truth is not to divide, but rejecting truth In arrogant desires is the problem. So cowards who lean on unity cannot like the responsibility 'to exhort each other to Truth...', which does not mean fighting, but certainly far from pampering language. Ch. 17: 'Truth has come, falsehood must disappear, for falsehood was meant to disappear...'. This is like a guarantee that truth will always or often win, if you were to marry the Verses to ch.103. When truth comes, it may conquer immediately or be tested with patience. So when you discover the truth, even as a minority, speak it as you want to save the majority, but also strong enough as you are ready to fight the majority until they accept truth and where patience is due... Remember, patience can be very dangerous too and have many branches for different purposes. Act and act enough before you employ patience, and the patience you give to disbelievers and hypocrites are actually for earthly peace. It does not stop you from speaking truth or refusing to learn where need be, or doubting the surprise that may await them.

You must gauge the choice on the guarded bog or WWbogBB: Worst, Worse, bad, OK, good, Better, or Best. So if your close sibling make a good choice, how hard do you have to beat him or her as a perfectionist, coward, or greedy and arrogant rectifier? If a far sibling make an OK choice in the workplace, how will you advise or report to supervisors? The worse and worst are sins between creatures, and the scriptures said love truth and justice even against your parents, siblings, etc. Blood is sweet, humans tend to side with blood ties, but exhorting them to truth and patience will help at least one group, and may hurt only the rejecters of truth.

Truth is like the Bridge of Separation on the day of Qiyamma. The word Qiyamma is often translated as judgement day, but the root word means what you stood/stand for, among others. When you come to truth or bridge of separation, and you stubbornly hang on to faith, faith, faith; or tolerance, tolerance, tolerance to reject vivid truth, then your few aspects of good deeds may gradually disappear... Believe in intelligence, especially faith; believe in good deeds, especially prayers and charity; Believe in truth, especially in conscience and reciprocal law. Then may God ease your part of patience and reward us immensely than those who have billions or even helped millions of poor people...
22.10.2022 LISTEN

The Ghana Cedis is depreciating by the hour, and President Nana Akuffo- Addo defending his cousin, the Finance Minister, daily. Databank is owned by the Minister and takes a 9% commission of loans passing through his bank that is for the nation. IMF knows the balance sheet of the country Ghana and shared it with investors and nations around the world.

Behind the scene, International investors get concerned and remember President Busia the time he was financial in trouble and kicked out all foreigners. They still think of Xenophobia in 2016 after the Gold mines were closed in South Africa and black Africans from Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia were attacked by angry and hungry South Africans. Nigerian President Buhari sent a plane to rescue his people from being attacked by violent demonstrators.

When a currency goes down to its knees it is because the International business community has no trust in the country any longer and the people of the nation suffer even more.

The International business community knows the EU has a bill drafted to be signed in 2023 to ban the import of Ghana and Ivory Coast cocoa due to chemical traces found in the beans not targeted and solved since 2021 when the warning was given. This will spiral the downfall of Ghana even faster and further.

The International business community knows the former President of Ghana JD Mahama and his track record based on which they do not see him as a creditable helper to turn around the sinking ship. Listening behind the scenes to strong men in the financial sector no one that is serious trusts anyone in NDC or NPP nor the political system as such.

Ghana is only kept alive and on its toes by foreign nations begging the business community to still support the nation Ghana as otherwise the financial and political costs back home would be enormous and political rivals like China and Russia would take over.

Like the exodus of Whites 31 years ago after the end of apartheid in South Africa which currently seeing a revival, Whites in Ghana looking for a way out of the country as begging gestures by their home governments have lost momentum. As they remember Busia and SA in 2016 they wish to be out sooner than later.

Ghana depends not on sweetness from foreign investors and smiles from the Whites but the mirror on the wall...ready to be broken.
22.10.2022 LISTEN

Many an African elected to their countrys highest leadership position, thus, the presidency, is not a leader at all. They are just mere office holders in that position. No wonder that once a former senior school prefect at Kumawu Tweneboa Kodua Secondary School (TKSS), keeps hammering to me that there is no true leader in Africa but persons filling higher positions without the corresponding true leadership qualities.

From the behaviour, actions and inactions displayed by many an African leader, a discerning African or Ghanaian can rightly assert that there is no any true farsighted leader in Africa. Most, if not all, of the African leaders, can best be described as round poles in square holes. No wonder that they keep wobbling and getting dazed in their attempts to find lasting solutions to the socio-economic problems their countries are beset with.

Most of them are in office only to lord themselves over the citizens with the sole motive of coming to office to enrich themselves, their cronies and families, the only job they do better.

I am not going to write anything lengthy since the facts on the ground speak for themselves. Nonetheless, I want Africans holding on to the belief that there is no true leader in Africa, to accept for once that there is at least one true leader in Africa. He is the person of His Excellency Paul Kagame of Rwanda. He is a true leader who is certainly becoming a great leader without any match among his peers.

He is pragmatic, honest and believes in the wonders that come along when office positions are awarded to people on merit, thus, meritocracy. It yields higher and better dividends to the nation and the employer than appointing officials to positions on the basis of whom you know.

He is the first among equals when it comes to taking solid decisions in the collective interests of his nation and people.

You can call him a dictator, for that I care. I am here talking about a true leader, someone with foresight and agenda for the prosperity of his people and country. He knows how best to deliver his selfless policies tailored to guarantee his people and country safety, security and prosperity.

Whenever I watch videos on this man, the decisions he takes and how he executes them, the more I admire him and wish the president of Ghana could do same.

In Ghana, it is obvious that illegal surface and alluvial mining as well as other small scale mining, are wreaking unprecedented havoc to the water bodies, fertile/arable lands and forests, yet, the president has not conclusively been able to solve the problem. Could the problem happen in Rwanda under the very watch of President Paul Kagame? No, no and no! Why?

As a true leader with the requisite leadership qualities, such extensive damage will not be allowed to happen in the first place in Rwanda. He would nip it in the bud long before it started to cause any problem. Such is a leader.

If democracy is causing uncontrollable problems to our African countries, why cannot we find our own system of governance that works better for us? A true leader can come out with better laws, decisions, policies and programmes that will be implemented and stringently enforced to yield the intended results for the betterment of their country and people.

In Ghana, when farsighted President Nana Akufo-Addo implements policies, the aspiring former President John Dramani Mahama and his NDC cabal will be pulling such policies and programmes down through their political propaganda machine.

For lack of true leadership qualities, John Mahama and his agents and assigns are able to scupper such policies through their unceasing propaganda. Can such nonsense happen in Paul Kagames Rwanda? No! Why? Because he is a true leader with solutions to robustly deal with such situations.

For his strictness and respect for the law, coupled with the pragmatic steps he takes all the time, the obvious roguish attitudes in display by political opponents as are prevalent in Ghana are non-existent in Rwanda.

I dont mean to insult the intelligence of our African leaders but just repeating what I have been persuaded to believe that there is no true leader in Africa.

That Senior School Prefect at TKSS in those days, mentions to me how the King of Dubai has built his country from nothing, but to the envious admiration of the whole world. Such a person, to him, is a leader.

Most African countries have all the natural resources needed to develop their countries but for the fact there are no true leaders, only persons elected to power with half-baked policies without means to effectively enforce the obedience of the laws, nothing works better in Africa.

It is all corruption galore to the detriment of the people and the nations.

Watch the below video to see if Paul Kagame is not a true leader?

It hurts to tell the truth but in the end, it brings comfort.

Rockson Adofo

Friday, 21 October 2022
IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare

22.10.2022 LISTEN

The Ghana Police Service has confirmed the arrest of two individuals seen in a viral video with one wearing black attire with police insignia.

While the Police investigate the source of the attire, it has cautioned the general public to desist from engaging in acts that injure the reputation of the service.

As the investigation continues to establish the source of the attire and prepare the suspects to face justice, we would like to caution the public against acts that tend to injure the reputation of the Ghana Police Service, part of a Police statement said on Friday, October 21.

According to the Police, the person seen in the attire in the viral video has been identified as Marcus Dankwah. He is not a Police officer and is currently in custody together with his accomplice, Pascal Nelson.

Meanwhile, preliminary investigation indicates that the said video footage, which originated from a TikTok account identified as the official page of Vzonetv and shared on various social media platforms, was taken on October 18, 2022.

The investigation also revealed the suspects are social media content providers who produce videos for their online TV channel Vzonetv.
Paris climate activists have found a new way to get across their message against energy waste in the City of Light -- switching off store signs and advertising screens that are kept on all night even though the government has urged people to cut back electricity use.

At 9.00pm on a recent evening, around 20 Extinction Rebellion members gathered for a tactical briefing before spreading out on another night-time raid.

If the police spot them "we absolutely don't run", says "Joad," a 32-year-old veteran of the movement, detailing out the legal risks and advice for those who might be arrested.

"There are 12 million people going cold in France because they can't heat their homes, and on the other hand we're wasting this energy on advertising signs that are completely useless consumption," he tells AFP.

After distributing posters and equipment, including telescopic poles to reach switches for outdoor lights, Joad's team heads for the lively Marais district, a magnet for both Parisians and tourists, where dozens of retailers have outlets.

'This isn't Versailles!'

Click, and off goes a Levi's sign. On other storefronts, the group tapes up posters saying "This isn't Versailles!" -- the scolding heard by generations of French children when they leave lights on needlessly.

The team targets opticians, jewellers, perfume boutiques and mattress stores as well as the numerous luminous billboards, prising open the frames to switch them off and replace ads with their own posters.

The government, under pressure as Russia crimps gas exports to Europe, has urged people to show energy "restraint" as winter approaches, notably by lowering home heating thermostats to 19 degrees Celsius.

It has also issued a decree that illuminated signs and publicity must be turned off from 1.00am to 6.00am, starting in June 2023.

The city authorities in Paris have gone further, ordering lights out for signs and advertising from 11.45pm to 6.00am from December.

For the climate activists, that's not soon enough.

Government's 'double-speak'

"We know this is very symbolic because electricity used by illuminated signs is only a tiny fraction of the energy the country uses," said "Pikou," a 36-year-old who also used a pseudonym.

The bigger problem, for Pikou, is the government's "double-speak".

"What makes me angry, and that's why I'm here tonight, is that the government asks ordinary people for restraint, with little gestures like turning their heating down or turning off Wi-Fi, but it doesn't have the political courage to ask for the same restraint from businesses," he said.

As the activists progress along the winding Marais streets, their actions often garner applause from passers-by.

"I completely agree with them," says Federica, a tourist from Milan. Anna, who also stops to watch, calls the illuminated signs "a disgrace".

One store in particular draws the activists' ire. It is a clothing boutique vaunting its environmental credentials with the slogan "Because there is no Planet B", alongside three large advertising screens.

The screens are quickly covered with posters.

"This is phase one. It's about raising awareness and prevention," says Joad, adding that some store owners respond with messages of support and promises to turn the lights off.

"For those who keep the lights on and continue this wastage, we'll advance to phase two, which will be a bit bolder, starting in December."

(with AFP)
Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Abraham Amaliba has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo must address the nation on the economic challenges facing Ghanaians.

Just as during the Covid period when the President addressed the nation, he said Mr Akufo-Addo must do same at the moment as Ghanaians are saddled with rising cost of living.

Speaking on the New Day show with Johnnie Hughes on TV3 Friday October 21, he said we are in a very difficult situation, we have never seen this before.

What I expect the government to do is for the president to address the nation because this is more or less like war against the people of this country.

When there was Covid he was always in our rooms when we didnt need him, this is the time for him to address Ghanaians.

The government has admitted that times are hard for Ghanaians but measures are being taken to to ameliorate their plight.

The government is seeking support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help it deal with the situation.

An IMF team, led by Stephane Roudet, met during October 11-19 in Washington, DC with Finance Minister Ofori-Atta, Bank of Ghana Governor Addison and their teams, to continue discussions on a possible IMF-supported program.

At the conclusion of the meetings, Mr. Roudet issued the following statement: The Ghanaian delegation and IMF staff had very fruitful discussions on the authorities' post-COVID program for economic growth and associated policies and reforms that could be supported by a new IMF arrangement.

We made good progress in identifying specific policies that would restore macroeconomic stability and lay the foundation for stronger and more inclusive growth. The IMF team and the Ghanaian authorities remain fully committed to reaching agreement on a framework and policies for an IMF-supported program as soon as feasible. Discussions will continue in the weeks ahead, with a follow-up mission to take place expeditiously.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta was hopeful that the IMF will approve the programme by end of the year.

He told TV3's Paa Kwesi Asare in an earlier interview on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington DC that the Fund is motivated to close the deal by end of the year.

To get us close to a staff level agreement as possible so that we can incorporate all of our decisions also into the budget so there will be no reversal and therefore, by year ending, hopefully, the board will approve.

"Do you see that happening?" he asked.

In response, he said We have to make it happen, the Fund is very motivated, we are 24/7, we will stay a few more days after this annual meetings and ensure we make solid progress going forward.

I am excited about where we are, which therefore means that if we complete it by end of the year, disbursements from the fund which replace what we would have done going to the international market. Clearly, in my mind there is no need for speculation as to where the currency should be.

Earlier, Mr Ofori-Atta assured at a press briefing on Wednesday, September 28 the fast-track negotiations with the IMF to ensure key aspects of the programme are reflected in the 2023 budget statement.

In line with the President's dialogue with the IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, negotiations will be fast-tracked to ensure that key aspects of the programme are reflected in the 2023 Annual Budget Statement in November 2022, he said.

---3news.com
The Africa Digital Economy Forum (ADEF) on Friday, October 21, announced that it has set aside November as the Digital Economy Month.

ADEF since its creation has worked with various stakeholders to advocate for the right policies, causes and actions on issues pertaining to the promotion of the digital economy.

With its Digital Economy Month initiative, ADEF has decided to mentor and empower the youth to ensure they become ready to take advantage of the huge opportunities of digitalisation in Ghana, Africa, and the world at large.

Speaking at the launch of Digital Economy Month at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, CEO of Africa Digital Economy Forum, Mr. Akin Naphtal said in a country like Ghana where unemployment is a big problem, it is important for the youth in tertiary institutions that will soon be completing school to explore the opportunities in the digital economy.

If you dont want to join the unemployed after school then you have to take advantage of the digital economy space, he stressed.

Opening up on Digital Economy Month, Mr. Akin Naphtal said it will be the first of its kind.

Speaking to ModernGhana News on the sidelines of the launch, he said ADEF wants to advocate and create a campaign that people should understand the benefits of plugging into the digital economy.

He indicated that the goal of the Africa Digital Economy Forum is to see how it can enlighten the youth to go through the right channels and how to build a better future.

Above it all, we are picking from the youth that we believe they are the future because employment lies within the youth sector. They are coming out of the university and they are not future-ready in terms of skills, awareness and knowledge.

So we are going to assemble them globally and start cross-breeding them with ideas. That is the digital economy ambassadors, Mr. Akin Naphtal shared.

He added, the month is going to be a long month of awareness where we are going to dig further on engagements with the youth, to stakeholders, to communities, to technology producers, and let them see how we can move the sectors forward.

According to Mr. Akin Napthal, there are opportunities for the uneducated as well. He intimated that he is committed to the course because he is aware the government cannot do it all by itself.

I have been in technology for 22 years and I have seen transformation in business areas and I believe we need to take this forward.

Im committed to this course because if we want to benefit from the youth then we need to train them from now to be future-ready.

Whether you have been to school or not this is the platform to improve your business, he noted.

Engaging the youth from various tertiary universities at the launch, Derek Barnabas Laryea, former Head of Research and Communications at the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications urged them to take the empowerment programme seriously, adding that whatever they are learning in school now will be useless in a few years.

He urged the youth to learn new skills that will make them stand out and succeed in the new age of the digital economy.

We want to empower you as young people. Whatever you are learning in school today wont take you anywhere. Thats the truth.

It is imprinting to enable ourselves digitally and take advantage of the opportunities. As young people as you are today, there are a lot of opportunities for you to succeed, Derek Barnabas Laryea told the youth.

He further admonished, begin to get hungry. Learn new things, learn how to code, the other things, those are things that will make you stand out to succeed.

Several students engaged after the programme described it as an eye-opener.

Mustapha Musah, one of the students who spoke to ModernGhana News said the empowerment programme will play a key role in his life going forward.

The programme is a very good programme because we have been empowered on how to use our devices such as our mobile phones and laptops in order for our education to be meaningful.

We have learnt a lot of things as far as the importance of the digital economy is concerned. I believe this will go a long way to help all of us who came here today, Mustapha Musah who is a student of the Islamic University College said.

Africa Digital Economy Forum as part of its Digital Economy Month to empower youth is inviting interested persons to register for free to become ambassadors.

Click HERE to become a member.
22.10.2022 LISTEN

The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sent well wishes to Constituency Executives aspirants across the country in the upcoming Constituency Elections on October 22 and 23.

Mr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo urges them to conduct themselves in a manner that will yet again cement the credentials of the party as the foremost democratic political party.

He further admonish aspirants to be decorus and restraint.

In a statement issued by the Office of the National Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo urged all aspiring candidates to stay true and committed to the tenets of the NDC.

The time has come once again for our great party to show the world that we are the true bastion of democracy. As we go into our Constituency Elections this weekend, I encourage all aspirants to conduct themselves with decorum and restraint as we further cement our credentials as the worlds foremost democratic political party, he stated.

He further asked that all aspirants keep their eyes on the ultimate goal of annexing power and rescuing the country from the doldrum it has been plunged into over the past six years.

Let me take this opportunity to remind us all that this elections is a means to the ultimate end of a resounding victory come December 2024. There is a higher purpose and calling that we must respond to. Across the country, there is a genuine cry for the return of the NDC to rescue the country and we must not faint neither must we lose sight of this. We must heed to this call and work hard to meet the expectations of Ghanaians, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo intimated.

The NDC Constituency Elections will be held across the country to elect party executives at the constituency level ahead of the National Executives Elections, which come off in December later this year.
The governor of Sudan's southern Blue Nile state declared a state of emergency Friday, giving security forces full powers to stop ethnic fighting that has left 150 people dead. The situation has worsened since last year's coup by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

"The state of emergency is decreed in the whole of Blue Nile State for 30 days," said the provincial decree seen by AFP for the state bordering South Sudan and Ethiopia.

It called on commanders of the police, army, intelligence services and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces "to intervene by all possible means to stop inter-tribal fighting".

Clashes in Blue Nile broke out last week after reported disputes over land between members of the Hausa people and rival groups, with residents reporting hundreds fleeing intense gunfire and homes set ablaze.

The fighting has centred around the Wad al-Mahi area near Roseires, some 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of the capital Khartoum.

"A total of 150 people, including women, children and elderly, were killed between Wednesday and Thursday," said the head of Wad al-Mahi hospital, Abbas Moussa. "Around 86 people were also wounded in the violence."

Deepening political unrest

The authorities had imposed a night-time curfew on Monday after 13 people were killed in clashes between the Hausa and rival groups, according to the UN, but the violence then flared again.

On Thursday, several hundred people demonstrated in the Blue Nile capital, Damazin, shouting: "No to violence". Some demanded the state's Governor Ahmed al-Omda Badi be sacked, accusing him of not protecting them.

From July to early October, at least 149 people were killed and 65,000 displaced in Blue Nile, according to the UN.

The Hausa have mobilised across Sudan, claiming they are discriminated against by tribal law which forbids them to own land in Blue Nile because they were the last group to arrive there.

The issue of access to land is highly sensitive in impoverished Sudan, where agriculture and livestock account for 43 percent of employment and 30 per cent of GDP.

Sudan has been grappling with deepening political unrest and a spiralling economic crisis since last year's military coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The military power grab upended a transition to civilian rule launched after the 2019 ouster of strongman Omar al-Bashir, who ruled for three decades.

Surge in inter-communal conflicts

A surge in ethnic violence in recent months has highlighted the security breakdown in Sudan since the coup.

More than 546 people were killed and over 211,000 forced to flee their homes in inter-communal conflicts across the country from January to September, according to the UN.

The UN mission in Sudan said it was "alarmed" by the "resurgence of conflict" in Blue Nile, a region awash with guns that is still struggling to rebuild after decades of civil war.

Meanwhile, thousands of Sudanese took to the streets Friday to renew protests nearly a year after al-Burhan's coup.

Demonstrators gathered in Khartoum and its suburbs Friday, shouting "no to military rule", "the people want the fall of the regime" and for the military to return "to the barracks", AFP journalists said.

Security forces had cordoned off the capital early in the morning, shutting off access to bridges, as the resistance committees responsible for mobilising against the coup had for days been calling for protests on social media.

At least 117 people have been killed in the protests against military rule since the power-grab, according to pro-democracy medics.

Friday also marked the 58th anniversary of the first uprising that toppled a military dictatorship in the country that has a history riddled with coups, only seeing brief spells of democratic rule over the decades.

(with newswires)
Former President John Dramani Mahama has given President Akufo-Addo an advice on what he needs to do at this critical moment to free Ghanaians from the current hardships in the country.

He said H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should call for a national dialogue to seek views, opinions and answers to the untangling snafu the country finds itself.

The 2020 presidential candidate of the NDC made this proposal to the sitting president while addressing the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) when they called on him at his office on Friday.

Ex-President John Dramani Mahama stressed that President Akufo-Addo should put aside his pride and heed his advise because when he was President and called for similar dialogue, he didnt lose anything.

The government should come clean and tell us, What is the state of the economy? You must put everything on the table.

That is why I called for a national dialogue. I said bring the best brains together. I have been President before, it served me well. I called the Senchi Forum, it didnt reduce my stature as President, John Dramani Mahama shared.

According to the former President, there will soon be a catastrophe if the government fails to take proper measures to tackle the current hardships in the country.

While measures being taken by the government have thus far failed to address the challenges facing the economy, the government is confident that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a support programme will restore growth and bring hope to the Ghanaian economy again.
Hundreds of National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates Saturday were left disappointed following the postponement of the Cape Coast South Constituency elections.

The elections were deferred to Sunday, October 23, 2022, due to a challenge with the printing of the ballot papers, the Ghana News Agency gathered.

Delegates and aspirants, some of whom arrived at the Adisadel School Park, the venue for the elections, as early 0500hours were agitated when the news went to them around 0900 hours.

At the time, some aspirants were also distributing food to their supporters and making last minute frantic efforts to win the hearts of the voters.

Officials of the Electoral Commission, who were present to supervise the elections, left the place in the wake of the development.

In all, 1,026 delegates are expected to vote for 55 candidates vying for 17 positions in the constituency on Sunday, should the challenge be resolved.

Mr Abdul Wahab Amid, a member of the constituency's election directorate, who described the situation as unprecedented said the delegates were disappointed by the turn of events.

He said their activities had been disrupted by the situation and, therefore, people had had to alter their plans.

The election directorate was very optimistic of the elections being held today until the call came through around 0900 hours, he said.

They asked us not to announce it to the delegates with the hope that the challenge would be resolved but unfortunately the papers could get here.

We are hoping that by tomorrow, the ballot papers will be ready.

A delegate and NIB branch organiser for the party, Mr Benjamin Gyepi Garbrah, said many delegates had travelled long distances to vote while the aspirants had spent a lot on campaigning and expressed the hope they would sail through on Sunday.

But as a family, we will try and resolve it. There is nothing we can do because it has already happened. I hope everything will be fine by tomorrow, he told the GNA.

Another delegate, Maame Esi, said she arrived at the venue at 0530 hours with the hope of being among the first delegates to vote and, though disappointed, she was hopeful that the issue will be resolved.

GNA
The delay in the printing of ballot papers for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency election in the Bolgatanga Central Constituency has affected the start of the process.

As at 1300hours when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the polling station, delegates, aspirants, and party sympathisers were seated in groups and chatting among themselves, while aspirants took the opportunity to campaign.

The GNA observed that though the entire voting hall was set and ready for the exercise to commence, the Electoral Commission (EC) officials were seated and waiting to receive the ballot papers.

When the ballots arrived at about 1430hours, the EC officials started sorting them out for voting to begin.

Mr Donatus Nyaaba, the Regional Director of Elections, NDC, said a delay in the printing of the ballot papers had delayed the whole process.

He said the problem was not peculiar to only the Bolgatanga Central Constituency and that the Chiana-Paga Constituency in the Kassena-Nankana West District was also affected.

Mr Roland Atanga Ayoo, the incumbent Constituency Secretary, who is seeking re-election, told the GNA that pockets of information I have gathered suggest that the printers were not paid in full, and that has delayed the printing.

He said delegates and aspirants were anxious as they were unduly delayed.

Mr Ayoo said: They were here as early as 0800hours and are not very impressed about the situation. The anxiety level is very high.

He added that despite the delay, the outcome of the election would not be affected even though it would be stressful.

An election that would have ended very early is likely to travel into the night and would cause a lot of stress to many people.

The aspirant appealed to delegates to continue to exercise patience and was hopeful that by the close of day, the election would be conducted.

As at the time of filing this report, sorting was still on-going with heavy police presence.

GNA
22 September 2022, New York

Thank you, Madam President,

Mr Secretary-General, Excellencies,

Let me thank the French presidency for the opportunity to participate in this important meeting.

The Czech Republic now holds the rotating EU Presidency. The EU is a core promoter of values and principles of the UN Charter.

Czechia hosts the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita, over 400 thousand.

Russias colonial, unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine sent this massive wave of the most vulnerable population abroad.

Russian aggression is perhaps the most dangerous challenge to global peace in recent decades. Today, it is about Ukraine, tomorrow, it may be another country.

In August 1968, it was Czechoslovakia, invaded by Moscow-led troops. A crack-down on the so-called Prague Spring, a violent interference in another countrys peaceful life, turning my country into an occupied colony.

We are hearing about the hastily organized sham referendums in parts of Ukraine. Russia cannot trick the international community and steal again another states territory.

Russias aggressive, colonial policy and imperial desires must be rejected for good. Ukraine refused this slavery and bravely fights for a multilateral world where rules protect peace.

We are horrified by the atrocities committed by Russian troops in Mariupol, Bucha, Irpin, Izjum and elsewhere. And extremely concerned by the reports on the so-called filtration camps run by Russia in Ukraine.

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens have been deported to Russia, including children. There are testimonies of sexual and gender-based crimes, used as a method of warfare.

All must be investigated and perpetrators must be held accountable. We applaud the Secretary-General for launching the UN fact-finding mission on events in Olenivka.

More than 40 states, including Czechia, referred the situation in Ukraine to the ICC, which opened its investigation into the situation in Ukraine already in March.

We strongly support the ICC, including by seconding a public prosecutor and by voluntary contributions.

And we call for establishment of a special international tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression committed by Russia.

Czech law enforcement agencies have launched criminal investigation of certain crimes, based on the principle of universal jurisdiction.

The Security Council members bear global responsibility for peace and respect to international law. That is what we expect of you when we elect you.

Please, act!

We need peace in Ukraine. We need to restore respect for the UN Charter and international law. We need to ensure justice for victims and to stop impunity of the perpetrators.

I thank you.
(Natural News) Big Tech mogul Bill Gates recently said that the European energy crisis brought by the Russia-Ukraine war is actually a good thing.

Its good for the long run because people wont want to be dependent on Russian natural gas  so theyll move to these new approaches more rapidly, Gates said as he promoted his Breakthrough Energy Ventures climate-technology (carbon tax) investment company in a CNBC interview.

The billionaire and top U.S. farmlands owner said that it is important to find non-Russian hydrocarbon sources. Hence, there are coal plants running and a variety of things, because keeping people warm and keeping those economies in decent shape is a priority.

According to Gates State of the Energy Transition presentation, it should be the responsibility of countries like the U.S. to completely decarbonize all sectors of the economy.

He noted that countries in Europe and North America filled the atmosphere with carbon to achieve prosperity. It is unrealistic and unfair to expect everyone else to forgo a more comfortable life because that carbon turned out to change the climate.

I dont think the market by itself can press reset on an entire economy in just a few decades. We need the plan to speed the process up, he said.

WND, an independent media outlet, said that Gates approach is similar to that of President Joe Biden, who pushes consumers toward ultra-expensive electric vehicles that the American grid now is not prepared to support.

Under the Biden regime, gasoline for cars has surged to $7 a gallon in some cities, while natural gas prices are expected to explode during the coming winter.

Telecom may go offline, media networks prepare for winter blackouts

Meanwhile, mobile and media networks in Europe are bracing themselves up in case power rationing becomes an option in the coming winter. (Related: European telecommunications networks may go offline this winter due to energy crisis.)

Telecom industry officials say they fear a severe winter will put Europes telecom infrastructure to the test, forcing companies and governments to try to mitigate the impact. As per Reuters, four telecom executives admitted there are not enough backup systems in many European countries to handle widespread power cuts, raising the prospect of mobile phone outages.

Countries, including France, Sweden and Germany, are trying to ensure communications can continue even if power cuts end up exhausting backup batteries installed on the thousands of cellular antennas spread across their territories.

Meanwhile, media giant British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has already prepared secret scripts that would be broadcast if energy shortages cause blackouts or the loss of gas supplies this coming cold season.

According to BBC, the scripts set out how the corporation would reassure the public in the event that a major loss of power causes telecommunications networks, internet access, banking systems or traffic lights to fail across England, Wales and Scotland.

One of the drafted scripts includes warnings that a blackout could last up to two days, with hospitals and police placed under extreme pressure. Another one says, The government has said its hoped power will be restored in the next 36 to 48 hours. Different parts of Britain will start to receive intermittent supplies before then.

Check out more stories related to the dwindling energy supply on EnergySupply.news.

Watch this video that talks about massive protests on far-left policies that resulted in low energy supply in Europe.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Europe will experience the worst energy crisis in history if it keeps turning away Russian oil and gas.

European energy crisis making it impossible to produce renewable energy equipment like solar panels.

Europe in deindustrialization spiral due to energy crisis, warns Goldman Sachs.

European farmers see writing on wall with energy crisis: food shortages are a certainty.

Sources include:

WND.com

Summit.News

Reuters.com

TheGuardian.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The new plan by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is to fully vaccinate all children in America for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) by adding Fauci Flu shots to the official childhood immunization schedule.

On October 19, the CDC made a recommendation to its advisory panel to add Chinese Virus shots to next years childhood immunization schedule. This means children could soon be forced, in many cases, to take the shots in order to attend school in some states.

As well be discussing today and tomorrow, incorporation of the COVID-19 vaccines in the immunization schedule and the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program is an important step towards inclusion of COVID-19 vaccines in a routine vaccination program, said Dr. Sara Oliver, a CDC official, to the agencys advisory panel.

That panel, we are told, will soon be voting on the official immunization schedule for children in 2023, though it remains murky whether or not covid shots will be added to it at this time. (Related: Children who got jabbed for the Fauci Flu are developing liver inflammation, also known as hepatitis.)

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the panel to which Oliver spoke, is responsible for recommending jabs for inclusion on the schedule, which covers children in three different age groups: birth to 15 months, 18 months to 18 years, and adults.

The CDC and two partners make the final decision on inclusion, one report explains.

There are about to be a LOT of exemptions filed for childhood immunization

On Twitter, the CDC indicated that the ACIP will vote on an updated childhood immunization, the suggestion being that this update will include the addition of Fauci Flu injections.

The tweet came after Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins University professor, appeared with Fox News Tucker Carlson to speak out against the addition of covid jabs to the CDC schedule.

So far, most CDC officials have remained tight-lipped about the looming vote. Sarah Meyer, however, one such official, indicated in a recent talk that the CDC Foundation will be discussing the addition of covid injections to the schedule for children.

There is a small chance the jabs will not be added to the 2023 schedule. If that happens, they will almost certainly get added to 2024s schedule or some schedule in the future, according to Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC).

There has not been one vaccine that has been produced by the pharmaceutical industry and licensed for children in the U.S. that has not been eventually recommended by federal health officials for children and placed on the CDCs childhood vaccine schedule, Fisher said.

The CDC itself has shied away from mandating any of the jabs on its schedule. However, some local jurisdictions and even entire states have adopted the CDCs recommendations as mandates, meaning children in those states could be forced to take covid shots.

States establish vaccine requirements for school children, not ACIP or CDC, the agency said.

In California, for instance, there are plans in place to force all schoolchildren to take covid shots, should they get added by the CDC to the schedule. In Florida, on the other hand, there will be no mandates.

COVID mandates are NOT allowed in FL, NOT pushed into schools, & I continue to recommend against them for healthy kids, tweeted Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Floridas surgeon general.

In a vote, CDC advisors voted unanimously to recommend that covid jabs be added to the official CDC schedule. Now we wait to see what the final vote from the agency itself will be.

As the government continues its quest to jab every last human for the Fauci Flu, we will keep you informed about the latest at Vaccines.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) With the CDCs outlandish decision to add covid-19 vaccines  which are really transhumanism mRNA experimental drugs  to the childhood immunization schedule, the CDC has cemented its position as a Child Death Cult (C.D.C.). By pushing this unproven, unsafe and unnecessary jab onto children, the CDC proves it is operating as a shield for Big Pharma while sacrificing millions of children to vaccine injuries and deaths over the coming years.

This decision by the CDC has no medical or scientific justification whatsoever, and its abundantly clear the CDC made this move to grant a liability shield to Big Pharma (all vaccines added to the childhood immunization schedule enjoy absolute legal liability in the United States). Even Dr. Robert Malone, inventor of mRNA technology, can hardly believe what were seeing here. I am shocked by the malfeasance, he wrote. I have no trust left at all in our public health. It is broken.

Heres more from Dr. Malone, via LifeSiteNews.com:

This means that public schools, which all use this schedule, will then be able to mandate the vaccines in order for children to attend public school.

This is all being done at the last minute and basically behind the backs of the public, as this received virtually no media attention prior to the vote.

ACIPs decision to add the COVID-19 shots is based on regulatory capture, budgetary issues, politics, and it is not based on scientific data.

We all know the adverse event profile of the jabs. It is horrific. The small sample size in the clinical trials were poorly designed and inadequately powered.

We all know other countries have completely stopped vaccinating children with these products.

If they add these jabs to the childhood schedule, it will completely break the trust of the American family in the CDC, as it should.

The CDC, it turns out, is nothing more than a child murdering vaccine holocaust factory.

Learn more in todays hard-hitting Situation Update podcast

Heres some of whats covered today:

 CDC declares war on children with covid-19 vaccine schedule

 Schools can now MANDATE covid-19 vaccines for all children

 Total legal liability for vax manufacturers

 Children will now be injured or KILLED by the millions

 Global INFERTILITY has now been unleashed  Children of Men

 Dr. Malone blasts total corruption of CDC

 HHS officials dumped stock in early 2020, they KNEW what was coming

 95% of corpses received covid vaccination within last 2 weeks

 FDA quick to recall FOOD that hurts people, but never VACCINES that kill people

 UK cardiologist calls for pulling all vaccines off the market NOW

 Swiss government DESTROYS 9 million expired Moderna vaccines

 Huge scam to BUY them, then DESTROY them, while enriching Big Pharma

 Mississippi water levels so low, barge traffic reaches disastrous levels

 HUNDREDS of crimes found on Hunter Bidens laptop, including money laundering and drugs

 Diesel fuel inventories in the USA plummet to just 25 days

 British government plunged into total chaos as Liz Truss resigns, Tory party in collapse

 Electric vehicle owners shocked to learn about $20K battery replacement costs

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Banned.Video: Banned.video/watch?id=6352e74047d9a71e970f3383

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(Natural News) There had been 79 dead bodies recovered so far this year within Brooks County, just 70 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The rural sheriffs office spends more than 85 percent of its time there on border related-issues. Most of the time, its to search for immigrants who have been lost, dehydrated or injured.

Other times, its to find a dead body.

Last year, the sheriffs office recovered 119 bodies  a record high and more than thrice found in 2020. Sheriff Benny Martinez said that for each body that they find, another five to 10 are never recovered.

Ive spoken to a lot of mothers over the telephone, or theyve been here in my office, crying for their loved ones that have been lost for 10, 15 years, he said.

Our terrain is real sandy. Were about 100 [feet] above sea level. So once that sand starts going over that body, and that body starts getting torn apart by the feral hog, by the coyote  the only time its recovered is when theyre moving cattle and they turn the soil over [and] a skull would pop up, or something, he explained.

Body parts would pop up. Thats how were going to find out that something laid there for a while. I mean, what is compassionate about that? (Related: Video shows camouflaged illegal aliens easily crossing southern border wall to enter U.S.)

Summer is the busiest month, as most people die from a combination of both dehydration and hypothermia. Water is scarce, people easily get lost and smugglers will leave those who are slow or injured.

Brooks County Deputy Sheriff Don White volunteers his time to search for the injured and the dead. He said he has found bodies of males aged 19 to 40 from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Unfortunately, only around 30 percent of the bodies that he found have identification, as someone most likely already stripped them of their possessions.

Over 40,000 gotaways recorded each month along southwest border

Illegal aliens trying to evade Border Patrol are known as gotaways. They have criminal records or have no way of gaining legal entry into the United States.

As per unpublished data, border agents record at least 40,000 gotaways each month along the southwest border.

These people have records; they have criminal records. We have our own criminals here, we dont need to add to that, Martinez said. So the fact is, we need to know who they are. And they [federal government] just dont want to do that. They just want to let everyone in.

Legislators have actually steadily increased the federal budget for border patrol enforcement along the nearly 2,000-mile stretch of land that makes up the U.S.-Mexico border. Enforcement funding has also increased from $1.935 billion in 1997 to $21.1 billion in 2018.

In 1997, there were only 6,321 agents assigned to patrol the southwestern border. That swelled to over 21,000 in 2011, but decreased to 17,000 from October 2019 through September 2020.

As the border patrol presence increased along the U.S.-Mexico border, migrants adopted new travel routes that pushed them into more remote or treacherous parts of the desert. If they get caught and apprehended, they will be detained and potentially deported.

Martinez emphasized that the border is not secure and that theres a national security issue for all the aggravated offenders that go through.

In 2014, the United Nations International Organization for Migration started the Missing Migrants Project to document the deaths and disappearances of migrants in the region. It has since recorded over 2,980 aliens who died trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

Most of the recorded deaths are migrants who drowned trying to enter the U.S. by wading across the Rio Grande. Harsh environmental conditions and vehicle accidents are the most likely causes of death.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) used to publish the number of migrant deaths along the southern border on its website from 1998 to 2020. No figures had been posted since the Biden administration took over.

Previous CBP data showed that 247 illegal immigrants died near the border in fiscal year 2020, while 300 died in fiscal year 2019.

There are reports saying that the number of deaths for fiscal 2022 may be close to 800. According to Martinez, this could have been avoided, because the deaths would have been avoidable by securing the border.

Watch the video below discussing terror and tragedy along the border.

This video is from the channel The New American on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Illegal immigration skyrockets under Biden to third-highest level in 97 years.

Abbott deploys Operation Lone Star at Texas-Mexico border to fight illegal immigration.

Governors in Arizona, Texas bypass corrupt Biden regime and request law enforcement help from other states to combat illegal immigration, drug trafficking.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

TheConversation.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A top aide to New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams admitted that the influx of illegal aliens being bused from southern states is destroying the Big Apple. The same aide disclosed that the issue will definitely be a huge pitfall for the Democratic leader.

Audio released by Project Veritas showed Chris Baugh, an Advance Team Aide for Adams, admitting that Republican governors in the south  in particular Texas Gov. Greg Abbott  had made a significant impact on NYCs government by busing illegal aliens there.

There was talk about us just limiting the number of migrants we would accept, and Im glad we didnt do it that way, he told the Project Veritas journalist. But I still think that what Abbott was doing has proven effective. Like, its flooded our system.

We have more people in social services than weve ever have  potentially ever in history. So its effectively demonstrating the strain.

Abbotts decision to transport illegal aliens crossing into the U.S. via Texas to blue cities in the north sought to make President Joe Biden and the rest of the Democratic Party aware of the crisis at the countrys border with Mexico. Other red states in the south, such as Florida and Arizona, followed suit.

According to Baugh, the influx of illegal aliens being bused to the Big Apple could prove to be Adams undoing.

Its going to be the biggest test of his political career, which is kind of wild  being that he has been in office for nine or 10 months now. This could define his entire time in office, said the aide. (Related: NYC Mayor declares emergency over migrants, 12 months after campaigning for more migrants.)

If he gets this right, if we can weather the surge of migrants and commit to  right to shelter laws and all of that, he is going to look like a hero. If [it] goes the other direction, Abbott and [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis are going to be like, The Democrats dont practice what they preach and its going to be a huge pitfall for him.

Influx of illegals in NYC also affecting Biden administration

Baugh elaborated that the migrant crisis in the Big Apple is resonating upward and impacting the Biden administration. The GOP is on the offensive against the Democrats by turning the migrant crisis against the latter, he added.

Frankly, I dont know how much Biden is going to appreciate having a mayor be like Hey, you owe blue cities money because of this migrant crisis. Eventually, thats going to make Biden look bad. Were a month out [until] midterms and he is not going to like that, the aide said.

Its a very perilous situation for him, and I dont know [if] Adams is capable enough to navigate it.

According to Baugh, the optics of the migrant crisis are bad for both Biden and Adams.

I think Biden saying Alright, Im just [going to] give money to NYC because they cant take care of these migrants is just [going to] be bad politics for him.

Ultimately, Baugh pointed out that the blame will ultimately rest on Adams and the Big Apples far-left government. The aide added that he does not necessarily believe they will be up to the challenge.

Emergency [federal] money should be going to Florida and Puerto Rico before it should be coming here [to NYC]. Ultimately, its us struggling to comply with our own laws  our right to shelter laws and other stuff.

Migrants.news has more on the repercussions of illegals being bused to sanctuary cities like NYC.

Watch Chris Baugh admit that NYCs migrant crisis is catastrophic for the Big Apple below.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

NYC Mayor Adams: OVER HALF of bused illegals avoid the Big Apple for fear of CRIME.

Hypocrite NYC Mayor Eric Adams declares state of emergency as migrants bussed from Texas flood sanctuary city.

Eric Adams calls Texas, Arizona Govs. cowards for sending migrants to DC, says schools, healthcare going to be impacted.

YOU CANT MAKE THIS UP! NYC Mayor admits illegal aliens who fled violent drug cartels are now fleeing NYC over fears of rampant crime.

Sources include:

BigLeaguePolitics.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Former British National Security Adviser Peter Ricketts said Vladimir Putins aggression and the rise of China are putting the world on a deadly path of chaos.

Ricketts sounded the dire note about the state of global relations between the East and West during his lecture at Mercers Hall in London. He also warned of a perfect storm of crises that threaten to collapse the global order.

The international situation is more dangerous and unpredictable than at any time since the end of World War II, he said, adding that the war in Ukraine is unlikely to end any time soon, as it is the largest war in Europe since WWII, and they are seeing cities being smashed together by artillery fire.

He also noted that NATO is now returning to its initial purpose from 1949, which is to defend NATO member states territories and that allies of the organization were encouraged to see Putin as the master strategist in the destructive invasion of Ukraine.

His war has not only failed to achieve its military objectives, but has undermined the reputation of his military, Ricketts said. It has left NATO stronger and more purposeful than ever before, with Sweden and Finland looking to join.

Tensions have soared in recent weeks, with people fearing that Putin will push the nuclear button in a desperate attempt to form some sort of victory from the war. (Related: Clear and present danger: Putin warns NUCLEAR WAR is definitely coming if NATO continues to attack.)

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was earlier forced to go back to Washington over fears that Putin will detonate a nuclear weapon over the Black Sea.

Odds of apocalyptic nuclear war not high

Ricketts believes the Russian leaders threats of using nuclear weapons are just meant to frighten people. Ricketts said any nuclear strike on Ukraine is highly unlikely because it could also be catastrophic for Russia, making it an absurd risk.

A Swedish scientist has actually calculated the odds of an apocalyptic nuclear war at only six to one.

Still, the international situation is more dangerous and unpredictable these days.

The West warned of somewhat vague catastrophic consequences if Putin pushed the nuclear button, but it isnt clear what they have in store. While doing nothing at all is a non-starter, the U.S. and its NATO allies are wary of a dangerous escalation with Russia and might only toughen sanctions and send more advanced weapons to Ukraine.

For Russia, a non-nuclear Western response might be almost as bad as a nuclear one as U.S. airstrikes could wipe out most of its forces in Ukraine and sink its entire Black Sea fleet in one fell swoop.

This may be a dangerous escalation, but it hasnt been ruled out by retired U.S. officials.

The war is still unlikely to end soon as the upcoming winter is slowing the Ukrainian advance against Russian forces.

Neither side can win an outright victory, Ricketts said. There is no prospect President Volodymyr Zelensky would accept a peace settlement which signed away parts of Ukrainian territory.

Instead, the most likely option is a Korea-style armistice, without signing a peace agreement. Both sides will accept they cant go any further or fight any longer, but neither side will accept that or sign a peace treaty.

Ricketts also said that Putins recent annexation of the Donbas is a desperate attempt to present some kind of victory to the Russian people.

He also warned of the rising danger posed by China, saying that while Russia is an immediate threat to security, China is a long-term security risk due to its massive investment in its military and nuclear weapons.

He called on the world to develop a workable strategy toward China, warning that a major crisis will take place between China and Taiwan in the next 10 to 15 years as Xi Jinping recently declared himself as Chinas leader for life and wants to solve the Taiwan question before he has to leave office.

Visit WWIII.news for more updates about the Russia-Ukraine war.

Watch the video below for more information on why the U.S. needs to deter China and Russia.

This video is from the SayingHealthMinistries channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

URGENT Health Ranger mega thread on Russia, nuclear war, cyber attacks and impending financial collapse.

Russia warns that NATOs proxy war in Ukraine poses serious, real threat of NUCLEAR war.

Even regular people are now constructing bunkers due to fears of a nuclear war.

Sources include:

The-Sun.com

GZeroMedia.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Qatar is refusing lobbying efforts by Europe to divert gas flows to the continent due to the disappearance of Russian natural gas. Qatari officials said they cant go against their contracts with other clients just because the West demands it.

European natural gas buyers have been scrambling to secure alternative sources of supply since the imposition of economic sanctions on Russia. Their efforts include lobbying for more gas from Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Qatar holds just over 13 percent of the worlds natural gas reserves. This has turned the tiny Gulf state of fewer than three million people into a powerhouse in natural gas production, leading it to become the worlds third-largest exporter of natural gas products.

Because Qatar has a massive natural gas industry, it has many clients all over the world. Khalid Al-Khater, a specialist in monetary policy and political economy from Qatars capital of Doha, noted that Europe cant just receive more gas because it demands it. (Related: Europe will experience the worst energy crisis in history if it keeps turning away Russian oil and gas.)

What is Qatar supposed to do? The LNG [liquefied natural gas] that Qatar produces is already contracted on a long-term basis to Asia and there is not much left to divert to Europe, said Al-Khater. Qatar produces about 175 billion cubic meters [of LNG]  and Europe as a whole was importing about 150 billion cubic meters [of natural gas] from Russia. So what was Qatar supposed to do?

Al-Khater noted that Europe needs to sign a long-term contract with the country if it wants to become a client for Qatari natural gas exports. Qatar cant just build the infrastructure it needs to supply Europe with sufficient quantities of gas if the continent is unwilling to make long-term commitments with Qatar.

What is the point if you start building infrastructure  and then you have a customer  who all of a sudden, they change their mind? Then what do you do with this investment, and what do you do with the natural gas you have? said Al-Khater. Qatar is willing, Qatar has proven to be a reliable source of energy.

Qatari minister believes best solution for Europe is to go back to Russian gas

According to Qatari Minister of State for Energy Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Europes rush to secure new long-term suppliers of natural gas has put the continent in huge competition with heavy Asian importers who have long relied on the Middle East for their oil needs.

Because of this pull of Europe wanting additional gas  Asian buyers are looking at the same thing and saying, Hold on, we need to be able to secure our future development needs,' said Al-Kaabi.

The Qatari ministers recommendation is for Europe to go back to relying on Russian gas. He added that he couldnt see a future with zero gas flows from Russia to Europe. If this is the case, Al-Kaabi warned that he believes Europes energy crisis could last up to 2025 or longer.

You just dont have enough volume to bring [in] to replace that gas for the long term, unless youre saying Im going to be building huge nuclear [plants], Im going to allow coal, Im going to burn fuel oils, said Al-Kaabi.

Learn more about Europes energy crisis at NewEnergyReport.com.

Listen to Khalid Al-Khaters full interview on RT as he discusses Europes energy crisis.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

WARMING NOW GOOD: Left-wing environmentalists in Germany now pray for warm winter amid coming energy shortage, skyrocketing prices.

Hungary, Serbia building pipeline for Russian oil and gas to dodge EU sanctions.

GOT HEAT? Polish households burn TRASH for heat as Western sanctions against Russia deprive Europe of energy.

Europe to feel impact of turning away from cheap, plentiful Russian energy.

Europeans panic-buying firewood and stoves in desperate preparation for dark winter without electricity and gas.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Markets.BusinessInsider.com

WorldPopulationReview.com
(Natural News) In late 2021 and early 2022, it was commonplace for journalists and public intellectuals to demonize and shame the unvaccinated, a group that in the United States was disproportionately low income. The New York Times ran pieces like Im Furious at the Unvaccinated, and Unvaxxed, Unmasked and Putting Our Kids at Risk. The Los Angeles Times published a column titled Mocking anti-vaxxers COVID deaths is ghoulish, yesbut may be necessary. An opinion piece called The Unvaccinated Are a Risk to All of Us appeared in Bloomberg, and The Washington Post printed a piece called Macron is right: Its time to make life a living hell for anti-vaxxers.

(Article by Alex Gutentag republished from TabletMag.com)

CNNs Don Lemon commented that people refusing the vaccines were being idiotic and nonsensical. He argued that it was time to start shaming them or leave them behind. Noam Chomsky, a self-described libertarian socialist, said unvaccinated people should remove themselves from society and be isolated. Asked how they would get food that way, he answered, Well actually, thats their problem.

In Canada, columnists for the Toronto Star proclaimed, Vaccine resisters are lazy and irresponsiblewe need vaccine passports now to protect the rest of us and The unvaccinated cherish their freedom to harm others. How can we ever forgive them? In the U.K., the Daily Mail contended, Its time to punish Britains 5 million vaccine refuseniks, and Piers Morgan, a British presenter on TalkTV, suggested that unvaccinated people should not be allowed access to the countrys National Health Service.

Internationally, several politicians threatened to reimplement restrictions and told the public that the unvaccinated were at fault. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said unvaccinated people are very often misogynistic and racist, and asked, Do we tolerate these people? President Joe Biden said that his patience [was] wearing thin and that we needed to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated coworkers. Michael Gunner, chief minister of the Northern Territory in Australia, stated that even if you are vaccinated, if you are anti-mandate, you are absolutely anti-vax. French President Emmanuel Macron declared that 5 million French people who remained unvaccinated were not citizens.

Across parts of the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, unvaccinated people were fired from their jobs, excluded from higher education, banned from many sectors of public life, denied organ transplants, and even punished by judges in probation hearings and child custody cases. Meanwhile, COVID cases continued to rise in many highly vaccinated countries with vaccine passports and other restrictions in place.

Vaccine mandates were mainly rationalized through the belief that the higher the rate of vaccination, the less the virus would spread. For example, during oral arguments for Bidens health care worker mandate, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Elena Kagan claimed that health care workers had to get vaccinated so that youre not transmitting the disease. But recently, on Oct. 10, 2022, a Pfizer spokesperson told the European Parliament that the vaccines had never actually been tested for preventing transmission. While this was presented on social media as breaking news, the fact that the vaccines were not tested for this purpose has been documented extensively ever since Pfizer and Moderna received their original Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

During the Dec. 10, 2020, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meeting when the first mRNA vaccines were authorized, FDA adviser Dr. Patrick Moore stated, Pfizer has presented no evidence in its data today that the vaccine has any effect on virus carriage or shedding, which is the fundamental basis for herd immunity. Despite the data presented for individual efficacy, he continued, we really, as of right now, do not have any evidence that it will have an impact, social-wide, on the epidemic. The FDA EUA press release from December 2020 also confirms that there was no evidence that the vaccine prevents transmission of SARS-COV-2 from person to person.

Simply put, the reason many people believed the vaccines stopped transmission was because government officials and media outlets across the Western world were either careless with their words or did not tell the truth. In 2021, for instance, Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Rochelle Walensky claimed that vaccinated people do not carry the virus, and Dr. Anthony Fauci said they would become dead ends for the virus. Any speculation that the vaccines significantly reduced transmission was based on limited results from independent studies and the false assumption that the vaccine would prevent infection. Without adequate evidence, vaccination campaigns called on people to get vaccinated not just for their own protection, but to help protect others and save lives.

Meanwhile, social media companies coordinated with the Biden administration to censor dissent. Many people who asked questions about efficacy or safety risked banishment from Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube. Now, however, as more and more studies come out, it is increasingly clear that some of the information these companies censored was true.

Read more at: TabletMag.com
(Natural News) Another avid vaccine pusher and promoter dies from SADS (sudden adult death syndrome) soon after getting the Moderna mRNA gene mutation jab for the Fauci Flu, and ironically after he promoted the clot shot jab across all of social media. Doug Brignole was 63 years of age and an icon in the bodybuilding world, who last said, I have enough confidence in the vaccine, based on my research, to get it done. And what research was that? Some misinformation by Google and the CDC?

Bodybuilder Doug Brignole had warned the unvaccinated masses on many occasions about fearmongering, which is the act of deliberately arousing public fear or alarm about a particular subject, like getting deadly gene mutation injections that cause vascular clots.

Yet, is that what the anti-vaxxers are really doing, by spreading the truth about the clot shots? Most natural health advocates already know that the allopathic cult will not be changing their ways, so most likely, the spreading of the truth about the Fauci Flu jabs is just a form of protecting and reassuring each other, rather than spreading fear.

Heres Brignole, the die-hard pro-vaxxer, talking smack just before getting shot up with the deadly, vascular-clogging Wuhan virus injection:

Those of you who think the vaccine kills people can use me as a test. If I die, you were right. If I dont die, and have no ill effects, you were wrong, and should admit it (at least to yourselves)  he continues Better yet, you should admit that you were misled, and tell the world who misled you, so other people can benefit by avoiding those fearmongers.

Then, Brignole plastered his dogma all over Fakebook after he got the Moderna heart-stopper stab: Im vaccinated ! Well, the first of two. Lets get this done so we can get back to traveling, going to concerts, and having fun. My vaccine was yesterday, and I had no problem with it. My deltoid was a bit sore, but otherwise fine. Were all in this together, so lets do our share to beat it.

The vaxxers all pushed the Were all in this together mantra over and over, for the jabs and the masks. Everyone heard it a million times, and it was similar and almost as sickening as the eugenics slogan for the greater good that the Nazis used.

Four-decade-veteran body builder Doug Brignole dies suddenly from unknown reasons after getting Wuhan virus jab

Brignole was preparing for the 2022 AAU Mr. Universe competition in Las Vegas when he decided to take a very risky health move and get a Wuhan virus clot shot. While rumors and speculation are circulating on social media about all of this, mainstream media is scrambling to blame it on anything but the vaccine, like a cold shower, referee whistle or video games. After all, SADS can strike like a flash of lightening, especially after a gene-altering mRNA stab.

Those spike protein prions cause a world of hurt, and fast. Nobody can seem to put their finger on it. What a mystery, especially for world-class healthy athletes and military members. Brignole also worked as a fitness expert, public speaker and author, traveling on speaking tours at seminars in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Norway and Japan. Brignoles fans on social media say he was not juicing up on steroids, so most likely that can be marked off as the cause of his SADS.

Another reason Brignole was said to have taken the Fauci Flu jab was to quiet the arguments from both sides, but in actuality, he was heavily promoting the so-called vaccination, pointing out that were all in this together, insinuating that anyone who doesnt vax is putting everyone else at risk. That Fauci-concocted conspiracy theory turned out to be dead wrong. These pro-vax-fanatics love to cry out about misinformation while they spew their own all over the media.

Its a bit strange how so many media personalities who push the jabs hard end up biting the bullet shortly after, or even during the injections, and become a major statement for NOT getting the clot shots. Maybe if they want more people to get jabs they should stop promoting them like theyre everyones saving grace. Just a thought.

Tune your internet dial to NaturalMedicine.news for tips on how to use natural remedies for preventative medicine and for healing, without succumbing to Big Pharma for toxic injections that spread disease and disorder.

Sources for this article include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

NaturalNews.com
Rare flesh-eating bacteria reportedly increased in Florida after Hurricane Ian's flooding, advising residents to be careful and watch out for the symptoms.

Residents in Florida began to return to their homes after the disastrous impact of Hurricane Ian. The house damage caused residents to seek temporary shelters and immediately salvage what was left. At the same time, animal facilities have been helping stranded and abandoned dogs.

Volunteers and the Florida states helped residents to recover. The state provided loans for small businesses to reopen. Also, the state has been working hard to speed up the recovery efforts.

In the recent Tweet, Governor Ron DeSantis said they opened the Sanibel Causeway. Meanwhile, the governor also noted that school districts closed due to the Hurricane would be reopened by October 18, 2022.

A rare case flesh-eating bacteria

The impact of Hurricane Ian caused widespread flooding in Florida. Floodwaters, especially when slow to recede, could cause health problems.

According to a CNN Health report, harmful flesh-eating bacteria increased in Florida after the Hurricane. Based on the article, there were 65 cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection, with 11 deaths (As of Friday).

The Florida Health Department said that Vibrio vulnificus, which affects residents in Florida, lives in the warm seawater, noting that the infection was rare. The flooding in Florida, it poses risks of infection.

The Health Department advised residents not to enter the water, especially if they have wounds or cuts. The information added that residents should wear foot protection, particularly people who are immunocompromised and weakened immune systems. Exposed wounds can cause infection and serious concerns for those with weak immune systems.

Moreover, the department noted that immediate attention is needed, such as antibiotics or medical treatment, to prevent the harmful effects of the infection. The bacteria could penetrate the bloodstream, which could be lethal, causing symptoms such as chills, fevers, and decreased blood pressure.

Also Read: New Study Reveals that Flooding Can Affect Food Security Across African Nations

According to the CNN, infections occur in parts of Lee County, where Ian made landfall. Sanibel Island and Fort Mayers were also affected.

Spokesperson Tammy Soliz told CNN that DOH-Lee urged the public for precautions against the vibrio vulnificus' infections.

On the other hand, Florida Department of Health spokesperson Jae Williams explained that they noted that the cases were declining.

Reminders from the Health Department

As residents began to clean and live after the worst of Hurricane Ian, reports advised that they should be extra careful, especially those with weakened immune systems or open wounds or cuts. The effect of the infection could be dangerous.

Wear foot protection if you have an open wound. Avoid floodwaters as possible or water exposed to flooding.

The Florida Health Department said residents should thoroughly cook oysters, clams, or shellfish. Avoid eating raw shellfish.

If you feel the symptoms above, immediately consult your nearby doctor or clinic for the antibiotic. Immunocompromised people should stay out of floodwaters or seek immediate medical attention if exposed or infected.

Stay updated with announcements from the Florida Health Department. Visit their website here.

Related Article: Animal Rescue Group in Florida Helps Dogs Affected by Hurricane

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
Scientists are filling in the gaps in their knowledge thanks to a dinosaur fossil discovered in Mississippi that resembles an ostrich and is about the height of a giraffe.

By examining fossilized remains excavated from the Eutaw Formation of Mississippi, scientists have filled in a significant gap in North America's fossil record. They have discovered large-bodied specimens of the ornithomimosaur, which may have been the world's fastest dinosaur.

The Ornithomimosaur

Tom Cullen, an author of the study, explained that a particular class of bipedal dinosaurs, the majority of which resemble ostriches in appearance, is referred to as an ornithomimosaur. Long arms with fairly large clawed hands, large eyes, a long tail, long legs, and either small or no teeth are typical features of them. To be clear, later ornithomimosaurs lack teeth and instead have a keratinous beak to aid in food processing.

The dinosaurs that resembled birds are believed to have roamed the Northern Hemisphere somewhere around 145 million to 66 million years ago.

Cullen said that they would probably occupy a similar position in the food chain as ostriches or emus: they are medium-sized, mostly herbivorous animals that are swift on their feet.

The earliest ornithomimosaur species were all small-bodied and weighed around 26 pounds. According to Chase Brownstein, a research associate from the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, larger species started to evolve. Brownstein was not involved in the study.

The Hexing qingyi, a Chinese species of about 125 million years old, is the smallest species which is barely more than a meter long. In contrast, the biggest species, the Deinocheirus mirificus, from about 72 million years ago, was hump-backed with enormous armed species from Mongolia and measures more than 33 feet in length.

Filling the Gaps

Cullen said that North American knowledge of the evolution of this dinosaur with bird-like characteristics has been rather fragmentary up until recently. Western North America has significantly more extensive deposits of rocks than eastern North America, which helps to preserve the environments where dinosaurs once lived. As a result, western North America's dinosaurs are better understood than those that once roamed the eastern half of the continent.

Cullen continued to explain that as a result, there are gaps in our understanding of the species, and it can take a long time to identify the species that were present in eastern North America from the relatively few records that do exist.

The Western Interior Seaway, a significant body of water, served as the dividing line between North America during this time.

Brownstein explained that around 90 million years ago, when the American interior was flooded, creating the Western Interior Seaway, eastern North America was cut off from western North America, resulting in the formation of Appalachia. As with western North American dinosaurs, little is known about the Appalachian dinosaurs, so any information is crucial.

Even with the abundance of fossil evidence from western North America, there remains a gap in our knowledge of the evolution of the dinosaurs that resembled ostriches from 100 million to 83 million years ago.

Cullen said ornithomimosaurs were once present in North America, but there is only a patchy record of them. Some of them were probably quite large. Following this time interval, western North America has a fairly extensive record of ornithomimosaurs, almost all of which are small-bodied. In the data presented by Prehistoric Wildlife, ornithomimosaurs, sometimes called 'ostrich dinosaurs', were prevalent in North America and Asia, with some possible spreads in Eurasia.

Read also: This 230-Million-Year-Old African Dinosaur is the Oldest Dinosaur Species Ever

1 Species, 2 Species

In their most recent study published in Plos One, Cullen and his team estimated the body mass range of the individuals using femur bone fossils taken from two different ornithomimosaur specimens.

According to Cullen, they were able to determine whether they were working on two different species or simply the juvenile versus adult individuals of the same species by using the growth rings retained in these bones. The fact that the small specimen was older than 7 but was only half as big as the large specimen, who was older than 10, gave them a reason to believe they were dealing with two different species. They found no proof that the growth rates rose high enough during that interim period to compensate for the size difference seen.

According to their research, small and large ornithomimosaur species coexisted during this time. This information fills in a knowledge gap for the team, which previously knew there were both small and large ornithomimosaurs at different times. However, they were unaware of what was happening during this specific time during the Cretaceous in North America.

Cullen said that their discovery contributes to the completion of a previously unsolved puzzle regarding the evolutionary as well as the biogeographic history of the dinosaurs called ornithomimosaurs, Newsweek reports.

Related article: Rare Dinosaur Mummy of Preserved Hadrosaur Found Sticking Out of a Hill in Canada
The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague pandemic of the mid-1300s, was a global outbreak caused by an infection from the bacterium Yersinia pestis.

The deadly outbreak ravaged Western Eurasia and North Africa. It is considered to be the most fatal pandemic in human history, killing approximately 75 to 200 million people due to severe or lethal symptoms which had no cure at that time.

In summary, the Black Death pandemic devasted Afro-Eurasia and killed approximately almost half of the world's human population during the mid-14th century, according to prevailing historical records and modern studies. One of the most infamous and grueling symptoms of the bubonic plague disease is the development of one or more swollen lymph nodes or "buboes" that are painful.

The onset of the bubonic plague pandemic was believed to have originated from the bite of an infected flea carried by rats. These infected rodents were reportedly once aboard a ship coming from the Crimea region and Asia, which docked in Messina, Sicily. Most of the sailors on the vessel were dead and those who survived had black boils that ooze blood and pus on their bodies and were extremely ill.

Several centuries after the historic pandemic, a new study led by Canada reveals that the evolution of immune genes is linked with the Black Death. In particular, researchers involved in the study assert the medieval pandemic set the stage on how humans respond to disease of today. This finding is based on the fine-tuned immunity genes of survivors of the bubonic plague pandemic.

Immunity Genes

The new research was published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, October 19, wherein researchers from the McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, led the breakthrough discovery that infectious disease like the Black Death pandemic is among the strongest selective pressures triggering human evolution.

The research team arrived at their conclusion regarding the relation between the bubonic plague pandemic and the immunity genes through historic genetic analysis. For instance, the team analyzed centuries-old DNA from survivors and victims of the said pandemic by identifying important genetic differences which determined who lived and died hundreds of years ago.

The analysis also revealed that descendants of those people who were exposed from the Black Death pandemic also carried an aspect of the genes into their own immune system, as mentioned by the non-profit organization American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Also Read: Plague Strain as Deadly as Black Death Could Emerge Again [VIDEO]

Black Death Pandemic

As was mentioned earlier, the bubonic plague is a bacterial infection mainly found in rodents and associated fleas, which readily jumps to humans during close physical contact. Plague outbreaks are the most devastating epidemics in history. In contemporary times, cases of plague still emerge in different parts of the world, including the United States or China, where a case was reported in Mongolia.

However, the disease is no longer deadly as it used to be, likely due to the immunity genes and the antibiotics of today. Despite our knowledge of the disease, the origins of the bacteria-driven bubonic plague still remain a mystery even for hundreds of years, according to National Geographic.

Related Article: Bubonic Plague Pandemic: Scientists Finally Traced Origins of the 14th Century Black Death
Researchers discovered that notes produced by rising magma change and reverberate through the crater, indicating a volcanic eruption.

According to scientists, communities in danger could receive a life-saving heads-up through the use of inaudible sonic rumblings from a volcano's innermost chambers.

Magmatic gurgles change significantly as an eruption approaches, according to a team studying "infrasounds" from volcanoes such as Mount Etna in Italy. Infrasounds are sounds that are too deep for humans to hear, however, there is equipment that can detect these soundwaves.

Mother Nature's Musical Instrument

Leighton Watson, a researcher from the University of Canterbury, explained that sound waves from the exploding magma echo through the crater like the notes of a particular brass instrument, such as a trombone. Waston is also part of a multinational team of researchers.

He said in an interview with AFP News that the note alters as the magma rises, much like a trombone arm moving.

Before belching smoke and ash into the sky in February 2021, Etna began to change its tune.

Watson continued to explain that as the magma in the crater rose to the surface, the peak frequency continually increased. Future eruptions could be predicted by determining which notes correspond to each magma level.

The notes, according to Watson and the group of scientists from Italy and the United States, may eventually provide several hours' notice before an eruption. While it wouldn't be sufficient to safeguard buildings or infrastructure, it might be sufficient to move locals, visitors, or even skiers into safer grounds.

Read also: Scientists Urge Humanity to Prepare for Colossal Dangers of Next Super Eruption

Safer Volcanic Monitoring

To measure magma levels right now, one must either climb up into the crater and point a laser measuring device inside, which is risky, expensive, and not possible to do continuously. Other methods included in the list of Geo Net is plume contouring which involves taking a plane that will fly through the plumes emanating from the crater.

But the new approach only needs probes that can be positioned kilometers away from the volcano.

The research is still in its infancy, as specialized microphones capable of picking up this volcanic symphony of ultra-low pitches were only created a few decades ago.

There is still a lot of work to be done before predictions can be trusted, as evidenced by the group's findings, which were published in Springer Link.

Unfortunately, according to Watson, not all volcanoes can be reached using this method.

Prodigious infrasound sources, such as open-vent volcanoes, are the subject of most current research.

Aside from Etna, additional research should be done on Kilauea in Hawaii, Nyiragongo in Congo, and Villarrica in Chile.

Watson said that additionally, more research was required to establish which rates or magma rise patterns resulted in eruptions and which might be a false alarm.

He explained that more observation is required, and it has been done in the interesting cases where an eruption has occurred, but less interesting cases where there hasn't been an eruption need to be studied to develop a forecasting model.

He said that there is a need to know factors such as the frequency of the phenomenon as well as the frequency with which an eruption follows it as opposed to not following it. It just requires looking at a lot more data, Barrons, together with AFP News reports.

Related article: Over 200 Earthquakes Shook World's Largest Volcano in Hawaii: Is Eruption Imminent?
According to new research, black wolves seem to be more likely to withstand canine distemper virus outbreaks (CDV).

To improve the fitness of their offspring, Yellowstone Natural Park wolves prefer to mate with animals of the opposite color in areas where CDV outbreaks occur.

CDV outbreaks may demonstrate why black wolves are becoming more common in North America's south.

Canine Distemper Virus

Canine distemper is an extremely infectious paramyxovirus-caused disease. It is a widespread disease that affects both wild and domestic carnivores, primarily raccoons, grey foxes, and skunks in the spring and fall, as per CornellWildlifeHealthLab.

It also causes gastrointestinal illness, thickening of the nose and foot pads, and a neurologic phase with symptoms similar to rabies, making it difficult to differentiate.

Contact with infected saliva, urine, feces, or respiratory secretions leads to transmission. After recovering, animals can shed for up to two weeks.

When temperatures are below freezing, the virus can survive for long periods of time in the environment.

There isn't a cure, just supportive care. Taking precautions to reduce the risk of the virus spreading is critical. This virus is almost entirely fatal to mustelids.

Read More: Deadly Virus Threatens Endangered Pandas and Tigers Alike

Disease outbreaks impact North American wolves' color

Professor Tim Coulson of the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford, who led the study, explains, in most parts of the world, black wolves are absent or very rare, but in North America, they are common in certain areas and absent in others, as per ScienceDaily.

CPD103 is a gene that determines coat color in wolves (Canis lupus). A wolf's coat can be black or grey, relying on the variant of the gene it carries.

The researchers hypothesized that this gene also protects against respiratory diseases including canine distemper virus (CDV).

This happens because the DNA region that contains the gene also encodes for just a protein that helps mammals defend against infections in their lungs. They predicted that wolves with black coats would be more likely to survive a CDV infection.

The researchers examined over 20 years of data from the Yellowstone National Park wolf population. They discovered that black wolves were much more likely than grey wolves to survive CDV outbreaks.

They put this theory to the test using a simple mathematical model. Excitingly, their model's predictions closely matched observations that black and grey wolves were more probable to pair in areas where CDV outbreaks were common.

These findings support the theory that the frequency of CDV outbreaks in North America is to blame for the spread of black wolves, as needing the gene for one black coat may also offer protection against the virus. Also, it explains why canine distemper mating pairs in Yellowstone tend to be black-grey.

North American wolves' black coat

The black coat color of North American wolves could be traced back to a single mutation event that took place between 1,598 and 7,248 years ago.

It's been a mystery why the frequency of black wolves differs across North America, despite the fact that there are no geographical barriers preventing gene flow.

These findings really aren't conclusive, as none of the analyses provide conclusive evidence to support the hypothesis that the frequency of CDV outbreaks determines the frequency of black wolves across North America. The complementary evidence lines provide strong support when combined.

Related Article: Yellowstone's Grey Wolves Dogged by Infections
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"I started dating a girl, and one day, she was tired of listening to me complain about my job. She asked me: 'If you could do any job, what would it be?' I told her that I wanted to become a police officer, and she replied, 'Well, get your fat butt up, start exercising and start taking tests.'"
Scientists discovered an important molecular link between lung tumor growth and disrupted circadian rhythms, according to a new paper co-authored by a University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute investigator and led by the Scripps Research Institute in California.

Circadian rhythms, sometimes called the "biological clock," is the cellular process that rules sleep-wake cycles. The World Health Organization has proclaimed that disrupted circadian rhythms are a probable carcinogen.

The latest research, published in the high-impact journal Science Advances, describes that when the circadian clock gets off track it implicates a cancer-signature gene known as HSF1 that can trigger lung tumors. Lungs are under tight circadian control and seem to be particularly vulnerable to a disrupted biological clock.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

The paper describes in mouse models the role of HSF1 signaling, a previously unknown mechanism that may explain tumor formation in response to rhythm disruption.

The findings also suggest that it may be possible to target HSF1 with drug therapy, to prevent cancer among people with frequently disturbed circadian rhythms.

Although this study was done in mice, other data link circadian disruption to human tumors, said co-author Brian Altman, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Biomedical Genetics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and a Wilmot faculty member.

"Everything points in the same direction," he said. He noted that in this case, when the circadian clocks in mice are disrupted by inconsistent sleep, for example, the outcomes are highly relevant to people who work night shifts or rotating schedules.

Altman's chief contribution to the study was to provide expertise on a scientific method to assess how the circadian clock behaves in tissues. The Scripps team reached out to Altman to collaborate after seeing a presentation he gave at a scientific meeting on use of the technique, which was invented in 2018 at Vanderbilt University by Jacob Hughey, Ph.D. Altman and his lab have been focused on circadian rhythms and the connection to cancer for several years.

Lead author of the study is Katja Lamia, Ph.D., associate professor of Molecular Medicine at Scripps. The Scripps news release is here. Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
A new study released in the American Cancer Society journal Cancer reconsiders guidelines for when to start screening with mammograms if a woman has a mother, sister, or daughter who was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Women with a first-degree family relative diagnosed with breast cancer, who are otherwise at average risk, are often advised to get screened 10 years earlier than the relative's diagnosis age. However, there is little evidence to support the long-standing recommendation.

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher Diana Miglioretti joined Danielle Durham, with the Department of Radiology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and five other researchers on the study. They analyzed data from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium on screening mammograms conducted from 1996-2016 to evaluate when screenings should begin for women with a family history of breast cancer.

More than 300,000 women were included in the national study. Researchers compared cumulative 5-year breast cancer incidence among women with and without a first-degree family history of breast cancer by relative's age at diagnosis and screening age.

The study concluded that a woman with a relative diagnosed at or before age 45 may wish to consider, in consultation with her doctor, initiating screening 5-8 years earlier than their relative's diagnosis age, rather than a decade earlier. That puts them at a risk that is equal to that of an average-risk woman who is age 50, which is the most recommended age for starting mammograms." Danielle Durham, Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

BRCA gene mutation carriers may benefit from starting screenings earlier. Women ages 30-39 with more than one first-degree relative diagnosed with breast cancer may wish to consider genetic counseling.

Increasing the age for initiating screening could reduce the potential harms of starting breast cancer screenings too early. These include increased radiation exposure and false positive results that require women to return to the clinic for diagnostic imaging and possibly invasive procedures, but do not result in a breast cancer diagnosis. The earlier a woman starts receiving mammograms, the more screenings they will undergo over their lifetime-;and that increases the chances of experiencing these harms.

"Mammography also may not perform as well in younger women because they are more likely to have dense breasts which increase the difficulty of finding cancer on the images and results in more false-positives," Miglioretti said.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. Morning high of 2F with temps falling to near -10. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low -22F. Winds light and variable.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A man seen attacking a shopkeeper unprovoked in a viral video online has landed in police custody. Reportedly, the incident occurred outside a grocery shop in the Muharraq Governorate.

The head of Muharraq Governorate Prosecution said the accused unleashed an unprovoked attack on an Asian national while doing his job.

Cops said the victim suffered multiple injuries from the attack. Public Prosecution said they opened an investigation soon after receiving a report. Police swiftly identified the suspect and took him into custody.

During interrogation, the suspect confessed to his crime when officers confronted him with the video of the assault. The suspect is in pre-trial detention pending further investigation. Prosecutors said they are completing procedures to refer him to an urgent criminal trial.
NHK - Nov 26

The widow of a deceased Finance Ministry official said she is disappointed with a civil court ruling that failed to reveal any information about how her husband was pressured to falsify government documents.
TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2022 /CNW/ -- From October 21-23, visitors can head to Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto to experience a taste of Taiwan's diverse offerings through a life-sized pop-up activation of a traditional Taiwanese house courtesy of Taiwan Tourism Bureau. This activation comes just weeks after Taiwan officially announced its quarantine lift for international visitors.

Taiwan Tourism Bureau brings a traditional Taiwanese house to Torontos Yonge-Dundas Square.

This activation is a part of a multi-faceted campaign by Taiwan Tourism Bureau to promote the return of travel to Taiwan, and educate the eastern Canadian market on Taiwan's many offerings. The campaign also features influencer partnerships, digital and out-of-home advertising, and a consumer sweepstake which offers one lucky winner roundtrip Air Canada tickets to Taiwan!

At the activation, visitors can enter the traditional Taiwanese house, and feel like special guests of Taiwan, upon which they will get an experiential glimpse into Taiwan's diverse offerings from its rich culture to its expansive outdoor adventures through their five senses. There will be three color experiences that represent culture/history, nature/outdoor, and small town ramble in Taiwan. Visitors will have an opportunity to taste the charm of Taiwan and feel the hospitality from Taiwanese people. There will also be interactive props to engage with Taiwanese culture, such as oil-painted umbrellas, Taiwanese tea and divination blocks.

In order to bring the real experience to the consumers, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau is excited to partner with Air Canada. Visitors to the Taiwanese house will get the chance to enter a sweepstake to win a roundtrip ticket to Taiwan, and receive a small giveaway, an esteemed tea from Taiwan.

Director Claire Wen of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in New York stated, "We are thrilled to be in Toronto to celebrate the return of international visitors to Taiwan, and show the local community what Taiwan has to offer. We welcome all tourists to come visit Taiwan and experience its beauty!"

Those who aren't able to visit the activation can follow along on Taiwan Tourism Bureau's official Instagram page @taiwantourism.na where they can also find the link to enter the sweepstakes. Consumers must fill out the online form to be entered into the sweepstakes. Entries for the sweepstakes close at 11:59 p.m. EST on November 18, 2022 and a winner will be announced shortly following. For an additional entry, visitors who post a photo from the activation tagging @taiwantourism.na and using the hashtag #TimeForTaiwan will receive an extra entry!

For information about Taiwan, please visit: eng.taiwan.net.tw

ABOUT THE TAIWAN TOURISM BUREAU

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau is the official government agency responsible for domestic and international tourism policy development and execution. There are three North American Tourism Offices located in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

SOURCE Taiwan Tourism Bureau

For further information: Taryn McCarthy, [email protected]
Gunmen on Friday attacked the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman along the Benin Auchi Road, Edo State, and allegedly killed seven persons ...

Gunmen on Friday attacked the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman along the Benin Auchi Road, Edo State, and allegedly killed seven persons including three policemen.

It was gathered that Suleman returned from a foreign trip and was heading to a destination in Edo State when the gunmen attacked his convoy around the Auchi area of the state.

During the attack, the gunmen opened fire on Sulemans convoy, allegedly killing three of his police orderlies and four yet-to-be-identified persons.

Sulemans lawyer, Samuel Amune, who confirmed the attack to our correspondent, said the cleric just returned from a program in Tanzania, adding that he escaped death by a whisker.

He said, He was returning from a journey and he had almost on the shores of Auchi when some assassins attacked him. Three of his police orderlies, among others died. He travelled before and just finished a program in Tanzania.

He was returning to Auchi when the gunmen attacked him along Sabingida down to Warake area, and Auchi shares direct boundary with Warake. So, he had passed Warake and was entering the boundaries of Auchi when the attack happened.

A security expert, Dickson Osajie, who condemned the lack of security in the state, said the attack happened in broad daylight.

He said, They attacked him (Suleman); seven people including a policeman were killed. The country is not safe; our can people move around with guns at the express and they are not detected. It is a disturbing situation.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chuidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the attack.

He said six persons including policemen and Sulemans drivers were killed, adding that efforts were on to locate the whereabouts of a domestic staff.

He also noted that one of the assailants was gunned down during the attack.
The rampaging flood that has devastated most parts of the country and almost the entire Bayelsa State has taken over the Otuoke residence of...





The rampaging flood that has devastated most parts of the country and almost the entire Bayelsa State has taken over the Otuoke residence of former President, Goodluck Jonathan, in Ogbia Local Government Area of the State.





During his visit to the hometown of the former President to assess the situation on Friday, the Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri lamented the level of destruction caused by what he described as an attack by natural disaster on the livelihood of Bayelsans.





The Governor, who disclosed that Otuoke, which is the host community of a Federal University, had been submerged and most of the locals displaced, including Jonathan, further assured the people of the commitment of the State government to put in place machinery to provide relief materials and medical assistance to victims of the flood.





While empathizing with Jonathan who he said is now also internally displaced as a result of the flood, the governor also visited the former presidents mother, Eunice Jonathan.





Diri, however, solicited the help of well-meaning Bayelsans, corporate organisations and the federal government to enable the State overcome the present unfortunate situation.
Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is set to commence a tour of states impacted by flooding. ...

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is set to commence a tour of states impacted by flooding.

In a press release by Paul Ibe, his media adviser, Abubakar will kick off the tour on Tuesday in Bayelsa state.

Ibe said the tours to states ravaged by flooding become incumbent in view of the trauma that the incidents have caused its victims.

Consequently, the tours will provide the presidential candidate the opportunity to have an on-sight impact assessment of these flooding incidents and give him a veritable window to input those ecological concerns in his policy documents.

The statement added that the PDP presidential candidate had supported flood victims in Jigawa, Yobe and Kano long before now. He was also the first candidate to speak on the issue and had counselled that persons living around the most vulnerable areas be temporarily evacuated following the alert by the meteorological agency that a further 24 states faced the risk of major flooding.

As Nigeria continues to suffer the impacts of flood disasters across the country, presidential aspirants have been making moves to visit states to commiserate with victims.

On October 19, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), visited Benue state and promised to contribute towards alleviating the suffering of the people.

Leaders from the international community have also sent solidarity messages to the country.

King Charles III, in a condolence message on Friday, said he is saddened by the recent events, adding that the UK stands in solidarity with Nigeria.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also commiserated with Nigeria over deaths recorded as a result of the tragic events.
Gunmen on Friday attacked the convoy of the President, Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, along BeninAuchi Road, Ed...

Gunmen on Friday attacked the convoy of the President, Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, along BeninAuchi Road, Edo State, and killed three cops and four others.





It was gathered that the cleric returned from a foreign trip and was heading for a destination in the state when the gunmen attacked his convoy.





Sulemans lawyer, Samuel Amune, who confirmed the attack to newsmen said the cleric just returned from a programme in Tanzania, adding that he escaped death by a whisker.





He said, He was returning from a journey when some assassins attacked him. Three of his police orderlies, among others, died. He was returning to Auchi when the gunmen attacked him along Sabongida down to the Warake axis and Auchi shares a boundary with Warake. He had passed Warake and was entering the boundaries of Auchi when the attack happened.





Reacting to the incident in a video posted on his Twitter handle on Friday, Suleman said that he escaped an assassination attempt on his life, noting that seven lives were lost to the attack.





He said, My car was attacked; they opened fire on my car and kept spraying bullets, my wife and kids were in the escort car in the front. They killed the police; they killed the other people on the other escort car and the buses with us. Seven people moving in the convoy were killed.





People who did this are expecting me to come out and mention their names so they can come out and deny, I wont do that. The truth of the matter is, you cant kill me, my life is in the hand of God, Im a man of God.





Commenting on the incident, a security expert, Dickson Osajie, condemned the lack of security in the state, especially as the attack happened in broad daylight.





He said, They attacked him (Suleman); seven people were killed. The country is not safe. How can people move around with guns on the expressway and they are not detected? It is a disturbing situation.





Contacted for his reaction on the matter, the state police spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the attack.





He said six persons, including policemen and Sulemans drivers, were killed, adding that efforts were ongoing to locate the whereabouts of the clerics domestic worker.





Nwabuzor stated, The attack is confirmed. It was done around 5pm in Auchi. They travelled from Benin and were already at Auchi when they were given a hot chase and surprisingly they (hoodlums) shot at their vehicles. Three policemen were murdered; two of his drivers were killed; one domestic female worker killed and they are still searching for the other domestic female worker. As we speak, Apostle Johnson Suleman is safe. One of the hoodlums was gunned down and one of the vehicles was recovered.
Most Revd. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja has explained that he was pressurized not to accept the Nat...

Most Revd. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja has explained that he was pressurized not to accept the National Honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Archbishop Kaigama was honoured alongside 442 other Nigerians and seven foreigners recently conferred with this years National Honours in the country.

Archbishop Kaigama, on Friday in Abuja, in a statement explained that following the news that he was among those to be honoured, few persons urged him to reject the offer, while many felicitated with him.

According to him, Someone commented on the social media before I received the award: Why is the bishop collecting the award in a country where hunger, insecurity, killing is the order of the day; who will tell the government the truth?

He added that after he received the award, someone queried that if he had rejected this, even politely, would he not have made a huge statement that he is on the side of the people?

He said that those who enjoined him to reject the award should be logical with their sentiments, stressing that they should equally reject the national budget presented recently by the President.

He opined that rejecting the national award based on the issues of injustice, insecurity, lack of essential amenities, among others, is like distancing himself from project Nigeria.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on Friday declared the future of Nigeria is safer in the hands of the All Progressive...

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on Friday declared the future of Nigeria is safer in the hands of the All Progressives Congress.

This is as Buhari said the APC-led government has managed to make Nigeria stable, laying a solid foundation for progressive growth.

This was made known in a statement signed by the presidents spokesperson, Femi Adesina.

Buhari stated this despite the unfavourable circumstances of global economic downturns, the COVID-19 pandemic, and very low international oil prices resulting in low revenue.

The President, who stated this at the unveiling of the Presidential Campaign Council and the Action Plan of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, pledged to be at the forefront of electing the former Lagos State governor as his successor.

He noted that electing Tinubu would consolidate the achievements of his administration adding that the presidential candidate had the capacity, visionary leadership and track record to do more.

He said, It would be disastrous to allow a situation that will lead to the reversal of the progress our country has made. Let me add that I joyfully accept the position of the chairman of the campaign council we are unveiling today.

Our candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu is too well known for his capacity and can-do spirit. He stands tall in his track records as a democrat, a champion of the rule of law, a man at home in every part of our country, and a truly visionary leader. All you need to do is think of Lagos in 1999 and 2022

I, therefore, want to assure all party members and supporters of our government that I will be at the forefront of this campaign.

This election is even more important than the election of 2015 that brought us into power. The cost of losing the gains our country has made is much more than the need to stop the haemorrhage that led to our coming together nearly nine years ago.

I want to charge every member to put in all their efforts during the next four and half months of campaign to ensure we record a resounding victory in all our elections nationwide. The future of this country is safer in our hands.

Highlighting the achievements of the APC-led administration, Buhari explained The efforts of our men and women in the armed forces over the last years are beginning to yield positive outcomes. We are gradually taking back our country from foreign-inspired bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists in the northeast and northwest and other parts of our country.

We are equally combating separatists, oil thieves and bandits in the southeast and south-south of the country.

Our administration remains committed to progressively eliminating all flashpoints of insecurity nationwide. We would triumph over the enemies of our country; in whatever forms and shapes they appear.

The President who described the APC President candidate as the Jagaban, my friend, partner, and brother, said the occasion was important to him for two reasons.

First, it is significant to note that this unveiling is the third by our Party. I have had the opportunity of unveiling two Action Plans. I had the privilege of presenting our partys manifesto of Change in 2014.

It was a manifesto that signposted our collective desire to arrest the directionless journey our country was headed under the Peoples Democratic Party. The second time was in 2018 when I unveiled the Next Level agenda of our government.

The second reason this occasion is significant is that we are having our first transition within our party where I am in the last year of my two-term mandate, and we have a new candidate to lead our party into another Presidential election.

The events preceding our Presidential primaries and the conduct of the primaries were important milestones in the development of our internal democracy and party politics.

I must congratulate the leadership of our party, other stakeholders, and the entire party members for the success of the exercise. We can say with confidence, that our party, the All Progressives Congress, is charting a steady course in our journey towards enthroning lasting democratic culture in our body polity.

The President also thanked party officials in the National Executive Council, the Zonal, State, Senatorial, Local Government, and Ward executives for their unalloyed support to his administration and the great efforts and outstanding commitment to the cause of the party and democracy.

He urged them to be mindful of the importance of building a strong and purposeful political party, recounting that the project of pulling Nigeria back from the precipice in 2015 was made possible by putting together a formidable party peopled by many who have made a vow to work for a Nigeria we all can be proud of.

Buhari charged party members to uphold the supremacy of the party operating within the guidelines as stipulated in their constitution.

He said, It is worth reiterating the fact that we are stronger today only because we continue to support the party.

For us to develop an enduring democracy in our country, we must first subscribe to the supremacy of our political party.

We must subject ourselves to the rules and learn to operate within the guidelines as stipulated in our partys constitution.

The President reiterated his congratulations to Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, for the victory at the primaries, commending the maturity and sportsmanship of other contestants.

He expressed delight that most of the aspirants transferred their structures, including campaign offices to the partys candidate after the primaries, adding that it was a demonstration of the commitment of the party leaders and members to the cause of the party and democratic practices.

He challenged party members to see themselves as ambassadors of progressive principles and exemplify the best of us in action and words.
There was a new twist to the alleged attempted assassination attempt on the Auchi, Edo State-based fiery preacher and founder of Omega Fir...

There was a new twist to the alleged attempted assassination attempt on the Auchi, Edo State-based fiery preacher and founder of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman as the Commissioner of Police in Edo state, Abutu Yaro has recalled the Auchi Divisional Police Officer, Ayodele Suleiman of the alleges killing of one of the suspects who was arrested alive by the vigilante in the area and handed over to the police.

The police confirmed the killing of six people and one missing in the attack on the convoy of Suleman near Auchi on his way from Benin City after arriving from Tanzania on a foreign mission.

A two-paragraph statement by the Deputy Spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, Reacting to the development, Jennifer Iwegbu, an ASP titled: Outgoing CP, Now AIG Abutu Yaro FDC Orders the Interrogation of CSP Ayodele Suleiman, DPO Auchi, reads:

As part of the measures of the Command concerning the circumstances that led to the death of one of the surviving members of the monstrous gang that attacked the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleiman, General overseer of Omega Fire Ministry, the outgoing CP now AIG Abutu Yaro fdc has ordered the withdrawal of CSP Ayodele Suleiman, DPO Auchi for debriefing at the State Headquarters with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, members of the Public are urged to remain calm and patient as no stone would be left unturned to unearth the circumstances surrounding it.

A twit by Suleman when the information that the suspect was handed over to the police alive surfaced said Lies, they werent kidnappers. He was caught and handed over and the police killed him immediately. Why? Why killing him on the spot? Who is trying to cover up traces?, Suleiman queried.

Also, the Ministrys legal adviser, Sam Amune said in a text to Sunday Vanguard said This country is in a mess. Its not balance. No security anywhere. Security system greatly compromised.

One of the assassins was arrested by vigilante, handed over to the police. The police immediately shot him dead. Why will they do that? Are they trying to cover up traces..we will get to the root of the matter

Suleman late Friday night said that the attack was an assassination attempt on his life, had traced his travails to the 2017 scandals directed at his person, stressing that having survived the smear campaigns, his traducers, he claimed he would not be named, resorted to the assassination.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023 general elections , has said that his success...

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023 general elections , has said that his successes as Lagos State governor can be replicated in Nigeria, if elected as president.

Tinubu said this in the foreword of his action plan for campaign titled: Renewed Hope which was unveiled in Abuja on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 80-page document was officially unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari in company of party chieftains and top government functionaries at the Presidential Banquet Hall, Abuja.

Tinubu said he was willing and prepared to bring into national stage his outstanding performance of eight years in Lagos State in the areas of development of institutions and introduction of policies that changed the face of the state.

He said that his giant strides in the state had enabled a safe place for residents and created an engine room for economic prosperity for commercial dwellers.

In his 20-page paragraph foreword, the presidential candidate listed basic healthcare, education and housing as key areas of focus.

He also promised to establish a bold and assertive policy to aid strong and adaptive national security architecture that will end terrorism.

When I was governor of Lagos State, my team and I developed institutions and policies that changed the face of the state.

It became a safe place for residents and an engine room of prosperity for all those willing to work in pursuit of their economic dreams.

What my team and I achieved in Lagos, together we all can achieve for Nigeria.

Our objective is to foster a new society based on shared prosperity, tolerance, compassion and the unwavering commitment to treat each citizen with equal respect and due regard, he said.

While promising to build on the legacy of President Buhari and the APC, Tinubu said  standing on the foundation emplaced by the current administration, we shall build a Nigeria, especially for our youth, where sufficient jobs with decent wages create a better life.

Our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was founded on the premise that the people of our beloved country are entitled to the benefits that only progressive good governance can procure.
Apostle Suleman of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide has expressed disappointment at the police for killing one of the suspects who attack...





Apostle Suleman of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide has expressed disappointment at the police for killing one of the suspects who attacked his motorcade on Friday.





Recall that gunmen yet-to-be identified attacked the convoy of the popular clergyman on Friday at Auchi on the Warake road, Edo State, killing at least seven persons, including police officers.





A video making the rounds showed the lifeless body of one of the suspects. An officer in the video claimed the criminal element was killed during a gun duel with the attackers.





This is one of the kidnappers that was caught today while the DPO, Ayodele Lamido led the operations.





This one was gunned down after a fierce gun battle, while others escaped with bullet wounds, he said.





However, the Apostle took to his verified Twitter handle to antagonize the claim, saying the suspect was caught and handed over to the police.





The clergyman, who insisted that the attackers were assassins, tackled the police for tagging them kidnappers.





According to him, the suspect shouldnt have been gunned down on the stop to pave way for thorough investigations.





He wrote, Lies, they werent kidnappers. He was caught and handed over and the police killed him immediately. Why? Why killing him on the spot? Who is trying to cover up traces?
The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential running mate, Kashim Shettima has said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential cand...





The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential running mate, Kashim Shettima has said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar should not aspire to be president.





Shettima said Atiku who cant unite the PDP should not aspire to be president of Nigeria.





He spoke during the unveiling of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubus manifesto, on Friday, in Abuja.





Shettima charged Atiku to reconcile aggrieved PDP members first before running for the presidency.





He said: Atiku Abubakar, who could not put his own political house in order, cannot aspire to lead Nigeria.





Unfortunately, the leading opposition party set out to exploit the nations rotational arrangement and refused to read the national mood. And this has long backfired, and turned their presidential dream into a televised national circus.





A presidential candidate that cannot put his own political house in order cannot aspire to lead the nation.





His comment is coming when PDP is enmeshed in leadership crisis.





Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has been at loggerheads with PDPs leadership since Atiku emerged as the partys presidential candidate.





While Wike accepted Atiku as the partys flagbearer, he, however, called for the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as PDPs National Chairman.





Leading some State governors, Wike said Ayu and Atiku, who come from the same region, represent injustice.
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Kenner Mayor Michael J. Glaser, right, and his wife Angela Congemi Glaser, pray while New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond gives the invocation, during the Kenner inauguration ceremony at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Friday, July 1, 2022. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
FILE - A man walks in front of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 7, 2015, in New Orleans. The court upheld dismissal of a suit brought by a former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office captain who had to chose between his job and his girlfriend.
BUHLENI  They were rushing for work, hoping to get there on time but did not make it.

This was the sad ordeal yesterday along the Buhleni-Msahweni Road where two people died when a Toyota Quantum they were passengers of veered off the road and crashed. The vehicle is said to have been driven by a conductor (umholeli) while the usual driver took up the position of conductor during that trip. It is alleged that the designated driver of the vehicle had handed over the driving to the conductor when they joined a gravel road leading to an area known as Mavula.

Fetch

It is alleged that they headed to Mavula, an area near Buhleni to fetch employees of a textile company. When they were returning from Mavula, it is alleged that the designated driver was supposed to take over and drive but instead, the conductor continued while on the tarred road. As the vehicle continued towards Buhleni area, it is alleged that the conductor lost control of it. It is then that the vehicle was flung over a steep edge of the road and crashed, as narrated by eyewitnesses. As it crashed, it is said to have rolled several times before hitting a pole where it eventually stopped. Some of the passengers narrated that had it not hit the pole, it would have continued rolling and that more people would have possibly died.The vehicle is said to have been carrying 18 people who sustained serious injuries. They were rushed to the Mkhuzweni Health Centre for treatment.

Spread

As soon as the accident happened, news spread to their colleagues at the textile companies situated in Buhleni. Some of the employees from the companies rushed to the hospital where they found several of their colleagues waiting to be attended to. One of the passengers is said to have died instantly during the accident while the second person died while being attended to at the hospital. The Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed the accident and the death of the two people.

She said the cause of the accident was still being investigated.
MANZINI - Sicela lucolo, sesikhale kakhulu (We are pleading for forgiveness; we have been in sorrow for too long)!

This is what junior police officers said to the nation during the joint memorial service of the two law enforcers; Sifiso Mthembu and Menzi Dlamini, who were assassinated by unknown people in broad daylight while carrying out their duties behind the Grand Valley (GV) complex, Woodmasters in Manzini on Tuesday. During the incident, the killers also took an R4 assault rifle from the law enforcers. Their memorial service was held at Zakhele Free Evangelical Church yesterday.

The officers said this through the voice of Nkosinathi Stopper Simelane, a police officer who is based at the Manzini Police Station, who spoke on behalf of the friends of the deceased law enforcers. Simelane said the deceased officers were not just friends to most of them, but they were also colleagues and brothers. He said the Manzini Police Station and the police camp at Zakhele was like their home. Simelane said Mthembu used to call him mkhaya (meaning they were from the same community), while Dlamini referred to him as sibali (brother-in-law).

Plans

He said on the day of the incident, he went to the scene and when he saw their bodies lying on pools of blood on the group, he broke down. He said Mthembu and Dlamini had good plans about their lives. Both of them were building homes, which is one of the things they had in their plans for the lives, the officer said. In fact, he said they (deceased officers) usually encouraged them to work towards developing their lives as officers. On behalf of friends and colleagues of Mthembu and Dlamini, Simelane sent condolences to both families and added that as associates, they were also affected. He said the deceased persons loved them and he made an example of Mthembu by saying he knew the homes of most of the officers at Manzini Police Station. He said this was because a police officer from Lavumisa could call him for help and he would take his car and drive down to the Shiselweni Region. After that, he said as officers, they were praying to the Lord, the living God to raise his glorious hand over them because they had lost too many colleagues, who died because of the violent attacks.

Violent

We have been having funeral after another in the police service due to the violent attacks, Simelane added. In that regard, he said as officers, they loved the nation unconditionally and testament to that was that they treated them the same. He said they provide policing services equally to all emaSwati as they never discriminate anyone. Please forgive us. We are sorry. Sicela lucolo, sesikhale kakhulu (We are begging for forgiveness; we have been in sorrow for too long). We are your brothers, sisters and relatives, Simelane said. On another note, another officer, who spoke on behalf of the Dlamini family (of Menzi), said when they left home for work,
MBABANE  The bill to renovate and reconstruct burnt tinkhundla centres might skyrocket to over E100 million, according to Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development David Cruiser Ngcamphalala.

Minister Ngcamphalala said government spent hundreds of thousands of Emalangeni in putting state of the art furniture in all the centres in a bid to ensure accessibility of services to the people. He said it was unfortunate that such furnishings and machinery were destroyed in the recent spate of arson attacks and bombings.

Making his calculations, which he alluded they were not conclusive as engineers from the Ministry of Economic Planning were still working on the matter, Ngcamphalala projected a cost of E6 million per centre for reconstruction and new furniture. The figures translate to E114 million considering the 19 tinkhundla centres that were burnt since June 2021. The minister said government had set aside E37 million for rehabilitating of 12 tinkhundla centres that were petrol-bombed, vandalised during the June/July political unrest in 2021. He said the amount was further included in the budget estimates presented by Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg for the year 2022/2023.

He further highlighted that it was unfortunate that the money used to renovate the same buildings was coming from the taxpaying citizens in the country. We are still working with the Ministry of Economic Planning on the costing exercise in trying to ascertain the correct amount of money that is needed to re-build the destroyed centres. Now the cost of things have skyrocketed and I can say it will cost the taxpayers over E6 million to build a single structure, which includes the cost of furniture. Worth noting is that most of the structures, especially the recent ones were burnt such that they were to be totally destroyed, he said.

Echoing the Ministers sentiments, Communications Officer in the Ministry of Tinkhundla Nosimilo Vilakati said they were aware that more centres were bombed after the budget was passed and there was a need for contingencies to be put in place.

She said the ministry was also aware of the recently burnt centres and would fix them as well. She said the only reason they were not in the aforementioned budget was that they were petrol-bombed after the ministry had done the assessment of those burnt in June/July.

Budget

Now that they are known, they have been documented and government will also prepare budget for them as well. The ministry, in collaboration with other relevant ministries, is working on the assessment and once all has been done, government will start the process, said Vilakati. The 12 tinkhundla centres that were budgeted for included Somntongo, Ngudzeni, KuMethula, Sandleni, Maseyisini, Matsanjeni, Timphisini, Hosea, Ndzingeni, Mayiwane, Ngwempisi and Ntondozi. All these centres were burnt and some were vandalised. Some centres that were left out of the budget registered their complaints with the ministry. They were complaining that since the centres were set alight or vandalised, they had to convene meetings under trees or in temporary structures.

The ministry said they were aware of the situation in those centres and government was working around the clock to fix them. It was further revealed that Micro-projects department was handling the issue of fixing the tinkhundla. Director of Micro-projects, Sibusiso Mbingo revealed that the overall cost of building a standard single, inkhundla structure was E2.7 million which calculates to E51.3 million for the 19 tinkhundla centres, which were destroyed by the arsonists. Mbingo confirmed being engaged by the ministry on the exercise of rehabilitating the tinkhundla centres. He said as Micro-Projects, they did an assessment at the damaged tinkhundla centres, where they noted that some needed to be constructed from scratch while others would require renovations.

Mbingo said upon completing the assessment, they submitted the report to the ministry and were now waiting for the funds and a go ahead from the ministry. We are seized with the project and we have already done the needed assessment and a report has been shared while we wait for a go ahead from the government. One can only confirm that as soon as we get the order to start we will immediately resume. It is quite expensive to build such structures and we hope the budget will be available, he said. The tinkhundla centres that have been petrol-bombed already consist of Somntongo, Ngudzeni, KuMethula, Sandleni, Maseyisini, Matsanjeni South, Timphisini, Hosea, Ngwempisi, Ndzingeni, Mayiwane, Ntondozi, Kwaluseni, Kukhanyeni, Dvokodvweni, Siphofaneni, LaMgabhi and most recently Zombodze Emuva. Eswatini has 59 tinkhundla centres which are used for different services including the disbursement of grants by the Deputy Prime Ministers Office.

Barbaric

An elderly person who preferred anonymity, in an interview decried this acts of arson and branded them as barbaric. He pointed out that the people who were going to suffer were the taxpayers as government had no other source of funds except tax collection. This affects us, we are the people who were using the services provided at the centres and now that such a barbaric thing has happened we again have to pay for the reconstruction through our taxes. The police must just arrest this people and throw the keys away. This thing is taking the country back to stone age, said the source.

Meanwhile, he specified that it is the people in the communities who are going to suffer by travelling long distances to towns for government services which before the petrol-bombings were now nearer to the people in the communities.

National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police William Tsitsibala Dlamini recently offered a reward to anyone with information that would lead to the arrest of those responsible of the spate of arson attacks around the country. He sent a stern warning to the culprits and said that the police would bring to book those responsible. NATCOM pointed out that His Majesty the King had made it clear during the celebration of the Correctional day that the police should ensure that these arson attacks did not continue as per his order.

Dlamini said their responsibility was to ensure that the directive by the King was adhered to. He further warned that those who carry out these attacks face the wrath of the law. He added that those making the threats are known. Since the beginning of the June unrest, most structures were razed to the ground and the constant burning of structures by unknown people continued. Threats were issued against individuals who seem opposed to democratic changes in the country.

Government, through its decentralisation programme has been using the centres to register new birth certificates and also report deaths to easily acquire certificates for disbursement of insurance policies. These centres were also used to host development meetings as compared to the past where such meeting were held under trees.
Xiaomi has finally confirmed the existence of Redmi Note 12 models. Due to be released in November, Xiaomi is already hinting at major changes within the Redmi Note series, including 'two major technologies' incorporating a world first.

4 Reviews

Xiaomi has started teasing the Redmi Note 12 series, nearly a year after debuting Redmi Note 11 smartphones. Predictably, Xiaomi has not revealed many details about its upcoming smartphones yet. However, JD.com recently hinted that there could be up to four devices on the table, such as the Redmi Note 12 Extreme Edition.

As expected, Xiaomi will announce the Redmi Note 12 series in November. Unfortunately, the company has not outlined a price release date yet, although we imagine that it will confirm a hardware launch event before announcing the smartphones themselves. Also, it is worth noting that Xiaomi has only commenced its teaser campaign on Chinese social media. If the Redmi Note 11 series is anything to go by, other markets could be left waiting until early 2023 before they see the Redmi Note 12 series.
Centier Bank promoted Kelly Hendrickson to vice president, mortgage loan officer.

President and CEO Michael E. Schrage announced the promotion of Hendrickson, who joined the Merrillville-based bank in 2011.

She has worked as a banker for her entire career and became a mortgage loan officer more than 20 years ago. She strives to work with clients to ensure homebuying transactions are completed smoothly.

I love working for a company that is Not For Sale, and promises to remain family owned and operated for generations to come, she said. Centier truly cares about the associates, clients, and communities we serve, with a unique personal touch that is second to none. I am proud to be a part of such a fun and caring environment.

Henrickson is a Purdue University graduate who lives in Crown Point with her family. She aims to continue serving as a financial guide for her clients.

I have a passion for residential lending which makes it easy for me to be dedicated, honest, and sincere, she said. I am determined to help as many clients as I can reach their homeownership role.

Henrickson is active in the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors and Home Builders Association of Northwest Indiana.

Kelly knows the importance of leading by example, Residential Mortgage Production Manager Navi Singh said. Her enthusiasm, self-motivation, and dedication to her clients is something that is contagious to her colleagues and exactly what we need in a leader.

Centier Bank is the state's largest privately owned bank with 58 branches and 947 employees across the state.
Author Gene Stratton Porter wrote many bestselling novels like A Girl of the Limberlost that were read by more than 50 million people worldwide.

For years, Dr. Meg DeMakas has impersonated the author.

DeMakas, the CEO of the Family Folklore Foundation and a professor, will present Porters historical persona from 2 to 2:45 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Museum at Lassens Resort in Cedar Lake.

Born near Fort Wayne after the Civil War, she began appreciating plants and animals as an infant, DeMakas said. Her father paid for her painting lessons. She learned how to shoot and develop amazing photos of wildlife. She began writing in her 40s and wrote over 25 books, half were novels and half nature books.

DeMakas has interpreted the authors historic persona since 2011 at venues like the Chesterton Art Gallery, Purdue University Calumet, Crown Point Main Library, Lowell Historical Society, LaPorte Chamber and Valparaiso Local Sorority Chapter.

Her books emphasized the goodness in humanity and taught a generation of Victorian women to honor simple homelife and embrace the outdoors, she said.

Her impersonation is based on visits to her Indiana mansions that are now museums in Catalina Island and Bel Air, California.

When I noticed no childrens books about her I wrote and illustrated one, had it translated into Spanish, and wrote an adult version, she said.

She wrote Queen of the Limberlost: The Gene Stratton Porter Story and A Visit with Gene Stratton Porter: One Woman Traveling Show.

She was compared to Teddy Roosevelt as his counterpart in the Conservation Movement, DeMakas said. When she heard movies were being made in Hollywood about her Girl in the Limberlost and Freckles, she opened the first woman-owned film company in America.

DeMakas will give a PowerPoint presentation featuring historic photos and watercolor illustrations. Shell also do a short reading of Porters work with an actor acting it out.

Shell have copies of the books available for sale.

For more information, 219-390-9423 or lassensresort.org.
Griffith police were on scene to investigate Saturday morning Detective Jim Sibley said two hunters found the remains around 7 a.m. Saturday morning.

GRIFFITH  Human remains were found in a wooded area Saturday morning in Griffith, Detective Jim Sibley of the Griffith Police Department said Saturday.

According to Lake County Coroner David J. Pastrick, the decedent has been dead for six months or longer.

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, a hunter was in the woods around 7 a.m. near Cline Avenue and River Road when he discovered what appeared to be bone protruding from a piece of clothing in a marsh area while searching for a downed duck. A 911 call was immediately made, and Indiana conservation officers as well as officers from the Griffith police and Lake County Sheriffs Department responded to the scene.

The Lake County coroner was on the scene and is in possession of the remains but hasn't yet made an identification, Sibley said.

The coroner said a forensic pathologist will examine the remains Monday.

The investigation is still active and has been passed along to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Lakenday Cartman Cartman faces a felony charge of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, according to the Cook County Stae's Attorney.

SOUTH HOLLAND  A suspect was arrested Tuesday in connection with an April shooting stemming from a road rage incident, Illinois State Police announced Friday.

Lakenday Cartman, 30, of Sauk Village, allegedly shot at a male victim April 18 while both men were driving southbound on Interstate 94 near 159th Street. During the course of the investigation, the suspect's vehicle was recovered, and the suspect was identified, police said.

Agents located and arrested Cartman for his involvement in the incident. The Cook County states attorneys office approved one felony count of aggravated discharge of a firearm against Cartman. Cartmans bond was set by the court at $20,000 Thursday, police said.
CROWN POINT  A Hammond man posted bond Friday on charges he repeatedly molested a girl when she was between the ages of 8 and 10.

Antonio D. Burton, 33, was arrested Tuesday on two felony counts of child molesting.

A Lake Criminal Court magistrate entered not guilty pleas on Burton's behalf during an initial appearance Wednesday. The magistrate granted Burton's request to appoint a public defender.

On Thursday, Judge Salvador Vasquez set Burton's bail at $50,000 surety or $5,000 cash. Records show Burton posted bond Friday.

The girl told police that Burton, who babysat while her parent was at work, often played hide-and-seek with the children in her Hammond home but found only her, court records state.

After finding her, would take her to a room and molest her, documents allege.

The girl told police she also often woke up to Burton molesting her.

The girl alleged the sexual abuse occurred in 2015 and 2016. She did not talk to police until 2021, after her relative ended a relationship with Burton, records state.
CROWN POINT  A man told a judge Friday he didnt want to work with his public defender, who is representing him on charges he fatally shot another man after a confrontation about a woman.

Glenn C. Keller Jr., 34, of East Chicago, is accused of fatally shooting Shaquille K. Russell, 27, of Indianapolis, about 9:30 p.m. July 23 in the 4800 block of Alexander Street in East Chicago.

Russell was taken to St. Catherine Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the chest.

Keller made advances toward a woman the previous day, but she rebuffed him, according to Lake Criminal Court records.

The woman told Russell about the incident, and he confronted Keller about it, documents state.

The day of the homicide, Russell went to the annual Calumet Day celebration. Russell was seated in a car when Keller ran up and Russell was shot, records state.

Kellers attorney, Marc Laterzo, asked Judge Salvador Vasquez to set a jury trial in the case.

Vasquez scheduled the trial for the week of Jan. 23.

Despite Vasquezs warning not to speak in court, Keller said he didnt think Laterzo was working in his best interests.

Keller said he told Laterzo he wanted to file a speedy trial request, but Laterzo said he wouldnt have time. Laterzo filed a petition to let bail against Kellers wishes because Keller wouldnt be able to post bond if it were granted, Keller said.

Vasquez told Keller his January trial date was seven to 10 days outside any date he might have received under a speedy trial request.

Keller said he would rather represent himself.

Vasquez said he has presided over three to five trials where a defendant was pro se, and they all lost.

Keller asked for a new public defender.

Vasquez said the law entitled Keller to be represented by an attorney, but there was no requirement he receive the lawyer of his choice.

The judge said hes known Laterzo for 28 years and Laterzo is a skilled attorney. Vasquez encouraged Keller to talk to Laterzo more. He set a status hearing for Nov. 18.
MICHIGAN CITY  School officials are urging industry leaders to help them pump fresh oxygen into the compressed air academy at Michigan City High School.

The academy began as a pilot program with seven students in the 2018-19 school year and expanded into a full-blown program the following year with 45 students. But then COVID arrived.

We are hitting the reset button, Superintendent Barbara Eason-Watkins said at a recent open house.

The faculty wants to get leaders in the air compressor industry to tell them what needs to be added or subtracted from the curriculum to better prepare future workers.

Eason-Watkins credited Clarence Hulse, executive director of Economic Development Corp. Michigan City, with being the driving force behind the academy. I kind of tagged along, she said.

Hulse said there are 10 companies in the industry in LaPorte County, providing 2,000 jobs in the county and probably 10,000 outside the county.

My challenge today is for companies to appoint a liaison, Hulse said.

Were ready for you to continue to engage, Eason-Watkins said. Its more than a donation of equipment. Its a relationship.

The academy is partnered with Ivy Tech Community College. Students can earn up to six college credits during the two-year program.

What can we do together? How can we work together? teacher Jeff Rochowiak asked. We need to be more engaged with you guys.

At the compressed air academy, students learn how to use and work on air compressors. Were trying to teach them all the basics, he said.

Rochowiak told the story of a student who asked for a curvy nail. Rochowiak had some bent nails and showed him. No, it turned out the student wanted a screw.

In 2021, classroom labs for manufacturing, engineering and robotics were renovated using a grant from ALCOA Howmet. These spaces, all of which the compressed air academy also uses, include CNC machines, 3D printers and woodworking equipment. Students also have access to a 3D cutter, AC/DC trainer, electric relay control trainer and more.

Part of the instruction involves making parts to strict specifications.

Rochowiak and teacher Ralph Gee said they want their students to get practical work experience in the compressed air industry.

We have a lot of kids who would be a great addition to your workforce, Gee said.

A work-study program is one of the possibilities. Eason-Watkins wants to make sure theres sufficient interest from students and employers. The program would have to be approved by the school board before it is launched.

Before- and after-school internships are also possibilities.

Bring a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and show students they can afford it if they stay at the company long enough, Hulse suggested.

Rochowiak spoke of a talk to about 100 to 200 students in the school auditorium. The speaker held their interest for a good 45 minutes. They asked some really good questions, he said.

Afterward, one student who was coasting through school became inspired and asked Rochowiak if he might have a chance to be hired by the company.
A reshaped district and the retirement of the incumbent after four decades at the Statehouse have produced one of the most competitive races on the ballot this year in Northwest Indiana.

The once-a-decade redrawing of legislative boundaries removed Hammond and Munster from Indiana Senate District 1 and shifted it south and west to include all of Highland, Griffith, Dyer, Schererville and St. John, along with unincorporated Calumet Township and southwestern Merrillville.

State Sen. Michael Griffin, D-Highland, the longtime clerk-treasurer for the town of Highland, is asking voters for a four-year term in his own right after being chosen in February by Democratic Party leaders to succeed former state Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond, following his retirement.

Opposing Griffin is three-term Lake County Councilman Dan Dernulc, who also is from Highland and currently serves as chairman of the Lake County Republican Party.

In the past few weeks, district residents have been inundated with positive mailers from both candidates, negative mailers toward Griffin sent by Dernulc and negative television ads by Dernulc.

Dernulc said his interest in representing the district stems from his "servant's heart," along with his commitment to continue working in a bipartisan fashion, as he says he has on the county council, to advance policies in the best interest of Region citizens.

Specifically, Dernulc said his Statehouse priorities will be promoting government efficiency and keeping taxes low; improving Indiana schools and ensuring educational quality by listening to parents, teachers and administrative personnel; and making sure first responders are fully funded and equipped to provide assistance to Hoosiers in emergencies.

"I pride myself on being the voice for everyone  regardless of political affiliation. Voters will always have a voice with me," Dernulc said.

"I have years of experience at the municipal and county levels of government, as well as nearly 30 years of private sector experience through my career with AT&T. I believe that combination, coupled with my emphasis on bipartisanship, make me the best candidate for state Senate in District 1," he added.

Griffin similarly said the spirit of public service motivates his longstanding work advocating for policies, best practices and laws to advance the quality of the environment and quality of place.

"My nine-month tenure in the Indiana Senate has further invigorated my enthusiasm for public service and provided evidence that my choice to seek the Senate was the right one. Public office is an opportunity to serve our neighbors and our community; to work on matters that challenge the prosperity of our Region as well as that of my friends and neighbors," Griffin said.

If elected to a full term, Griffin wants to ensure Hoosier children go to safe, properly funded and well-resourced schools; lower the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs; support initiatives to better train and equip first responders; vote only for financially sustainable policies; and improve government efficiency.

"The needs of our great Region and state are many; the worthy work to meet them may be long. I am heartened by the words of Paul of Tarsus who in his letter to the Church at Galatia urged: 'Let us not grow weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart,'" Griffin said.
Bernard Carter, Lake County Prosecutor Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said the clergy council is part of his desire to increase community outreach.

CROWN POINT  Local religious leaders will have the opportunity to learn more about the criminal justice system through a new "clergy council" program, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter announced in news a release Friday.

As part of the prosecutor's desire to increase community outreach, the newly formed Lake County Clergy Council will meet with members of the Lake County prosecutor's office, Lake County Sheriff's Department and Lake County clerk's office on a quarterly basis to gain information on a variety of criminal justice topics, with that information then communicated to congregations all across Lake County, Carter said.

Clergy members are leaders in our community and play a critical role in the lives of the people they serve," Carter said in the release. It is for that reason that we feel strongly that by informing our clergy we can continue to bridge the gap of understanding between community and prosecutors, as well as law enforcement.

The first meeting, called a "listening session," according to Carter, will be at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Purdue Research Center building, 2293 N. Main St. in Crown Point in the parking lot of Lake County Government Center A Building.

We believe very firmly that our first session should be a listening session, whereby our faith-based leaders can tell us what is on their minds, what theyd like to understand about the criminal justice system, Carter said in the release. "From there, we can move forward organizing topics, bringing experts to better illustrate and explain each topic.

A list of meeting dates and times will be forthcoming, Carter said.
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Mariya was held for 40 days in a police detention facility, where she endured hours of interrogation, electric shocks and threats of rape and death. One time, she fell from her chair, unconscious, and came around as someone was kicking her in the head.

Going by their accents she concluded that most of her interrogators were Russians, she said, and demanded to know where her husband was. They also repeatedly accused her of being a spotter who was identifying bombing targets for the Ukrainian Army.

From her cell, she could hear men and women screaming in pain. Men screaming so hard I cannot describe it enough, she said, weeping. She said she understood from the screams that women were being sexually assaulted (though she says she herself was not). If they stripped me to my underwear, you can imagine what they did to the girls.

There was another element to her persecution that was petty and vengeful.

Mariya hid in an empty apartment near a school where she worked as a cleaner, but she thinks someone disclosed her location to the Russians. In July, Russians wearing masks banged on the door and called out her name.

The second time they searched her house, the Russians spray-painted the letter Z  a symbol of the Russian occupying force  on every wall and door, including the interior of the refrigerator, and attacked her husbands car with an ax and gunfire.
A federal judge in Texas on Friday handed a significant victory to relatives of the victims of two deadly Boeing 737 Max crashes who are seeking to overturn a $2.5 billion legal settlement between Boeing and the Justice Department and to pursue criminal charges against the company.

In a strongly worded ruling, Judge Reed OConnor wrote that the court finds that the tragic loss of life that resulted from the two airplane crashes was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of Boeings conspiracy to defraud the United States. That being the case, he said, the 346 people who were killed in the crashes in 2018 and 2019 qualify as crime victims under the Crime Victims Rights Act.

Now we get a chance to go in front of the judge to say the remedy for this is to throw out this rotten deal and try to get Boeing the corporation criminally prosecuted and its leadership criminally prosecuted for its crimes that led to the deaths of 346 people, Paul Cassell, a former federal judge who has represented relatives of victims in the case pro bono, said in an interview.

A spokesman for Boeing declined to comment on Friday. The Justice Department also declined to comment on the ruling.
SATURDAY PUZZLE  Brooke Husic and Yacob Yonas are prolific constructors and frequent collaborators, but not with each other. This puzzle is their first team effort. Its fast-paced and pretty tough, and a lot of interesting, modern-feeling trivia keeps things moving.

I was slightly misdirected here and there and had a markedly easier time with the eastern half of this puzzle, where the long down entries came to mind without much struggle. The west side is sticky, though!

Tricky Clues

Some of the smaller entries that slowed me down included a pair of crossing entries: 57A was Tourney stage, or SEMI; and 49D was Reach, or GAMUT, meaning range. I first thought of a heat for Tourney stage. And I got stuck thinking Reach was in its verb form and ran through a lot of possibilities there. Elsewhere, I thought that the Modern installation at 27D was art instead of an APP, the sort that you install on your phone.

15A. The double meaning of this clue, Areas impacted by global recessions?, was completely lost on me until I returned to it after finishing my solve. Despite all the economic turmoil in the news, I simply read recessions as inlets and coves, the landscape elements that appear on COASTLINES. (This entry reminds me of the coastline paradox, which notes that the length of a physical border changes depending on what scale you use to measure it.)
Dr. Beryl Benacerraf, a radiologist with an uncanny visual sense who revolutionized the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities like Down syndrome through the use of ultrasound technology, died on Oct. 1 at her home in Cambridge, Mass. She was 73.

Her son, Oliver Libby, said the cause was cancer.

Dr. Benacerraf  who was a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology and radiology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston in addition to having a private practice  had struggled academically when she was young because of what she eventually determined was undiagnosed dyslexia.

Her later success in using ultrasound images to detect congenital anomalies and gynecological disorders, she said, was tied to the flip side of that whole problem.

Pictures just speak to me, she said in an interview for an oral history project for Barnard College, her alma mater. I can look at a picture and I can see the pattern. I can see things that nobody else can see.
The plan cancels $10,000 in debt for those earning less than $125,000 per year, or $250,000 per household, and $20,000 for those who received Pell grants for low-income families. For tens of millions of people, that level of relief would wipe out their federal student loan debt. The government plans to accept applications until Dec. 31, 2023.

In less than a week, just close to 22 million people have already given us the information to be considered for this life-changing relief, Mr. Biden told a crowd at the university, where more than 75 percent of the students receive Pell grants.

The president compared the student debt relief plan to the $2 trillion tax cuts that Republicans passed in 2017 and the loan forgiveness that businesses received during the pandemic. He specifically called out some of his most staunch critics, such as Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, and Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas.

Ms. Greene and her husband received a $180,000 loan from the Paycheck Protection Program that was subsequently forgiven, but called student loan forgiveness completely unfair; Mr. Cruz referred to a hypothetical recipient of student debt relief as a slacker barista who wasted seven years in college studying completely useless things.

Who in the hell do they think they are? Mr. Biden asked, drawing cheers.

The Education Department has estimated that the program will cost $379 billion over its lifetime, which is more than 30 years.
NAPLES, Fla.  Rose Marie Santangelo had weathered many hurricanes in her decades living near the water outside Naples, Fla. She thought she was prepared for Hurricane Ian, too.

But like so many other Floridians, Ms. Santangelo, 73, a beloved aunt who had retired from a career in radiation oncology, underestimated this storm.

She really thought that it wouldnt hit here, Phyllis Santangelo, a niece, said. And then when it did take a turn, I think she knew it was going to be bad.

Ian caused more deaths in Florida  at least 114  than any hurricane in almost 90 years. Five other people died from the storm in North Carolina, as well as one in Virginia. Like Ms. Santangelo, residents became trapped in floodwaters inside their homes. Others stopped breathing when power outages left oxygen machines inoperable. Or they perished in cars as the storm surge rose.
ATLANTA  Senator Lindsey Graham asked the Supreme Court on Friday to stay a lower courts order that would force him to testify before a special grand jury investigating efforts to overturn former President Donald J. Trumps election loss in Georgia.

The appeal by Mr. Graham, the South Carolina Republican and Trump confidant, is the latest in a protracted legal fight that he has been waging to defy a subpoena requiring him to answer questions before the special grand jury in Atlanta. Dozens of witnesses have already testified in the secret proceedings. Some, including Rudolph W. Giuliani and several other lawyers aligned with Mr. Trump, have tried unsuccessfully to avoid traveling to Atlanta to do so.

But none has fought as long or as hard as Mr. Graham, who was subpoenaed in July. Soon after, he had the matter moved to the federal court system, arguing that forcing him to testify would raise constitutional issues. He pointed to the Constitutions Speech and Debate Clause, which says that members of Congress cannot be questioned on matters pertaining to their legislative duties.

On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta rejected the argument that the Speech and Debate Clause fully shielded Mr. Graham from having to testify. Mr. Graham responded with an emergency application on Friday, asking the Supreme Court for a stay while he appeals the ruling, and, if necessary, a ruling enjoining the special grand jury from questioning him until the appeal is resolved. The filing notes that Mr. Graham was issued a fresh subpoena on Friday compelling him to testify on Nov. 17.
WASHINGTON  President Biden warned on Friday that Republicans could upend legislative victories achieved under his administration and a Democratic Congress if the G.O.P. were to win control of Congress in Novembers midterm elections.

They dont have a platform other than to tear down what Ive been able to do, weve been able to do. Mr. Biden told an MSNBC news anchor, according to NBC News. And I dont know what theyre for.

He also vowed to veto a federal abortion ban if Republicans regain majorities in Congress and seek to pass such legislation. G.O.P. candidates have sought to avoid the subject as polls show a majority of voters support abortion rights.

The president has to sign it. Ill veto it, he said.

Democrats pulled out a recent series of legislative victories heading into campaign season, after passing sweeping health, climate and tax legislation earlier this year. Those include an infusion of funding into Americas semiconductor industry to counter China and expanded medical benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxins from burn pits on military bases and a gun safety package.
A senior adviser to Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, on Friday seemed to openly question the faith of Mr. Mastrianos Democratic opponent, Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, in a contest that has been shaped more by concerns over antisemitism than perhaps any other major race in the country.

Josh Shapiro is at best a secular Jew in the same way Joe Biden is a secular Catholic, Jenna Ellis, a former lawyer for the Trump campaign who worked to overturn the 2020 election, wrote on Twitter, commenting on a headline that noted Mr. Shapiros faith. Ms. Ellis branded the two Democrats as extremists, pointing to gender surgery for minors and distorting their positions on abortion rights.

Doug Mastriano is for wholesome family values and freedom, wrote Ms. Ellis, who is not Jewish.

Mr. Shapiro, 49, the states attorney general, is an observant Jew whose faith is a central part of his public identity. He keeps kosher, prioritizes Sabbath dinner with his family and is a Jewish day school alum.

These attacks on Attorney General Shapiro and on all people of faith are another reminder of the stakes of this race, said Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for the Shapiro campaign. Our campaign is staying focused on bringing people together to defeat Mastrianos dangerous extremism.
In the video, which The Post reported had been publicly accessible on Mr. Coxs Vimeo account but vanished later on Friday after the newspaper inquired about it, Mr. Cox asked the man his name and said that it was nice to meet him. The man gave only his first name: Henry.

In a statement on Friday, Mr. Cox  whose far-right credentials were highlighted by Democrats in the primary, hoping they would become a liability in the blue states general election  played down the exchange.

In the noise of the victory celebration, it was hard to hear what was being said, Mr. Cox said. I was a surprised by him handing me something, and frankly, I did not even keep the comb. I had never seen him before, and I have not seen him since. I have no affiliation with anyone involved in violence on January 6th, period.

Mr. Coxs campaign did not answer follow-up questions about the videos disappearance.

In a poll conducted in late September by The Post and the University of Maryland, Mr. Cox trailed his Democratic opponent, Wes Moore, by 32 percentage points in the open-seat race for Marylands governorship.

As Donald J. Trumps supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, Mr. Cox wrote on Twitter that Vice President Mike Pence was a traitor because of his refusal to overturn the election of Joseph R. Biden Jr. as president. In a letter to the Maryland General Assemblys legislative ethics committee, Mr. Cox later expressed his regrets about what he described as a poor choice of word.
The steep and immediate drop in the number of illegal crossings was good news for the Biden administration as it tries to deflect Republican attacks ahead of the midterm elections. But immigration advocates who campaigned for Mr. Biden in 2020 have been critical of the measures the administration put in place for Venezuelans, which expanded its use of a Trump-era public health rule that was put in place at the beginning of the pandemic and gives border officials the authority to quickly expel migrants who cross the border illegally, even those seeking asylum.

Under the new expulsion policy, Venezuelans who cross the border illegally will be expelled to Mexico.

At its core, the Biden administration remains focused on deporting asylum seekers back to danger, and outsourcing its obligations to Mexico, Oscar Chacon, executive director of the Alianza Americas advocacy group, said in a statement last week. This is another example of a Biden immigration policy that suffers a bad case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: From one angle, it looks humanitarian, but from another, it is ugly and abusive.

What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process.

The administration promised to grant humanitarian parole for up to 24,000 qualifying Venezuelans in a program that is similar to what has been offered to Ukrainians fleeing Russias invasion, though that is on a much larger scale  there is no cap to how many Ukrainians can apply. Those who receive humanitarian parole are given permission to stay in the United States for two years as well as authorization to work. Venezuelans who were already in the country and facing deportation proceedings are not eligible for the parole program.

So far, the Department of Homeland Security has approved 150 of the applications it received for humanitarian parole, one official said. Officials did not say how many Venezuelans have applied so far.
Gibraltar Becomes the First Country to Issue Stamps with King Charles III Royal Cypher

His Majestys Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau have issued the first set of stamps featuring His Majestys Royal Cypher.

The set of stamps titled The 12 days of Christmas covers the postage values used in Gibraltar for postal operations throughout the Christmas period. They depict all the gifts that form part of the world-renowned Christmas carol The Twelve Days of Christmas, an English carol that dates back to the late eighteenth century and enumerates in the manner of a cumulative song, a series of increasingly numerous gifts given on each day of the Christmas season. The stamps have been designed by local graphics artist Mr Stephen Perera, and have been printed on high quality gummed paper.

Collectors can purchase these stamps from the Philatelic Shop in 104 Main Street or online via www.gibraltar-stamps.com, and to send your Christmas mail, parcels and postcards from the Royal Gibraltar Post Office counters or online on www.post.gi

The Minister for Portal Services, the Hon Vijay Daryanani MP, said: We are honoured and proud to become the first country to issue a set of stamps with His Majestys Royal Cypher. We all know what the Royal family means to Gibraltar. Although we will never forget Her Majesty we will now show the same affection to King Charles, King of Gibraltar.

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC, said: "Gibraltar will be the first of His Majesty's Realms to send His image around the world on our mail. I am delighted at this demonstration of our loyalty to His Majesty and the Crown."
Dealing setbacks to Republican-led voter fraud prosecutions, judges in Florida and Texas this week dropped charges against two former felons who had been accused of casting ballots when they were not eligible to do so because of their status as offenders.

Robert Lee Wood, one of those two felons, was part of an August roundup spearheaded by Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, on voter fraud.

On Friday, a circuit court judge in Miami-Dade County granted a motion to dismiss two felony charges related to voter fraud against Mr. Wood, 56, who spent two decades in prison for second-degree murder. Mr. Wood was among the 20 people who were recently arrested in Florida on voter fraud charges and became the first defendant to have them dropped.

And on Monday, a district court judge in Texas set aside the indictment of Hervis Earl Rogers, a Houston man who gained widespread attention for waiting seven hours to vote during the 2020 primary election. Last year, Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and a Republican, charged Mr. Rogers with voting illegally because he was on parole.
Briefing state lawmakers at a hearing in June, the director of the state police, Steven McCraw, described Mr. Arredondo as the only thing stopping the hallway of dedicated officers from entering the classrooms where the gunman was holed up. Mr. Arredondo was fired over the summer. The rest of the campus Police Department was suspended this month.

But questions have also emerged over the role of the Department of Public Safety in the protracted police response to the May 24 shooting, in which 19 children and two teachers died.

A visual investigation by The Times found delays by officers from several different agencies, including the federal Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The department had 91 officers respond to the school that day, and its Texas Rangers are leading the investigation into both the shooting and the police response, which Mr. McCraw has called an abject failure.

The departments separate internal investigation, conducted by its inspector general, has appeared to focus mainly on the officers who were physically present at the school and not on decisions that may have been made by senior leaders in Austin.

Weve been saying all along that D.P.S. is lying to the community, said State Senator Roland Gutierrez, citing Mr. McCraws comments, days after the shooting, that blamed Mr. Arredondo and laid out what was becoming a shifting narrative around other facts, such as the unlocked door through which the gunman entered the school.

The slow revelation of problems with the chaotic police response  which a State House committee described as the product of systemic failures  has repeatedly revived and added to the misery of Uvalde families still coping with their loss.
This article is part of our Fine Arts & Exhibits special section on how museums, galleries and auction houses are embracing new artists, new concepts and new traditions.

Betty Woodman was known as an artist who pushed boundaries in the art world.

The art dealer David Kordansky, in a recent interview, called her one of the first ceramists to be treated seriously. He said she forced the point that ceramics could contend with the greatest high art.

And Ms. Woodmans son, Charles, a video artist who lives in Oakland, Calif, said his mother pushed the envelope for ceramics, moving it from a craft into fine art.

She worked hard to be on a parity with men in the art world, he added. She complained about the greater recognition they received, the prices they got for their work, a struggle that goes on today.

A 2006 exhibition of Ms. Woodmans work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City marked the first time the museum had devoted a retrospective to a living female artist, and it also was the first solo show for a living maker of pottery.
This article is part of our Fine Arts & Exhibits special section on how museums, galleries and auction houses are embracing new artists, new concepts and new traditions.

When the artist Amy Sillman visited Meret Oppenheim: My Exhibition last year at the Kunstmuseum Bern in Bern, Switzerland, she was not sure what to expect. I went in knowing two pieces by her, the teacup and the gloves, Ms. Sillman said.

She referred to Object (1936)  a fur-lined teacup, saucer and spoon that became one of the most famous single artworks in all of Surrealism  and a pair of suede gloves with veins stitched on the outside that Ms. Oppenheim (1913-85) completed just before her death.

What else could be in there? wondered Ms. Sillman, an abstract painter based in New York, about the show. And then it blew my mind.

The show, opening Oct. 30 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and running through March 4, has many surprises, not least of which is that it reflects at least some of the ideas that Ms. Oppenheim herself had for how a retrospective of her work should be presented.
This article is part of our Fine Arts & Exhibits special section on how museums, galleries and auction houses are embracing new artists, new concepts and new traditions.

In 1997, Rudy Ciccarello saw a reproduction of a Gustav Stickley bookcase near his home in Palm Harbor, Fla. Weeks later at an auction he saw an original of the bookcase and was soon taken with works from the American Arts and Crafts movement. From then on he began building a collection that included everything from furniture to pottery and metalwork from the movement.

A retired entrepreneur, Mr. Ciccarello, who made his fortune as the founder of Florida Infusion Services, a pharmaceutical distributor, was determined to create a museum to house the collection.

Over several years, working with the Tampa architect Alberto Alfonso, of Alfonso Architects, he spent about $65 million, Mr. Alfonso said, for a 137,000-square-foot building that included 40,000 square feet of gallery space to create the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement in the heart of St. Petersburg.
This article is part of our Fine Arts & Exhibits special section on how museums, galleries and auction houses are embracing new artists, new concepts and new traditions.

MINNEAPOLIS  In a darkened gallery at the Walker Art Center, the face of the photographer Pao Houa Her is aglow as she points to key moments in her new black-and-white Mount Shasta landscape series.

Theres the charred tree, bent over and split down the middle; a water hose snaking through dry brush; and plastic-bag planters with bare, dry stems reaching out like bony fingers  evidence of a cannabis country, in this case, an area cultivated by a Hmong community of marijuana farmers who have relocated to Northern California.

The large-format images are backlit, displayed in lightboxes, as if they were advertisements at an airport or bus stop selling a peculiar kind of paradise.

From a two-channel video on display, the longing voices of a man and woman singing a kwv txhiaj, a traditional Hmong tonal poem, fill the room. Over these voices, Ms. Her describes this series of seven photos as a subversion of what the landscape photographers Timothy OSullivan and Carleton Watkins, as well as members of Group f/64 like Ansel Adams, were doing before her  selling the West with images of grand, pristine landscapes.
That whirlwind of events thrust Mr. Anderson, a virtual unknown on Wall Street, into the spotlight. The story of how he took down one of the buzziest E.V. start-ups on the market  within a week of Nikolas initial public offering in June 2020, investors had pushed its valuation above $34 billion, overtaking Ford Motor  was splashed across the business pages and featured in podcasts.

The Milton case wasnt the first time Mr. Andersons muckraking led to a criminal trial, but the stakes never felt higher for him and Hindenburg. Still, Mr. Anderson had doubted that Mr. Miltons trial would result in a conviction. Convincing a jury that the director of a publicly listed company committed securities fraud is a much taller task than persuading investors to join your crusade to short that same company, he realized.

I think its often daunting for prosecutors to bring big cases like this, he said, because when you get into the courtroom, you need to get a consensus of 12 normal people who might not have familiarity with things like the stock markets or, you know, the kind of corporate legalese that goes into all these sorts of cases.

When the jury found Mr. Milton guilty last week on three fraud charges, the biggest of which carries a 20-year prison term, Mr. Anderson felt vindicated. I think its a significant victory for white-collar criminal prosecution in America, really, he said.

On the day the jury read the verdict, Mr. Anderson congratulated those he saw as the good guys, including the whistle-blower informants who worked with us. For the doubters, he served his tweets cold, suggesting, for example, that an equity analyst who stuck by Nikola after the original Hindenburg report should be entered into the sell-side research hall of shame.

The moment of vindication arrived as activist short sellers are facing more scrutiny than ever before.
Linda Brantman, a retired membership salesperson at a health club in Chicago, was paying attention last month when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the new bivalent booster that protects against two variants of Covid-19. She went online and reserved an appointment at a Walgreens near her home.

Ms. Brantman, 65, who was already vaccinated and boosted twice, has grappled with asthma on and off for years; she keeps an inhaler handy, even for an ordinary cold. If she were sick with Covid, she said, I would definitely have breathing problems. Within two weeks of the C.D.C. announcement, she had received the latest booster  and public health officials hope all Americans over 5 will also roll up their sleeves again.

But many older Americans have responded more like Alan Turner, 65, who lives in New Castle, Del. and recently retired from an industrial design firm. He received the initial two doses of the vaccine but stopped updating his immunity after the first recommended booster. Ive become such a hermit, he said. I have virtually no contact with people, so I havent gotten around to it. I dont see any particular need. Im biding my time.

Although Americans over 65 remain the demographic most likely to have received the original series of vaccinations, at 92 percent, their interest in keeping their vaccinations up-to-date is steadily declining, data from the C.D.C. shows. To date, about 71 percent have received the first recommended booster, but only about 44 percent have received the second.
For the director, who visited Mashhad as part of his preparations for the movie, there is a Lynchian undercurrent of fetishized suppressed sexuality in every aspect of the Islamic Republic.

His words brought to mind a meeting I had in the holy Iranian city of Qum in 2009. A mullah sat on a raised dais as he explained in measured terms the rationale of the Islamic Republic. Then the subject turned to women. How could any man not lose control, he suddenly frothed, if womens hair and the curves of their bodies were allowed to be seen in public? This was the gateway to hell, he shouted.

Ebrahimis life as an actor in Iran had fallen apart a few years before that meeting, when a video of lovemaking she said she had made with her boyfriend at the time was leaked by a friend, another actor, who somehow stole it when at their apartment. It became known as the sex tape case, and the hounding of Ebrahimi knew no bounds.

All these people were watching my naked body and just kept copying the video and selling it in the street, she said. And I had to lie every day and just say it was not me, and I cant tell you how painful it all was. Not because I was ashamed of what I did, but because of the betrayal from my colleagues and this whole society.

The government set about finding every man with whom she had shaken hands, or been photographed, she said; every man she had ever kissed on the cheek. It was clear her career in Iran was over. She was about to confront her various accusers in court, facing a prison sentence and 97 lashes on the charge of having sexual relationships outside wedlock, when she decided to flee.
Compare that with the record of Kathy Hochul, who has used her first year in office as governor to show that she can get things done to improve the lives of New Yorkers. Ms. Hochul has set aside political drama to make progress on the things that matter most to New Yorkers  health, safety and access to good jobs and housing. For that work, she has our endorsement for a full term.

Ms. Hochul, who took office after Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned in August 2021, made some important changes right away. She appointed top-notch leadership, including Dr. Mary Bassett, the states health commissioner, and Janno Lieber, chair and chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, who have brought competence and zeal to two of the toughest jobs in America. Ms. Hochul has worked diligently with Mayor Eric Adams of New York on issues from transit to crime, and their respectful partnership is a refreshing change from the petty, ego-driven rivalry of Mr. Cuomo and former Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Her determined, collaborative approach to governing dovetailed with important economic and policy advances  again, without the drama of the Cuomo years or the divisiveness that a Trump-supporting governor would bring. Her record includes an upstate hydropower, solar and wind initiative expected to create thousands of jobs, a proposal for a new rail line in New York City, tax cuts for middle-class families and small businesses, expanded child care subsidies for families of four earning up to $83,250, and $25 billion for affordable housing. Ms. Hochul has struck a deal to bring Micron Technology, a computer chip company, to upstate New York, a move that could add thousands of jobs in the state. Along with the State Legislature, she has strengthened laws that protect reproductive freedom and voting rights and ensure gun safety. Her approach to managing the nations largest transit system has been to hire the right people and then get out of the way and allow them to oversee long-overdue upgrades.

In her actions, Ms. Hochul has demonstrated a steady, cooperative and focused hand in an uncertain era. Thats equal measures temperament and the urgency of circumstance. But its also the mark of a leader who is focused on finding solutions to the big problems  such as battling the economic headwinds hitting the state  rather than getting off track with partisan warfare.

Mr. Zeldin speaks passionately about the fears that New Yorkers have about crime, but his ideas dont stand up to scrutiny  they wont improve safety and they amount to an undemocratic power play, such as his plan to declare an emergency for crime. He told the Times editorial board this week that he would remove from office the elected district attorney of Manhattan, Alvin Bragg, who has continued the work of criminal justice reform that the state and city have pursued in recent years. Earlier this year, Mr. Bragg revised some of his policies; Ms. Hochul was among those who urged him to do so. That kind of open dialogue makes for better policy. A governor who would consider removing an elected official over a policy disagreement is nullifying the will of the people of New York.
Minister Cortes signs MoU with Earth 300

The Hon Prof John Cortes MBE, Minister for the Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change & Heritage, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CEO of Earth 300, Gibraltarian Aaron Olivera.

This was to recognise the benefits derived from dedicated collaboration, cooperation and interaction for the creation, advancement and operation of an Earth 300 presence in Gibraltar pursuant to its ongoing vision to inspire marine ecological awareness on a global scale as well promoting Gibraltar on an environmental footing.

The Earth 300 scope covers the possibility of homeporting its vessels, state of the art science at sea powered by green energy; to develop a next generation scientific innovation centre that revolutionises ocean science with technology; and to join the Blue Economy as a global force for smart interdisciplinary marine science, sustainability and education.

The MOU is for one year and incurs no costs from HM Government of Gibraltar. It is an agreement to have Gibraltars Department of the Environment supporting the environmental project that is Earth 300, drawing on their expertise and passion for the fusion of environmental science and marine technology in order to save our planet from the scourge of climate change.
Scientists at Boston University came under fire this week for an experiment in which they tinkered with the Covid virus. Breathless headlines claimed they had created a deadly new strain, and the National Institutes of Health rebuked the university for not seeking the governments permission.

As it turned out, the experiments, performed on mice, were not what the inflammatory media coverage suggested. The manipulated virus strain was actually less lethal than the original.

But the uproar highlighted shortcomings in how the U.S. government regulates research on pathogens that pose a risk, however small, of setting off a pandemic. It revealed loopholes that allow experiments to go unnoticed, a lack of transparency about how the risk of experiments is judged and a seemingly haphazard pattern in the federal governments oversight policy, known as the P3CO framework.

Even as the government publicly reprimanded Boston University, it raised no red flags publicly about several other experiments it funded in which researchers manipulated coronaviruses in similar ways. One of them was carried out by the governments own scientists.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis meticulously curated the memory of her husband after he was assassinated, reimagining President John F. Kennedy as a fallen King Arthur in a modern-day Camelot.

Now some historians wonder if Laurene Powell Jobs is also trying to frame the legacy of her late husband, Steve Jobs, a complicated and transformational figure who was shadowed by his flaws as a father and belligerence as a boss.

Last month, Ms. Powell Jobs introduced the Steve Jobs Archive. It aspires to reinvent the personal archive much as Mr. Jobs, in his years running Apple, remade music with the iPod and communication with the iPhone.

Rather than offering up a repository of personal correspondence, notes and items for public research and inquiry, as other influential figures have done, Ms. Powell Jobs, who did not respond to requests for comments, said at a conference last month that the Steve Jobs Archive would be devoted to ideas. Those ideas are primarily Mr. Jobss philosophies about life and work.
For more than 80 years, the wreck of a fishing trawler used as a German patrol boat during World War II has lain undisturbed at the bottom of the North Sea, where it capsized with its arsenal and crew after being bombed by British warplanes.

But as the vessel, known as the V-1302 John Mahn, corrodes and ages, its legacy as a wartime relic is still evolving, according to a study published in Frontiers in Marine Science this week.

Researchers detected pollutants in the marine environment that had leaked from the ships hull, fuel and munitions decades after it sank. The study is the latest in a growing effort to evaluate the environmental impact of shipwrecks, tracing not only how they got to their watery resting places but also what happened to them afterward.

The general public is often quite interested in shipwrecks because of their historical value, but the potential environmental impact of these wrecks is often overlooked, said Josefien Van Landuyt, the studys lead author, a Ph.D. student at Ghent University in Belgium.
Days into early voting in the 2022 midterm elections, states across the country have seen a surge of voters casting ballots at in-person voting sites and by mail, the latest sign that the 2020 election ushered in a transformation in the way Americans vote.

Through the first five days of early voting in Georgia, in-person turnout is up 70 percent compared with turnout in the 2018 midterm elections, according to the secretary of states office. In North Carolina, absentee ballot requests are up 114 percent compared with requests in 2018, according to the board of elections. And in Florida, the total early vote is up 50 percent compared with the early vote in 2018.

Election experts say the signs suggest overall turnout will be strong. But they are quick to caution that it is still early in the voting calendar  many states are less than a week in and some have not started. With voters behaviors so clearly changed by pandemic-era rules, it is unclear whether this rush to vote will lead to record-breaking totals after Election Day on Nov. 8.

Still, one significant shift in how American elections are conducted has become clear: Election Day has become, and will most likely always be, election month.
In that case, Nixon v. Fitzgerald, the majority reasoned that presidents must be able to perform their constitutional duties without being inhibited by the fear that a decision could risk making them liable to pay civil damages after they leave office. The question in Mr. Trumps case would be whether a president could be similarly hindered by a fear of being forced to testify in front of Congress.

Mr. Trumps legal team could also invoke executive privilege in an attempt to ward off the subpoena. In another case involving Richard Nixon, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in 1974 that a Senate committee investigating the Watergate scandal could not force Nixon, then the sitting president, to turn over tapes of his Oval Office conversations.

The appeals court ruled that the Senates need for the tapes was not enough to overcome the presumption of confidentiality guarding the presidential decision-making process. That general confidentiality is important, courts decided, so that presidents can receive candid advice from their aides about how best to carry out their constitutional functions.

(More famously, about three months later, the Supreme Court upheld a subpoena by the Watergate prosecutor for the tapes, citing the greater need for them in a criminal proceeding. Soon after, Nixon resigned to avoid being impeached.)

Unlike Nixon in 1974, however, Mr. Trump is now a former  not a sitting  president, and his claims to executive privilege would be weaker. The current officeholder, President Biden, who has greater authority to invoke or withhold executive privilege, might not support him.

Notably, Mr. Biden declined to support an earlier attempt by Mr. Trump to invoke executive privilege to keep the Jan. 6 committee from subpoenaing the National Archives for White House records. The Supreme Court, ruling against Mr. Trump, declined to block the subpoena, although it did so in a way that left unresolved the scope of an ex-presidents powers under executive privilege.

Still, courts might view forcing a former president to show up at the Capitol and testify under oath differently than obtaining documents. Mr. Biden might also be more reluctant to establish a precedent that could help a Republican-controlled Congress subpoena him for testimony.
The measures, which are on the Nov. 8 ballots, have drawn criticism from some lawmakers who say that the changes are unnecessary or confusing. In one state, a former sponsor said the proposal was so ambiguous that he has started urging people to vote against it.

Heres what to know about the proposed changes.

What is prison labor used for?

The American Civil Liberties Union estimated in a report this year that prisoners produced more than $2 billion in goods annually and provided more than $9 billion worth of services while being paid an average of 13 to 52 cents per hour.

Their jobs vary widely, and include doing laundry, serving food in prisons, building furniture for colleges and schools, and manufacturing license plates. Several states  including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas  pay prisoners nothing for most jobs, according to the A.C.L.U.

Mr. Davis, who was imprisoned in Louisiana for more than 26 years, said that he and other prisoners spent long, hot days doing farm work, sometimes without enough access to water. He said he grew so frustrated with being forced to do the job for 2 cents an hour that he intentionally dropped a 25-pound dumbbell on his foot so that he would not have to work. Instead, he said, he was sent to solitary confinement as punishment.

Claudia M. Flores, a law professor at Yale and an author of the A.C.L.U. report, said much of prisoners work went toward running the prison itself.
To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

The things Nataliya Pleshkova misses most about her childhood home in central Ukraine are the smells.

In 2011, Ms. Pleshkova, 42, moved to Estes Park, Colo., with her daughter, seeking better work opportunities, and, in September of this year, her mother followed, fleeing their war-torn homeland.

Mama packed some of the clothes I had left in Ukraine, and the first thing I did was bury my head and nose into the pile because it smelled like home, she said. Memories of my childhood rushed through my head. I remembered playing hide and seek in the wardrobe where these clothes hung.

For her mother, Tamara Plieshkova, it is her husbands grave in the cemetery back home that she knows shell miss, and her pets  a dog and a cat  that she had to leave with a neighbor.

She said she feels like shes an old, mature tree being replanted into new soil, Ms. Pleshkova said, translating for her 69-year-old mother who does not speak English, and was fresh off a 96-hour journey from Ukraine to the United States, via Poland and France.

Feeling uprooted is something many immigrants are familiar with, split between the here and the back there, between the push to assimilate and the pull to preserve parts of themselves and their culture. And it is often the intangibles from home  the smells and sounds, the metaphors and jokes in a native tongue that cant be translated, and cherished rituals  that they long for.
As Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, laid out his priorities this week for a breakthrough third term in power, officials parsed his words for signs of where the country was headed. What he did not say was as revealing.

The omission of two phrases from his key report to a Communist Party congress exposed his anxieties about an increasingly volatile world where Washington is contesting Chinas ascent as an authoritarian superpower.

For two decades, successive Chinese leaders have declared at the congress that the country was in a period of important strategic opportunity, implying that China faced no imminent risk of major conflict and could focus more on economic growth.

For even longer, leaders have said that peace and development remain the themes of the era, suggesting that whatever may be going wrong in the world, the grand trends were on Chinas side.
Poised to take a groundbreaking third term in power, Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, has advanced a contingent of Communist Party loyalists ready to defend him, expand state influence over the economy and bolster national security.

Mr. Xi opened the new phase of his authoritarian rule with a clutch of victories at the end of a party congress on Saturday. He hurried into retirement two top officials from a more moderate political mold. He positioned allies to dominate the new leadership. He kept officials who have promoted his muscular approach in diplomacy and the military. And Mr. Xi gave no hint of preparing for eventual retirement by anointing a likely successor.

China has entered a new era of maximum Xi, said Neil Thomas, an analyst of Chinese politics for the Eurasia Group. The outcome, Mr. Thomas added, means more support for Xis policies, which means a stronger focus on political control, economic statism, and assertive diplomacy.

Since taking over as party leader in late 2012, Mr. Xi has transformed China, purging potential rivals, crushing dissent and reasserting the central role of the Communist Party in Chinese society. Mr. Xis progress toward his new term has been hampered this year by Chinas painful economic slowdown, spreading public frustration over the countrys strict Covid rules, and rumors of internal opposition.
CZECH-GERMAN BORDER  The lanky man bent down to examine a rusted railroad track that cut across the empty square of a small, forgotten town, shaking his head at the weeds poking up.

Disappointing, was his verdict, the ruling perhaps influenced by the shuttered brick train station accumulating cobwebs in the German border town of Seifhennersdorf, not far from the Czech Republic.

By profession, Jon Worth is a university lecturer in political communications. By passion, he is the self-anointed inspector of Europes railroads. And he has tasked himself with addressing a dilemma: Why isnt it easier to traverse European borders by rail?

No one asked him to undertake this mission, but his justification is clear. In order for Europe to live up to its ambitions to lead the globe to carbon neutrality, it needs to get people out of planes and cars.
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What? said Mr. Stuart. I thought you had it.

Mr. Hamilton ran back to the car to retrieve it.

Soon the doors woodwork and padlock gave away.

You sort of know that when you take a crowbar to a side door of Westminster Abbey and jimmy the lock that there really isnt any going back, dont you? Mr. Hamilton told British newspaper The Telegraph in 2008.

They moved swiftly into the darkness of the abbey and found their way to the Coronation Chair. They pried off a wooden retaining bar across the front of the chair, but freeing the stone was more difficult. They pushed and jimmied it until they were able to lift it and carry it for a yard before realizing that it was too heavy to take any further.

They then heaved the stone onto Mr. Hamiltons coat, hoping to slide it to freedom. But as he pulled at one of the stones iron rings, it came apart, one chunk of about 100 pounds, another more than double that weight. Mr. Hamilton ran outside, almost giddily, lugging the smaller piece. The fourth member of the group, the getaway driver, Kay Matheson, drove up, and Mr. Hamilton laid it on the back seat.

As he did so Ms. Matheson urgently told him that she had been spotted by a police officer. Mr. Hamilton hopped in the car, and when the officer approached, he and Ms. Matheson pretended to be an amorous couple. Arousing no suspicions, they drove away. The two other students fled, leaving the rest of the stone behind.

Mr. Hamilton returned later with the other car, dragged the remaining stone to it, and drove off.

The audacious caper captivated Britain for months.

The British police began a manhunt. Cars were stopped at roadblocks. Bodies of water were dredged. The border between Scotland and England across the Cheviot Hills was temporarily closed.
LONDON  A charter airline contracted by the British government to transport asylum seekers to Rwanda has pulled out of the deal following outside pressure, another blow to Britains hard-line immigration plan to send asylum seekers to the small African nation.

The British deal with Rwanda came as Western nations are taking tougher stands against accepting refugees, and as thousands of people have crossed the English Channel in small boats this year seeking asylum. Rwandas president, Paul Kagame, is aiming to position his country as a solution to the migrant crisis, though critics see the country as trying to benefit financially from the arrangement.

Under the deal, Britain would pay 120 million pounds, or $135 million, to Rwanda to finance opportunities for the migrants, including education, job skills and language training. Those who are granted asylum would not be able to return to Britain, and would remain in Rwanda.
I did not recognize those kids with whom we traveled in April on the train to their new life, Ksenia Mishonova, the childrens rights commissioner for the Moscow region, said in a statement. Now they are our little fellow citizens!

Some children were indeed orphaned or abandoned in Ukraine and prefer their lives in Russia. The Times spoke to one teenager from Mariupol who said he had no family back home. He said his foster family loved him like he was their own.

Others, like Anya, long to return.

She participated in a weekly class called Conversations About Important Things. The half-hour lesson, introduced recently by Mr. Putin, teaches children to be proud of Russia.

Sometimes, Anya said, she cries, wondering if something horrible has happened to her family.

After more than a month of reporting, Times reporters reached Anyas mother, Oksana, in Ukraine. With no job, no internet access, a small disability pension and a war going on, she said she had no idea how to find her daughter.

Im looking everywhere, but I cant find her, she said. She is looking for me.

She said she did not know that Anya had been taken to Russia.

Reporters told Anya and Oksana how to contact each other. The prospect of Anya returning home, though, is unclear. Ukrainian officials have been tight-lipped about how they have gotten dozens of children back from Russia.

Is this really her number? Anya asked.

Anastasia Kuznietsova , Alina Lobzina and Maria Varenikova contributed reporting.
In all of its decades of service, Truskavets City Hospital, an old medical center serving a city in western Ukraine, never had to specialize in treating amputees. But things change  sometimes in seconds, and with the roar of an incoming rocket.

Now, Truskavets is part of Ukraines growing limb-replacement effort, with two of its floors filled to near overflow with soldiers.

Semyon, 27, found his way there by way of Kharkiv, a battleground in the war that began after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Early one morning, he was serving as a radio operator and signalman for an antiaircraft battery when it came under mortar fire. By Semyons count, his unit was hit 43 times in only 20 minutes.

He lost his right leg.

When I was first fitted with the prosthetic leg, Semyon said, it was perplexing to understand that this leg is not mine. But the staff at Truskavets kept working with him. Now all is good, he said.

Like many of the soldiers, for privacy, he preferred to give only his first name for publication.
Rumble 28 Nov 2022

FIRST AIRED: 09/10/2021. We speak to Chuck Collins, Director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for..
DETROIT  A teenager accused of killing four fellow students and injuring more at a Michigan high school is expected to plead guilty to murder next week, authorities said Friday.



#michigan #highschool #schoolshooting #detroit #murder #teenager
Watch VideoHurricane Roslyn grew to Category 3 force on Saturday as it headed for a collision with Mexicos Pacific coast, likely north of the resort of Puerto Vallarta.



The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Roslyns maximum sustained winds had increased to 120 mph early Saturday, and it was expected to grow still...
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Bleaching hair has become a major hair color trend in the last couple of years and people have been loving to do it as it gives hair a new shade and somehow makes it look shinier. However, bleaching hair can certainly damage hair and includes several side effects on the hair color. According to Briogeo, bleaching is a chemical hair dye technique that strips the color of the hair strands.

It begins with an alkaline agent that opens up the hair cuticle. It next comes with the oxidative agent that penetrates the hair context and liquefies the natural melanin in the hair. The longer the bleach stays in the hair, the lighter in color your hair becomes. It can be eighter yellow or reddish tone depending on the natural hair color and gradually lighten to platinum blonde.

Once bleaching has been done in the hair, it will now be more susceptible to damage as excess oil, dirt, wind, and harmful UV rays can make the hair more frizzy and dull and it could also cause hair fall and split ends. Also, hair growth slows down or stops all at once.

Bleached hair may appear less soft as the bleach changes the porosity and elasticity of the hair already. When the hair is bleached, the hair cuticle becomes more open and will continue to open which results in a split end and soon break off of it if left untreated.

Read Also: Experts Not Recommending Nursery Trends Posted by Influencers; Not Safe for Babies

Hair color can irritate the scalp due to chemicals

Bleach including hair color can have damage results especially when the bleaching chemicals penetrate the hair shaft as it breaks down the natural fatty acid which causes a weaker hair strand. Moreover, bleaching is done by oxidation of hair and the process itself can already make the hair extremely dry and lifeless. Thus, if you think it can make the hair look better, think more, as it could turn your hair dull and boring.

Furthermore, bleaching requires high maintenance. Thus, when you bleach your hair, prepare yourself with high-maintenance products as the hair will suffer a lot if not given such products and care. Danelle Fisher, MD, FAAP (Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics), pediatrician and vice chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA told the outlet that there is no minimum age to bleach or dye kid's hair and suggests kids to just wait until they were old enough to get their hair bleached or colored as there's no guarantee that it is safe for all ages.

Fisher explained that bleaching hair at an early age can cause scalp irritation due to chemicals present in the products. Kate Seymour, M.D., internal medicine and pediatrics with Saint Thomas Health noted on Nashville Parent that hair dyes are actually created for adults as kids have more sensitive skin which means, the hair dye directly contacts the children's skin and can cause an itchy and red rash in the area.

What is the right age for kids to dye and bleach their hair?

Joe Greco, principal scientist of Global Baby R&D at Johnson's recommends waiting until after the age of 12 as the child's hair is still developing. Noting that 12 is between adult and baby hair stages which means it can be safe to apply bleach or color to the hair.

Gina Posner, M.D., a pediatrician at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Foundation Valley, CA says kids should avoid ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and paraphenylenediamine or chemical compounds usually found in permanent hair dyes as they can cause bad reactions. She suggests kids not put any harsh chemicals on hair especially at a young age as they can develop allergies, per She Knows.

Related Article: Dean McDermott, Tori Spelling's Kids Pushed To Model To Pay For Bills? [Rumors]
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Public schools in Texas are sending students home carrying DNA kits to help parents identify their kids in case of emergencies. However, instead of making parents feel at ease, the kits make them even more anxious about sending their children to school.

The Texas state legislature passed Senate Bill No. 2158 in 2021, a law that required the Texas Education Agency to furnish identification kits to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools, which should be distributed to students' parents or legal custodians.

The law passed after the horrifying Santa Fe High School shooting, which ended the lives of eight students and two teachers, and a year before the Uvalde mass shooting, which ended the lives of 19 fourth-graders and two teachers inside Robb Elementary School.

Right now, the Texas public school system will be providing "ink-free fingerprint and DNA identification cards'' to all eligible K-6 students. Utilization of the kits is said to be not mandatory and will be based on the parent's decision.

Sending the wrong message to Texas families

The kit consists of a three-fold pamphlet that allows parents to store the DNA and fingerprints of their children at home. In case of an emergency, this will be turned over to law enforcement agencies. According to the legislation, the fingerprint and DNA verification kits are intended to "help locate and return a missing or trafficked child."

After the Uvalde shooting, the second deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, Texan parents are alarmed about the kits and the horrifying message some say they send to the students' families.

A former CIA and FBI agent and now a college professor who taught high school history for 16 years, Tracy Walder, expressed how "devastated" she was when she found out that her second-grade daughter would be carrying a kit home. She said that she had tried to "find the right words" for her feelings, yet she cannot "because sometimes it's beyond comprehension."

"This sends two messages: The first is that the government is not going to do anything to solve the problem. This is their way of telling us that. The second is that us parents are now forced to have conversations with our kids that they may not be emotionally ready for. My daughter is 7. What do I tell her?" Walder stated anxiously.

Read Also: Dad of Uvalde Shooting Survivor Tells Parents to Hug Their Kids Every Day; Mom Recounts Nightmare

Authority chooses gun over kids

Walder is not alone in her apprehensive reactions. Many parents have expressed discomfort in sending their kids' DNA to school for privacy reasons.

Wendi Aarons, a mother of two, ages 18 and 20, who attended public schools in Texas from kindergarten until they graduated high school, said that she is quite relieved that she will not receive any kits at home, but she deeply empathizes with those parents who are. She said she could not imagine the anxiety and panic parents face sending their kids to school every day, not knowing if they will see them again at home.

In an interview with Today, she said the kit makes her physically sick. She finds it hard to "even grapple" if what is happening is real. Parents should worry about parent-teacher organization, sign-up sheets, and their children's grades instead of their kids' murder and how to identify their bodies if they have been shot many times.

She further said that these kits convey that guns are more important than kids. Texas has done "absolutely nothing" to protect students and teachers, and now they have chosen "the callous, heartless, cruel measure to send DNA test kits" so parents can identify their children's bodies if they become victims of a massacre.

Emily Westbrooks, who moved with her family to Texas from Ireland believing that gun violence is trivial in the former and sending children to school was not a "daily terror," expressed that the kits exposed that lie as they are an "incredibly triggering, in-your-face reminder" that their children are at risk of being gunned down to the point of being unrecognizable.

She added her disappointment in elected officials in both the national realm and in Texas, who she said have obviously given up as they have decided that the children are not worth restricting guns and instead are offering parents a "disgusting" consolation.

Brett Cross, whose 10-year-old son Uziyah Garcia was killed in the Uvalde mass shooting, took to Twitter and expressed his frustration over the kits, sarcastically saying that it's awesome that kids can now be identified when they get to be murdered instead of "fixing issues" that can protect them from being killed.

Related Article: Creative Mom Makes Bulletproof Dress for Daughter in Kindergarten to Protect Her from School Shooter
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A 17-year-old girl in the state of Michigan called 911 from the back seat of a vehicle to report her own mother drunk driving on Monday night, October 17. According to officers with decades of experience, they have never heard a 911 call quite like it.

The teen caller told the 911 operator that her mom was drunk and driving crazy with her and her little brother in the car. She added that they do not feel safe and need somebody to come find them.

The girl said her 15-year-old brother was also in the car's back seat. A man, described as a friend of the mother, was in the passenger's seat of the vehicle, according to WTVG.

Blissfield Police intercepted vehicle minutes after teen's 911 call

Dispatchers stayed on the line with the teen girl for about 10 minutes as she described her location along U.S. 223 as the car was passing through Blissfield. Officer Thomas Anton with Blissfield Police managed to intercept the car within minutes of the teen's 911 call. He said that he noticed the car swerving erratically before he intercepted it.

Anton said that the vehicle was going over the lines and almost hit another car next to it. He added that it came over the double yellow lines twice and nearly caused a head-on collision twice.

Cops were able to stop the car and took the drunk 45-year-old driver into custody, according to WTAP. Authorities have not yet released her name. Police officers took her to the Lenawee County Jail, where according to them, she blew twice the legal limit. The mom is expected to face a misdemeanor charge of operating while impaired.

Read Also: Neighbor Helps Get Scooter for Florida Mom Left Partially Paralyzed After Stroke

Teen girl saves lives with her actions

The man in the passenger's seat of the car drove the kids to their grandmother's house, where they were both released into her custody. Anton credited the teen girl's actions, saying she saved many lives.

Anton said they were quite scared when their mom drove drunk down the road. He added that they were frightened for their mother's safety and theirs, so they decided to call 911 to ensure they saved their mom's life. Thanks to the quick thinking of the teen girl, no lives were lost.

She made the right move, as 29 people die every day in the United States in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. That means one death is recorded every 50 minutes in the country due to car crashes caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes in the U.S. is estimated to be more than $44 billion.

Related Article: Daughter Who Saves Father's Life During His 70th Birthday Encourages Others to Learn CPR
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A mom from New Jersey is on a mission to unearth more information that could shed light on a possible cancer cluster at her kids' high school.

Edyta Komorek, an environmental scientist, told "Good Morning America" that she was concerned her township was not doing enough to address these issues, so she decided to launch her own study. Komorek gathered soil, dust, and caulk samples and sent them to outside laboratories for testing.

Komorek said that the results of the study identified four compounds. They are polychlorinated biphenyls and three pesticides: chlordane, heptachlor, and heptachlor epoxide. Komorek noted that those three compounds are known or are probable carcinogens.

Komorek's study has alarming results

Komorek also claimed that the testing results showed higher levels of compounds that could potentially cause cancer. She explained that those levels exceeded Environmental Protection Agency standards, NJ.com reported.

Komorek's results have not been confirmed or vetted by outside scientists. Dr. Arif Kamal, the chief patient officer of the American Cancer Society, said they should proceed with a bit of caution.

Kamal said that residents in the area are not in immediate danger. He did say, however, that it is appropriate for authorities to thoroughly investigate higher-than-expected rates of brain tumors in a community.

Colonia High School in Colonia, New Jersey, grabbed national headlines in April after more than 100 former students and staff reported online that they had been diagnosed with brain tumors, spanning three decades. About half of the cases recorded had been determined to be cancerous.

Al Lupiano, a former student, told "GMA" that it was shocking, and he couldn't believe that a husband and wife could both have an acoustic neuroma at the same time. Lupiano asked what is the likelihood of that happening.

Read Also: Nearly 1 in 5 American Adults Continue to Ration Insulin as Costs Stay High in the United States

Komorek says air testing should be done immediately

Officials in Woodbridge Township, where Colonia High School is located, opened an investigation regarding the reported cancer cluster but said they found no significant radiation at the high school building. Exposure to radiation is one of the biggest risk factors for brain tumors.

Woodbridge Township Mayor John E. McCormac said after the investigation that everybody concluded there was no need for further testing and that the grounds and the buildings were 100 percent safe.

Komorek remains unconvinced, though, of those findings, believing there could be other possible causes, My Central Jersey reported. She thinks that air testing should be done immediately in the area to determine whether or not there are hazardous levels of those chemicals in the indoor air.

After the results of Komorek's own study were released, she decided to transfer her daughters out of their high school. The school said they sent the study results of Komorek to state health and environmental agencies.

Related Article: Missing Georgia Toddler Likely Dead and His Mother Is the Prime Suspect, Authorities Say
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Parents and students in East Chicago are asking for answers from school on how they are handling the incident of having a teacher charged with possessing a list of people she wants to kill, with herself on the top of the list.

Outraged parents and their kids gathered on Wednesday outside of St. Stanislaus School to demand solutions and safety plans after a teacher was arrested and charged with felony intimidation for possession of a "kill list" last week, WGN9 reported.

The group stated that they want a "greater transparency" from the school, better safety measures and a full investigation on the case.

'Kill List' in detention

As per court documents, 2 fifth graders were in the classroom of teacher Angelica Carrasquillo, 25 years old from Griffith,last week for a recess detention.

One of the students allegedly heard the teacher speak about wanting to kill herself and having a "kill list." More horrifying was that Carrasquillo allegedly told the students that their names can be found "at the bottom of the list."

Court documents further stated that the teacher was removed from her classroom after a student called out to administrators. She was escorted to the office of the principal, where she allegedly declared that she wanted to kill herself, her staff, and students, and admitted to creating a kill list.

Parents and protesters are now questioning the school why Carrasquillo was able to stay on school grounds without the police being called for a long period of time. School administrators said to have waited for four hours after the report was made to inform the police, allowing the teacher to leave school first. She was arrested at her home the next day.

"The police should have been notified first, and then we should have been notified that our children were in harm's way. They could've used the text message system. They could've used the phone system to contact us to let us know what is going on," expressed Ashley Rios, a parent of a St. Stanislaus student.

Read Also: Teachers Fail To Stop Bias-Based Bullying; What Should Schools Do To End This Issue?

Lack of data keeps parents in isolation

The authorities said that Carrasquillo is now in a medical facility, but remains in their custody. However, they have not been able to question the teacher or procure a warrant to search her residence.

East Chicago Police Department Chief Jose Rivera emphasized that the school should have called them immediately when the incident was happening. It was crucial for them to be present during the interview of Carrasquillo with the principal. If they have been able to question her at school, they would have been able to search for any weapons or other evidence in her classroom or locker, if she has, with the permission of the school.

The Diocese of Gary, which runs the school, said Monday that it's cooperating with the police officers and is continually reviewing the incident, ABC7 reported.

Related Article: Mean Teacher Problem: Smart Parenting Ways to Handle Children Complaining About 'Bad Teachers'
Photo: (Photo : David McNew/Getty Images)

A 12-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital in Arizona after being struck by lightning during intense storms in the state. Doctors said she is lucky to be alive, crediting her father with saving her life.

Dr. Kevin Foster, who is the director of the Arizona Burn Center, said on Monday morning that Ella Jorgensen is doing well and that her family was in good spirits. He added that she is expected to be released very soon from the hospital.

Ella's dad, Steven Jorgensen, said the first thing she said after waking up was that she was going to have a cool story to tell. Foster said the girl's father was at the right place at the right time. Ella's heart stopped three separate times after she was struck by lightning. Each time, Steven, a Marine veteran, resuscitated his daughter by performing CPR.

Ella fortunate lightning that hit her was not a direct strike

He told KTVK/KPHO that he is just a dad taking care of his daughter. He added that he was trying to keep calm over the whole situation, with the CPR training scene from "The Office" kicking in his head. He said that you can hear him singing the Bee Gees hit "Staying Alive" as he was giving her resuscitation.

The Jorgensens and some of her friends were in Sun City West to visit grandparents when the storms hit on Saturday. Steven said that it just seemed like any other normal day when it comes to the rain here in Arizona.

He said his daughter was just stepping outside when the thunder started to rumble. Just a few seconds later, Ella was hit. Doctors said she was lucky because they believe the lightning was not a direct strike, and it most likely struck right next to her.

Steven said that when they were taking the breathing tubes out, that was when she was trying to figure out what happened. He broke the news to her that she got struck by lightning and she did not believe him at first. Once they got the tubes out and her mother told her again what happened, Ella just looked at her mom and said that she is going to have a cool story to tell forever now.

Read Also: Texas Family Asks for Public's Help to Pay for Funeral of Teen Drowning Victim

Lightning strikes killed 19 people in the U.S. this year

Jorgensen said the main injury that his daughter suffered was on her chest. Ella also has real small, superficial burns that came from the necklace that she was wearing at the time of the lightning strike.

While lightning strikes are quite common, being struck by one is not. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the chances of a person being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million.

While almost 90 percent of lightning strike victims survive, the National Weather Service (NWS) found that 19 people in the United States have died from lightning strikes thus far this year.

Related Article: Daughter Who Saves Father's Life During His 70th Birthday Encourages Others to Learn CPR
Photo: (Photo : SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

A surge in respiratory illnesses among kids is beginning to put a strain on hospitals in the United States. Hospitals, in particular, are seeing an increase in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common cold virus that can be associated with severe disease in older adults and young children.

According to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) latest real-time surveillance data, cases are rising in multiple regions in the U.S, with some already nearing seasonal peak levels.

Surveillance data that was collected by the CDC clearly showed a rise in RSV cases nationwide in the past weeks, with cases detected by PCR tests more than tripling over the past couple of months and nearing the peaks of last year. The surveillance program of the CDC captures data from 75 counties, which represent about 9 percent of the total US population.

RSV cases skyrocket at Connecticut Children's Hospital

Monica Buchanan, who is Connecticut Children's Hospital's senior director of strategic and enterprise communications told CNN that RSV admissions have skyrocketed at their hospital and October has been like never before for this virus.

According to Buchanan, hospital leaders have met with the National Guard and the Connecticut Department of Public Health to start logistic review of putting a mobile field hospital in the front lawn. More work is planned on Thursday, October 20, to determine a final decision and to get approval.

Dr. Juan Salazar, who is the physician-in-chief and executive vice president at Connecticut Children's, said that beds are filled to capacity and kids are coming to their hospital at an unprecedented level. He added that more than 100 people with respiratory syncytial virus have been admitted over the last 10 days, many of whom require intensive care and oxygen therapy.

He said that he has been doing this for a long time, working at Connecticut Children's for 25 years, and he has never seen this level of surge, specifically of RSV, coming into their hospital.

Read Also: New Jersey Mom Gives Birth to Baby Girl 8 Years After Her Life-Saving Heart Transplant

RSV cases coming earlier in the year than expected

Salazar said that the hospital has not yet expanded to a field tent but they have to be prepared in case the numbers continue to increase. He noted that if RSV increases further and it hits them with influenza at the tail end of this, they will need additional capacity for their hospital.

What makes the rise in cases even harder to navigate is that it is coming earlier in the year than doctors would usually expect. Dr. Thomas Murray, who is a pediatric infectious disease specialist and is an associate professor at Yale University School of Medicine, told WFSB that they used to have kind of a seasonality to different viruses.

He cited RSV as an example, which would usually come in December. It would then go away and will be followed by influenza. Murray said that what seemed to happen with COVID is that now they are all circulating at the same time.

Related Article: No Evidence of Foul Play in Death of Missing California Teen Kiely Rodni
Renowned Ghanaian broadcaster, Mr. Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, popularly known as Abeiku Santana, has received an alumni award from the University of Cape Coast (UCC).



Abeiku Santana, who has a Masters Degree in Tourism Management from the UCC, was honoured for projecting the name of the institution in various endeavours.



The media mogul who currently works with Despite Media has had a distinguished career in radio broadcasting spanning over two decades, and he is one of Ghana's most popular radio presenters.



Abeiku Santana, after receiving the award, said: "I deem it a great honour to receive this great recognition from my alma mater, and it further encourages me to do more for the betterment of humanity.



"This honour means a lot to me and I want to dedicate it to my family, especially my wife, who has been very supportive of the numerous successes I have achieved over the years,"



Abeiku Santana, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Kaya Tours, has contributed to the growth of Ghana's tourism industry as he was adjudged the Tourism Oriented Media Personality at the 2020 National Tourism Awards.



In 2020, he gained a special recognition award as the Exclusive Man of the Year for his exploits in tourism marketing and promotion, using his platform to promote Ghanas tourism.



The 2021 Radio and Television Personality of the Year is one of the topmost personalities in Ghana's music space, having contributed to the unearthing of numerous musical talents over his over 20 years in the music industry.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Captain Smart the host of Onua FM's morning show has alleged that he once saved the life of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who would otherwise have died a miserable death.



Speaking about his recent arrest on the Thursday, October 20 edition of his show, the journalist whose full name is Blessed Godsbrain Smart indicated that he realised on the night of his arrest that he is very important than the President.



He said that even though there was traffic during the rush hour, he had a dispatch rider escort them to the NIB office at Kanda for interrogation.



How can one Captain Smart be given a presidential escort? he asked while recounting his ordeal on TV.



The presidency is involved in galamsey, Captain Smart reiterated the point that eventually led to his arrest.



the so-called security apparatus wants to scare journalists; me [they cant]. They should go and ask Kan-Dapaah, Addo Kufuor, J.A. Kufuor or even Nana Addo, who I saved his life in 2006; like he would have died like a chicken, ask him. Ask him that when he was taken to his hometown, Kibi, and we were returning to Accra, ask him what happened on our way. I saved Nana Addos life, you are all sick, ask Akufo-Addo, he will tell you, he said.



After he told him that he would have given me one of his daughters, ask Akufo-Addo. That time, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko was in London sweeping the streets, Captain Smart added.



He warned that nobody should worry him because he knows where he came from and where he is going.



Ask Akufo-Addo who saved his life in 2006, when you meet him ask him. When we came to Accra he was asking what I wanted and I told him that I dont need anything. My responsibility is to make sure that you live, because I believed in him from 2005, Captain Smart noted.



The Onua FM/TV morning show host was arrested by officials of the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) on Wednesday evening, October 19, while on his way home from work.



BNI (now NIB) arrested Captain Smart earlier on his way home from the office(Onua 95.1 FM / @Onua TV premises) a post by his media house, Onua TV on their Facebook page sighted by GhanaWeb stated.



In the early hours of Thursday morning, October 20, 3news.com, a portal belonging to the Media General group reported that he had been released after he was granted bail.



According to the report, after his initial arrest, Captain Smart "was later found at the Interrogation Unit of the Bureau.



"He was there and then interrogated in the presence of some senior officials of Media General. He was later released on bail."



Captain Smart responds to a series of political intimidations and attacks on him: "I saved your life, President Nana Addo."#OnuaMaakyepic.twitter.com/2MJMxTaHdO

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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Prophet Kofi Oduro, General Overseer, Alabaster International Ministry, cannot comprehend why Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister who has failed miserably will still be keeping his job.



According to him, if Ghana was his private company, he would have fired the under-fire minister and hired a different person who will deliver results.



In a viral video sighted by GhanaWeb, Prophet Oduro noted that the current government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo does not like to hear the truth but as a man of God, he has to tell the President and his ministers the truth.



"Wrong is wrong. When you are wrong, I need to look into your eyes and tell you that you are wrong. It doesnt matter [who you are]; that is what is killing this nation and it is killing churches...



"This is the time, Your Excellency to make changes and that changes must be to the honour and glory of Godour finance minister, even though he is a Christian, has failed miserably and I am telling Your Excellency with all due respect, this is the time to make drastic changes. We cannot sit here when $1.00 is equal to GHC12.00," Prophet Kofi Oduro said.



"You can do whatever you like; I came with a fresh grace to tell you something. Look! What I have observed is that the current government hates being told the truth but I am telling, you will take it. If Ghana is my private company and somebody is not delivering; I fire them; I replace them; I hire somebody else and then we are workingwhy cant a nation do that?" he quizzed.



The Cedi has recently been classified by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency against the US Dollar.



Currently, the Cedi is trading at around GH13  GH14 to a dollar at some forex bureaus. The depreciation rate is a contributory factor for the ongoing shop closures ordered by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).



According to the group, the fast depreciation of the Cedi is eroding their profits and also increasing the cost of doing business.

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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Global Food and Beverage giant, Nestle is giving all its permanent local employees in Ghana one-off lump sum payment of Ghc 7,500 (Seven Thousand, Five Hundred Ghana Cedis) together with their upcoming October, 2022 salaries to cushion them due to the current economic hardship in the country.



In a statement sighted by Peacefmonline and signed by the company's Managing Director, Georgios Badaro, the unstable and unpredictable economic turbulence in the country since the beginning of 2022 has necessitated the action.



"The unstable and unpredictable economic turbulences we continue to see in Ghana since the beginning of 2022 have brought major challenges to our business.



"I am proud of how, as one team, we have been united to overcome these unprecedented challenges in a very difficult environment.



"Despite these difficulties and as a strong sign of appreciation to the efforts of each and every one of us, Management has decided to support employees and their families during this period," the statement said.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ga Mantse (King), Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, and the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi, have pledged the support of the Ga Traditional Council and the Government of Ghana for the India Africa Trade Council (IATC).



They expressed their profound gratitude to the IATC for selecting Ghana as its headquarters for the West and Central Africa region.



Speaking at the maiden IATC Trade submit held in Accra on October 18, 2022, the Ga Mantse said he was excited about Ghana hosting the West and Central Africa headquarters of the Council.



He therefore pledged his fullest support for the IATC.



Michael Okyere Baafi who doubles as a member of parliament for the people of Juaben South and Deputy Minister for Trade, urged members of the IATC to embrace Ghana's flagship industrialization programme, the One District One Factory (1D1F).



Hon. Baafi promised the doors of the Government of Ghana will always be open to investors, saying the Government will always support investors.



IATC Delegation Visits Ghana



The Global President of IATC, Dr. Asif Iqbal, was in Ghana to attend the submit and to also present to Dr. James Gnanaraj Rajamani, his letter of credence, confirming his appointment as the Chairman of IATC West and Central Africa.



Mr. Iqbal was accompanied to Ghana by his vice, Mr. Wali Kashvi and Trade Commissioner of Telanga state ,India Mr. Krishna Vamsi.



In his address at the submit, Dr. Iqbal admonished businessmen and women to take advantage of international trade liberalization policies to ensure effective growth of the business communities.



On his part, Dr. James Rajamani assured his readiness to live up to his responsibilities in coordinating the activities of the Central and West Africa sub regions.



Recognition



Three directors of IATC were presented with certificate of recognition from IATC Global Head Office based in India.



They are: Dr. Immanuel Rajamani, Executive Director, International Protocol; Neelesh Bhatia, Executive Director, Finance and Administration; and Mr.Peter Mensah, Executive Director, Operations and Corporate Affairs.



Attendees



The submit attracted several key personalities from business industry, the diplomatic community, government,religious leaders, traditional authorities and the security agencies.



In attendance at the submit were: the Board Chairman of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Kwame Acheampong Boateng,Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs of Sierra Leone, Dr. Memunatu Pratt; the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Major General Nicholas Andoh,the Ahafo Regional Minister, Hon. George Boakye; Bono East Regional Minister, Hon. Akwasi Adu- Gyan; member of the Board of IATC and Chief Executive Officer of the EIB Network, Mr. Nat Adusei ( Borla Ray)as well as some selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).



About IATC



The idea is India Africa Trade Council came about in 2020 during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.



IATC is a non-governmental organization established in consultation with the various heads of Trade bodies in Africa and the presidents/representatives and professionals of repute from the entire Indo-African region.



It was formed with a view to giving the business communities of both India and Africa a voice and a tool to foster development.

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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Africas leadingTelecommunications company, Telecel Group, is set to roll out its flagship social accelerator and investment program, the Africa Start-up Initiative Program (ASIP) powered by Startupbootcamp AfriTech in Ghana beginning next week.



Founded by Telecel Group CEO, Moh Damush, the Telecel Group ASIP is designed to develop new businesses across the continent by working with start-ups and early-stage companies to define their business strategy and secure funding. With the support of leading pan-African tech accelerator, Startuobootcam AfriTech, the program has since 2021 empowered 21 businesses with a combined valuation of over USD 80 million.



The ASIP/SBC/AfriTech scouting team will be in Accra on 27th October 2022 to scout for prospective start-ups for enrolment in the program after holding similar events inAbidjan, Lagos, Kampala, Addis Ababa, and Nairobi.



Applications for Cohort 3 of the ASIP Accelerator program which will be launched in February 2023, opened in August this year.



We usually encourage start-ups to attend the country FastTrack events to enable them to get real time feedback from our panel of experts. From our experience, about 20 percent of start-ups that attend the events usually make it to the final round. It is a fantastic opportunity to network with our investment team and get more information about the program, said Henry Ojuor, the Director of the Accelerator Program.



The Ghana FastTrack to be held at the Accra Digital Centre,coincides with Ghana Digital Innovation Week.



The Ghana Digital Centre (GDCL) is excited to host the Fasttrack event. It comes at a time when GDCL is intensifying collaborations with key stakeholders to identify and create opportunities that accelerate the growth of digital start-ups in line with its objective of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship through the provision of platforms for business incubation, business acceleration, digital research,and development programs, said Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, the Managing Director of the Ghana Digital Centre.



The Executive Deputy for Telecel Group and Director of ASIP, Eleanor Azar, said: The potential we see in Ghana is exponential and we look forward to welcoming more Ghanian Start-ups to ASIP. The support of the Accra Digital Center to pursue our goals in Ghana and launch the ASIP Initiative has been instrumental, and we look forward to more events like this.



The upcoming cohort will include businesses disrupting key industry verticals that include FinTech, InsureTech, AgriTech, Climate-tech, eCommerce, Digital Health, CleanTech, Mobility, Micro-leasing, and digitizing the informal economy.



ASIP is supported by partners such as DER/FJ (a Department of the Republic of Senegal), the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO), ENRICH in Africa (a European Union-funded project), AWS, Microsoft, and Google.



If you are a founder looking for support, register to attend: https://bit.ly/FT-Startup



If you are an investor or ecosystem player looking to share insights and give feedback to founders, attend as a mentor: https://bit.ly/FT-Mentor



Applicants can apply here: bit.ly/SBC-Apply3











Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/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 Member of Parliament for Manhyia South Constituency and Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, is accusing journalists in Kumasi of taking bribes from some groups to make the ruling government unpopular in its stronghold.



Even though he did not mention the media houses of those journalists, he said, Journalists have taken money and they sit on radio to insult the government and the officials.



According to him, their plan is to make the New Patriotic Party (NPP) unpopular in the Ashanti Region but the government is going well in the region.



Addressing the chiefs and people of Suame in Kumasi during the sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of four-tier interchange, Dr Opoku Prempeh argued that the NPP is the only political party in the country that can transform the region.



He appealed to the residents and the good people of Ashanti Region to be grateful to the ruling government on numerous projects currently going on in all parts of the region.



Even God created us, He requests for thanks from us anytime He does something good for us, he said.



He chastised those who use the absence of the Suame interchange to accuse the ruling NPP government of not developing Ashanti Region by saying, Suame, other roads and infrastructure have been spread throughout the region.

Source: 3news









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 Director of Communications at the Presidency has refuted reports that President Nana -Addo was booed during his tour in the Ashanti Region.



Eugene Arhin says the reports came to him as a surprise because he did not hear anything.



I didnt hear anything. Even the president himself didnt hear anything too. Some of us were a little bit taken aback when we saw that in the media, he defended in an interview on Citi FM.



Viral social media video captured moments President Akufo-Addo and his entourage were booed on Monday while on their way to the Kumasi Central market.



The group, comprising market women, hawkers and artisans, did not hesitate to express their displeasure at the entourage by hooting at them.



The action of the traders has been interpreted by many as a display of their frustrations over the prevailing economic hardship.



But Mr Arhin believes the traders were going about their own thing just like it happened at the Global Citizens Festival in September.



It is just like, probably, what happened during the Global Citizen festival. A group of people standing somewhere doing their own thing, and they record but meanwhile, once you are in front there, you literally dont hear anything, he said.



Meanwhile, Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, the Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, who believes the act is becoming one too many, has appealed to Ghanaians to stop.



He said there are more appropriate ways through which the citizenry can vent their anger to make their concerns known instead of frequently hooting at the President.







Source: adomonline.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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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said the kingpins behind illegal mining, popularly called galamsey in Ghana, will soon be arrested and prosecuted.



He said the government is committed to saving the environment and will continue to arrest more culprits in the galamsey menace to serve as a deterrent to others, who are polluting water bodies and destroying arable lands.



Distribution, manufacturing and sale of chanfung are now illegal, as part of measures, we have increased significantly the level of sanctions against people who engage in galamsey.



Today, Ghanaians who get involve will get a 15-year minimum sentence if convicted and foreigners will get as long as 25-year imprisonment if convicted, Akufo-Addo said in an interview in the lead up to his three-day tour of the Eastern region.



He said the laws will be strengthened and used to protect the environment.



The president said the government will continue to use advocacy tools to effect changes in mining communities, adding that in a democratic dispensation, if you want a change the first thing to do is advocacy to change public opinion.



Nana Akufo-Addo said the fight against galamsey under Operation Halt has been given a boost and will continue unabated.



The problem was that we disengaged too quickly, once the first plot has gone through, this year we have decided to use the whole year to maintain Operation Halt, especially, the fight on our river bodies, he said.



Surveyors have taken charge of impactful machines, excavators and chanfung and they are being destroyed because it is our major problem in our mining.



Although Ghana requires permits to mine on a small scale, it is estimated that about 70% of small-scale miners are unregistered and operate illegally. They are known locally as galamsey, meaning to gather and sell.



While illegal mining supports livelihoods, it has caused severe damage to the environment. It is blamed for destruction of farmlands and pollution of water bodies. It also denies the state revenue: an estimated US$2.3 billion in 2016, reports The Conversation.

Source: asaaseradio.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Late actor Ekow Blankson will be buried on Saturday, December 17, 2022.



The actor died on Monday, October 3, 2022 at a hospital in Tema. It is unclear what killed him. He was 50.



On Saturday, October 15, several movie industry stakeholders joined his friends and family at the Presbyterian Senior High School (PRESEC) Park at Tema Community 11 where his one-week observance was held.



Among them were Lydia Forson, Fiifi Coleman, and Fred Amugi.

Family, friends and fans of the renowned actor, following news of his passing, have paid tribute to Ekow, who was the Commercial Manager for GhanaWeb.



On October 7, GhanaWeb held a vigil in honour of Ekow Blankson with a virtual Book of Condolence opened to the general public.

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 United Kingdom is a party zone and undoubtedly one of the finest Djs that leaves clubbers craving for more music is DJ Shakez, an award-winning Disc Jockey.



DJ Shakez as part of his effort to conquer the world has announced a United Kingdom Club tour across his social media handles. This forms part of his effort to expand his brand and eventually get to gather his massive fans across the UK under one roof.



The Club tour which started in September is expected to end in the month of November. With a massive turn-out so far, below are some of the venues announced for his tour:



SUPPORTING UK CLUB TOUR



ROSES BIRMINGHAM

25th September



ZINC FLEET

30th September



MOOMOO SOUTHEND

EMBASSY PETERBOROUGH 141

ROSIES CHESTeR

15th OCTOBER



ARK MANCHESTER

22nd OCTOBER



FEVER PLYMOUTH

12 NOVEMBER



MOOMOO CHELTEMHAM

19th NOVEMBER



FEVER NUNEATON

26th NOVEMBER







DJ Shakes Biography



He is a Sierra Leonean Dj based in the United Kingdom. Celestino Oladipo Mahib was born in October 1988, popularly known by his stage name IAMSHAKEZ or SHAKEZ.



As a music lover, he started learning how to DJ while he was pursuing a degree in business and law.



He describes himself as a very professional and precise person who strives to bring the best out of whatever task he is faced with. His ability to juggle between the business and music world has gained him lots of respect and recognition.



Although DJ Shakez is based in the UK, he never fails to carry the Sierra Leone flag at any of his performances. He believes a lot of young people in Sierra Leone look up to him and it is his duty to be a better person to inspire the youth.



He has been able to work on a lot of international platforms in his short time as a DJ. One of his biggest moments to him as a Dj, was being able to play for the global star Snoop Dog.



I will never forget the time I actually Dj and warmed up for Snoop Dog in Manchester, Shakez said.



He has a buzzing social media presence. Follow @IamShakez on all social media platforms (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) for the intriguing content he shares with his fans. Do not be left out!

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Actress Haillie Sumney is celebrating her 1 million followers on Instagram at the Alchemy Lounge in Dzorwulu.



She is fairly new in the movie industry but has proven herself tremendously by scoring movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, IROKOtv and many more.



She has also been featured in Nollywood movies and her current featured series Cohabits is showing on Akwaaba Magic on DSTV every Tuesday night.



Haillie Sumney will be hosted tonight at Alchemy Lounge in Dzorwulu to Celebrate with fans and fellow actors on her one million followers on Instagram.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Kim and Vanier Remain 1-2 After Day 3 of Five Diamond Main Event

October 22, 2022 Mike Patrick

They started the day as the top two stacks, and they ended the day with the top two stacks.

Brian Kim and Mike Vanier remain atop the World Poker Tour Five Diamond World Poker Classic $10,400 Main Event chip counts with just 30 players remaining entering the penultimate day of play Saturday.

While Kim and Vanier entered the day as the only players over one million chips, theyre joined over the two million mark by the exciting Ren Lin and WPT Champions Club member Chad Eveslage, who is one of just two former WPT champions left in the field, along with Pete Chen.

2022 WPT Five Diamonds World Poker Classic Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts

PLACE NAME CHIP COUNT BIG BLINDS 1 Brian Kim 2,330,000 155 2 Mike Vanier 2,290,000 153 3 Ren Lin 2,195,000 146 4 Chad Eveslage 2,020,000 135 5 Dan Colpoys 1,550,000 103 6 Ralph Perry 1,420,000 94 7 Matthew Su 1,215,000 81 8 Justin Bonomo 985,000 65 9 Amir Lehavot 920,000 61 10 Long Tran 895,000 59

Ren Lin

Status Quo at the Top But Lin is Lurking

Kim and Vanier kept their spots atop the leaderboard all day long, with neither falling below third in chips before finishing right where they started. Vanier could have had Kims spot atop the standings to end the night had it not been for a couple of late bumps in the road.

The first came when Vanier doubled up Michael Gathy, who got the last of his chips in with on a flop versus Vaniers .

Gathy turned a spade flush draw with the , then made Broadway with the on the river to survive into Day 4 with 670,000 chips.

Vaniers second bump would come shortly after versus Eveslage (details coming up).

The only other player seen with the chip lead Friday was Lin, who passed Kim and Vanier briefly midway through the day before finishing the day third, just behind them.

Lin passed the two million chip mark in the last level of the day when he won a flip to eliminate Paul Jager in 32nd place with pocket jacks versus Jagers preflop shove with ace-queen.

Lin told PokerNews at days end, Its been a great tournament. I got lucky a couple of hands today.

With a WPT title within his sights, Lin was asked what winning the tournament would mean to him to which he replied, ooooh, I just couldnt believe it. That would be crazy.

Just Two Champions Club Members Left

While the top three players on the leaderboard started at or near the top and stayed there all day, the player who made the biggest move on Day 3 was Eveslage, the 2021 WPT Venetian champion.

He began the day with one of the shorter stacks in the room with just 199,000 chips but picked a great day to go on a heater, running that stack up to 2,020,000 for Day 4.

Chad Eveslage

As mentioned earlier, Eveslage was the beneficiary of a second bump in the road for Vanier at the end of the night.

After Eveslage three-bet preflop in the cutoff, then called a cold four-bet from Vanier in the big blind to 215,000, Eveslage called a 150,000 chip continuation bet on a flop. Vanier then check-folded the turn to a 225,000 chip bet from Eveslage.

That hand brought Eveslage over two million to end the day and brought him within striking distance of the chip lead.

The second remaining Champions Club member is 2017 WPT Beijing champion, Chen, who also took down a $10,000 Five Diamond High Roller side event last week for $97,200.

Chen will enter Day 4 with 585,000 chips, but needed a double-up in the final level to survive the day. He got his last 221,000 chips in preflop with pocket kings against Yong Wangs ace-queen and flopped a set to survive and advance to Day 4.

Vloggers Fall on Day 3

The popular vlogging trio of Day 1 chip leader Ethan Yau, and WPT ambassadors Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen all saw their runs end on Day 3.

Yau was the first to go in 65th place for $19,050. He then sent his support to his fellow vloggers via Twitter.

Rooting for @andrewneeme and @TheBradOwen to win a cool milly, that video will be nuts  Rampage (@rampagepoker)

The cool milly never materialized for Owen or Neeme however, as Owen fell in 54th place ($22,500), capturing his elimination via very bad beat with his vlogging camera.

Just busted the @WPT in 54th for $22,500. Got it in for 40 bbs w AA losing to AKhh. https://t.co/8YVAqoW6Qd  Brad Owen (@TheBradOwen)

After that, it was just Neeme left to represent the vlogging community, but while he was eliminated soon after in 43rd place, he did manage to earn a career-best live tournament cash of $25,000.

Out in 43rd for $25k. Always bittersweet but its a new high score for me, and therefore, poker worked out ok today https://t.co/0ndUTTEGk3  Andrew Neeme (@andrewneeme)

Lew is Last Woman Standing

Following the elimination of Farah Galfond in 52nd place for $22,400, Robbi Jade Lew was the last woman still in the tournament, but her time was short-lived after that as she got ace-king in preflop against Steve Buckner who held pocket kings in a hand captured by the WPT video team.

With about an hour left in Level 17 of the #WPTFiveDiamondWorldPokerClassic, 45/569 remain all guaranteed at least https://t.co/rIu9R65NIl  World Poker Tour (@WPT)

Player of the Year Race Sees Movement

The WPT Player of the Year race has tightened up and could see a new leader at weeks end with two contenders still in the tournament in Vanier and Buckner.

With at least 125 points locked up, Vanier has moved up to at least fourth place on the POY leaderboard, passing Robert Mizrachi, Chance Kornuth, Corey Wade, and Anton Wigg.

A 24th place or higher finish would earn Vanier enough points to move into at least a tie for second in the standings with 1,400 points, trailing only Ray Qartomy, who has 1,700. Qartomy busted early in Day 3 and failed to earn any points.

A fifth place or higher finish would move Vanier atop the standings.

Wade earned 75 points for his 60th place finish ($20,500) which moved him up to fifth on the leaderboard with 1,375 points.

Meanwhile, Buckner, who started the tournament just outside the top ten thanks to his second place finish at WPT Choctaw is now tied for ninth with Darren Elias at 1,225 points.

A fourth place or better finish would also vault Buckner over Qartomy into top spot, depending of course on where Vanier finishes.

Buckner, whom PokerNews profiled at WPT Choctaw, spoke after bagging and said his mother who recently passed away is still firmly on his mind as he tries to win both this tournament and the Player of the Year title.

It means a lot. Im playing for my mom, and you know I had a million chips earlier, I lost a 400k pot and had to fold on the turn, but I feel wonderful, and I just want to continue playing the way Im playing. Im extremely happy and I love the WPT. Winning (Player of the Year) would mean the world to me.

Steve Buckner

From 30 to 6 on Saturday

The final 30 players will return to the Bellagio poker room on Saturday at noon to play down to the final table of six.

Play begins at level 19 with blinds of 10,000 / 15,000 with a 15,000 big blind ante. Players will receive a 15-minute break at the completion of each 90-minute level.

The WPT Action Clock will remain in play with players being reloaded to a maximum of six 30-second time extensions once the final three tables (24 players remaining) are reached.

Stay locked on to PokerNews for continuing coverage of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic Main Event until a winner is crowned Sunday at the legendary Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

The WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic is a $10,400 buy-in, $5 million GTD tournament that runs from October 19-23. WPT Five Diamond is the longest-standing recurring WPT tournament, taking place at Bellagio since 2002. It has endured the test of time, and holds unique historical significance as the starting point for the World Poker Tour. PokerNews will be offering daily content from the event, so stay tuned for more big WPT recaps, stories, and more!

*Images courtesy of WPT/Joe Giron.

Did You Know the World Poker Tour is Online?

The launch of WPT Global means that poker players around the world now have the chance to win their way to WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games such as Poker Flips. As one of the world's largest cash game poker networks, WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories around the world.

WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $5 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contribution.

Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount.

Sharelines Check out the latest from the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic
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The only justification for Bannons bitterness right now is that he believes that there either shouldnt be laws at all or that they shouldnt apply to him. Yesterday, Bannon was sentenced to four months in jail, sixty days less than the prosecution requested, and a $6,500 fine or $193,500 less than the prosecution requested. All of it could have been avoided had Bannon simply honored the subpoena and plead the Fifth or whatever it took. Instead, he was easily found guilty and was modestly sentenced. He then went on to Tucker Carlsons show to dangerously and arrogantly lash out:

The whole Justice Department under Merrick Garland has become radically partisan, Bannon told Tucker Carlson on Friday night. I strongly believe youll see Merrick Garland impeached next year by the new Congress.

He will think of a crime later.

What do you think this says about our system more broadly? Carlson asked. You are saying youre being sent to prison because you advised Donald Trump, politically. I mean, that doesnt sound like a free country where something like that could happen.

No, he is not being sent to prison because he advised Donald Trump politically. Jared Kushner advised Donald Trump politically, went and testified, and isnt going to jail. Bannon is going to jail because he doesnt want to talk about his advice.

Its not free right now, Bannon replied. The Justice Department is completely and totally out of control, and the FBIs out of control. Thats why Im a big believer in defund the FBI. Use the appropriations process to defund both these apparatuses until they come to the table and we start cleaning out the rats nest.

Child trafficking, fentanyl trafficking, cybercrime, it all has to be allowed to run wild while we defund the FBI because the FBI keeps arresting Trumpers. It would be interesting to hear what it is that Bannon believes needs cleaning out.

But his message is more dangerous than it is amusing. He, along with Tucker Carlson, continues to delegitimize the one law enforcement agency we have equipped to deal with crimes at the presidential level. Additionally, seemingly like everything else, the FBI is the agency that protects the nations secrets. Yesterday, we learned that Trump had classified information on Iran and China at Mar-a-Lago. The FBI is the agency charged with counterintelligence duties, and Bannon wants to delegitimize the Bureau further?

He was subpoenaed to answer questions in an investigation. Without any excuse, he continued to ignore the subpoenas. This is the guy who, on January 5th, said that All hell is going to break loose tomorrow Perhaps that is why he never showed up. But there is no grand deep-state conspiracy to get Steve Bannon here. Jared Kushner showed up and isnt going to jail. Bannon ignored the subpoena and will report after his appeal.
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Some court submissions require verified complaints or affidavits in support of a motion, meaning that the information contained within has been verified by the plaintiff filing the suit or the attorney filing the motion. The verification may be near meaningless to the suit, or it can mean everything, depending on the type of filing. In either case, the submission better damn well be accurate, whether its a critical document or a motion for an extension. Perjury applies if a person lies. It is very difficult to tell from Axioss reporting what kind of affidavit Trump signed, but its now clear that Trump signed a document attesting to information from Georgia that he knew wasnt true. Thats bad. Always. 

From Axios:

A senior White House lawyer expressed concerns to President Trumps advisers and attorneys about the president signing a sworn court statement verifying inaccurate evidence of voter fraud, according to emails from December 2020 obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: The emails shed new light on a federal judges explosive finding Wednesday that Trump knew specific instances of voter fraud in Georgia had been debunked, but continued to tout them both in public and under oath

In one email cited in Judge Carters opinion, Eastman told Trumps team that the president had been made aware that some of the allegations and evidence of voter fraud used in a Georgia election lawsuit were inaccurate.

The signature relates to the ruling made regarding whether John Eastmans emails to and from Trump would remain privileged under the attorney-client privilege. Judge David O. Carter (The subject of Trumps unhinged diatribe yesterday) found that at least four of them were not privileged due to the crime exception to the hearsay rule. Hearsay will not prohibit the admission of evidence  in this case, emails  that were crafted not as legal advice but as part of a coordinated conspiracy.

Thus, Trump was signing court papers attesting to the veracity of whats within the document when he knew it was wrong, his attorney knew the facts were wrong, and that truly cooks Trumps goose, as John Dean just said on MSNBC.
David E. Weber, University of NC Wilmington, was one of several speakers who presented their research at the 2022 Annual Carolina Communication Conference hosted by USC Aiken on September 23 and 24.
Stephanie Hill is the education reporter for the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Facebook @https://www.facebook.com/stephaniehillnews, Twitter @stephanie_hill2 and Instagram @stephaniehillnews.
SRS and Politics Reporter

I cover the Savannah River Site and politics. I previously covered government and politics for the Morning News in Florence. I am graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the University of Charleston (W.Va.).
Registering to vote is the first step to becoming active and engaged with local and national political decisions, but actually electing to go to the polls and vote is the next and maybe the most important.

As the president of the Omicron Tau Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Gregg Nelson is working to make people aware of the importance of casting their ballots. One of the fraternitys national programs, A Voteless People Is a Hopeless People, focuses specifically on voter awareness, empowerment and education.

We feel like every voter needs to vote in every election. No matter how big or small that election may seem, we need you to get out and be an active participant in the voting process, said Nelson, a general engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy at the Savannah River Site. Its one thing to get registered to vote, but its another to go out and actually vote.

Voter awareness is just one of the ways Nelson serves his community through Alpha Phi Alpha. Education is another focus.

This year in partnership with the Omicron Tau Lambda Leadership Institute, a 501C3 nonprofit, the fraternity awarded seven scholarships totaling about $4,500 as part of the Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College program, another national initiative.

Established by Alpha Phi Alpha a century ago, the program concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement. Statistics prove the value of this extra impetus in making the difference in the success of young African-American men, given that school completion is the single best predictor of future economic success, according to the fraternitys website.

It doesnt matter which school you go to. It just has to be four-year accredited, Nelson said, adding that applications for the scholarship should be out soon.

Recipients of the award are announced in January during the fraternitys MLK Drum Major for Unity Award event to commemorate the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The annual breakfast honors not only King but also an individual in the community for carrying on Kings mission of service within the community, according to a news story in the Aiken Standard. Past recipients include Aiken City Councilwoman Gail Diggs; Dr. Melencia Johnson, an associate professor of sociology at USC Aiken; and Tim Behling, the founder of SUCCESSTEAM, a nonprofit organization specializing in educational youth development.

Nelson also works with Alpha Phi Alphas two other national programs, Project Alpha and Brothers Keeper.

Founded in 1980, Project Alpha is designed to provide education, motivation and skill-building on issues of responsibility, relationships, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases for young males ages 12-15 years, according to the fraternitys website.

The program is for young men to learn about sexual education and awareness and teaching them the dos and donts of things, Nelson said.

Brothers Keeper is designed to assist brothers when they need help or when they need support or for Alpha widows, the wives of deceased brothers. We take care of them when needed, Nelson said.

Locally, the Omicron Tau Lambda Chapter participates in the Adopt-a-Highway program along the Robert M. Bell Parkway. In June, the chapter received the Rhoyal Leadership Award from the Eta Gamma Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.

Nelson coordinates Alpha Phi Alphas national programs at chapters throughout South Carolina. He also was the lead for the March for Babies campaign for the fraternitys Southern Region, which includes South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.

Although this term is his first as the Omicron Tau Lambda Chapters president, Nelson has been vice president a couple of times and treasurer and historian.

Its been an experience, he said. Its growing on me.

Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Black, Greek-lettered organization founded on Dec. 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, by seven profound men, Nelson said. Dr. Martin Luther King was a member.

Mostly were service oriented, Nelson said. Our mission is to develop leaders and promote brotherhood and academic excellence while providing service for our communities. We live by that.

Nelson is approaching his 25th anniversary as a member of the fraternity. He joined the Delta Alpha Chapter in October, 1997 while a student at Claflin University in Orangeburg. A year later, he transferred to the University of South Carolina in Columbia and joined the Theta Nu Chapter.

The Omicron Tau Lambda Chapter has 23 active members and meets monthly at USCA and also virtually.

I love it, Nelson said of his near quarter century as an Alpha. Its allowed me to grow professionally and in leadership.

Nelson earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from USC. When asked how he became interested in engineering as a career, he laughed.

Growing up  and Im about to date myself  I used to take apart Walkmans, Nelson said, referring to the brand of portable audio music players that were popular before digital and streaming players were introduced. I used to take apart the cassette players and see what the insides looked like. I used to splice wires together on the headphones, on broken headphones, and make them work again.

After graduation, Nelson, who was born in Charleston and calls Summerville his hometown, took the job with DOE at SRS and moved to Aiken. His first day a the site was Sept. 10, 2001, the day before the terrorist attacks in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Pennsylvania.

It was my second day at work, and basically life changed, Nelson said.

Nelson has been at SRS since then, except for about three years when he worked for DOE at the Livermore Field Office at the Livermore National Laboratory in California.

Its been interesting. When I got my degree, I joined the Department of Energy and really havent done electrical engineering since, Nelson said. Right now, its quality assurance, and I enjoy working in that area.

Nelson and his wife, Ramonia, will be married 15 years in December 2023. They have two sons, Elijah and Daniel. The couple met online before it was cool, Nelson said.

We had mutual friends, he said. They said, yeah, theyre good people. That vetted out and worked out well.

On Sundays, Nelson works with the childrens ministry at TrueNorth Church in North Augusta.

Im behind the scenes, he said. Im one of the producers of the programming for the students in the first through third-grade group.

He also is involved with a new group in Aiken County, the Aiken County Chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc., which was chartered in September.

Its a group of mothers, but theres also a dads component, Nelson said. Its basically raising your children and providing programming for them to grow. I expect to see some great things come from that organization.

Nelson also volunteers regularly with the Ironman Augusta 70.3 triathlon race, one of the largest in the country, according to its website.

Nelson also likes to travel and recently took up solving sudoku puzzles again. He also likes archery and, when he has free time, drives up to Edgefield to try his skill on the 3D archery course at the Palmetto Shooting Complex. Its an activity he enjoys with his sons.

I love to spend time with my family and watch my boys grow, Nelson said.
A Chicago-based developer wants to build a micro-unit apartment community on the Charleston peninsula.

An affiliate of MCZ Development aims to construct 134 units with 45 parking spaces at 214-216 Spring St., near the WestEdge development.

The proposed six-story building will consist of all studio apartments on levels two through six. The bottom level will include parking, fitness and laundry facilities.

MCZ Spring Street Acquisitions LLC bought the property in May for $4.1 million, according to Charleston County land records.

MCZ Development has other investments in Charleston. The company recently partnered with North Park Ventures, also of Chicago, on the $10 million purchase of the building and land where The Alley bowling lanes operate at 131 Columbus St.

The developer also partnered with JRR Development of Charleston to build a 250-unit apartment project at 584 Meeting St.

The city's Board of Architectural Review will consider the Spring Street building proposal Oct. 26.

Less convenience

The city of Charleston will take up a request for final approval to demolish the Scotchman convenience store at 56 State St. and will consider conceptual approval for a 50-room hotel with meeting space to be built on the site.

The Board of Zoning Appeals OK'd a request in June to build the new four-story lodging in the city's French Quarter neighborhood, across from the 50-room Loutrel hotel and just south of the historic City Market.

Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email

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Bello Garris Architects of Charleston is the applicant representing the owner, Operating Ventures LLC.

Hotel addition

Bennett Hospitality wants to add a conservatory to Hotel Bennett in Charleston.

The developer plans to build the new feature on the site of an existing patio on the Marion Square side of the luxury lodging at 404 King St.

The Board of Architectural Review will consider conceptual approval Oct. 26.

Blooming in Flowertown

A new housing development is being built in the heart of Summerville.

Pineland Village at 307 Parkwood Drive will include 29 lots, with the first homes available for sale in February. Pricing starts from the mid-$400,000s.

The community is being developed by Carolina One New Homes and builder-partner Center Park Homes.

Homes range in size from 1,900 to 2,700 square feet and feature three to four bedrooms, two to four bathrooms and two-car garages. Multiple floor plans feature loft or flex space for homeschooling or working from home.
Ellen Weaver, the Republican candidate for state education superintendent, says she has completed the masters degree requirement that has dogged her campaign.

The debate over Weavers qualifications has dominated the race, which will determine the leader of education policy for the state's 777,000 students and 54,700 teachers.

Critics allege her degree was only possible due to special treatment from Bob Jones University, which is now under investigation by its accreditor and could face sanctions.

In an Oct. 17 interview with The Post and Courier, Weaver called the allegations a tempest in a teapot and said her detractors have latched on to it because they dont have any other way to attack me.

I cant speak to anybodys academic ability but my own, she said. All I know is that I did the work and that it was grueling, but Im very proud of having accomplished it.

Bob Jones Chief of Staff Randy Page confirmed Weaver completed all the requirements and said she didn't get any special treatment.

Weavers masters degree path was unconventional. Through June, Bob Jones advertised the program as taking between 12 to 18 months to complete. She finished in roughly six months. The estimated time frame no longer appears on the university's website.

"We felt it was prudent to remove it to provide greater clarity for students as some interpreted it as the only timeline for completing the degree," Page said.

Democratic candidate Lisa Ellis and Green Party candidate Patricia Mickel did not respond to questions about the debate over Weaver's degree. Both Ellis and Mickel have master's degrees.

Trav Robertson, chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party, disputes the assertion Weaver didn't get special treatment, saying it's unfathomable Bob Jones would award a master's degree to someone so quickly.

"It is an absolute sham and it is a fraud being perpetrated upon the people of this state by Bob Jones University and Ellen Weaver," Robertson said.

The degree requirement was added to state law in 2018 along with a separate requirement that superintendents have broad-based experience in either education or finance. Weaver, the president of the conservative think tank Palmetto Promise Institute, was one of several Republicans who entered the race without a master's degree. She signed an oath all candidates are required to make in committing to meet the eligibility requirements by Election Day.

Even without a master's degree in hand, Weaver beat Kathy Maness, head of Palmetto State Teachers Association, in the Republican primary runoff in June after winning 63 percent of the votes. Since then, her campaign has doubled-down on cultural wedge issues, denouncing critical race theory and criticizing Ellis for her support of remote learning in the pandemics early days.

Weaver originally sought to earn her masters degree from Western Governors University in Utah. She told The Post and Courier on March 31 that shed enrolled in the schools online-only program within the last month. At some point after that, Weaver switched programs and enrolled in Bob Joness online masters program in educational leadership. The university says the program is for people who want to lead Christian schools. As a noncertification program, it does not make graduates eligible to be a principal or administrator in public schools.

Weaver also attended Bob Jones as an undergraduate, earning a bachelors degree in political science. Her campaign has enjoyed the support of the schools top administrators, including Page, who made two donations to her campaign totaling $200 during the primary.

University President Steve Pettit tweeted his support for her in April, and Weaver was the only candidate to appear as a panelist at an education forum the university hosted in May.

Weaver said during her Oct. 17 interview with the paper that she decided to change programs after exploring her options. She couldnt recall specifics but said she enrolled at Bob Jones in mid-spring. University officials declined to share the date she enrolled, citing student privacy laws. Page said she was enrolled in the school's spring, summer and fall 2022 terms. Bob Jones second spring term began on March 7 and ran until April 30.

Weaver was still enrolled at Western Governors University on March 31, according to her interview with the paper at that time. If Weaver enrolled in Bob Jones in April, she started classes at least four weeks into the eight-week term.

Her campaign did not respond to a request to clarify her enrollment date.

Weaver said she would share a transcript with The Post and Courier when it was available, but had not as of Oct. 21.

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Page said students may enroll after classes begin but must still complete all coursework associated with the class.

Weaver said she completed two, three-credit courses during the spring term. She took four, three-credit courses during the summer term and completed a three-credit research project that counted as her capstone class. She took the degrees final four, three-credit classes during the university's first fall term, which ended Oct. 15.

According to the university's graduate course catalog, the maximum course load is nine credits per term. Students must apply to the programs dean for permission to exceed that limit. Weavers course load would have required special approval from the dean of her master's program.

Much of the criticism Weaver has faced has been about the research project she did for her capstone, the culminating academic project of her degree. The capstone should be the last course taken, according to the universitys course guide. It is supposed to be completed over 14 weeks in a K-12 setting under the supervision of an experienced school administrator. Students are expected to demonstrate leadership skills and also must submit a leadership portfolio.

Weaver said she substituted another course to fulfill the requirement. For her research project, which she completed between the school's summer and fall terms, she did an independent study examining discipline policies in schools. Its a routine substitution for students who dont work in a school, she said. Page said several students make the substitution each year.

Weaver said getting her degree while juggling a full-time job and her campaign was probably the hardest thing shes done. She woke at 5 a.m. on weekdays to do coursework, which she continued in the evenings until going to bed. She worked all day on weekends except when attending church.

It definitely is not the timeline that I would recommend to people for sanitys sake, Weaver said. I essentially put my life on hold for six months.

She believes determination exemplifies the approach shed bring to the state superintendent job.

I see this work that was required to do this masters degree really as a downpayment on the level of effort that Im willing to put into doing this job, Weaver said. This is the kind of results-oriented approach that I bring to everything I do in my life.

The controversy over Weavers degree prompted thousands of complaints to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the group responsible for overseeing Bob Jones accreditation, according to its President Belle Wheelan.

The accrediting agency is investigating whether Bob Jones followed its policies and procedures when it came to Weavers course of study. It investigates any time it receives a complaint or learns that an institution might not be in compliance.

The accreditors will be looking for a policy Bob Jones has that explains how it ensures a student who completes the degree at an accelerated pace is doing all the work.

Every institution has different policies and our concern is that theyre following their policies and treating all students equally, Wheelan said.

The agency is in the process of writing a report that it will present to its board in December. If the board finds that Bob Jones did not follow its policies, the accrediting agency can issue punishments ranging from a warning to expulsion. Wheelan believes that last scenario is unlikely to occur.

Page said the university has cooperated with the investigation and provided all of the information on Bob Jones policies, procedures and student outcomes thats been requested.

Accreditation issues aside, Weavers announcement that shes completed her degree is unlikely to bring the debate to a close. Bob Oldendick, a political science professor at the University of South Carolina, noted that Weavers degree wont be presented until Dec. 16, so she wont have it in hand by Election Day. Yet many interpret the law as requiring the degree only before taking office. The state's constitutional officers will be sworn-in in January.

If Weaver wins, whether she meets the requirement may still be up for debate, he said.

Ultimately, I think this is going to be settled by the courts, he said.

Staff writer Seanna Adcox contributed to this report.
Randal Seyler is the editor of the Georgetown Times and the Myrtle Beach Post and Courier.
GEORGETOWN  City Council moved Oct. 20 to direct its planning staff to review the city's Redevelopment District Ordinance, which stood at the heart of a pair of zoning appeals board hearings regarding Liberty Steel's Georgetown mill.

Interpretation of the redevelopment district ordinance, known colloquially as the REDD ordinance, nearly forced the closure of the mill that began operation on Front Street over half a century ago. The site was acquired by Liberty Steel in 2017.

The fight between Georgetown and the mill centered around whether the prolonged closing of Liberty Steel Georgetown during the COVID outbreak triggered a zoning change under the REDD ordinance that would have shut down the plant for good.

Prior to the 3-2 party-line vote to direct city planning and community development staff and the city planning commission to review the ordinance and "bring a proposal for City Council's review," Councilman Hobson Henry Milton questioned the need for the ordinance to updated.

"If this thing's not broke, why are we trying to fix something?" Milton asked.

Milton was joined by fellow Democrat Clarence Smalls in voting against the motion. Councilman Jimmy Morris was absent from the meeting.

Councilman Jim Clements said he was "surprised" by public comments insinuating that the motion constituted an attempt by the city to shut down the mill. The real intent, Clements said, is to return the ordinance to its "original concept" as adopted in 2017, prior to a 2020 revision.

"All we're trying to do here is reestablish the original ordinance, or the intent of that," Clements said, adding that such a move does "nothing to impact the profitability (or) employment status" of Liberty Steel Georgetown.

Under the REDD ordinance if the mill was closed for a year, the ordinance would trigger a zoning change from industrial to commercial that would stop the plant from producing steel wire used in tires and bridge cables as it has for decades. Liberty Steel Georgetown reopened in mid-January with 65 workers just before what the company believed was the end of the one-year deadline.

An interim city zoning administrator ruled soon after the mill reopened that the one-year clock started months sooner than Liberty Steel had believed, triggering the zoning change.

Liberty Steel mounted a successful appeal of the decision before the Georgetown Board of Zoning Appeals that the city government ultimately declined to appeal further in circuit court.

Clements' wife, Ede Graves, is the sitting chairwoman of the Georgetown Board of Zoning Appeals and voted against approval of Liberty Steel's successful appeal before the board on June 1.

In the Oct. 20 meeting's first public comment period, Wesley Gibson of Citizens for Progress criticized the council's zoning battle with Liberty Steel that ultimately cost the city thousands of dollars in legal fees.

"In a time when I constantly hear you guys talk about constraint, budget constraints, budget constraints, Georgetown City Council goes out, goes all-in on closing the steel mill and loses the decision," Wesley Gibson said.

Georgetown Times reported in September that the city's legal costs surrounding Liberty Steel's zoning appeal surpassed $50,000. That figure includes services rendered by attorneys for a Mount Pleasant law firm who argued the city's case before the zoning appeals board and attorneys for a Beaufort law firm that counseled the board itself.

"We haven't learned yet that the steel mill provides livelihood for families here," Wesley Gibson said. "You took their money and tried to take their jobs. That's not fair. That's wrong."

Boris Gibson, who works as a safety coordinator for Liberty Steel Georgetown, said it was his understanding that Al Joseph, who resigned from the council in August, requested such a revisit of the REDD ordinance.

"And he'd done this before he resigned from city council," Boris Gibson said.

"I'm sorry, that's a personal attack, sir," Mayor Carol Jayroe interjected.

"It's not a personal attack, it's a fact," Boris Gibson said. "We, the citizens of Georgetown and the employees of Liberty Steel, deserve much more positive leadership from city council and respect than we are currently experiencing."

Joseph resigned his seat to join the city's Department of Planning & Community Development as coordinator of the Main Street program. He attended the Oct. 20 council meeting and told Georgetown Times that his desire to direct planning staff to revisit the REDD ordinance entailed a "casual reference" to the council, and that he intended to bring up such a concept in the old business portion of the council's Aug. 18 meeting.

"As it turned out, I was not a council member at the August meeting," Joseph said. "I started a week before in my new position, and so I simply reached out to council and said 'I was going to do this. I would appreciate it, if you agree, would you please do it?' And that was all there was to it."

Joseph added that his intent in seeking amendments to the REDD ordinance was to return it to its original state before it was "diluted."
Nearly a decade ago, 56-year-old Kerri Devine, founder of virtual women's forum Hot in Charleston for women ages 35 and up, started experiencing overwhelming anxiety, joint pain and insomnia.

She was in perimenopause, the transitional period when a woman's ovaries gradually stop working and which is marked by a range of physical and emotional symptoms like anxiety, depression, night sweats and decreasing hormone levels.

At the time she was 47 and had never heard of the term that marks the years leading up to menopause, which usually occurs one year after a woman's last period.

For many women the years before going into full menopause are accompanied by some of the most uncomfortable, painful and emotionally frustrating symptoms.

Devine said she felt unprepared, like most women in the early stages of menopause. And after hearing similar experiences from women in her circle, she started Hot in Charleston as a way to connect with thousands of other women in the Lowcountry seeking answers.

"The best advice I received was from talking to other women," Devine told The Post and Courier. "I founded Hot in Charleston on Mother's Day in May 2022, admonishing our mothers for not talking about this."

Now with over 1,500 women across the Lowcountry and the U.S. part of her growing community, Devine set out to transform her virtual forum in person, hosting HIC's first World Menopause Day event on Oct. 18 at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston.

Leading up to the event, Devine conducted a survey of 100 Charleston women between the ages of 35 and 70.

"Most women were unprepared for menopause, no matter their age," Devine said. "And 73 percent said it would be helpful to read a personal narrative of someone going through it."

The event hosted over 100 women and a panel of writers, including Devine and fellow authors Lee Woodruff and Cinelle Barnes, medical experts from the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Anita Ramsetty and Dr. Connie Guille, and founder of Menopause Solutions, Dr. Elaine Eustis.

The panel addressed numerous misconceptions related to menopause and gave general tips and validation toward the array of emotional and physical symptoms, leaving room for the audience to tell their own stories at the end and get feedback from the professionals.

Women between the ages of 35 and 70 filled the room nearest the courtyard of the Gibbes Museum, laughing and networking with others at their tables, listening and nodding their heads in agreement with the panel guests periodically.

At times the room was silent, all 130 women listening intensely as Eustis and Ramsetty discussed treatment options.

"Women let their guard down," Devine said. "They were truly listening."

Common misconceptions the panel discussed included the myth that all forms of hormone replacement therapy, medication to replace the estrogen the female body stops making during menopause, cause breast cancer. Other myths included substantial weight gain due to menopause and social myths related to a low quality of life once a women's ovaries stop functioning.

Woodruff, who underwent menopause at the same time she was becoming an empty nester, said the opposite is true, encouraging women to embrace the change their bodies are undergoing as a new life journey.

"For generations this was a topic that women avoided, but now it's out of the shadows and Charleston is now part of a national movement to focus attention on women in midlife," Devine said.

Help along the way

The average menopause symptoms can last between three and 10 years, with many of the women on the panel and in the audience expressing how they watched their mothers go through menopause, unbeknownst to them.

Just as they are often confused and unaware of what their symptoms mean, many were unable to realize what their mothers were going through, especially if they did not exhibit textbook symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

But symptoms can range from severe anxiety and depression, vaginal dryness and urinary incontinence, sleep issues, body chills, mood changes and weight gain.

Many of the women also expressed frustration trying to find health care providers who specialize in menopause and symptom remediation.

Eustis said the problem with finding specific menopause providers starts in the medical education system.

"Internal medicine, family practice and OBGYN residents should all be really comfortable taking care of menopausal women," Eustis told The Post and Courier.

Eustis said most medical residents in the U.S. don't get an extensive menopause education in medical school. "They really just touch on it," she said.

And a recent study published by Mayo Clinic surveyed residents across 20 different residency programs.

Over 90 percent of residents said that it was very important to be trained in menopause. But less than 10 percent reported feeling adequately prepared to work with a woman experiencing menopause by the time they finished their residency.

In a statement to The Post and Courier, the School of Medicine in Columbia said there is "certainly increasing interest" among students on menopause.

Students there learn about menopause in the preclinical curriculum during their second year and are able to attend a learning session and diagnosis and treatment sessions based on menopause in their third and fourth years, the statement said.

The Medical University of South Carolina did not respond to comment in time for this report to publish.

For more information on Devine's organization, visit www.hotincharleston.com.
SUMMERVILLE  Two overdoses in as many weeks may have been caused by marijuana laced with potentially deadly synthetic drugs, authorities say.

Summerville police seized pot from separate non-fatal overdose investigations that tested presumptive for amphetamines and fentanyl, the department said in a Facebook post Oct. 20 warning the community.

"It is possible the laced marijuana played a factor in the overdoses," the post read. "We are asking the community to stay safe and to be careful."

A 17-year-old girl overdosed Oct. 12 along Boone Hill Road, according to information provided by the department. Less than a gram of weed was found and tested positive for THC, the active component in pot, and fentanyl. The synthetic opioid is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and can be deadly even in small doses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Oct. 19, a 35-year-old man overdosed in Creekside Mobile Home Park. Police seized 130 grams of marijuana, which tested positive for THC as well as amphetamines, a synthetic stimulant.

Sgt. Dorothy Buchanan said both people survived. The man was given NARCAN, an emergency treatment for overdoses.

The drugs are being sent to State Law Enforcement Division for further testing. It is unclear yet how much of the synthetic drugs was laced into the weed; how it got there; or if those taking the drug knew it was tainted.

But Gary Lawrence, supervisory special agent at the Drug Enforcement Agency's Charleston office, said they are regularly seeing drugs cut or laced with fentanyl, including cocaine.

"We are also seizing fake pills designed to look like legitimate prescription pills, but are in fact pressed fentanyl," Lawrence said in an email. "This is extremely alarming to us in law enforcement because we realize how deadly it can be."

In 2020, 1,734 South Carolinians died from a drug overdose, according to the state Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. Nearly 64 percent of all overdose deaths involved fentanyl.

A fatal overdose caused solely by marijuana is unlikely, according to the CDC. But even in small doses, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids can be deadly.

The centers warned that drugs could contain fatal amounts of fentanyl without being able to see it, taste it, or smell it. It is nearly impossible to tell if drugs have been tainted with fentanyl unless it is tested.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated which drugs federal authorities are seeing laced into other illicit substances. Drugs like cocaine and marijuana are being laced with fentanyl.
The Charleston County School District is at a crucial crossroads, where thanks to decisions by the S.C. Legislature and the current school board, a potentially all-new board will select a new superintendent.

Fortunately, several candidates appear well-equipped for the task, so voters have the opportunity in the coming days to put the district on a positive course toward success. After studying the platforms and priorities of the 19 candidates who did not disqualify themselves by refusing to return our candidate questionnaires, we have these recommendations:

District 1. Keith Grybowski has extensive experience in management in the business, government and nonprofit sectors. For the past 12 years, he has been the education director at Patriots Point, where he created a free reading series and interactive program focused on literacy, math and soft skills that has reached more than 750,000 S.C. students.

We were particularly impressed by his approach to early childhood education, which he rightly recognizes as essential to closing the achievement gap. I read to my 8 month old grandson, he said. If a community member says they cannot do this, we need to do everything we can so that their child can experience this process, no matter the age.

Hes more comfortable than wed like with closed-door board meetings whenever the law allows rather than only when its required, but he pledges to be open to complaints that the board is continuing to abuse its discretion.

We were also impressed by the passion and knowledge displayed by Doyle Costello and would find her a very attractive candidate if Mr. Grybowski werent in the race. We hope she stays involved in the district even if she isnt elected.

District 2. Grace Bouldin Cowan has started and run a successful concert production and promotion business and a nonprofit that provides birthday presents to poor kids, in addition to volunteering as a guardian ad litem and chairing the board of a housing nonprofit. That work has given her a deep understanding of budgeting and working with government at the state and local levels.

She argues that the districts low test scores constitute an emergency, and she recognizes that a key component of change must be reaching kids before they reach school. More and better early learning programs, she says, will create a continuum of learning that encompasses whole child development (cognitive, social and emotional, linguistic) to prepare them for a successful long term career of learning with the foundational elements necessary for a successful educational outcome.

Shes not someone with an ax to grind but someone committed to the idea that we have a responsibility as a community to nurture and facilitate every kids abilities and talents and sees education as a necessity, not a privilege.

Ms. Cowan would measure her success by whether the district sees a significant improvement in student outcomes, not just as measured by test scores but by creating a pipeline of our students to the top level positions at the businesses in our state.

This was in contrast to her most attractive opponent, Seana Flynn, whose lifelong experience in and around the district and otherwise-commendable approach to the job was marred by her belief that the right metric to measure success is voters opinion. While that argument can be made for any elected official, its not the best approach to overseeing our school district.

District 3. A school board needs a broad mix of people with deep business, nonprofit and education experience. Pam McKinney might be the best candidate in all nine districts to fill one of the education slots. The district is where both of her grandmothers worked as lunchroom cooks, where she was educated, where she taught for a decade before writing the districts math curriculum guides and teaching teachers seeking certification renewal, and more recently served as a classroom volunteer.

She recognizes that a good teacher is the most important thing the district can give a child, so one of her priorities will be recruiting and keeping great teachers, which will require a combination of better pay and benefits, smaller class sizes and reducing administrative burdens. She also wants to get industry leaders into the classroom through alternative certification programs and create adjunct positions to fill critical subject areas.

Ms. McKinney also was among the most committed supporters of limiting closed-door board meetings to the few times theyre actually required by law.

We were also impressed by Ashley Peele, whose priorities are similar to Ms. McKinneys and who rightly characterizes her rise from poverty as a great argument for a good education.

District 4. Courtney Waters is one of two current school board members still campaigning for reelection and a hands-down choice over the former member she replaced on the board two years ago. Her continued presence will be especially important since shes one of the architects of the new governance model that smartly attempts to keep the board focused on education goals rather than day-to-day operations.

Ms. Waters, a former high school English teacher, is a strong advocate of public school choice and working with day cares to provide better early childhood education programs. She has spent the past four years at Teach for America South Carolina, where she now serves as interim executive director  which gives her a state and national perspective that provides useful context on the board.

While we were disappointed that Ms. Waters was part of the leadership team that oversaw the expensive, secretive and deceptive removal of Geritta Postlewait as superintendent, her predecessor and current opponent governed with a giant chip on his shoulder and remains opposed to the partnerships the district is using to help bring in additional resources to improve struggling schools.

District 5. Vivian Sheppard Pettigrew worked for almost 30 years as an interventionist and teacher trainer in the district and would offer a valuable inside perspective.

Beyond the obvious challenges of closing the achievement gap and improving teacher retention, she cites as a priority the too-frequent curriculum changes, noting that in recent years, the schools have seen several changes to the mandates and recommendations that shape the curriculum, leaving teachers little time to adjust and measure student performance.

Those changes are almost exclusively of the boards making, through its hot-and-cold approach to the superintendents policies and, more recently, switching superintendents, with another switch likely in the offing. If shes elected, we encourage Ms. Pettigrew to keep reminding her colleagues of the problems such frequent changes can have on teachers, students and even parents.

District 6. We were impressed by Eric Thomes expansive ideas for addressing the achievement gap, advocating the creation of a local community of support that includes early childhood and afterschool programs, nutrition and wellness and networks of engaged parents and other community stakeholders  city and county leaders, non profits, and businesses.

He wants the district to look at its best neighborhood, magnet and charter schools the way we originally envisioned charter schools: as places where best practices could be developed and shared across the rest of our schools.

Mr. Thomes work with business start-ups  from connecting them with funds to starting them himself  has focused his attention on the need to produce students who can help drive innovation. He has volunteered with education-oriented nonprofits, as an afterschool tutor and in his childrens schools. That includes being a founder of the Charleston Coalition for Kids, which has advocated for positive changes in the district even though it has been far too secretive, often to its own detriment.

Likewise, we found Mr. Thome too comfortable with closed-door board meetings that are not legally required and would urge him to listen to new board members who recognize how damaging those sessions are to the boards credibility.

District 7. Jen Mieras, who runs a management and communications consulting company, has worked with large and small organizations in the private sector and government. She also has served as a board member of the districts Orange Grove Charter School, a volunteer and substitute teacher. She lists among her priorities increasing respect for educators, not just with pay but by encouraging and supporting their innovations and sharing them across the district.

She understands the correlation between race, poverty and academic achievement and the districts obligation to address the problem. And while we appreciate her support for universal pre-kindergarten programs, we would urge her to consider that if there has to be a tradeoff, another of her achievement-gap-closing ideas  using community partnerships to provide wrap-around services and additional support for those with greater needs  would be more worthwhile than offering free pre-K to better-off students.

Importantly, she recognizes that problem-solving and teamwork are critical components of a successful school board, and she is solidly committed to doing the publics business in public except where the law requires it to meet in secret.

District 8. Darlene Dunmeyer-Roberson has spent 36 years in education and social services  working with kids in foster care, as a teacher, a school counselor and director of school counseling programs, for example  with a focus on increasing parental involvement and building school-community relationships.

She now runs a business that helps students through the college application process and provides leadership training to school administrators and counselors  work she says showed her the endless possibilities for good when compassionate, highly qualified leaders are equipped with proper resources.

Shes more open than wed like to closed-door meetings and more hostile than wed like to community organizations that are seeking to influence school policy, but she appropriately sets the goal of reading proficiency by the end of third grade, instead of the districts current fifth-grade goal. Shes also focused on the longer-term goal of producing graduates who are ready to succeed after high school, prioritizing the less-obvious but important goals of teaching financial literacy and increasing students access to employer mentorships and work-based learning opportunities that align with the states career clusters.

District 9. Graham Smith is a small-business owner who has served on the board of the Charleston Digital Corridor Foundation, which is working to grow the local tech economy. Hes also the leader of a faith-based mens exercise group who with his wife ran a school in their home for their sons and their friends in the early days of the pandemic because learning can't be put on hold while grownups squabble over difficult issues.

His priorities include better preparing our children for a rapidly changing workforce in order to close the growing gap between what employers need and what our schools provide, and he believes the boards new governing structure will help with this and other gaps that need closing. He notes that you move the needle in the areas on which you focus your attention, adding that Boards that spend most of their time putting out fires, rarely achieve community goals.

He also favors limiting closed-door meetings to where theyre absolutely necessary, in part to help repair the stunning erosion of trust and respect between parents and our schools.
The general rule of thumb is that we should keep enough money stashed away to cover our living expenses for three to six months. Governments dont need such a large rainy-day fund, since they have a lot more options than individuals when we suddenly lose our jobs, but they do need a reserve fund, and the South Carolina Legislature wants to increase ours.

Actually, the Legislature already increased ours this year, simply by putting extra money in it. But lawmakers want to make this a constitutional requirement, so future legislatures have to maintain it, and to do that they need our approval in two ballot questions.

The changes arent essential, and we would have preferred them to be structured a little differently, but they would be useful, so we recommend a yes vote on both.

To understand why, a bit of history is in order.

The Legislature first created reserve funds in 1987  a general reserve fund to make sure the state could pay its bills at the end of every fiscal year if there were a recession or other emergency, and a capital reserve fund to prevent painful mid-year budget cuts in the event of a more pressing emergency.

Initially, the general reserve fund was required to equal 3% of the previous years general fund budget, and the capital reserve fund 2%, and thank goodness we had them: Between 1987 and 2011, the state had to deplete the general reserve fund four times and the capital reserve fund nine times. And state agencies still faced mid-year cuts in six of those years.

That record was worrisome enough that lawmakers asked voters in 2010 to change the constitution (we voted yes) to increase the general reserve fund to 5% and change the capital reserve fund so that instead of preventing mid-year cuts, it would be used before the general reserve fund to cover year-end bills.

Money is never taken out of the general reserve fund except in emergencies. But in years when there are no emergencies, lawmakers spend the capital reserve fund on one-time items. That is, they spend all the money that was left over from the prior years capital reserve fund and then refill the fund to serve as a fiscal buffer the following year.

The original idea for the capital reserve fund was to cover deferred maintenance (hence the name), primarily at state colleges, and each years leftover money is used mostly for that, although lawmakers sometimes use the money as a slush fund for the pet projects known as earmarks that until the past couple of years theyve managed to keep secret even from each other.

Unfortunately, the 2011 change removed an important barrier to mid-year across-the-board cuts, which are the most senseless and destructive way to balance a budget. And a 2015 change to state law compounded the danger, by mandating that state officials automatically make a 3% across-the-board cut if revenue collections dip too much during the budget year. If that cut is not enough to cover the drop, the Legislature has 20 days to make selective cuts or else an additional across-the-board cut of up to 3% is made. If youve ever watched the Legislature debate budget cuts, you know how unlikely such quick legislative action is.

So its extremely important to restore the capital reserve fund to its original purpose of preventing those mid-year cuts. We wish that change werent connected to increasing the size of the fund that can be converted into an annual slush fund, but we are convinced that the potential benefit of Amendment 2 far outweighs the potential risk.

Fortunately, lawmakers havent had to tap either fund since the 2011 changes, largely because the state's Board of Economic Advisors has gotten more conservative in its revenue projections and the Legislature has mostly sworn off the dangerous habit of spending one-time money on salaries and other ongoing needs. So you could argue that theres no need to sock away more money. That's why we dont consider Amendment 1 essential.

But compared to other states, our reserves are small. The National Association of State Budget Officers says the median state reserve fund balance was 9.4% of general fund revenues in the 2021 fiscal year and was projected to be 11.9% in 2022. These amendments would increase our mandatory reserve balance from 7% to 10%.

And total reserves of 7% will be a pretty skimpy cushion the next time we face a deep recession. If we dont have a large enough reserve, the Legislature would have to choose between cutting the budget  perhaps furloughing or even laying off workers  or raising taxes. And budget cuts could mean less money for school districts, which in turn would have to raise taxes or lay off teachers.

Furloughs and layoffs tend to hurt lower-paid workers most, and since school taxes are levied on business and rental property and not owner-occupied homes, lower-income renters would end up paying more in any school districts that raised taxes, while better-off homeowners didnt. As a result, Clemson economics professor emerita Holley Ulbrich explained at a left-leaning forum Monday: I think a stronger reserve fund probably does more to protect poor people than anything else the Legislature is likely to do.

Of course, budget cuts would be painful to our entire state, so in the event of a deep recession, the protection of the larger reserve funds would be universal.
A measure seeking to impose new minimum sentencing requirements for criminal sexual conduct offenders saw opposition Tuesday due to its "cookie cutter approach" to sanctions and concerns that it doesn't actually solve systemic issues.

Bill 272-36, authored by Sen. James Moylan, would impose 25-year minimum sentences for criminal sexual conduct offenses regardless of whether the offense is in the first-, second- or third-degree. For fourth-degree offenses, the bill imposes a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 25 years.

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Guam law already imposes minimum sentences, but these are reserved for first-degree criminal sexual conduct or repeat offenders. For first-degree criminal sexual conduct, the minimum sentence is 15 years. Repeat offenders convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct receive 25 years minimum imprisonment.

There are no statutory minimum sentences for first-time second-, third- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct convictions in current law, but repeat sex offenders convicted of second-degree criminal sexual conduct get at least 15 years, while a repeat offender convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct will get at least 10 years. There are no minimum sentences for fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct but offenses against victims younger than 18 years old are always considered third-degree felonies. Otherwise, first-time fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct is considered a misdemeanor.

Bill 272 argues a stronger message needs to be sent to criminal sexual conduct offenders, particularly with the minimum time served for certain crimes, stating that there has been an increase in criminal sexual conduct cases, specifically against minors.

But John Morrison, a local attorney and deputy director for the Public Defender Service Corp., said Bill 272 appeared to be "somewhat of a cookie-cutter approach" to sentencing, which assumed the minimum jail time would be appropriate for all cases.

"I don't believe that is the case or that there is really any data that suggests that it is. I understand the motivation of thinking that these crimes all rise to a level where people need to face a serious sentence, but I think this is misguided in that respect," Morrison said.

"I wouldn't expect that this is going to change what the true outcomes are because if the police and the attorney general are saying, 'My issue with the case was that the minor victim recanted because what they said wasn't true or they realized that (their) uncle is going to go to prison for 25 years,' and that's really not what (their) intention here was, this is not truly going to fix any of that," Morrison added.

There are ways the Legislature could assist in those matters, particularly in funding for qualified experts who interview child victims, according to the deputy director. Morrison also noted that in a past roundtable hearing, the Department of Corrections and parole officials indicated there is a problem getting sex offenders treatment while in custody.

They suggested it should be the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center to do the evaluations and treatments, and there is currently no way to get someone transported from DOC to GBHWC to attend treatment. There is also a lack of qualified treatment providers, Morrison said.

"I think Guam has some of the strictest CSC sentences in the nation actually. The real issue I think came from that roundtable discussion, that some of the stakeholders and this (bill) doesn't solve any of them. In that there's problems solving these types of cases, having qualified people to investigate them and interview child witnesses, and once the offender is in custody, offering them appropriate treatment quickly ... and sustaining it," Morrison said.

The Judiciary of Guam, without expressing support or opposition, levied concerns with Bill 272.

"The judiciary is always concerned when laws impose minimum sentences for those found guilty of criminal offense because such minimums limit the discretion of sentencing judicial officer who is in the best position to assess the factual circumstances surrounding crime," Speaker Therese Terlaje read out from written testimony.

The judiciary also stated that Bill 272 may result in significant fiscal impacts.

"Constitutionally, every indigent defendant is entitled to a lawyer ... paid for by the judiciary under the Supreme Court of Guam indigent defense rule. The rule sets caps for court-appointed attorneys' fees in criminal sexual conduct cases. The amendments in Bill 272 would result in an increase to the applicable court-appointed caps in second-, third- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct cases," Terlaje read further from the judiciary's written testimony.

Moylan released a statement following the public hearing, stating that Bill 272 is intended to support victims and not those convicted of the crime.

"I appreciate the comments of attorney John Morrison of the Public Defender's Office, whose office tends to defend a certain percentage of those charged with CSC crimes. His points on how many victims fear coming out to testify, or other factors which create challenges which CSC cases are valid, and I respect his professional perspective and experience. However, in my opinion, even if half, or even a quarter of the victims do indeed have the courage to testify against their perpetrators, where is the justice if plea deals result in punishments which dont fit the crime," Moylan stated.

The senator also said he was "a bit disturbed" by a colleague indicating that she did not support the bill.

"I am certain there are other members of the legislative body who have the heart and agree that we need to find ways to help victims seek justice, and not just be all about the rights of those convicted of the crime," Moylan stated, adding that he would discuss ways to improve the bill with professionals without wavering from its intent.

Moylan did not name the colleague, but Sen. Telo Taitague was the one that stated she did not support the legislation. Following Moylan's release, Taitague issued her own statement responding to the senator.

"I will not sit idle and allow Sen. Moylan to insinuate that my argument for a better prepared Bill 272 somehow equates to supporting the rights of perpetrators over the rights of victims," Taitague stated. "Whether its funding more video security cameras in public areas to pushing for licensure requirements for private adoption companies, public safety has been front and center for me as a mother, daughter, and policymaker.

"I didnt expect Sen. Moylan to take discussions from this mornings public hearing personally and Im now much more concerned that he may not only lack the wherewithal to include victims and their families, law enforcement, and the legal community in discussions on these critical issues, he may not have the temperament to engage in a respectful exchange of ideas," Taitague added.
You know how you can tell that senior Democrats know they are licked in the midterms? They are starting to pre-spin the results to claim that they overperformed expectations, and therefore even if they lose both the House and Senate, because they lost it by much less than it might have been, it shouldnt be seen as any kind of extraordinary public rebuke of Democratic Party rule. So Brandon can carry on with business as usual.

The leading political science mid-term election models, chiefly Gary Jacobson at UC San Diego and Charles Tien/Michael S. Lewis-Beck at the University of Virginia, both suggest that based on the historical numbers, Democrats should lose between 40  45 seats in the House, and 5 in the Senate. Holy moly!

But there are some reasons for thinking Republicans might not reach those blowout numbers, chiefly because they already have 212 House seats, having overperformed in 2020. And in the Senate races, as we are told, Republicans have bad candidates (funny how the media never mentions how bad the Democratic candidates are in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin), so it is not impossible to imagine a result in which Republicans only gain 20 House seats, and maybe just one net Senate seat (which would still be enough for control).

The Tien/Lewis-Beck analysis concludes:

These point estimates for Democratic losses, while not small, are not a wave rejection of the Democrats in Congress. However, they do suggest the strong likelihood that they will lose control of both chambers.

Or take Vanderbilts John Sides, also a mainstream political scientist who is well regarded in the world of political science quantitative astrology:

Complete Sides thread on why here.

Actually I hope Democrats go with this line. It assures that the 2024 election will be an even bigger GOP landslide.
Hoo boy! Its bonus podcast week. This weeks fiery Three Whisky Happy Hour episode takes up the argument left over from last week about whether conservatismand especially the new national variety that is sparking so much energy and enthusiasm right nowshould conceive of its mission as Burkean in characteras restorationist or revolutionary. We cover a lot of ground, with Lucretia beating up on me for my suspicious Burkean sympathies, while John Yoo sat back and enjoyed an extra McRibb paired with his American bourbon.

We cover recent articles bearing on the subject from Michael Anton, Peter Berkowitz, and a forthcoming article from Chris DeMuth, with me unable to convince Lucretia (since when is this news?) that one neednt be a Burkean historicist to argue that the permanent principles of natural right are vindicated as a practical matter in history (which is not the same as of historyin other words, Hegel is excluded from our whisky bar).

By degrees we turn the discussion to a practical matter immediately in front of usthe controversy at Berkeley Law over student groups seeking to exclude Jewish speakers from campus. Both John Yoo and I are getting a lot of emails from readers and friends wondering what is going on. Is there a case that the right of free speech extends to groups that seek to deny the right of fee speech to others, or do the principles of natural right draw an intelligible boundary here? Theres a surprising split among us on this question. (Ill have a separate post with more on this issue up later today or tomorrow.)

Finally, we take a brief look at the latest tidings of the upcoming election, and end with our usual Kamalaism of the Week.

And while Lucretia thinks she beat down on me again, I gets my revenge with this weeks exit music, which features the brilliant Italian harpist Micol Picchioni covering the prog rock Genesis classic, Firth of Fifth. Heh.

So listen here, or exercise your natural right to take in the episode from our hosts over at Ricochet.

But wait! Theres more! Yesterday I filled in for Peter Robinson on the flagship Ricochet podcast, where we hosted Toby Young on the implosion of Liz Truss and the British Tory Party, and Jim Geraghty on how the midterm election is unfolding, as well as mocking the climatistas who keep gluing themselves to things with petroleum-based superglue. Heres the file if you want to listen here:

And heres the custom artwork that the Ricochet people came up with:

Outtake:
Yesterday the out-of-control Centers for Disease Controls Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 15-0 to add the Covid-19 vaccine to the CDCs child and adolescent immunization schedule.

I dont think there is any scientific basis for this action. Covid has proved not to be dangerous to children and young people; certainly not to infants who are routinely undergoing vaccination. For reasons I frankly do not understand, our establishment has resolved to make as many people as people get covid vaccines as often as possible, despite the fact that they dont seem to do much good. That has not been the case in many other countries.

One of the concerns about adding covid to the CDCs standard vaccine recommendations is that it may turn into a requirement at many schools:

While the schedule serves as a recommendation regarding vaccines children should receive by a certain age, some schools use the schedule as guidelines for their required vaccinations to enter school. On Wednesday afternoon, the CDC fought back against claims that the move to place the Covid-19 vaccine on the schedule would mean that the vaccine is now required by children. Thursday, CDCs independent advisory committee (ACIP) will vote on an updated childhood immunization schedule. States establish vaccine requirements for school children, not ACIP or CDC, they wrote on Twitter.

But, like so much that comes out of CDC, this was disingenuous:

More than a dozen states follow the CDCs guidance to set vaccination requirements for school, including Vermont, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

As on many other fronts, Florida has been a leader in resisting vaccine totalitarianism. As early as November 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order that included this provision:

Educational institutions may not require students to be COVID-19 vaccinated.

DeSantiss order was bracing, and you, like me, may have largely forgotten it. It said this, too:

School districts may not have school face mask policies. School districts may not quarantine healthy students. Students and parents may sue violating school districts and recover costs and attorneys fees.

Within the last few days, DeSantis said in a public appearance that no child in Florida will be barred from school because he or she has not been vaccinated against covid. Here, as in many respects, other states should follow Floridas lead.
A teacher from Federal Government College, Jos, Alaku Ayiwulu, has emerged the winner of the 2022 Maltina Teacher of the Year Award.

For emerging the winner of the 8th edition of the award, Mr Ayiwulu will receive a total cash prize of N6.5 million from the Nigerian Breweries- Felix Ohiwerei Trust Fund.

According to the organiser, the winner would receive N1.5 million immediately and N1 million annually for the next five years.

He also has the privilege to participate in an all-expense paid capacity development training abroad and a fully equipped computer laboratory or six-classroom block worth N20 million will be built for his school in his honour.

The first and second runners-up, Musa Saidu from Borno State and Ifeoma Stella from Enugu State received N1.5 million and N1,250,000 respectively.

Osinbajo, Ohiwerei honoured too

A Lifetime Leadership Achievement Award was also presented to the Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, who in turn presented a recognition award to the former Chairman of Nigerian Breweries, Felix Ohiwerei.

The teacher award was named after Ohiwerei who was said to have contributed significantly to the success of the company while he held sway.

Speaking, Mr Osinbajo commended Nigerian teachers for their resilience, commitment and dedication, saying the reward of teachers is not in material worth but in the success of their products.

He reeled out a long list of his former students which include the former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, among other prominent politicians, legal scholars, and diplomats.

Sanwo-Olu speaks

In his remarks, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Folashade Adefisayo, appreciated the Nigerian Breweries for the initiative of the teachers.

He added that the award has become a standard of excellence and achievement in the education sector.

This award is a great innovation that serves to motivate teachers and reward the excellent contribution to nation-building.

Teaching is a very noble profession because theres so much responsibility and duty towards students.

Teachers not only teach and impart knowledge but inspire and motivate students to take positive steps in life. They boost the confidence of students and point them in the right direction, he said.

About entries

According to the Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Sade Morgan, a total of 1,027 entries were received for the 2022 awards but 833 entries were valid.

Mrs Morgan noted that the number of valid entries in 2022 is the highest recorded since 2015 when the award was introduced.

The other 10 teachers who emerged as state champions were also rewarded with the sum of N500,000 each.

85 legacy projects

In his goodwill message, the Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc and Chairman of NB/Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, Hans Essaadi, said the foundation has successfully executed 85 legacy projects worldwide.

He said: Teachers inspire us to learn about the world around us and unleash our full potential. They do this with compassion, commitment, and care.

A teacher is a superhero, and we hope you will join us in celebrating several superheroes who will be seated amongst us tonight!

Thank you for your support and belief in our mission of advancing the quality of education at all levels in Nigeria.

From an initial start-up grant of N100 Million Naira in 1994, the NB/Felix Ohiwerei Trust Fund has successfully progressed to execute 85 legacy projects nationwide, of which the Maltina Teacher of the Year competition is one of them.

After seven (7) years of recognizing, rewarding, and celebrating teachers across Nigeria, we are now set for what promises to be another unforgettable night for the eventual winners and ultimately the 2022 Maltina Teacher of the Year.

About the award

The Maltina Teacher of the Year Award aims to recognise and celebrate exceptional teachers in Nigeria.

The initiative according to the organiser is open to teachers in all secondary schools across the country.

Now in its 8th edition, the Maltina Teacher of the Year competition is a platform created to identify, showcase, and reward exceptional teachers in public and private secondary schools across the country.

It is funded by the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, which was set up in 1994 to advance the quality of education at all levels in Nigeria, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, SDG 4.

Since its inception, the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative has produced six grand winners: Rose Nkemdilim Obi, Anambra (2015), Imoh Essien, Akwa Ibom (2016), Felix Ariguzo, Delta State (2017), Olasunkanmi Opeifa, FCT (2018), Ezem Collins (2019), Oluwabunmi Anani (2020) Abanika Taiye (221and now Alaku Ayiwulu (2022).

The initiative is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in the education sector including the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS) and Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

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A former Minister of Defence, Theophilus Danjuma, on Saturday restated his call on Nigerians to defend themselves against armed bandits terrorising the country.

Mr Danjuma, a retired army General, made the call at the official presentation of Staff of Office to the new Aku Uka of Wukari, Manu Ali, in Wukari.

The new Aku Uka was appointed in 2021 by Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba, following the demise of Shekarau Angyu who ruled for 45 years.

According to Mr Danjuma, his earlier call on Nigerians to defend their land against terrorists was taken for granted and the result was clear for everyone to see.

My appeal to you the new Aku Uka is for you to unite us to be able to effectively defend ourselves against the enemies of the country.

In 2017 when I called on the people to defend themselves, a kangaroo commission of enquiry was set up to investigate and they said I was lying because there was no evidence.

Today in the country, there is evidence everywhere; the foreign bandits are killing and taking over lands in all the places.

I will not give you arms, you have to find out how the bandits got and find yours too, Mr Danjuma said.

Governor Ishaku, while presenting the Staff of Office to the Aku Uka, urged him to unite his subjects for a peaceful prosperous kingdom and state.

Mr Ishaku, who congratulated Mr Ali on his elevation as the supreme leader of the Kwararafa Kingdom, urged him to use his wealth of experience to attract peace and develop the state.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Saad, urged the youth of Wukari to listen to the Aku Uka for a peaceful election in 2023 and beyond.

Earlier, Bello Yerro, the permanent secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, urged Mr Ali to work with the other traditional rulers in the state to promote peace.

In his response, the Aku Uka and Chairman, Taraba Traditional Council, pledged to work hard to ensure peace, unity and progress of the state and Nigeria.

NAN reports the corronation was witnessed by a large crowd, including Gov Simon Lalong of Plateau, traditional rulers from all over the country, government officials among others.

(NAN)

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"I will talk to the Prime Minister so that a working group can be held in order to explore ways to meet the current demands. The State owes an enormous debt to the working class, and such debt doubles in the case of canillitas the invisible workers," he stated.





During a meeting with said workers, at the Government Palace's Courtyard of Honor in Lima, the President affirmed that informality is a result of the actions taken by the State, which had closed its doors and has failed to direct a true recognition of the citizens' employment status.





"If the State and the government had recognized labor rights, we would not be talking about cheap labor cholos (mixed-raced persons) in Peru," Mr. Castillo remarked.





"That is why we want to tell you that, despite so many tricks, we remain firm because we do not owe it to powerful groups, we owe it to the people, and we will respond to the people's needs," he added.





The dignitary encouraged the representatives of this organization to hold events in a decentralized manner and, noting that if they manage to receive any benefit, it should be extended to all.





"No one should be excluded, no one should be left behind, and that is possible because we have come to an agreement. I will urge Prime Minister Anibal Torres to hold a meeting with you this week in order to see how we can get the work of each of you under way," he asserted.





(END) FHG/RMB

The President of the Republic Pedro Castillo on Friday announced the establishment of a working group to address the problems of street vendors of newspapers and magazines, as well as lottery ticket sellers, also known as canillitas.Publicado: 21/10/2022
Tsabre, Birnin Magaji, 14 August 2022  Ismail Ahmad dashed out of his house, a premodern dwelling constructed mostly of mud, into the quiet predawn and headed to the mosque in this Zamfara community, North-western Nigeria.

Hardly had the congregants finished their obligatory prayers that early morning when the 78-year-old district head and imam held the microphone to make a chilling announcement. It was time to work for terrorists, locally called bandits, again, he said. Without hesitating, the villagers trooped out to labour in the terrorists farm fields.

For the Tsabre villagers, their slave labour would never end until the bandits were satisfied. From dawn to dusk, they would work for the terrorists every day during farming seasons and get nothing for their labour.

The bandits set a timeline for work and ask everyone to go there, the district head told PREMIUM TIMES. Our lives are in danger but we have no other place to go.

Like Mr Ahmads Tsabare community, other citizens caught in the troubled North-west region are engaged in forced labour by armed groups. As the Nigerian state leaves these rural populations unprotected, terrorists turn them into a resource for generating funds. The money is used for the sustenance of the seemingly intractable wave of violence and extreme human rights abuses, PREMIUM TIMES investigation showed; a rare revelation of an aspect of terrorism financing and human rights violations in the North-west.

The Nigerian constitution prohibits forced labour, excluding compulsory work mandated as a consequence of a court order or sanctions by armed forces in the line of their duties. But in this area, the countrys laws as well as civil administration have become rarely effective, replaced by brutally oppressive rules of violent non-state actors.

Locally known as yan bindiga or yan taadda, many of the terror warlords are strategically stationed in the Mashema forest of Zamfara, near the Niger Republic, and in the Sabon Birnin area of Sokoto, stockpiling firearms and overtaking ungoverned spaces from authorities. Thus, affected communities are left to choose between dancing to the tune of armed groups or dying helplessly.

Earlier this year, the Nigerian government declared the bandits as terrorists but the labelling barely changed anything. Perhaps angry about the new designation, the criminal gangs launched more deadly attacks, killing up to 200 Zamfara villagers and displacing thousands of them.

Central to the survival and resilience of the bandits is how they raise and spend money to oil their violent crimes. In addition to kidnapping for ransom and forcibly extracting levies from communities left unprotected by the state, they engage in farming, which involves forced land capture and slave labour like the experience of Tsabare villagers.

These farms do not belong to the bandits, Mr Ahmad said of the armed groups now in charge of his communitys governance and economy. They collected the biggest and most fertile of the farms  especially those growing rice, good maize and millet.

Alhaji Shingi: Grabbing peasants farm fields to finance terror

When asked to name armed bandits terrorising his community, Mr Ahmad stuttered; too scared to describe the oppressors. He then held the reporters cloth softly, asking him to bring his right ear closer. Its a secret, he whispered. These are the gang leaders terrorising this community: Alhaji Sheu Shingi, Nashama and Alhaji Shehu Bagiwaye.

On August 21, PREMIUM TIMES tracked down and interviewed the villagers in the Birnin Magaji communities. What Mr Ahmad and other villagers did not know, however, is that the terror activities of the bandits they were scared to name are an open secret. Kingpin Shingi and his cohorts live in Gurami and Mai Jan Ido, two forested communities, where they control hundreds of armed bandits, imposing taxes on vulnerable communities and grabbing hectares of farmlands in Birnin Magaji.

Before the military missile hit him dead in January this year, Alhaji Auta was the leader of the bandit group in the forest but Shingi had since taken charge.

The northwests problem is not ungoverned spaces, as wonks like to say, but spaces governed by criminal sovereigns, said James Barnett, a conflict researcher who interviewed militant Auta before he was bombed by the Nigeria Airforce fighter jet. He had documented his encounter with the entrepreneurial bandit for the magazine New Lines.

After another 20 minutes of travelling on the bikes, we arrive at a small cluster of trees nestled between some maize fields. A couple of dozen well-armed young men are milling about, lounging on parked bikes or leaning against trees, smoking weed and cigarettes. Many of them look like teenagers, he added.

Teenage bandits armed to supervise us on farmlands

Weeks preceding August 14, kingpin Shingi had telephoned Mr Ahmad  the Hakimi (the district head) of Tsabre  to inform his people that the terror group would need the villagers services on their farmlands. Mr Ahmad obliged by announcing via the community mosque and meeting the heads of eight villages under his control. Then, young and old, women and children in the community were forced to work without pay for weeks.

In fact, they dont provide food for us no matter the length of our labour on the farm fields, Habibu Lawal, one of the villagers, told PREMIUM TIMES. If youre tasty while working for them, youll be asked to look for a nearby river to drink water and come back immediately.

Dozens of villagers spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, recounting their experience slaving for the terrorists. The punishment for resisting working for the gun-wielding men could be death, the villagers said, and one could be whipped with rods for being lazy on duty.

Whenever I am to work on their farms I hide my phone beneath my cap, Sani Aliyu, one of the victims, recalled. If youre caught using your phone to call or do anything, youll be beaten up by teenage bandits armed to supervise us on the farmlands.

The bandits criminal enterprise in Birnin Magaji means a monopoly of farming activities. Rice, guinea corn, millets and soya beans are cultivated on farm fields under the control of the militants, villagers who have worked for them, told PREMIUM TIMES. During the harvest period last year, they said, the terrorists came on motorcycles and Hilux vehicles to convey farm produce out of the community.

Last year, we loaded bags of rice, millets and soya beans on motorcycles and Hilux vehicles, Mr Ahmad said, corroborating testimonies of several villagers interviewed for this investigation in the community. They left with hundreds of bags of farm produce and didnt give us anything  not even a bag of rice.

Black and Standa: Nigerien terrorists recruited to terrorise Nigerian villagers

Musa Salihu, 45, now a resident of Zurmi town of Zamfara, is now broken-hearted. He was a successful farmer back in his village in the Tungar Fulani area until armed bandits took control of the community to unleash violence on them and seize their farmlands.

Life became miserable for everyone in the village, Mr Salihu recalled. Ravaging bandits would pillage their village, kill at will and extort the community residents. When I could no longer bear the persecution, I left the village for the town to look for work, said Mr Salihu, looking pale.

Last year, he returned to the village to continue farming when the reality of living in town jobless hit him. One day, he was on his farm in Tungar Fulani when a man wielding an AK-47 rifle appeared to claim ownership of the farmland. The mans name, Mr Salihu said, is Bashar Dan Niger  one of the notorious bandits ravaging the community.

The bandit would not only seize the farm field of the poor farmer, but he would also give him some tedious work to do. And I was forced to go build a thatched house for them on the farmland. I obliged because if I had refused I would be a dead man now, he recalled.

Bashar is one of the bandits recruited from the Niger Republic by a famous terrorist duo, respectively nicknamed Black and Standa  a label depicting their notoriety for bloodshed and criminality in the area. Like Shingi, these two kingpins operate freely in the rural communities of Zurmi and display bloodsucking firearms against civilian villagers.

But in 2020, a military offensive launched against the terrorists in Zamfara pushed the Black and Standa terror group to the neighbouring Niger Republic, according to interviews with locals and security agents familiar with the bandits operations. But the militants regrouped in Nigers Maradun deep forest, in the countrys south-central border with Nigeria and continued to unleash mayhem on innocent civilians.

Before then, however, the bandits had terrorised the villagers of the Maraduns Niger area, repeating the war-grade violence meted on Nigerian communities. In 2021 alone, the terror group stole nearly 3000 animals, kidnapped over 90 Nigerien citizens and collected up to 50 million CFA from victims of abduction, according to Le Souffle de Maradi, a local newspaper in the Niger Republic.

The Global Protection Cluster, a humanitarian non-profit in the country, reported 76 banditry incidents in Nigers south-central region, including rape, assaults and cattle theft, and 29 kidnappings. Nigeriens interviewed in this region told PREMIUM TIMES they fled their homes for more garrison areas when armed bandits denied them access to their farm fields and dwellings.

From Nigeria to the Niger Republic  and back

In August 2021, Operation Faraoutar Bushiya troops, a contingent of over 1000 Niger soldiers invaded the Maradun forest to flush out the Nigerian bandits wielding arms to harm the countrys citizens. Distressed by the military attacks, the Black and Standa bandits and their boys left the Maradun forest in Niger and relocated to a Nigerian area, Mashema forest, a militant community bordering Sokoto, Kaura, Katsina, and the Niger Republic.

Before they were finally dislocated from the forest in Niger, the terrorists had taken advantage of extreme poverty and unemployment to recruit those Nigeriens described as street miscreants into the terror group. Now armed with heavy military weapons, the Nigerien recruits are terrorising innocent citizens of Zamfara, especially in the Zurmi area.

The Tungar Fulani villagers interviewed said the boys recruited by the Nigerian terror group are sent to go around to execute the bandits cash-for-peace policy and capture fertile lands in the area. They could kidnap anyone from his home and ask him to work on the terrorists grabbed farmlands for days, the villagers said.

The Nigers bandits always hold guns and canes to flog us while we farm for them, said Mr Salihu. They dont even give us water, dont even talk about food. And if you dont go to the farm, you will be punished.

Mr Salihus travails mirror the hardship innocent Zamfara citizens are made to face by Nigerian bandits working in cahoots with terrorists in and from the Niger Republic. Sadly, the Zurmi villagers said, the terrorists have taken over 80 per cent of the farms in the area, leaving the civilians with just 20 per cent of farm fields to cultivate.

The Black and Standa terror group controls over 600 footsoldiers  a mixture of Nigerian and Nigerien bandits  competing with Dan Karemi, another bigwig terrorist in Zurmi with over 1000 fighters. Tales of cattle theft, land grabbing and forced labour keep emanating from the areas held by the criminal sovereigns but these stories are hardly documented because the affected communities are hard to reach.

We put our hopes in God and not the government, said Mr Salihu, teary-eyed. We used to complain to the last emir until we realised it wouldnt help. We now depend only on Allah. Anybody that can stay will stay, if you cant, you flee.

Bello Turji: A regime of terror and bloodshed in Sokoto

As the district head of Gangara town in the Sabon Birnin area of Sokoto State, Usman Aliyu hates to hear terrorists have deposed him. Last year, the traditional rulers ego was flattened by notorious terrorists, led by kingpin Bello Turji, who invaded his territory and took over the governance and economy of the town.

Before he was finally denied the rulership of the community, Mr Aliyu said he had been the target of many bloody raids orchestrated by Turjis terror group. On 1 April, for instance, he returned to his home from a community meeting to see that his house had caved in from bullets the menacing bandits fired.

That day, we lost 27 persons and they took more than 500 animals away, he recalled.

But why are bandits targeting the traditional ruler of this town?

Gangara is a big area with three central mosques, six election polling units, hectares of farm fields and a booming weekly market rivalling the popular Shinkafi market in the neighbouring Zamfara State, residents said.

In September 2021, armed bandits riding motorcycles invaded Gangara and forcibly uprooted the residents. For weeks, the area was sleepy after bandits displaced the people. In October, however, the terror gang called the people of Gangara for a peace pact. Mr Aliyu refused to attend knowing he was the bandits primary target.

At the meeting in the Saturu village of Gangara, witnesses said, five armed bandits were present as Turjis emissaries. The terrorists agreed to live with the people in the community provided they abide by their rulings.

Feeling unsafe, the people asked the bandits to provide security measures to ensure there would not be subsequent attacks upon their return. The community representative then appointed an Bawalo, Turjis right-hand man, to take over the leadership of the town, since the district head was nowhere to be found. Dan Bawalo was made the leader of the community on account that he would protect the people from attacks being a powerful and deadly terrorist.

Terrorists protecting civilians in Sabon Birnin

Dan Bakkwalo would now oversee issues concerning adjudication, security and collection of taxes in Gangara. But he gave some conditions: no police officer, military personnel or vigilante group members would be allowed henceforth in this town. Celebrating his new ad hoc title, as endorsed by kingpin Turji, the terrorist returned the N1.5 million the community had earlier paid to the terror group as a protection levy, asking them to use the fund for the repair of mosques destroyed during one of their raids.

Since then, Mr Aliyu had been banished from living in his community. He had not been interviewed by the media since the news of his ousting broke. But in August, PREMIUM TIMES tracked down and interviewed the man in a location we are not disclosing for security reasons.

Over one year after he was sent into exile by the bandits, the local leader still does not believe he has been deposed. I dont know about the stories going around that I have been removed and replaced by a terrorist, he told PREMIUM TIMES, wearing a smiling face but apparently worried. The real reason that Dankkwalo is in Gangara is to protect the people. The terrorist was chosen because he is feared even among the bandits.

A few weeks into the verbal accord with the villagers, an Bawalo breached the peace pledge he had with them. On many occasions, he would dispatch letters across communities in Gangara and Sabon Birnin, asking villagers to pay millions as taxes. In our previous report, we documented how the Turji-led criminal gang pocketed N70 million protection levy from besieged communities last year. Sometimes the terrorists sit with the people and talk like there is peace but they are mostly hostile, residents said.

Jama Black, one of Turjis boys, is notorious for seizing lands belonging to the villagers to farm groundnuts and millets, some of his victims said. He had also seized the land the state government had marked for building a primary health centre in the Gangara community.

There was a time he (Jama Black) brought a car and took some of the people to go farm for him, Aminu Dahiru, one of the locals forced to work for the terrorists, said. We have no option, we just want to be safe.

Asked if he would return to his community anytime, Mr Aliyu said he could not live in a community ruled by guns. I cant stay with people surrounding me with guns, he said. All the times they attacked the village, they came to my house. There is no part of my house that hasnt felt a bullet. Why wont I leave the village for them?

Inside the multi-billion commercial farming financing northwest terrorists

Zamfara is a predominantly agrarian state. With about 90 per cent of its resident into farming, the state depends largely on agricultural activities to fuel the local economy. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, for instance, the state generated over N4 billion from agricultural activities, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In what economic experts described as the deadly backstabbing of the state government, armed bandits taking root in Zamfara agrarian communities have commercialised farming, amassing millions to finance their terrorist activities. But what is the worth of bandits commercial farming in the northwest, especially in Zamfara, the epicentre of the crisis?

In 2021 alone, Shingi, the terror kingpin ruling communities in Birnin Magaji, cultivated over 1000 bags of millet, 600 bags of beans, 600 bags of maize and 700 bags of soya beans, according to interviews with villagers and associates of the militant group.

Last year, PREMIUM TIMES found, the price of a bag of millet cost N19,000 on average while bags of maize, beans and soya beans cost N20,000, N29,000 and N38,000 respectively. By our calculations, the Shingi criminal syndicate made N75 million from his illicit farming proceeds to sustain terrorism activities in the area.

I can confirm to you that these bandits have great interest in farming because it is very lucrative, an associate of Shingis terror group told PREMIUM TIMES. His claim was corroborated by interviews with locals in the ungoverned spaces ruled by the notorious terrorist. It is their new way of sustaining themselves apart from kidnapping for ransom.

Last year, the Zamfara government disconnected communication networks, shut down markets and declared a curfew for weeks in the state to destroy the logistical capabilities of bandits. What the authorities failed to understand was that the terrorists had their ways of circumventing the stringent measures put in place to deal with them.

Before then, terror kingpin Shingi had stockpiled foodstuff he had looted from villagers farm fields to feed his boys, those familiar with his activities told PREMIUM TIMES. With over 600 foot soldiers, the notorious bandits syndicate bypassed the authorities measures against the states terrorists.

The reason why bandits now take farming more serious is that last year, Shingi said that had God not aided him and his group to stockpile foodstuff, they would have died from hunger, the insider said.

Hundreds of marauding bandits in Zamfara and Sokoto outsmarted the authorities months-long military campaigns. Instead, innocent citizens who should be protected were subjected to starvation and more deadly attacks by terrorists. The military operation targeted at the terrorists also affected the economy of the state and skyrocketed the cost of living of the largely poor people.

Terrorists survived the military onslaught by relying on their multi-million farming trade. The black and Standa terrorists, for instance, were smuggling millets and soya beans to sell in the neighbouring Niger Republic via the Mashema forest in Zamfara, villagers said. It is the same story for Turji, who has taken over the economy of Gangara and other communities in Sabon Birnin. PREMIUM TIMES findings showed that different bands of bandits make millions trading farm produce from one state to another in the region.

Terrorists paying Zakat to Zamfara emirs

During our stay at Birnin Magaji, a graveyard allegation was commonly found on the lips of victims interviewed: bandits pay annual zakat, an obligatory tax required of rich Muslims  and one of the five pillars of Islam  to the emir of the town. A long-standing friend of Shingis terror group confirmed this claim.

These bandits are very particular about giving zakat, he told PREMIUM TIMES. Alhaji Shingi also doesnt play with zakat payment; he pays to the Birnin Magaji emir.

Although the Emir of Birnin Magaji, Husein Usman, failed to honour our interview invite, PREMIUM TIMES on-site reporting with several sources, including a former bandit, revealed that his council received the zakat offering from Shingis terror camp. The former bandit, who describes himself as a repentant bandit added that other terrorists in the state also pay zakat to their emirs as Muslims. It is a compulsory thing for them, he said.

However, it isnt the first time traditional rulers were accused of abetting terrorist operations within their geographical settings. In July alone, 11 emirs in Zamfara and Katsina were sacked for allegedly working with bandits against the vulnerable people they were supposed to lead.

PREMIUM TIMES placed several calls and messages to Mamman Tsafe, the security commissioner of the state, but he failed to respond to our public service inquiries.

This story was produced with support from Tiger Eye Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation.

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday commissioned the Pinnacle Oil and Gas FZE Terminal in Lekki, Lagos, saying the operations of the facility have eased congestion in the Apapa area, reduced cost and delivery of petroleum product distribution to many parts of our country.

In a video message at the inauguration of the facility, the President congratulated the Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, Peter Mbah, for establishing the massive terminal facility and providing hundreds of jobs to Nigerians.

The President described the investment as a demonstration of the success of his administrations agenda to transform the nations economy, adding that government looks forward to many more investments of this magnitude.

Assuring investors of the continued support of the Federal Government in efforts to elevate the growing prosperity of the country, President Buhari said:

Provision of energy security is one of the cardinal points of our administration.

We have recognized that seamless supply and distribution of petroleum products is challenged by infrastructure deficit and complicated by the congestion in the Apapa areas of Lagos since the start of our administration in the year 2015.

We provided targeted support to the energy industry by providing an enabling environment, including regulatory facilitation, to ensure investment in critical infrastructure.

I am happy today that Pinnacle Oil and Gas limited leveraged the opportunities and established this massive terminal facility.

READ ALSO:

I am happy to also note that further expansion works which are starting will further provide incremental value, especially more employment to our teeming youth population.

The success of our agenda to transform our country is clearly demonstrated by this massive investment and the obvious contributions it has made to our overall economic well-being.

President Buhari also reiterated that the Federal Government would continue to encourage and support investors to take advantage of the ongoing reforms in the oil and gas sector as enshrined in the Petroleum industry Act and replicate the feats achieved by Pinnacle Oil and Gas limited.

In his remarks, the CEO of Pinnacle expressed confidence that the terminal with over one billion litre-capacity will fulfil its promise by positively impacting the downstream oil and gas industry.

Mr Mbah noted that the ultra-modern purpose-built petroleum products intake, off take and storage facility will facilitate the efficient receipt of imported petroleum products, improve general energy security in the country and trigger significant savings in costs of products at the pump.

He revealed that the company is already in advanced conversations with the Dangote group regarding collaborations to complement the operations of the nearby Dangote refinery which is soon to come on stream, with a view to forming the nucleus of what will become Africas largest energy logistics hub.

The energy chief thanked President Buhari, Federal and State authorities as well as the host community for their unflinching support in making the project, which commenced in 2011, a reality.

Describing the facility as a world class petroleum terminal with the capacity to handle products in two directions both import and export, Mbah explained that:

Mother Vessels arriving at the facility will have the opportunity to berth at either of our two offshore berths. Either the Conventional Buoy Mooring (CBM), which is in 17m of water depth and can handle vessels of up to 120 million litres, or our Single Point Mooring (SPM), which is in about 23m of water depth and can handle vessel sizes of up to 200 million litres.

These moorings are connected to our storage facilities by four networked pipelines of 40km total length.

These pipe networks are designed to empty the vessels in a maximum of two days, a significant improvement on the previous duration which could take up to 30 days.

Our shore tank farm is currently able to handle up to 300 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) as well as diesel or Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and the facility is designed to permit rapid discharge into trucks for evacuation at a rate of up to 20 million litres per day.

Mbah disclosed that the funding for the facility, which is over $1billion, was through a consortium of Nigerian banks.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 22, 2022

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The Inspector-General of Police(IGP), Usman Alkali, has presented N26 million to families of seven police officers who lost their lives in active service in Delta State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Muhammed Ali, presented the cheques to the families on behalf of the IGP at the State Headquarters of the police in Asaba on Thursday.

Mr Edafe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the gesture was part of the IGPs insurance welfare scheme.

Mr Ali lauded the IGP for the gesture, saying the money will in no small way, act as a boost to the families and also to let them know that though their loved ones are no more, the force did not forget their sacrifices.

The families appreciated the IGP for the gesture and pledged to make judicious use of the money.

Police officers and officials of other security agencies have been the target of deadly attacks mainly in the South-east and South-south by gunmen who are alleged to be part of Biafra agitation in the two regions.

READ ALSO:

The Indigenous People of Biafra, a group leading the agitation for the creation of an independent state of Biafra from the South-east and some parts of South-south, has been accused of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the two regions. But the group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.

Decoration of promoted officers

Mr Edafe said the police also used the occasion to decorate some newly promoted officers in the state.

The promoted officers include the Divisional Police Officer of Asaba Central Police Station, Temitope Fasugba, the officer in-charge of Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Emmanuel Yakubu, and the Divisional Police Officer of Abbi Central Police Station, Muazu Mohammed.

They were all promoted to the rank of assistant commissioners of police.

Also promoted were the Financial Officer of police in the state, Ogungbagbe Opeyemi, the Commander, Crack squad Unit of the police in the state, John Agaga, and four unnamed others  all promoted to the rank of chief superintendents of police.

Mr Ali, the police commissioner in the state, advised the promoted officers to put more effort in carrying out their responsibilities.

Mr Fasugba, who spoke on behalf of the promoted officers, promised never to disappoint the IGP in the discharge of their duties

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President Muhammadu Buhari will Sunday depart Abuja for Seoul, South Korea to participate in the First World Bio Summit, 2022.

Jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Korea and the World Health Organisation (WHO), the two-day Summit (October 25-26), has the theme: The Future of Vaccine and Bio-Health.

Nigeria was invited to the Summit based on her selection with five other African countries by WHO and the European Union (EU) during the last EU-African Summit in Brussels, Belgium in February this year for mRNA technology transfer and Global Training Hub for Bio-manufacturing of vaccines on the African continent.

Also expected to feature at the World Bio Summit are CEOs of global vaccine and Biologics companies who will share and shape ideas on the theme, given that, according to the organisers, global health security profoundly depends on the innovation and development in the bio-industry. The partnership between the Republic of Korea and WHO is, therefore, to underscore not only the above historic truth but also the need to launch international stage-efforts on the nature of creativity and innovation required to contain any future health pandemic.

President Buhari, who is expected to deliver a Statement at the Summit, and meet separately with President Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea, will also seek other ways of more effective partnerships that impact positively on the lives and safety of Nigerians during his other engagements and meetings while in Seoul.

Accompanying the Nigerian leader are Governors Aminu Bello Masari and Abubakar Sani Bello of Katsina and Niger states; Geoffrey Onyeama, Osagie Ehanire and Adeniyi Adebayo, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Health, Industry, Trade and Investment respectively; and Timipre Sylva, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources.

Others on the delegation are Mohammed Monguno, National Security Adviser; Ahmed Abubakar, Director-General, National Intelligence Agency; Moji Adeyeye, Director-General, NAFDAC; Ifedayo Adetifa, Director-General, NCDC; Bashir Jamoh, Director-General, NIMASA; Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, NiDCOM as well as other top government officials.

President Buhari is expected back home after the Summit.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 22, 2022

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The Commissioner of police in Edo State, Abutu Yaro, has ordered the withdrawal of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Auchi Police Station, Ayodele Suleiman, over the death of one of the suspects who attacked the convoy of a popular Nigerian cleric, Apostle Johnson Suleman.

The police spokesperson in the state, Jennifer Iwegbu, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how gunmen attacked Mr Suleman on Friday around Auchi area of Edo State, South-south Nigeria, while the cleric was heading to an unidentified location, hours after returning from a trip to Tanzania.

Mr Suleman in a video clip posted on his verified Twitter handle Friday night said seven people, including three police officers were killed in the attack.

As part of the measures of the command concerning the circumstances that led to the death of the surviving members of the monstrous gang that attacked the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman, the outgoing Commissioner of police AIG Abutu Yaro has ordered withdrawal of the DPO of Auchi (Police Station), the police spokesperson, Ms Iwegbu, said in the statement.

Ms Iwegbu, an assistant superintendent of police, said the DPOs withdrawal was with immediate effect and that he would be interrogated at the police headquarters over the incident.

Allegation of foul play

The withdrawal of the DPO comes hours after Mr Suleman accused the police of foul play, claiming the gunman was hurriedly killed in order to blur their identities and frustrate investigation.

The police had claimed the attackers were kidnappers and that one of the gunmen was killed during a shoot-out with police operatives.

But the cleric insisted that they were not kidnappers, but assassins.

LieThey (gunmen) werent kidnappers He was caught and handed over and the police killed him immediatelyWhy? Mr Suleman said in another tweet in response to the claim by the police.

Why killing him on the spot? Who is trying to cover up traces?

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The police have arrested a chieftain of the opposition party, the Young Progressives Party (YPP), in Akwa Ibom State.

The YPP chieftain, Jack Udota, who is a former member of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, was arrested on Saturday in Eket by officers from Zone 6 of the Nigeria Police, Calabar.

Both the YPP and the police have confirmed the arrest.

Mr Udota was recently inaugurated as deputy chairman of the YPP campaign council for the Akwa Ibom South District, where a former chief of staff to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Ephraim Inyangeyen is the party candidate for 2023 senatorial election in the district.

Both Governor Emmanuel and Mr Inyangeyen hail from Onna Local Government Area in the district.

Mr Inyangeyen first served as commissioner for Works in Mr Emmanuels cabinet but was redeployed as Chief of Staff.

Governor Emmanuel later sacked him from his cabinet because of disagreement over the latters senatorial ambition.

The spokesperson of the YPP campaign council in the district, Assam Abia, in a statement on Saturday, said Mr Udota was arrested on the orders of the Akwa Ibom State Government.

Reasons behind his arrest at a time where he was recently inaugurated as the Deputy Chairman of our campaign council are not only mischievous but strange.

Our preliminary investigation reveals that it is not unconnected with his recent political posture and influence as a member of the Young Progressives Party in Akwa Ibom State.

We also view his arrest as a veil to weaken the strength of Mr Inyangeyen as his Senate ambition has curried wider acceptability across Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, within the past few weeks.

We condemn in strong terms the manner in which he was whisked away as a common criminal and hereby call for his immediate and unconditional release, Mr Abia said in the statement.

Arrest has no political connections  Police

The police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom State, Odiko Macdon, told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Udotas arrest has no connection with politics.

Mr Macdon, a superintendent of police, said Mr Udota had a dispute with a complainant who reported the matter to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in Calabar.

The police spokesperson did not, however, disclose the name of the complainant or the nature of the dispute.

The suspect was arrested by police from Zone 6, Calabar, as a result of a petition to the AIG Zone 6.

The Police does not do politics and should be distanced from same. The outcome of the investigation will be communicated, Mr Macdon said.

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In a democracy, I like to imagine the system as a woman who sired many offspring called institutions. This woman protecting those crucial guardrails of democracy, is the last man standing in America today.

There is a veritable cottage industry of hand-wringing over the troubling state of American democracy today. Rightly so. Donald Trump, supported by his coven of witches, has been conducting a series of stress tests on one of the worlds oldest democracies. He and his cohorts are ceaselessly unleashing a barrage of attacks that strike at the very core of the nations great institutions.

Trumps political career began with the advocacy of birtherism; the idea that Barack Obama was not born in the United States and was so unfit to be the president. But long before birtherism, the American government had taken him to court for fighting to keep Blacks out of his buildings. At another time, he had called for the death penalty on Blacks involved in the Central Park Five incident, who were later on exonerated. Trumps campaign was inaugurated by casting himself as the defender of White maidenhood against those he called Mexican rapists, and was shepherded by Steve Bannon, a man who mocks his White male critics as cucks.

Although no one has widened Americas fault lines and profited off it like Trump has, in all fairness the problem didnt just start with the mercurial 45th president of the United States. It has been long years in the making and he just built a thriving business out of it. In his book, The People vs Democracy, German-born American scientist, Yascha Mounk describes how the rise of populism is owed to a number of structural reasons, including the stagnation of living standards for ordinary people, rapid cultural and demographic changes, and the rise of social media.

Although Donald Trumps name is most synonymous with authoritarian populism, the man who popularised this brand of neo-conservatism in politics was Pat Buchanan. The ideas that Mr Buchanan hashed out in his campaign for president in 1991 were never that appealing to the impressive majorities that Reagan and Bush won in the 1980s, but it nonetheless left the fringes to take the centre stage as the core of the Republican Party in the decades that followed, effectively dislodging Reaganism.

Pat Buchanan consistently railed against the American immigration system and called it disgraceful. He was the feisty, anti-democratic, outrageous, race-baiting figure that Americans came to know in the 1980s to early 1990s, who drew inspiration from the campaigns of the Alabama segregationist, George Wallace and David Duke, once an imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Like Trump, Buchanan built his political reputation not through service but through the media  a novel approach for a presidential candidate. In reaction to his surprisingly strong showing in the 1992 New Hampshire Republican primary, the Party adapted its platform to call, for the first time, for physical barriers, which he called structures, at the border.

A good number in White America believes that Whites today are facing persecution in a country built by their forefathers. Radio and television talk show hosts spend entire segments of their programmes openly propagating an unfounded replacement theory; the idea that somehow, Blacks and other people of colour are being primed to take over America from the Whites. At the core of Donald Trumps supporters are disgruntled, low income and sometimes Middle Class America, facing poor economic prospects and disadvantaged by the rising tide of globalisation. His populism appeals to them and they are ready to ride and die with him. They are also more than willing to take up arms in defense of White nationalism.

The difference between a functional democracy, like the type we see in Europe and North America, in comparison to the dictatorship in most of the global South, is what the system relies upon to function well. Whereas the former has strong institutions that, to large extents, protect the nations against treachery and manipulation of vile men in power, the latter relies on one man (president, king, supreme leader) or group of men.

Trump and Bannon are both insatiable wolves who have no qualms profiting off those who believe in them, trust in them and, most importantly, support them with their hard-earned money. But many of their followers either do not have any idea of who the men are or choose to ignore their infractions, for what they represent to them. In Trump, White supremacists see one of their own. But not all his supporters are racists, White supremacist and ethnic bigots. With his uncommon brand of populism, some within and outside America genuinely believe the man is out to save the world.

Trump is the only American president who has been in court more times than out of court since leaving the presidency and he faces the real prospect of an indictment and possible conviction. Bannon, in August 2020, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering in connection with a purported charity that is raising money to build a wall on the US southern border. In a textbook picture of pay-to-play, Trump pardoned Bannon, sparing him from a federal trial. But the man is back and now faces fresh charges in a New York court for similar offences and was led away in handcuffs early last month. It turns out that in America, federal pardons do not cover state offences.

One of the key characteristics of populism lies in a leaders belief that he, and he alone, truly represents the people. This explains why Trump had kept clashing with centuries-old democratic institutions over the course of his presidency, and after. Whenever he ran up against the limits of his constitutional powers, he balked at the idea that somebody else  a judge, a bureaucrat, or a member of Congress  could tell him what to do. He attacked the press which questioned him and attacked civil servants who worked for him. He admired dictators and shamelessly profited from his public office. He repeatedly lied to the public for his own percuniary gains.

Faced with a choice between their president and the Constitution, a good number of Americans chose Trump and supported insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol. But its also important to note that a great majority of the population remains horrified by that action. Even as congressional Republicans then mostly stood by their leader as he attacked democratic institutions, a great majority of Republican senators ultimately voted to certify President-Elect Joe Bidens victory at the time.

The difference between a functional democracy, like the type we see in Europe and North America, in comparison to the dictatorship in most of the global South, is what the system relies upon to function well. Whereas the former has strong institutions that, to large extents, protect the nations against treachery and manipulation of vile men in power, the latter relies on one man (president, king, supreme leader) or group of men.

Today, in the midst of uncertainties of whether or not American democracy would endure, the nations strong democratic institutions have come to the rescue. But systems and institutions desperately need men who are willing to stand up for them and make them work. The fact that Trump did not tear down the major guardrails of democracy does not mean that all is well with the old system in the United States.

Successful democratic systems, someone noted, are not designed for governments to be composed of ethical men and women who are only interested in the public good. If leaders were always virtuous, why then do we need to institute checks and balances in place?

On the argument over which one should come first between strong institutions and good leadership, we would be pursuing something similar to the chicken or egg controversy. That said, there is no question that no matter how strong a system is, it could be subverted by an immoral leader buoyed by a bunch of the unsophisticated. The matter of Donald Trump is a great case in point. Great institutions need good leaders who believe in them to work. Great leaders, in turn, rely on strong institutions to emerge. The roles are complementary.

Today, in the midst of uncertainties of whether or not American democracy would endure, the nations strong democratic institutions have come to the rescue. But systems and institutions desperately need men who are willing to stand up for them and make them work. The fact that Trump did not tear down the major guardrails of democracy does not mean that all is well with the old system in the United States.

Of all the solutions put forward to address these monumental challenges, implementing term limits for political office holders is the one-way America can raise men with balls; those who could ride against the tide of authoritarian populism and protect the worlds oldest democracy.

In a democracy, I like to imagine the system as a woman who sired many offspring called institutions. This woman protecting those crucial guardrails of democracy, is the last man standing in America today.

Osmund Agbo, a public affairs analyst is the coordinator of African Center for Transparency and Convener of Save Nigeria Project. Email: Eagleosmund@yahoo.com

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Only a few people like Professor Dasylva have committed a good part of their lives to defending African culture. Dasylva does not just exemplify the African way of life; his life demonstrates that he is an enigma whose behavioural attitude cuts across traditional and contemporary African lifestyles. He has made enormous contributions to Africa in different ways, and his name will continue to ring a bell in years to come.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  James 1: 2-3

I want to join the teeming number of people who have taken the time to celebrate the greatness of one of Nigerias tireless intellectual labourers and reformers of our time as he turns 70 this week. Indeed, seventy years has been a long time coming for our professor, and when you consider his over three decades of commitment to academic excellence, you will discover that his life has been nothing short of exceptional. Dasylva rejected the comfort of the privileges of working in a bank; he declined an appointment as a state commissioner under military rule; he turned down many opportunities and, voluntarily, he entered the vineyard of labour and toil. He joined in the morning, suffering all day. Others joined later. And as the others who joined late received greater blessings, some moving to Aso Rock, some to Lekki Phase-This and Lekki Phase-That, Dan-bin-Silifa, his Aboki name, fatigued and broken, began to complain. His rebuke was recorded by his mentor and companion in Matthew 20: 1-16:

These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. But he replied to one of them, Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Dasylva retired from the University of Ibadan at 70, with a send-off served with the delicious meals of strike and hunger, pain and anguish. I heard the voice of Chris Ngige, Nigerias Minister of Labour, the doctor who practices politics, saying:

Take the poverty that belongs to you

Vacate Sokoto Street and go to Oluwatosin Close

Purchase your generator and diesel

I choose to give to this last Area Boy

The same as I give to you.

Am I not allowed to do what I choose with the Niger Delta revenues that belong to me?

Or are you envious of Senator Lagbaja because I am generous?

So the last olodo will be first, and your UI, the best and the first, will be the last.

The last will not be your portion.

It is well!

considering how well the amiable professor has raised the standard, I am tempted to call him Iroko, that is, one who has transcended humankinds ordinary life and is now in a category of his own, setting standards, breaking his own established standards, and setting more for those following his footsteps to draw inspiration from. And Dasylva is not just an inspiration to his proteges, those of us who are his peers also occasionally tap from his wisdom in countless deserving situations.

For many people, when they turn 70, they sign off from a battle well fought and hope that those behind them continue to tread the path they have blazed. Given Professor Dasylvas penchant for going above and beyond, I am sure he is doing more than this. This great man is still young at heart and has so much impact to make in the lives of those around him. I believe he still has a lot of enlightenment and illumination to bring to African literature and culture. So, while we celebrate him as a septuagenarian today, we are also certain this is a new phase of his life in which he will keep his tap of wisdom open for us to draw from, drink from, and make ourselves better.

As torrents of congratulatory messages flow in for Dasylva, I do not believe mentioning everything can ever summarise his iconic impacts on African culture and knowledge, nor can we subsume his academic excellence under a few pages of literature. His 70 years on earth have been what everyone wishes for. His 35 years in the service of academic excellence and reformation make his life desirable, and it is one thing we cannot all stop talking about. In Yoruba colloquialism, when you refer to someone as igi iwe, you are saying that that person has maintained a high level of scholarship and has been found qualified to lead others in the same light. You are saying he has grown, planted scholastic roots beyond ordinary imagination, and spread his branches to give room for others to grow. This igi iwe rightly describes my good friend, Olorinla, with his academic sagacity and the continued leadership and mentorship efforts of others who are driven towards widening their scholarship horizon.

However, considering how well the amiable professor has raised the standard, I am tempted to call him Iroko, that is, one who has transcended humankinds ordinary life and is now in a category of his own, setting standards, breaking his own established standards, and setting more for those following his footsteps to draw inspiration from. And Dasylva is not just an inspiration to his proteges, those of us who are his peers also occasionally tap from his wisdom in countless deserving situations. If I can recall, there are no instances where I called on him that he would not be eager to contribute his support and give words of wisdom.

In the years I have known Professor Dasylva, his literary prowess has always been well-talked about, a factor that continues to benefit him and those around him. His mastery in the classroom is one thing we all envy. I had earlier read a statement from one of his former students about how incredible the mode of teaching Dasylva adopts in his classroom is, a style that deliberately ensures that everyone is carried along and made to get the total value and appreciate the beauty of literary works in his class. This former student explained how Professor Dasylva, while teaching Unseen Poetry, drew a well, a bird, and other characters illustrating what the poem signifies. He did this to pass a strong message to his students that he welcomes going the extra mile as long as those under his tutelage are getting value and becoming better versions of themselves. The interesting thing about this is that this situation occurred when Professor Dasylva started his lecturing career at the Oyo State College of Arts and Science (OSCAS). If not anything, this testimony tells us that Professor Dasylva has been a refined man who has always put the interest of the scholarship of his students at the forefront. He adopts this method, alongside other interesting and captivating teaching modes, to give the best of himself to his students and peers. Today, he is revered by hundreds of students who have passed through his tutelage and mentorship.

Only a few people like Professor Dasylva have committed a good part of their lives to defending African culture. Dasylva does not just exemplify the African way of life; his life demonstrates that he is an enigma whose behavioural attitude cuts across traditional and contemporary African lifestyles. He has made enormous contributions to Africa in different ways, and his name will continue to ring a bell in years to come. Aside from being an African literary talent, he is also the coordinator of the Ibadan Cultural Studies Group, where he has devoted efforts towards promoting African excellence and rapport with other continental cultures worldwide. His unashamed support for and pride in African culture is also why he is the convener of one of Africas most prominent Pan-African conferences, the Toyin Falola Annual International Conference on Africa (TOFAC) and the African Diaspora. As the one in whose name the conference is being held, I can boldly say that no one else could have been a better fit into the role of convening Africas brightest minds to discuss Africa and the African Diaspora than my great friend, Ademola.

Sometimes when you consider that someone has spent more than three decades imparting knowledge in lives and widening the horizon of scholarship, you pause to ask whether there are any other contributions to be made, especially towards the progress of academics in Nigeria and Africa. The great thing about Dasylva is that he is an all-rounder, and from whatever angle you want to approach his impact, there will always be a ton of things to point at. He is an academic intelligentsia and an activist whose drive has birthed some great reformations in todays institutions of learning.

As a Yoruba man, Professor Dasylvas representation of the omoluabi phenomenon, even under severe pressure, should be studied. He is not just an enigma in that stance; he has shown over the years, through his charisma and professionalism, that all that defines the omoluabi phenomenon can never be found short in him.

A year or two ago, Professor Dasylva documented and sent for publication the perceived ills in the Nigerian university system without caring whose ox was gored. All he wanted was for sanity to be restored among academics and the university system. Aside from this, I recall reading about how he rose to the occasion when it was time for his institution of teaching, Adeyemi College of Education, to have a union. Professor Dasylva himself recounted how the absence of a union for college lecturers created a vacuum when he was a lecturer at the Adeyemi College of Education and how, in conjunction with other positive thinking leaders in the academy, they were able to form the College of Education Staff Union (COESU), a union, which today, defends the rights of colleges of education staff, while maintaining the standards of teaching and learning in the different colleges of education around the country. Indeed, his exploits as a reformer will continue to remain outstanding.

As a Yoruba man, Professor Dasylvas representation of the omoluabi phenomenon, even under severe pressure, should be studied. He is not just an enigma in that stance; he has shown over the years, through his charisma and professionalism, that all that defines the omoluabi phenomenon can never be found short in him. I read a story where Dasylva narrated his role in the actualisation of the 12 June, 1993, general election mandate suppressed by the late General Sani Abacha. He revealed how he was never moved by the dangling of political positions in the face of activists seeking the actualisation of June 12. He recalled how, in order to maintain his integrity, he severed his relationship with a former activist who had jumped ship to be part of the oppressive political class of the Abacha regime. Obviously, one only needs a quick peek into Professor Dasylvas activism to understand how maintaining his integrity  a conclusive proof of his omoluabi  is important to him.

Given Dasylvas personality, one could go on to recount his remarkable life and outstanding contributions to academia, African literature, institutional and national reforms, and the betterment of the lives of those around him, without running out of what to say. Professor Dasylva will continue to inspire everyone, far and near.

Omo Akin, as you begin another phase of your life, I pray you continue to soar high among the stars in academic scholarship. I am no poet like you, but perhaps there can be one useful line in my amateurism:

To Ademola!

Famous teacher

With strength, power and wisdom

In your lessons and teachings

You taught about sacrifice

About patience

About intelligence

`Odamolugbe

Forest of a big head

The trunk that carries the Olumo rock

Phloem of agbo

Cambium of ofo

Sapwood of ogede

Heartwood of oro

Woli Agba

Egba mi o!

Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland.

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The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, was on Friday conferred with the Distinguished Capacity Development Award at the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The award was bestowed on Mr Wabote, an engineer, at a colourful ceremony held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, for the outstanding strides he accomplished, particularly in human and infrastructural capacity development since he was appointed as the helmsman of NCDMB in September 2016 and got reappointed in 2020.

Other recipients of awards in different categories included former President Goodluck Jonathan, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, Speaker of Federal House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, some serving governors, ministers, heads of performing agencies and service chiefs.

President Buhari, while delivering his address, said the national recognition is intended to motivate other public officials to dedicate themselves and perform diligently in office.

He noted that the awardees were being recognised for exhibiting transparency and accountability in the discharge of their responsibilities.

He said: This award is in appreciation of the giant strides in the transformation of Nigeria. I thank you for your contributions and I expect this to serve as a motivation for you and others to continue doing more.

Earlier in his speech, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, explained that nominees were selected independently and professionally by the team of assessors constituted by the Best Strategic Media.

He added that the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service was set up to recognise distinguished public service to Nigeria, through either contributions to individuals, state or local community or the public through excellence in leadership, service and humanitarianism.

Mr Mustapha said recipients could range from federal, state and local governments as well as from non-profit organisations or persons in academia, and that the main criteria is that they must have made significant contributions as career public servants.

He challenged public officials to rededicate themselves to providing quality service to Nigerians irrespective of political, religious or regional differences, adding that the challenges facing the country were huge and should be tackled by all persons in positions of authority.

Mr Wabote and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, Mele Kolo Kyari were the only recipients from the oil and gas industry.

Mr Kyari was recognised for outstanding reform initiative.

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18:19 | Pacora (Lambayeque region), Oct. 21.





The Head of State held a meeting with the population of the district of Pacora in Lambayeque province, before establishing a roundtable.





At the meeting, the top official reiterated the Government's willingness to promote said infrastructure project.





"I have the political will to make this dream come true and that is why we are here, not only to establish a roundtable because we have held talks for a long time, but also a working group with the aim of crystallizing what the people need, what that the people demand," he said.





Mr. Castillo remarked that La Calzada will contribute to the Government's goal of guaranteeing food security in the country, since it will ensure water resources for agricultural producers in the area.





"We have to guarantee food security for the Peruvian people, and it is farmers who provide the people with food. There is no agriculture without water, so we have to guarantee water through the major project at La Calzada," he expressed.





70 million cubic meters





La Calzada water project includes a 70 million cubic meter dam. It will provide access to water for agricultural producers and will prevent flooding in La Leche Valley.





In this context, the President reiterated the political will of his Government to promote the aforementioned project, thus allowing the development of agriculture and benefiting the Lambayeque people.





(END) NDP/FGM/FHG/RMB

The President of the Republic Pedro Castillo on Friday pledged to carry out La Calzada water project in Lambayeque region in order to provide the population with drinking water and prevent floods, which affect farmers in this area of the country.Published: 10/21/2022
Market participants are concentrating on raising manufacturing of electro-mechanical systems for hydroelectric plants to broaden their revenue sources

As price of fossil fuels and worries about carbon emissions rise, the demand for small hydropower plants with above 10 MW is estimated to climb in the near future

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - In 2021, the value of global small hydropower market stood at US$ 208.8 Bn. The global market is anticipated to progress at 2.69% CAGR during the forecast period, from 2022 to 2031. By 2031, the global small hydropower market is projected to reach US$ 273.8 Bn. The global small hydropower market is being driven by the rising demand for sustainable energy and climbing pollution levels. Power is produced by hydropower without the release of hazardous waste. In addition to maintaining cleaner water and air this environmentally beneficial energy source also helps minimize carbon emissions, which is likely to present lucrative opportunities for the leading players in small hydropower market.

Request a Sample: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=7730

In response to increasing concerns, governments and businesses all over the world are spending considerably in the research and development of small hydropower projects. The need for energy is rising since industrialization and urbanization are occurring rapidly, which is anticipated to drive future market demand for small hydropower in the years to come.

Small hydropower plants are a dependable and affordable source of energy conversion since they have a prolonged lifespan of up to 50 years. The capacity utilization rate of small hydropower plants is high, reaching up to 50%. In comparison to wind and solar electricity, which contribute to 25% and 20%, respectively, this generates more electricity.

Key Findings of Market Report

One of the greenest and cleanest sources of renewable energy is hydroelectricity. It is among the most affordable sources of energy due to its reduced maintenance and operation costs. Small hydropower plants have an efficacy of over 90%, making them very effective and advantageous sources of renewable energy. Demand for affordable energy sources is growing, which is expected to boost the global small hydropower market.

Growing consumer interest in green energy is predicted to present profitable opportunities for small hydropower industry operators. Companies are looking for more efficient alternatives to traditional energy sources owing to the implementation of strict restrictions to minimize greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide releases. As a result, the global small hydropower market is being driven by growing awareness of green energy.

Depending on capacity, by 2021, the below 10 MW category accounted for a significant portion of the global market. It is projected to lead the global market during the forecast timeframe and is one of the recent developments in small hydropower market. Growth of the segment can be ascribed to the high degree of flexibility, high power output, and diverse applications of below 10 MW small hydropower in commercial and industrial sectors.

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Global Small Hydropower Market: Growth Drivers

Based on regional segmentation, the global market for small hydropower was dominated by Asia Pacific in 2021 with a stake of 69.3%. China is anticipated to control a sizable portion of the Asia Pacific market and is one of the fastest growing market for small hydropower. Growth in the telecommunications, infrastructure, and business sectors is anticipated to drive the regional market. The Asia Pacific small hydropower market is expected to grow quickly in the near future due to rising power fluctuations, frequent blackouts, and construction activities.

Global Small Hydropower Market: Key Players

Some of the key market players are

Ontario Power Generation Inc.

Siemens AG

General Electric Company

Agder Energi AS

The Voith Group

Fortum Oyj

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Global Small Hydropower Market: Segmentation

Capacity

Below 10 MW

Above 10 MW

Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

& Latin America

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About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade.

Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports.

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA).

From mid-2021 through 2022, the Company has been the target of widespread complaints, regulatory scrutiny and litigation stemming from its business practices, including allegations that it failed to properly perform its duties when selling and transferring permanent ownership to consumers rendering their newly purchased vehicles unable to be legally driven, misrepresented its authority to legally do so under various state motor vehicle laws, and routinely issues multiple temporary license tags in violation of state laws.

In December 2021, the Company was sued in a consumer class action lawsuit alleging violations under state Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act for its delay in permanently transferring the title of purchased automobiles resulting in consumers being unable to legally drive vehicles they purchased. Recently, the Court presiding over that case denied the Company's motion to dismiss the case, allowing it to move forward.

The Company has also been sued in a securities class action lawsuit for failing to disclose material information, violating federal securities laws.

KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Carvana's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to its shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Carvana shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-cvna/ to learn more.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients  including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors  in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

[email protected]

1-877-515-1850

1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200

New Orleans, LA 70163

SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
CALGARY, AB, Oct. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Canadian Pacific (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) today said it would appeal a decision issued by the Court of King's Bench in the case of Remington Development Corporation v Canadian Pacific Railway Company and His Majesty the King in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister of Transportation.

CP was surprised and disappointed at this judgement, which CP considers to contain significant legal and factual errors related to both liability and damages. CP has strong grounds for appeal and will vigorously fight this decision.

On Oct. 20, 2022, the Court of King's Bench of Alberta issued a 200-page decision saying CP was in breach of a 2002 contract with Remington Development Corporation involving the sale of land in Calgary, Alta. to the Province of Alberta. The decision states that Remington is entitled to $163,707,836 in damages from CP and the Province of Alberta, but did not indicate how the damages should be apportioned.

About Canadian Pacific

Canadian Pacific is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to major ports on the west and east coasts. CP provides North American customers with a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of CP. CP-IR

SOURCE Canadian Pacific
ISINs: US29244AAK88 ; USP3710FAJ32 / CUSIPs: 29244A AK8 ; P3710F AJ3

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte S.A. (EDENOR) ("Edenor" or the "Company") today announced that its offer to exchange (the "Offer" or the "Exchange Offer") any and all of its outstanding 9.75% Senior Notes due 2022 (the "Existing Notes") for the applicable amount of newly issued 9.75% Additional Senior Notes due 2025 (the "Additional New Notes") and cash made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer Memorandum, dated September 23, 2022 (the "Exchange Offer Memorandum"), expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 21, 2022 (the "Expiration Date"). As of the Expiration Date, U.S.$4,029,000 in aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes, representing 16.35% of the aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes outstanding, have been tendered and accepted in the Exchange Offer (the "Tendered Notes").

The Company intends to pay the applicable Exchange Consideration for the Tendered Notes plus amounts in respect of accrued interest as described in the Exchange Offer Memorandum on or about October 24, 2022 (the "Settlement Date").

On the Settlement Date, the Company expects to issue U.S.$2,538,270 aggregate principal amount of Additional New Notes and to pay approximately U.S.$1,611,600 cash consideration (plus amounts in respect of accrued interest as described in the Exchange Offer Memorandum) for the Tendered Notes. Per US$1,000 principal amount of Existing Notes validly tendered and accepted into the Exchange Offer, each Eligible Holder will receive US$630 principal amount of Additional New Notes (the "Additional New Notes Consideration") and U.S.$400 in cash (the "Cash Consideration"), in each case plus amounts in respect of accrued interest as described in the Exchange Offer Memorandum.

The Additional New Notes will be issued under an indenture (as supplemented by that First Supplemental Indenture dated as of October 24, 2022, the "New Notes Indenture"), dated as of May 12, 2022 among the Company, as issuer, The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the "Trustee", which term shall include any successor as Trustee under the New Notes Indenture) and Banco de Valores S.A., as representative of the Trustee in Argentina, pursuant to which we previously issued U.S.$52,706,268 Senior Notes due 2025 (the "Initial New Notes"). The Initial New Notes and the Additional New Notes (together referred to as the "New Notes") are fungible and will constitute a single series of debt securities, provided that the Additional New Notes offered and sold pursuant to Regulation S Notes will have a temporary CUSIP number, ISIN number and Common Code until expiration of the 40-day "distribution compliance period" with respect to the Additional New Notes.

Morrow Sodali Limited acted as the Exchange and Information Agent for the Offer (Email: [email protected]).

BofA Securities, Inc. acted as the dealer manager for the Offer outside Argentina.

Global Valores S.A. acted as Argentine Dealer Manager for the Offer in Argentina.

Important Notice

This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and none of the Additional New Notes has been or will be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities law (other than Argentina, where the public offering of the Additional New Notes is included within the public offering authorization granted by the CNV to the Program, in accordance with Section 41, Title II, Chapter V, Section VIII of the CNV Rules). The CNV's authorization means only that the information requirements of the CNV have been satisfied. The CNV has not rendered any opinion in respect of the accuracy of the information contained in the Exchange Offer Memorandum or the Argentine exchange offer memorandum dated September 23, 2022 (as amended and/or supplemented, the "Argentine Exchange Offer Memorandum"), and has not issued an opinion about the Exchange Consideration to be received pursuant the terms of the Exchange Offer.

The Additional New Notes may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. This press release does not constitute an offer of the Additional New Notes for sale, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which any offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

The distribution of materials relating to the Offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Offer is void in all jurisdictions where they are prohibited. If materials relating to the Offer come into your possession, you are required to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the Offer, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer in any place where offers are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the Offer be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a dealer manager or any affiliate of a dealer manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the Offer shall be deemed to be made by the dealer manager or such affiliate on behalf of the Company in that jurisdiction.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Specifically, the Company cannot assure you that the proposed transactions described above will be consummated on the terms currently contemplated, if at all. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions on the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, and factors over which the Company has no control. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so, unless otherwise required by law.

Note to Eligible Holders in the European Economic Area - Prohibition of sales to EEA Retail Investors  The Additional New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area ("EEA"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended, the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended, the "Prospectus Regulation"). Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the Additional New Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Additional New Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.

Note to Eligible Holders in the United Kingdom - Prohibition of sales to UK Retail Investors  The Additional New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom ("UK"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("EUWA"); (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, the "FSMA") and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK Prospectus Regulation"). Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the Additional New Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Additional New Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation.

In the UK, this Exchange Offer Memorandum and any other material in relation to the Additional New Notes described herein are being distributed only to, and are directed only at, persons who are "qualified investors" (as defined in the UK Prospectus Regulation) who are (i) persons having professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the "Order"), or (ii) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or (iii) persons to whom it would otherwise be lawful to distribute them, all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons". In the UK, the Additional New Notes are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire the Additional New Notes will be engaged in only with, Relevant Persons. This Exchange Offer Memorandum and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by any recipients to any other person in the UK. Any person in the UK that is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on this Exchange Offer Memorandum or its contents.

SOURCE Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte S.A.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until November 28, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Olo Inc. (NYSE: OLO), if they purchased the Company's shares between August 11, 2021 and August 11, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Olo investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-olo/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Olo and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On August 11, 2022, the Company announced disappointing results for 2Q2022, disclosing lowered revenue guidance and a flat active location count due to the loss of 2,500 Subway locations resulting from Subway's implementation of direct integration with marketplaces, and that the Company expected the remaining Subway locations to also end their contracts by 4Q2022 or 1Q2023, which effects the Company claimed to have incorporated into its guidance months earlier without informing the market.

On this news, shares of Olo stock plummeted approximately 36%, from a closing price of $12.99 per share on August 11, 2022, to a closing price of $8.26 per share on August 12, 2022.

The case is Pompano Beach Police and Firefighters' Retirement System v. Olo Inc., No. 1:22-cv-08228.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
The virtual event boasted appearances by United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona among top state legislators, education leaders, Think Together alumni, parents, students and staff.

SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Think Together, California's leading nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs, held its annual Lights on Afterschool event themed Shining a Light for 25 Years on Thursday, October 20 on Think Together's YouTube.

The live virtual event drew nearly 200 viewers and has received over 500 views since the broadcast aired. The event featured testimonials from educators, Think Together alumni, parents, students and Think Together staff alongside legislative appearances from:

Think Together, Californias leading nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs, held its annual Lights on Afterschool event themed Shining a Light for 25 Years on Thursday, October 20 virtually on Think Togethers YouTube, as well as in-person across nearly 400 school sites.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona

Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis (D- Sacramento )

) Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D- Lakewood )

(D- ) State Senator Connie Leyva (D- San Bernardino )

(D- ) State Senator John Laird (D- Monterey )

(D- ) Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D- Sacramento )

(D- ) Assemblymember Chis Holden (D- Pasadena )

In addition to the live virtual broadcast, Think Together hosted 392 school site events during the week of Lights On Afterschool to celebrate the positive impact afterschool and expanded learning programs make in the lives of students every day. From Compton to San Jose, Temecula to Orange, students took part in Lights On Afterschool through educational enrichment including engineering, agriculture, healthy living, arts, and painting activities.

"We're proud to have such incredible support from our state and federal lawmakers who have shown time and time again that afterschool and expanded learning programs can change the trajectory of a student's life," said Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth. "Our mission at Think Together is to work with schools to change the odds for kids, and their support, along with the support of our school partners and our donors, helps us carry out our mission every day."

Lights On Afterschool is a national campaign organized by the Afterschool Alliance to underscore the need for sustainable federal, state and private investment for afterschool programs, which provide hands-on enrichment opportunities designed to help youth forge successful futures.

In addition to Think Together program showcases, national landmarks from Alaska to Alabama were illuminated to commemorate Lights On Afterschool. In total, nearly 5,000 afterschool and expanded learning program providers held celebrations in support of their programs and the impact they make on our communities, including Think Together.

Research commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance shows that some 24.7 million U.S. children not in an afterschool program would be enrolled if a program were available to them. These numbers gathered from a survey of 1,500 parents between May and June of 2022, are the highest ever recorded. In response, legislators on the state and national levels are responding with a renewed resolve to ensure the increased demand for afterschool programs is met.

In the past year, advocates in California legislature like those in attendance at Think Together's live Lights On Afterschool event drove the passing of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program grant and Universal Pre-Kindergarten. These two programs, along with the Engage Every Student initiative at the national level, lay a foundation for the tremendous growth of expanded learning and afterschool programs like Think Together.

"We stand at a real transformational moment in education. One in which students who have been traditionally underserved will be given the resources needed to narrow the opportunity gap once and for all," added Barth. "As we continue to face the pandemic's enduring impacts, we stand ready to serve these students who need high quality support systems to succeed in school, college and career."

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together's program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

SOURCE Think Together
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- John Moran is pleased to present major works by Judy Chicago, Marcos Grigorian, Rosangela Renno, Jenny Holzer, Josh Smith, Doug Aitken, Jean-Michel Othoniel, and the Father of the Space and Light Movement, James Turrell with his important work, Hologram #10 at Moran's Autumn Modern & Contemporary Art sale. On the heels of Moran's three World-Auction Records in their September Modern & Contemporary Art sale, this selection of rare-to-market works by blue-chip artists on Tuesday, November 1st will certainly be an auction the art world will be closely watching.

Works by James Turrell and Judy Chicago Highlight John Moran Auctioneers Autumn Modern & Contemporary Fine Art Sale Tweet this Lot #64 Judy Chicago, "Transformation Painting," 1973, Estimate: $80,000 - $120,000, image courtesy of John Moran Auctioneers, www.johnmoran.com

Moran's is honored to be presenting the fresh-to-market work, Transformation Painting, 1973, by the feminist artist and educator, Judy Chicago. This work represents a pivotal moment in her career It marks the transition of her artistic practice moving away from the light and space movement and toward more socially conscious works, particularly in relation to gender and sexual identity. Chicago helped pioneer the feminist art movement in the 1960s and 70s and this is a strong example of artwork from that time. Transformation Painting, is a part of feminist history and history at large: the work was exhibited at the landmark 1973 exhibition "Womanhouse" in Los Angeles, the first ever feminist exhibition to gain national attention. The abstract imagery of Transformation Painting alludes to the feminine and the captions give insight into the artist's innermost thoughts and vulnerabilities (i.e., commentary about a dinner party in which she was excluded). It also led her to creating a body of work that is now part of the Brooklyn Museum's permanent collection thanks to the support of a collector, Elizabeth Sackler. Judy Chicago has entered the historical canon and artworks like this show her to not only be on the right side of history, but to have forged the path. Transformation Painting, estimated at $80,000-120,000, is a highlight of the sale and is one of few works by Chicago to have appeared at auction.

Included in this sale are several works previously held in an important New York Corporate Collection, the same collection that housed Moran's recent World-Auction Record-breaking, Alice Baber. This over fifty-year-old collection features work by Robert Natkin and Robert Sterling Neuman. There will also be a variety of photography from contemporary artists such as Lawrence Schiller, Robert Weingarten Jean Pigozzi, Yuka V., Mike Figgis, Douglas Kirkland, and Melanie Pullen.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE John Moran Auctioneers
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. The message spread by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan that allegedly the units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire in the direction of the Azerbaijani positions on October 21 is another misinformation, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.

As of 10:40 am, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until October 31, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), if they purchased the Company's shares between February 19, 2021 to June 8, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Get Help

Abbott investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-abt-1/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Abbott and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On February 17, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") announced that its inspection of the Company's Sturgis, Michigan facility, prompted by consumer complaints of infant illness, had yielded several positive contamination results for the Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria, linked to infant illnesses and death. On the same day, the Company, without mention of the FDA investigation, recalled certain infant formula products, including the popular brands Similac, Alimentum and EleCare, all manufactured in Sturgis. On this news, shares of Abbott declined by $3.79 per share, or 3.14%.

Then, on March 22, 2022, the FDA reported that, although not "final FDA determinations," its most recent inspection conducted between January 31, 2022 and March 18, 2022 revealed that the Company failed to establish process controls "designed to ensure that infant formula does not become adulterated due to the presence of microorganisms in the formula or in the processing environment" and failed to "ensure that all surfaces that contacted infant formula were maintained to protect infant formula from being contaminated by any source." On this news, shares of Abbott declined by an additional $4.97 per share, or 4%.

Finally, on June 8, 2022, it was reported that a whistleblower complaint identifying numerous serious examples of misconduct at Sturgis related to the above had been filed with the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration ("OSHA") in February 2021, and that OSHA had delivered that complaint to Abbott Laboratories and the FDA during the same month. On this news, shares of Abbott declined by an additional 3.5%, further damaging investors.

The case is Pembroke Pines Firefighters & Police Officers Pension Fund v. Abbott Laboratories, No. 22-cv-04661.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
SHARJAH, UAE, Oct. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Britts Imperial University College is one of the leading university colleges in the Middle East offering accredited MBA programmes for working professionals and students from around the world. For the busy working professionals, they facilitate top-class faculty with real flexibility and ease their journey to achieve the prestigious MBA degrees in multiple specialisations.

Reasons to choose Britts Imperial University College

As the leading university college in providing global education with international accreditations and certifications, learners are granted the opportunity to accelerate their careers by pursuing a plethora of career progression and advancement prospects. The coveted executive MBA programme has become a popular choice amongst the working executives from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Qatar, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Singapore and Malaysia.

Students can now integrate their education into a busy work and home life by customizing where, how, and what they study with Britts Imperial's highly flexible Global Executive Master's programmes. UAE's first truly global three country MBA programmes designed specifically for professionals from all around the globe, with personalised once-in-a-month learning pattern. Three-day symposiums in cities like Dubai, Paris and Hong Kong makes it a truly global educational experience for all the learners.

Students can also benefit from the triple gem accreditations wherein the students can earn the most prestigious European degree, a British certification and an American diploma that is not only affordable, but also achievable given the case study-based assessments as well as the easy monthly installments options. That's not all, learners can also opt for an opportunity to earn a dual Masters within the same duration.

The Executive MBA programme is structured to encourage students to balance work, education, and personal goals. No matter what stage of growth the students are in their career, Britts Imperial's Executive MBA programme will support them to enhance their career to the next level. This innovative executive MBA programme is designed for global online learners and the degrees are awarded by Euclea Business School, a prestigious top-ranking business school in France and a world renowned private higher education degree-granting institution recognised by the State and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

WHY CHOOSE BRITTS IMPERIAL?

Truly Global  A three country Executive Master's Programme with certifications from three continents.

Truly Personalised  Multiple MBA specialisations yet a personalized learning journey for every executive student.

Truly Flexible and Achievable  Live interactive lectures conducted once in a week/ month with case study-based assessments.

Truly Affordable  easy monthly installment structure for all learners.

Truly Career Oriented  Personalised career services like Career Planner, CV 360, CV Builder, Interview 360, Assessment Centre Tool, Career Pathways, Employer Advice, Job Search Engine, etc.

Contact:

Britts Imperial University College

+971(06)7675511, +971-522161590

[email protected]

www.brittsimperial.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1926919/BIUC_Executive_MBA.jpg

SOURCE Britts Imperial University College, Sharjah
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the polar satellite series and is expected to capture data to improve weather forecasts, helping scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events and climate change.

JPSS-2 is scheduled to launch at 5:25 a.m. EDT (2:25 a.m. PDT) Tuesday, Nov. 1, on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Live launch coverage will begin at 4:45 a.m. EDT (1:45 a.m. PDT) on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website, with prelaunch and science briefings beginning Friday, Oct. 28. Watch coverage on the agency's website at:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

JPSS represents significant technological and scientific advancements in observations used for severe weather prediction and environmental monitoring. These data are critical to the timeliness and accuracy of forecasts three to seven days in advance of a severe weather event. It will scan Earth as it orbits from the North Pole to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day to provide full global coverage twice a day.

NASA and NOAA partner in the development, launch, testing, and operation of all satellites in the JPSS series.

Launching with JPSS-2 is NASA's Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration. After JPSS-2 safely reaches orbit, LOFTID will follow a re-entry trajectory from low-Earth orbit to demonstrate the inflatable heat shield's ability to slow down and survive re-entry. LOFTID is a partnership with ULA and is dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter, one of the company's engineers who played a key role in developing the technology. LOFTID will demonstrate how the inflatable aeroshell, or heat shield, can slow down and survive re-entry in conditions relevant to many potential applications, whether landing humans on Mars, new missions to Venus and Titan, or returning heavier payloads and samples from low-Earth orbit.

Full mission coverage is as follows:

Friday, Oct. 28

6 p.m. EDT (3 p.m. PDT)  JPSS-2 Prelaunch News Conference on NASA TV with the following participants:

Tim Walsh , director, NOAA's JPSS Program Office, NOAA

, director, NOAA's JPSS Program Office, NOAA John Gagosian , director, NASA's Joint Agency Satellite Division

, director, NASA's Joint Agency Satellite Division Irene Parker , deputy assistant administrator, NOAA Systems, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Services

, deputy assistant administrator, NOAA Systems, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Services Omar Baez , launch director, NASA's Launch Services Program

, launch director, NASA's Launch Services Program Gary Wentz , vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA

, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA Jim Reuter , associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate

, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate Capt. Zack Zounes , launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force

Accredited news media planning to attend the briefing should confirm their participation with Tech Sgt. Patrick Harrower, 30th Space Wing public affairs officer, at: [email protected] no later than 9 a.m. PDT Friday, Oct. 28.

Media may request the dial-in number and passcode by contacting the newsroom at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida no later than 2 p.m. PDT Friday, Oct. 28, at: [email protected]. Media and the public also may ask questions during the event using #JPSS2 and #LOFTID.

Saturday, Oct. 29

4 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. PDT)  JPSS-2 Science Briefing on NASA TV with the following participants:

Jordan Gerth , meteorologist and satellite scientist, NOAA's National Weather Service

, meteorologist and satellite scientist, NOAA's National Weather Service Jim Gleason , senior project scientist, NASA JPSS, NASA

, senior project scientist, NASA JPSS, NASA Satya Kalluri , program scientist, NOAA JPSS Program

, program scientist, NOAA JPSS Program Heather Kilcoyne , ground project manager, NOAA JPSS

, ground project manager, NOAA JPSS Joe Del Corso , LOFTID project manager, NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia

Accredited news media planning to attend the briefing should confirm their participation with Tech Sgt. Patrick Harrower, 30th Space Wing public affairs officer, at: [email protected] no later than 9 a.m. PDT Oct. 28.

Media may request the dial-in number and passcode by contacting the Kennedy newsroom no later than 2 p.m. PDT Friday, Oct. 28, at: [email protected]. Media and the public also may ask questions during the event using #JPSS2 and #LOFTID.

Tuesday, Nov. 1

12 a.m. EDT (9 p.m. PDT Monday, Oct. 31)  NASA Edge will host the JPSS-2 Tower Rollback Show that will air live on NASA TV and YouTube.

NASA TV Launch Coverage

NASA TV live coverage will begin at 4:45 a.m. EDT (1:45 a.m. PDT) Tuesday, Nov. 1. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/live

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA "V" circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, or 7135. On launch day, "mission audio," countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135. A "tech feed" of the launch without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel.

Follow countdown coverage on the JPSS-2 launch blog at:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/jpss-2/

Public Participation

Members of the public can register to attend the JPSS-2 launch virtually. The virtual guest program for this mission includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the virtual guest passport following a successful launch.

JPSS-2 Virtual Social

As we finalize launch preparations, we are excited to invite the public to join our virtual social media event hosted on Facebook.com/NASA beginning Wednesday, Oct. 26. Stay up to date on the latest mission activities, interact with NASA, NOAA, and other team members in real-time, and watch the launch of the ULA Atlas V rocket that will boost JPSS-2 for its journey into orbit. Join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #JPSS2 and #LOFTID.

Virtual Interviews

For media interested in setting up virtual interviews with members of the JPSS-2 or LOFTID teams during launch week, please reach out to Michelle Birdsall at: [email protected] for JPSS-2 or to Kristyn Damadeo at: [email protected] and Sarah Frazier at: [email protected] for LOFTID.

Watch, Engage Online

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you're following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtags #JPSS2 and #LOFTID. Also follow online at:

Twitter: @NASA, @NOAA, @NOAASatellites, @NASASocial, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NASAEarth, @NASAGoddard, @NASALangley, @NASA_Technology, @ULALaunch, @SLDelta30

Facebook: NASA, NOAA Satellites, NASA LSP, NASA Kennedy, NASA Earth, NASA_Langley, NASA Technology

Instagram: NASA, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites, NASAEarth, NASA_Langley

For more information about the launch of JPSS-2, visit:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/jpss-2/

-end-

SOURCE NASA
The Asheville-based startup is backed by Y-Combinator, and is bringing high-tech to Appalachia and beyond

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Netmaker, a cloud networking startup, announced $2.3 million in funding to launch their "superhighway for secure cloud networks." The round was led by Lytical Ventures, Uncorrelated Ventures, and SaxeCap among others, following their graduation from Y-Combinator. Netmaker offers a platform built on WireGuard which transforms the way companies integrate their networks to make them safe, dynamic and up to 15 times faster than alternatives.

Netmaker Logo

In addition to the funding, Netmaker is announcing the 1.0 release of their community product, and an Enterprise Edition, which offers HA networking, metrics and access controls for users.

Modern applications are significantly more complex than they appear. While individuals see a website or smartphone app, in the background, a vast ecosystem of infrastructure and applications must be connected together to make this software work. Today, those connections are created by operations teams who must follow a process which is expensive, time-consuming, and painstaking. That's where Netmaker comes in.

"We created Netmaker because we had to. We saw this gap between what we're capable of doing with cloud computing, and what networking allowed us to do. We realized that there was nothing on the market that could solve this problem, so we had to build it ourselves," said CEO Alex Feiszli.

Netmaker allows applications to access each other directly and securely, without going through a central gateway. It does this with peer-to-peer virtual networks, automated over a client-server model. The server manages the keys, addresses, and discovery of peers, and sends this information to clients, which enables advanced routing operations to move traffic into, out of, and throughout the network.

Recent trends in hybrid cloud, edge computing, and IoT have made this pattern a necessity.

"Netmaker makes it simple to abstract away the physical network, allowing IT departments to create logical networks in minutes. Now, putting IoT devices with 5G onto the same flat network with a control environment can be done in minutes instead of days or weeks. I believe it's a tool that will be in every IT department's kit in the coming year." said Lucas Nelson, Partner at Lytical Ventures.

Feiszli and Carns previously worked together building cloud software and led a team of multi-cloud platform engineers at IBM. During the pandemic, the duo moved to Asheville, NC. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the town is known more for its craft breweries than its tech startup scene, but Feiszli and Carns have big plans to bring the cloud to the 'Land of the Sky'.

Netmaker was released on GitHub in March of 2021, and the adoption was swift. There are now over 1,200 organizations and individuals running the platform. This traction brought Netmaker to the attention of Y-Combinator, which further accelerated the company's popularity. Growth in active platforms since the start of 2022 has averaged 32% MoM.

To learn more visit netmaker.io or github.com/gravitl/netmaker.

About Netmaker

Based on the groundbreaking WireGuard protocol, Netmaker is the fastest and most configurable mesh VPN on the market, allowing companies to build distributed, dynamic, and secure networks instantly. Netmaker's use cases span remote access, multi-cloud, hybrid-cloud, edge computing, IoT, and Kubernetes. Founded in 2021 and based in Asheville, North Carolina, Netmaker is led by co-founders and IBM alums Alex Feiszli (CEO) and Dillon Carns (CTO).

Melissa Mowery

Senior Consultant

Melissa Mowery

6077458877

[email protected]

This release was issued through WebWire(R). For more information visit http://www.webwire.com.

SOURCE Netmaker
Scratch, the decentralized finance company, moves beyond SCRATCH Token to offer investors equity in its groundbreaking non-fungible token (NFT) financial services.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Scratch  the NFT research and assessment company  is officially dissolving the native Scratch Token to offer its community the chance to become co-owners of the company. Its real-time data-driven NFT valuation tool  Scratch Engine  is an industry-first, and the Company seeks to capitalize on the latest developments in NFTs.

"The NFT and crypto space is an ever-evolving one, and we need to evolve with it," says Shawn Owens, Co-Founder of SCRATCH Engine, LLC. "In the interest of protecting our early adopters and SCRATCH Engine, LLC within the shifting regulatory landscape, we no longer believe that the SCRATCH Token, in its current form, has a viable future."

The looming threat of the SCRATCH Token being deemed an unregistered security has severely limited the Company's ability to respond to changing market conditions, or to follow anything like a coherent product development cycle of "launch, measure, iterate."

"Since inception, the goal of the Scratch Engine has been to provide transparency and standardization in the NFT marketplace." Owens continues. "We continue to believe deeply in this mission: empowering buyers and sellers to make transactions based on verified and up-to-date information. When we launched the SCRATCH Token, we did so only in the furtherance of this mission."

Now with the dissolution and end of support of the SCRATCH Token, the Company wants to make the community something more: owners.

Shawn Owens, Co-Founder of Scratch, believes that deeper community involvement will lead to a far superior product:

"We're offering the opportunity to our early adopters to have ownership in the Company following a reorganization from a limited liability company into a corporation. With our amazing community we've already completed all the items on our Phase One roadmap and have continued onto Phase Two, which we expect will include the launch of the Scratch Engine BETA V1 in Q1 2023. Together we can build the Scratch Engine stronger and better than ever."

Although the Company originally intended to submit the SCRATCH Token for qualification as a security  and may pursue such a regulatory qualification of a future related digital asset to fuel the Scratch Engine, they now believe that the best path forward is to focus on the product. Then, upon the public launch of the Scratch Engine, the Company will consider the release of a related digital asset.

Scratch realizes they cannot build this alone, and the Company anticipates raising necessary capital through the sale of the equity in the near future.

As part of this raise, they intend to accept SCRATCH from any holders as of 10/21/2022 at 7:35 A.M. CST .as consideration for ownership. Any token holders who, for whatever reason, do not want to participate in this raise and become stockholders of the Company, will have the ability to hold their SCRATCH Tokens. Every effort will be made by the Company to exchange those unredeemed SCRATCH Tokens for a Company digital asset in the future.

Further information can be found at the Scratch's Medium page.

To learn more about the opportunity for equity in SCRATCH Engine, LLC, please see our Medium post for more details, or contact the Scratch team at [email protected].

About Scratch

With over a decade of experience in the digital asset space combined, Scratch is a company with the experience needed to bring the tools, standards, and strategic partnerships required to create trust and financial services to NFTs, metaverse, and blockchain economies. "Security, Stability and Scalability" is the mantra of the Scratch team, underlying all of its projects. To learn more about Scratch and the Scratch Engine platform, please visit scratchengine.com.

PRESS CONTACT

Brian Markowski

1 603 306 3645

https://scratchengine.com/

SOURCE Scratch
New Delhi, Oct 22 : BJP president J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with the leaders of the Rajasthan BJP Core Committee to outline the strategy for the state assembly polls and cornering the Ashok Gehlot-led government in the state.

In the meeting convened at the party's national headquarters on Friday, party's national organisation general secretary B.L. Santosh, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Gulabchand Kataria, state president Satish Punia, state in-charge Arun Singh, state organisation general secretary Chandrashekhar, Om Prakash Mathur, state co-in-charge Vijaya Rahatkar and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, besides other members of the state Core Committee were also present.

Apart from conversations on cornering the Gehlot government on its fourth anniversary, party leaders also discussed the preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed visit to the state.

The leaders of the state were asked during the meeting to resolve the issue of factionalism within the party and come united to corner the Ashok Gehlot government.

After the meeting of the core committee, Nadda held a separate meeting with senior leaders. This followed a third meeting of the state office bearers, where implementation of the decisions taken in the core committee and the upcoming strategy were discussed.

With Mallikarjun Kharge assuming the post of Congress President, it is expected that the grand old party can take a big decision regarding Rajasthan. No matter, which side - Ashok Gehlot or Sachin Pilot, would be favoured by the party high command, it is definite that it would create a ruckus in the Rajasthan Congress and thus in such a situation, BJP does not want to leave any stone unturned for its preparations.
Moscow/Washington, Oct 22 : Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin held a phone conversation over international security, the situation in Ukraine in particular, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a brief statement.

The Russian side did not provide further details.

According to the Pentagon, Austin emphasised the importance of maintaining lines of communication between the US and Russia amid the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Tehran, Oct 22 : Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned Canada's move to impose new sanctions against Iranian media outlets as following "US government's sanction madness".

"The US government's sanction madness has turned into a virus swiftly being transferred to its friends," Nasser Kanaani said in a post on his Instagram deploring the Canadian government's new sanctions on multiple Iranian media outlets and pressmen, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said from the viewpoint of Canada and its Western anti-Iran allies, imposing economic sanctions is not enough and Iran should also be deprived of the "right to express its views and opinions, unless it would speak like them".

He slammed the sanctions on the Iranian media and pressmen as a violation of the Iranian nation's basic right to freedom of speech and information.

Aside from earlier sanctions against Iran's English-language news network Press TV, Canada imposed new sanctions on Iran's semi-official Tasnim and Fars news agencies, Kayhan newspaper, Nour News -- an affiliate of the Supreme National Security Council, the former and incumbent heads of state IRIB TV as well as a reporter of the organization, according to Kanaani.

According to Global Affairs Canada, a government department, Canada on Wednesday imposed additional sanctions on six Iranian individuals and four entities for "participating in or enabling human rights violations against women and spreading propaganda." The new sanctions have been imposed after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in a Tehran hospital a few days after collapsing at a police station.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
London, Oct 22 : Amidst an ongoing political turmoil in the UK, former Chancellor Rishi Sunak is close to reaching the threshold of receiving 100 MP endorsements needed to enter the race to become the next Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, a media report said on Saturday.

So far, Sunak has received 93 endorsements from Conservative MPs, the BBC report said.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is expected to arrive in London on Saturday from a vacation in the Carribean, is in second place with 44 endorsements.

Sunak and Johnson are however yet to officially declare their bids in the contest to succeed Liz Truss who resigned as head of government on Thursday after only 45 days in office -- the shortest period for any British Premier in history.

Meanwhile, sources from Sunak's campaign told the BBC that he has secured support from a number of senior colleagues, including former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

"It is abundantly clear that Rishi Sunak has what it takes to match the challenges we face, he is the right person to lead our party and take the country forward," Javid said.

Another backer, Tobias Ellwood, claimed he was the 100th MP to endorse Sunak, saying: "Time for centrist, stable, fiscally responsible government offering credible domestic & international leadership." Speaking to the BBC on Friday night, Trade Minister James Duddridge, a Johnson supporter, said the former Prime Minister had "momentum and support"

"He is coming home and is up for it. He is the only election winner we have that has a proven track record in London, on Brexit, and in gaining the mandate we have now," he added.

Another contender in the race is Penny Mordaunt, the current leader of the House of Commons, has 21 supporters so far. She was also the first to declare that she was in the running.

The contenders have until 2 p.m. on October 24 to get the required 100 endorsements. If three reach the threshold, Conservative MPs will knock one out in a ballot on the same day, the BBC reprted.

MPs will hold an "indicative" ballot of the final two, with the winner then decided in an online vote of party members, to end on October 28.
Washington/Moscow, Oct 22 : In rare talks, US and Russian Defence Ministers spoke on the phone during which they discussed the Ukrainian war, according to official statements issued by Washington and Moscow.

The call on Friday was their first since May 13.

In his remarks, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin emphasized to his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu "the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war", a statement by the Defence Department said.

According to a statement by the Russian Defence Ministry, the two top officials "touched upon pressing issues of international security, including the situation in Ukraine".

After the call, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told the BBC that the US was "eager to keep lines of communication open".

"It has been since May since the two gentlemen spoke, so Secretary Austin took today as an opportunity to connect with Minister Shoigu," he said.

Also addressing the media in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not plan to have a phone call with his US counterpart Joe Biden now that the two defence chiefs have held talks.

"No, it is not on the agenda," Russia's state-run TASS News Agency quoted Peskov as saying.

The last face-to-face meet between Putin and Biden in 2021h was heralded as a positive step towards a better relationship.

The two President also held several calls in the months before the Ukraine war, but progress stalled as tensions escalated over Moscow's invasion.

There have been no talks between the leaders since Russia launched the war on February 24.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. On October 22, the President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, received the delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Hossein Amir Abdollahian. Alen Simonyan, welcoming the guests, noted that he warmly remembers the fruitful meeting held in Tehran in June, ARMENPRESS was informed from the National Assembly.

He emphasized the importance of relations with friendly Iran, stressing that efforts aimed at their development are bearing fruit. "The opening of your Consulate General in Kapan, the administrative center of Syunik, is a fact. I congratulate all of us on that important event," said Alen Simonyan, adding that Armenia will strive to open a consulate of our country in Tabriz in the near future.

The Iranian Foreign Minister thanked for the congratulation, stressing that the establishment of the Consulate General in Kapan contains an important message. He also added that they are interested in the opening of the General Consulate of Armenia in Tabriz.

Both sides noted that the Consulate General of Iran will contribute to the more effective realization of the potential in Syunik Province in trade, economy, transport, energy and a number of other fields. The parties discussed issues related to security and lasting peace in the region.

One of the key issues discussed was the Armenian-Iranian strategic dialogue in all directions, as well as the prospect of increasing the trade turnover between the countries to 1 billion dollars. Iran's foreign minister noted that one billion dollars can be reached in the first phase, and in the second, more promising phase, he considered it realistic to reach a turnover of 3 billion dollars.

At the end of the meeting, Alen Simonyan conveyed his greetings to Iranian Majlis Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, noting that he is waiting for his colleague in Armenia.
Rome, Oct 22 : Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right populist Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, has become Italy's first woman Prime Minister.

The official announcement on Friday came after she met President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Presidential Palace here, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meloni, 45, received the mandate to form a new cabinet less than a month after her victory in the country's snap election on September 25.

Following the meeting, she said the new team was "ready to give Italy a government that confronts with awareness and competence the urgency and challenges of our time".

Her new cabinet, which will include 22 ministers, will be sworn in on Saturday, Ugo Zampetti, secretary general of the Presidency of the Republic, told reporters.

Meloni's FdI party won 26 per cent of the votes in September, and she will now lead the country in a right-wing alliance with Matteo Salvini's League party and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia, each of which snagged just over 8 per cent.

Next week, the new government will face confidence votes in both houses of Parliament.

Meloni's government is set to command a comfortable majority in both houses of Parliament (Chamber of Deputies and Senate).

The snap election in September was called after Mario Draghi resigned as Prime Minister on July 21.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Los Angeles, Oct 22 : Luxury fashion house Balenciaga said that it would no longer work with Kanye West, becoming the first company to sever ties with the rapper and designer after he made a series of controversial and anti-Semitic remarks in the last few weeks.

In a statement, parent company Kering said: "Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist," Business of Fashion and Women's Wear Daily reported, according to forbes.com.

West and Balenciaga collaborated on his short-lived Yeezy line with retailer Gap - West and Gap ended their partnership last month after West accused the brand of breaching its contract with him.

Balenciaga head Demna Gvasalia and West were reported to have a close relationship - West walked in Balenciaga's Paris fashion show, and Gvasalia attended his Yeezy show - where West debut his "White Lives Matter" shirts - and West's ex-wife Kim Kardashian has been featured in many of the brand's recent campaigns, and has frequently worn its fashions.

Forbes has not yet received a response from West and Kering, but West told Bloomberg via text message Friday, "God runs the world. We perform only for God. We serve only God. God bless." As West has made repeated anti-Semitic and eyebrow-raising remarks since the start of October in interviews and on social media, many of the companies affiliated with him have remained silent. After West debuted the "White Lives Matter" shirts at his show, Adidas said that it was putting its nine-year-long relationship with him under review.

This week, the Anti-Defamation League called on Adidas to sever its ties to West, and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel called on companies who profit off of West to cut ties with him.

West - who has made comments about the "Jewish media" said he was going to go "deaf con 3 on Jewish people" apologised for some of his remarks this week. On Piers Morgan Uncensored, West said he didn't regret his remarks, but "I'm sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I have been through." Earlier this week, the family of George Floyd said that it intended to sue West after he made baseless remarks about Floyd's death. After being restricted on Twitter and Instagram, conservative social media site Parler said West would be purchasing it.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Las Vegas, Oct 22 : As Bharti Airtel rolls out 5G services in select cities in India, Cloud major Oracle is busy helping the telecom operator in its digital metamorphosis, internally as well as externally, to serve its stakeholders and customers better as it transitions from 4G to 5G.

Airtel has launched 5G Plus services in eight cities and users will not need to change the SIM card as the existing Airtel 4G SIM is now 5G-enabled.

Customers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi will start enjoying the Airtel 5G Plus services in a phased manner, said the company, as it continues to construct its network and complete the roll out.

The company promises between 20 to 30 times higher speeds than the current speed, coupled with brilliant voice experience and super-fast call connect.

Prasad Rai, Vice President of Global Strategic Clients Group at Oracle India, told IANS that they have worked very closely with them "to modernise their organisations as they change from the 4G to the 5G worlda.

"Airtel has deployed our Fusion ERP and SCM Cloud solutions that are helping them address some of the challenges such as real-time integration, automation and less scope of collaboration, simplification and agility for the 5G era," Rai elaborated.

In November last year, Oracle and Bharti Airtel announced new Cloud and data centre deals to help boost the digital economy and empower more than 1 million enterprise customers.

To support the increasing demand for cloud services in India, OracleAbegan expanding its India (Mumbai) region capacity with Nxtra by Airtel.

Nxtra by Airtel has the largest network of data centres in India with 12 large and 120 edge data centres across the country and will invest over Rs 5,000 crore over the next four years to expand its capacity by 3X to over 400 MW.

"With its 5G ready network and large investments in digital infrastructure including data centres, Airtel is well positioned to tap the emerging growth opportunities in the enterprise segment as businesses accelerate their digital transformation journeys," according to Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and CEO, Bharti Airtel.

Airtel Business and Oracle now jointly market Oracle Cloud solutions to enterprise customers in the private and public sectors.

With the evolution of 5G, the telcos need to hire the right kind of talent and, therefore "Airtel has deployed Oracle Fusion ERP and SCM to drive productivity and responsiveness", Rai told IANS here on the sidelines of the 'Oracle CloudWorld 2022' event.

With the Cloud ERP and SCM deployments, Airtel has been able to automate manual processes, gain an on-demand 360-degree view of its financial data and streamline procurement and supply chain management.

This has helped transform Airtel's internal operating models to enable its partners and employees to deliver better customer engagement and services as it prepares for a larger 5G roll-out in the country.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)
Mumbai, Oct 22 : Choreographer Bosco Leslie Martis's directorial debut has become the first Indian film to go to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and witness a real life rocket launch.

Bosco said: "It's great pride and honour for our film to witness rocket launch at ISRO. Our film 'Rocket Gang' also follows the ISRO ideology of 'to never let go of your dreams'.

This is a one of a kind event that kids would love to see and bring out the inner child in adults as well. The team will also be seen with Space Kidz India organisation in Chennai. They educate unprivilaged kids about the space science and rockets.

'Rocket Gang' stars child artists from a variety of popular dance reality shows. It showcases the different imaginations of adults and children because we all want to achieve something and kids are the purest souls who believe in their dreams.

The kids will also be interacting with the scientists in these organisations to know how they do research in outer space. This a matter of pride and achievement for the team of the film.

Talking about the film, Neeraj Joshi, Head of Marketing, Zee Studios said: "It's a great opportunity for our film to be associated with ISRO. The support which we have received for the film in the past 3 months has been tremendous." The reel rocket gang will meet real rocket gang and the scientists will inspire and have a conversation with kids who aspire to become space scientists.

'Rocket Gang' hits theatres on November 11.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Kabul, Oct 22 : Taliban forces stormed an Islamic State (IS) hideout in Kabul and killed six terrorists, an Afghan government spokesman said on Saturday.

"Forces of Special Units of Islamic Emirate spotted a hideout of IS militants yesterday (Friday) and arrested two operatives and after that stormed their hideout in Police District 8 as a result six insurgents were killed earlier today," the Taliban-led government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid said in a tweet.

Numerous arms and ammunition including assault rifles, hand grenades, explosive materials and a car have also been seized from the hideout, Xinhua news agency quoted Mujahid as saying.

Some of the dead terrorists were involved in attacks on a mosque in Wazir Akbar Khan and a college in Dasht-e-Barchi districts that left scores of people dead and injured weeks ago.

Mujahid also confirmed that a security personnel had been killed and another injured during the operation.

This is the second operation against the IS in Afghanistan as the Taliban forces in similar operations killed five terrorists in the northern Kunduz province a few days ago.
Islamabad, Oct 22 : Pakistans removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) list of countries would help boost the nations reputation and get a credit rating upgrade from global agencies, analysts said.

Since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) included the implementation of FATF action plans as a structural benchmark, the removal would make it possible for Pakistan to successfully complete the next review of the IMF's Extended Fund Facility, The News reported.

The FATF has delisted Pakistan from the grey list, as expected, but the country would continue to work with the FATF and Asia Pacific Group to improve its anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) framework.

FATF announced this decision after it concluded a two-day meeting in Paris on Friday.

However, in the latest move, the global ratings agency Fitch cut Pakistan's sovereign credit rating by a notch to 'CCC+' from 'B-', citing a further deterioration in the country's external liquidity and funding conditions and a decline in foreign exchange reserves.

The decrease comes three months after Fitch downgraded the country's outlook from "stable" to "negative" and revised down the ranking to B-. Fitch typically does not assign outlooks to sovereigns with a rating of 'CCC+' or below.

The immediate ramification of exiting in the grey list carries reputational implications for Pakistan, whose image was recently further dented by the downgrading of rating by international credit rating agencies like Moody's, said Arif Habib Limited in a note.

"With the international community, investors, in particular, the removal from the grey list is likely to strengthen Pakistan's position, especially with regards to the soundness of our financial systems, and help regain their confidence," The News quoted the note as saying.

"Markets are expected to react positively to this news and overall sentiment is likely to remain upbeat for a while. Moreover, going forward, this should also help strengthen Pakistan's case of re-rating and upgrading by the international credit rating agencies," it added.

The implementation of FATF action plans was also part of a structural benchmark set out by the IMF in March which was met with a delay in June by Pakistan.

This means Pakistan complies with one more structural benchmark of the IMF, paving way for a successful ninth review which is due in November 2022 enabling the disbursement of special drawing rights (SDR) 894 million from the Fund, according to Arif Habib.

Being on the grey list has had direct ramifications on the economic front with different challenges arising during the tenure Pakistan stayed in this category. In terms of crippling trading opportunities to external debt rising, the graduation of the country from the grey list would help overcome these challenges, in the longer run, it noted.

Pakistan's external financing requirements (including current account deficit) for FY2023 is slightly above $31 billion for this fiscal year against expected available financing (including IMF) of around $37 billion, as per the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), The News reported.

"This removal from the grey list should help Pakistan raise external funding without any stringent conditions and also persuade foreign direct investments in the country," it explained.

However, Umair Naseer, an analyst at Topline Securities, does not see any major uptick in foreign direct investment and other capital flows in the country due to Pakistan's removal from the grey list, but the significance of dealing with terror financing and money laundering in the last few years has increased manifold.

"The IMF has also stressed the importance of taking steps against money laundering and terror financing recently as these activities have negative consequences diverting financial flows from economically and socially productive uses," Naseer added.

The country was put on the grey list in 2018 because of increased counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies after being removed from the list in 2015.
New York, Oct 22 : People who have received two or three doses of an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine are significantly more likely to have milder illnesses if infected with the Delta or Omicron coronavirus variants than those who are unvaccinated, according to a study.

The study, involving a team of University of Utah researchers, examined health care personnel, first responders and other frontline workers in the US.

"It's encouraging that the mRNA vaccines hold up rather well against these variants," said Sarang Yoon, assistant professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at University of Utah Health.

"We know that breakthrough cases are more likely with Delta and Omicron than the initial strain, but the vaccines still do a good job of limiting the severity of the infection," Yoon said in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Researchers examined 1,199 participants who developed Covid-19 infections.

Of the participants, 24 per cent were infected with Delta and 62 per cent contracted Omicron, while 14 per cent had the original virus strain.

In the case of Delta, participants who had received two vaccine doses were significantly less likely to be symptomatic than those who were unvaccinated.

In the case of Omicron, the risk of symptomatic infection was similar between participants with two vaccine doses and those who were unvaccinated, while those with three doses experienced a higher risk than the unvaccinated.

The authors noted that, while the study is among the largest of its kind examining Covid-19 vaccines over time and across variants, grouping participants by variant and vaccine status resulted in some combinations with relatively few people, affecting the precision of the findings.

There were also results the authors characterised as "unexpected" among participants who received three doses and had symptomatic Omicron infections.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Surat, Oct 22 : Sejal Malaviya, an AAP corporator in Surat, bit a female security guard when she was being moved out a meeting of the Surat Municipal Corporation's General Board.

The incident took place on Friday during the zero hour of the meeting when BJP leader Amit Rajput tried to raise the oath issue involving Delhi's former Social Justice Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam. This was opposed by the attending AAP councillors, leading to a ruckus.

In response to the ruckus, Surat Mayor Hemali Boghawala suspended AAP corporator Mahesh Anghan from the meeting, after which security guards were ordered to move all the party corporators out.

During this, Malaviya bit the security guard.

Rajput has condemned the act and demanded an apology from the corporator.
Beijing, Oct 22 : China's President Xi Jinping has strengthened his power as leader and elevated his status within the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) history, with major political resolutions announced on the final day of a key political meeting.

On Saturday, the CCP congress approved amendments to its constitution, including the so-called "Two Establishes" and "Two Safeguards", aimed at enshrining Xi as being at the core of the party and his political thought as its underpinning ideology, the Guardian reported.

A list of reappointed delegates also confirmed premier Li Keqiang would be retiring from politics, as well as several other senior party figures.

The President began his closing speech around midday, as party officials announced the confirmation of the amendments, which all but confirmed that the President will remain in power for another term.

Xi, 69, is widely expected to be reaffirmed this weekend as the party's general secretary, paving the way for him to gain a norm-breaking third term as Chinese president.

"Dare to struggle, dare to win, bury your heads and work hard. Be determined to keep forging ahead," he told those gathered.

The week-long conclave sees thousands of CCP delegates, ostensibly representing the hundreds of millions of party members, meet in Beijing, the Guardian reported.

The purpose is largely to rubber-stamp reshuffles of senior party positions and constitutional changes likely decided on long before the meeting began. The meeting is highly choreographed and mostly behind closed doors.

However, shortly before Xi's speech began, former leader Hu Jintao was escorted out of the room, without explanation.

Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has further consolidated his individual power, including spearheading the elimination of term limits in 2018.

Prior to those changes, he would have been stepping down as leader this week, but instead has the potential to be leader for life, the Guardian reported.

Analysts are watching this weekend's events keenly, to see if Xi is also formally given the title of "People's Leader", an honorific not officially used since Mao Zedong.

There has also been speculation that the role of party "chairman" could be reinstated.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Hyderabad, Oct 22 : The decision of Telangana government to derecognise a school in Hyderabad after an uproar over the alleged sexual assault on a four-year-old girl has created uncertainty about the education of 700 children studying at the school.

The parents of these children were worried about their academics as the government proposes to shift them to other recognised schools.

District Education Officer (DEO), Hyderabad was holding meetings with the parents to allay their apprehensions. The parents have mooted the suggestion that instead of derecognising the school, the government set up a committee to run the institution at least for the current academic year.

Education minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy on Friday ordered the DEO to revoke the permission given to the school and accommodate the students in other schools of their choice in the jurisdiction.

Officials had said that students in the school in Banjara Hills would be shifted to the nearby schools taking the parents into confidence. The parents of each student would be requested to identify their choice of school in their vicinity so that officials could make the transfer arrangements.

The education department has asked the management to reimburse the fee paid by the students so that they can be accommodated in other schools.

However, the parents feel that shifting their wards to other schools will upset their academic schedule and they may find it difficult to adjust themselves in new schools.

The sexual assault on LKG student at the school located in Banjara Hills has triggered public outrage. The police on Tuesday arrested driver of the school principal and the next day took the principal into custody for negligence.

The incident came to light after the parents of the victim noticed behavioural changes in her. When enquired, she told them that Rajani Kumar had been sexually assaulting her for last three months. He used to take her from classroom to digital classroom. Sometime, the accused took her to inside room of the school, removed her clothes and sexually assaulted her.

The 34-year-old has been booked under section 376 A and B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 6 read with 5 (m) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Following the protest by victim's parents and others, police arrested principal S. Madhavi. She has been booked her under section 21 POCSO for negligence.

The education minister on Friday also announced a committee of officials to recommend measures to the government to prevent such heinous crimes in schools.

Headed by the Education Secretary, the panel consists of officials from the Education Department, Women and Child Welfare Ministry, and a Deputy Inspector General rank officer working in the women safety wing of Telangana police.

The committee would be asked to submit its report within a week suggesting measures to ensure the safety of girl students. The minister said the government would formulate guidelines based on the report.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan today received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir Abdollahian and the delegation led by him, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Welcoming the Foreign Minister of Iran, Nikol Pashinyan noted.

"Dear Mr. Minister,

Dear colleagues,

I welcome you all in the Republic of Armenia.

First of all, I want to congratulate both you and us on the occasion of the opening of the Consulate General of Iran in Kapan, and I am also happy that the opening of the consulate was carried out under such conditions. I think that this step expresses the mutual intentions of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia in terms of developing relations.

Of course, our agenda of bilateral relations is very full, but I also think that we should place that agenda in the logic of longer-term planning. It is clear that now we are very focused and unfortunately, we have to focus on solving daily operational problems, but on the other hand, I am sure that our attitude towards these problems will be more practical if we have a long term view on everything. I am glad that our dialogue with President Raisi seems to be taking on this kind of logic more and more. I welcome you once again."

The Foreign Minister of Iran said:

"For God's sake, thank you very much. You pointed out very important issues. The meeting between you and Mr. Raisi in New York contained many important issues as well as agreements. Let me convey to you the warm greetings of the President of my country. Mr. Raisi asked me to convey to you and underline once again his invitation to visit Tehran.

Honorable Mr. Pashinyan,

We value relations with our neighboring states, especially with the Republic of Armenia. Today, my colleagues and I visited Armenia to define our long-term road map for both countries with Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the agenda of bilateral relations, referred to economic cooperation. Both sides emphasized the full realization of the existing potential in the field of trade.

The sides exchanged views on regional developments and the security environment. The Prime Minister emphasized the clear assessments of the Iranian side and the close bilateral cooperation in the created situation.

Nikol Pashinyan asked to convey his warm greetings and best wishes to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi.
Chennai, Oct 22 : Director Ra Karthik's feel-good entertainer 'Nitham Oru Vaanam', featuring actors Ashok Selvan, Ritu Varma and National Award winner Aparna Balamurali in the lead, will release worldwide on November 4, 2022, its makers announced on Saturday.

Produced by Rise East Sreenidhi Sagar in association with Viacomm18, the film deals with the positive aspects of a life journey.

The makers believe that the film will endow audiences with refreshing and positive vibes as they walk out of the theatre.

Set in different periods and beautiful landscapes, the film has been extensively shot across Chennai, Chandigarh, Manali, Gobichettipalayam, and Kolkata.

Gopi Sundar has scored the music for this film which has cinematography by Vidhu Ayyanna and editing by Anthony.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
New Delhi, Oct 22 : After an exchange of fire, the Delhi Police apprehended two criminals from Northeast Delhi's Jyoti Nagar area, early Saturday morning.

The accused have been identified as Shakti alias Sonu, 36, a resident of Jawala Nagar and Sachin, 24, a resident of Ashok Nagar.

Shakti has been found involved in 18 criminal cases registered across the city and is also declared "Bad Character" of Mansaro ver police station.

Police said that he was also wanted in a culpable homicide case registered in Jyoti Nagar police station. Sachin is also found previously involved in four criminal cases.

A senior police officer said that the encounter took place at around 2.00 a.m. on Service Road towards Ambedkar College near Loni roundabout in Jyoti Nagar area.

"One criminal received a bullet injury on his leg and he is undergoing treatment at the hospital. One semi-automatic Pistol along with two live rounds, one country made pistol with one live round, two empty cartridges and one bike without number plate were recovered from the spot," said the officer.

Further details are awaited.
Patna, Oct 22 : A day after Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar slammed Prashant Kishor over his "Paltimar" jibe, vice-president of RJD Shivanand Tiwari on Saturday said that the people of the state are now aware of the motive behind his padyatra.

"Initially, I thought that Prashant Kishor (PK) intends to do something different from the Grand alliance and BJP in Bihar but now I have realised that the actual motive of his padyatra is to target Nitish Kumar," Tiwari said.

"I met PK twice when he was working on an assignment to make Nitish Kumar prime minister of the country in 2017. I considered him as a good political strategist but after meeting him for the first time, found the formula of making Nitish Kumar prime minister quite strange," Tiwari said.

"He pointed out that if JD-U and RJD could merge, it would win 48 to 50 Lok Sabha seats of Bihar and Jharkhand having a total of 54 seats (Bihar has 40 and Jharkhand has 14) in the Lok Sabha. He further pointed out that the parties that would come first and second would not form the government in center and as our party (JD-U and RJD) come in third position, it would have a greater chance to form the government. In that case, Nitish Kumar will become the prime minister of the country and the cases on Lalu Prasad Yadav will be closed," Tiwari said.

"It was an extremely fictitious story he mentioned before us. When I told him that it is not possible until Nitish Kumar would not leave BJP and join Grand Alliance. He said that RJD should discuss this matter in the party," Tiwari said.

"When PK expressed his views, I informed our national president Lalu Prasad Yadav at that time he told me to listen to what he said. After the meeting, I informed him that he has given the proposal of JD-U and RJD merger, Lalu Prasad said that the same points were discussed with him as well," Tiwari said.

"PK always takes the name of Mahatma Gandhi. I initially thought that Mahatma Gandhi was a big inspiration for him. I was surprised when he had given front page advertisements when he started the Padyatra from Champaran on October 2 this year. Mahatma Gandhi went alone in Champaran and did the Satyagraha. He never advertised for himself. The way communalism is promoted in the current phase, why he is not objecting to it. Why is he silent on it? I was extremely disappointed after I saw his approach. I realised that he is hiding his real face behind Mahatma Gandhi," Tiwari said.

"Nitish Kumar is fighting against divisive and communal politics in the country and PK is objecting to Nitish Kumar," Tiwari said.

"I learnt that he is expending more than Rs 1 crore per day on his Pad Yatra. He has a special tent for the night stay. Everything is planned in his Pad Yatra. The construction of the tent is taking place in advance at a scheduled place he chose for the stay. Besides, a large number of vehicles are also following him during the Pad Yatra," Tiwari said.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Nairobi, Oct 22 : Two Indians who went missing in Kenya in July this year, have been killed by the disbanded Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) unit, a close aide of President William Ruto claimed.

Dennis Itumbi said in a Facebook post that Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan and his friend Mohamed Zaid Sami Kidwai were part of the Kenya Kwanza digital campaign team, and contributed immensely to the success of Ruto's campaign.

According to The Nation, Itumbi said the evidence suggests that the two were in a cab that was blocked by the disbanded DCI unit.

He further said that Khan, Kidwai and their taxi driver were all dragged into another car and killed in what he called the 'killer waiting bay', a container used to kill Kenyans at a police station in the past.

"After three days, the trio were put in a vehicle and sent towards Aberdares, over 150 km from the capital Nairobi," Itumbi was quoted as saying in The Nation.

A report in The Nation stated that the Special Service Unit (SSU), a group that has been accused of extrajudicial killings, was behind the disappearance of Khan and Kidwai.

"Sometimes when our team was overwhelmed and we needed graphics, I sent (material) their way and they paused whatever they were doing and did me the favour," he said in a Facebook post.

"They visited Mombasa, Homa Bay, (Masai) Mara, nyama choma joints and loved our dance joints too. They invited me to India; I told them I would visit after (the) elections. Their eyes were primarily on enjoying Kenya as much as they could. When they sat down, they produced very appealing content," he added.

Khan, former COO of Balaji Telefilms, and his friend Kidwai went missing 90 days ago along with taxi driver Nicodemus Mwania, a local, from Mombasa Road in July.

A preliminary report handed over to the Inspector General of Police revealed that the three men were last seen when they visited a night club in Westlands, Nairobi, on the night of July 23.

Itumbi's revelation comes against a backdrop of the disbandment of the Special Service Unit (SSU), a group that has been accused of extrajudicial killings.

A total of 21 detectives who served under the unit were summoned to the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) headquarters in Nairobi on Friday.

The IAU handles complaints filed against police officers and recommends punishment for those who are found to have committed professional transgressions.

India has been in touch with the Kenyan authorities on the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in New Delhi last week.
Vadodara, Oct 22 : Taking strong objection to a book 'Pramukh swami Mahima Ashtakam' praising Pramukh swami, a section of Hindu sadhus in Gujarat are mulling filing an FIR against its publisher saying that it "insults" the Hindu deities.

Hindu Sadhu, Sant Samiti president Jyotirnath told IANS that a part of the book -- allegedly published by Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha's (BAPS) -- is in circulation, which insults the Hindu Gods. "Insulting Hindu Gods has become a trend but it will not be tolerated and an FIR will be filed for hurting Hindu sentiments," he added.

"It is unfortunate that political parties and even the so-called Hindu Sangathans, spiritual leaders are tight-lipped on the issue," he said and questioned political leaders and the right-wing organisations on their silence over the issue.

When IANS approached Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha for official comment, they asked for more time to comment.

However, sources from the sect says, BAPS has not officially published any such booklet or prayer book, in which Hindu Gods are insulted.
Panaji, Oct 22 : Facing loss over corrosion of electrical conductors in the riverside villages due to salinity, the Goa government has sought assistance from the Central government for underground cabling.

State Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar on Saturday said that a team of the Central government will visit the coastal state to study the issue.

He added that he brought this issue to the notice of Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh during a two-day conference of power and renewable energy held recently at Udaipur in Rajasthan.

"I placed this (issue) in the conference, at that time the Minister assured me to send a team within one month to visit each and every place of the riverside villages. If this happens then 60 to 65 per cent area of Goa will come under underground cabling," Dhavalikar said.

"If you see our geographical topography then on one side we have Western ghats and on the other side we have Arabian sea along with Mandovi and Zuari river, because of salinity electrical conductors gets corroded," he added.

Environmentalists in Goa had expressed concern that diversion of Mhadei water in Karnataka will impact the salinity in the Mandovi estuary. Goa also has 103-km long coastline.

"We are facing the problem of corrosion of electrical conductors due to salinity. If the underground cabling is done then the government will save huge money spent on replacement of conductors," an engineer from Electricity Department said on condition of anonymity.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 22 : In a case of a suspected murder, a 23-year-old woman's throat was allegedly slit while she was alone at her house in Kannur, the hometown of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Saturday.

A person suspected to be behind the murder was wearing a mask over his head and was allegedly spotted in the locality, said locals.

The incident came to light when the family members of the woman identified as Vishnu Priya had returned from attending a funeral nearby their house. They were shocked to find Vishnu, who works at a local medical laboratory, lying in a pool of blood.

The police was alerted and have launched a probe into the matter.
Ranchi, Oct 22 : A software engineer was gang raped by 10 youth in Jharkhand's Chaibasa town.

On Friday, the victim, along with a male friend, had gone to visit the aerodrome area in Tekratahu, when they were suddenly surrounded by the accused.

Her friend was beaten and was asked to leave the spot, following which the perpetrators took turns to rape her.

The accused also assaulted the victim when she tried to resist and took away her purse and phone.

The victim is a resident of a village under Jhinkpani police station and had been working from home since some time.

When she managed to return home, she narrated the ordeal to her parents, following which the police was informed.

She is currently hospitalised.

Chaibasa SP Ashutosh Shekhar said that the case is being probed and an FIR has been registered against the unidentified accused.

Some youths from neighbouring villages have been taken into custody for interrogation on the basis of suspicion.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 22 : Rozgar Mela, the recruitment drive for 10 lakh people, reflects the Centre's commitment towards the youth of the country, Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan said here on Saturday.

He made the observation while addressing the 'Rozgar Mela' function organised by Southern Railways here.

"The Centre has made the recruitment process faster with the use of the latest technology. This initiative is part of the Centre's efforts to make India a developed nation by 2047 while ensuring the participation of the youth," said Muraleedharan.

"More than 1.5 lakh people got benefitted under Skill India in Kerala in the last three years. The Centre has taken various steps in railway modernisation and railway development. Due to the efforts of Central government, the number of start-ups has increased to more than 75,000 in the last eight years," he added.

The minister also witnessed the live webcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the employment drive.

Appointment letters were handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees across 38 departments during the ceremony at various locations.

Muraleedharan also handed appointment letters to the new recruits at the ceremony.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology & Skill Development Rajeev Chandrasekhar attended the Rozgar Mela event at Kochi.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Ahmedabad, Oct 22 : A man was stabbed to death by his brother over property dispute in Ahmedabad city area of Gujarat. The city police have booked the accused for murder and attempt to murder.

According to the complaint lodged with the Navrangpura Police station, complainant Disha has stated, "My husband Naresh Hemvani had a property dispute with his younger brother Sunil. Sunil wanted to sell out the property in which both families are living separately, my husband disagreed with the idea." She further stated on Friday afternoon, when Naresh was at home, Sunil rushed into his house and started fighting and in anger he stabbed her husband with the knife he was carrying in chest, stomach and shoulder. When she tried to intervene and stop Sunil, he stabbed her thrice in her hands, after which Sunil rushed back into house and even injured himself.

Complainant and her husband both were rushed to a private hospital, where her husband Naresh succumbed to the injuries. She is admitted for the treatment.

Navrangpura police have booked Sunil for murder and attempt to murder and the case is being investigated by Police Inspector A.A. Desai.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Today, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Armenia Andrey Kovatchev, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister highly appreciated the activity of Mr. Kovatchev and the cooperation with the European Parliament, which stems from the interest of the agenda of democratic reforms of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the mediation efforts of the EU towards achieving peace in the region and attached importance to the EU observation mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The interlocutors exchanged thoughts on the course of democratic reforms, regional issues, the situation around Nagorno Karabakh, border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan and other issues. Nikol Pashinyan referred to the issue of Armenian prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons kept in Azerbaijan until now, expressed gratitude to the European Parliament for the resolutions adopted to ensure their return and emphasized the continuous efforts of the Council of Europe in this direction.

Within the framework of the meeting, reference was made to the report to be published by the European Parliament in the near future.
Chandigarh, Oct 22 : Facing criticism, the local administration of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar in Punjab on Saturday refuted the electricity disconnection of the ancestral house of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh situated at Khatkar Kalan and clarified that there is no bill pending.

"In fact, Powercom has an advance bill payment worth Rs 6,760 with them," Deputy Commissioner Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa told the media.

He also made an appeal to a section of the media not to use the name of ancestral house as emotions of lakhs of people are attached with this historic place.

Earlier, Power Minister Harbhajan Singh also clarified that the power connection of the ancestral house or the museum of Shaheed Bhagat Singh at Khatkar Kalan was never disconnected.

Meanwhile, the ancestral house of Shaheed Bhagat Singh has a separate power connection in the name of Department of Cultural Affairs.

Born on September 28, 1907, Bhagat Singh, a source of inspiration for the nation's youth, was hanged in the Lahore Central Jail, now in Pakistan, on March 23, 1931, along with his associates Rajguru and Sukhdev.

His death had inspired thousands of people to join the freedom movement.

Today, a museum in his memory at the entrance of his village, 80 km from Chandigarh on the highway to Jalandhar in Nawanshahr district, speaks about his valour.

During his visit on the freedom fighter's martyrdom day in 2003, former President late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said he was indeed delighted to visit the home of one of the most inspiring and revolutionary freedom fighters of Mother India.
Los Angeles, Oct 22 : As Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is down with dengue, filmmaker Karan Johar has come to rescue and will be seen hosting 'Bigg Boss 16' episodes.

With the festivities round the corner, the 'Bigg Boss' house will turn into 'KJo City'. This 'vaar' will be unique and special because it will be led by the one and only Karan Johar.

Image Source: IANS News

As seen in the previous episode, the 'punished captain' Archana Gautam had a tough time in the house with the whole house trying to sabotage her captaincy. Gori Nagori, who got into a huge fight with Archana, is questioned by Karan Johar on her unacceptable behaviour.

Image Source: IANS News

The host reprimands Gori for being disrespectful to 'Bigg Boss' and asks the whole house if Gori's provocation was done with an intent to hurt.

Image Source: IANS News

Doing 'Saaf Safai' before Diwali is a festive mandate in India and keeping up with the tradition, Karan too does some 'Mann ki safai' in the 'Bigg Boss' style.

Image Source: IANS News

Karan asks everyone to name a housemate who needs 'Mann ki safai' the most. They will be asked to cleanse the contestant whose name they take by spraying water on them.

Image Source: IANS News

In this interesting twist, most of the housemates including, MC Stan, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, and Tina Dutta among others shower a jet of water on Priyanka Chahar Choudhary and mention their reasons for doing so. It will be interesting to watch the aftereffects of this 'safai'.

Switching to a celebratory mode, Karan welcomes the contestants in 'KJo City'.

Image Source: IANS News

Hosting the 'vaar' for this weekend, Karan Johar adds his own tadka to it. He narrates some fun situations on the songs of his films and chooses a few contestants to take over the stage and enact them. Karan calls Priyanka and Ankit Gupta to enact the most iconic 'Channa Mereya' song from his movie 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' but with a twist! While Priyanka plays Ranbir Kapoor, Ankit essays Anushka Sharma.

Ankit surprises everyone with his romantic side as he picks Priyanka in his arms.

Latest updates on Bigg Boss Season 16

-- Syndicated from IANS
New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Union government's Department of Personnel will soon come out with the next installment of appointment letters to meet the target of 10 lakh government jobs in the next few months.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Rozgar Mela - the recruitment drive for 10 lakh personnel via video conferencing on Saturday. During the ceremony, appointment letters were handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees.

Union Minister for DoPT, Jitendra Singh on Saturday promised to the Prime Minister that very soon his department will come out with the next instalment of appointment letters to meet the target of 10 lakh government jobs in the next few months.

In his address at the Rozgar Mela in Delhi, he said, as per the directions of the Prime Minister, all Ministries and Departments are working towards filling up existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in Mission Mode.

Singh distributed appointment letters to 40 out of 532 new appointees assigned to him from Ministries of Defence, Railways, Home, Finance, Communications, Labour, Mines, Information and Broadcasting, Water resources, Department of Space and Banks.

Rest of the letters will be distributed on Saturday itself by concerned departments. The Minister noted that today's lot released by Prime Minister Covers government posts at all levels including Grade-A, Grade-B (Gazetted), Grade -B (Non-Gazetted) and Grade-C.

The Minister said that the 75,000 appointment letters issued on Saturday cover nearly all the Ministries and departments in the government and their beneficiaries are spread across all the States and Union Territories of the country.

Jitendra Singh said, right from the beginning, Prime Minister Modi has given highest priority to the issues and concerns related to youth. He said the Prime Minister has constantly sought to create new avenues and opportunities for livelihood, government jobs and income for the youth.
Mumbai, Oct 22 : Amid the Opposition clamour to declare a 'wet drought' in Maharashtra, former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will go on a tour of the flood-hit regions of Aurangabad on Sunday for a first-hand assessment of the ground situation, his aides said here on Saturday.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, accompanied by others leaders, will go around the farmlands where standing crops of cotton and soyabean, have been badly damaged or completely razed owing to the spells of heavy rains lashing many parts of the district since the past fortnight, spelling doom for the farmers.

Thackeray said that despite the agro-crisis that has darkened the Diwali of the affected farmers, the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has done nothing in the matter.

"Many farmers' lands are still submerged in the flood waters... but the government is rubbing salt into the tillers' wounds by publicly stating there is no need to declare a 'wet drought' in the state," said Thackeray.

After studying the situation, the ex-CM will discuss ways and means of how to ensure government help for the farmers and also how the party apparatus can help the peasantry in crisis, said his spokesperson Harshal Pradhan.
Jaipur, Oct 22 : Two Army officers from Rajasthan were killed following the crash of an Advanced Light Combat helicopter of the Indian Army in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district, officials said on Saturday, adding another jawan -- also from Rajasthan, is still missing.

There were 5 persons including two pilots in the ill-fated helicopter that crashed on Friday.

Major Vikas Bhambu of Jaipur, and Major Zakiuddin Bohra of Udaipur were killed in the crash.

Rohitashv Khairwa, a resident of Khairwa ki Dhani near Posana village in Udaipurwati area, could not be traced even on the second day.

Commanding Officer Nitin Chaudhary called Rohitashv's wife and informed about the accident. He said: "Sorry... we could not save anyone. Search is on for the missing jawans." A few hours before the crash, Khairwa spoke to his wife Subhita on Friday morning and promised to come home after Diwali. He was working in the technical wing of the Army.

The crash took place about 25 km from Tuting headquarters.

Those engaged in the escue operations are facing difficulties due to lack of proper road connectivity to crash site.

The crash took place on Friday morning in Migging village, around 25 km from the district headquarters. The helicopter, which took off from Likabali (in Assam), was on a regular sortie.

Defence spokesman Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat said that the weather was good for resuming the search operations on Saturday.

"The pilots had more than 600 combined flying hours on ALH-WSI and over 1800 service flying hours between them. The aircraft was inducted into service in June 2015.

"Prior to the crash, the Air Traffic Control had received a 'May Day' call suggesting a technical or mechanical failure," he said.
Chitradurga, : Oct 22 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said that Upper Bhadra scheme will be the state's first national project.

Talking to reporters before leaving for Hosadurga function, he said Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has been requested to get the scheme passed by the Union Cabinet.

Once the approval comes through, the grants will be provided to start the work. All efforts are being made in this regard, he said.

The Chief Minister said Tumkur-Davangere railway line project has been reviewed and directions are issued to acquire land for the project. Once this work is done, then all steps will be taken to start the project and necessary funds will be released.

Asked about acquisition of 1.7 acre land for the Upper Bhadra scheme which is due for the last two years, Bommai said few farmers are reluctant to provide land but their grievances will be redressed soon.

On the Cabinet expansion and representation from Chitradurga district, he said he will be going to Delhi soon.
Amritsar, Oct 22 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said the G-20 summit, scheduled to be held in the holy city of Amritsar in March 2023, will promote the state as a preferred destination for business on the international level and it will also provide a stage to the government to showcase its achievements and facilities for setting up new businesses.

Announcing that he will leave no stone unturned to make the event a success, the Chief Minister said this is a golden opportunity when Punjab can be presented as a land of best opportunities and by bringing maximum investment they can create new employment opportunities for the youth.

During a meeting here to review the preparations for the summit, the Chief Minister said leading countries of the world are participating in this summit to be held in March.

He said the state considers itself fortunate to have the opportunity to host this event, in which leading countries from around the world will discuss education and labour and other crucial issues.

The Chief Minister said extensive arrangements will be made for the success of this global event.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister was told that to ensure the success of the event, the holy city will be divided into five major sectors on administrative basis.

Senior officers of the civil and police administration of the state will be posted in these sectors for proper management. During the convention, these officers will be responsible for smoothing the entire work in their respective jurisdictions.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister took the stock of the works to be done to further embellish the structure of the city and said whatever work is being carried out, it should be of best quality, which will benefit the residents of the city for a long time.

Minister of Local Government Inderbir Singh Nijjar and Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh along with Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal were present on this occasion.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister paid obeisance to Sri Darbar Sahib along with Cabinet ministers and greeted the people of Punjab on auspicious Bandi Chhor Diwas and Diwali.
Bengaluru, Oct 22 : Ruling BJP government in Karnataka has granted permission to 10,889 mosques in the state to use loud speakers on Saturday. The police department has issued licence as per guidelines in this regard on the directions of the state government.

A total of 17,850 applications were submitted from mosques, temples and churches for the use of loud speakers. Three thousand Hindu temples and 1,400 churches have also been given permission for the same.

The licence has been given for the period of two years. The government has collected Rs 450 as the fee.

Ruling BJP government took the decision on licensing after Hindu activists raised the banner of revolt against mosques using loud speakers during performing Ajaan violating the Supreme Court guidelines. Hindu organisations had given call to play chants of Hindu Gods and Goddesses from 5 a.m.

Muslim organisations had given a call to the managements of mosques across the state not to violate the rules and follow orders of the state government in obtaining licence to play loud speakers.

The guidelines have also been prescribed for use of loud speakers for mosques, temples and churches. The loud speakers could only be played between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The loud speakers will have to be played in accordance with the limit of decibels. It has been made compulsory to adopt the equipment which controls the decibels.
New Delhi/Kolkata, Oct 22 : A special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Saturday has remanded Sehgal Hossain, bodyguard of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal to seven days of Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in connection with the agency's ongoing investigation into the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal.

Hossain was brought to Delhi from West Bengal on Saturday afternoon. He was escorted by a team of seven security personnel from Asansol Special Correctional Home.

Getting the court permission to take Sehgal Hossain to Delhi was not that easy for ED.

After failing to get permission from the Calcutta High Court, the central agency approached a special court of PMLA at Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi, which on October 17 approved the plea.

However, Hossain's counsel challenged that order of the special court of PMLA at Delhi High Court which too cleared the ED approval.

Finally, the matter reached the Supreme Court that also gave a go ahead to ED on this count.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting a parallel probe into the cattle-smuggling scam, has recently submitted a fresh chargesheet at a special court in Asansol, where the agency has named Mondal as the direct beneficiary of the coal smuggling scam.

The CBI has also underlined the details of the huge assets and property of Mondal and his family members in the charge sheet.
London, Oct 22 : British Indian Rishi Sunak's best chance of becoming prime minister of the UK lies in no other candidate mustering the support of 100 ruling Conservative party MPs -- a minimum condition set by the 1922 Committee, authorised to conduct the election, as a qualifying mark.

That would mean a no contest for the leadership and he would automatically get the top job.

On the other hand, if either former prime minister Boris Johnson or Penny Mordaunt, who was leader of the House of Commons under Liz Truss, who threw in the towel as premier on her 45th day in office, crosses the threshold of support from 100 MPs, then a confirmatory vote by the wider membership of the Conservative party could be an uncertain prospect for Sunak. He lost to Truss at this stage in the summer.

BBC reported on Saturday morning Sunak 'is set to officially enter the race to become the UK's next prime minister'. It had also been indicating since Friday night that he was 'the first to receive the support of 100 Conservative MPs'.

Johnson, who with his family was holidaying in the Caribbean island of Dominica, flew back to London on economy class on Saturday morning. There is growing speculation that he will run. But according to media reports on Saturday afternoon he had not obtained the endorsement of 100 MPs.

Mordaunt formally announced her candidature in Friday evening. But was also said not to have managed the backing of sufficient fellow lawmakers.

Mordaunt was third in that competition earlier this year which was won by Truss.
Japan and the United States will hold joint military exercises from November 10. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense of Japan, reports Reuters.

October 22, 2022, 10:11 Japan and U.S. will hold joint military exercises

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 22, ARTSAKHPRESS: Exercises called "Sharp Sword" are held every two years in Japan. About 36,000 troops, 30 ships and 370 aircraft of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. Armed Forces will take part in this year's exercise, which will last until Nov. 19.

"By demonstrating Japan's and the United States' strong will and coordination, we aim to contribute to defending Japan and securing peace and safety of the region," Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters.

The ministry noted that Canada will send two ships and Australia and Britain will each send one warship to the exercise.

Locations for the field exercises include Japan's southwestern islands, including Tokunoshima, which is closer to Taipei than Tokyo.
Itanagar, Oct 22 : The Indian Army on Saturday paid tributes to the brave hearts of Namka Chu battle, fought on October 20, 1962 against the Chinese. Homage paid to the brave hearts by conduct of traditional military homage at the Surwa Samba War Memorial which was followed by a Namka Chu Run in the sacred battlefield.

Local people wholeheartedly participated in the event. Octogenarian Pem Dorjee, who was a porter with the Army in 1962 and had ferried heavy loads on his shoulders, was felicitated by Senior military dignitaries as a mark of gratitude by the Indian Army.

Defence spokesman Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat on Saturday said that Namka Chu war remained etched in history as an epic battle which was fought under most challenging conditions and overwhelming odds including no road or track connectivity, limited ammunition, practically no artillery support and against an enemy who outnumbered Indian forces and was equipped with superior weapons with good logistic support.

Despite these herculean challenges, the Indian forces fought with such tenacity that even the enemy in their own writings have accepted that they were inflicted with severe damaged and suffered maximum casualties in this battle.

Lt. Col Rawat said that in the month of September 1962 certain isolated incidents had been reported and because of which two battalions of 7 infantry were moved post haste from Tawang while two battalions awaiting de-induction to peace areas after completing difficult tenures were practically deboarded from their trains in Assam and rushed to Namka Chu sector. Ahead of Tawang, the battalions were inducted by only foot from altitude of 6000 feet rising to more than 15000 feet. The chilling winter Nights were spent in the open before occupation of defences along the Namka Chu.

In absence of Artillery support, four guns were airdropped and after which only two could be put in action. The Chinese assault along the Namka Chu against Indian defences which were based on Sangars which are makeshift defences using stones and boulders, commenced in early hours of October 20.

The Indian forces in spite of being heavily outnumbered and facing preponderance of artillery support fought a fierce battle and gave the enemy a bloody nose. Every soldier stuck to his position knowing very well that ammunition was not there for even one day's fighting. True to the traditional valour of the Indian Army the gallant men fought to the Last man Last round. The Nation could not have asked for more, the defence spokesman said.

"The grit and determination of Indian soldiers became very clear to the Chinese and today as the Army secures the borders the Chinese know well what the response of the Indian Army will be in case they think of any misadventure." The Indian response at Galwan was also a refresher for them, Lt. Col Rawat pointed out.

The award of seven Mahavir Chakras, 11 Vir Chakras, 13 Sena Medals and 20 Mention-in-Dispatches to the four battalions -- 2 Rajput, 1/9 Gorkha Rifles, 9 Punjab and 4 Grenadiers bears testimony to the gallantry and grit of the Namka Chu Brave hearts.
Bhubaneswar, Oct 22 : Three tribal women were electrocuted to death after coming in contact with a live electric wire in the forest area of Odisha's Keonjhar district on Saturday, the police said.

The incident took place near Tangiri village under Telkoi police station in Keonjhar district on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as Niradhi Juanga, Kathi Juanga and Manjari Juanga, all from Tangiri village.

According to the locals, the three women had gone to the forest near their village to feed their goats. One of the goats accidentally came in contact with a snapped live electric wire in the forest. In a bid to save the goat, all the three women were electrocuted one after the other, leading to their death. The goat also died on the spot.

After getting information, local police reached the village and recovered the bodies and sent them for post-mortem.

It is being alleged that some people intentionally drew live wire inside the forest to protect their crops from wild animals.
Toronto, Oct 22 : The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which is investigating the deaths of four members of a Gujarati family who froze to death while trying to enter the US illegally in January, has sought public help about the movement of the victims in Canada.

The bodies of Jagdishkumar Patel (39), his wife Vaishaliben (37), daughter Vihangi (11) and son Dharmik (3), were found by the RCMP near Emerson in Manitoba province on the US-Canada border on January 19.

The family were trying to enter the US on foot during the freezing night with a larger group of people from India.

The police, which have been conducting interviews and following up on tips as part of its investigation, said on Friday that the Gujarati family were victims of a human smuggling network which used secure messaging applications to communicate.

According to investigations, the Patel family landed in Toronto on January 12, 2022, via a flight from Dubai. They were picked up from the airport by a private vehicle. They moved a few times while in Toronto, staying at a private accommodation and hotels and used ride-share apps to travel between these various accommodations.

The family left Toronto shortly before they were found frozen to death on the Canada-US border in Manitoba province on January 19.

Police say they don't know how the family travelled from Toronto to Manitoba even though they have verified all air, rail and bus modes of transport between these two locations.

Releasing a video of January 12 showing the Patel family at Toronto Pearson International Airport, the police say, "We have a specific gap in the Patel's timeline between January 15 to when they were so tragically discovered near the border on January 19. We're confident that people saw and helped the family during this time as they travelled more than 2000 km from Toronto to Emerson." "We need these people to come forward and share what they know about the Patel family's journey within Canada. Even the smallest bit of information could be significant. This should not have happened. Four lives, an entire family, are gone. We need the people who have information to step forward, so we can find out what happened and hold those involved to account."
Hyderabad, Oct 22 : Hyderabad police on Saturday arrested a Nigerian for alleged drug peddling.

Hyderabad Narcotic Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) along with Panjagutta police also arrested two interstate drug peddlers.

The peddlers were found selling and in possession of cocaine.

Forty grams of cocaine and eight cell phones, all valued at Rs 5 lakh were seized from the accused.

The Nigerian was identified as Mohammed Toiru Bakari (35), residing in Pune. The other accused Apurva Mataprasad Upadhyay (41) and Ajay Kumar Choupal (18) were residents of Mumbai.

According to police, Toiru Bakari was absconding in a case registered against him NDPS Act at Panjagutta police station.

The investigation revealed that in 2013 he came to India and used to work as a chef at an African restaurant at Mira Road Mumbai. He met drug suppliers at the restaurant and started procuring the drug in small quantity and selling the same to the customers.

As the demand of cocaine in Pune is high and to earn easy money, he moved to Pune in 2017 and started peddling drugs. In 2019 he along with Apurva Mataprasad Upadhyay were arrested by the Narcotics Cell, Customs, Pune for selling and possessing 40 grams of cocaine and was released in 2020.

Since then, they both continued the drug peddling business to the needy consumers of Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad.

For the past 5 years they had been doing this drug peddling. He frequently used to visit Hyderabad to sell the cocaine to the needy consumers and also supplied the same to Upadhyay and Choupal to earn easy money.

Chakravarthy Gummi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad-Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) said they have so far identified five consumers, who were purchasing the drug from the accused.

Investigation was continuing to identify other consumers.

In another case H-NEW along with Golconda Police apprehended one drug peddler.

He was found in illegal possession of MDMA near Ramdevguda, under Golconda police station limits. Total 30 grams of MDMA, one cell phone and cash Rs 3,000 was seized at the instance of the accused.

The accused Alim Khan (27) was working in textile shop in Mumbai and is a native of Uttar Pradesh.

According to police, while working in Mumbai he developed contacts with drug dealers and purchase psychotropic drugs from dealers and was supplying to the needy consumers in Mumbai and Hyderabad. He was frequently visiting Hyderabad to supply MDMA at Rs 15,000 per gram.

As of now drug consumers, who are purchasing drugs from the above accused are identified and the investigation is being continued to identify other consumers.

The police officer said in recent times police noticed several youth and students getting addicted to drugs, committing crime and involving in other anti-social activities. Several families have become victims of this menace.

He appealed to the students and youth not to fall prey to drugs and requested the parents to keep a watch on the activities of their children and feel free to approach police or pass information to police on to curtail such anti-social activities and strive for drug free city.
Kolkata :Protesters participate ia a rally over forceful removal of TET-qualified students from a sit in a potest site on Thursday midnight in Kolkata on Saturday October 22,2022.(Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Kolkata :Protesters participate ia a rally over forceful removal of TET-qualified students from a sit in a potest site on Thursday midnight in Kolkata on Saturday October 22,2022.(Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Kolkata, Oct 22 : A unique protest march was witnessed in Kolkata on Saturday against the late-night police action to remove protesters agitating outside the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) office against the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers in the state.

The protest march convened under the banner of Nagarik Mancha (Citizens' Forum) had intellectuals, educationists, writers and celebrities from the Bengali silver screen in the forefront leading the rally. Senior political leaders from Left Front and Congress were seen following them, but without their respective party flags.

Reputed educationist Pabitra Sarkar, who chose to walk a mile ignoring his age and related ailments, said that this is not a political rally.

"This is a protest of the citizens against the barbaric late-night attack by the police on the protesters agitating in a peaceful and democratic manner," he said.

The other popular faces leading the march included celebrity writer Mandakranta Sen and film personalities like Srilekha Mitra, Badshah Moitra and Debojyoti Mishra, among others.

Following them were two veteran faces of CPI(M) and Congress -- Left Front chairman in West Bengal Biman Bose and senior Congress leader and former leader of opposition, Abdul Mannan.

Biman Bose had his own explanation as to why they chose to remain in the back row.

"This protest call was given by the civil society. We are just supporting the cause of the protest. So, it is natural that those who have given the protest call will be in the front row," Bose said.

Maintaining that the rally had nothing to do with politics, actor Badshah Moitra said, "We felt that it was our moral duty to stand by the protesters. The common people are also with us. The more the state government resorts to such oppressive measures, the stronger will be the protests." Actress Srilekha Mitra said the approach of the state government towards the protesters was as if they had committed some crime by raising voice for their legitimate rights.

"The Chief Minister does not want a voice of protest. The situation has reached such a stage now. We do not want this present regime to continue in the future," she said.

Another unique feature of the protest was, instead of raising slogans, those who were part of the march kept on singing protest songs.
Hyderabad, Oct 22 : Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday sent a postcard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to rollback 5 per cent GST on handloom products.

Rama Rao, who is also state minister for handlooms and textiles, appealed to the people to write lakhs of postcards to the Prime Minister.

KTR, as the TRS leader is popularly known, wrote the postcard to the Prime Minister demanding that the Centre withdraw GST on handloom clothes and raw materials. He asked everyone who is fond of handloom products to join the campaign.

KTR mentioned the significance of the handlooms sector in the struggle for India's freedom, and the history of the handlooms art.

The TRS leader said he brought the issues faced by handloom weavers to the notice of the Central government on multiple occasions but a positive response was not received.

He stated that the Central government which has scrapped welfare programmes for the weavers has imposed GST on the handloom products and raw materials. The minister pointed out that after agriculture, the handlooms sector is the second largest sector to generate employment. He called for rolling back GST on handloom products on humanitarian grounds.

Meanwhile, the TRS leader also urged the Prime Minister to slash the price of petrol to Rs 70 per liter and the diesel to Rs 65 per liter. He said the Centre has earned Rs 30 lakh crore as cess on petrol and diesel and at least now it should provide relief to people.

KTR was addressing a meeting of truck owners and drivers in Munugode Assembly constituency where a by-election is scheduled on November 3.

He recalled that when Modi became the Prime Minister, the price of crude oil was 94 dollars per barrel, and the current price is 98 dollars. "There is not a big difference in the price of crude but petrol which was then priced Rs 70 per litre is today Rs 112 per litre. Why the prices have gone up. Have the state governments increased the taxes," he asked.

KTR said since the Centre has to share its tax revenues with the state, it imposed cess on petroleum products and earned a whopping Rs 30 lakh crore. "Those who increased the prices of diesel and petrol should slash them," he added.
Sriharikota : , Oct 22 (IANS) The UK-based Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb) will be paying about Rs 2,000 crore to the Indian space agency to launch its 72 satellites, said a top group official.

He also said OneWeb's merger with the French satellite company Eutelsat Communications is likely to be completed around April-May of 2023. OneWeb will be a 100 per cent subsidiary of Eutelsat Communications.

Speaking to reporters here, Sunil Mittal Bharti, Chairman, OneWeb said the company will be paying Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) about Rs 1,000 crore for launching 36 satellites with its LVM3 rocket on Sunday at 12.07 a.m.

OneWeb will also use ISRO's another LVM3 rocket in January to launch 36 satellites.

OneWeb plans to have a constellation of 648 satellites in LEO to offer its broadband services across the world.

"Nearly 10 per cent of OneWeb's satellites will be launched by ISRO," Shravin Mittal, Managing Director, Bharti Global said.

Queried about the prospects of sourcing its Gen2 satellites from ISRO, Sunil Bharti Mittal said discussions are on. OneWeb company will look at India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) to orbit some of its satellites as replacements in space.

Queried about any change in constellation configuration following the decision to merge OneWeb with Eutelsat Communications, Massimiliano Ladovaz, Chief Technology Officer, said there is no change in respect of Gen1 satellite constellation.

In the case of Gen2 satellites is being studied on optimum use of Eutelsat Communications' geostationary satellites with that of OneWeb's satellites in LEO.

Ladovaz also said the request for quote (RFQ) for manufacturing of Gen2 satellites will be issued by the end of this year.

Officials of OneWeb and ISRO on Saturday had a meeting where the possibility of ISRO participating was also discussed.

According to Sunil Bharti Mittal, by middle of next year OneWeb will start offering its broadband service mainly focussed on the business-to-business segment.

When asked about the competition, he said the market is big enough to have three or four satellite constellations.

Would not three or four constellations with several hundreds of satellites orbiting in the space increase the space debris, Ladovaz said OneWeb satellites are designed in such a manner that it would not become a debris.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Guwahati, Oct 22 : As a part of the 'Rozgar Mela' initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal handed over the appointment letters to the newly selected youths at Guwahati on Saturday.

Around 200 new appointees from various central government departments including Railways, CBDT, BSF, CISF, CBIC, CRPF, Central bank of India, Postal etc. under the Ministry of Finance, Defence, and Communication were handed over the appointment letters in today's programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal appreciated the initiative of the Prime Minister to generate employment for the youth of the country and said that India is scaling a new height with 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives.

Notably, the Union government has planned to give jobs to 10 lakhs youth in various departments.

In the first phase, appointment letters were handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees across the country, who are prepared to join 38 ministries and departments under the government of India.
New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday claimed that the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) suffered a loss of Rs 6 crore due to irregularities in the collection of parking fees.

The party said that it would write a letter to Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena, urging him to order a detailed investigation and take strict action against the culprits.

"BJP-led MCD gave tender to a company to collect parking fees; people paid Rs 1.5 crore in total but the collected amount never reached MCD. The matter went to the court; the company did not pay the money despite court orders, and the MCD suspended its licence. The owners of that company opened several companies to defraud MCD, and as a result, MCD suffered a loss of Rs 6 crore," AAP legislator Durgesh Pathak said at a press briefing.

He said: "Today is the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras and people of Delhi should know how the MCD got bankrupt on this day. They do not have enough money to pay the salaries. They do not have enough funds to perform their basic duties, despite the fact that they receive tax from people of Delhi for the same." There was a company who was given the tender from MCD to manage the parking lots across the city and to collect the parking fees from the people and to deposit that fees to MCD's exchequer, he said.

However, the company started running the parking lots, although the fees they charged were very high. They should have charged Rs 20, but instead they charged between Rs 40-60 to park a vehicle. After collecting the parking fees, they did not deposit that money in MCD's account, he said.

"The matter reached the court and in 2022, the court ordered the company to pay the money by a certain date and, in case of default, the MCD can blacklist the company. The company did not deposit the money by that date and MCD blacklisted them along with cancelling their licence," Pathak claimed.

He further added: "Although MCD suffered a loss of Rs 1.5-2 crore because the company did not pay the money, the matter should have ended here. But the same set of people who were running this blacklisted company formed another company, and they again got the tender. Earlier where the dues were up to Rs 1.5 crore, now they have reached the amount of Rs 6 crore." Pathak further said the BJP has been ruling in the MCD for the past 15 years. "Is it possible to pull off such a massive act without senior BJP leaders taking bribes in return?" he questioned.

"We will write a letter to the L-G to convey this information. We are optimistic that he will order an investigation in all the matters and take strict action against the culprits," Pathak said while addressing the media.
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Celebrate the Tuesday after Thanksgiving by participating in Giving Tuesday and donating to Hanul Family Alliance. Giving Tuesday is a movement providing millions of people an opportunity to give back to the community. Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday provides a globally recognized platform for people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. This year, Giving Tuesday will be on November 29, 2022, so mark your calendars! Support Hanuls mission on Giving Tuesday, November 29th, 2022 by donating to: bit.ly/hanulgivingtuesday. You can also be part of the movement in its 10th anniversary by tagging your social media posts with #givingtuesday.

WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER DONATING TO HANUL FAMILY ALLIANCES?

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Community Engagement:

 Legal and Immigration: Hanul Family Alliance has been offering citizenship-related programs since 1996.

 Language Assistance: Hanul addresses immigrants struggles with the language barrier through English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

 Tutoring to Improve Literacy Skills: Hanul provides free one-on-one or small group tutoring sessions for adult learners.

For more information about Hanul Family Alliance and how you can get involved, please visit the website at: http://www.hanulusa.org
The Ukrainian authorities, backed by their Western sponsors, have long been using terrorist methods on Russian territory, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said at a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

October 22, 2022, 10:21 Russian envoy blames Ukraine for using terrorist methods on Russian territory

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 22, ARTSAKHPRESS: "There are many examples of that but a terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge was the climax of these activities," he noted.

Nebenzya also pointed to the UNs selective approach to the destruction of civilian infrastructure. "We can see that the UN Secretariat has finally become concerned about the destruction of civilian infrastructure, but unfortunately, in a one-sided manner, as we havent heard a word about the damage that Kiev caused in the past eight years and continues to cause in Donbass," the Russian envoy added.

A truck exploded on the Crimean Bridge on the morning of October 8, causing several fuel tanks of a nearby train to catch fire. Four people were killed in the blast and two spans of the bridges roadway to the Crimean Peninsula collapsed. Head of the Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin described the incident as a terrorist attack conducted by Ukrainian intelligence agencies.
World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY) 2022 "WAICY introduces students to the world of AI, a subject matter that is the most important change force today but is rarely taught in K-12 classrooms. Carnegie Mellon University hosted the first WAICY, and it is an honor to partner with KAUST Academy to celebrate the fifth WAICY."

The World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY), in partnership with the KAUST Academy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced the 2022 WAICY will be hosted by KAUST Academy. The 5th annual WAICY celebration showcases learners from around the world and their AI projects. This year will be the 5th annual WAICY, and the committee expects submissions from students around the world, including the United States, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of Indonesia, the European Union Members, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, among many other countries.

The partnership makes it possible to showcase the ambitious work in AI and AI education by educators and scientists in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and dedicated students and faculty at KAUST Academy. Moreover, this partnership highlights the kingdoms Vision 2030 goals of a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation.

"Through KAUST Academy, KAUST is playing its role in helping meet the ambitious goals of Vision 2030 and transforming the Kingdom into a knowledge-based economy. Artificial Intelligence is one of the core focuses of the Academy, and hosting WAICY at KAUST allows us to encourage the youth and train the future generations of the Kingdom," says Dr. Sultan Albarakati, Director of the KAUST Academy.

Since 2018, WAICY has highlighted the AI projects of children worldwide. The competition requires students to demonstrate hard technical skills in coding and artificial intelligence while encouraging a STEAM approach to AI by engaging the creative nature of children, including set design and creation. Moreover, soft skills such as public speaking and the ability to answer the questions of a panel of judges are developed in preparation for the annual event. There have been over 5,000 submissions across the four years the event has been held. The hybridized format of WAICY introduced during the pandemic also permits more students to participate through online submissions and events. In 2021, entries were submitted from participants in over 30 countries.

"WAICY introduced students to the world of AI, a subject matter that is the most important change force today but is rarely taught in K-12 classrooms. Carnegie Mellon University hosted the first WAICY, and it is an honor to partner with KAUST Academy to celebrate the fifth WAICY." says Roozbeh Aliabadi, Member of the Organizing Committee of WAICY 2022 and CEO of ReadyAI.

The projects will be evaluated by expert judges from fields such as AI, robotics, and education. The rubric is designed to put equal importance on non-technical aspects such as design and project-based learning, as well as coding. The teams with the highest overall scores were selected to win Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in each age division. Additionally, categorical awards, The Five Big Ideas, Visual Design, Audio Design, Theme/Message, Preparation, and Delivery, were given to the teams that scored highest in each category. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony. Andrew Chen, WAICY 2022 Organizer, and Judge.

Submission details, additional information, rubrics, previous examples of entries, and students discussing their WAICY experiences can be found at http://www.waicy.org. While there, explore the three methods of approaching a project submission: artwork-based, program-based, and AI-powered robot-based.

About WAICY: Since 2018, the World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth has inspired students worldwide to learn and use AI to solve real-world problems. WAICY intends to bring AI to students worldwide to spark creative and practical demonstrations of the technology that can ultimately shape our future. http://www.waicy.org

About KAUST Academy: KAUST Academy supports the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 with world-class excellence in blended learning for higher education. KAUST Academy facilitates embedding the ethos of lifelong learning into the design and development process of blended learning. This directly supports the development of knowledge and skills-based society for Vision 2030 and beyond for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Academy.kaust.edu.sa
Gen. Paul Nakasone, a 1986 Saint Johns University graduate, presented the 2022 Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 20 in the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater on the SJU campus. We know that our democratic policy depends on the free and informed choices cast by millions of voters in regularly scheduled and fairly run elections, Nakasone said.

The roll of speakers through 16 years of the Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture includes U.S. Senators, nationally renowned journalists and a former White House Chief of Staff. But perhaps none of the appearances was ever more timely or important than when 4-star Gen. Paul Nakasone 86 returned to Saint Johns University on Thursday (Oct. 20).

Addressing a near capacity crowd of almost 500 people jammed into the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, Nakasone spoke of the conscience and courage hes seen in public life en route from his commission as a second lieutenant through his duties since 2018 as director of the National Security Agency, chief of the Central Security Service and commander of U.S. Cyber Command. Not coincidentally, several front rows were dominated by red-shirted students  ROTC candidates from the Fighting Saints Battalion, just as he was 40 years earlier.

His speech was part homage to McCarthy, a 1935 SJU graduate who served 10 years as a U.S. representative, 12 as a senator and sought the Democratic nomination for president multiple times, and part ode to Nakasones own experience at Saint Johns and the College of Saint Benedict. Perhaps his most important statements, however, addressed the security of the coming Nov. 8 elections and perhaps deserved a much broader audience.

Nakasone cited McCarthys courage in opposing the potential re-election of President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. Against the backdrop of the growing war in Vietnam, civil disturbance, the assassination of Martin Luther King, McCarthy went against the will of some in the Democratic party to give the voters a choice. As a result, Johnson withdrew from candidacy for a second term and the escalation of the war ended.

McCarthy was not selected as the candidate to succeed Johnson and, in any case, Richard Nixon took the oval office for the following term. But Nakasone echoed that McCarthys stance was not in vain.

He did not go along to get along, Nakasone said. He changed history, as a result. I see the task of our nations military in preserving the space for people like Senator McCarthy and each of you to stand on principle when conscience dictates. Regardless of party or creed, that freedom and that space are worth defending.

Safeguarding democracy

McCarthy served in the Army as a codebreaker during World War II. Ironically, Nakasone said the primary responsibilities of the NSA and Cyber Command are to make code and break code, which they are doing in support of allies in conflict around the world and to safeguard democracy in America.

We know that our democratic policy depends on the free and informed choices cast by millions of voters in regularly scheduled and fairly run elections, Nakasone said. This insight drove Senator McCarthys stand in 1968, when he put a choice to the voters in his party. We would not be here to commemorate his memory and service if the 1968 primaries had been rigged to favor one candidate or shaped by foreign influence.

We have seen in recent elections that foreign actors have indeed sought to exert covert influence to convince Americans to distrust election returns. Election security is an enduring, no-fail mission. Although we have not seen foreign manipulation of ballots and vote counting, we remain vigilant for such possibilities. This effort remains our top priority through the elections until the votes are certified.

Nakasone admitted, however, that adversary states and their proxies are trying to flood social media platforms with fake commentary about our politics. The defense is to work with international partners, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to assist state and local authorities to ensure elections run smoothly.

As a result of this collaboration, our 2018 and 2020 elections ran without foreign interference, Nakasone said. And we will ensure that coming elections will not be disrupted.

Well-decorated Johnnie

Nakasone, a native of White Bear Lake who majored in economics at SJU, holds graduate degrees from the U.S. Army War College, the National Defense Intelligence College and the University of Southern California. He has held command and staff positions across all levels of the Army with assignments in the United States, the Republic of Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan and received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, among other awards and decorations. He served twice as a staff officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Wearing his dress uniform and a huge array of service ribbons on his left breast, he warned that the rise of technology has brought with it increased threats.

When I graduated from college and became an officer, our national security focus was on the Soviet Union, said Nakasone, flanked inside and outside the venue by uniformed law enforcement and plainclothes security detail. Communist leadership in Moscow controlled a massive nuclear arsenal but ran a second-rate economy and held a moribund ideology. The Cold War ended three decades ago, of course  and the era where America enjoyed unmatched technological, economic and military strength has ended. Our time is defined by strategic competition.

Nakasone said Russia is still an acute threat, and Iran, North Korea and others continue to threaten lives and liberties in many regions. He said that makes it tougher to solve issues like corruption, the drug trade, human trafficking, cybercrime, disease and climate change. He identified China as the only competitor with both the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to advance that objective.

He noted the absence of the Internet as we know it when he was in college, and how the students in the audience before him could not remember life without laptops, cellphones, social media and global connectivity  often wirelessly.

You are living with stuff that was literally science fiction when I was at Saint Johns, said Nakasone, who added that the most important technological development he knew as an undergrad was the ability of the dorm telephones in Collegeville to sound two short rings to denote a call inbound from the College of Saint Benedict.

After great laughter from the audience, he said That sound got more attention than a fire alarm.

Cybersecurity safeguards more than elections

Today, Nakasone said, cybersecurity is as important to society as power lines and water supply  and often controls those and many other aspects of the world in which we live. And that extends to our elections, where foreign adversaries try to divide Americans against each other and sow lingering distrust in democracy.

They threaten to shake that freedom of conscience that Senator McCarthy defended, said Nakasone, who leads 40,000 civilian and military personnel in the NSA and another 20,000 in Cyber Command. As we see in Ukraine, this connectivity is changing the course and character of war.

Intelligence work carries a reputation of working in the shadows. But with cybersecurity, weve had to shift how we think about sharing intelligence. Rather than waiting until an attack happens, we now work with foreign powers to mitigate the potentially catastrophic damage from these attacks. This is why we stay constantly engaged with our partners, to stop attacks before they occur.

Nakasone, who is married and has four children, was making his second visit to campus in as many years. He delivered a commencement address and received an honorary doctorate degree in 2021. Active with the D.C. alumni chapter, he has commissioned two ROTC graduating classes, and was the recipient of an Alumni Achievement Award from SJU in 2016.

He said he chose Saint Johns in part because everyone he met who attended the school called themselves a Johnnie, even after they graduated. He said hed like to go back and re-live his education, and that his closest friends and associates today still come from his time at SJU.

I always look forward to a visit here, said Nakasone, whose visit helped highlight Family Weekend at CSB and SJU. These halls and grounds are indeed special to me. My years here were a time of tremendous growth for me, and my classmates and friends. They left a lasting and happy impact on us.

Urges others to follow McCarthys example

He closed his remarks by urging the audience to remember McCarthys example, who listened to his conscience when it told him that his country ranked ahead of partisanship. He swore an oath to the Constitution, just as all the soldiers in the NSA, Cyber Command, the armed forces and federal government have done.

Our oath matters, Nakasone said.

So does leadership by integrity.

Its the foundational piece of all good leaders, Nakasone said. Your word is your honor. You mean what you say and the audio and video match.

I urge you to make every effort to listen to others. Converse with them and make sure everyone is part of that conversation. Public service and civil society are inseparable. Remember that a difference of opinion does not make someone your enemy.

He cited the Rule of Benedict, adding no one is to pursue what he judges better for himself but instead what he judges better for someone else.

Thats good advice for both a monastery and our own communities, Nakasone said.

The annual McCarthy Lecture, sponsored by the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement, carries forward the former U.S. Senator and presidential candidates deep commitment to the ideals and principles of democratic self-government. It seeks to inspire a new generation of young people to pursue fresh ideas, to challenge the status quo, to effect positive change in their communities and, like McCarthy himself, lead with honesty, integrity and courage.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Domaine Chandon, Inc., call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The San Francisco employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Domaine Chandon, Inc. violated the California Labor Code. The Domaine Chandon, Inc., class action lawsuit, Case No. 22CV001128, is currently pending in the Napa County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

The complaint alleges Domaine Chandon, Inc. failed to pay employees for all the time they were under the employer's control. This, allegedly, includes the time Plaintiff and other California Class Members had to submit to mandatory COVID-19 symptom questionnaires and temperature checks prior to clocking in for the day. To the extent that the time worked off the clock did not qualify for overtime premium payment, Defendant allegedly failed to pay minimum and overtime wages for the time worked off-the-clock.

Additionally, the complaint further alleges employees were from time to time interrupted by work assignments during off-duty meal or rest periods. Defendant knew or should have known that Plaintiff and other California Class Members were working off-the-clock and were not being paid their correct minimum wage and overtime compensation.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against Domaine Chandon, Inc., call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.

***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT***
Stratus is in a period of rapid growth, and we are looking for people who are ready to join our family start their own businesses."

Stratus Building Solutions, the nation's leading green commercial cleaning and janitorial services franchise, is exited to announce it will be in attendance for The Franchise Show in Atlanta from October 22-23. The Franchise Show is Atlantas largest own your own business event and features franchises from across the country.

Stratus Building Solutions is an industry-leading franchise in green commercial cleaning that uses state-of-the-art cleaning equipment, sustainable processes, and biodegradable and non-toxic branded cleaning chemicals. With more than 2,500 units across the U.S. and Canada, Stratus specializes in everything from carpet and window cleaning to hard-floor care and disinfecting.

Stratus is in a period of rapid growth, and we are looking for people who are ready to join our family start their own businesses, said Rob Lancit, Stratus Building Solutions Vice President of Franchise Development. This Atlanta event will give us a chance to show what sets Stratus apart. I joined the company earlier this summer and I truly believe we have a solid mission and incredible leadership team.

This years Franchise Show is a two-day event and will take place at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia. Admission is $10 for two adults and includes a chance to meet and talk one-on-one with leaders of some of the hottest businesses in the country.

Stratus Building Solutions offers regional Master Franchise opportunities that enable owners to operate as local sales and support centers. Master Franchisees across the United States and Canada help others uncover the potential of the Stratus Building Solutions Unit Franchise opportunity and choose the specific model and investment that fits their lifestyle and financial goals.

For more information on Stratus Building Solutions franchising , visit https://www.stratusclean.com/franchise.

About Stratus Building Solutions

Stratus Building Solutions is an international franchise company in the commercial cleaning industry, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Stratus was developed to provide environmentally friendly commercial cleaning services driven by dedicated, entrepreneurial, small-business owners and regional support offices. Stratus has over 2,500 unit-franchisees in 60 major cities across the United States and Canada. Stratus is setting new standards in the building services and maintenance franchise industry by being the first to offer green janitorial products with their proprietary Green Seal Certified line of cleaning chemicals. To learn more about franchising opportunities, visit https://www.stratusclean.com/.
The Sweet Wines of Bordeaux are pleased to announce their return to the US with various opportunities for participants to learn about and taste their wines at promotional events through wine and food pairings led by experts in the field.

The Union des Vins Doux de Bordeaux is an association of four organizations, ODG des Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieurs, ODG des Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux et Cadillac, ODG des Liquoreux de Bordeaux, and ODG des Cotes de Bordeaux Saint Macaire, that ensures the protection of origin and quality standard of the sweet wines produced in 8 appellations of the Bordeaux region: Bordeaux Moelleux, Bordeaux Superieur, Cadillac, Cerons, Cotes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire, Loupiac, Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, and Sainte-Croix-Du-Mont.

Seven will be the appellations participating in the US promotional tour, such as Bordeaux Moelleux Cotes de Bordeaux de Saint- Macaire, Cadillac, Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Cerons, Sainte-Croix-Du- Mont and Loupiac.

The tour started on Monday 17th October in Dallas with a lunch at Blind Bishop & Dallas Wine Center where the Sweet Wines of Bordeaux were paired with a traditional American BBQ menu. The event was hosted by Dilek Caner, Master of Wine, a title currently held by 417 people around the world and only by 54 people in the US.

On Wednesday, October 19th, The Sweet Wines of Bordeaux were the protagonists during a lunch held at The Art of Cellaring, a collective business aimed to create a community where oenophiles can gather to learn about wine, talk about wine and share wine in Houston, Texas. This event featured a wine and BBQ food pairing led by Brandon Kerne, Director of Operations. He passed the Master Sommelier exam in 2021, becoming the 270th individual since 1973 to pass this rigorous examination.

On October 20th, the tour will continue in Los Angeles with a lunch at the Rustic Kitchen Restaurant & Wine Bar and led by spokesperson Monica Marin. Here the Sweet Bordeaux wines will be paired with an American fusion cuisine. Monica Marin, the Director of WSET & WSG Education Programs at The Wine House, manages the two certification-level programs: WSET and the Wine Scholar Guild (WSG). Currently is a Master of Wine candidate.

After Los Angeles, The Sweet Wines of Bordeaux will be present in New York with a lunch and dinner at the Yoon Haeundae Galbi, on October 24th. For these events Laura Williamson , MS, prior Beverage Director and Chef Sommelier for a Michelin Three-Star, New York Times Four-Star Restaurant in NYC , will guide participants through a wine and food pairing featuring a Korean menu

The Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines partakes in these events as apart of The Charming Taste of Europe a three-year campaign started in 2021 promoted by the Vini d Abruzzo consortium and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines, along with fruit producers in Greeces Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP) and Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria (Agios Loukas), co-financed by the European Union.

To learn more about The Charming Taste of Europe Campaign, visit charmingtasteofeurope.eu, Pages dedicated to The Charming Taste of Europe'' can be found on all main social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The participating Consortia invites everyone to join the social media campaign using the hashtag #charmeu.

About the Charming Taste of Europe:

Europe, a place with timeless charm, is the birthplace of some of the highest-quality products in the world. The Charming Taste of Europe is a special project that introduces exquisite specialties to the United States and Canada, such as Italian and French wines, and fresh fruits from Greece, that showcase Europes charm, beauty, culture, history, art, heritage and unmistakable tastes.

The mission of the Charming Taste of Europe, co-funded by the European Union, is to increase awareness of the merits and quality standards of select European wines and fresh fruits with promotional activities in the competitive markets of the U.S. and Canada. The Charming Taste of Europe is promoted by the Consortium for the Protection of Wines of Abruzzo, the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP), the Agricultural Cooperative of Rachi Pieria Agios Loukas and the Union of Sweet Bordeaux Wines. These European agricultural products, famous around the world for their outstanding qualities, will continue to be promoted with initiatives and events for consumers, journalists and trade professionals. For more information visit charmingtasteofeurope.eu

To Follow The Charming Taste of Europe Campaign:

Website: charmingtasteofeurope.eu

Facebook: @CharmingTasteofEU

Instagram: @charmeu_usa

YouTube: The Charming Taste of Europe

Hashtags: #thecharmingtasteofeu and #charmeu

The content of this promotion campaign represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains
Vitaae is a new tool to help the body tame the neurological inflammation that is often responsible for this response naturally.

Today, SANESolution is announcing an innovative supplement called SANE Vitaae to support the bodys ability to naturally combat throat phlegm is available on Amazon. With throat phlegm a common and irritating feature of allergies, viral infections, chronic cough, and other conditions, Vitaae is a new tool to help the body tame the neurological inflammation that is often responsible for this response naturally.

While this product does not address this in any way specific viral infections, it is medically formulated to help the bodys natural ability to reduce the brain-based inflammation that often contributes to chronic cough or throat clearing due to excess phlegm production.

Chronic cough is a rapidly growing and troubling clinical problem, said the Chief Medical Director at SANESolution, Matthew Olesiak, M.D. But there is extensive scientific evidence that it may involve neuroinflammation orchestrated by glial cells of the nervous system that can trigger excess throat phlegm and resulting cough. (1)

Glial cells are key drivers of neuroinflammation in disease, both acutely and in the maintenance phase that leads to chronicity. In the case of viral infections, for instance, the infection activates microglia cells, causing brain inflammation as well as synucleinopathy, which can spread through the vagus nerve to other parts of the brain. (2)

The science is clear that neuroinflammation can negatively impact your mental health, as it can lead to brain fog, memory lapses, and other symptoms of cognitive dysfunction, said Jonathan Bailor, Founder, and CEO of SANESolution. But brain inflammation does more than just cause cognitive impairment. The latest groundbreaking research shows that it may underly obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, chronic cough, excess throat phlegm, and even heart disease. (3, 4, 5)

The Chief Medical Director at SANESolution, Matthew Olesiak, M.D., added,

To protect the health of the brain and the body, it is important to take proactive steps to prevent neuroinflammation, including regularly taking a supplement that supports brain health. This is why Vitaae was created.

Citicoline is at the core of Vitaae. In clinical research trials, citicoline significantly increased brain energy levels, attention, and motor speed. Citicoline is a chemical that occurs naturally in the body, and studies indicate it may increase phosphatidylcholine, a brain chemical essential for proper brain function. (6, 7)

As part of his research, Dr. Olesiak also identified several other nutrients that support the brain's natural inflammation response, as well as overall brain health and function  including folate, acetyl-l-carnitine, and coenzyme Q-12 (CoQ10)  which he also included in the supplement to provide people with a complete multi-factor brain health formula.

Dr. Olesiak further noted, Science has shown us that there is something we can do to help the body naturally relieve the chronic cough and excess throat phlegm plaguing so many people today. Vitaae combines the most potent and effective grade brain-health nutrients into a formula that has shown to help support the bodys natural recovery systems maximally.

Now available for purchase on Amazon nationwide, Vitaae is the breakthrough health product of 2022 as it optimizes the bodys natural recovery response to brain inflammation while also supporting overall brain health, thus helping the body to recover from symptoms like excess throat phlegm, chronic cough, brain fog, and cognitive dysfunction.

For more information or to purchase Vitaae on Amazon, visit: https://www.amazon.com/Vitaae-Cognizin-Citicoline-Memory-Supplement/dp/B08GQDW8V8/

###

About SANESolution:

SANESolution is a wellness technology and metabolic healing company dedicated to ending the Diabesity (diabetes plus obesity) epidemic. Backed by 1,300 clinical studies and thousands of success stories, SANESolutions metabolic healing framework and model is the only program of its kind endorsed by top doctors, scientists, and researchers around the world, and is the subject of New York Times best-selling books, and award-winning documentaries. Started as a not-for-profit research project by a ten-year Microsoft alum, Jonathan Bailor, SANESolution has transformed into a trusted international wellness brand focused on reversing the most common and devastating modern diseases. Using the latest innovations in biochemical research and a service-first story-based marketing approach to reach, lift up, and educate consumer health choices, SANESolution is changing the world of wellness by helping everyone from the underprivileged to the Fortune 500 CEO to regain their SANEity one new SANE consumer at a time. SANESolution was inducted into Inc. 5000s list of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America for 2020. For more information, visit: https://store.sanesolution.com

SANE Vitaae Ingredients:

Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol)

Folate (as 5-MTHF from Calcium Methyltetrahydrofolate)

Acetyl L-carnitine HCL

L-Carnitine Tartrate

Gymnema sylvestre Leaf Extract 25% Gymnemic Acid

Omega-3 Fish Oil Miroencapsulated (9% EPA, 6% DHA)

Citicoline Sodium (CDP-Choline)

CoQ10 (as HydroQsorb)

Other ingredients: Gelatin, magnesium stearate, silica, and rice flour.

Scientific References

1- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32646920/

2- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33796241/

3- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286316304624#f0010

4- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22417140/

5- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32646920/

6 - Silveri MM et al. Citicoline enhances frontal lobe bioenergetics as measured by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy. NMR Biomed. 2008;21(10):1066-75

7 - McGlade E. et al., Improved Attentional Performance Following Citicoline Administration in Healthy Adult Women. Food and Nutrition Sciences. 2012;3:769-773.
From being the sick man of Asia at the turn of the 20th century to its current wolf warrior status, China has indeed travelled a long way

Ever wondered why a once-in-five-year opaque jamboree called the National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) generates so much of media attention around the world. The 20th such event since the CPC was founded on July 23, 1921, concluded in Beijing on Saturday.

Why, like Kremlinology, has Zhongnanhaiology also become a fine art with copious amounts of TV time, reams of newsprint and aeons of digital characters being expanded trying to figure out the predilections of rather inscrutable Chinese gentlemen?

For the simple reason that what China has achieved in terms of the horizontalisation of its economic prosperity in the past four decades has been nothing short of a miracle. From being labelled as the sick man of Asia at the turn of the twentieth century to its current wolf warrior status, China has indeed travelled a long way.

If the maxim that money makes the mare go around has a ring of truth to it then China fits the description aptly. For economic success has enabled not only the modernisation of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) but has also facilitated China to regurgitate its questionable historic claims in the territorial and maritime domains.

The genius of the CPC lies in the effortless ease with which it became the logical inheritor of the many dynasties that ruled China beginning with the Xia dynasty in (2070-1600 BCE) to the Qing dynasty (1644-1912 CE).

For this uninterrupted run of dynasties over two millenniums encompassing the Xia Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Wei, Shu, Wu, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and finally culminating in the Qing dynasty gave China two central characteristics, a strong sense of centralism that power should be vested in a strong central government as well as a sense of self in terms of a conviction that China is the Middle kingdom and all states on its periphery are tributary states. Moreover, the truism that China was ordained with the divine right to rule over All under Heaven made its omniscience even more entrenched. Two contradistinctive impulses, Confucianism and Legalism, dating back to 207-233 BCE are still shaping Chinese political thought and statecraft though they are veneered over by Marxist Maoism.

It was this strong sense of centralism that allowed the CPC, modelled on the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and more so, Mao Zedong, to concentrate all power in his own hands and put it to rather disastrous use with devastating consequences for the Chinese people after defeating the Kuomintang (KMT) of Chiang Kai-shek in 1949.

It was this same deference to central authority that allowed Deng Xiaoping to undertake transformative changes and it is the same obsequiousness that has again allowed Xi Jingping to dismantle the four-decade-old system of checks and balances created and nurtured by Deng Xiaoping and his successors.

These checks included limiting the tenure of party apparatchiks at the apex level to two five-year terms to ensure that power is not abused and excesses perpetrated by the notorious Gang of Four during the cultural revolution are never repeated.

However, Xi Jinping has succeeded in demolishing all those elaborate mechanisms aforementioned and in securing an unprecedented third term. In ruthlessness reminiscent of Mao Zedong, he has purged all his rivals in what is euphemistically termed as party rectification drives.

Mr Xi's opening speech at the week-long quinquennial congress focused incisively on the need to cleanse the party to achieve Chinas centenary goal of becoming a great modern socialist nation. Mr Xi is not looking for accommodation with his peers, either within the party or even globally. His is a quest for total obedience to a personality cult that has been carefully created and nurtured in the past decade.

The congress is just the visible rostrum of Chinese politics  a grand and choreographed extravaganza. Backstage is where the deal making happens. Dehors a contingency, everything that plays out at the party Congress is already pre-gamed. Long-owed IOUs are collected; intimidation, inducement, influence, allurement and maneuvering underwrite the endgame. Confabulations among movers and shakers of the CPC in the coastal town of Beidaihe in August mark the grand finale of this process of internecine and exhaustive machinations.

Xi Jinping was appointed as general secretary of the party at the 18th congress in 2012 then became chairperson of the Central Military Commission and President in 2013. He has since made numerous changes including enshrining "Xi Jinping thought" in the Chinese Constitution. Ten years down the line, he faces seminal challenges; the economy has slowed down to a four-decade low threatening to undermine the CPCs fundamental compact with the Chinese people, i.e., a better standard of living in exchange for surrender to party hegemony. His Covid-19 strategy, exacting in its conception and utterly severe in its implementation, has further augmented pressure on the economy, already facing unprecedented global headwinds.

In his address to the 20th congress, Mr Xi acknowledged that China faces dangerous storms by way of an embattled economy due to Covid, high energy prices, and external pressures such as the Ukraine war. What is significant though is that Mr Xi's speech, and the final work report, had a strong emphasis on security and stability. First, Mr Xi reiterated his rhetoric on Taiwan stating that China would not shy away from using force to incorporate Taiwan into the Republic. Second, in a warning to the West, he berated interference by external forces in Taiwan, insisting that Taiwan is a Chinese matter to be resolved by the Chinese. Contrast this with earlier sessions of the CPC  in 2012 and 2017  where economy, innovation and reform were the principal swansongs.

Apart from rehashing a range of old bromides, Mr Xi's speech had little on the much-touted Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), perhaps signalling a dampening of interest in that enterprise. Instead, the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Development Initiative (GDI) put forward by Mr Xi in April 2022 and September 2021, respectively, were the showstoppers.

For India, this 20th congress and Mr Xis third term means a more security-obsessed China. This is evidenced by the showcasing of PLA commander, Qi Fabao, involved in the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020 at the Congress. As the Chinese economy slows further, Mr Xi could use tensions with India and its suspect historical claims in the maritime domain to stoke the genie of nationalism. An apparition that is once out of the bottle is difficult to re-cork again. India and Chinas other neighbours could be in for a rough ride.
Harry White smiles during a photoshoot at the Atrium at Flemington racecourse in 2013. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)

The Australian sporting community is mourning the tragic death of champion jockey Harry White.

One of Australia's most gifted jockeys who rode four Melbourne Cup winners, White has died at the age of 78.

'VERY NASTY': Horse racing world stunned by jockey's shock act

'DISGRACEFUL': Official's act against Kentucky Derby winner sparks outrage

A member of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, White teamed up with Bart Cummings for three of his four Melbourne Cup triumphs.

He rode Think Big (1974 and 75) and Hyperno (1979) to victory for the legendary trainer.

White also rode Arwon, trained by George Hanlon, to victory in Australia's great race at Flemington in 1978.

Alongside Bobby Lewis, White shares the record for riding the most winners in Australia's greatest thoroughbred race.

The Victoria Racing Club paid tribute to White, who was admired as a master tactician in staying races during a golden era of racing.

"White is revered as one of Australia's greatest jockeys," a VRC statement said.

VRC Chairman Neil Wilson described White as one of the best jockeys Australia has ever seen.

Harry had an intuitive touch with a horse and a remarkable ability to get them to settle and perform at their best," Wilson said.

Harry White with Peter 'Crackers' Keenan at Roy Higgins' public funeral service in 2014. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)

He rode in a golden era of jockeys and emerged as not only one of the most successful, but one of the most well-liked to ever compete at Flemington.

He enjoyed a competitive rivalry with Roy Higgins throughout the late 1960s and 1970s which included one of the great finishes in the Melbourne Cup in 1979 with Harry on Hyperno narrowly beating Roy on Salamander.

He had a strong association with the legendary trainers Bart Cummings, George Hanlon and Angus Armanasco  all fellow members of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame  and was loved by everyone in racing.

His popularity accompanied him into retirement which saw Harry gift his entire trophy collection to the VRC and set up the Harry White Trust to assist people in the racing industry in need.

Story continues

The VRC extends its condolences to Harrys children Dean, Brent and Karen."

Harry White rides Think Big at the Melbourne Cup in 1975. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Racing world reacts to news about Harry White

In a riding career that spanned 35 years, White rode more than 2000 winners and was crowned Melbourne's champion jockey on four occasions.

His resume also included Caulfield Cup wins on Sobar and Ming Dynasty.

He also rode Rubiton to victory in the 1987 Cox Plate.

White retired from riding in 1995 and was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.

"Terribly sad news," tweeted racing pundit Shane Anderson.

"A lovely man who was a master in the saddle. Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee, 2,112 career wins including 69 Gr1s.

"Four-time Melbourne Cup winner, great partnership with Bart Cummings and others. Icon."

Legend, RIP Harry  Hassa (@Hassaman05) October 21, 2022

On behalf of the AJA we would like to send our condolences to the White family, Harry was a Champion jockey but he was also a lovely man, very sad news today. RIP One of the greats Harry White   Aust. Jockeys Assoc. (@JockeysAssoc) October 21, 2022

Very sad to hear this, I had many mornings drinking coffee and talking racing with Harry in the feed room at Pat Bourkes stables, he was a great help to me  John Scorse (@JohnScorse) October 21, 2022

My heart goes out to his family and friends   paulcolaci (@paulcolaci) October 21, 2022

One of the best riders for distance racers and rode for probably the best 2 trainers of stayers in Bart Cummings and George Hanlon.  The_CricketUmpire (@Jamal_UmpireWA) October 21, 2022

Harry White Rest In Peace  he absolutely brought the best out in Hyperno - 1979 Melbourne Cup winner ( & Bart ) #RIPHARRY pic.twitter.com/ekAgSKKl7t  RIVERBANKFARM (@riverbankfarm1) October 21, 2022

RIP HARRY WHITE

51 G1 winners (plus 23 that have been upgraded)

4 Melbourne Cups (Think Big 1974/75, Arwon 1978, Hyperno 1979), joint record-holder with Bobby Lewis

1987 Cox Plate (Rubiton), 1977 Caul Cup (Ming Dynasty), etc, etc.

Simply, one of Australias greatest ever jockeys. pic.twitter.com/0P54lQJiZI  Form Focus (@FormFocusHQ) October 21, 2022

Extremely sad news overnight with champion jockey Harry White passing away. Condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/RCBq7yNe2M  Andrew Bensley (@AndrewBensley) October 21, 2022

with AAP

Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.
DEAL OF THE WEEK

Nixs Adult Debut Goes to Harper David Pomerico at Harper Voyager paid six figures for North American rights to Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Puppet Sorcerer by Garth Nix, in an exclusive submission. Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management handled the deal for Nix, an internationally bestselling author known for his childrens and YA fantasy novels. The upcoming collection, Grinberg said, compiles for the first time eight stories featuring Sir Hereward (knight, artillerist, swords-man, mercenary for hire, and ill-starred lover) and Mr. Fitz (puppet, sorcerer, lore master, practitioner of arcane arts, and wielder of sorcerous needles), and follows the pairs travels in a treacherous world of magic, gunpowder, and adventure. The collection will also feature an original story, The Field of Fallen Foes. Publication is slated for summer 2023.

St. Martins Buys Levingss Memoir

St. Martins Press executive editor Eileen Rothschild acquired world English rights from Trinity McFadden at the Bindery to A Well Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy. In the memoir, Tia Levings describes growing up in a fundamentalist evangelical

culture and enduring church-sanctioned domestic abuse. After breaking loose from the church, St. Martins said, Levings became an activist for those affected by religious trauma, exposing the realities of Christian fundamentalism. As a writer, creator, and content specialist, she explores the female narrative in patriarchal spaces. In spring 2023, Levings will appear in an Amazon Prime documentary on the Institute of Basic Life Principle, which some former members charge is a cult. A Well Trained Wife is set to be released in winter 2024.

Kelly Tells Everything to Holt

In a preempt, Henry Holt executive editor Serena Jones bought North American rights to Tell Me Everything, a coming-of-age memoir by film and television actor Minka Kelly. The publisher described the book as a gripping memoir of family, forgiveness, and the importance of finding inner strength. Though Kelly seems to have a glamorous life, Holt said, its far from painless. The desire to tell my story on my own terms felt important, Kelly explained. Most of all, my book is a tribute to my mother and all working-class single mothers who were, simply put, dealt a bad hand. Albert Lee at UTA represented Kelly, and publication is scheduled for May 2023.

Wans Women Goes to Graydon House

Melanie Fried at Graydon House acquired North American and audio rights to two books from Sophie Wan. The deal, brokered by Michaela Whatnall at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, includes Wans debut novel, Women of Good

Fortune. Graydon House described that novel as being in the vein of Counterfeit and Crazy Rich Asians, adding that its set against a high-society Shanghai wedding, in which the reluctant bride and her two best friends, each with their own personal motives and fed up with the way society treats women, launch a heist to steal all the gift money on the big day. As the plot moves forward, the women reach a crossroads that may require the ultimate sacrifice: their friendship. Women of Good Fortune is scheduled for 2024.

Bloomsbury Wins Wide Awakes Book

Bloomsburys Ben Hyman has acquired world English rights to Wide Awake by Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian curator and author of The Age of Acrimony. Bloomsbury called Wide Awake the first narrative history of the Wide Awakes, the anti-slavery youth protest movement that played a pivotal and under-acknowledged role in the 1860 election and the onset of

the Civil War. Katherine Flynn at Kneerim & Williams

represented Grinspan.
Birds of a Feather

The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon teamed up with multihyphenate entertainer Jennifer Lopez for his latest picture book, Con Pollo, illustrated by Andrea Campos. Cheerful Pollo leads readers on a bilingual jaunt through English and Spanish terms: a total of 10 verbs and nouns representing activities and places, per our review. Its a balance of pedagogy and pure visual fun, smartly gauged for budding curiosities and short attention spans. The book comes to roost at the #9 spot on our picture book list.

Well Keep You in Mind

The Brain-Friendly Workplace by neuroscientist Friederike Fabritius lands at #14 on our hardcover nonfiction list. In this impassioned call for change in the workplace, per our review, the author helps readers identify employees  neurosignature (the mix of dopamine, serotonin, testosterone, and estrogen that shapes ones personality) based on their habits and create an optimal work environment for each type. The success stories Fabritius shares, the review said, illustrate why business leaders should make room on their desks for this guide.

Just What the Doctors Ordered

In its third week on sale, The Love Prescription by clinical psychologists John and Julie Schwartz Gottman debuts on our trade paperback list at #15. The married duo look to the hundreds of relationships theyve studied at the University of Washingtons Love Lab to determine the predictors of lasting relationships, according to our starred review, and contend that love is all about the small stuff.  The Gottmans have been making the media rounds, including a three-episode stint on Brene Browns Unlocking Us podcast, and sales have been steadily ticking up.

NEW & NOTABLE

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

J.K. Rowling, illus. by Jim Kay with Neil Packer

#1 Childrens Fiction,

#1 overall

The illustrated edition of the fifth Harry Potter installment sold more than twice as many copies as this weeks #2 book did, and had a better first week than its 2019 predecessor.

UP CLOSE AND ALL IN

John Mack

#6 Hardcover Nonfiction

Former Morgan Stanley CEO Mack offers an spirited account of his legendary career in this brash memoir, per our review. Hes frank about professional mistakes hes madelike a money-losing computation error after a drunken business lunchand equally forthright about triumphs. As a result, readers wont be able to help cheering him on.
In-person regional bookseller conferences came roaring back to life this fall with six high-energy shows hosted by seven of the eight bookseller organizations. Last fall, only the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association and Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Associations hosted in-person gatherings, with PNBA limiting attendance to 75% regular capacity.

The 2022 showsbeginning with the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliances gathering of 67 booksellers in New Orleans, September 78, and winding up with the Heartland Fall Forum, which drew 209 booksellers belonging to the Midwest Independent Booksellers and Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Associations to St. Louis, October 1214were joyful affairs, despite the pandemics lingering impact. Booksellers were happy to reconnect with one another and with publishers reps, while also meeting face-to-face with authors after more than two years in which only Zoom meetings and virtual author events were possible. Though dozens of marquee authors attended the different conferences, regional authors found recognition, too. Of PNBAs 100 guest authors, half are published by indie presses, something that added to the gatherings egalitarian vibe.

The excitement at this years regionals was magnified by the enthusiasm of young entrepreneurs attending their first bookselling conferences. Many of them are BIPOC and female, and some have used alternative business models to launch bookstores within the past two years. There were 131 first-time attendees at the Heartland show, including one of that regions newest booksellers, Ymani Wince, who opened the Noir Bookshop in St. Louis in May to sell Black classic titles and other books by BIPOC authors after raising $16,000 through GoFundMe. Valeria Cerda and Barbara Cerda were also at Heartland, having launched La Revo Books pop-up in Milwaukee, Wis., last year to sell primarily Spanish-language books. Veronica Johnson was at MPIBA a year after launching Libros Bookmobile in Hutto, Tex., which also specializes in Latinx literature. And Seattles Kristina Clark attended her first PNBA after opening a community space called Loving Room: Diaspora Books + Salon on this years Juneteenth.

Though most booksellers PW spoke with reported that sales are up from 2019 levelswith Nantucket Book Works in Nantucket, Mass., up 900% in web sales alonethe revenue gains are not necessarily falling to the bottom line, as a range of costs, including freight and rents, increase. A number of booksellers at the various shows said that rising housing costs are making it harder to retain employees. Marias Bookstore in Durango, Colo., raised wages twice this year and still sees staffers leaving due to the higher cost of living. The California Independent Booksellers Alliance last month issued a call for substitute booksellers, inviting experienced workers to step in and help out at stores that are short-staffed due to illness or financial reasons.

Supply chain disruptions are still very much an issue for booksellers as well as for publishers. Riley Davis, sales manager at Minnesota Historical Society Press, said that True North Cabin Cookbook quickly sold out of its initial 5,000-copy print run, and the publisher is racing against the clock to print more copies and get them to stores in time for the holidays. While Torrey House publisher Kirsten J. Allen said she had to postpone two books originally scheduled for a 2022 release until 2023, Microcosm CEO Joe Biel said he now bakes a few extra weeks of wait time into each print order.

New and seasoned booksellers alike are also focusing on best practices for doing business in the post-pandemic era. All of the new booksellers PW spoke with are committed to building partnerships with businesses and organizations in their communities, while veteran booksellers are intent on making their stores more inclusive. Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul, Minn., adopted something of a new business model in deciding to become totally cashless. We struggled with this decision, explained store manager David Enyeart, but cash was only 7% of our sales, so after we reopened following the shutdown in 2020, we decided not to take cash at all.

Despite having to navigate their way through an evolving industry and a changed society, booksellers are looking forward to a strong holiday season and to a return of customer traffic. After all, as author Louise Erdrich, who owns Birchbark Books & Native Arts in Minneapolis, put it in video remarks streamed during Heartlands awards ceremony, people want and need what a bookstore provides them. Its about more than books: its about finding a community around books, she said. I think were here to make people more alive. Thats our big draw: to make people feel the all-encompassing strangeness of life and to feel connected with other people who feel that too.
The luxury fashion house Balenciaga has ended its partnership with Kanye West after recent anti-Semitic remarks by the rapper, a report said Thursday.

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"Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist," Balenciaga's parent company Kering said in a statement to Women's Wear Daily on Thursday.

The company, which also has close ties with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, has not made any public comments about its ties to West, who has officially changed his name to Ye. The rapper has also not addressed the reported fallout with Balenciaga.

West, 45, is worth around $2 billion for his music and sneaker brand Yeezy as well as his former partnership with Gap, which ended recently. His partnership with Adidas for his Yeezy brand is "under review" by the company.

Earlier this month, he was locked out of his Instagram and Twitter accounts after anti-Semitic remarks he made in the wake of wearing a "White Lives Matter" shirt to his Yeezy collection show during Paris Fashion Week. In Paris, West had also walked as a model in Balenciaga's show.

West's account on Instagram was restricted after the rapper posted a screenshot of text messages with Sean Combs, also known as P. Diddy, stemming from the Paris Fashion Week incident and a feud with Tremaine Emory over comments about the late Virgil Abloh.

In the since-deleted messages with Combs, Diddy asked West to "stop playing these internet games" to which West responded that he would use Combs as "an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me."

West, in a now-deleted tweet, also said after the restriction he "can't be anti-Semitic" because "Black people are actually Jew also."

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"You guys have toyed with me and tried to blackball anyone whoever opposes your agenda," West said.

West, who had most recently tweeted in November 2020, returned to the platform after he was restricted on Instagram but was locked out of Twitter later that day.

The rapper made controversial statements again last weekend in an appearance on the Drink Champs podcast in which he said George Floyd, the Black man who was murdered by a group of Minneapolis police officers in 2020, had died from fentanyl.

"They hit him with the fentanyl, if you look the guy's knee wasn't even on his neck like that," West said on the podcast.

After facing the lockouts on Twitter and Instagram, Parlement Technologies, the company behind Parler, announced Monday that the controversial social media site would be sold to him.
City

 Samantha B. Bort, 27, transient, Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree criminal trespass.

 Lawrence A. Atkins, 45, 44 Wallace Ave., Apt. B, Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree criminal trespass.

 Kevin J. Bouley, 31, 131 Swift St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree criminal trespass.

 Jacob W. Stepro, 37, 5 Church St., Apt. 3, Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree criminal trespass.

 Vyonna J. Elliott, 27, 5 Church St., Apt. 3, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree criminal trespass.

 Michael A. Hilmerson, 23 Orchard St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree criminal trespass.

 Steven A. Mumford, 22, transient, Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree criminal trespass.

 Michelle N Depew, 34, 82 N. Lewis St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree criminal trespass.

 Richard J. David, 44, 97 Washington St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree menacing, criminal obstruction of breathing and second-degree unlawful imprisonment.

 Drequan A. Thomas, 26, 54 Garrow St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree criminal contempt.

 Kenneth J. LaFramboise, 39, transient, Auburn, was charged Oct. 18 with two counts of petit larceny.

 Mark J. Schafer, 41, 29 Garrow St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 19 with criminal obstruction of breathing, fourth-degree criminal mischief and third-degree menacing.

 Joseph M. Trathen, 19, 36 Paul St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 19 with making a terroristic threat.

 Gerald A. Dale, 43, 5 Church St., 1, Auburn, was charged Oct. 19 with second-degree burglary, petit larceny and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

State

 Damion J. Gublo, 22, Ithaca, was charged Oct. 17 with petit larceny.

 Ashley M. Townsend, 35, Smyrna, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree introducing prison contraband and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

 Garrett L. Partin, 25, Auburn, was charged Oct. 17 with third-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and second-degree criminal impersonation.

 Jaret L. Pratt, 25, Mentz, was charged Oct. 17 with second-degree assault.

 Lindsay G. Halpin, 39, Martville, was charged Oct. 17 with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated-first offense.

 Justin T. Jones, 36, Aurora, was charged Oct. 17 with third-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, third-degree unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a motor vehicle, reckless driving and two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment.
Representatives of Inner East Athens Neighbors filed a lawsuit against the director of the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections on Oct. 4, requesting more immediate representation in District 2 following the BOEs majority vote to hold the special election to fill the position on March 21, 2023.
In October of 2019, faculty members of the University of Georgias Hugh Hodgson School of Music posed the question: What is the university concert band not doing that it should be doing? This question led to the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic, which performed at the UGA Performing Arts Center on Oct. 20. While the group was officially launched in August 2021, Thursday nights show was their biggest show to date.
But one group, the fraternities and sororities that make up the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council, may have more political power than the rest of us.
The Auburn Police Department arrested a student who admitted to posting a threat against Auburn Junior High School on Twitter and Facebook, the district's superintendent said Friday night.

In a call to Auburn Enlarged City School District families, Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo said the APD told him about the social media post on Friday afternoon that said "I'm going to shoot up Auburn Junior High School on Monday morning."

The Auburn Police Department was originally notified by the Auburn, Alabama Police Department about the threat, according to an APD press release on Friday night. The Alabama authorities said it had obtained the IP address the Twitter account used and it came back to Spectrum in Auburn, NY.

Auburn, NY police officials were then contacted by Meta (Facebook) and alerted that a Facebook account had posted a similar threatening message using the same IP address as the threat on Twitter.

Auburn detectives with the assistance of Acting Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci sent a subpoena to Spectrum who quickly provided the subscriber information and their residential address.

After obtaining and executing a search warrant, police tracked down the student. During the execution of the search warrant detectives located a mobile phone that appeared to had been recently factory reset. Detectives then located a photo saved on that phone with an additional threat that had yet to be posted, which was the same style as one of the previously posted threats.

The phone was determined to belong to a 14-year-old resident of the house who is an Auburn Junior High student.

The student admitted to making the post, claiming it was a joke, Pirozzolo said. Police charged the student, who was not identified, with making a terroristic threat.

No weapons were located during the search and it is not believed at this time that the 14 year old had any plan to carry out the threats.

"Thank you to the Auburn Police Department for acting so quickly," Pirozzolo said.

Anyone with further information regarding this incident can contact Detective Charles Augello at (315) 258-9880, or email at craugello@auburnny.gov.
BALLSTON SPA  A state Supreme Court justice issued a split ruling Friday that found New York's absentee ballot laws are partially unconstitutional, a decision that will hurl an element of disorder into the midterm election in which mail-in voting is already underway.

State Supreme Court Justice Dianne L. Freestone's decision stopped short of overturning a change in state Election Law that allows someone to vote by absentee ballot if they fear contracting COVID-19, a measure that she highly criticized but said could not be undone at this time.

Her ruling on the lawsuit filed by Republican and Conservative party leaders is expected to be appealed by Democratic officials and may end up being resolved by the state's highest court.

Freestone's ruling struck down a 2021 state law around the "canvassing" of absentee ballots. It involves the ability of elections commissioners and poll watchers to challenge the validity of an absentee ballot, such as whether it was properly filled out or signed by the voter. Last year, changes to Election Law led by Democrats whittled the reasons for throwing out a ballot.

Absentee ballots will need to be preserved, the justice ruled, to allow for future litigation. The ballot challenges often occur when a tight race is decided by absentee votes, inviting additional scrutiny to the process. Recent high-profile cases include presidential elections in 2000 and 2020.

Attorneys in the case were still reviewing the decision Friday afternoon but said it appears to allow those who requested an absentee ballot to retain the ability to vote in-person on Election Day. That practice  allowing a person to vote in-person in order to overrule their absentee ballot, which would be set aside  had been stripped by the Legislature in an effort, in part, to accelerate the results of an election. Previously, election results could drag on for days or weeks while sorting through individuals who voted by absentee ballot and then cast a ballot at the polls.

Freestone characterized new rules that allow for anyone fearful of contracting COVID-19 to vote by an absentee ballot as illegitimate under state law. But she noted existing precedent on that part of Election Law prevents her from striking down the excuse to vote by mail.

That portion of Election Law may still be subject to rulings that are being appealed elsewhere in New York.

Freestone opinion noted that the COVID-19 excuse to vote by mail, which was passed into state law after voters rejected a no-excuse voting ballot proposition last year, presents an "Orwellian perpetual state of health emergency." She described the measure as "cloaked in the veneer of 'voter enfranchisement.'"

She said the Democrat's argument that the coronavirus poses a current health risk is "replete with alarmist statistics." The attorneys cited data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that asserts several counties in New York are at a high risk of transmission of COVID-19. Freestone also rejected any concern over "collective phantom menaces of Monkey Pox and Polio."

The Democrat's argument, Freestone continued, is that the Republican concern about "constitutionality is the Shakespearean 'much ado about nothing' as these absentee voting expansions will sunset and expire at the end of 2022."

"This court is skeptical of such a pollyannaish notion," Freestone said. "There is nothing before this court to suggest that the continued overreach of the Legislature into the purview of the New York state constitution shall sunset or that this authority once taken shall be so returned."

Absentee voting using the excuse of fear of COVID-19, "unquestionably violates the 'spirit' of absentee voting," Freestone wrote.

Freestone's order comes after she heard oral arguments last week during an hours-long proceeding of discourse on who was trying to disenfranchise whom between the politically divided participants in the case.

"This decision helps uphold the integrity of the electoral process, a major victory for New York voters and the rule of law," state Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar said in a statement.

Republican officials have argued that the state passed the measure allowing for someone to vote by absentee ballot if they fear COVID-19 to do an end-run around the electorate's overwhelming rejection last year of no-excuse mail-in voting. Democrats have said the two are not the same and shouldn't be used as an interchangeable expression of the will of the people.

Normally, voters must submit valid reasons for being unable to vote in-person, including pre-scheduled medical procedures or travel plans.

The GOP's petition also contested the process to count ballots and how to ensure they have an opportunity to be "cured" if there are any issues with it are unconstitutional.

Democrats argued that the GOP is challenging laws that have been on the books for months to undermine the integrity of the election in the final weeks of the campaign season.

"Halting the voting process, nearly one month before the general election, would negate the duly cast votes of thousands of voters, creating chaos and uncertainly that the statute itself aimed to combat," Lauren R. Eversley, an assistant attorney general, wrote in a brief.

Attorneys for the state also argued the Conservative and Republican interests had no legitimate evidence to support their claims.

"They have produced ghosts and goblins," New York State Board of Elections attorney Brian Quail said at the hearing on Oct. 12.

The GOP-led officials believe they submitted enough evidence to the court to prove they needed the judiciary to step in and solve an imperative constitutional issue at stake in this year's election.

The timing of the lawsuit was also triggered by a mailer the state Democratic Party sent out to their party's registered voters which included a pre-filled application to ask to vote absentee, checking off the excuse related to COVID-19, according to Kassar.

"When I saw the way these absentee ballot applications were coming in, I took the view that the Democratic Party was attempting to cheat," Kassar told the Times Union. "From my perspective, I immediately raised red flags with the GOP."

State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs noted that Freestone served as the vice chair of the Saratoga County Republican Committee prior to her election to the bench in 2019. He said that they expected an adverse ruling but that they intend to appeal the decision.
You are the owner of this article.
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.
For recently crowned rodeo queen Katie Ramos, a typical pageant day begins at 4 o'clock in the morning. Fueled by her breakfast of choice  a glamorous helping of coffee and peanut M&M's  the first thing Ramos would do is start curling her hair.

We have a specific hairstyle, Ramos explained. It's standard for rodeo queens to have big, fluffy, curled hair. And then also we have what we call wings  hair that comes out to the side.

That kind of helps to hold your hat up, she added.

After her hair comes the standard makeup and her outfit, which consists of a lot of rhinestones and a lot of leather."

The combined look is something of a period piece costume specific to the glitzy, teased-up styles of the 1980s, when rodeo queening first began.

In order to achieve the look with variety and pizzazz, Ramos traveled to her most recent pageant with 10 separate outfits in her favorite colors.

I think in total I also brought about 14 pairs of boots, she said.

But appearances arent even half the battle of becoming a successful rodeo queen. The mission of the Miss Rodeo Arizona Pageant is to select an ambassador for professional rodeo, the Western way of life and agriculture in the State of Arizona, according to Ramos. The hair, makeup and outfit are just the tack, the pretty package that adorns what must be a woman wealthy in knowledge and horsemanship.

As a Miss Rodeo Arizona contestant, Ramos was expected to have an intimate grasp of rodeo history, veterinary knowledge and practical saddle skills.

During the pageant contestants were asked to go through a series of multiple interviews where we are tested upon our knowledge, Ramos said, before being asked to jump in the saddle and demonstrate their abilities.

We ride a random horse that most of the time we've never been on before, Ramos said. And we ride it on a set pattern to show that we can be thrown into any situation at any time and think on our feet.

Born and raised in Flagstaff, Ramos attended Coconino High School, participated in the Coconino County 4-H program and helped out on the Flying M Ranch on Anderson Mesa. She described here upbringing as well-rounded.

I really grew up integrated in the Western way of life, Ramos said. But I also grew up with a pair of skis attached to my feet.

In 2018, Ramos won the title of Flagstaff Pro Rodeo Queen, after which she found herself under the wing of other successful rodeo queens who showed her how pageantry contributed to stewardship of the rodeo industry and could lead to other mentorship and career opportunities.

I was very fortunate to have those girls kind of show me what I could really do if I got to a higher level, Ramos said.

And with her recent coronation as Miss Rodeo Arizona, Ramos is now bound for those higher levels of rodeo queening. Rather than being relieved by the crown, Ramos is taut with anticipation.

That was the easy part, she said of claiming the Miss Rodeo Arizona title in early September. Now the work begins.

Over the next year, Ramos will be traveling thousands of miles to rodeos throughout the nation and representing Arizona to nearly every state in the union.

I'm going to be flying to a lot of rodeos by myself, she said.

Thats part of the reason she has been tested on riding unfamiliar horses  everywhere she goes, she will saddle up a new steed.

Sadly a horse isnt the proper size for a carry-on, she quipped.

Ready for the next ride

The year will be spent working up to December, when Ramos will compete in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, which is set to take place alongside the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo  the SuperBowl of Rodeo, according to Ramos.

If crowned Miss Rodeo America, Ramos would then move to an international stage, where she would represent American professional rodeo to the world.

Miss Rodeo America is the role model for every single little girl out there that has an infatuation with horses, Ramos said, and should she rise to such a status, she knows exactly what values shed like to model.

I want to exemplify that hard-working, cowboy attitude, she said. She explained this attitude as one built on conscious gratitude and the existential faith that all moments have their purpose.

Opportunities that anybody is getting at any point in their life, theyre once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, Ramos said. You have been placed in this scenario, meeting these people at this place during this time, for a reason.

She added: Some days, it's not going to be easy. But that's how life is. Some days, you're running on three hours of sleep, and you're functioning on peanut M&Ms and coffee. But life is what you make of it.

She will be celebrating her recent coronation as Miss Rodeo Arizona on January 7, 2023, at the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Grounds. The event will also serve as a fundraiser to help Ramos in her pursuit of the Miss Rodeo America title. For more information and tickets, visit missrodeoarizona.org.
LIVING CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH Oct 23  500 W. Riordan Road, 500 W. Riordan Road, Flagstaff. 928-526-8595. 10-11 a.m., The disciples of Living Christ Lutheran Church are embraced by God's unconditional love and enduring grace. We invite all to celebrate with us God's love and presence in our lives and be God's hands in the world. We are intentionally inclusive. We worship through music, teaching, prayer, and the sacraments each Sunday at 10 a.m., at the Christian Ministry Center located on the NAU campus or join us online. Join Rev. Mari Larson this Sunday for a discussion of Jesus's parable in which the one who humbles himself is exalted and the one who exalts his own righteousness is humbled. We will explore Readings: Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22 (Jerusalem will be defeated), 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 (The good fight of faith) and the Gospel Luke 18:9-14 (A Pharisee and tax collector pray together). https://go.evvnt.com/1383919-0.

Beacon UU Sunday Service: Dolly, Indivisible: Reaching Across the Cultural Divide in America Oct 23  Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff. (928) 779-4492. 10-11 a.m., ALL ARE WELCOME! You BELONG at Beacon. Spiritually open and intentionally inclusive since 1958. Shes an icon. A queen of country music, an author, entrepreneur, a voice for working class women, and a philanthropist. Shes Dolly Parton, seemingly beloved by folks of all stripes in our increasingly factionalized country. How does she do it and what can we learn from her Dolitics about reaching across the cultural and ideological divide that is ever widening in America (especially as we face a crucial midterm election)? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle. Andrez Alcazar and Austin Shaw will perform Nine to Five. Dont miss it!. https://go.evvnt.com/1381793-0.

Unity of Flagstaff Oct 23  Unity of Flagstaff Spiritual Center, 1800 S. Milton Road, Flagstaff. 10:30-11:30 a.m., We hear a lot about Collaborating, Cooperation, even Co-Creating. We are always talking about reaching across this aisle. And those are great ways of being with each other. We truly do start to create and move things forward with these practices. But what would we be able to Create in our lives and in the world were we to CREATE from our Divine Selves, rather than reaching outside to add something. What if we were just CREATINGconsciously and clearly aligned as ONE with the Divine? WOW! The possibilities seem infinite as we step into our Infinite Intelligence. Join us this Sunday as Rev. Penni asks the question, Where did THIS come from? Live or Live Stream (youtube.unityofflagstaff.org) Unity of FlagstaffWhere God is too big for Religion. https://go.evvnt.com/1387605-0.

The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany Oct 23  Episcopal Church-Epiphany, 423 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff. 928-774-2911. 11 a.m.-noon, WELCOMING ALL: All ages, all colors, all abilities, all orientations. All people are welcome here. Saturday evening is a small group that meets outside in our Labyrinth, when weather permits or in our Parish Hall otherwise. Sundays 8:00 am service has occasional special music provided when musicians volunteer, Sundays 10:30 am service has music, choir, and is online at epiphanyaz.org. We have brought back the Healing Service on Thursdays at 12:30. Come and join us anytime!. https://go.evvnt.com/1356074-0.

Flagstaff Federated Community Church: Please join us for in person services Sundays at 10 a.m. We are located at 400 W Aspen Ave. on the corner of Aspen and Sitgreaves in Downtown Flagstaff. All are welcome to our services. For more information about Flagstaff Federated Community Church please call our office at 928-774-7383, Mon  Thurs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Church of the Resurrection Sunday Church Services: May 8  740 W. University Heights Drive S., 740 W. University Heights Drive S., Flagstaff. 928-853-8522. 10-11:30 a.m., Church of the Resurrection Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): We invite you to join us for worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays at 740 W. University Heights Drive South as Rev. Joshua Walker preaches through the book of Acts. Please feel free to contact us for information on our mid-week gatherings and for more information on our church. You can find us at www.cor-pca.org and www.facebook.com/CORFlagstaff or we can be reached at corflagstaff@gmail.com and (928) 699-2715.

Living Christ Lutheran Church: Living Christ Lutheran Church is a diverse and LGBTQ-affirming community of disciples embraced by God's unconditional love and enduring grace. You are invited to celebrate with us God's love and presence in your life, grow in your discipleship, and leave empowered to be God's hands in the world. We worship through music, teaching, prayer, and the sacraments each Sunday at 10 a.m. with Rev. Kurt Fangmeier leading. We offer worship both in-person (masks are respected, not required; encouraged for unvaccinated) and online. Learn more about us at our new website: lclcflag.org.

Leupp Nazarene Church: The church, near mile post 13 or Navajo Route 15, has been holding services by teleconferences and doing drive-up meetings. For information, call pastor Farrell Begay at 928-853-5321. Teleconference number: 1-7170275-8940 with access code 3204224#. Services are 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Christian Science Society of Flagstaff: 619 W. Birch Ave. The Christian Science Society of Flagstaff has opened for Sunday services while continuing to have them available via Zoom for online and phone. Wednesday testimony meetings are available only via Zoom. For phone Sunday Services: Dial: 669-900-9128, Meeting ID: 369 812 794#, Passcode: 075454#. For phone Wednesday meetings, dial: 669-900-9128, Meeting ID: 971 672 834#, Passcode: 894826#. The access for Zoom on Sundays is: https://zoom.us/j/369812794. The Zoom access for Wednesdays is: https://zoom.us/j/971672834. The password to use to enter both is CSS. We welcome all to attend our Sunday Services in person, or live by Zoom, at 10:00 oclock, and to attend our Wednesday Testimony meetings live by Zoom, at 5:30 oclock. Our Reading Room will be open on Wednesdays from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10-12 noon. For further information please call 928-526-5982.
Its foreign minister says working through regional organizations will ensure regional security.

Australia will increase its aid to the Pacific by more than half a billion U.S. dollars over four years, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Friday, as the country steps up efforts to keep influence in a region that has increasingly turned to China for development assistance.

The aid will help Pacific island nations respond to climate change, reduce pressure on government budgets and support aviation links in the region, Wong said in a speech at the Pacific Way conference, held in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.

Australia is committed to working with all in the Pacific to achieve our shared aspirations and address our shared challenges, Wong said.

The boost to Pacific development assistance forms the largest part of an increase to Australias foreign aid spending that will be further detailed in the Australian governments annual budget due on Tuesday.

It follows a period last decade when Australias foreign aid dwindled due to budget cuts under the conservative Liberal party, which was in government from 2013 to 2022. During this time, Canberras relationship with Pacific island countries soured.

Without these investments, others will continue to fill the vacuum, and Australia will continue to lose ground, as it did under previous governments, Wong said, according to Australian broadcaster ABC.

She said Australian foreign aid would be increased by 1.4 billion Australian dollars (U.S. $877 million) over four years, with 900 million Australian dollars of that allocated to the Pacific.

Australias last annual budget, for its fiscal year ended June, had allocated 3.73 billion (U.S. $2.3 billion) to foreign aid.

Wong said Australia would also increase its infrastructure finance fund for the Pacific from 3.5 billion to 4.0 billion (U.S. $2.5 billion) and lend on favorable terms to Pacific island countries.

We recognize that as a major lender in the region, we have a responsibility to ensure that Australia is a partner that wont impose unsustainable debt burdens, Wong said.

Over the past two decades, Beijing has amassed substantial goodwill with economically lagging Pacific island countries by building infrastructure and providing other assistance on easier terms than countries such as Australia.

Chinas security pact with the Solomon Islands, signed in April, amplified concerns in the United States and Australia that Beijing aims for a military presence in the region. Chinas government also has been providing training to Solomon Islands police.

ABC reported Friday that Australias increased aid would include funds for Australian police stationed in the Solomon Islands following riots there last November.

Last month, the United States promised more than U.S. $800 million in assistance over a decade as it tries to rebuild relationships with Pacific island countries after a period of neglect.

Australia is also trying to repair its relationship with the Pacific. Wong became Australias foreign minister in May after the center-left Australian Labor Party won national elections.

Since then, she has visited 12 Pacific island nations and territories, which was an expression of the priority that the new Australian government attaches to this region, she said Friday.

She also reiterated her support for regional organizations such as the Pacific Islands Forum, which has been challenged by tensions with Micronesian member countries over the forums leadership and Kiribatis departure as a member.

Working through the forum ensures each member countrys sovereignty is respected and that the responsibility for Pacific security remains in the hands of the Pacific, Wong said.

Canberras increase in aid comes a day after Australia and Fiji signed a Status of Forces agreement, which allows the presence of one countrys forces in another.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news outlet.
KYIV -- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared that Ukraine cannot be broken as he cited his countrys fight against the Russian invasion and marked the anniversary of the famine regarded by Ukrainians to be a deliberate act perpetrated by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

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, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

"Ukrainians went through very terrible things...Once they wanted to destroy us with hunger -- now, with darkness and cold," Zelenskiy said on November 26 in a video message.

"We cannot be broken," he declared.



The prime ministers of EU and NATO members Belgium, Lithuania, and Poland were in Kyiv to mark the day and to attend a summit hosted by Zelenskiy to press the Grain From Ukraine initiative designed to get crucial supplies to world markets. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron were among those speaking through video addresses.



Zelenskiys remarks came amid widespread cuts in power and water supplies in his country after weeks of Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and as temperatures plunge with the beginning of winter.



Zelenskiy and other leaders commemorated the victims of the Holodomor famine, which took place in 1932-33 as Stalin's police forced peasants in Ukraine to join collective farms by requisitioning their grain and other foodstuffs.

Historians say the failure to properly harvest crops in Ukraine in 1932 under Soviet mismanagement was the main cause of the famine.



It is estimated that up to 9 million people died as a result of executions, deportation, and starvation during the Stalin-era campaign.

Many Ukrainians consider the famine an act of genocide aimed at wiping out Ukrainian farmers.



Along with Ukraine, at least 16 other countries have officially recognized the Holodomor as genocide.

In October 2018, the U.S. Senate adopted a nonbinding resolution recognizing that Stalin and those around him committed genocide against the Ukrainians in 1932-33.



German lawmakers are preparing to recognize the Holodomor as genocide, according to a draft text seen by the AFP news agency of a joint resolution from Germany's ruling coalition and opposition.



Moscow has long denied any systematic effort to target Ukrainians, arguing that a poor harvest at the time wiped out many in other parts of the Soviet Union.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that he "honored the memory of the Holodomor victims" at a memorial in the Ukrainian capital.



Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, on his first visit to Kyiv since the Russian invasion, said on Twitter that "after the heavy bombing of recent days, we stand with the people of Ukraine. More than ever before."



"With the cold winter months ahead, Belgium is releasing new humanitarian and military aid," he added.



Zelenskiy told the grain summit that Kyiv is one of the guarantors of world food security and will fulfill its duties despite the Russian invasion, citing the new Grain From Ukraine initiative.



He pressed world leaders to support the initiative aimed at feeding about 5 million people in poor countries, particularly Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Congo, Kenya, and Nigeria.



Speaking through video statements to the summit, Scholz and Macron unveiled new financial packages designed to aid Ukrainian grain exports, which have been hit hard by the war, causing food shortages in many of the worlds poorer nations.



"The most vulnerable countries must not pay the price of a war they did not want," Macron said.



Zelenskiy said the Black Sea Grain Initiative -- brokered by Turkey and the UN and agreed to by Russia and Ukraine -- is not operating at full capacity, blaming what he called Moscow's efforts to delay the movement of ships, leaving many vessels trapped at Ukrainian ports.



The deal took effect in August, aimed at unblocking grain shipments to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.



Ukraine and Russia are key global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil, and other food to those countries, and Russia was the world's top exporter of fertilizer before it launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February.



Many in the West have accused Russia of weaponizing the shipment of crucial food-related supplies to world markets. Moscow denies the accusations.

Meanwhile, throughout Ukraine, millions of people are still without heat or electricity after the recent devastating Russian air strikes on infrastructure sites.



Authorities on November 26 were gradually restoring power in many cities -- helped by the reconnection to the grid of the nations four nuclear plants.



Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces was reported in the east and south of the country, as Kyivs troops continue their counteroffensive, which has recaptured thousands of kilometers of territory seized by Russia early in the war.

In the recently liberated southern city of Kherson and its environs, authorities said at least 32 people have been killed by Russian shelling since pro-Kremlin forces withdrew two weeks ago and moved to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River.



"Daily Russian shelling is destroying the city and killing peaceful local residents. In all, Russia has killed 32 civilians in the Kherson region since the de-occupation," Ihor Klymenko, chief of the National Police of Ukraine, said on Facebook.



"Many people are evacuating to seek refuge in calmer regions of the country. But many residents remain in their homes, and we need to provide them with the maximum possible security," he added.

With reporting by AFP and AP
Ukrainians have increasingly woken up to the sound of suicide drones as Russia turns to Iranian-made imports to destroy civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Now they may have another deadly Iranian weapon to worry about -- ballistic missiles.

Cheap but effective, Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 "kamikaze" drones have already made a deadly impact in Ukraine.



If U.S. intelligence assessments pan out, Russia will soon be able to supplement its use of Iranian suicide drones and its own cruise and ballistic missiles with powerful short-range Iranian Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar ballistic missiles.



Coming as the Kremlin is reportedly struggling to maintain its depleted stockpile of aerial weapons as it ramps up strikes, the missiles would potentially boost Russia's ability to continue its costly air campaign.



Jeremy Binnie, a Middle East defense specialist at the global intelligence company Janes, said having more missiles gives Russia the ability to sustain the bombardment against Ukraine."



Going Ballistic



The Fateh-110, which was unveiled in 2001 and has a stated range of 300 to 500 kilometers, was developed from a heavy artillery rocket dating from the 1980s. To increase the weapon's accuracy, the Fateh-110 was given a guidance system and movable fins that allow it to be steered as it approaches its target.



The Zolfaghar, which debuted in 2016 and also has guidance capabilities, comes from the same family as the Fateh-110 but boasts a much longer range due to its use of a lighter carbon-fiber airframe and a smaller warhead.



Binnie said the Zolfaghar's use against the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in eastern Syria confirmed that the missile was capable of reaching at least 650 kilometers, which he said is "a statement of how much the Iranian tactical missile program has really advanced over the years."



Iran's claim that the Zolfaghar can travel even farther -- up to 700 kilometers -- would put the western Ukrainian city of Lviv within range of strikes launched from Russian territory, while the more powerful Fateh-110 could potentially hit the city from Belarus, which has served as a staging ground for Russian attacks.



While there has been no indication that Russia plans to purchase launching systems from Iran, Binnie suggests that the Russian military could pair the missiles with existing equipment because the Iranian launchers were adapted from a Soviet-era system.



"It might be possible for the Russians to quickly adapt some old equipment they have lying around into launch systems," Binnie said.



The Iranian military, he added, fitted the Soviet system to trucks, allowing for mobility and concealment.



"Those civilian trucks can be covered over to make it hard to spot that they're actually missile launchers," Binnie said.



'Lawnmowers' And 'Mopeds'



Iranian military drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have been homing in on targets across Ukraine since late August, according to the United States.



The buzzing sound of the Iranian Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 drones, built with off-the-shelf components, have earned them derisive monikers such as "lawnmowers" and "mopeds." But the slow-moving, low-flying drones, which are maneuvered to crash into their target, have proven themselves capable of hitting their mark both in terms of military effectiveness and cost.

It is capable of extracting or delivering attrition and damage when launched, but it costs little compared to other UAVs that Russia has in its own arsenal," said Samuel Bendett of the Virginia-based Center for Naval Analyses (CNA).

Ukraine alleges Russia has ordered 2,400 of the Iranian suicide drones, and its military has claimed to have shot them down in great numbers, often using conventional anti-aircraft guns or even small-arms fire. But their ability to be launched in bunches of five -- often from the cover of civilian trucks -- improves their chances of reaching their target.



"The Ukrainians are stopping most of these, but the whole point of these drones is that they fly in a large mass," Bendett said. "The air defense does not always catch all of them. All it takes is for several or even one to make it through."

The estimated range of the Shahed-136 varies, but Iran says it is capable of traveling 2,500 kilometers. The slightly smaller and older Shahed-131, which has been used by Huthi rebels in Yemen to attack Saudi targets in the Arabian Peninsula, has been estimated to have a range of 900 kilometers, according to tests conducted by the Ukrainian military.



Ukraine's Defense Ministry has published multiple images of downed Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks, and the Ukrainian National Guard on October 19 claimed to have shot down a Shahed-131.



Ukraine has also claimed to have shot down a more advanced Iranian combat UAV, the Mojer-6 drone capable of carrying out both reconnaissance missions and aerial strikes within a range of 200 kilometers. There have also been reports of Russian interest in obtaining Irans Shahed-129 and Shahed-191 combat drones.



"When launched from any territory that Russia controls or is allied with -- anywhere from the south, from the Donbas, from Belarus -- they're able to strike a lot of Ukrainian targets," Bendett said.

In addition to the U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia will soon boost its arsenal with Iranian ballistic missiles, as first reported by The Washington Post on October 16, the White House on October 20 said that Iranians are now "directly engaged on the ground" in Moscows war against Ukraine after sending "a relatively small number" of personnel from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to assist Russian forces in using the Iranian drones.

Iran has denied sending combat drones to Russia, and Moscow has rejected claims that it is using Iranian UAVs.

Images of downed Iranian drones appear to show that they have been rebranded to look Russian-made, experts say, with the markings in Cyrillic naming them as the Geran-1 (the Shahed-131) and Geran-2 (the Shahed-136).

Observers are widely skeptical of Russia's denials, noting that the drones are essentially identical right down to the font of the serial numbers. Even Russian Defense Ministry experts have unwittingly admitted that the suicide drones are Iranian.



But the rebranding of the drones to make them appear to be Russian has opened the possibility that Moscow could, if it is not already doing so, seek to manufacture or assemble the Iranian drones on its own territory.



Sustaining A Campaign



The new aerial weaponry fits well with the Russian military's renewed focus on striking military and civilian targets far from the front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine. The air assault has ratcheted up following the October 8 appointment of Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, a former Aerospace Forces commander, to lead the Russian war effort.



Just days after Surovikin's appointment, Russia launched the biggest air strikes since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in February. Moscow said the drone and missile strikes, which targeted civilian areas and infrastructure in cities throughout Ukraine, were in response to a bomb blast that damaged a key bridge linking Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

While the Kremlin has accused Ukraine's intelligence services of carrying out the "terrorist" attack on the Crimea Bridge, Ukraine has denied responsibility.



Since the initial air assault in response to the bridge blast, Russia has continued to pound Ukrainian infrastructure, often targeting power plants in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said is a deliberate effort to wear down the Ukrainian people by denying them heat and electricity as winter approaches.



"Civilian infrastructure is obviously the new layer in this war. The Ukrainian economy is now the target, the Ukrainian population is now the target," Bendett said.



Hard To Stop



The hypersonic speed and high trajectory of Iran's Fateh-110s and Zolfaghars, should they arrive, would be extremely difficult for Kyiv to counter without a network of high-tech and costly antimissile batteries it currently does not possess.



Ukraine has repeatedly requested more advanced missile-defense systems from the West, and in the face of the threat of the delivery of Iranian ballistic missiles reportedly sent an official request to Israel this week for components of its "Iron Dome" system.



While the United States has said that it is seeking to expedite the process of sending two U.S. air defense systems known as NASAMS, Washington has appeared reluctant to provide more advanced Patriot missile systems.



Janes' defense expert Binnie is skeptical that the delivery of the Patriot system, which has proven to be successful in shooting down ballistic missiles, is realistic for Ukraine.

"It's eye wateringly expensive and it's probably not really practical because each [missile] battery only covers one city," he said. "You would never get enough batteries to get the coverage you would want. You just wouldn't be able to find them, produce them, and train enough Ukrainians."
Iranian factory workers and shopkeepers went on strike on October 22 as nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested for "improperly" wearing a head scarf entered a sixth week, activists said.

The death of 22-year-old Amini has fueled the biggest protests seen in the Islamic republic in years.

Young women have led the charge, removing their head scarves, chanting anti-government slogans, and confronting the security forces on the streets, despite a crackdown that rights groups say has killed at least 215 people, including 27 children.

Activists issued a call for fresh demonstrations as the Iranian working week got under way on October 22, but it was difficult to immediately assess the turnout due to curbs on Internet access.

"On Saturday... We will be together for freedom," activist Atena Daemi said in a Twitter post that bore an image of a bare-headed woman with her fist raised in the air.

The 1500tasvir social media channel said that there were "strikes in a couple of cities including Sanandaj, Bukan, and Saghez" but added that it was difficult to see evidence of them online as "the internet connection is too slow."

Saghez, in the western province of Kurdistan, is Amini's home town, where angry protests broke out at her burial last month, sparking the nationwide demonstrations.

The Norway-based Hengaw rights group also said that shopkeepers were on strike in Bukan, Sanandaj, Saghez, and Marivan.



At Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, dozens of students were seen in a video tweeted by 1500tasvir clapping and chanting during a protest on October 22.

Dozens of workers were seen gathering outside the Aidin chocolate factory in Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province, in other footage it shared.

The videos have not been independently verified.

People were also gathering abroad for rallies in solidarity with the Iranian protest movement.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Berlin to show support. Iranian activist Hamed Esmaeilion -- whose wife and daughter were killed when a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down near Tehran in 2020 --is expected to be the main speaker in the German capital.



An online petition promoted by Esmaeilion asking the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations to expel the Islamic republic's diplomats has so far garnered nearly 657,000 signatures.

In Tokyo, demonstrators held up portraits of Amini and others who have been killed in the crackdown, as well as a banner bearing the protest slogan, "Women, life, freedom."

A teachers' union in Iran has called for a nationwide strike on October 23 and 24.

The Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates said the "sit-in" would be in response to "systematic oppression" by the security forces at schools.

The council identified in a statement four teenagers who had been killed in the crackdown -- Nika Shahkarami, Sarina Esmailzadeh, Abolfazl Adinezadeh, and Asra Panahi -- and said a large number of teachers had been arrested without charge.

"Iran's teachers do not tolerate these atrocities and tyranny and proclaims that we are for the people, and these bullets and pellets you shoot at the people target our lives and souls," it said.

Meanwhile Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince of Iran, stressed in a speech on October 20 to the protesters that there is a need to form a "pluralist provisional government" for the transition from Iran's Islamic republic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian accused the United States of supporting the protests in an effort to win concessions in talks aimed at restarting the nuclear 2015 agreement.



"The Americans continue to exchange messages with us, but they are trying to fan the flames of what has been going on inside Iran in recent days," Amir-Abdollahian said during a visit to Armenia.

U.S. officials have dismissed Tehrans accusations that the weeks-long mass protests in Iran have been orchestrated by the United States or Israel

With reporting by AFP and dpa
Graham Allison is a Harvard professor and former U.S. defense official with expertise in nuclear weapons, Russia, China, and security planning. His 1971 book on the Cuban Missile Crisis is considered a seminal work. In the 1990s, as an assistant secretary of defense, Allison, 82, worked to coordinate U.S. strategy toward the successor states of the Soviet Union after the end of the Cold War.

In a wide-ranging interview with Vazha Tavberidze from RFE/RL's Georgian Service, the veteran former diplomat discusses why Russia's Vladimir Putin is likely to keep escalating in Ukraine, possibly even opting for nuclear weapons, breaking a decades-old "taboo," and plunging the globe into further uncertainty.

RFE/RL: Earlier this month, Putin celebrated his 70th birthday and a day later the Crimea Bridge was hit October 8 by what Moscow says was a truck bomb. After that, Russia launched what is believed to be its biggest coordinated air and missile raids on Ukraine since the start of the invasion on February 24, indicating Putin is willing to escalate. What's his next likely move?

Graham Allison: If Putin is forced to choose between humiliating defeat, on the one hand, and escalating the level of destructionthere's every reason to believe he chooses the latter. As you step up the level of destruction, the first step is bombing infrastructure. And I think that's what he's doing now, even though he doesn't have as many smart bombs as he would like to, you know, so they are not as carefully targeted, but one up that ladder of destruction is just destroying people.

A humiliating defeat for Russia in Ukraine would not, I believe, be existential for Russia...but I think it will be existential for Putin.

The Western narrative, and especially [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskiy's, has asserted that Putin was killing a lot of civilians. Actually, he's not been killing very many, if you think about it in historical terms. If he wanted to kill children, if he wanted to kill thousands of people, he can bomb Kyiv; there's nothing preventing him from sending bombers to bomb Kyiv or striking Kyiv with hundreds of missiles. So, there's plenty of population centers.

So, I think in the first instance, he's going after infrastructure, because he wants to freeze Ukraine and make their lights go out and whatever. Yeah, but then right on up that becomes killing people. And then after that comes chemical weapons, and then after that comes nuclear strikes.

RFE/RL: You paint a very grim picture of where the conflict could be headed.

Allison: It's a very ugly picture. And even though a humiliating defeat for Russia in Ukraine would not, I believe, be existential for Russia -- Russia can survive without Ukraine -- but I think it will be existential for Putin.

RFE/RL: Are we nearing that moment when Putin feels he's cornered?

Allison: I think yes. As [U.S.] President [Joe] Biden said, in private remarks which were made public last week, that he thinks we're stumbling along the path to that point.

RFE/RL: If there indeed is a targeted nuclear strike in Ukraine, for example, as a show of decisive force, what could that mean not only for Ukraine, but also Russia, the rest of the world?



Allison: It's the question, obviously, that every thoughtful person in Washington, which are many, and certainly President Biden, and all of his national-security team have been asking. It's a question that Europeans are asking, and they should be asking. So, what is the big picture? We've had seven decades without the use of nuclear weapons in war. That's remarkable. That's not natural. That's an accomplishment. The nuclear taboo has emerged slowly, but it has emerged. And, fortunately, states have refrained from the use of nuclear weapons.

Putin certainly has the capability to conduct a nuclear strike. He would have reason, in his view, to conduct a nuclear strike if he thought there was some chance that it would allow him to come out as a victor rather than a loser. Putin doesn't think of himself as a loser and will be desperate, I believe, as CIA director [William] Burns has said, to find some way out, if he's backed into a corner.

So, I think if he should do this, we will be living, as Biden has said, in a new world. How the U.S. and its Western allies will respond is not certain. A lot would depend on what the use of the nuclear weapon, you know what would be the target. So, he could have a 'demonstration bomb,' just blow up something in the forest or in the Black Sea. He could hit a military target, he could hit a city.

So, if you listen to what he said last week, he said [former U.S. President Harry] Truman dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the precedent. That's what he said. Well, in Hiroshima, the bomb that the Americans dropped on Hiroshima, killed 140,000 people. So, a nuclear strike on Kyiv with a tactical nuclear weapon, that could deliver the same blast -- 15 kilotons as the Hiroshima bomb -- could kill quite a lot of people in here. So, you think, 'Oh, my God, what would the response be to that?' I believe, Washington had been working through the whole menu of options.

RFE/RL: Do you believe one of those options, that Washington is weighing a nuclear response?

Allison: Washington would say everything is on the table. But a nuclear response seems to me to be highly unlikely, and I would say would be ill-considered. Since the question would be then how would Putin respond to that? So, you're into an area in which you have bad options and worse options, no good options. And that's why there's such an intense effort now, to persuade Putin that this is a really bad idea, including for himself, for his country, for the world. He's got to figure this out for himself, in terms of both what the U.S. and the West would do in response, and also advice I'm hoping he's getting from some of the people he trusts more, like China.

RFE/RL: In an interview with Der Spiegel a few months ago, you said: "We will have to end a war with the demon," and the examples that you offered were how [former U.S. President Franklin Delano] Roosevelt and [former U.K. Prime Minister Winston] Churchill sat down with [former Soviet dictator Josef] Stalin, who obviously killed millions of people, or [former U.S. President Richard] Nixon with [former Chinese communist leader] Mao [Zedung], who was also no slouch when it came to killing people. So, let me ask you: How would that kind of deal with the devil look when it comes to Putin?

Allison: I have an unorthodox view about this. If you listen to President Biden, if you read his comments, they're clearly thinking about off-ramps -- that's the way that Washington thinks about this.

So, my optimistic scenario would be that in the next month or two, one gets to essentially a stalemate. Probably somewhere along the current line of control, probably with Ukraine controlling most of what's west of the Dnieper and the other river there (Inhulets River), near Kherson, and Russia controlling most of the other side; that the fighting declines to a low level, kind of like what happened between 2016 to 2020 in the so-called independent republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

And that at that stage, Putin thinks he has enough to declare that he's been successful. He's got his land bridge to Crimea; he's taken in some additional territory. So, he says, he's being successful. And we say we are successful, because we say Ukraine survived as a free and independent country, it's not giving up any of its territory. It's claiming that it's going to recover those territories at some point, but not today. And Ukraine will focus on building a successful country, which will be extremely hard to do, but in which they have a moral claim, I think, on the West for major financial support for the undertaking.

And then my story, this is my good news story, would be [that]this continues for a year or two or five. I remember the story of East Germany and West Germany. West Germany never gave up its claim to East Germany. It just showed what a free society could do, relative to a Soviet-controlled autocracy. Or North Korea and South Korea; or more relevant for Ukraine: how about the Baltics?

Putin's playbook in Ukraine looks to me to be taken directly from the communist playbook in the Baltics, at the end of World War Two, when they held sham elections, sham referenda, they annexed Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia and called them republics of the Soviet Union. The West, the U.S. did not recognize the Soviet Union's claim to those territories, neither did people living outside, and in time, they emerged as free states.

So that can take a long time. That's unfortunate. But since the alternative would be something even worse, I would regard that is an optimistic scenario.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Update: 22-10-2022 | 11:44:47

The Government Public Relations Department, under the Prime Ministers Office, is playing host to APEC THAILAND 2022 Exhibition at Suvarnabhumi Airport, to show the readiness of Thailand as the host of APEC 2022 and widen the awareness of APEC 2022 task plan.

Minister of the Prime Ministers Office Anucha Nakasai on October 21 chaired the opening ceremony of the APEC THAILAND 2022 : Open. Connect. Balance. For Infinite Possibility Exhibition, which is held to showcase the governments work.

The theme Open. Connect. Balance. prioritizes trade and investment opportunities as well as regional economic integration through disruptive learning, safe and seamless cross-border travel and digitalization, and the bio-circular and green (BCG) economic model.

The exhibition presents work results in three aspects - Trade and Investment Facilitation, the Restoration of All Connectivity, and the Promotion of Sustainable and Inclusive Growth./.

VNA
When the new town of Goose Creek was platted by George and Anna Wright in September 1916, it consisted of a 12-block area north of Texas Avenu
Montanans medical expenses should be more transparent upfront, Gov. Greg Gianforte said during a Friday stop in Billings, promising to make the issue a priority in the 2023 Legislature.

Gianforte said hes already working with lawmakers to craft more affordable and transparent health care options. He made the comments after touring the construction site of the Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine.

We want to increase medical billing transparency. What if before a procedure, you knew what youd have to pay? What if your provider or your insurer provided you with a cost estimate? We must ensure Montanans will have access to important pricing information prior to receiving services, Gianforte said. With greater transparency on costs in advance, Montanans can make better health care decisions that work for them and their family.

The governor said the transparency plan would require some help from the federal government in the shape of market-based reforms, which have for years been at the base of the Republican counter response to the now 12-year-old Affordable Care Act. Typically, the proposals focus on shifting away from government intervention and subsidies in healthcare, allowing private business to come up with alternatives.

One of the alternatives offered by Gianforte earlier in the day during a segment with conservative talk radio host Aaron Flit was direct primary care, in which individuals, without the involvement of insurance, make monthly payments for primary care rather than being billed for individual services. In return, those paying in receive care relating to their general health, prevention, and common illness. Direct Primary Care is something Gianforte has long advocated for and Montana law has accommodated.

The governor also touched on the work of Montanas government and Congressional delegation to eliminate barriers for telehealth, which has saved rural residents time and money delivering health services in communities that otherwise may have little to no professional care.

On transparency, Gianforte said the point is to make sure people know what the costs are and who will pay those costs. He likened it to knowing the true cost when buying a pickup truck.

I wouldnt expect to go off the lot without knowing what its going to cost. We have many medical procedures that cost a lot more than a pickup truck does. And yet, its hard to understand what it costs and whos paying for it. So increased transparency allows patients to work with their medical provider to make the right choice for themselves, Gianforte said. I think it applies across the whole spectrum, as well, both prescription drugs as well as medical services. And I look forward to working with the Legislature to figure out whats right for Montana, in conjunction with our medical community as well.

The Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine should benefit Montanans by producing medical staff who train in Billings and choose to remain in Montana after graduating. Medical professionals tend to remain in the communities where they learn, Gianforte said. Montana needs more medical professionals.

Gianforte opened his comments by recognizing a shooting in the emergency room of Billings Clinic last weekend and the trauma inflicted on medical workers on shift at the time. A woman being treated at the ER shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, pulled a gun on herself, firing one round into her head before a Billings Police officer shot her. The woman survived. Even as officers arrived, the woman allegedly picked up the handgun and ignored commands to stop.

What happened Sunday night was troubling and traumatic, Gianforte said. Its a reminder that our health care workers are on the frontlines, every day, serving our communities. They see patients, as well as their friends and family, at their most vulnerable, and it takes a toll on them. No nurse or doctor or provider should fear for their wellbeing simply by showing up for work and doing their best to care for patients.
Sixteen 9mm rounds cut through a South Side neighborhood last summer. Three of those bullets struck a sedan carrying five people, including two children.

A Yellowstone County district judge sentenced the man who fired those rounds, Jose Frank Patina, to 65 years in prison on Friday.

The night I got shot at wasnt something I asked for. It wasnt something me and my kids asked for, said the woman who was in that sedan with her kids before Patinas sentencing.

In the early hours of July 11, she was at the wheel of the sedan and on her way home from a relatives birthday party. In the vehicle were three of her children, then ages 20, 13 and 6 years old, along with her 46-year-old cousin. Gunfire erupted near the corner of Industrial Avenue and South Plainview Street.

Bullets hit the sedans grill, the left rear fender and just above the left passenger door. Nobody was injured in the shooting. At Patinas sentencing on Friday, District Judge Rod Souza said it was a miracle nobody was hit or killed. Witnesses saw the shooter, and recognized him as Patina.

The victim who testified Friday said her 7-year-old still has nightmares. Her 14-year-old son is still afraid to be alone in his room at night.

Im not testifying against a gang member, she said. Im not testifying against a drug dealer. Im testifying against somebody that made the wrong decision and took the wrong action and tried to kill me and my children for no reason.

I couldnt even get a sorry out of you, Frankie. Not even an apology. You want to put it on gang members, and everyone else, but you cant even be a man...and take action for what you did. That is why I am here today.

When officers with the Billings Police Department arrived at the scene, other witnesses told police they saw Patina drive to a nearby apartment complex in a white Ford Mustang about 12 hours later. Law enforcement found the vehicle and set up a perimeter around the building. Patina eventually obeyed commands to leave an apartment, and was arrested. The following day, Yellowstone County prosecutors charged Patina with five counts of assault with a weapon.

The night after he was booked into Yellowstone County Detention Facility, Patina tried to hang himself in his cell. Corrections officers escorted Patina to Billings Clinic following the suicide attempt. While being treated at the hospital, Patina tried to escape from custody despite still wearing leg restraints. He dodged a corrections officer, who eventually had to use a Taser on him. He was eventually completely restrained and cleared medically before returning to YCDF. Prosecutors subsequently charged Patina with felony attempted escape, to which he pleaded guilty without trail.

Patina pleaded not guilty to all counts of assault with a weapon, and his case went to trial in late May 2022. A Yellowstone County jury convicted him of all five counts.

Following the charges filed against Patina, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives obtained a warrant to search the Mustang. He found a .357 magnum, a loaded AR-style rifle and a backpack. Inside the backpack were thousands of dollars worth of illicit drugs, including meth, fentanyl and cocaine.

The agent who searched the vehicle, Phillip Swain, said Friday the amount of drugs recovered from the car were likely for distribution rather than personal use. Swain recovered over 150 grams of meth, about 110 grams of loose fentanyl with three fentanyl pills, nearly four grams of heroin and 19 grams of cocaine. Patina has not been charged with any drug possession crimes.

At his sentencing, prosecutors provided evidence and testimony detailing Patinas gang affiliation. By his own admission, according to court documents, Patina, now 35, has been a member of the Surenos since he was 18 years old. Spanish for Southerners, the Surenos have cliques nationwide and are connected to the Mexican Mafia.

David Kenat, an officer with Montana Probation and Parole trained to identify gang membership, said Friday he would classify Patina as belonging to the Surenos by Patinas own claim, his criminal history and his being involved in gang activity while in custody at YCDF. Most gang members, Kenat said, age out of the lifestyle by the time they reach 30.

There are those though that are so ingrained into the gang that they dont want to age out.  They become the shot-callers and they start directing younger people to do stuff, and then they start making money that way, through the younger people, Kenat said.

Deputy County Attorney John Ryan, who prosecuted the case along with Kelsey Hendricks, said the area where the shooting occurred is filled with low-income and working class families. Those families deserve the dignity of not being threatened with violence, he said. They also need to be assured that when shootings occur, the shooter is held accountable. County attorneys argued for an 80-year sentence.

The amount of drugs found in the Mustang, along with the firearms, Judge Souza said, demonstrated to him that Patina was an entrenched, unreformable and armed drug dealer. Souza sentenced Patina to 12 years for each count of assault with a weapon, plus another five years for attempting to escape custody.

Patina, dressed in a collared shirt and slacks while still restrained with chains, remained silent and stoic through his sentencing. At the time of his arrest in July 2021, he was a convicted felon and wanted in Wyoming for parole violation.

Gunfire in the Billings area has killed at least 13 people so far this year. Homicides in Billings reached a 10-year high 2020, according to BPD data, with 22.
A Miles City man who admitted to trafficking meth in the community was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Robert George Medina, 39, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement investigating a drug trafficking organization in Miles City arranged for controlled purchases of methamphetamine and a firearm from Medina in November and December 2019. When arrested on Dec. 9, 2019 for a probation violation, Medina was found with 38.4 grams of pure meth.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie R. Patten prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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A mobile clinic offering reproductive health and gender-affirming care is set to open in Casper.

Wellspring Health Access, the organization behind Casper's abortion center, which has yet to open, will operate the mobile clinic. Holly Thompson, a member of the organization's community advisory committee, said they hope to have the mobile clinic up and running by the end of December.

The organization had intended to open a regular abortion clinic in Casper over the summer. But, following an arson at the building in May and subsequent delays in renovation, the clinic's opening date has been delayed by many months.

Thompson said the Wellspring Health Access team aims to open the regular abortion clinic around the end of winter next year.

Following the arson, Thompson said the organization's team started "immediately" talking about possibly opening a mobile clinic.

The mobile clinic will offer all of the services that are listed on the Wellspring Health Access website, Thompson said.

That includes abortion and family planning services as well as gender- affirming and gynecological care.

The organization has already purchased the medical van that will house the mobile clinic. Thompson said the vehicle is somewhere in "Rocky Mountain West" right now. (She couldn't be more specific about the vehicle's location out of concern that it might be targeted.)

Wellspring Health Access is currently hiring physicians and staff to operate the mobile clinic, Thompson said. The vehicle still needs to be outfitted with equipment.

It's not clear yet where or during what times the mobile clinic will offer services, or how information about the mobile clinic will be advertised.

Thompson said that Wellspring Health Access does have a plan around some of the logistics, but that it will refrain from advertising those plans at this point.

The mobile clinic could become a permanent fixture in addition to the regular abortion clinic, according to Thompson.

"We're looking forward to having a healthy relationship with medical communities, wherever (the mobile clinic) is," she said.

Wellspring Health Access, along with other Wyoming health care providers and women, is currently involved in a lawsuit contesting Wyoming's abortion trigger ban.
RFN: Yes. I was very freelance in my teenage years, before I became a Christian. But I helped the SP bookies up at Kings Cross, and even later, when my father bought a grocery shop at Mascot, we used to collect bets there, too. FITZ: The mind boggles. Did you ever get a kick up the backside by the legendary Kings Cross copper Bumper Farrell? RFN: No, no. He never caught up with me! FITZ: So what caused your conversion to Christianity? RFN: Well, I had decided not to be a religious person. But God had other plans. I started to attend the local church at Revesby, but Id just sit at the very back because I didnt want to be involved. But I felt God speaking to me and challenging me and saying, Now youve come this far, Fred, youve got to go all the way. And it got to the point where I was compelled by Gods Holy Spirit to actually get up and walk to the front. And that was a transformation of me from being a secular person to becoming a committed Christian.

FITZ: So committed that you quickly rose in the ranks to be assistant director of the 1968 Billy Graham crusade at Sydney Showgrounds. Was that iconic American preacher the inspiration for your subsequent career? RFN: He was a wonderful caring person and I loved to be with him. And it was from organising his crusades, I realised I was good at it and I thought I could use my skills to do something like him, here. A crowd of 65,000 people attend the evangelist Billy Grahams crusade at the Sydney Showground in 1959. Credit:Alan Kemp FITZ: So then you embarked on your own crusade? I remember your Festival of Light being a fairly big deal back in the 70s. RFN: Yes, in some ways that was similar to the Billy Graham crusade  I used the same technique.

FITZ: Which is going from town to town and standing on a fruit box and giving the word of the Lord? RFN: Yes. But in the shopping centres. And we had a great response. I got a lot of experience from that time and built on that. FITZ: A question without notice: what do you think of Hillsong Church? Have you ever been to one of their services? RFN: Yes, I have. And I was not very impressed with it. Their approach  an extreme Pentecostal service  appeals to some people but not too many others. FITZ: Do you view them as arriviste upstarts?

RFN: To a degree. I never really had an attraction to them. They did some strange things. They spent a lot of money and a lot of time talking about raising money and were very, very single-minded in that direction, which Ive never done. And I was a bit disappointed. FITZ: As the times change, I think most of us look back on positions weve previously held, even public positions, and realised we got it wrong. Does that describe you at all? Are there significant things you have changed your position on? RFN: No, to be honest, I cant think of any single belief or activity where Ive had that feeling that I was wrong. I pray a lot and I believe that I get Gods guidance on my life, and so its kept me on track. FITZ: But lets go through it. You were one of the great opponents of same-sex marriage. Now that weve had it for five years, can we not agree, Reverend Nile, that same-sex marriage is no big deal, that love is love, life goes on much as it ever did, and the world is not in fact going to hell in a handcart as you and your Christian lobby warned it would? RFN: That was my conviction and I dont resile from that. I believed it was the right thing at the time, but people have their own free society, people make their own choices, do what they want to do, and ... I accept that.

FITZ: But we know that you have had two loving relationships with, first, your late wife Elaine and, now, Silvana. So, after being in two very loving relationships, when you see happy gay couples, dont you think theyre just like you? At the 1989 Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence prepare to march with their papier mache Fred Nile head on a platter. Credit:Palani Mohan RFN: To a degree ... but I still think, as a Christian, I believe that marriage is between a male and a female. Thats what marriage is, but I dont have any hatred or revenge against those who are in a same-sex relationship. FITZ: But back in the day, I remember a lot of news stories where you and your fellow Christians would pray for rain to wash away the Sydney Mardi Gras. RFN: And God sometimes sent it. Sometimes even hail.

FITZ: But looking back, in the spirit of reconciliation, in the spirit of getting mellow as you get older ... Can you tell me that might have been a bit on the mean side of things? RFN: Yes, probably was, and upsetting their lives. FITZ: Well, could you say sorry? Come on! RFN: Im sorry. FITZ: Good on you for your grace, seriously. Youve also opposed halal food products being available in Australian stores. Looking back, isnt that as ludicrous as Islamic-Australians saying, Listen, Fred, we dont want stores selling Vegemite?

RFN: Yeah, I understand that. That may have been a bit extreme, but I felt at that stage we were trying to keep Australia as a Christian country and not to have the promotion of Islam in Australia. But I love our Muslim brothers and sisters and I meet with them regularly and many of them support me in my meetings. FITZ: That is fantastic. Can you throw me a headline? Ive got the typesetter ready to go: Reverend Fred Nile: I was wrong about halal foods! And I love my Islamic brothers and sisters. Can you throw me that? RFN: Yes. And I apologise. And Ive since been working with the Muslim community very closely in supporting many of the things that they do. FITZ: Were on a roll! Something else that pleasantly surprises me is that, as detailed by my colleague Alexandra Smith this week, Despite his vocal opposition to many progressive issues, Nile has been working with First Nations people for decades, and particularly since 1983 when he backed the Aboriginal Land Rights Act that passed parliament. When so many of your other positions have been that of, respectfully, a conservative curmudgeon, can you tell us what placed you on that side of the debate? RFN: Worshipping God taught me from the very beginning to love our Aboriginal brothers and sisters as Gods children, and as founders of Australia, the bedrock of our society of Australia.

Fitz: Do you support the Voice? RFN: Of course, I support the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and will be voting yes in the coming referendum. My earnest prayer is that the majority of Australians will as well. FITZ: And Alexandra Smith also notes that your last big push in parliament is forming an unlikely alliance with NSW parliaments most effective same-sex marriage campaigner, Alex Greenwich, to pass legislation that will help protect and promote Indigenous culture and heritage. You and Greenwich do not strike me as a match made in heaven. The unlikely pairing of Reverend Fred Nile and Independent MP Alex Greenwhich. Credit:Oscar Colman RFN: I think God made that match. I get on with him very well and Im happy to work with him and with others like him. The bill weve put up recognises their cultural rights, their religious rights and so on, and that bill will pass. I dont have any hatred for people who disagree with me, or have other beliefs, whether theyre Muslim or a Hindu or whatever it is. I love them as people and work with them. So many of them have become my good friends.

FITZ: Youll be gone from NSW parliament in March of next year. When youve gone, Im going to take a chisel down to your political tombstone, and Ill personally carve in your epitaph: Here lies the Reverend Fred Nile. He was in this parliament for 41 years and he ... What? What do you want me to chisel? RFN: Provided love and acceptance for all people. FITZ: Not quite ... But Ill tell you what, youve certainly come a long way good in your old age, the very Reverend Fred! RFN: Thats good. Thank you. Thats a lot of praise coming from you.

Quote of the week Truss has become a pointless prime minister  an empty vessel with no policies or power. -The Sunday Times in an editorial. Tweet of the week
Most residents of North Lismore are being warned to prepare for evacuation as floodwaters rise again, the State Emergency Service said.

All areas north of Leycester Creek and the Wilsons River in the northern NSW city may be flooded, and residents are being told to get ready to leave.

The Wilson River is expected to peak on Monday night at about 9.7 metres.

People are being told to enact their home or business emergency plan now. They are being told to keep their mobile phone close, pack a phone charger, a battery-powered radio, medicine, rain gear, warm clothes, blankets, baby and pet items, water, food, a torch, something to attract attention and valuables like photos and insurance or banking records.

They are being told to wear enclosed shoes, pack warm clothes for at least three days and check that vehicles have enough fuel.

An evacuation centre has been set up at Southern Cross University (Block P) on Military Road in East Lismore.
Sometimes it is difficult to be moving through those stages of grief if youre reliving the pressures that were the reasons that you separated in the first place because youre still under that one roof. For the past six years, Brinsmead was a stay-at-home dad, who worked part-time at a market, while his ex was the main breadwinner. He is now working full time making retractable fly screens but says its so far been impossible to find somewhere close by to live on his $900-a-week salary. Brinsmead is grateful to his ex, who pays two-thirds of the rent and all the bills. But that doesnt make it easy. He initially found it tough when she started dating, although he says he is fine with it now, and he has started doing things for himself, like going to the gym. It was hard for me to move on because I was very dependent on her.

The former couple sleep in separate rooms, have separate meals and take it in turns to look after their six-year-old daughter. Its had its ups and downs, Brinsmead says. So many aspects of my life are on hold. I met a girl I really liked but after a couple of really nice dates, she said, I cant do this, you live with your ex-wife, this feels wrong. Brinsmead has children from another relationship. He told them not to come and stay during school holidays because he didnt want to impose on his ex. I feel really trapped, but I know its not going to be that way forever. Relationships Australia, which provides support services to families and individuals, is also seeing more separated couples living together because of the pandemic, financial pressures and lack of housing.

Were seeing people who are having to stay together and they have to stay in the one bed because theres nowhere to go, said Relationships Australia NSW CEO Elisabeth Shaw. Thats really hard as well, especially if youre not entirely resolved about the separation, it can be very bittersweet to be in bed with the person that youre having to separate from. Shaw recommends separated couples agree to time frames for remaining living together and commit to activities such as actively looking at other properties or going to the bank. She also suggests making clear rules for as long as both individuals remain in the house. Some couples agree that they will not date during that time, for example, or not doing things that are openly inflammatory to the others, and perhaps distressing for the children, like suddenly staying out all night without notice, Shaw says.

Benjamin Hale and his ex meet for 90 minutes every Tuesday to have the difficult discussions around their separation. Other couples who may have separate bedrooms and even separate entrances to the house can obviously go a bit further around beginning to have a separate social life. Shaw says it is important for people to remember that how they end the relationship can set up what happens for the rest of their lives, especially if they want to remain on good terms for their children. If you harm each other further when youre already under a lot of stress and distress, the pain can be greater and it can have a lasting legacy that you dont intend. Benjamin Hale and his former partner of 22 years have remained living together in Noosa after separating 10 months ago.

Exploding property prices have just made it incredibly difficult to figure out the financial separation and living arrangements to go from one household to two, Hale says. Another major reason is to just to keep some continuity of family life for the kids so the process of separation is not so wrenching. Hale said he and his ex-wife had a project management approach to the separation, setting aside every Tuesday from 10.30am to 12pm to discuss finances, their legal rights and living arrangements. What I found was that whenever we talked about any small issue, the underlying anxiety would bubble up and things would just explode, which wasnt very functional, he said. So now all the difficult discussions that separated couples have to have are corralled into that hour-and-a-half every Tuesday. We agreed this discussion will be very adult and well try and keep emotions out of it.

Hale said their relationship was now like one of flatmates. They equally shared the housework and childcare, which made him appreciate the greater burden his ex-wife had taken on in the past. Both Hale and his ex now see other people, although they tend not to bring other partners into the home. You cant invite someone into your home to share your space with them, which is I think, a critical part of establishing a new relationship. Hale said a lot of pragmatism was required to make living under the same roof work when separated. Im a child of three divorces, so I know the damage that acrimonious divorces can do, he says.
I think we do need to have a mindset change about that. You dont want to die being rescued by a couple of old farmers. You dont want people to die trying to rescue you because you wouldnt leave. Colin Harvey predicts there will be a change in Rochester. I reckon next time you wont find anyone in the street. The difference between this flood and Rochesters last major one was the width of four bricks. The clearest place to see this is on the side of Bruce and Eileen Kilpatricks house near a bend in the Campaspe River which so violently broke its banks a week ago. Bruce and Eileen Kilpatrick in their flood-affected home on Cromwell Street. Credit:Eddie Jim The house used to be owned by Murray Goulburn Dairy when it was the biggest employer in town. When the 2011 floods came through, reaching just before floor level in the house, the plant manager screwed a plaque onto the wall to record the high watermark.

The stain from the new high watermark is four bricks higher. That might not sound like much but, on Rochesters flood plain, it meant water went rushing through Bruce and Eileens place and inundated an estimated nine out of 10 homes in town. The plaque showing the 2011 flood level on the side of the Kilpatricks house. Credit:Eddie Jim For the Kilpatricks and so many of Rochesters residents, 2011 was the measure of a bad flood. Two nights before last weeks floods, they gathered at a town meeting at the Rochester Shire Hall and were told that the most likely scenario was that the river would peak below the 2011 level. The next day, at 4.15pm, local SES controller Tim Williams sent an urgent text message to all residents, warning the flood would be worse than previously advised and up to 450 houses could go under. Evacuate now, the message read.

Bruce Kilpatrick says he stayed on the basis of the initial advice. We were prepared for the same level as 2011, he says. When water started coming in above the floor, they hurriedly packed a bag and rushed out the door. The force of the water that came through can be seen in a dented water tank wedged against a tree at the bottom of a flattened wheat crop behind the Kilpatrick house. The devastated wheat crop behind the Kilpatricks home. Credit:Eddie Jim Colin Harvey says you could hear it in the shotgun sound of Colorbond fencing snapping off its screws along Fuller Avenue. Bernie Williamson points to where the water shifted a fully loaded shipping container in his front yard. Bernie and Rose Williamson retired to Rochester two years ago. They are now living in a caravan, with their 19th-century farmhouse uninhabitable. The water reached just below the sash of their front windows and ruined everything it touched. Bernie Williamson says that once they heard the floods were going to be bad, they had no desire to stay.

You hear about people getting caught and trapped and driving through floods, he says. If we had stayed we wouldnt have gotten out. If wed tried to get out we probably would have been on the front page of The Age. Miraculously, only one person died in the Rochester floods. Bernie and Rose Williamson are now living in their caravan. Credit:Eddie Jim In 2011, 250 homes were inundated. Former mayor Leigh Wilson says that this time about 1000 homes went under, along with the hospital, all three schools, nursing homes and most shops. His wifes shop was also inundated, despite him spending hours trying to save it with sandbags and pumps. Loading You see the flood water come up, he says. You think we have got a bit of time, we can do this, we can do that. Then you get excited about what is going on and the adrenaline kicks in and you think you can do a bit more, you can fight it. Then there is a tipping point when you realise nothing I can bring to bear can fight this.

This is what Tim Williams and Judith Gledhill have been trying to tell anyone who would listen. They run the Rochester SES and, like the town, were overwhelmed on that Friday night. Gledhill describes it as a perfect storm.You cant grab them by the short and curlies and drag them out, she says. It has to be a personal decision. The flight or flood dilemma split neighbours and even families in Rochester. Wes and Hazel Brierley thought their home would be fine after they escaped the 2011 floods without water coming into the house. Instead, it only took an hour on the Friday morning for the Brierleys to realise they needed to get out. By 5am, water had filled their street gutters. By 6am, it was running over the entire street. She was comin pretty fast, Wes Brierley says. It was far more ferocious than what the last one was. Our back fence is layin on the ground. Hazel and West Brierley look over family photos ruined in Rochesters record flood. Credit:Eddie Jim On the other side of the same street, Stephen, who asked for his surname not to be published, made sure his 83-year-old mother was safe in Bendigo well before the floods arrived. She is now at his place in Canberra. He has told her about the floods but hasnt sent her any pictures of the damage. I reckon it would just break her, he says.
Travelers were warned Friday to avoid state Highway 141, near Avon, because a damaged culvert forced the road to close.

Montana Department Of Transportation has advised that Highway 141 is closed due to a culvert washout at mile marker 3.4, the Powell County Sheriffs Office posted on its Facebook page. This affects all traffic between Avon and Highway 200. There are no detours, you will have to find an alternate route.

The Montana Department of Transportation posted on www.511mt.net that MT-141 is closed to through traffic and the closure is about 3 miles north of the junction with US-12 in Avon.

Lincoln Volunteer Fire Rescue also warned people not to cut across from Highway 200 to Highway 12 on 141.

Lincoln Fire Chief Zach Muse said the roadway is completely impassible. He said he has heard it could be a couple weeks until it is repaired. He said its a popular route from Seeley Lake to Helena.

The road is a 32-mile-long state highway that begins at U.S. Route 12 at Avon and ends at MT 200 north of Helmville.

People were told to check Montana Department of Transportation 511 for highway conditions and information.
Last weeks decision to extend paid parental leave is a result of united calls from Septembers jobs summit to increase the amount of government-funded time off for young families.

In an exclusive interview with this masthead, Minister for Finance and Women Katy Gallagher said the government decided it needed to step up and include changes to parental leave in its first budget.

Minister for Finance and Women Katy Gallagher says the jobs summit just focused the mind on what needs to happen. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But she cautioned the womens budget statement would be just a start to addressing other issues affecting women.

Increasing the Commonwealth parental leave scheme from 18 to 26 weeks was a long-time Labor policy, but the party did not take it to the election and Treasurer Jim Chalmers had repeatedly said this bread and butter budget would focus on funding Labors poll promises.
When Chinas state-owned tin producer Yunnan Tin was looking for a base in Australia from which to steer the expansion of its mining interests in Tasmania in 2010, a historic Georgian-style estate in Wahroonga was deemed just the place.

The 1941-built mansion came with a suitably impressive provenance, given it was built for Arnotts Biscuits chairman Halse Rogers Arnott, designed by then-renowned architect William Richardson and was set on a vast 5400 square metres with a tennis court and pool.

The grand Georgian estate built for the Arnott family in 1941 has sold for $11 million.

But a lot has changed in the 12 years since film producer Richard Becker and his wife Sue pocketed $5.6 million from subsidiary Yunnan Tin Australia Investment Holding.

For a start, former company chairman Lei Yi was removed from the top job in 2013 as part of the countrys broader crackdown on such state-sanctioned opulence as represented by the Wahroonga mansion, which is viewed in a far less favourable light.
Kyiv: Russian missiles have pounded Ukrainian energy and other facilities, causing blackouts in various regions, Kyiv said, while Russian occupation authorities in the southern city of Kherson urged civilians to evacuate.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian attacks had struck on a very wide scale. He pledged his military would improve on an already good record of downing missiles with help from its partners.

With the war about to start its ninth month and winter approaching, the potential for freezing misery loomed as Russia continued to attack Ukraines power grid.

In Kherson, a target for Ukraines aggressive counterattack to the invasion Russian President Vladimir Putin launched on February 24, the occupation authorities instructed civilians to get out.
Saint Lucia:--- More than 200 bankers, financial services professionals, regulators, Government officials, and representatives of regional and international agencies from the Caribbean, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa will meet in the coming days for CAB Conference Saint Lucia 2022. It will be the first time since 2019 that the foremost gathering of regional banks will be convened in person, and from all reports, the highly anticipated event will be crucial and transformative.

The 49th Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Association of Banks (CAB) Inc. will be held at the Harbor Club - Curio Collection by Hilton on Wednesday 26 October 2022. During the AGM, members will deliberate on matters affecting the financial services industry. There will also be voting for vacant positions arising on the Board of Directors, including a new Chairperson to replace Mr. Dalton Lee, who has served two terms with distinction.

The AGM will be followed by two days of high-level discourse, presentations by inspirational speakers and industry leaders in technology and finance, under the theme: "Banking For The Future." The opening plenary will speak to Sanctions, Supply Chain Resilience, Environmental, Social and Governance Compliance, Trade Finance, and Technology & Payments. The closing plenary will address South-South Co-operation, The Changing DNA of Caribbean Banks, Leadership, and De-risking.

Among the agencies represented will be the African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank), the Atlantic Council Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, Avvant, the Central Bank of Barbados, Financial & International Business Association (FIBA), Pt. Lisas Industial Port Development Corporation (PLIPDECO), Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services (SRC) of University of the West Indies, The Leadership Xperience, Ernst & Young Services Ltd., Hitachi Systems Security Inc., Alliance One Management Consulting, the International Finance Company (IFC), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, and Republic Bank, inter alia.

CAB Conference 2022 will also feature a Training Day facilitated by IFC and FIBA, which will delve into Trade Finance and Correspondent Banking. This will be the first time that IFC will be offering training through CAB. The Atlantic Council will also take the opportunity to host a roundtable on de-risking and correspondent banking, a topic on which CAB, The Atlantic Council, and FIBA recently offered testimony before the House Committee on Financial Services in the United States of America.

Further to the business sessions, participants will also be eager to take advantage of networking opportunities during social events such as the Opening Ceremony, Poolside Cocktail, the Closing Party, and Surf & Turf Networking Day, where delegates will travel by catamaran to visit a working cocoa plantation, Fond Doux Eco Resort.

For the first time, the CAB Conference will have a Main Sponsor - UTC Global Balanced Fund Limited. CAB also welcomes the support of Diamond Sponsors, MasterCard, Howden Insurance Brokers, Euro Exim, Alliance One Management, Hitachi Systems Security Inc., Ernst & Young Services Limited, Republic Bank, and First Citizens Bank. Additionally, Grant Thornton, ERI Banking Software Ltd., Finastra, Temenos USA Inc, the International Finance Corporation, and Republic Financial Holdings Limited occupy the Platinum Sponsor positions.

Gold Sponsors include Raymond James - The Americas Group, Crown Agents Bank Limited, Bangor University, IBIS Management Associates Inc., Jack Henry, ADVANTAQ Solutions, and 1st National Bank (St. Lucia) Limited. Further support has been furnished by Ascendancy Fund, Moody's Analytics, HPS, Salesforce / Crescent Digital, and Ictual NV.

CAB has extended thanks to a number of local collaborators, who have helped ensure a great experience for delegates, including the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, the Saint Lucia Customs and Excise Department, the Immigration Department, Sea Island Cotton Shop, Harry Edwards Jewelers, and Barbay Limited.

CAB, the recognised voice of the industry in the region, is a community of Caribbean banks and other financial institutions, which proactively influences issues impacting the financial services sector through advocacy, education, and networking. The pan-regional body was founded in 1974, as an instrument of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
PHILIPSBURG:--- Upon the request of the Academy PSVE, two officers of the Uniform Division of the St. Maarten Police held an information session on conflict resolution for several groups of teenagers from the aforementioned high school.

The aim of the information session is to provide youth with lessons on cooperative and collaborative problem-solving through values clarification and communication skills.

The purpose is also to improve the relationships between police and youth, between youth themselves, and improve their social skills.

The information given includes understanding conflict levels, listening to understand, being curious, deferring judgment, value clarification, problem-solving, and the negative effects of stereotyping.

Through such information sessions, the police want to establish a more meaningful and positive bond between police officers and high school children.

The KPSM leadership thanks the PSVE Academy leadership for the invitation.

KPSM Press Release
The Government Blockchain Association (GBA) EMEA Lead to speak at UK House of Commons

London, UK, Oct 20, 2022  (ACN Newswire)  The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Blockchain Chair in the House of Commons, Martin Docherty-Hughes MP, has invited Ms. Priya Guliani, (the Government Blockchain Association\-s Regional Lead for Europe, Middle East, and Africa), to speak at the APPG Evidence Meeting on Sustainability & Climate Change: Energy Consumption & Other Issues.

This meeting is part of the APPG\-s work on blockchain in the UK Parliament, and part of a series of APPG meetings to make the policymakers aware of blockchain technology\-s developments, applications, and regulatory implications.

Representatives of academic institutions and the blockchain industry will bring their perspectives on how blockchain can be utilized to solve sustainability and climate change issues. Specifically, is blockchain harming the causes themselves? The issues surrounding blockchain, sustainability, and climate Impact will be discussed by experts, furthering the APPG\-s understanding of the technology.

The meeting logistics will include speakers from different companies and institutions, followed by a Q&A with the members of the houses of Commons and Lords, the APPG on Blockchain Advisory Board, and the audience.

Register for this event HERE: https://bicpavilion.com/about_pavilion/appg-blockchain)

Priya Guliani is the EMEA Director at the Government Blockchain Association. She is an impact and technology entrepreneur, building decentralized identity solution to bring social, financial, and digital inclusion. She is an MIT certified leadership professional and Oxford certified Blockchain expert with over 14 years of IT consulting experience. She is also an author and speaker in innovative technology and sustainability space. In response to the world succumbing to the global pandemic, Priya formed and leads the Sustainable Environmental Stewardship, working group within GBA. The group\-s mission is to help public and private organizations create Sustainable, Attainable, and Maintainable solutions to combat climate change.

The Government Blockchain Association (GBA) is a non-profit, global organization, allowing the public and private sectors to connect, communicate, and collaborate over everything blockchain. Developing training materials, assessment tools, white papers, and applications for the blockchain community, GBA brings collaborators together through a variety of events. To find out more, visit GBA\-s website at www.gbablobal.org.
Union nurses at CHI St. Alexius Health in Bismarck delivered a letter to management this week addressing concerns about staffing levels they say impact patient care, especially in the Intensive Care Unit.

The letter has signatures of all 25 full-time ICU and critical care nurses, as well as five other nurses at the hospital who signed in support of that department, according to Steven Toff, attorney with the Minnesota Nurses Association, which represents hundreds of nurses at the hospital.

The union takes issue with what it says are recent changes in "staffing grids."

They reflect the number of nurses needed based upon the projected patient census," Toff said. "This year we have seen dramatic revisions to these grids implemented unilaterally; all of them result in less nurses doing more work for more patients and we believe many of them to be unsafe."

He declined to provide specific examples of how patients are impacted.

CHI St. Alexius in a statement to the Tribune said, "Safety has been and will always be a top priority for our patients and our staff. At CHI St. Alexius our registered nurses are an integral part of the high-quality care we provide. We follow national nursing standards when developing our staffing policies. As always, we will follow the union contract and listen to our nurses."

The union represents all non-management RNs at the hospital. Nurses are in the second year of a three-year contract. Toff said CHI St. Alexius is not violating the contract but is "bargaining with us over the issue, a process spelled out in the contract.

Were hoping to reach an agreement with them that would provide for better staffing levels that the nurses would feel more comfortable with, he said.

Toff said he wouldn't characterize the letter as a negotiation ploy for the next contract negotiations but as a legitimate issue for nurses and patients.

"Nurses are absolutely going to be raising these kinds of issues in our next round of negotiations, but we're bringing it to the public's attention and the community's attention now because we know it's going to be an uphill battle," he said. "We would love to resolve the issues now, not a year from now."
Dili (Timor-Leste) 20.10.2022 (SPS)- The President of the Commission for the support of the Referendum of Self-determination in Western Sahara of the National Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (CEARAS), honourabe member of Parliament Mr. Aderito Hugo da Costa reaffirmed today in an audience with Saharawi Republic Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Mr. Abba Malainin and the Commission in the National Parliament the unwavering Support and solidarity of the Commission and National Parliament of Timor-Leste towards the just struggle of the people of Western Sahara to exercise their right to Self-determination and Independence through United Nations Organized Referendum.

The Saharawi Ambassdor, Mr. Malainin updated the Parliamentarians members of the Commission for the support of the Referendum of Self-determination in Western Sahara of the National Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (CEARAS) about the recent developments of different aspects of the struggle of the people of Western Sahara and expressed his gratitude to the parliamentarians members of the commission, the National Parliament, the Government, the political Parties, the Civil Society and to the brotherly people of Timor-Leste for the consensus, constant strong support and solidarity towards the right of the people of Western Sahara to Self-determination, Independence and full sovereignty over the Saharawi Republic.

The Saharawi Ambassador has submitted today to the President of the Commission for the support of the Referendum of Self-determination in Western Sahara of the National Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (CEARAS) a formal Invitation for the 46th Session of the European Conference for Support and Solidarity with the Saharawi People (EUCOCO).

It should be noted that the above mentioned commission was officially kicked off on 5 March 2022 in Timor-Lestes Parliament and it is composed of all the political parties in the National Parliament of Timor-Leste.

062/SPS


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Rep. Liz Cheney touched on what she called a key lesson from the Capitol attack investigation in her opening statement for the Jan. 6 Select Committees last hearing.

Cheney asked why Americans would assume the Constitution and institutions  U.S. democracy in general  would be invulnerable and not falter if assaulted again.

Our institutions only hold when men and women of good faith make them hold, regardless of the political cost, said Cheney, R-Wyoming. We have no guarantee that these men and women will be in place next time.

A month before the midterm general elections, some Republicans in or campaigning for statewide offices that oversee elections still outright deny or cast doubt on Joe Bidens 2020 presidential election win.

Federal election security officials under former President Donald Trump announced that the election Biden won was the most secure in American history, with no evidence any voting system was compromised. Courts consistently have turned away baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud.

But Trumps so-called Big Lie that the election was rigged or stolen has resonated among his supporters, and many candidates seek to tap into Trumps base.

A Lee Enterprises review of its west region found four candidates for secretary of state offices who openly have denied or cast doubt on Joe Bidens victory  independent Charles Tuttle in North Dakota, Republican Jim Marchant in Nevada, Republican Mark Finchem in Arizona and Republican Chuck Gray in Wyoming.

The Guardian in January reported that a group of Republicans running to serve as chief election officials in key swing states formed a coalition to share unfounded election fraud conspiracy theories and ideas to reshape election systems in ways that could overturn legitimate results in the next presidential race.

Some experts are unsure what might happen if election deniers gain more control overseeing state elections, but they dont see furor provoked by Trump subsiding soon.

Bruce Schulman is a U.S. historian at Boston University who says the risk to democratic institutions and traditions must be taken seriously.

However, Schulman noted, many Republican politicians arent true believers of election conspiracy theories. He referenced Sen. Ted Cruz as an example of someone embracing election denialism for political reasons.

The big question is what happens when push comes to shove, when those people who are not true believers, will either have to stand up for democratic practices or join the authoritarian bandwagon, Schulman said. I'm not sure what will happen.

Joseph Uscinski, a University of Miami professor who researches conspiracy theories, elections and politics, said its common for some voters to believe they were cheated after their chosen candidate loses.

Uscinski said whats different about the 2020 election is that the majority of Republicans now hold that belief because of the echo chamber cultivated by Trump, his allies in Congress and conservative media outlets.

With that said, its not clear to me that these high numbers are going to remain permanently, but I think theyre going to be with us for a while, Uscinski said.

Lisa Bryant, a California State-Fresno professor who is an expert in voter confidence and election administration, said her optimistic view is that good policies and procedures will win the day if and when election deniers achieve oversight of elections because statewide elections are run so well and securely.

Candidate quality issue

Uscinski said people believe conspiracy theories because a persons beliefs tend to be a reflection of who one is and how they view the world -- so those who still view the 2020 election as fraudulent likely wont change their view.

He said the Republican Party should take stronger control over who it allows to run in its primaries under the GOP banner.

Some people should not be allowed to run under the party banner if theyre engaging in a bunch of wild-eyed nonsense, Uscinski said.

Trump reshaped the Republican partys structure. Uscinski said theres now a generation of politicians emboldened by Trump who are changing their tunes to match his.

He built a base for himself that is less about traditional Republicanism and conservatism and much more about antagonisms toward the political establishment as a whole, Uscinski said. And oftentimes those antagonisms are expressed as conspiracy theories.

GOP confidence drops more

Bryant said voter confidence  how confident a person feels that ballots are counted as intended  always goes up among people who voted for a winner and down in those who chose the loser.

But the difference is that traditionally Democrats lose only a little confidence while Republican confidence goes down more, she said.

Bryant said what would boost confidence but largely goes underreported or unnoticed is how IT departments and election offices are keenly aware of the evolving election landscape and are updating to handle it.

My hope, as always, is even if people who are election deniers get elected into office  that once there they will see that the majority of people running the elections are just bureaucrats, Bryant said. They are friends and neighbors  people they go to church with or bowling with or whatever  and that they are just following procedures.

They are not people sitting in offices with grand schemes to try to change election results.

Parallels, precedents in US history

Schulman said there are no cases historically that specifically resemble Trumps efforts. But he noted that there are many pertinent parallels and precedents.

He pointed to a lengthy history of voter suppression, intimidation and violence surrounding elections and its relation to the countrys history of racial discrimination and white supremacy.

Some part  I cant say how much  of the explanation for how people believe claims of widespread fraud despite the lack of evidence is that fraud designates who voted, not how they voted, Schulman said.

Schulman emphasized that 11 states in the early 1860s not only rejected Abraham Lincons election to president but seceded from the U.S. and launched a civil war rather than accept the result of an election they found unwelcome.

Schulman said there have been numerous close and contested elections in which supporters of the losing candidate saw the outcome as fraudulent or corrupt.

The most famous case, he explained, is the 1824 election in which none of the candidates received a majority in the Electoral College and the decision went to the House of Representatives.

Candidate Henry Clay gave his support to John Quincy Adams, who defeated the biggest vote-getter  Andrew Jackson  and Clay became Adams secretary of state.

The apparent deal, denounced as the Corrupt Bargain by Jackson supporters, led to widespread Jacksonian complaints about the legitimacy of the result and Adams subsequent presidency, Schulman said.

Here are brief views into some states from journalists  Joshua Wolfson, Sam Wilson, Nathan Thompson, Mychel Matthews, Jack Dura, Dave Bundy, Corey Jones and Hayley Day  in Lee Enterprises' west region:

North Dakota

Independent Charles Tuttle, vying to be North Dakotas secretary of state, is a Trump supporter who has said Trump won the 2020 election.

The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation in August searched his Minot home and seized 15 time cards in connection with an investigation into fraud allegations related to signature collection for a ballot measure for term limits on North Dakota lawmakers and the governor. No arrests resulted from the warranted search.

Secretary of state candidates Jeffrey Powell, a Democrat, and Michael Howe, a Republican, discussed election administration during a candidate forum in May.

Howe said he is comfortable with our election process the way it is but that he is willing to make improvements if it would become easier to vote and harder to cheat.

Powell said North Dakota has a secure voting system and that he doesnt have major changes from a procedural viewpoint.

North Dakota is a Republican-controlled state, with no Democrats holding statewide office.

South Dakota

Monae Johnson is a Republican candidate campaigning for secretary of state in South Dakota on election integrity.

Johnson hasnt agreed to interview requests from the Rapid City Journal.

In a July post on her campaign website, Johnson said she understands the challenges in the coming months as the radical left continues its assault on election integrity  despite the fact that its Trump and his Republican supporters who question or deny the 2020 presidential election results.

She referenced South Dakotas elections as fair, transparent and secure.

Her Democrat opponent, Tom Cool, acknowledges on his campaign website that there is no evidence of widespread manipulation of the election process in the last election.

Montana

Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, a Republican, was elected to her current term in 2020. She will be up for reelection in 2024.

Jacobsen has never publicly addressed the 2020 election conspiracy theories, other than to say Montanas elections are secure and to note that the states tabulating machines dont connect to the internet.

She has aggressively lobbied for legislation similar to Republican-backed legislation elsewhere in the country to improve election integrity and security. Opponents have said the measures, including tighter voter ID requirements and earlier registration deadlines, limit access to voting.

Wyoming

In Wyoming, the secretary of state is the No. 2 elected official.

Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan departed office in September for a judgeship in his hometown.

Buchanan, a Republican, sought to push back against claims that election integrity was an issue in Wyoming. He traveled around the state to give presentations to groups about why Wyoming elections are safe and secure.

State Rep. Chuck Gray won the Republican nomination in August for secretary of state and is running unopposed in the general election. Gray has called Bidens election fraudulent and illegitimate on Twitter.

Grays platform focuses on voter fraud and banning ballot drop boxes, even though voter fraud is extremely rare in Wyoming.

Idaho

In Idaho, the attorney generals race has drawn attention.

Lawrence Wasden, the states longest-serving attorney general, was beaten in the Republican primary by former U.S. Congressman Raul Labrador.

Wasden had declined to join Texas lawsuit against Georgia and other states that contested the 2020 presidential election, which rankled elected Republicans in Idaho. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Texas suit.

Throughout the campaign, Labrador said that as attorney general he would be aggressive in actions taken against the federal government and against big government overreach. Labrador said he would have joined lawsuits over the 2020 presidential election.

Democrat candidate Tom Arkoosh has said he accepts the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Nebraska

Republican incumbent Bob Evnen is running unopposed for secretary of state.

In the May primary, Evnen defeated Bob Borer, a Trump supporter who campaigned heavily on election integrity as a member of the "America First Secretary of States Candidates" coalition.

Evnen and Gov. Pete Ricketts each have maintained that Nebraskas elections are safe and that Biden is president.

Oklahoma

Oklahomas chief state election official is the secretary of the Oklahoma State Election Board, which is a position appointed by the leader of the Senate  a Republican.

Secretary Paul Ziriax in a letter to the state Legislature after the 2020 presidential election wrote that Oklahomas elections are free, fair, safe and secure.
North Dakotans voting in the attorney general race in the November general election will choose between two men with differing views on the qualifications for the states top law enforcement officer.

Former U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley, a Republican, says experience as a prosecutor is a key qualification for the post, to which he was appointed in February. He wants to get tough on violent crime and beef up the state Crime Lab.

Grand Forks attorney Tim Lamb, the Democratic-NPL challenger, says he would utilize management and motivation skills gained during 20 years in the military to lead the office. He wants to build up public trust in the agency and increase public input.

Running as an undercurrent in the campaign is controversy swirling around a $1.8 million construction cost overrun incurred under the former attorney general, and the deletion of his email account and that of his chief deputy.

The attorney general's term is four years. The annual salary is $169,162.

Wrigley

Gov. Doug Burgum appointed Wrigley as attorney general after the death of Wayne Stenehjem, who died of cardiac arrest on Jan. 28. Wrigley was already a candidate, having announced in December 2021 that hed run. Stenehjem by then had said he would not seek another term.

Wrigley, 57, was lieutenant governor from 2010-16 during Gov. Jack Dalrymples tenure. He served as U.S. attorney for North Dakota from 2001-09 and again from 2019-21. He also spent five years as a prosecutor in Philadelphia, and sees his experience in state and federal courtrooms as being critically important to the way hed oversee the attorney generals office if elected.

I think my background and experience brings with it a credibility when I engage in discussions with legislators and, frankly, with the public, Wrigley said.

If hes elected one of his top priorities would be leading a statewide full engagement on violent crime, he said. Hed try to do that by communicating with sheriffs and chiefs of police, legislators and states attorneys.

Im going to be an engaged, visible leader on issues involving violent crime in the state of North Dakota, he said.

A budget in the works by his staff includes enhancements for the state Crime Lab. The facility is mired by what Wrigley called a bureaucratic glut thats created a backlog of rape kit and drug testing. A lack of firearms examiners slows testing time, increases costs, and raises concerns for speedy trials and evidence chains of custody, all of which undermine the efforts of law enforcement, according to Wrigley.

They make an arrest and take a gun, then they have to find somebody to test it, he said.

The lab also needs an increased capacity for forensic testing of cellphones, which Wrigley said have become a staple in child pornography, drug trafficking and human trafficking crimes.

Another step in the effort against violent crime is addressing a crisis in the recruiting and retaining of law enforcement employees, according to Wrigley.

We need to do more and more to support them in that work, he said.

His plan includes three more agents for the Bureau of Criminal Investigation who will have responsibilities on and near the states American Indian reservations.

The attorney general's office must also keep its attorney salaries competitive to promote retention. The office in addition to criminal issues tackles civil matters to defend the interests of North Dakotans, Wrigley said.

The work of the AG office touches every corner of government, he said.

Much of Wrigleys time since he took office has been occupied with matters related to a building cost overrun and deleted email accounts. A probe of the cost overrun has been turned over to Montana investigators.

I think were going to get some good reform out of that, and I think thats what you get out of transparency, Wrigley said.

The deletion of two email accounts -- Stenehjems just days after his death, and deputy Troy Seibels following his resignation shortly after Wrigley took office -- were in accordance with the law and procedure, but damn unfortunate, Wrigley said.

The deletions ordered by then-executive assistant Liz Brocker created suspicion and the expectation that there was something in there, Wrigley said, but he added he doubts there was anything in Stenehjems emails that you wouldnt have found on his desk." Brocker resigned in July, days after the deletions came to light from a Tribune records request.

The issues consumed considerable time but needed attention, according to Wrigley.

Theres the job you want to do and you get to do that, but theres also the job that comes your way and (you) have to deal with it, he said.

Lamb

Lamb earned journalism and law degrees from the University of North Dakota and holds a masters in business from Central Michigan University. Hes been in private law practice since 2010.

Lamb, 67, served in the U.S. Army for 20 years and retired as a major in the Signal Corps. As a commander during back-to-back tours in Germany he led 200 soldiers and managed $200 million in military assets. He sees his experience in the military, his service with organizations and his business degree as solid qualifications for the post he seeks. The business degree taught me how to deal with large organizations, broke down theory and how people are motivated, he said.

You dont need to be a prosecutor to be attorney general, Lamb said. Its by and large being a good manager.

Lamb said that if elected hed accomplish his first priority as attorney general much the same way he would when he commanded a military unit.

The first order of business for me is to learn the workings of the attorney generals office, he said. To do that he would meet with the division leaders to define priorities and needs, then relay to the departments 250 employees the need for a high standard in the office.

The office needs to rebuild public trust, Lamb said. He cited what he called the botched up handling of the deleted email accounts. That might be part of the Montana probe, though it's up to officials in that state to determine the scope of the investigation into the cost overrun.

An investigation by an independent third party "was my stance all along," Lamb said. He also questioned Wrigleys decision to accept or not investigate a huge land purchase in Walsh County by (Microsoft co-founder) Bill Gates. The transaction was completed by a corporate entity acting like a trust, Lamb said.

It undermines public trust, he said.

Wrigley did look into the land sale and concluded it complied with the state's anti-corporate farming law.

The attorney general should play a support role with states attorneys and law enforcement by assisting when possible with budget issues and staffing, Lamb believes. He also sees training as very important for police and sheriffs departments.

My mission with law enforcement would be to ask how I can help them, and in addition train the trainers, Lamb said.

He would like to see a special focus on preparing officers for instances in which they are challenged on the street and when people are placed in danger by others.

Neither one of those is acceptable, he said.

Lamb favors making convicted scammers pay restitution to victims. Recreational marijuana use, if passed by voters in November, could ease the burdens on law enforcement and the court system, and taxes from marijuana sales could help fund addiction counseling and address other societal issues, Lamb said.

Wrigley during a debate with Lamb wouldn't say how he'll vote on the marijuana measure, but he said he believes using recreational marijuana is "not healthy."

Lamb said he would seek citizen input on issues affecting business, the elderly and landowners.

I wont leave out oil companies either, he said. I think what were lacking now is things being done sort of without good advice, so Id like to involve citizens on advisory committees.

Lamb believes there is something going on in state government thats pushing people out.

One of Drews problems now is the governor is running him ragged, he said. If Im elected Im going to be someone who is able to consult with department heads, add stability, and serve the people of North Dakota.

The job of attorney general is obviously daunting, the candidate said.
ST. LOUIS  A pedestrian was killed in a crash Friday morning in the city's Kingsway West neighborhood.

The man was hit just before 11 a.m. by a white Chevrolet Malibu at Maffitt Place and Kingshighway, police said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and police had not released his identity as of Saturday afternoon.

Following the fatal crash, the driver called the North Patrol station, police said, and reported the crash. The driver's vehicle was located unoccupied in the 3000 block of West Norwood Drive, less than a mile from where the man was struck. The driver is cooperating with the investigation, police said Saturday.
In June, a man and a woman turned up unannounced at the office of Catherine Roeske, the city clerk in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. They wanted to ask Roeske detailed questions about how local elections were run.

Were pretty much these grassroots people, the man said, according to an audio recording of the encounter. Were nonpartisan, the woman added. All they wanted, she said, was to educate citizens about the electoral process.

Roeske dutifully answered their questions. Only later did she learn from a Reuters reporter that the couple were part of a national effort to gather intelligence for prominent allies of former President Donald Trump who promote stolen-election conspiracy theories. And that intelligence would be used primarily to campaign for radical changes in the U.S. voting system that election officials overwhelmingly oppose.

Roeske got another surprise when she reviewed a summary of her interview posted online by the surveyors: It was riddled with mistakes, potentially fueling the misinformation that many voting administrators are struggling to combat.

The Oak Creek survey was one of more than 260 conducted with county and city election officials across eight battleground states and sponsored by the America Project. The influential right-wing group was co-founded by Michael Flynn, who was Trumps national security adviser, and wealthy businessman Patrick Byrne. The organization told Reuters it is using the information to fuel a multi-state campaign to promote the Trump-backed agenda of eliminating electronic voting machines and returning to hand-counted paper ballots.

The America Project finances litigation seeking to overturn the 2020 election and public campaigns challenging the integrity of U.S. voting systems. It also donates heavily to groups backing pro-Trump election deniers who are campaigning for top state offices. Weeks after the 2020 election, both Flynn and Byrne visited the White House to urge Trump to use the military to seize voting machines in an effort to overturn the election result, according to the congressional investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Byrne and Flynn didnt respond to requests for comment.

Many surveyors working with the America Project told election officials that they were politically neutral and engaged in voter education. Chris Quackenbush, a Republican who interviewed officials in Florida, told Reuters the surveyors only pretended to be nonpartisan. The real objective was to gather technical information on voting machines to help wage a campaign against them, said Quackenbush, a former software executive who wore a NO VOTING MACHINES badge during an interview.

Information from the surveys, she said, could help identify problem areas in how local officials run elections. It could be used to attack them. It could be used to improve them. She added: It could be used to sue them.

Reuters interviewed 45 election officials who were approached for the survey. Only two of them were aware of the America Projects involvement. Thirteen said their responses were misrepresented or misreported in the surveyors summaries of their discussions. The errors often involved the administrators views on voting machines or other hot-button issues.

Reporters for this story also filed public records requests to obtain emails and messages exchanged between election officials and surveyors, and reviewed hours of interview recordings that the surveyors posted online.

Asked why surveyors didnt explain the America Projects involvement, the organization said that it partnered with state-level groups and wanted them to be front and center. The America Project denied hiding its involvement. We are proud of it, and refer to it as a concrete example of how we are promoting election integrity in our fundraising efforts, said America Project spokesperson Kristin Davis in a written statement.

Davis said the organization wrote the surveys and trained the surveyors to reassure the officials they interviewed that the effort was nonpartisan. She said the surveyors failure to disclose their political loyalties didnt undermine that claim. In a democracy, people are allowed to support political parties, Davis said, adding that it would be unfortunate if any surveyors were only pretending to be nonpartisan."

Davis said the information from the surveys would help promote an election reform agenda in each state, including the elimination of voting machines. She said none of the information will be used to attack or sue election officials.

Election officials and experts overwhelmingly say that getting rid of voting machines would make elections more vulnerable to fraud and error; officials who took the surveys consistently rejected the idea of hand-counted paper ballots. Davis said understanding the reasons for their opposition would be incredibly helpful to the America Project as it crafts a strategy to convince those officials that hand-counting can be cheaper, easier and faster.

Asked why some surveyors told officials they were engaged in voter education, Davis said the effort could help the America Project better encourage participation in election reform. She said some surveyors may have interpreted that goal as voter education. Addressing mistakes in reports on the surveys, Davis said some interviewers might have misinterpreted officials statements or failed to capture conversational nuance.

The surveyors wrote up the election officials answers and posted accounts of their interviews online. While the questions differed slightly from state to state, all sought details on how election offices use and manage voting machines and ballot drop-boxes.

Most election officials who took the survey said they would have responded even had they known of the America Projects involvement. They wanted to be transparent, they said, and valued opportunities to inform voters.

Still, some worried that their answers could be twisted to undermine public confidence in elections. Five officials expressed alarm that errors in the surveys could spread misinformation  a charge the America Project denied. One official said she wouldnt meet with the surveyors again without the countys attorney present.

Probably skews Dem

The interviewers who visited Roeskes office in Oak Creek identified themselves as Chuck Maier and Virginia Pratt. Oak Creek is part of Milwaukee County, one of two big urban counties that in 2020 helped Democrat Joe Biden defeat Trump in Wisconsin.

Maier and Pratt asked more than 30 questions. At least half the answers, as reported by the surveyors, contained assumptions or inaccuracies, Roeske said.

For example, the survey report noted that Roeske probably skews Dem in her choice of election inspectors. Roeske told Reuters that she accepts all qualified inspectors, regardless of political affiliations. The surveyors noted that inspectors were trained by a contractor or NGO. In the groups audio recording, Roeske said she does the recruiting and training herself.

Roeskes support for Oak Creeks single drop-box seemed to prompt the closing remark on the surveyors account of the conversation: I think shes a Dem. She was pro-drop box.

Roeske, an elected official, said shes neither a Democrat nor a Republican; shes officially nonpartisan.

Maier and Pratt couldnt be reached for comment.

In other states, too, surveyors questioned election officials without disclosing the America Projects involvement, according to audio recordings and Reuters interviews with officials.

In Virginia, a surveyor told Mecklenburg Countys registrar: Were nonpartisan  just to help students and citizens. In Wisconsin, interviewers identified themselves as concerned citizens in Junction City and as just a couple of girlfriends in the town of Lanark.

Some surveyors seemed reluctant or unable to provide even basic information. Asked by an election official in Rockingham, Virginia, where their home base was located, one member of the group said he didnt know. Richmond comes to mind, another said.

The America Project said that the state-level groups organizing the surveys disclose their America Project partnerships on their websites. Those state groups use America First  Trumps political slogan  in their names. Some include conspiratorial partisan rants on their websites, falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen.

But Reuters found that surveyors rarely mentioned their affiliations with the America First groups. Oak Creeks Roeske said the surveyors who visited her presented a business card that read, We The People. Others identified themselves as representatives of local organizations with less partisan-sounding names, such as election transparency groups in Texas and Florida.

Margetta Hill, the election administrator for Victoria County in Texas, said she would have rejected an interview request had she known the America Project was behind the surveys. Hill agreed to sit down with Maria Miller, who said she was a coordinator from Texas for Election Transparency, on July 27.

The only reason I met with them was because they described themselves as nonpartisan, she told Reuters.

At the county election office, Miller and three associates quizzed Hill on a range of topics, including the maintenance and security of voting machines.

Hill was surprised when Reuters told her that Millers group was backed by the America Project. In 2020, Miller was the national coordinator for Latinos for Trump, a Florida-based coalition. Miller also worked this year on the campaign of Bianca Gracia, a pro-Trump Republican candidate for the Texas legislature. Gracia  who said God had appointed and assigned her for the position  lost badly. She is now a chief strategist at the America Project.

In an interview, Miller described herself as a Christian conservative. Asked how the surveyors can call themselves nonpartisan given the America Projects political activities, she responded that the organization calls itself nonpartisan. As far as I know, theyre nonpartisan, she said.

The surveyors who turned up in the Village of Amherst, Wisconsin, told Jodi Patoka, the clerk and treasurer, that they were just citizens with no agenda, according to an audio recording. Asked how she felt after learning from Reuters about the America Projects involvement, Patoka replied: Like we were lied to.

The surveyors could not be reached for comment. Asked about the Village of Amherst interview, the America Projects Davis said: Perhaps this volunteer did not understand the nuances of the relationship between the state group and the America Project, but nothing has ever been done that is misleading.

Opaque finances

The America Project surveyors often told election officials that they aimed to improve election transparency. But the finances of the organization behind the surveys are opaque.

The America Project was incorporated in Delaware as a nonprofit in April 2021 and characterizes itself as a nonpartisan social welfare organization. Its initial nonprofit federal tax filing  a public disclosure of its officers, revenue and spending  was due last spring. The group obtained a six-month extension that effectively shrouds its financial activity until just after the November elections.

The America Project says on its website that its primary goal is to unite coalitions around its core values. These extend beyond the conduct of elections to include border security, gun rights, parental rights, opposition to coronavirus vaccine and mask mandates, and promotion of Judeo-Christian traditions, according to its website and public statements.

While the organization describes itself as nonpartisan, the America Projects federal tax-exempt status does not require that designation. But partisan political work cannot be its primary activity or account for more than half its spending.

An examination of the America Projects social media accounts, public events and the political activities of its officers shows that the group is a powerful force in a nationwide movement to contest Trumps 2020 loss and question the integrity of U.S. elections. The surveys are part of its Operation Eagles Wings, which broadly aims to organize local groups in battleground states to monitor the 2022 elections. The surveys were reported earlier by the election-affairs website Votebeat.

Byrne has blamed Trumps 2020 loss on a nonexistent international plot to turn America into a Chinese colony. He faces a $1.6 billion lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems over false claims about its machines. He has denied any wrongdoing and is contesting the suit.

Byrne made a fortune as founder and chief executive of internet retailer Overstock.com. He said at an America Project news conference in February that he had given the organization about $8 million and would be covering all the groups 2022 costs, amounting to several million dollars.

The groups chief evangelist is co-founder Michael Flynn, a former U.S. Army lieutenant general and briefly Trumps national security advisor, who was pardoned by Trump after pleading guilty in 2017 to lying to federal investigators about his contacts with a Russian official. In frequent appearances around the country, Flynn has falsely claimed that Trump was robbed of reelection in 2020 by widespread voter fraud. He often speaks at events featuring adherents of QAnon, the sprawling conspiracy theory that casts Trump as a savior figure battling a Democratic cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles and cannibals.

Davis, the America Project spokesperson, said Flynn had no managerial role in the organization. He is an outside strategic advisor and is not involved in any decision making, she said. Flynns brother Joe is the America Projects third co-founder and oversees its day-to-day operations. Joe Flynn did not respond to requests for comment.

The America Project provided more than $3 million to finance an audit of the 2020 election results in Arizonas largest county, Maricopa, according to the company that conducted the review, Cyber Ninjas. The audit was commissioned by Republican state legislators and backed by other pro-Trump organizations. The effort backfired: It found no evidence of election fraud and confirmed President Joe Bidens victory.

The America Project has given $155,000 to a political action committee that promotes pro-Trump election deniers running for top state offices, according to campaign finance records. In Colorado, it donated $100,000 to a group that opposed a candidate running against an election conspiracy theorist seeking the Republican nomination for Secretary of State. And in Michigan, it gave another $100,000 to a Republican-run group pushing to rewrite state voting laws.

The America Project is also pursuing litigation challenging election results and policies. In Michigan, it has sponsored a new lawsuit brought by Republican candidates and officials seeking to void the states 2020 election results. In Georgia, it has funded VoterGA, a group that has filed several legal challenges to the states voting procedures and its handling of the 2020 election. Voter GA also has filed petitions with county election offices contesting the legitimacy of tens of thousands of voter registrations.

Just asking questions

In Florida, the election-official surveys were coordinated by Michael Thompson, who said he was paid by the America Project. Thompson is the state director of its affiliate, Florida for America First. The state group, however, conducted the surveys under a different name: Floridians for Election Transparency, of which Thompson is also the state director.

Asked by Reuters if he thought it was important to inform election officials that the America Project was behind the surveys, Thompson replied: I dont see why, really.

Quackenbush, who worked on Thompsons team, said election supervisors wouldnt have talked had they known she was working with the America Project. We werent supposed to be talking to the supervisor and saying: Im a Republican, Im here to look over your shoulder, she said. They have been trained that we people making questions are breeding misinformation and malcontent in the voters.

Quackenbush said she came away disappointed because the election officials she interviewed wanted to keep using voting machines. Thats their security blanket, she said.

Thompson briefly outlined the findings of the Florida surveys during a September presentation at a West Palm Beach conference that also featured right-wing election deniers campaigning for secretary-of-state positions.

He said his team had interviewed supervisors in about 30 of Floridas 67 counties. Unfortunately, about 10 of them wouldnt even meet with us, he said. Why the hell wouldnt they sit down and have a conversation with us? I mean, all were doing is asking questions.

Mistakes and misinformation

Many surveyors accounts of their interviews were riddled with mistakes. At Reuters request, 30 election officials reviewed their surveys; nearly half said the interviewers had distorted their views or just got them plain wrong. This was potentially damaging, they said, because the surveys are spreading misinformation about sensitive issues such as voting machines and about election officials themselves, who are already enduring an unprecedented wave of threats and pressure.

One example is a survey that reported a June 24 interview with an election official in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, named Sue Milliard. County administrators were confused: Theres no Sue Milliard in Crawfords election office. And no Crawford election official participated in the survey, said Gina Chatfield, the countys chief clerk.

The published survey also said the county used voting machines made by Election Systems & Software and monitored ballot drop boxes with a security camera. But Crawford County doesnt use ES&S voting machines and doesnt have drop boxes, Chatfield said.

There is, however, an election official named Sue Milliard in Pennsylvanias Elk County, about 100 miles to the east. She doesnt recall talking to the group, said her manager, Kimberly Frey.

In Pennsylvanias Northumberland County, Reuters asked two officials to review the groups published survey. They found mistakes in nine of their responses to 33 questions. You try to be transparent and open so that you can bring faith back to the process, said the countys chief clerk, Nathan Savidge. But sometimes that turns around and bites you because then they use something against you.

In Lycoming, also in Pennsylvania, elections director Forrest Lehman said the surveyors never disclosed their America Project backing. Had he known, Lehman said he would have been more guarded in his answers because of uncertainty over the groups agenda.

The surveyors also made mistakes in its published report of Lehmans answers. It said, for example, that a sheriff monitored video of the countys drop box. No sheriff does this, Lehman explained, for a simple reason: We dont have any drop boxes.
Maker of High Precision Surface Finishing Machines

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Bison Capital Partners VI, LP (Bison Capital), Angeles Equity Partners, LLC (Angeles), and Brian Nelson have acquired Lapmaster Parent, LLC (Precision Surfacing Solutions (or PSS), a leading producer of high precision equipment and accessories for slicing, lapping, grinding, and polishing a engineered materials including metals, silicon, glass, ceramics, and composites. Bison Capital and Angeles will partner with Brian Nelson, who founded PSS and will resume his role as group CEO, to drive the next stage of the companys global growth.

Under PSS, the business will operate two autonomous businesses units both under separate leadership: (i) Matthias Mantel will be the CEO of FFG (Flat Finishing Group) which operates under the Lapmaster and Peter Wolters brands manufacturing the AC line of grinding and polishing machines, which are capable of delivering finishes with leading flatness for silicon and silicon carbide wafers used in semiconductors, photovoltaic cells, and electric vehicles and (ii) Larry Schwoeri will be the CEO of SPG (Surface Profile Group) which operates under the Kehren, ELB, Micron, Aba, REFORM, ISOG, Micron, Barnes, and Bates brands manufacturing high precision equipment for precision finishes on metal surfaces and profiles for the aerospace, defense, automotive, wind energy and general industry sectors.

In addition to Bison Capital and Angeles, the investor group supporting the Company includes some of the largest investors in the United States including Churchill Asset Management (a Nuveen affiliate), General Electric Pension Trust, and AIG. Given the global tailwinds in PSSs core sectors, the Company will be well capitalized with no debt post-closing in order to allow PSS to pursue substantial growth opportunities.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221021005501/en/

Michelle Barry, Chameleon Collective

+1 (603) 809-2748

Source: Angeles Equity Partners, LLC
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terra Balcanica Resources Corp. (Terra or the Company) (CSE:TERA) is pleased to announce additional high-grade polymetallic results from the first phase of drilling at the Cumavici prospect at its 90% owned Viogor-Zanik project, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Further assays from the drill program are expected over the coming months.

Highlights

High grade polymetallic mineralization at Cumavici continues with a significant step-out: CMVDD003 is an 83-meter step-out from CMVDD001 (Figure 1) and intercepted a thick vein interval of 465.5 g/t AgEq. over 8.7 meters , including 1196.6 g/t AgEq. over 2.0 meters. The vein is open at depth;

CMVDD003 is an 83-meter step-out from CMVDD001 (Figure 1) and intercepted a thick vein interval of , including The vein is open at depth; Continuity of high-grade epithermal mineralization: the CMVDD002 hole is a critical hole drilled between CMVDD001 and CMVDD003 (Figure 1), where it intercepted 816.1 g/t AgEq. over 2.0 meters starting at 45.0 meters depth thus showing high-grade vein continuity at Cumavici Ridge;

the CMVDD002 hole is a critical hole drilled between CMVDD001 and CMVDD003 (Figure 1), where it intercepted thus showing high-grade vein continuity at Cumavici Ridge; Cumavici Ridge vein system remains open at depth: all three holes drilled at Cumavici Ridge spanning over 80 meters of down-dip length have returned positive, high-grade results with massive Pb-Zn-Sb sulphides and significant Au-Ag credits (Figure 2). The vein system also appears to continue along strike and further drilling will systematically evaluate the extent of this discovery (Figure 2);

all with massive Pb-Zn-Sb sulphides and significant Au-Ag credits (Figure 2). The vein system also appears to continue along strike and further drilling will systematically evaluate the extent of this discovery (Figure 2); District-scale exploration upside: the 7.2 km strike length of the system (Figure 3) at Cumavici remains open with several untested targets. The focus of the current drilling by Terra is to drill the extents of this prospective area focusing on key vein segments identified from previously completed surface mapping, geochemical and geophysical analysis, and structural work. The Viogor-Zanik project spans over 216 km2 and has two other key target areas featuring Cu-Mo porphyry (Olivine) and Au-Cu-Zn skarn (Brezani) styles of mineralization (Figure 4).

Terra Balcanica CEO, Dr. Aleksandar Miskovic, comments: With the 80 meter drill step out we have confirmed a significant down-dip extension of the shallow Cumavici Ridge vein which is open at depth. All three holes drilled to date at this target have intercepted high-grade polymetallic mineralisation and we are gaining a better understanding of the geological model with each hole completed. The Cumavici Ridge vein segment itself appears open along strike, thus providing opportunities for further step outs to define its geometry and grade. Furthermore, Cumavici Ridge is only one of the prospective localities within the larger 7.2 km Cumavici corridor, the extent of which we are excited to fully investigate. We are seeing the same geological characteristics across the large footprint akin to the vein-hosted style of mineralization present in the adjacent Mineco Groups Sase Mine. Terra has been and will continue to drill these target areas as a part of our maiden drill program. A number of additional drillholes are currently at the lab and more assays will be released over the coming months.Drill Results

Drillhole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Sb (%) Zn (%) AgEq (g/t) CMVDD001* 29.0 33.0 4.0 131.5 0.84 2.12 1.85 4.59 824.2 Including* 30.0 32.0 2.0 261.0 1.62 4.2 3.70 9.10 1634.4 43.0 48.0 5.0 26.1 0.13 0.09 0.18 0.14 78.7 Including* 46.0 48.0 2.0 62.5 0.21 0.19 0.42 0.29 172.6 CMVDD002 45.0 47.0 2.0 144.0 0.23 4.27 0.44 8.26 816.1 CMVDD003 89.0 97.7 8.7 105.0 0.81 0.70 1.20 1.17 465.5 Including 91.0 93.0 2.0 289.0 1.16 2.03 3.50 3.16 1196.6

Table 1. Assay results of key mineralised intervals for diamond drillholes CMVCDD001 to CMVDD003. Interval lengths reported are drilled lengths, not true widths. Silver equivalents (AgEq) are based on assumed metal prices of US$1,950/oz for gold (Au), US$18.00/oz for silver (Ag), US$1.00/lb for lead (Pb), US$4.50/lb for antimony (Sb) and US$1.50/lb for zinc (Zn). The calculations assume 100% metallurgical recovery, indicative of gross in situ metal value. *The CMVDD001 results were released on September 8th, 2022.

Drillhole CMVDD002: successfully targeted down-dip extension from drillhole CMVDD001 with intersection of colloform sphalerite-galena within a 2-meter mineralised interval.

Drillhole CMVDD003: targeted the down-dip extension of this shallow mineralisation with an 83-meter collar step-out. The positive results confirm the structure extends at depth and demonstrates a thicker mineralised zone down-dip.

Terra Balcanica is continuing to define the mineralization along the NW-SE oriented strike of the Cumavici corridor as part of its 3,500 meters drilling program at the Viogor-Zanik project. (See news release from September 8th, 2022, which reported 824.2 g/t AgEq. over 4.0 m in CMVD001).

Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) Recovery (%) CMVDD002 360186 4888502 605 -85 045 82.5 96.5 CMVDD003 360137 4888475 627 -72 052 176.9 95.1

Table 2. The drill hole collar locations at the Cumavici Ridge target (WGS84; UTM Zone 34N).

Figure 1. Plan map of diamond drillholes CMVDD001 to CMVDD003 targeting the shallow polymetallic mineralization hosted by andesitic volcanics and tuffs at the Cumavici Ridge locality. CMVDD003 marks an 83-m step out successfully intersecting the down-dip extension of the vein (click here to view image).

Figure 2. A northwest oriented cross section of the Cumavici Ridge location depicting the drillholes CMVDD001 through CMVDD003 with polymetallic intervals labelled as AgEq. Sulphide-bearing, vein-hosted mineralisation is open down-dip to the southwest (click here to view image).

Figure 3. Geological map of Cumavici with the identified targets. Current drilling efforts are focused at Cumavici Ridge. Vein mineralisation is highlighted as yellow ribbons (click here to view image).

Figure 4. The Viogor-Zanik project with the key target areas: Cumavici, Olovine and Brezani and their associated style of mineralisation (click here to view image).

QA/QCOne metre long, composite core samples were delivered to ALS Bor, Serbia for sample preparation and wet chemical analysis at the ALS Loughrea, Ireland, an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 certified laboratory. Sample preparation PREP-31BY method was used on all core samples by crushing to 70% less than 2 mm, rotary split 1 kg and pulverizing the split to greater than 85% passing 75 m. Gold was assayed by 30g fire assay with ICP-AES finish (Au-ICP21). Analyses of silver and base metals were completed by oxidising digestion with HNO3, KClO3 and HBr (ASY-ORE), with the final solution in dilute aqua regia determined by ICP-AES (ME-ICPORE). Control samples, comprising certified reference materials (CDN-ME-1811), field duplicates and blanks were inserted at 5% rate and investigated as part of the Companys quality assurance and quality control program.

Qualified PersonDr. Aleksandar Miskovic, P.Geo, is the Companys designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) and has reviewed and validated that the information contained in this news release as accurate.

About the CompanyTerra Balcanica is a polymetallic exploration company targeting large-scale mineral systems in the Balkans of southeastern Europe. The Company has 90% interest in the Viogor-Zanik Project in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 100% of the Kaludra and Ceovishte mineral exploration licences in Serbia. The Company emphasizes responsible engagement with local communities and stakeholders. It is committed to proactively implementing Good International Industry Practice (GIIP) and sustainable health, safety, and environmental management.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSTerra Balcanica Resources Corp.

Aleksandar MiskovicPresident and CEO

For further information, please contact [email protected], or visit our website at www.terrabresources.com.

Cautionary Statement

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively forward-looking statements). The use of any of the words will, intends and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Au (ppm) Ag (ppm) Pb (%) Sb (%) Zn (%) CMVDD002 11 12 0.001 0.009 CMVDD002 12 13 0.001 0.007 CMVDD002 13 14 0.01 CMVDD002 14 15 0.011 CMVDD002 15 16 0.01 CMVDD002 16 17 0.01 CMVDD002 17 18 0.011 CMVDD002 18 19 0.014 CMVDD002 19 20 0.017 CMVDD002 20 21 0.012 CMVDD002 21 22 1 0.013 0.046 CMVDD002 22 23 0.005 0.028 CMVDD002 23 24 0.001 0.015 CMVDD002 24 25 0.008 0.008 0.006 0.03 CMVDD002 25 26 0.005 0.007 CMVDD002 25 26 0.008 CMVDD002 26 27 0.012 0.008 CMVDD002 27 28 0.012 CMVDD002 28 29 0.01 CMVDD002 29 30 0.01 CMVDD002 30 31 0.014 CMVDD002 31 32 0.011 CMVDD002 32 33 0.01 CMVDD002 33 34 0.012 CMVDD002 34 35 0.012 CMVDD002 35 36 0.012 CMVDD002 36 37 0.013 CMVDD002 37 38 0.001 0.011 CMVDD002 38 39 0.007 CMVDD002 39 40 0.001 0.027 CMVDD002 40 41 0.005 0.022 CMVDD002 41 42 0.009 0.04 CMVDD002 42 43 0.005 0.016 CMVDD002 43 44 1 0.046 0.125 CMVDD002 44 45 0.008 1 0.051 0.105 CMVDD002 45 46 0.344 272 8.33 0.717 16.15 CMVDD002 46 47 0.123 16 0.217 0.165 0.379 CMVDD002 47 48 1 0.018 0.051 CMVDD002 48 49 0.014 0.009 0.017 CMVDD002 49 50 0.002 0.01 CMVDD002 50 51 0.008 0.008 0.019 CMVDD002 51 52 0.005 0.006 0.016 CMVDD002 52 53 0.001 0.009 0.017 CMVDD002 53 54 0.001 0.007 0.013 CMVDD002 54 55 0.001 0.009 CMVDD002 54 55 0.001 0.005 0.012 CMVDD002 55 56 0.001 0.016 CMVDD002 56 57 0.007 0.005 0.031 0.016 CMVDD002 57 58 0.001 0.009 0.014 0.018 CMVDD002 58 59 0.006 0.01 CMVDD002 59 60 0.007 0.009 CMVDD002 60 61 0.009 0.011 CMVDD002 61 62 0.008 0.013 CMVDD002 62 63 0.009 0.008 CMVDD002 63 64 0.005 0.006 CMVDD002 64 65 0.006 CMVDD002 65 66 0.006 CMVDD002 66 67 0.006 0.013 CMVDD002 67 68 0.005 0.006 0.022 CMVDD002 68 69 0.002 0.005 0.017 CMVDD002 69 70 0.006 0.014 CMVDD002 70 71 0.013 CMVDD002 71 72 0.001 0.017 CMVDD002 72 73 0.01 CMVDD002 73 74 0.009 CMVDD002 74 75 0.011 CMVDD002 75 76 0.001 0.014 0.022 CMVDD002 76 77 0.011 0.03 CMVDD003 85 86 0.007 3 0.009 0.005 0.019 CMVDD003 86 87 0.03 4 0.013 0.007 0.024 CMVDD003 87 88 0.04 0.5 0.006 0.0025 0.013 CMVDD003 88 89 0.003 6 0.009 0.007 0.032 CMVDD003 89 90 0.27 9 0.021 0.023 0.075 CMVDD003 90 91 0.55 24 0.023 0.261 0.193 CMVDD003 91 92 1.3 191 2.24 2.11 1.76 CMVDD003 92 93 1.02 380 1.87 4.85 4.72 CMVDD003 93 94.3 0.06 8 0.073 0.285 0.282 CMVDD003 94.3 95.9 2.14 183 1.28 1.6 2 CMVDD003 95.9 97.7 0.223 5 0.012 0.01 0.105 CMVDD003 101.5 103 0.21 62 0.309 0.209 0.513 CMVDD003 103 104 0.09 6 0.059 0.056 0.078

Table 3. CMVDD002 and 003 drill hole assay data rounded to the nearest hundredth except for Ag which is rounded to the nearest whole number value.

Figure 1 Plan map of diamond drillholes CMVDD001 to CMVDD003 targeting the shallow polymetallic mineralization hosted by andesitic volcanics and tuffs at the Cumavici Ridge locality. CMVDD003 marks an 83-m step out successfully intersecting the down-dip extension of the vein. Figure 2 A northwest oriented cross section of the Cumavici Ridge location depicting the drillholes CMVDD001 through CMVDD003 with polymetallic intervals labelled as AgEq. Sulphide-bearing, vein-hosted mineralisation is open down-dip to the southwest. Figure 3 Geological map of Cumavici with the identified targets. Current drilling efforts are focused at Cumavici Ridge. Vein mineralisation is highlighted as yellow ribbons. Figure 4 The Viogor-Zanik project with the key target areas: Cumavici, Olovine and Brezani and their associated style of mineralisation.

Source: Terra Balcanica Resources Corp.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2022) - Builders Capital Mortgage Corp. (TSXV: BCF) ("Builders", the "Company" or "we") today announced that it is offering rights (the '"Rights Offering") to eligible holders of its Class A non-voting common shares (the "Class A Shares") of record at the close of business on October 28, 2022 (the "Record Date"). Pursuant to the Rights Offering, each holder of Class A Shares will receive one right (a "Right") for each Class A Share held. Every 3 Rights will entitle the holder to subscribe for one whole Class A Share of the Company at a price of $9.30 per Class A Share (the "Subscription Price").

The Company expects to raise gross proceeds of up to $6.6 million from the Rights Offering and intends to use all of the proceeds, less offering expenses, to fund the Company's mortgage lending business.

Sandy Loutitt, president and Chief Executive Officer said, "Housing demand currently exceeds housing supply in Canada. These conditions are expected to continue into the foreseeable future resulting in a robust housing construction market and a corresponding high demand for our construction finance product. We believe the time is ripe to expand our capital base and to capitalize on strong conditions in our target markets to continue to grow our mortgage portfolio and the Company. Raising capital through a Rights Offering can provide a benefit to existing shareholders as we expect it to result in lower capital raising costs than we have historically incurred."

Directors and senior officers, collectively holding, directly and indirectly, approximately 60,000 Class A Shares, have indicated their intention to exercise some or all of their Rights, subject to market conditions.

The Rights will trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BCF.RT commencing on October 27, 2022 and will be halted from trading at 12:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on November 25, 2022. The ex-rights trading date for the Class A Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange will be October 27, 2022. This means that Class A Shares purchased after October 27, 2022 will not be entitled to receive Rights under the Rights Offering. Rights are exercisable until 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on November 25, 2022 (the '"Expiry Time"), after which time unexercised Rights will be void and of no value and will be delisted. Shareholders must hold at least 3 Class A Shares to exercise their Rights, as no fractional Class A Shares will be issued.

The Rights Offering includes an additional subscription privilege under which eligible holders of Rights who fully exercise their Rights will be entitled to subscribe for additional Class A Shares, if available, that are not otherwise subscribed for in the Rights Offering.

There are currently 2,002,871 Class A Shares outstanding. Following completion of the Rights Offering, the Company expects that there will be up to 2,670,494 Class A Shares outstanding. The Company expects the Rights Offering to close on November 28, 2022.

The Rights Offering will be conducted only in the provinces and territories of Canada (the '"Eligible Jurisdictions'"). Accordingly, and subject to the detailed provisions of a Rights Offering circular (the "Circular"), Rights will not be delivered to, nor will they be exercisable by, persons resident outside of the Eligible Jurisdictions. Rather, such Rights may be sold on their behalf.

Details of the Rights Offering will be set out in a Notice and Circular, which are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Notice and accompanying direct registration system statement and subscription form (the "Rights DRS Advice") will be mailed to each eligible shareholder of the Company as at the Record Date. To subscribe, registered shareholders must forward the completed Rights DRS Advice, together with the applicable funds, to the depositary and subscription agent, Computershare Investor Services, Inc., prior to the Expiry Time. Shareholders who own their Class A Shares through an intermediary, such as a bank, trust company, securities dealer or broker, will receive materials and instructions from their intermediary.

The Rights and the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and accordingly, the Rights and the Class A Shares are not being publicly offered for sale in the "United States" or to "U.S. persons" (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended). This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction.

There shall be no sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy or a sale would be unlawful.

The Company is a public company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BCF and is a reporting issuer in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

Builders Capital is a mortgage lender providing short-term course of construction financing, primarily to residential builders. The company is a mortgage investment corporation ("MIC") within the meaning of Section 130.2(6) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and is governed by the laws of the Province of Alberta.

As an MIC, the Company is not subject to income tax provided that we distribute all of our taxable income as dividends to shareholders within 90 days of our December 31st year-end. For income tax purposes, such dividends are generally treated by shareholders as interest income, so that each shareholder is in the same tax position as if their proportionate share of mortgage investments made by the company had been made directly by the shareholder.

For further information, please contact:

Builders Capital Mortgage Corp.

Website: www.builderscapital.ca

e-mail: [email protected]

phone: (403)685-9888

Sandy Loutitt

President and Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

John Strangway

Chief Financial Officer

[email protected]

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information can be identified by words such as: "expect", "intend," "plan," "seek," "believe," "estimate," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar forward-looking language. The expected proceeds to be raised under the Rights Offering and the use thereof constitutes forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on a number of assumptions which we believe to be reasonable, including assumptions relating to the completion of the Rights Offering and the timing thereof, the amount of proceeds raised, and the expected use of proceeds from the Rights Offering. Forward-looking information entails various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, that shareholders will not exercise all or any portion of the Rights, that the Company may not be able to find a suitable use of the proceeds of the Rights Offering, the level of dilution that will be experienced by shareholders who do not exercise all or a portion of their Rights, failure to complete or a delay in the Rights Offering for any other reason, the lack of a trading market for the Rights developing and the trading price of the Class A Shares following completion of the offering. In addition, general risks relating to capital markets, economic conditions, regulatory changes, as well as the operations of our business may also cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance, and management's assumptions upon which such forward-looking information are based may prove to be incorrect. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information contained herein. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information contained in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUT10N OR DISSEMINAT10N INTO THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/141496
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Oct. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Office of Attorney John H. Davis files Petition for Writ of Certiorari in United States Supreme Court. Gail Lewis Hicks and Larry Hicks vs. American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.Case number 22-287. Issues involve conflict between PetitionersGail Lewis Hicks and Larry Hicks ("Hickes") and RespondentAmerican Family Mutual Insurance Company ("American Family").

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-287/238710/20220923171005484_092322%20Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Certiorari.pdf

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-287/238710/20220923171059023_092322%20Appendix%202%20Petition.pdf

In July 2020, Hickesas plaintiffsfiled bad faith complaint against American Family alleging Hickes are intended third-party beneficiaries pursuant to an insurance policy covering insured Keith Head whose automobile was involved in an accident where Gail Lewis Hicks was injured and she alleged insurance companyto her detrimentfailed to timely and reasonably resolve said case. In trial court, American Family simultaneously filed multiple pleadings together before any rulings were issued on those pleadings thereby causing chaos and confusion.

American Family's numerous pleadings included motion for judgment on the pleadings, motion to dismiss, motion alleging improper service of complaint, and plaintiffs' failure to state claim upon which remedy can be sought. Further, American Family argued Hickes cannot sue insurance company as claimants under Keith Head's insurance policy. Responding to that argument, Hickes asserted they are not suing American Family as claimants but as third-party beneficiaries. Hickes allege American Family's filings were contradictory, conflicting, and overlapping causing substantial confusion to all involvedincluding trial court.

The trial court granted Hickes' judgment on the pleadingsnot American Family's motion for judgment on the pleadingsand denied multiple motions filed by American Family. Interestingly, no appeal was filed by American Family based upon judgment on the pleadings granted to Hickes instead American Family filed motion for summary judgment which the trial court denied. Judgment on the pleadings for Hickes had not been vacated. Despite this, American Family filed an appeal to Indiana Appellate Court based upon trial court's denial of American Family's motion for summary judgment. During appeal, American Family did not mention there was judgment on the pleadings in favor of Hickes.

Indiana Appellate Court's ruling stated: "However, given that the only question before us on appeal is whether the trial court erroneously denied American Family's motion for summary judgment, we omit these other filings from our recitation of the procedural history as they are not relevant to the instant appeal." Despite omission, Indiana Appellate Court granted American Family's summary judgment creating two opposing judgmentsas judgment on the pleadings is same as summary judgment.

Understandably, Hickes filed a petition to transfer to Indiana Supreme Court. On denying petition, Indiana Supreme Court stated it "has reviewed the decision of the Court of Appeals, and the submitted record on appeal, all briefs filed in the Court of Appeals and all materials filed in connection with the request..." Under rules, had American Family appealed judgment on the pleadings granted to Hickes that appeal would have been proper.

Indiana Appellate Court and Indiana Supreme Court have violated due process rights of Hickes under Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of United States Constitution by failing to review all necessary relevant records and files to make a full and informed decision.

Left unchecked, this decision could be cited as precedent in some future cases.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-law-office-of-attorney-john-h-davis-files-petition-for-writ-of-certiorari-with-united-states-supreme-court-involving-bad-faith-against-american-family-mutual-insurance-company-si-301656513.html

SOURCE Attorney John H. Davis & Associates
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SOMERVILLE, Tenn.  Skill Wilson had amassed more than three decades of knowledge as a paramedic, first in Memphis and then in Fayette County. Two places that felt like night and day.

With only five ambulances in the county and the nearest hospital as much as 45 minutes away, Skill relished the clinical know-how necessary to work in a rural setting. Doing things like sedating patients to insert tubes into their airways.

But when it came to covid-19, despite more than 1 million deaths nationwide, Skill and his family felt their small town on the central-eastern side of Fayette County, with its fields of grazing cattle and rows of cotton and fewer than 200 covid deaths since the start of the pandemic, was a cocoon against the raging health emergency.

"It was a lot easier to stay away from others," his widow, Hollie Wilson, said of the largely White and predominantly conservative county of about 42,000 residents. "Less people. Less chance of exposure."

Covid seemed like other people's problems - until it wasn't.

The imbalance in death rates among the nation's racial and ethnic groups has been a defining part of the pandemic since the start. To see the pattern, The Washington Post analyzed every death during more than two years of the pandemic. Early in the crisis, the differing covid threat was evident in places such as Memphis and Fayette County. Deaths were concentrated in dense urban areas, where Black people died at several times the rate of White people.

"I don't want to say that we weren't worried about it, but we weren't," said Hollie, who described her 59-year-old husband as someone who "never took a pill." After a while, "you kind of slack off on some things," she said.

Over time, the gap in deaths widened and narrowed but never disappeared - until mid-October 2021, when the nation's pattern of covid mortality changed, with the rate of death among White Americans sometimes eclipsing other groups.

A Post analysis of covid death data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from April 2020 through this summer found the racial disparity vanished at the end of last year, becoming roughly equal. And at times during that same period, the overall age-adjusted death rate for White people slightly surpassed that of Black and Latino people.

The nature of the virus makes the elderly and people with underlying health conditions - including hypertension, diabetes and obesity, all of which beset Black people at higher rates and earlier in life than White people - particularly vulnerable to severe illness and death.

That wasn't Skill.

The virus also attacks unvaccinated adults - who polls show are more likely to be Republicans - with a ferocity that puts them at a much higher risk of infection and death.

That was Skill.

He joined the choir of critics opposing vaccination requirements, his rants in front of the television eventually wearing on Hollie, who, even if she agreed, grew tired of listening and declared their home "covid-talk free."

So, she said, Skill commiserated with like-minded people in Facebook groups and on Parler and Rumble, the largely unmoderated social networking platforms popular with conservatives.

"We're Republicans, and 100 percent believe that it's each individual's choice - their freedom" when it comes to getting a coronavirus shot, Hollie said in January. "We decided to err on the side of not doing it and accept the consequences. And now, here we are in the middle of planning the funeral."

Capt. Julian Greaves Wilson Jr., known to everybody as Skill, died of covid Jan. 23, a month after becoming infected with the coronavirus. He fell ill not long after transporting a covid patient to the hospital. At the time he died, infection rates in Fayette County had soared to 40.5 percent among people taking coronavirus tests.

'A different calculus'

When the coronavirus appeared in the United States, it did what airborne viruses do - latched onto cells in people's respiratory tract, evaded innate immune responses and multiplied. The pathogen, free of politics or ideology, had a diverse reservoir of hosts and found fertile pathways for growth in the inequalities born from centuries of racial animus and class resentments.

Unequal exposure, unequal spread, unequal vulnerability and unequal treatment concentrated harm in communities that needed protection the most yet had the least. Cumulatively, Black, Latino and Native American people are 60 percent more likely to die of covid.

But as the pandemic progressed, the damage done by the virus broadened, and the toxicity of modern-day politics came to the fore.

The Post analysis revealed the changing pattern in covid deaths. At the start of the pandemic, Black people were more than three times as likely to die of covid as their White peers. But as 2020 progressed, the death rates narrowed - but not because fewer Black people were dying. White people began dying at increasingly unimaginable numbers, too, the Post analysis found.

In summer 2021, the nation saw some of the pandemic's lowest death rates, as vaccines, shoring up the body's immune response, became widely available.

Then came the delta variant. The virus mutated, able to spread among the vaccinated. As it did, an erosion of trust in government and in medicine - in any institution, really - slowed vaccination rates, stymieing the protection afforded by vaccines against severe illness and death.

After delta's peak in September 2021, the racial differences in covid deaths started eroding. The Post analysis found that Black deaths declined, while White deaths never eased, increasing slowly but steadily, until the mortality gap flipped. From the end of October through the end of December, White people died at a higher rate than Black people did, The Post found.

That remained true except for a stretch in winter 2021-2022, when the omicron variant rampaged. The Black death rate jumped above White people's when the spike in cases and deaths overwhelmed providers in the Northeast, resulting in a bottleneck of testing and treatment.

When the surge subsided, the Black death rate once again dropped below the White rate.

"Usually, when we say a health disparity is disappearing, what we mean is that . . . the worse-off group is getting better," said Tasleem Padamsee, an assistant professor at Ohio State University who researched vaccine use and was a member of the Ohio Department of Health's work group on health equity. "We don't usually mean that the group that had a systematic advantage got worse."

That's exactly what happened as the White death rate surpassed that for Black people, even though Black Americans routinely confront stress so corrosive it causes them to age quicker, become sicker and die younger.

The shift in covid death rates "has vastly different implications for public health interventions," said Nancy Krieger, professor of social epidemiology at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Officials must figure out how to connect with "communities who are ideologically opposed to the vaccine" while contending with "the cumulative impact of injustice" on communities of color.

"Think about the fact that everyone who is age 57 and older in this country was born when Jim Crow was legal," she said. "What that did was intersect with covid-19, meaning that embodied history is part of this pandemic, too."

So what contributed to the recent variation in death rates? And why?

The easy explanation is that it reflects the choices of Republicans not to be vaccinated, but the reasons go deeper. The Post interviewed historians and researchers who study the effects of White racial politics and social inequality on health, spoke with relatives and friends of those lost to covid, and compiled data from federal databases and academic studies.

What emerged is a story about how long-standing issues of race and class interacted with the physical and psychological toll of mass illness and death, unprecedented social upheaval, public policies - and public opinion.

Resilience gave way to fatigue. Holes left by rural hospital closures deepened. Medical mistrust and misinformation raged. Skeptics touted debunked alternatives over proven treatments and prevention. Mask use became a victim of social stigma.

Many Republicans decided they would rather roll the dice with their health than follow public health guidance - even when provided by President Donald Trump, who was booed after saying he had been vaccinated and boosted.

Researchers at Ohio State found Black and White people were about equally reluctant to get the coronavirus vaccine when it first became available, but Black people overcame that hesitancy faster. They came to the realization sooner that vaccines were necessary to protect themselves and their communities, Padamsee said.

As public health efforts to contain the virus were curtailed, the pool of those most at risk of becoming casualties widened. The No. 1 cause of death for 45-to-54-year-olds in 2021 was covid, according to federal researchers.

"I still remember when I was doing the mayor's press conferences a few months into this, and I made note of the fact that most of those people who had died look like me," said James E.K. Hildreth, president and CEO of Meharry Medical College, one of the nation's oldest and largest private, historically Black academic health sciences center, in Nashville. Hildreth played a central role in the city's pandemic response.

"I wondered aloud if it were reversed, would the whole nation not be more galvanized to fight this thing?" recalled Hildreth, an immunologist and member of an expert panel that advises the Food and Drug Administration on vaccines, including coronavirus shots.

After it became clear that communities of color were being disproportionately affected, racial equity started to become the parlance of the pandemic, in words and deeds. As it did, vaccine access and acceptance within communities of color grew - and so did the belief among some White conservatives, who form the core of the Republican base, that vaccine requirements and mask mandates infringe on personal liberties.

"Getting to make this decision for themselves has primacy over what the vaccine could do for them," said Lisa R. Pruitt, a law professor at the University of California at Davis who is an expert in social inequality and the urban-rural divide. "They're making a different calculus."

It's a calculation informed by the lore around self-sufficiency, she said, a fatalistic acceptance that hardships happen in life and a sense of defiance that has come to define the modern conservative movement's antipathy toward bureaucrats and technocrats.

"I didn't think that that polarization would transfer over to a pandemic," Pruitt said.

It did.

A lifesaving vaccine and droplet-blocking masks became ideological Rorschach tests.

The impulse to frame the eradication of an infectious disease as a matter of personal choice cost the lives of some who, despite taking the coronavirus seriously, were surrounded by enough people that the virus found fertile terrain to sow misery. That's what happened in northern Illinois, where a father watched his 40-year-old son succumb to covid-19.

For Robert Boam, the increase in White deaths is politics brought to bear on the body of his son, though he's reluctant "to get into the politics of it all, but it all goes back to that."

Brian Boam was a PE teacher at an elementary school in suburban Chicago. On Christmas Eve, the entire family gathered at the elder Boam's home in an Illinois town where the first Lincoln-Douglas debate was held. Brian Boam was there with his 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.

Robert Boam said his son had survived covid the year before, so "we got on his butt to get that booster shot when he was here for Christmas." And he did - but got sick again, the 73-year-old said. "Being vaccinated, and all that, and getting covid again kind of bummed him out."

Just after the new year, Brian Boam, who was hypertensive, went to a hospital feverish and vomiting. It took 10 hours to be seen and even longer for a bed to become available. As he waited, he sent what would be his last text message to his parents. Thanks for all you do. I love you.

He went into cardiac arrest in the emergency room and was transferred to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, one of the nation's top academic hospitals. There, his family hoped he would be healed, but his organs began to fail. He died Jan. 8.

"The thing that gets me is the people who still don't believe it's serious or even real, but when they get sick, they run to the hospital," Robert Boam said. "You're taking away from heart attack patients and stroke patients."

The pandemic, he said, "should've been taken seriously from the very beginning, and it wasn't. It was denied. It was downplayed. And it all goes back to one person, as far as I'm concerned."

Asked who that was, Boam would say only: "I'll give you three guesses. The first two don't count."

Stress, and its burden

While almost three years of chaotic public health crises have left Americans of all races uncertain about the future, they have also revealed the enduring nature of racial and class politics - and the cost they exact, including for White Americans.

Those triggers are layered upon each other, stoking stress, said Derek M. Griffith, who co-leads the Racial Justice Institute and directs the Center for Men's Health Equity at Georgetown University.

"Whether it's 'I can't pay my rent and mortgage as easily as I used to,' or 'I want to show I'm not worried about covid,' your body doesn't care where the stress is coming from. It's just experiencing stress," he said. "Then add to that how people are coping with the stress."

When it comes to racism, most people think of something that occurs between individuals. But it's as much about who has access to power, wealth and rights as it is about insults, suspicion and disrespect. Prejudice and discrimination, even if unconscious, can be deadly - and not just for the intended targets.

A growing body of research, outlined in the book "Caste," by Isabel Wilkerson, shows that even the most anodyne of social exchanges with people of different races, such as glancing at faded yearbook photos, can raise White people's blood pressure and cortisol levels.

Stress is a hard-wired physiological response, triggered at the first sign of danger. The brain sounds an alarm, setting off a torrent of neurological and hormonal signals. Persistent surges of cortisol and other stress hormones can wear down the body, increasing the risk of stroke, diabetes, heart attack or premature death by damaging blood vessels and arteries. Overexposure to stress can weaken the immune response and can make it harder to develop antibodies after being vaccinated against infectious diseases.

Sometimes, the harm is not just biological but also behavioral.

Researchers at the University of Georgia found that White people who assumed the pandemic had a disparate effect on communities of color - or were told that it did - had less fear of being infected with the coronavirus, were less likely to express empathy toward vulnerable populations and were less supportive of safety measures, according to an article in Social Science & Medicine.

Perhaps, the report concludes, explaining covid's unequal burden as part of an enduring legacy of inequality "signaled these disparities were not just transitory epidemiological trends, which could potentially shift and disproportionately impact White people in the future."

Translation: Racial health disparities are part of the status quo.

And because of that, government efforts to bring a public health threat to heel are seen by some White Americans as infringing on their rights, researchers said.

"This is reflective of politics that go back to the 19th-century anxieties about federal overreach," said Ayah Nuriddin, a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University who studies the history of medicine.

Us vs. them

Questions about the government's role in ensuring the public's health and well-being hang heavy with historical inflections in states such as Tennessee, once home to the president who argued that Reconstruction-era legislation to help and protect newly freed enslaved people violated states' rights.

And so in many ways, the roots of the consternation over recent pandemic-control measures began sprouting a century and a half earlier.

But that hasn't stopped people such as Civil Miller-Watkins from wondering why those roots are choking so many now.

The former Fayette County school board member, who possesses an abiding belief in the power of the common good, said she finds the mind-set "I know what's good for me, and if it's harmful for you, you're going to have to deal with it" worrisome amid a pandemic.

"Living in a rural county is not for the faint of heart, especially as a Black person," the 56-year-old said. Still, she can't help but wonder, "if I'm the same neighbor you give sugar to, and you know I have an 84-year-old in my house and a little-bitty baby at home, why wouldn't you wear a mask around me?"

It's a question that dogged her over Christmas when two of her grandchildren were infected with the coronavirus days before they were scheduled to be vaccinated.

"We put it on Republicans and politics," she said, "but I think we should dig deeper."

That's what Jonathan M. Metzl, director of Vanderbilt University's Department of Medicine, Health, and Society, did for six years while researching his book "Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America's Heartland."

Published in 2019, it is a book about the politicization of public health and mistrust of medical institutions. It is a story about how communal values take a back seat to individuality. It's an exploration of disinformation and how the fear of improving the lives of some means worsening the lives of others.

"I didn't know it at the time, but I was writing a prehistory of the pandemic," Metzl said in an interview. "You're seeing a kind of dying-of-Whiteness phenomenon in the covid data that's very similar to what I saw in my data."

Metzl and Griffith, a Vanderbilt professor at the time, conducted focus groups on the Affordable Care Act throughout middle Tennessee including White and Black men who were 20 to 60 years old. Some were small-business owners and security guards. Others were factory workers and retirees.

The divergent medical experiences of Black and White patients permeated Metzl's focus groups, particularly when the conversation veered toward the politics of health and government's role in promoting well-being.

"Black men described precisely the same medical and economic stressors as did White men and detailed the same struggles to stay healthy," Metzl wrote. "But Black men consistently differed from White men in how they conceived of government intervention and group identity. Whereas White men jumped unthinkingly to assumptions about 'them,' Black men frequently answered questions about health and health systems through the language of 'us.' "

Tennessee has yet to expand Medicaid under the ACA, a decision fueling rural hospital closures at a rate that eclipses nearly every other state because there isn't enough money to keep the doors open. Not only would expanding Medicaid have saved hospitals, Metzl wrote, it would have saved thousands of lives - White and Black.

Metzl said watching the pandemic unfold felt like a flashback to past battles over federal health-care reform. Messaging that leaned into quantitative data about masks and vaccines sounded eerily similar to the mistakes made, "at least for this part of the country," with the ACA, he said.

"The minute public health infrastructure started to talk about the statistical public health benefits of the mask" and not how everyone needed to be on the same page to stay safe, Metzl said, "I just knew that it was going to open a door for the same kind of anti-ACA stuff, which is 'the government's telling you what to do.' "

As Metzl conducted research for his book in 2016, a 41-year-old uninsured Tennessean named Trevor who was jaundiced and in liver failure told him "I would rather die" than sign up for the ACA. When asked why, Trevor, who was identified by first name only, said: "We don't need any more government in our lives. And in any case, no way I want my tax dollars paying for Mexicans or welfare queens."

Now during the pandemic, there are people like 39-year-old Chad Carswell of North Carolina whose kidneys functioned recently at just 3 percent. He was denied a new kidney in January after refusing to take a coronavirus vaccine as required for the transplant at the time, saying: "I was born free. I'll die free."

Much like protests to "repeal and replace" the ACA, Metzl said rejecting public health measures is about dogma more so than a mistrust of the science of vaccines or masks.

"We've oversimplified this with morality tales about the vaccine is good, and anti-vaxxers are bad, and they're automatically racist," Metzl said. "Being anti-vaccine or anti-mask is part of an ideology. When people get more desperate, they get more ideological."

A funeral, a cause

Skill Wilson's funeral in January was a public testimony to the complexity of people. The room was draped in the unmistakable symbols of patriotism, a steely declaration that this was someone who believed in service and sacrifice for country and community. Firefighters sat in row upon row, their dress uniforms - crisp white shirts and formal blue blazers - marking the solemn occasion. Maskless faces abounded.

His urn, embossed with the firefighters' "thin red line" flag - a black-and-white U.S. flag with a single red stripe across it - sat between two firemen's helmets. It is a flag that some have come to see as a political statement, while others view it as a way to honor fallen firefighters. Behind them, a burial flag folded into a crisp triangle.

A succession of eulogies told the story of a man who could make you drive past your highway exit in a fit of rage, who harassed the fire chief until every station in the county had a flagpole that displayed the Stars and Stripes, who loved sneaking up behind his children and yelling, "Boo!"

Husband. Father. Friend.

Sarcastic. Goofy. Joker.

"Skill was one of the constants in my life. For people who didn't really know our friendship, they'd think we hated each other," said Debbie Patterson, a division chief with Emergency Medical Services at the Memphis Fire Department. "We were constantly going to battle and name-calling. Some of them are dork, idiot, slacker. But our true term of endearment for each other, for years, has been 'b----es.' "

He would call at 6 a.m., even when she wasn't on shift, to "wake me up and tell me I was a slacker for being on vacation," she said, laughing.

During those phone calls, they figured out the day's menu for lunch, bragged about their children and personal lives, and solved the fire department's problems "as firefighters do."

"Of course, we rarely saw eye to eye on anything," she said. "The best part about Skill was he could laugh at himself for being a dumb ass, too."

It was a scene of mourning and hope, of bravado and brokenness. There was as much laughter as sorrow, wounds healed by scripture and classic '70s rock. It was a paragon of Southern, White masculinity.

Last to the lectern was Hollie's uncle, who looked out at the sea of uniforms, at the men and women in government service, and assured them that the uncomfortable truths he said he was about to share were not directed at anybody in the room.

Skill, he said, was a warrior who put his faith in the system that "betrayed him and left him laying on this battlefield" during a "war he was willing to fight."

"How many more good men and women - fathers, brothers, mothers and sisters - will be sacrificed on the altar of money before we all stand up and say this is enough?" he continued, adding that "Skill and I were on the same page. We had the same worldview."

He never specified the war, though he said it was one we're all fighting "no matter what lines they try to draw between us." Faith, he said, lies with God and each other, "not in those who are solely motivated by profit."

But it wasn't about what he said. It was about what he left unsaid: the far-right extremist views that go beyond the bounds of traditional conservative politics and ideals of patriotism.

Online, he and the family have shared social media posts and, until recently, sold customized insulated plastic cups bearing the insignia of Three Percenters, a decentralized militant movement named after the myth that just 3 percent of the population fought the British in the American Revolution. It's founded on the idea that armed "patriots" should protect Americans from the tyranny of big government, including gun laws, pandemic shutdowns and racial justice protests.

Later, outside in the parking lot while smoking a cigarette, Hollie's uncle clarified that the battle is against covid and shared the popular - yet false - conspiracy that potentially lifesaving covid medications are being withheld by the health-care system. What he wouldn't do was provide his name, saying he didn't want "little black SUVs showing up at my house."

Methodology

The Post applied the standard technique used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to calculate age-adjusted covid death rates by race using the CDC's provisional covid death data that includes race, ethnicity, age and date of death. Under that procedure, The Post calculated death rates for age groups by dividing the number of deaths by the population in that age group. The Post then used a standardized age distribution to create an overall rate for each race-ethnicity group.

Age-adjusted rates are especially necessary for understanding covid deaths because the majority of people killed by covid are age 75 or older, even though that group represents less than 9 percent of the U.S. population. Additionally, more than 90 percent of covid deaths are in people age 50 and older.

The covid death age pattern is important in reviewing deaths by race because White people are disproportionately older. More than 40 percent of White people are age 50 or older, but less than 30 percent of Black people are in those older age groups. Hispanics are even younger, with less than 25 percent age 50 or older.

The age-adjusted rates offset that difference in age distribution to compare deaths as if the races or ethnic groups had the same age distribution.

Whites, Blacks, Asians, American Indians and Alaskan Natives are non-Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race, so the racial groups and the Hispanic groups do not overlap.

For maps, The Post calculated age-adjusted covid death rates for each race in each state over the course of the pandemic using provisional covid death data by state.
(Tribune News Service)  In October 1924, the United States had two dirigibles, the Shenandoah and the Los Angeles.

The Shenandoah was American-built, based on a design of Germanys Zeppelin Co. Buoyancy came from 2.1 million cubic feet of helium. It was 680 feet long, powered by five Packard engines. Its maiden flight was Aug, 20, 1923. There was no possibility anyone would mistake it for one of the German zeppelins because written on the side in huge letters was U.S. Navy.

The Shenandoah was the U.S. Navys baby, the first of four, whose mission would be reconnaissance flights over the broad expanse of the Pacific watching for a Japanese battle fleet, a major concern even at this early date. But first, to generate public support, the Navy sent the Shenandoah on a cross-country flight in October 1924, covering 9,000 miles in the air.

The journey had to be carefully planned because there were only four mooring masts for dirigibles in the United States, and Fort Worth had the only helium producing plant. The dirigibles cramped gondola was not exactly made for long-distance travel. It held a navigation bridge, radio room, and 12 square feet of crew quarters. On this 20-day journey, the crew would consist of 11 officers, 27 enlisted men, and two passengers.

Living conditions would be a severe challenge for everyone on board. Officers and crew would share the same quarters, with half sleeping in hammocks while half were on duty at any given time. Cooking was done on a small hot plate, there was no bathing, and the toilet was a chamber pot emptied over the side after use.

The journey started at Lakehurst, New Jersey, on Oct. 7 with the Shenandoah casting off from the mooring mast at 10:00 a.m. The first stop would be Fort Worth, where it would replace the helium that had leaked out or been bled off during its journey. Then it would be on to San Diego and Camp Lewis, Washington, before returning home. Since the Shenandoah could only land where there was a mooring mast, its majestic passage would only be seen from the ground by people craning their necks as it passed high overhead.

The Shenandoahs historic journey would be an expensive venture for Uncle Sam, costing tens of thousands of dollars. Helium was a rare gas that cost an exorbitant $55 to $60 per 1,000 cubic feet to produce. Hydrogen gas, used by the Germans, cost only one-tenth of that amount and was much more buoyant. However, it was also highly flammable if not handled properly.

The Shenandoah reached Fort Worth on Oct. 8 and tied up to the mooring mast at Helium Production Plant No. 1 to replenish its gas cells before proceeding westward. The plant sat on 23 acres in North Fort Worth surrounded by cotton fields. It could only be reached by driving up an unpaved Blue Mound Road. Fort Worth had the nations only helium-producing plant thanks to the influence of Fort Worth Congressman Fritz Lanham, dubbed the Father of Fort Worths helium plant.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram was the nations only newspaper reporting regularly on the journey. That was because publisher Amon Carter had secured a secret agreement with the Navy to put his man, Junius B. Wood, aboard as one of the two passengers. This is also why Carters WBAP radio station was able to alert the city to the approaching ship on Oct. 8. Carters scoop represented the beginning of the modern era of negotiating exclusive media rights for major events. Wood continued to send reports via mail bags dropped from the ship all the way to the West Coast and back to Fort Worth.

The Shenandoah landed in Fort Worth at 7 p.m., ahead of schedule thanks to a tail wind that had pushed it along at what the Star-Telegram called the terrific speed of 75 mph. The 165-foot mooring mast was ready to receive its first airship, and the city turned out in force to give the Shenandoah the biggest civic welcome since President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. Thirty minutes before it descended every railroad shop and factory in the city began blowing its steam whistle. A reception committee composed of city and federal officials waited at the landing field along with an honor guard of 150 National Guardsmen, Boy Scouts, and motorcycle officers, all in uniform. As the ship neared the mast, it dropped lines that were grabbed by the ground crew and hauled over to a mechanical winch that hauled it in close enough to be secured.

Getting passengers from the Shenandoah to the ground was even trickier as it could only be accomplished by riding in a basket over a line between the gondola and the masthead or lowering a hand-cranked ladder from the gondola to the ground. The senior officers and two passengers were guests of honor at a special banquet that night at the Hotel Texas. Meanwhile, the crew worked in shifts loading helium, water, and supplies. All supplies, including fuel for the engines, had to be laboriously hauled up on ropes. The ship took on helium and water (used as ballast) through lines attached to the mooring mast and snaking to the ground.

The Shenandoah left Fort Worth on the second leg of its journey at 9:46 a.m. Thursday morning, 46 minutes late due to heavy air. The extra time allowed an enterprising cotton farmer whose land was adjacent to the landing field to admit gawkers willing to pay a quarter (children admitted free) for the privilege of seeing things up close. Before resuming its journey, the Shenandoah bid farewell to Fort Worth by sailing serenely over the city at 1,500 feet toward the Near South Side before turning west to disappear over the horizon. People filled the streets and rooftops to see the ship off.

Forty hours after leaving Fort Worth, the Shenandoah reached San Diego, and after a brief stop there turned north following the coast up to Camp Lewis. After a brief stop there it headed home. The return trip from San Diego began at 11:13 am on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The ship arrived at Fort Worth for more helium before dawn on Friday, Sept. 24, guided in by a powerful searchlight and flood beacons. Because of the early hour and the coldest temperature of the year, only a small crowd turned out to greet them. The ship took on another 180,000 cubic feet of helium, and while that was being done, most of the crew were whisked to the Hotel Texas for a sumptuous breakfast. They were back on board and casting off the lines at 10:38 am, rising majestically into the air and passing over the city one last time.

The Shenandoah came down safely at Lakehurst on Oct. 24. Total time in the air was 235 hours. Newspapers continued to carry breathless reports for days thereafter, predicting that dirigibles were the future of commercial aviation. The Navy played down the fact that this little jaunt had used up 12% of the entire helium supply of the United States.

The list of historic firsts of this flight is lengthy. This was the first scheduled flight by any type of aircraft into Fort Worth. One local historian calls it the key event in making Fort Worth a modern city. In a few short years, aircraft would be making regular stops at Meacham Field, but they wouldnt be lighter-than-air ships.

The fate of the Shenandoah is a sad ending to the story. It broke up in mid-air over Ohio and crashed on Sept. 2, 1925. Seven crewmen were killed. One of the few survivors was the radioman Charles E. Rosendahl, a Cleburne resident.

Author-historian Richard Selcer is a Fort Worth native and proud graduate of Paschal High and TCU.

2022 Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Visit star-telegram.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Air Force B-1B bombers from South Dakota arrived in Guam recently, marking the second time this year that Lancers have deployed to the American territory.

The planes, assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, arrived Tuesday at Andersen Air Force Base to conduct a Bomber Task Force mission, the service said in a news release Thursday.

The Air Force declined to specify how many bombers were deployed, citing operational security.

Bomber task force missions are intended to demonstrate the aircrafts ability to rapidly deploy anywhere, anytime, and provide lethal precision global strike options for combatant commanders, according to the release.

Four Lancers deployed to Guam in June for a similar mission.

Their sorties included aerial integration with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and a refueling operation with the Royal Australian Air Force at RAAF Base Darwin.

Task force missions support the Pentagons objective of strategic predictability and operational unpredictability, the Air Force said.

In recent years, the Air Force has routinely deployed B-1 and B-52 bombers to Guam  but timetables for arrival and departure are not publicized in advance.

Four B-52 bombers and more than 220 airmen deployed to Andersen in February.

Guam is key to U.S. power projection in the Indo-Pacific and is home to critical military installations such as Andersen and Naval Base Guam. Still under construction, Camp Blaz will be the permanent station for about 1,300 Marines, with another 3,700 expected to rotate through.

In an outright conflict with China or North Korea, the island would function as a crucial forward operating base for U.S. forces.

With that in mind, the Pentagons proposed budget for 2023 includes almost $1 billion in funding for a missile-defense system for Guam.

The bomber task force missions are intended in part to train airmen to respond to such crises in tandem with allies and partners, the Air Force said.

Not only does it provide our B-1 aircrew invaluable training opportunities with important Allies and partners, but it also signals our nations unwavering support to them, Col. Joseph Sheffield, 28th Bomb Wing commander, said in the news release.

The missions also deter potential adversaries and challenges their decision calculus, he said.
This article is part of the Debatable newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it on Wednesdays.

Last weekend, voters in Italy handed the reins of government to a coalition led by a party directly descended from Benito Mussolinis fascist dictatorship, delivering one of the biggest victories to the far right in Europe since World War II. Today is a sad day for Italy, said the leader of Italys center-left Democratic Party, who during the campaign had cast the contest as nothing less than a fight to save the countrys democracy.

If such language sounds familiar to American ears, its because countries around the world, including the United States, are confronting what experts say is a worldwide wave of democratic backsliding. According to data from V-Dem, a monitoring institute based in Sweden  where, as it happens, a far-right party with roots in neo-Nazism made a strong electoral showing two weeks ago  more democracies were deteriorating, and even slipping into autocracy, in 2021 than at any point in the past 50 years.

What explains the global resurgence of authoritarian politics, and what does it portend for the future of democracy? Heres what people are saying.

Liberal democracy, in retreat

Democracys spread over the past few centuries has rarely been linear, instead ebbing and flowing with the competing forces of autocracy. Some political scientists divide democracys progression into three waves: the first beginning in the 19th century; the second beginning in the aftermath of World War II; and the third beginning in the mid-1970s, which crested with 42 liberal democracies, a record high, in 2012. Today, only 34 liberal democracies exist, down to the same number as in 1995, according to V-Dem. (The share of the world population living in liberal democracies also fell in the last decade, to 13 percent from 18 percent.)
A meeting of top Chinese officials concluded on Saturday with leader Xi Jinping's power undisputed as his "core" status was enshrined in the Communist Party charter, his former political rival retired and his predecessor being escorted off the stage in a surprising departure from protocol.

About 2,300 delegates at the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress rubber-stamped Xi's political vision, amendments to the party's constitution and a new Central Committee of some 200 full-time members who will lead China for the next five years. All were passed unanimously though a show of hands followed by shouts confirming no objections.

The choreographed show of unity was undermined by an unexpected break from the program as former party general secretary Hu Jintao was abruptly led away by aides. The 79-year-old, like most retired Chinese leaders, rarely appears in public, and so his greying-hair and visibly frail appearance at the opening of the congress became a point of discussion for Pekingologists.

As a member of the presidium of party elders, Hu sat through the entirety of the opening ceremony and was expected to do similar for the final day. Instead, shortly after foreign journalists entered the hall, two suited men helped him to his feet and guided him off stage, leaving empty a chair to the left of Xi.

Video of the unexplained incident from Agence France-Presse news agency show a possibly hesitant or confused Hu first exchanging words with the men and Xi. After standing, he hovered in place, took a few slow steps, then stopped and turned to say something to Xi, who briefly nodded but remained looking ahead at the assembled delegates.

Hu, who ruled China from 2002 to 2012, eventually left after placing a hand on the shoulder of outgoing Premier Li Keqiang, his protege and one-time contender for the party's top job.

Chinese state media has not explained - or even mentioned - the early departure. China considers the health and personal lives of top party leaders a state secret. But the unusual scene, which took place mid-ceremony, has led observers to question what could have required the deviation from script. At the last congress in 2017, former leader Jiang Zemin remained in attendance until the end of the ceremony.

Hu being ushered out comes as Xi, 69, has set the stage to be formally be anointed on Sunday as the unrivaled leader of China for at least another five years. Revisions to the party charter added new Xi-era slogans, which in essence say that Xi and his ideology are the "core" of the party and their authority must be protected.

Formally ranked no. 2 leader for the last decade, Li, the outgoing premier, had been seen by some Chinese politics analysts as a check on Xi's power. Like Hu, he rose through the ranks of the Communist Youth League, which was an important network in Chinese politics before Xi's anti-graft campaigns weakened its influence. Despite being sidelined by Xi, Li retained his reputation as a competent technocrat, sympathetic to private businesses.

But Li won't be on the new Central Committee, state broadcaster China Central Television reported on Saturday. That means the 67-year-old is almost certain to retire, despite not having reached the informal cutoff of 68. Another Communist Youth League-affiliated politician, Wang Yang who had been considered a potential premier candidate to replace Li, was also missing from the list.

The final makeup of the 25-member Politburo and its seven-member Standing Committee, the apex of decision-making power in China, will be revealed on Sunday. As was the case in 2017, a designated successor is not expected to be among the new lineup.

Xi's disregard of age norms that have mostly held since the 1990s has been cited by experts as a sign of his near total control. By appointing allies to key positions in the military, security and personnel organs, Xi has been able to maintain a firm grasp on the country's sources of hard power.

He has paired internal party control with a populist agenda to tackle corruption, curb poverty and stoke patriotic fervor. Another addition to the charter was a promise to "resolutely oppose and constrain" those who, in the party's eyes, promote the independence of Taiwan, the self-governing island of 23 million that Beijing claims as its sovereign territory and threatens to take by force if Taipei ever formalizes the separation.

The revisions also referenced what Xi calls "whole-process people's democracy," which he claims can deliver democratic results to China without the political freedoms or leadership elections of Western-style democracy.

In his speech to open the congress on Sunday, Xi laid out a plan for China to attain global leadership as a modern socialist superpower that represents a "new choice" for humanity by 2049, 100 years after the People's Republic of China was founded. He also warned of "dangerous storms" that would prevent the nation's rise if it did not achieve absolute security from threats.

In his closing remarks, Xi praised the party's "fighting spirit" and called for the cadres to "dare to struggle, dare to win, get your heads down for hard work and be determined to push forward."

The Washington Post's Vic Chiang and Pei-Lin Wu contributed to this report.
The president of Belarus insists he won't join Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine even as thousands of Russian troops are pouring back into his country. It's a risk Ukraine can't ignore.

As many as 9,000 Russian servicemen and almost 170 battle tanks, 200 armored personnel carriers, artillery and aircraft are arriving in Belarus as part of a "joint force" that Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed to deploy in the nation bordering Ukraine to the north. They're due to carry out live fire and missile drills in eastern and central Belarus.

Lukashenko allowed Putin to use Belarus as a launchpad for his failed attempt to seize Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, at the start of his invasion in February. Analysts say their aim now may be to distract Ukrainian forces advancing in the country's east and south to retake territory that Putin claims to have annexed.

"We don't kill anyone, we don't send our troops anywhere," Lukashenko told a meeting with his military officials this month, claiming Belarus's support to Russia's war in Ukraine is limited to protecting and supplying its forces and treating the wounded.

With Putin's backing, Lukashenko crushed widespread protests following disputed 2020 elections that extended his then 26-year rule. He risks stirring fresh tensions if Belarusian forces enter Ukraine because neither the military nor the public wants to join Russia's war, according to exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

"If for some reason there will be an order to invade, our soldiers will defect," Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview in Brussels. "They will change sides, they will hide, they will flee Belarus, but they won't fight."

While any move to join the war could weaken Lukashenko's ability to suppress dissent at home, there's no reason to believe the military would stage a coup against him, according to an Oct. 18 assessment by Latvia's intelligence service.

Russia and Belarus have a long history of military cooperation as part of a "Union State" agreement. Russia used massive joint exercises in Belarus in the weeks before Putin's invasion to amass forces on Ukraine's borders while repeatedly denying it planned to attack.

Eight months into his war, a Ukrainian counteroffensive has pushed Putin's forces out of the northeastern Kharkiv region and is pressing them to retreat around the southern city of Kherson. Ukraine is also advancing in Russian-occupied eastern territories of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Even after pulling its forces back from around Kyiv, Russia has continued to attack Ukraine with missiles and drones fired from Belarus, according to the Ukrainian military.

Russia amassed between 15,000 and 30,000 troops in Belarus before its assault on Kyiv and would need even more this time, according to Belarusian Hajun, a team of analysts monitoring military activities in Belarus using open-source data and thousands of witness accounts from across the country.

While such an operation would be "insanity," it can't be ruled out completely, said Anton Motolko, the group's founder. Still, it's more likely Russia is sending newly mobilized reservists to Belarus for training, which also forces Ukraine to tie up military resources on the border that could be deployed to other combat operations.

The U.S. is "keeping an eye on" developments in Belarus, though it sees no indications to "change our perspectives on the battlefield," a senior Pentagon official told reporters at a briefing Monday.

The joint fighting group assembled in Belarus is unlikely to be combat capable, according to a U.K. intelligence assessment seen by Bloomberg.

Belarusian independent media and opposition Telegram channels recently brimmed with reports of reservists being called to military recruitment offices, stirring fears of a secret mobilization. The Defense Ministry denied any such plans in a statement Wednesday, saying people were being summoned for "data checks" ordered by Lukashenko.

Ukraine is monitoring the more than 620 miles of its frontier with Belarus and any intervention by Russian troops or a joint force will face fierce resistance, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Wednesday.

"We see no immediate signs of an offensive being prepared," he said.
KYIV, UKRAINE - Russian missiles rained down on locations across Ukraine early Saturday morning, leaving cities and villages without power and the population bracing for more attacks, while Kyiv officials increased their calls for Western governments to urgently provide antiaircraft systems.

Ukrenergo, Ukraine's national electricity provider, said in a statement that the assault in western Ukraine was one of the worst attacks since the beginning of Moscow's air campaign against Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

"The scale of damage" in Ukraine's western regions was "comparable or may exceed the consequences" two weeks ago, Ukrenergo said.

Ukrenergo said that temporary power outages hit the regions of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kirovohrad - an expanse stretching across the country from west to east.

Presidential adviser Kyrylo Timoshenko posted on Telegram figures from regions that were experiencing blackouts, with a total of about 1.5 million people without power.

The missiles did not successfully strike the capital Kyiv, but there were still blackouts in some parts of the city and air raid sirens sounded throughout the morning.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko posted on Telegram that antiaircraft systems had shot down "a number of missiles" in the Kyiv region, while local officials reported rocket attacks on the Volyn, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, Odessa and Kirovograd regions.

Ukraine's air command said in a Telegram post that of 33 missiles fired by the Russians, 18 had been destroyed. Air officials also said that 17 missiles were released from "at least 10" bombers from Russia's strategic air command, while the other 16 missiles were fired from ships in the Black Sea.

The air command also said that 10 kamikaze drones had been shot down in the Mykolayiv region in southern Ukraine.

"Saturday in Ukraine starts with a barrage of Russian missiles aimed at critical civilian infrastructure," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted, adding that "there should not be a minute of delay" by Western capitals in providing air defense systems to Ukraine.
The Justice Department violated the rights of passengers killed on Boeing 737 Max planes when the federal government reached a deferred prosecution deal with the company in 2021, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor, rejecting arguments by the Justice Department and Boeing, found that the 346 people killed in crashes in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019 are crime victims under federal law. OConnor hasnt ruled on what the government must do to remedy its violation of their rights.

The ruling marks a broad repudiation of the approach taken by Justice Department officials in the case.

Family members and lawyers of some of those killed have called on the judge to throw out the Justice Departments deferred prosecution agreement with Boeing. As part of that agreement, Boeing admitted to conspiring to defraud federal regulators, but the company would be immunized from being prosecuted for that conspiracy if it meets the terms of the deal.

In a sharply worded opinion, OConnor said the evidence was clear that Boeings admitted conspiracy led to the deaths of hundreds of people.

The Court finds that the tragic loss of life that resulted from the two airplane crashes was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of Boeings conspiracy to defraud the United States, OConnor wrote.

Paul Cassell, a University of Utah law professor and former federal judge who is representing the victims families, said the Justice Department had engaged in a major, deliberate and orchestrated violation of a law that requires that crime victims be involved in crafting these kinds of arrangements. He added: The government and Boeing both had multiple lawyers working on this secret deal, and now the judge has made clear that secrecy was a gross violation of federal law.

The Justice Department declined to comment. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some family members said late Friday they are seeking prosecution for Boeing and its executives.

Families like mine are the true victims of Boeings criminal misconduct, and our views should have been considered before the government gave them a sweetheart deal, Naoise Connolly Ryan, whose husband Mick was killed in the Ethiopia crash, said in a statement.

Michael Stumo, whose daughter Samya was killed in the crash outside Ethiopias capital, Addis Ababa, said in a statement that Boeing captured the FAA to get the deadly MAX 8 certified. They captured the Department of Justice under Trump and Biden to deny crash families rights to participate in the criminal investigation and prosecution. They thought they could capture a federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas.

Stumo said Attorney General Merrick Garland should order a new investigative team to re-do the entire criminal inquiry against Boeing.
WASHINGTON  Between launching four astronauts and 54 satellites into orbit, unveiling an electric freight truck and closing in on taking over Twitter this month, Elon Musk made time to offer unsolicited peace plans for Taiwan and Ukraine, antagonizing those countries' leaders and irking Washington, too.

Musk, the richest man in the world, then irritated some Pentagon officials by announcing he didn't want to keep paying for his private satellite service in Ukraine, before later walking back the threat.

As Musk, 51, inserts himself into volatile geopolitical issues, many Washington policymakers worry from the sidelines as he bypasses them.

A two-decade partnership between Musk and the federal government helped the United States return to global dominance in space and shift to electric cars, and made the tech geek an internationally famous CEO. But many in Washington, even as they praise his work in areas of national security, now see Musk as too powerful and too reckless.

Citing Musk's public ridicule of those who snub him  the billionaire has called President Biden a "damp sock puppet" and said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) reminds him of "my friend's angry mom"  many of the two dozen top government officials interviewed for this article would only speak about Musk on the condition of anonymity. But nearly all described him as being as erratic and arrogant as he is brilliant.

"Elon, The Everywhere" is what one White House official called him. "He believes he is such a gift to mankind that he doesn't need any guardrails, that he knows best."

"He sees himself as above the presidency," said Jill Lepore, a Harvard historian who hosted podcasts on Musk.

Musk declined to comment for this story, but he says he weighs in on important problems and described his mission as "enhancing the future of humanity." He said his Ukraine plan could avert possible nuclear war, and that his Taiwan proposal could ease dangerous regional tensions.

But Musk's freelance diplomacy is angering allies at the same time he bids $44 billion to take over a media platform with hundreds of millions of users.

"The bottom line is that people hang on his every word because he has delivered so many times," said Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.). "I hope he shows some respect for that responsibility."

Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) called Musk's plan for Ukraine an "affront" to its people, and even suggested federal subsidies that help electric carmakers might be better spent.

Musk's relationship with Washington started out strong. "I love you!" Musk blurted out when a NASA official called to tell him in 2008 that he got a $1.6 billion contract at a time when he was heavily in debt. Washington then poured billions more into Musk's company as it developed its rockets and space capsule. SpaceX delivered, rebuilding the flagging U.S. space program.

His bipartisan efforts once helped him win over Washington. He dined with President Barack Obama and joined President Donald Trump's economic councils. He donated to candidates of both parties. Now, he bashes Biden and says he plans to vote for a Republican president in 2024.

These days, the eccentric entrepreneur rarely visits Washington and is increasingly critical of the federal government. He does talk to foreign presidents and prime ministers, according to people who work directly with him. Musk sells his state-of-the-art rockets and aerospace technology to South Korea, Turkey and a growing list of other countries. He has Tesla factories in Germany and China. He also owns and controls more than 3,000 satellites circling the Earth  far more than any nation, including the United States.

In May, Brazilian officials said Musk met with Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president who is described in Latin America as a right-wing ultranationalist. Musk said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin 18 months ago, but denied a report that he talked to Putin just before offering his Ukrainian peace plan that was widely condemned as pro-Russian.

Though Musk needs Washington less now that he is global powerhouse, Washington continues to depend on him. The U.S. military uses his rockets and satellite communications services for its drones, ships and aircraft. NASA currently has no way to get American astronauts to the International Space Station without his space capsule. And, at a time when climate change is a top White House priority, he has more electric cars on U.S. roads than any other manufacturer.

Several top government officials said they are working on decreasing their reliance on Musk, including partnering with and nurturing competitors with government contracts and subsidies. "There's not just SpaceX. There are other entities that we can certainly partner with when it comes to providing Ukraine what they need on the battlefield," Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, told reporters last week.

A key concern if Musk buys Twitter is his web of overseas holdings and foreign investors, including his massive Tesla factory in China, and possible leverage others could have over Musk if he controls a platform where some users have spread misinformation and ratcheted up political divisiveness. As a U.S. defense contractor, Musk has been vetted, but several top officials said they wanted a more thorough review, including any expansion plans in Russia and China. Warren and others have called his Twitter purchase a "danger to democracy."

Washington has dealt before with powerful tycoons who dominated railroads, oil or a key economic sector, said Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. "But what's a bit different here is Musk's ability to project his political agenda and the fact that now that we have technology and media that allows individuals to essentially become their own network or channel," Haass said.

Because Musk has business investments in China, and, according to Russian and other news reports, said last year at a Kremlin-sponsored event for students that he was planning one in Russia, several top U.S. government officials wonder if Musk's business interests affect his views on foreign affairs.

The economic turmoil since the Ukraine war began has dented the fortunes of many people including Musk, whose personal wealth dropped by tens of billions, to about $210 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.

Two people who know him well said Musk is impulsive and that makes him say things that harm his own interests  a tendency that makes it difficult for government officials to count on Musk. Musk himself has said he has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and no one should expect him to be a "chill, normal dude."

"He shoots himself in the foot all the time. He should not be getting into politics," said one person who has worked with him for years.

"I have been as shocked as anyone these last few months at some of the things he has waded into," said Lori Garver, former deputy administrator at NASA. She worries about the consequences. SpaceX restored U.S. leadership in space, but his politically charged comments attract critics who are starting to ask, "Why is taxpayer money going to this billionaire?"

"It's disappointing," she said.

Musk set his sights on D.C. 20 years ago. A South African who moved to Silicon Valley, Musk became a U.S. citizen in 2002  the year he used his payment from the sale of PayPal, the electronic payment firm he helped found, to start SpaceX. It was a big risk, and he needed high-dollar government contracts to survive. In early 2003, Musk announced he would have a "significant presence" in the nation's capital so that he could build a "close working relationship with the federal government."

He invested in Tesla around the same time and soon took over running it, tapping into financial subsidies and tax credits Washington was offering to wean the country off gasoline. California alone gave Tesla $3.2 billion in subsidies, according to figures provided by the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).

A review of public disclosure forms show that for brief periods of time, Musk hired dozens of lobbyists, many of them former staff members of powerful members of Congress. Rohan Patel, who worked on energy and transportation in the Obama White House, runs Tesla's regulatory and legislative affairs in Washington.

SpaceX has spent more than $22 million to lobby Washington over the years, according to OpenSecrets, a research group tracking money in politics. Musk, himself, proved a savvy political operator. He flew into Washington 40 times between 2008 and 2013, according to flight records obtained by Musk biographer Ashlee Vance. He knocked on doors and invited officials to breakfast.

When backroom persuasion didn't get results, he learned that publicity helps.

On a sunny Wednesday in June 2014, Musk parked his new "space taxi" a few blocks from Capitol Hill. He had hauled the capsule designed to carry seven astronauts into orbit across the country from his California factory and invited TV cameras, along with government officials, to check it out.

"Great job, Elon!" yelled Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican member of Congress, as he climbed out of the sleek spacecraft. Democrats applauded, too, that day. Musk was beaming. He was about to get richer.

The United States then relied on Russia to carry American astronauts to the International Space Station, paying Moscow tens of millions of dollars for each seat. Musk promised he would put an end to that and rebuild the American space program. Obama was in the White House and wanted to let private companies like SpaceX try. Weeks after Musk brought his space taxi to D.C., NASA awarded him a $2.6 billion contract.

Musk also pursued Pentagon contracts and found public confrontation helped. In a sparsely attended Capitol Hill hearing in 2014, he made headlines by slamming the joint venture between aerospace giants Lockheed Martin and Boeing that supplied rockets to the Air Force. He called it a "monopoly" and said it was vastly overcharging taxpayers.

"Elon was saying, 'Give me a chance,' " said Scott Pace, a former NASA official who spoke at that hearing.

The Pentagon did, and Musk delivered. His game-changing, partly reusable Falcon rockets were considerably less expensive.

Now, just eight years later, Musk is the goliath of the space industry. And Musk's success has shifted the dynamic with Washington.

Democrats are more vocal on the need to rein in Musk.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) calls Musk "my good friend," and Musk spoke at his August fundraiser. In June, Musk, who recently moved from California to Texas, announced he voted for Mayra Flores in a congressional primary - and said it was the first time he voted for a Republican. He also bashed Democrats as too extreme and too controlled by unions and publicly predicted a "massive red wave" in November.

But some Republican lawmakers are skeptical Musk's new coziness with the GOP will last. "He's another bullshit artist" is how former president Donald Trump described Musk at a July rally in Alaska.

A rare area of bipartisan agreement is that for certain vital issues, especially national security, the United States should not depend on any one person or company, and the federal government is making moves to lessen dependence on Musk.

NASA has funded Boeing's Starliner capsule to compete with SpaceX to transport astronauts. (Blue Origin, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, is also a competitor for NASA contracts.) NASA officials said Starliner's delays and higher cost show why SpaceX is so dominant. "But still, we need a second option," said one influential member of Congress.

The Federal Communications Commission in August decided it would not give SpaceX's Starlink - which is now operating in 40 countries - a $900 million subsidy to bring broadband to rural areas even though that money had been provisionally granted in the waning days of the Trump administration. The FCC said the $600 satellite dish a home would need to purchase from SpaceX was a factor. A top SpaceX official called the rejection "unreasonable" and "grossly unfair."

Congress also has been encouraging Ford and other automakers to build electric cars. A new condition on a federal $7,500 rebate is that the price of the new car cannot top $55,000. Most Tesla models cost more.

But Musk will be eligible for many subsidies and incentives, including for his electric charging stations. He just announced his Superchargers are now in 46 countries.

Musk hates "a false narrative out there that he is a grifter who survived off government handouts," said Eric Berger, author of "Liftoff," a history of SpaceX. "He sees the government as a double-edge sword," Berger said. It can help but its bureaucracy slows him down. "He is really frustrated by the dizzying array of federal agencies that he has to deal with - and the bigger he gets the more there is."

"Those bastards" is how Musk refers to officials at the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC fined Musk and Tesla $20 million each after Musk tweeted that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420 a share, after finding that was not true. The SEC is also now investigating Musk in connection with his bid for Twitter, including whether he complied with disclosure laws. Musk's lawyer told a judge that the SEC was trying to "muzzle and harass" the businessman because he is an "outspoken critic of the government."

Musk believes Tesla's driver assistance system will save many lives and has said he is irritated by the publicity around the federal safety investigation into his Autopilot system. But government officials say it's worth looking into whether the self-driving system was a factor in crashes, including some that were fatal.

Few want a head-on confrontation with Musk.

Biden got into one after Musk was not invited to a White House conference on electric vehicles in August 2021. Musk tweeted that the snub was the "next level of insanity," and that Biden was controlled by unions. Musk also has been drawing attention to any Biden misstep, including when he mistakenly read instructions meant only for him on his teleprompter.

Apart from not wanting to get on his bad side, many in Washington admire his accomplishments and want to work with him. At the Pentagon, there are many who see Musk as a secret weapon. His Starlink satellite systems mean Ukraine soldiers have real-time information about military targets, and other countries are looking at how it can help their defense efforts.

In April, the White House said Musk was invited to a discussion about electric cars and charging stations and did make an appearance by teleconferencing.

"We used to be on the same page. Now, we are not always. It's great when we are," said one member of Congress. "One thing is clear: Musk believes he knows best, and he will do whatever he wants - and that can be good and it can be bad."

Meanwhile, Musk is also working on an ever-growing number of ventures, from building robots that can cook dinner to plans for colonizing Mars.

Lepore, the historian, said Musk's power is not like anything the country has seen before. "We should be worried, not because it's inevitable that his influence would be malignant, but it's inevitable that it would be a huge influence."
WASHINGTON - The FBI's unprecedented criminal probe of a former president has unfolded on two tracks in the 11 weeks since agents searched Donald Trump's Florida residence and club - one mostly public, the other mostly behind closed doors.

In the more public facing part, litigation over the appointment of a special master to sift through thousands of seized documents has reverberated through every level of the federal court system, with the special master - essentially an outside expert - voicing skepticism about Trump's claims that some of the material should be shielded from the FBI.

In contrast, the bureau's investigative activity is harder to track, though some details are slowly trickling out. Agents have interviewed multiple witnesses about the handling of government papers at Mar-a-Lago. The Washington Post reported last week that a Trump employee told federal agents that he moved boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago at the specific direction of the former president, and the FBI has video surveillance to back it up.

Experts say those pieces of evidence - combined with repeated indications in court filings that prosecutors suspect Trump's team purposefully failed to comply with a subpoena seeking all documents marked classified - suggest the government could be building criminal cases alleging obstruction and destruction of government property.

Even as the probe moves forward, Trump is under legal scrutiny on multiple other fronts. Among them: the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed testimony and documents from the former president, and the Justice Department is conducting a sprawling criminal investigation of how Trump and his advisers handled the post-election period.

No big public developments are expected in the Mar-a-Lago investigation until after the Nov. 8 midterms - in part because of a long-standing Justice Department practice to avoid doing anything that could be seen as helping one side or another in the election, and in part because the special master is still sorting through the less-sensitive material seized at the Florida property. At the same time, Trump and his supporters have openly talked about him launching a 2024 presidential campaign, a move that would instantly reshape the political landscape.

"You know how just before a storm breaks, there is a time of calm?" said Paul Rosenzweig, a national security consultant. "We are sort of there. This is the calm before the storm."

At Trump's request, Brooklyn federal Judge Raymond J. Dearie was appointed to sift through the 13,000 seized documents and set aside any that should be protected from investigators because of attorney-client or executive privileges. An appeals court has ruled that the special master's review should not include the 103 classified documents seized in that search.

That review is underway. Trump's attorneys and prosecutors have agreed on a vendor to upload the more than 20,000 pages of seized unclassified materials so both parties can digitally review them. Trump's team examines the documents first, marking any that they deem potentially privileged. The government then reviews those documents, with Dearie stepping in to settle any disputes.

At a progress hearing Tuesday, Dearie sounded frustrated with both sides. He reproached Trump's lawyers for claiming privileges in an initial batch of documents without providing any evidence to back up their claim.

"'Where's the beef?' I need some beef," the 78-year-old judge said.

Even as Dearie moves ahead with the review, the Justice Department is still fighting the appointment of a special master in court. Judge Aileen M. Cannon, a federal judge in Florida, initially ordered the appointment of a special master in August, barring criminal investigators from using any of the seized materials, including the ones marked as classified, until the review is complete.

The Justice Department's successful appeal of a portion of Cannon's ruling enabled prosecutors and FBI agents to immediately regain access to the classified materials. Trump's team filed a petition to the Supreme Court to overturn part of the decision by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, but the justices rejected it.

Each legal filing in the case has been closely watched by news reporters and the public, with Trump supporters cheering Cannon's initial decision to appoint a special master, and critics of the former president heralding the skepticism Dearie has expressed over Trump's legal claims.

Now, the Justice Department is appealing the entire appointment of the special master to the 11th Circuit, hoping to relieve Dearie of his duties and regain access to all 13,000 seized documents.

"If the appeals court agrees with the government, then the whole referral to the special master will be over," said Mary McCord, who served as acting assistant attorney general for national security during President Barack Obama's administration. "It has the potential to be a very minimal part of the investigation."

The center of any criminal case would most likely be the classified documents found by the FBI, some of which contained extremely sensitive government secrets including about a foreign country's nuclear capabilities. On Friday, The Post reported that some of the seized documents contained highly restricted information about Iran's missile systems and about intelligence work aimed at China.

But Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor, said the 13,000 unclassified documents also could be critical to prosecutors, because they could shed light on why and how the classified material was brought to Mar-a-Lago and who saw them once they left the White House.

The Justice Department "wouldn't be pushing as hard" to appeal the appointment of a special master "if there weren't some serious national security questions that remain unanswered," Walden said. "Those [13,000] documents are very critical."

Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department have repeatedly declined to comment on their efforts, citing the ongoing criminal investigation.

Trump's spokesman, Taylor Budowich, has denounced the investigation and has accused the Biden administration weaponizing law enforcement and fabricating "a Document Hoax in a desperate attempt to retain political power."

If his appointment stands, Dearie has until early December to complete the review of the documents and settle any disputes over which privileges Trump can assert. But the appeals court will hear arguments from both sides next month, with a decision on whether to stop the special master review expected soon after.

In the meantime, the FBI likely will continue seeking witnesses who can provide information about the handling of documents at Mar-a-Lago, including whether Trump or his representatives deliberately hid documents from the Justice Department or falsely claimed to have turned over all classified materials while restricted material remained on the premises.

Among the questions they will try to answer, legal experts said, is what the former president knew about the documents and whether his possession of those materials at Mar-a-Lago may have endangered national security.

There is also the question - raised by officials at the National Archives and Records Administration - of whether all government records in Trump's possession after he left office have been returned to government custody, as required by the Presidential Records Act, and whether some documents may have been stashed somewhere other than Mar-a-Lago.

"This is all the working going on behind the scenes that may never be revealed," said Javed Ali, a senior official at the National Security Council during the Trump administration who now teaches at the University of Michigan. "Who may have had access to those documents? And what information may they have gleaned? And what may have resulted from his having these documents?"

McCord said building a case requires more than just interviewing witnesses and reviewing documents. She suspects that at this stage in the investigation, the government is examining legal precedent and strategizing on how prosecutors would respond to potential defense arguments in court.

For example, the Justice Department already reasoned in a recent court filing that, even if Trump formally claims and provides evidence that he declassified the documents he kept, it wouldn't undermine a potential obstruction case. That's because the subpoena asked his team to return all documents "marked as classified" - not those that were classified.

"There's are other things besides fact gathering that take place at this stage. There's legal research," McCord said. "All of that work can just be going on, and that is a substantial amount of work. It's not just that you go out and gather evidence and then file charges the next day."
An amateur thief thought he was getting away with a free bike when he tried to steal one from someone's front yard. He even boldly started riding it while still on the lawn. But just as he was about to hit the sidewalk, he heard what no young gentleman wants to hear: a stern mom voice.

"What are you doing? Get off my son's bike right now," she scolded through the house intercom.

The thief, who could have easily sped away at this point, instead stopped in his tracks and did an about face. But he still got it wrong as he only set the bike on the far end of the lawn, partly on the sidewalk.

"Put the bicycle back in the yard," the no-nonsense voice insisted.

And the bicycle was thus rolled back onto the yard and properly left upright after the frightened fellow made sure to employ the kickstand. (See video below.)

Front page thumbnail image: Nattawit Khomsanit / shutterstock.com
(Tribune News Service)  At Venezuelas most notorious prison, in a section known as the House of Dreams, military intelligence officers torture inmates in the hope of breaking their spirit. But Matthew Heath refused to break.

Nearly two years into his detention, the American Marine Corps veteran was still resisting his captors, breaking cameras and microphones that littered prison corners and talking back to his guards. Early on he had refused to attend sham court hearings in protest of his prison conditions. By June of this year, he had resorted to his Marine training in an effort to shock the Venezuelans and demand renewed U.S. attention to his case.

Heath kicked out a pipe from his prison cell toilet, and used it to smash off a shard of porcelain from the toilet bowl. He cut along his left arm and allowed the blood to run. I knew that if I didnt cut an artery, but if I bled a lot, that it would look bad, but that my life wouldnt actually be in danger, Heath told McClatchy and the Miami Herald in his first interview since his release.

The ruse worked. Heaths apparent suicide attempt forced Venezuelan officials to rush him to the hospital, granting him access to a phone and prompting the U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs, Roger Carstens, to fly down to Caracas to plead for his humanitarian release. He remained in prison for several more months. But Carstens trip established the basis for a major prisoner swap earlier this month in which Venezuela released seven Americans, including Heath, in exchange for the U.S. release of two prominent Venezuelans convicted of drug trafficking.

At 6 a.m. on Oct. 1, Heath was told to pack up and get dressed. He was going home. He didnt quite believe it until he was boarding a small plane, bound for the tiny island of Canouan in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where the exchange would take place.

It was emotional  it was like out of a movie. It was this complex procedure for exactly how the prisoner exchange was supposed to go, said Heath, who likened the moment to the bridge of spies in Germany used for prisoner exchanges in the Cold War. We had to be confirmed that we were on the plane, and that, basically, no one was lying to anybody.

Carstens boarded the plane to confirm their identities before the two prisoners in U.S. custody  nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro  were allowed to leave a U.S. jet and escorted to a Venezuelan aircraft. It was then the Americans turn. They were given strict instructions of exactly where to walk as they disembarked the Venezuelan plane and walked toward the U.S. jet.

Their plane arrived at a U.S. military base in San Antonio, Texas, late that evening, and Heaths family greeted him at a hospital there the following day. His mother and aunt were speechless as they hugged him for the first time in years.

Its like Christmas every day, Heath said of being home in Tennessee. It is incredible. Im overwhelmed with joy.

Bidens tough choice

The potential of a prisoner exchange sat on President Joe Bidens desk for several months as White House aides debated the consequences of such a large swap. As anticipated, after the exchange took place, Venezuelan opposition activists and Venezuelan Americans in the United States decried the deal as an incentive for Maduro to continue detaining Americans for political gain.

Heath understands why the deal has been criticized. Im sad that this deal was necessary. But it was necessary, he said, praising Biden for having the courage to make the decision. The broader issue is that U.S. citizens are being targeted around the world, specifically in Venezuela, as pawns in the relationship  and that is a direct threat to any U.S. citizen.

After leaving the Marines, Heath spent his life savings on a boat, hoping to start a new tourism business in the Caribbean. But the boat kept breaking down as he and two friends sailed to Cartagena. In the late summer of 2020, the others took the boat to Aruba while Heath stayed behind in Colombia to see friends.

I was in Colombia, and the whole country was closed because of quarantine, he said. I was trying to get to Aruba. And somebody suggested to me, if you just come with me to a fishing village just on the other side of the border, there are fishing boats that go to Aruba every day.

Heath believes he was lured into Venezuela by its intelligence forces  and shares the suspicion held by U.S. officials and the families of other detainees that Caracas is intentionally entrapping Americans to use them as leverage in talks with Washington.

Once we crossed into Venezuela, I was immediately detained, he said. I believe I was a victim of Venezuelan intelligence.

Heath was charged with espionage and participating in actions to destabilize the government, and transferred to the prison of Venezuelas military intelligence unit, the DGCIM, where he said he was subjected to a range of torture techniques, including electrocution, forced nudity, stolen food, cold water baths and threats of rape.

His treatment improved when he was placed under the care of the Ministry of Prisons, and he was able to speak through the window of his jail cell to other American prisoners being held along the hallway. They all knew they were constantly recorded, and were explicitly warned that talking politics would result in punishment. But idle chatter still helped them pass the time.

I made a little joke every Sunday, and thats kind of how I would track the week. I would call out in the hallway, and I would say, I have some very important news, Heath said. The others would cry back out for the latest. And I would say, I think, this week, were gonna get some good news.

He did not see the faces of many of the friends he made in that hallway. But leaving several behind was difficult nevertheless.

Ive been in that situation before  Ive been there when Americans went home, he said. Even though youre happy for that person to go home, its still hard, because its not you.

At least six Americans remain in Venezuelan custody who are suspected of being detained for political purposes.

Were not going to stop until they are free, Heath said.

Home in Tennessee

In Heaths hometown of Maynardville, Tennessee, with a population of just 2,400, a parade down Main Street celebrated his return. Schools let out early and the road was lined with neighbors, flashing signs welcoming Heath home as his father drove him through the crowd.

Heath said he has been completely focused on his family since his return, spending most of his first week home with his son.

But his passion for nature, and particularly for the ocean, were not lost over his two years in captivity. He still dreams of running an ecotourism company despite his life savings being depleted.

Im at step one of restarting my life. But as long as Im breathing, Im winning, Heath said.

My dream is to be a charter boat captain, and Im not going to let this negative experience change my life and take that dream away from me, he said. And Im sure that one day soon, Ill get another boat and Ill get back to my business.

If that day comes, Heath says he will make sure to steer far clear of Venezuelas coast.

I will give it a wide berth.

2022 Miami Herald.

Visit miamiherald.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said the sentence imposed by the Circuit Criminal Court was "simply too low"

A "monster" who gave his daughter drugs and alcohol, sexually assaulted her repeatedly over a six-year period and raped her when she was 15 has had his five-year prison sentence almost doubled by the Court of Appeal.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had argued before the three-judge court that the sentence imposed on Michael ODonoghue (43) was unduly lenient given the gravity of the offences.

The victim, Aimee Foley (20), cried when the original five-year sentence was imposed and her family complained that the sentence was not enough for what O'Donoghue had done.

Ms Foley was in court for yesterdays hearing and sat flanked by her family while her father sat some four metres away in the dock.

She cried as she left court and outside told the media that the new sentence will "never be enough for me and my family" but offers a "sliver of justice".

She said sentencing for sexual offences in Ireland can be "appalling but today it has proven to work in my favour".

She said that this will be the beginning of a "new standard going forward" and that offenders like her father must be held accountable. "I will not stop until more is done," she added.

Delivering the court's judgment, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said the sentence imposed by the Circuit Criminal Court was "simply too low" and amounted to an error in principle.

She quashed the original sentence and replaced it with one of ten years with the final six months suspended for a period of five years.

The sentence was backdated to 14 April 2021.

Tom OMalley SC, for the DPP, described ODonoghues conduct towards his daughter as egregious.

The first offence took place, he said, on her 12th birthday when she was staying at his home for the weekend.

Counsel said: He plied her with drink, including whiskey, gave her drugs, made her watch pornography and sexually assaulted her.

He groped her at a family wedding when she was 13 and threatened to rape her.

When she was 15 he raped her.

There were many further incidents of sexual assault until she was 18 years old, Mr OMalley said, and on one occasion he filmed the abuse on his mobile phone.

The sentencing judge had set the headline sentence for the rape offence at 12 years but reduced that to seven with the final two years suspended after taking into account ODonoghues early guilty plea, admissions he made to gardai and his genuine remorse.

Sentences of three and four years were imposed for the sexual assault counts but each sentence was set to run concurrently.

Mr OMalley said the 12-year headline could have been considered unduly lenient even if there had not been multiple sexual assaults.

He said the error in principle made by the judge was that the sentence was not proportionate to the offences.

Michael Bowman SC, for the defence, said that the sentence fell within the range available to the sentencing judge who had identified and taken into account all the aggravating factors.

The reduction from 12 to seven years, counsel said, was appropriate given the manner in which ODonoghue had faced the charges.

He pointed out that once ODonoghue knew gardai had been contacted, he went to a garda station and made full admissions.

He entered guilty pleas at the earliest possible opportunity and has shown remorse and genuine insight.

He is considered by the probation service to be at a low risk of reoffending, Mr Bowman said.

Aimee Foley

The Court of Appeal disagreed. Ms Justice Kennedy said O'Donoghue's conduct had humiliated and degraded his victim and that he had committed an "egregious breach of trust" in his home where she was entitled to feel safe and protected.

His conduct was a "gross betrayal" and he had degraded his daughter for his own gratification, she said.

She said the fact he had shown her pornography, gave her alcohol and drugs and filmed the abuse were further aggravating factors.

At a sentencing hearing in October last year, Ms Foley (20) waived her right to anonymity so her father could be identified.

Addressing him directly, she said: You have ruined me. I hope you are happy knowing you broke your own child.

"I've called you dad five times in this statement and I hope every time you heard it, it struck you in your heart, she said.

It's the last time you will ever hear me call you that. You're not my dad. You're not my father. You are a monster, a paedophile, an animal.

O'Donoghue, of Colmanstown, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, pleaded guilty to 31 counts of sexually assaulting Ms Foley, one count of raping her and one count of producing child pornography in various locations in Galway between April 2012 and April 2018.

She was aged between 12 and 17 at the time of the abuse.

The court heard O'Donoghue plied his child with alcohol and drugs, including cannabis and cocaine, before abusing her.

The court heard O'Donoghue had split up with Ms Foley's mother before she was born and the abuse took place when she had access visits to his home.

The abuse often took place when O'Donoghue's wife and other children were present in the house.

The abuse came to light in 2020 when Ms Foley confided in college friends and then her mother.

O'Donoghue then turned himself into gardai before they had interviewed Ms Foley telling them: I'll make it easy for you boys. I did it. I sexually assaulted my daughter and I recorded it on my mobile phone.

Sentencing the man last year Mr Justice David Keane said O'Donoghue had engaged in the most serious breach of trust between a parent and a child.

He had gone to court to secure custody of his child, only to grotesquely betray his parental responsibilities by sexualising, demeaning and degrading Aimee Foley for his own gratification, Mr Justice Keane said.

He noted O'Donoghue had emotionally manipulated his daughter as well as sexually abusing her, that he plied her with alcohol and drugs when she was a child and that on one occasion he recorded the abuse.

The judge said Ms Foley was an impressive witness who had outlined the psychological trauma she endured at the hands of her father. He wished her well in her continuing recovery.

Zr Justice Keane outlined a number of mitigating factors, including O'Donoghue's early and unusual admissions to gardai  made before they had got a statement from Ms Foley.

The judge said these admissions meant Ms Foley did not have to go through a trial process.

He noted O'Donoghue has been receiving alcohol addiction and sexual offender counselling and is considered to be at a low risk of re-offending.
On Friday evening officers from the Tallaght Drugs Unit searched a home in Tymon Crescent under warrant.

A man in his 40s has been arrested after Gardai seized more than 136,000 worth of suspected heroin and 1,000 worth of cocaine.

On Friday evening officers from the Tallaght Drugs Unit searched a home in Tymon Crescent under warrant.

During the course of this search, suspected heroin with an estimated value of 136,654 and suspected cocaine with an estimated value of 1,001 were seized. The total estimated value of the suspected drugs seized is 137,655.

A man in his early 40s was arrested at the scene and taken to Tallagh Garda Station where he was later charged. He is expected to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice this morning.

The drugs are pending analysis by Forensic Science Ireland.

"An Garda Siochana are very mindful of the harm that illicit drugs cause in communities, and the significant negative impact caused in all aspects of society by the behaviour of individuals who are under the influence of illicit drugs, Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis, Dublin Region said.

Yesterday's significant seizure in Tallaght and the seizure of significant quantities of both heroin and cocaine with an estimated street sale value in excess of one million euro (1,000,000), by Garda personnel attached to the DMR East Divisional Drug Unit.

[The arrests are] a demonstration of our continued efforts to remove illicit drugs from our streets and communities across the Dublin region, thereby reducing the harm to residents and business communities that is associated with drug related criminality.

The seizure was conducted as part of Operation Taram an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in July 2021.

The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.
In the first nine months of this year alone, there were incidents involving 31 squad cars that were rammed

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said that any attack on a member of the gardai would not be tolerated as it emerged that more than 200 Garda cars have been rammed in less than four years.

In the first nine months of this year alone, there were incidents involving 31 squad cars that were rammed.

Describing it as a "very serious matter", Minister McEntee said the actions are an "affront to our values as a society" and would not be tolerated by the Department of Justice.

Since 2019, there have been 201 instances of ramming of Garda vehicles.

According to the figures produced by Newstalk, there were 65 incidents in 2019, another 68 in 2020, a total of 47 last year, and 31 so far this year.

One of the most notorious incidents this year occurred in Cherry Orchard, in Dublin, in September that was captured on video.

The incident was widely circulated on social media, prompting Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to describe the footage as disgraceful and very concerning.

The Gardai involved were unharmed by the incident.

Answering a question on the wider issue, Minister McEntee said: "I consider the deliberate ramming of Garda vehicles to be an extremely serious matter.

"The safety of the members of An Garda Siochana and the general public on our roads is of critical importance.

"Any attack on a member of An Garda Siochana is an affront to our values as a society and will not be tolerated.

"An Garda Siochana perform a vital function in providing safety and security to our communities and should be applauded and supported for their service, not subject to assault or harm in the execution of their duties."
Three people were shot in two separate incidents overnight Friday, Buffalo police said.

The first shooting took place at about 9 p.m. Friday when a 30-year-old Buffalo man was struck multiple times by gunfire on Genesee Street, west of Bailey Avenue, Buffalo police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge said. The man was taken by emergency responders to Erie County Medical Center where he was listed in stable condition Friday night, DeGeorge added.

Then, a little after 1 a.m. Saturday, two males were shot "in the leg area" while near College and Allen streets, DeGeorge said.

They too were taken to ECMC where they were listed in stable condition.

Police asked anyone with information about the shootings to call or text the confidential tip line at 716-847-2255.
Forensically aware gang wear surgical face masks, gloves, and use surveillance cameras to evade gardai

A new forensically aware gang has moved into the lucrative drug-dealing scene in a troubled north Dublin suburb.

Sources say the crew are attempting to fill the vacuum created by the fact that long-standing dealers in Finglas are struggling to sell their product due to increased pressure from gardai, who have been investigating the deadly Finglas feud that they are involved in.

This is not a particularly large group of young lads but they have seen a gap in the market and they went for it, the source pointed out.

In recent weeks, the dealers have been operating at a park in the Scribblestown area of Finglas and sources say they have been selling unusually high grade cannabis herb and cocaine, which the young criminals are suspected of sourcing directly from Spain.

Some of the gang members have been spending months at a time over in Spain, where it is believed they have a business interest in a cafe over there.

The weed that they are selling is much more expensive than most; they are charging 120 for three grams of it but all the information is they are now selling cocaine and crack cocaine as well.

These lads are extremely forensically aware; when they are selling it they are going around wearing blue forensic gloves as well as COVID facemasks and hoodies up, which makes them very difficult to identify on CCTV.

Whats more, when they operate in the park they have remote cameras set up at all the entry points, which are connected to their mobile phones, so they can see exactly who is coming in or out.

If they dont like what they see, they are out of the location quickly on their motorbikes. It is all very efficient and they are making a lot of money, the source explained.

It has also emerged that the gang has been using social media to advertise their drugs by sending messages to potential customers to let them know when they have stocks of certain drugs.

The so-called independent operators have managed to stay out of the deadly Finglas feud, which saw one unsolved murder and dozens of violent incidents this year.

At the centre of much of the violence is the criminal nicknamed Mr Flashy and his associates.

There have been major tensions in Finglas all year with the murder of Mr Flashy gang rival James 'Whela' Whelan (29) in April stoking gang tensions.

The feud has died down in recent months after gardai made a number of significant arrests.

Social media played a huge role when the Finglas feud was at its height with the rival factions goading their rivals on various platforms on a daily basis.

A common feature of the feud has been targeting of innocent family members of those involved in the gang warfare.

In the early hours of May 21, the mother and brother of murder victim James Whelan were lucky to escape injury when the family home was firebombed by the Mr Flashy mob.

Whelans mother Sonya and another son managed to escape the house uninjured after the attack, which took place at 2am.

The house was substantially damaged, as were two cars parked outside.

Just hours later innocent relatives of Mr Flashy had their homes targeted in revenge petrol bomb attacks.
Federal agents at Logan Airport allegedly found a video of a young boy that appeared to have been produced during the trip

A Massachusetts man who works as a magician entertaining kids has been arrested on a child pornography charge.

Scott Jameson, a 45-year-old from Sutton, a town in Worcester County, was arrested on Friday, after returning from Cambodia.

Federal authorities were notified that Jameson, a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, had most recently travelled to Cambodia on August 28 and returned on October 19. He was stopped upon his return and his belongings were searched.

He has been accused of possessing sexually explicit images of young children, after Federal agents at Logan Airport allegedly found a video of a young boy that appeared to have been produced during the trip.

A separate device allegedly contained over 100 images of apparent child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint, federal authorities were contacted by Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), a Cambodian Non-Governmental Organisation that was founded to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation in February.

They reported that Jameson had possibly engaged in inappropriate behaviours with minors in Cambodia.

According to the report, Jameson was allegedly observed improperly interacting with a young Cambodian boy at a park.

Two pre-teen Cambodian boys had also informed APLE employees that Jameson allegedly slept with them in their bed on more than one occasion but they did not report any sexual abuse.

During interviews with investigators, Jameson said that he has worked as a magician for over 20 years and regularly performed for elementary school-aged children at libraries and private events across New England.

According to court documents, during those interviews Jameson denied ever abusing children.

He was released on $10,000 bail after appearing in court on Friday afternoon. He was ordered to surrender his passports and is not allowed to use the internet without supervision.

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon US Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A probable cause hearing was scheduled for October 26.
Sleazes are paying $30 to deepfake websites to strip women of clothes... and victims naked pics are being shared on porn sites

'I saw my face plastered on all these porn images... can kind of laugh about it but at the same time I hope they come down at some stage  I dont want my kids to see them'  VOGUE WILLIAMS

Arms folded and eyes smiling, I look completely at ease commanding a boardroom, but theres one major issue with the photo thats flashing up on the computer screen before me  I am completely naked.

In less than 15 seconds I have been digitally undressed by an easily accessible AI tool and I am horrified at the computer-generated clone staring back at me.

Welcome to the seedy underworld of deepfake porn  technology that uses ever-improving artificial intelligence that automates entirely realistic nude images of women and inserts their likeness into hardcore pornographic videos.

Today, doctored nudes and sexually explicit videos of ordinary Irish women are infiltrating the internet at an alarming rate and can be created for as little as 30 thanks to ground-breaking software.

Once solely targeted at A-listers including Taylor Swift and Scarlett Johansson, Irish presenter Vogue Williams recently spoke of her disgust at being digitally inserted into disturbing pornographic content.

And now the deepfake web is targeting ordinary women and it could be you, or me.

Our reporter Denise uploaded this image

Swiping pictures from Irish womens Instagram accounts and uploading them through advanced apps online, twisted perverts intent on getting their sick kicks use lifelike pictures and videos for sexual gratification or to manipulate, control and destroy their victims.

Horrifyingly, many women are completely oblivious that their computer-generated nudes are now being traded in underground forums and appearing on porn sites.

A quick Google search leads me to dozens of sleazy websites that boast the software that can digitally undress women in an instant.

One depraved site that profits on the degradation of women even offers customised fakes made by top-rated artists.

Charging upwards of 40 for a picture, the website says: Have your photos made fake nude, covered in fake c*m, or edited in any other erotic way you desire.

Screenshot from the 'Fake Nude' website

Repulsed, I keep scrolling until I find a website that offers a "nudifier app.

Detailing its updated service, the website details: See any girl nude with the click of a button. The most powerful image deepfake AI created.

There are three payment rates: the basic package starts at $29.95 all the way up to the deluxe package at $99 and the website promises real results including: Better breast size prediction based on shadows and curve of clothing.

I opt for the basic tier and grimace as I upload a professional photo of myself standing in a boardroom wearing a simple blazer dress.

Punching in the last number of my credit card and pressing process, I fork out over 30 and watch in horror as flesh-coloured skin bleeds through my blue dress.

Within seconds, the soft curve of breasts appear, followed by smooth, dimple-free limbs until I am completely naked. It is me, but it is not me.

Hauntingly life-like, my body has been super-enhanced  preened, pumped and processed to satiate the male gaze. To the untrained eye, save for glitches around my folded arms, nothing would be amiss.

A dodgy website and 30 later, I am now enmeshed in the non-consenual deepfake machine.Technology that is now being weaponised against women and is ruining lives.

In the 15 seconds it took to strip my body bare, I calculate how quickly one image could be shared across the internet  a simple action that has the potential to eviscerate someones entire life.

And for that reason alone, I refuse to disclose the names of these platforms.

Deep fake site produced this image of our reporter Denise Smith

But that will not deter perpetrators from targeting real women.

Speaking last year, Dublin celebrity Vogue Williams opened up about her face being used in deep fake pornography.

I saw my face plastered on all these porn images and I was like: Jesus, I dont remember that, she joked.

About three weeks ago, it came up again and theyve updated the picture and I mean, if I thought I was having a good time before, Im having a really good time in these ones.

Im adventurous but not that adventurous, she added.

Despite trying to laugh at the situation, Vogue explained how she struggled to get the images taken down and said she didnt want her children to see them.

You know what the weirdest thing is? You cant get them down, like theyre just up, anyone is allowed to put them up, and they are starting to look more realistic.

The most recent ones look so realistic and I can kind of laugh about it but at the same time I hope they come down at some stage.

I dont want my kids to see them, she said.

A 2019 study by Deeptrace Labs found that 96 per cent of all deepfake videos were pornographic and non-consensual. Alarmingly, the top four deepfake websites clocked 134 million views on such videos.

Tech expert Dan Purcell, who has become an ally to women everywhere after shutting down an online server containing hundreds of thousands of revenge porn pictures of Irish women last year, said the technology behind deepfake porn is only in its infancy.

The CEO of the anti-piracy and privacy protection service Ceartas is warning that the depraved act of deep faking could now be a gateway to real-life crime against women:

It is so realistic looking that it may as well be real, he said.

Offering a free service for victims that desperately want their images scrubbed from the internet, the tech genius said: We dont sugar coat anything, its 99.9 pc men, men are the perpetrators and it is at scale.

They are turning these girls into currency. You have these people that are good at Photoshop and they will go to these deepnude, deepfake websites and put a girl in at the request of someone from Reddit or Telegram and clean it up and make it look very real.

The men are anywhere from 16 to 30 and some of conversations make me think what kind of breed they are.

They are asking, Are there any girls from Donegal or Derry or my town? I think it is voyeurism and kink for them because they could walk by this girl and think Ive seen you naked.

'I saw my face plastered on all these porn images... can kind of laugh about it but at the same time I hope they come down at some stage  I dont want my kids to see them'  VOGUE WILLIAMS

These guys are in these groups and they do tributes. They will message different lads and say do you want to have a w**k and they will simultaneously masturbate.

What frightens me is that these guys are really starting to blur the lines. They are masturbating collectively and printing the pictures off and masturbating on them. Its not outside the realm of possibility that a sexual assault will happen.

These guys also have no accountability and there is so much anonymity online and the mindset is what else can I get away with?

Lobbying social media giants to create a framework of accountability, he urged: What I would suggest for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook is that when you report an image their systems should automatically remove access instantaneously until a decision is made; guilty until proven innocent. That would eliminate so many problems.
The Irish capital beat the likes of Prague, Benidorm, and Amsterdam to take the top spot.

People enjoy a pint in Dublin over the St Patricks weekend in 2019. Photo by Artur Widak via Getty Images   NurPhoto via Getty Images

Dublinis officially the most popular stag and hen party destination in the EU, according to new figures.

The Irish capital beat the likes of Prague, Benidorm, and Amsterdam to take the top spot.

Only Newcastle and Liverpool are now busier than Dublin in all of Europe, data supplied by Last Night of Freedom, Britains leading stag and hen organiser, shows.

Also making the top 10 destinations for hen and stag dos are Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Manchester, Prague, Benidorm, Brighton, and Budapest.

Groups typically want a destination thats either sunny, or somewhere with cracking nightlife, said the firms Managing Director, Matt Mavir.

He said that while the weather in Dublin and the north of England isnt usually warm, the people are  and they know how to party.

Thats clearly a massive driving force behind so many people choosing to have their stag and hen weekends there.

Last Night of Freedom expects there to be 55 groups celebrating hen and stag parties in Dublin this weekend alone, the fourth most popular destination in Europe - even though we are well past the stag season peak.

The business has sent almost 200 groups to Dublin in 2022, recommending popular hotspots like Dtwo, Whelans, and Cafe en Seine to hopeful partiers.

Other activities that made the list include the Guinness Factory tour, Irish dance parties, spa days in local hotels, and nude life drawing workshops.

Stag and hen parties have only just returned as we know them for the first time since the pandemic hit two years ago.

With long-delayed weddings finally taking place, groups are now heading off in record numbers but, according to Mr Mavir, brides and grooms-to-be in the UK havent been flocking too far.

Weve seen more demand for stay-at-home stag and hen trips this year than ever before, he said.

There are various factors. Some people are still a bit nervous about going abroad due to Covid, while the cost-of-living crisis means people are looking at more budget-friendly alternatives.

The war in Ukraine also impacted Eastern Europe hard at the start of the summer, but Britain has benefited from all of those factors.

Groups seeking a bit of sunshine have shunned Spain in favour of Brighton or Bournemouth, while stags  who may have visited Prague or Krakow a few years ago  are now choosing to play it safe and save a few quid by heading to Manchester or Liverpool instead.

I believe customers are becoming increasingly conscious about the environment, so some may choose to stay in Britain rather than fly.
A 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder remains in custody at this time assisting detectives with enquiries

Detectives investigating the murder of a man in Newtownabbey have asked people not to share footage of the scene out of respect for his family.

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Irelands Major Investigation Team named the victim as 31-year-old Ryan MacNab from north Belfast.

Mr MacNab died after being seriously injured in an assault in in the Rathcoole area of Newtownabbey on Friday.

Mr MacNab died from his injuries at the scene of a serious assault at an address in the Barna Square area on Friday evening, October, 21 the PSNI said in a statement.

A 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder remains in custody at this time assisting detectives with enquiries.

Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Kelly added: I am continuing to appeal to anyone who believes they may have information which could assist detectives with their investigation to contact us at the Major Investigation Team on 101 quoting reference 1779 of 21/10/22.

"I will add that we are aware of footage from the scene circulating and would ask people not to share this out of respect for the family."

Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 with 555 111 which is anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.
Every single day someone on Twitter will accuse me of being a paedophile just because Im an out, gay man

Rory ONeill, also known as Panti Bliss, has said that not a single day goes by that he isnt called a paedophile online, and that he feels the LGBTQ+ community is being targeted more now than in recent years.

The drag queen, who also owns the Panti Bar in Dublin, said the abuse he and others in the community receive both online and in person is annoying, angering, infuriating.

I am a proud queer man and the gays have given me everything: my career, my life, my fun, my boyfriends, my husband, my everything, so of course, I feel passionate about it, he said.

Why wouldnt I take any opportunity I have to fight for them, in a way?

Thankfully, things have changed over the years; we are fighting about smaller things than we used to.

But I do think also - and I was guilty myself of it a bit- after the marriage referendum, thinking we are sorted and that everything is fine and we can now sail off into the gay sunset, but that isnt how it works and things to go backwards sometimes and there is a push back against it and at the moment, I feel that very keenly and acutely, this push back.

Not a single day goes by that Im not called a paedophile on the internet now. Every single day someone on Twitter will accuse me of being a paedophile just because Im an out, gay man.

That had all stopped. I remember in the 70s and 80s when I was a student I used to hear that stuff, but it disappeared and its all back with a vengeance.

Rory said he doesnt think people believe that hes a paedophile, but they see it as a useful tool to push back.

When asked on RTE Radio 1s The Brendan OConnor show if speaking about these people adds fuel to the fire, the drag queen said he believes it needs to be spoken about, because if its left ignored it will ignite into something more sinister.

I think we have learned from the past that you cant ignore this stuff because it allows it to fester and grow and there is no shortage of people telling me to relax and calm down but then it comes at you in real life, he said.

We had huge graffiti sprayed on the bar they dont stay online anymore.

It does [upset me] its annoying, angering, infuriating.

Im not sitting at home crying about it because I was running around in the 80s as a gay boy and there was plenty of abuse then. Its hard to upset a 53-year-old drag queen but its depressing that this stuff I thought was behind us is re-emerging.
The Kerry native was surprised with the proposal after she thought she was visiting the area for a photoshoot.

The Kerry native, who is known to her followers as Retro Flame, said Yes! to the romantic proposal which took place on a beach at The Hamptons.

Erika moved to the United States in 2015 where she has lived ever since.

Fox thought she was visiting the wealthy New York suburb to shoot a campaign for her jewellery brand, but instead, she was surprised by a romantic wedding proposal.

Taking to Instagram, she shared the story, telling followers she was not dressed for the occasion.

In case you missed it, I went to The Hamptons yesterday to shoot my new Loulerie collection (as I thought!! Lol) and this is me dressed in the first look going down [to] the water to the test the lighting, hence the coat and the random shoes... which I now know why Kaelin wasn't happy with me wearing and the tag was even still on the blazer.

Little did I know what was waiting to the left, she explained as the video pans to her, looking confused as she sees her now-fiance, standing on the beach, surrounded by white flowers.

And this is when it hit me and I started crying, she said.

Sharing a picture of the engagement to her Instagram feed, the simply captioned the post: YES!!!

To make the moment even more special Tommy whisked Erika off on a helicopter ride back to her home in New York which was decorated with balloons and a collage of pictures of the couple.

Sharing a snap with her new fiance and two friends she said: The amount of lies these three told me the past week. But OMG they literally thought of every detail.

Ill never get over it. Feeling so lucky, she rejoiced.

Erika went on to enjoy a night out in New York with her close friends to celebrate the momentous occasion.
A Waikato cardiothoracic surgeons mission to save lives has led him to join Hato Hone St Johns Nga Tohu Whakaora e Toru (3 Steps for Life) programme as a volunteer educator.

Mr Nand Kejriwal already holds many roles, including as the visiting Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Southern Cross Hospital, Hamilton; the Director of Surgical Training at Waikato Hospital; the Senior Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Auckland; and the Educational Supervisor at the Medical Council of New Zealand.

Ive been doing cardiac surgery in New Zealand for 20 years, mostly in the Waikato, says Nand.

I still operate at the Southern Cross Hospital but at Waikato Hospital most of my time is committed to training, educating, and mentoring  I lecture and supervise house surgeons for their first two years and I also teach at the courses run by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. I just love teaching.

However, its the latest role with Hato Hone St John that has most recently gained his attention.

Nand found out about the 3 Steps for Life programme after visiting the Hato Hone St John website to find statistics on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests for a talk he was giving about CPR to senior citizens.

I learnt that, for a country of only five million, we have 2000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year and only 10 per cent survive  that means 1800 die every year.

It was a shocking statistic that resonated with Nand.

We have a pandemic and the whole country shuts down, but something must be done about these people dying from a cardiac arrest, he says.

What I learnt on the St John website was that I could make a difference in the community  I have slowed down a little these days so can do this now  by becoming a 3 Steps for Life educator.

I applied online straight away and here I am, now towards the end of the induction process and looking forward to starting to teach this. My motto is, if I can save one life, then life is worth living.

Nand has also already started sharing the 3 Steps for Life and GoodSAM programme with other medical associates and organisations.

They tell me they think its great, but just didnt know about it. This led to some associates of mine buying a defibrillator and Im even thinking I might buy one and keep it in the car so if I do come across someone arresting, I can be ready to help save a life, he says.

Hato Hone St John has been on a mission to empower 10,000 people with 3 Steps for Life as part of its Shocktober and Restart a Heart Day campaigns (RHAD) this month.

Jacci Tatnell, Hato Hone St John Head of Community Education says Shocktober has been an absolute success since it launched at the beginning of the month.

Its been all go, and we are stoked with the tremendous effort thats taken place over the past few weeks.

Its been so good that the 3 Steps for Life team are thrilled to report they have 100 sessions booked, and we have reached our goal of training 10,000 people.

Jacci says all of this couldnt have been achieved without the amazing support from across the motu, including from the Warriors Foundation and Hato Hone St John partners; ASB, Spark and Z Energy.

While its been a collaborative effort to promote and drive the campaign, the delivery of all this mahi is because of our volunteer community educators," she says.

A whopping 90 per cent of sessions have been delivered by volunteers and without our volunteer workforce, this campaign would not be possible. So from Hato Hone to our volunteers  a big thank you to all of you for the amazing work you do.

Facts and figures:

New Zealand has more than 6,000 people registered as GoodSAM responders

AED numbers in the community are growing, with more than 5,500 registered throughout the country.

Those number has been bolstered at marae across New Zealand too, with gifts of AEDs into vulnerable communities thanks to ASB, with the support of Phillips and St John. In addition, all ASB branches have AEDs.

Actions:
Update, 5.36pm

Police advise that Horotiu Rd/State Highway 39 in Waikato is expected to reopen shortly after a fatal crash earlier on Saturday.

One person has died following two cars colliding at around 11am.

Police would like to thank motorists for their patience following this crash.

Update, 3pm: One person has died following a serious crash in Waikato.

Two vehicles collided on Horotiu Rd/State Highway 39 on Saturday morning.



"The road remains closed," says a Police spokesperson.



Police are still asking people to avoid the area.

Earlier, 11.40am:

Police are responding to a serious crash on Horotiu Rd, off State Highway 39, in Waikato.

Two vehicles have collided leading to the closure of Horotiu Rd.

Police were called at about 11am.



"Please avoid the area if possible," says a Police spokesperson.

At the scene?

Phone 0800 SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz
Two lucky Lotto players from Kaeo and Gisborne will be dancing around their living rooms after each winning $500,000 with Lotto First Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw.

The winning tickets were sold at Kaeo Four Square in Kaeo and on MyLotto to a player from Gisborne.

Powerball was not struck on Saturday eveningand has rolled over to Wednesday night, where the jackpot will be $5 million.

Strike Four has also rolled over and will be $300,000 on Wednesday night.

Sixteen lucky Lotto players will be jumping for joy after each winning $15,221 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday's live Lotto draw.

Two lucky players also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $22,418. The winning Powerball Second Division tickets were sold on MyLotto to a player from Wellington and at Fresh Choice Parklands in Christchurch.

The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores:

ore Location MyLotto Whangarei MyLotto North Shore MyLotto Auckland City MyLotto (x2) Waikato MyLotto Waikato Four Square Tamahere Tamahere Countdown Taupo Taupo New World New Plymouth New Plymouth MyLotto New Plymouth MyLotto (+PB) Wellington Fresh Choice Richmond Nelson Fresh Choice Parklands (+PB) Christchurch MyLotto Canterbury Methven Supervalue Methven Countdown Dunedin Dunedin

Anyone who bought their ticket from the above stores and on MyLotto should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the Lotto NZ App.

With 100 per cent of Lotto NZs profits supporting thousands of great causes each year, every time you play one of Lotto NZs games, youre a Kiwi helping other Kiwis. 
A Buffalo man who pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide stemming from a crash that killed a teenage passenger in the vehicle he was driving received a sentence of between four to 12 years in prison.

Prosecutors from the Erie County District Attorney's Office said 22-year-old Mkaipa M. Muya was under the influence of alcohol on Feb. 22, 2021, when he crashed his sedan while speeding on Walden Avenue near Hoerner Avenue in Cheektowaga. The force of the collision caused his car to crash into a building after striking a utility pole.

A 17-year-old passenger sitting in the rear of the car was ejected from the vehicle upon impact and later died from her injuries at Erie County Medical Center. A 30-year-old man sitting in the front passenger seat also was taken to ECMC for treatment of minor injuries. Muya was unhurt in the accident.
A civilian and police officer accused of obtaining fake Covid-19 vaccination cards were each arraigned Friday in West Seneca Town Court, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.

Kurt Surprenant, 29, of West Seneca was charged with one count of criminal possession of forgery devices, while Paul Daley, 40, a police officer, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.

According to the District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began an investigation after intercepting a package from China that contained blank Covid-19 vaccination cards and was allegedly addressed to Surprenant. The items were recovered after a search warrant was obtained for his home.

Authorities allege that the seized blank vaccination cards were designed for use in forging a written instrument.

In addition, authorities allege Daley provided his friend Suprenant with the falsified Covid-19 vaccination card.

Daley, who was off-duty at the time of the alleged crime, was suspended from the West Seneca Police Department following his arraignment.

The District Attorney's Office noted that this is the third such case to be prosecuted in Erie County following passage of the "Truth in Vaccination" law that went into effect on Dec. 22, 2021, which defines a vaccination card as a written instrument under New York State penal law on crimes related to fraud.

If convicted of the charges against them, Surprenant and Daley each face a maximum of seven years in prison.

Both men, who were released on their own recognizance, are scheduled to return on Tuesday to West Seneca Town Court for a felony hearing.
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A Cayuga Creek restoration project eight years in the making has been completed, but chemical compounds in the water show challenges remain there and in other waterways.

The $2.2 million project led by Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper will help mitigate flooding, restore the ecosystem and improve stream health on 11 acres of forested wetlands. The 11 acres are among the 25 acres transferred from the Weber family to the Town of Niagara in 2018. Eleven additional acres acquired with the help of the Buffalo and Niagara River Land Trust bring the total area to 36 acres that will be protected in perpetuity through a conservation easement.

"The area is sandwiched into an industrial complex with a mobile home neighborhood nearby, and it's a hidden gem," said Jill Jedlicka, executive director of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. "We don't find those very often. This is one of the last undeveloped areas around the Cayuga Creek watershed and was a high priority location to preserve from an ecological perspective."

The environmental victory comes as the Waterkeeper Alliance, which includes Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, marked the 50th anniversary this week of the Clean Water Act by sounding the warning on a "PFAS pollution emergency." The report, noting the Clean Air Act, was created to address threats like this one. It calls for tougher regulation of this class of known carcinogens building up in waterways, landfills, industrial sites and airports.

Not-so-Great Lake: Health of Lake Erie is poor, according to U.S. and Canada There's good news, but it is coupled with the sobering reality that we have significant problems that linger, said Brian Smith, associate executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

At least one PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, was detected in 95 of the 114 waterways sampled nationally. Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper found one or more PFAS in all 10 of the sites it tested, including Cayuga Creek, as part of what the alliance said was the largest study to date on PFAS pollution in waterways.

"PFAS are in our water, it's in our air, our food, our blood, yet we still don't have federal standards in place to protect our long-term health and our communities," Jedlicka said.

As that environmental battleground forges ahead, Friday's announcement of the creek's restoration improvements cheered those who care about the preservation of open space, as well as those who live nearby, including the mobile home neighborhood that suffers from flooding.

"The entire creek corridor became degraded over time because of mostly development along the creek," said Emily Root, the project manager and director of ecological programs. "A lot of the sections were channelized, or floodplains were developed that detract from the natural function of a stream to overflow into its flood plain to absorb those flood waters."

Rerouting the creek through a new channel will allow it to overflow into its historic floodplain, providing more flood storage during times of high rain events. That will help mitigate flooding downstream, Root said.

Natural features were introduced that would occur in a stream not degraded over time, such as shallow areas of rocks to help oxygenate the water and a series of deeper pools of water to replicate what would have naturally been there.

Plants and native seeds were added, and salvaged trees from the site were set along areas of the creek to fortify them against erosion and improve fish habitat.

"The ability to protect and restore this area along the creek is really significant in making progress toward addressing the impairment observed like flooding, poor water quality and less habitat," Root said.

The Waterkeeper Alliance's study, "Invisible, Unbreakable, Unnatural: PFAS Contamination of U.S. Surface Waters" stands as a sober reminder of how a harmful and pervasive class of manufactured chemicals linked to harmful public health and ecosystem impacts have been allowed to enter the nation's waterways, including sources of drinking water, and other areas.

PFAS have been referred to as "forever chemicals," because they remain in organisms indefinitely without breaking down and build up in ever-increasing amounts in people, wildlife, aquatic life and the environment. They have been widely used in manufacturing since the 1950s in industrial and consumer products such as non-stick cooking pans, food packaging and water- and stain-resistant clothing and furniture coverings.

Health risks include increased incidence of cancer, liver and kidney disease, reproductive issues, immunodeficiencies and hormonal disruptions.

Some 113 Waterkeeper groups in 34 states tested surface waters for PFAS contamination in late spring and early summer. The testing was done working with Cyclepure Inc., a materials science and environmental engineering firm based in Illinois that helped conduct the monitoring project.

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper collected two rounds of field samples for the study in July and August, led by Elizabeth Cute, the organization's senior manager for community engagement. Other upstream and downstream test sites included the Buffalo River, Niagara River and Scajaquada Creek, as well as Niagara Falls International Airport, where chemicals associated with firefighting foam were found.

Here's what's coming to Buffalo's waterfront at $110 million remake of Centennial Park A groundbreaking ceremony at Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park on Buffalo's waterfront heralded big things to come. The former LaSalle Park will be transformed in phases over the next several years at an estimated cost of $110 million in public and private dollars.

The tests around the country identified 55 chemicals. A half-dozen compounds showed up repeatedly in local waters, with the release of some chemicals coming from Buffalo Niagara aerospace and sensor industries.

"We always suspected we would find these substances in our waterways, but the fact we had a 100% hit in every waterway we tested was a little jarring," Jedlicka said.

"This data unequivocally demonstrates that dangerous PFAS pollution is widespread in surface waters across the country, and that existing laws and regulations have been inadequate to protect public health and the environment from this under-appreciated threat," the report concluded.

"It is apparent from the results of this project and other credible information that EPA and the states must take more urgent action to monitor waterways, adopt standards for eliminating pollution sources and cleaning up existing contamination, and enforce those standards through permitting and enforcement actions."

There are currently no federal drinking water regulations, only health advisory levels for a small number of PFAS chemicals.

"We exist in a world where we actually accept the fact that society willingly pollutes our own drinking water," Jedlicka said. "We have systems in place that allow thousands of these chemicals to be put into use without adequate safeguards to protect human health and the environment."

The report contains several recommendations for government and industry to address the threat.

In 2021, New York State enacted a law calling for comprehensive drinking water testing and notification, affecting 23 PFAS chemicals. Waterkeeper and other environmental organizations are pushing for regulations that go further than what has been proposed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

During the Waterkeeper Alliance's press conference releasing the report, Jedlicka said PFAS contamination is part of a larger problem in the way potentially unsafe and dangerous manmade chemicals affect the public.

"We have a system in place where we push these products out to market before we understand the potential negative impacts on our health," Jedlicka said. "We need to flip that paradigm so we have a more precautionary principle, so that companies should prove that their products don't cause harm before they are pushed out for products for society to use.

"There are hundreds of thousand of chemicals that are used, and only the smallest percentage of them are actually regulated," she said.

Red Jacket Park, with its 'sweeping views,' becomes newest Buffalo Blueway Blueway enhancements add to the region's waterfront tourism and promote ecological and outdoor recreation, said Jill Jedlicka, executive director of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper.

Jedlicka said the sheer size and scale of the problem shouldn't be a reason not to strive for far-reaching changes.

Jedlicka said people shouldn't fear they are in imminent danger.

"It's not like you touch the water and you immediately get sick," she said. "This is a cause for concern but not panic, and should elicit meaningful action."
alpha1 Senior - BHPian



Join Date: Apr 2007 Location:  Posts: 1,996 Thanked: 2,239 Times

Re: Understanding Economics Quote: Then these guys attribute the income in-equality to "inherent nature of free market capitalism". Then they will talk about stuff like "universal basic income" to show their "humane" side as some sort of a panacea for everything, whose real motive is to actually keep the hordes quite and fed enough to support the higher ups in the pyramid.

Laziness of the poor people?

Really, are we living in the fairy tale land of kindergarten?



Quote: JediKnight Originally Posted by Bunch of thugs and quaks whose beliefs are can be summed up by the so called "Modern Monetary Theory". These are policies which actually causes runaway inflation and asset price bubbles which benefit the rich. thugs and quacks, I wish to clarify a few things.

No idea about the "Modern" Monetary Theory but JM Keynes brought the role of govt's into prominence (in 1930s) and he had very simple principle: demand causes economic growth. Demand is fueled by market sentiments and optimism about future.



In other words: In the times of economic degrowth, govt should do deficit budgeting to fuel the sentiments and inspire confidence in future. In times of economic growth govt should ideally accumulate money since markets are already running in full optimism.



However, if we go by the dictats of laissez-faire: then during economic bust when everything looks bleak then there will come a point in un-employment and price drops that will regain profitability AND confidence in future.

In reality things are not that smooth and bright due to finite lifespan of an individual as well as human labor subject to non-objective yardsticks for evaluation (causing price stickiness). Ultimately it is this "labor" with limited life span and limited savings that creates aggregate demand for the economy.



The cycles of booms and busts might be stoked by excess liquidity provided by govt spending on deficit budget or even QE, and perhaps if you remove this element then the magnitude of boom and bust may reduce.

But fundamental cause of boom and bust is OVERCONFIDENCE and FEAR & DOUBT about future which is inherent nature of human psyche. This pysche follows chaotic distribution rather than gaussian distribution and hence difficult to model and predict.

Coupled with the fact that any venture or enterprise doesn't immediately start producing results, you get a lag in the entire economic system (saving->lending->profits/loss->defaults/savings-> ...) and hence the feedback control cannot work without excess yo-yoing.



You may feel entirely comfortable with uncertain future; but for the vast majority of human beings, including the venerated businessman, people want some element of certainty about future outcomes. Ok so what causes (ever growing) income inequality?Laziness of the poor people?Really, are we living in the fairy tale land of kindergarten?Though my post is not in support of purported, I wish to clarify a few things.No idea about the "Modern" Monetary Theory but JM Keynes brought the role of govt's into prominence (in 1930s) and he had very simple principle: demand causes economic growth. Demand is fueled by market sentiments and optimism about future.In other words: In the times of economic degrowth, govt should do deficit budgeting to fuel the sentiments and inspire confidence in future. In times of economic growth govt should ideally accumulate money since markets are already running in full optimism.However, if we go by the dictats of laissez-faire: then during economic bust when everything looks bleak then there will come a point in un-employment and price drops that will regain profitability AND confidence in future.In reality things are not that smooth and bright due to finite lifespan of an individual as well as human labor subject to non-objective yardsticks for evaluation (causing price stickiness). Ultimately it is this "labor" with limited life span and limited savings that creates aggregate demand for the economy.The cycles of booms and busts might be stoked by excess liquidity provided by govt spending on deficit budget or even QE, and perhaps if you remove this element then the magnitude of boom and bust may reduce.But fundamental cause of boom and bust is OVERCONFIDENCE and FEAR & DOUBT about future which is inherent nature of human psyche. This pysche follows chaotic distribution rather than gaussian distribution and hence difficult to model and predict.Coupled with the fact that any venture or enterprise doesn't immediately start producing results, you get a lag in the entire economic system (saving->lending->profits/loss->defaults/savings-> ...) and hence the feedback control cannot work without excess yo-yoing.You may feel entirely comfortable with uncertain future; but for the vast majority of human beings, including the venerated businessman, people want some element of certainty about future outcomes. Last edited by alpha1 : 19th October 2022 at 16:52 .
In brief: The Republican National Committee has sued Google alleging biased email spam filtering. The RNC claims they have been communicating with Google for 10 months without finding a solution to what the political committee considers to be discriminatory filtering.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has filed a lawsuit against Google for allegedly engaging in unlawful discrimination by filtering Republican campaign emails to its users' spam folders.

According to the suit filed with California's Eastern District Court on Friday, the RNC accuses the search giant of "throttling its email messages because of the RNC's political affiliation and views." The RNC is particularly concerned about what it considers suspicious patterns in the timing of spam filtering for RNC communications.

According to the RNC, for most of each month, nearly all RNC emails arrive in Gmail inboxes as expected, but then near the end of the month nearly all RNC emails are sent to user's spam folders. The RNC claims this spike in spam filtering is intended to coincide with the time of the month that RNC fundraising has historically been the most successful.

The RNC goes on to claim in the filing that it has been in talks with Google for 10 months about the RNC's findings. The RNC is specifically asking the court to reject any effort by Google to try to hide its actions behind claims of algorithmic neutrality. The RNC suggests the "most reasonable inference is that [the spam filtering] is intentional," but that regardless, Google's inaction on the RNC's complaints should be considered "at least negligent and unreasonable" which would be enough under California common carrier law to be considered discrimination.

Google has denied the RNC's claims in a statement given by Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda:

As we have repeatedly said, we simply don't filter emails based on political affiliation. Gmail's spam filters reflect users' actions. We provide training and guidelines to campaigns, we recently launched an FEC-approved pilot for political senders, and we continue to work to maximize email deliverability while minimizing unwanted spam.

The FEC-approved pilot referenced in Google's statement was launched in August in response to Republican-raised concerns about bias in spam filtering systems. The Google program would allow any campaign to register to bypass automatic spam filtering ensuring delivery in user inboxes.

The RNC is reportedly not enrolled in this program.
NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite has finally arrived at the Californian Vandenberg Space Force Base, where engineers will start making last-minute preparations for the spacecraft's launch in December aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Center-4 East.

This marks the space agency's first satellite mission to measure the height of water in our planet's oceans, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. It will observe almost all of the planet's surface water.

(Photo : NASA Earth Observatory )

Studying the Earth's Water

According to NASA, the instruments on SWOT will be able to distinguish phenomena in the ocean such as currents and eddies that are less than 60 miles (100 kilometers) across, lakes and reservoirs that are larger than 15 acres (6 hectares), and rivers that are broader than 330 feet (100 meters).

The scientific payload was constructed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. JPL sent the payload to France in June 2021, where a global team assembled the satellite bus with the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) and other precisely honed equipment.

SWOT flew from France to Vandenberg on a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy on October 16 and then transferred to the Astrotech Space Operations facility to start the launch preparation process. In the coming weeks, SWOT will go through a number of processes before its December launch.

Teams must move the satellite to the launch pad, attach it to the rocket, and enclose it in a protective payload fairing before launching it into space, according to NASA.

Once the SWOT is in orbit, it will gather data from the ocean to assist scientists in better understanding how saltwater absorbs heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which has an impact on global temperatures and climate change.

This information will also aid academics in their understanding of coastal sea levels and, most significantly, how the relationship between sea surface height and a changing climate may impact events such as storm surges.

Read Also: [WATCH] NASA's NEOWISE Telescope Releases a 12-Year Time-Lapse Movie of the Entire Sky!

First Thorough Global Assessment

The first thorough global assessment of freshwater lakes, rivers, and reservoirs from space will also be made possible by SWOT. The satellite will evaluate the breadth and height of the water within these bodies of water as well as their surface area.

The information will enable scientists and resource managers to better track changes in water volume over time and keep an eye on how much water enters and exits our planet's freshwater bodies.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the UK Space Agency have also contributed to the SWOT project, which is a partnership between NASA and the French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatial (CNES). The launch service is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program, which is situated at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Related Article: NASA Detects Most Powerful Cosmic Gamma-Ray Burst, Signals the Beginning of a New Black Hole?

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

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As Halloween approaches, some families enjoy decorating their yards or porches with jack-o-lanterns, spider webs, and anything scary to celebrate the spooky season. For the same reason, Prosser City in Washington held a Halloween display contest, which enraged some community members for some interesting reasons.

Karen-themed Halloween Display

As reported by the Tri-City Herald, Prosser city officials have taken down a Halloween contest display from City Hall that some residents deemed offensive, with some asserting it was directed at a specific community leader.

The aforementioned Halloween display features a scarecrow that stands among bushes of flowering plants. This scarecrow is dressed in a black t-shirt that reads "Can I speak to the manager," a line frequently uttered by people known as Karens on the Internet. Speaking of which, the scarecrow also has a nametag that says "Karen."

Read Also: Researchers are Growing Zombie Mushrooms to Help Create Anti-Cancer and Anti-Viral Drugs

Some residents, as it appears, did not find this display amusing and, in fact, found it to be offensive. City officials have since clarified that the display is not intended to offend anyone. According to reports, local city officials acknowledge that the display violated the true essence of the competition.

Also, according to the Tri-City Herald, a campaigning organization called Friends of Downtown Prosser contends the display was purposefully set up to mock one of their leaders. Furthermore, the group claimed that it was about the group's ongoing opposition to a $16.8 million deal to replace Prosser City Hall and Police Station.

The group noted in a statement that the scarecrow's black wig matched the color of their representative's hair.

"This past weekend, City Hall entered an annual Halloween decorating contest with a ghoulish scarecrow dressed up to look like me. Several people who understood the context behind the display immediately complained to the city," said the representative.

One 9GAG commenter responds, "Literally one of the most common hair colors, but yes, it was designed to match the hair color of the allegedly targeted person."

Mirror reports that the campaign group leader even mentioned that "Prosser City Hall engaged in targeted, public harassment of a private Prosser citizen on public grounds," and that people behind a display "created a grotesque effigy to publicly humiliate a city resident as retaliation for opposing a city bond proposal on the upcoming ballot."

"It's just unfortunate that some people decided it was targeted toward a resident," said City Manager Thomas Glover. "I believe it got out of hand."

Karens and Internet Slang

An Urban Dictionary definition with more than 28,000 likes tells us that Karens are middle-aged women who are typically blonde and "make solutions to others' problems an inconvenience to her although she isn't even remotely affected."

"Karens acted like Karens over a Karen display? No way!" said a comment shared by 9GAG, also adding, "The idea of people being self-aware enough to be offended by a Karen display but not seeing the irony in complaining to the city manager about it is amazing."

Related Article: Climate Activists in Germany Glued Themselves to the Volkswagen Showroom Floor

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reportedly planning to lay off nearly 75% of Twitter's workforce once the billionaire finalizes the contentious deal with the bird app company. According to reports, this move will likely cause internal turmoil at Twitter.

According to the Washington Post, the agreement will significantly affect Twitter's ability to regulate harmful content and avoid data security crises.

Based on the same report, Elon Musk informed prospective investors in his deal to buy the company that he intended to sack nearly 7,500 employees, significantly lowering the company to a skeleton workforce of slightly more than 2,000.

By the end of next year, Twitter already intended to make significant cuts and reduce payroll by about $800 million, also according to the Post.

Why the Massive Cut?

The Twitter deal could be one of the roughest in recent memory. Both parties were involved in a series of legal scuffles after the Tesla CEO tried to back out of the deal, citing the prevalence of bots on Twitter. But Elon Musk has recently decided to proceed with the agreement, which is expected to be signed next week.

Elon Musk held a virtual town hall meeting with Twitter employees in June when the deal was still in its early stages. Employees were already doubtful whether Elon would lay off Twitter employees or change the company's approach to moderating and policing the social media platform's content at the time.

Read Also: TeraWatt is Developing First Network of EV Charging Centers for Heavy and Medium-Duty Trucks

Perceived Implications

These reservations are beginning to materialize in light of recent reports which suggest that such widespread layoffs would affect the experience for millions of users. Pertaining to one data scientist, users of Twitter would be more vulnerable to hacks and exposed to objectionable content like child pornography.

Forbes emphasizes that the company's planned cuts apparently include vital infrastructure such as data centers, which might make securing data more complicated and defending against security risks for Twitter's more than 200 million estimated daily active users.

According to GeekWire, any future cuts could affect Twitter employees in the Seattle area, depending on which services and job types are affected. The company first established itself in the city in 2012, and a year later, the office had nearly doubled in size to nearly 100 staff members.

It is worth noting that Musk came into the deal with a lot of ambitions, and it is unclear how he will manage to incorporate his lofty plans of growing the business with a skeletal workforce of only 2000 people.

According to the Gizmodo report, Musk and tech investor Jason Calanis discussed increasing the number of verified users, giving paid users better perks, and paying a "Creator Team" to publish content on Twitter first.

Another concern is whether a small workforce can handle the escalating problems in the Twitter space. This news is certain to generate additional debate in the coming days, as well as possible action or even employee protests. Could planning to gut 75% of the workforce be Musk's Hail Mary shot at running away from the deal?

Another issue hounding Musk's purchase of the social media platform is Washington's significant focus on the world's richest man's recent move. Gizmodo details that Musk has recently stated his intentions to reintroduce the accounts of far-right figures such as former President Donald Trump. The Biden administration is concerned that these actions will pose a threat to national security.

Washington has not implied it yet, but they could be on the lookout for Musk after the billionaire's recent pro-China stances.

Related Article: Tesla's Texas Lithium Refinery to be Constructed; Is It for the New 4680 Battery Cell Tech?

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A hacking organization with ties to the Iranian government that attempted to meddle in the 2020 election is still active. It poses a danger to the United States, according to a warning issued by the FBI.

In a report by NBC News, the agency warned businesses on Thursday, Oct. 21, that the hacker group is conducting "ongoing" efforts to steal and leak documents and may be targeting American companies. US officials claimed that the Iranian cybersecurity firm is named Emennet Pasargad.

Related Article: FBI Boston Warns About Increasing Cases of Tech Support Fraud

The Attempt to Hack into the 2020 Election

In October 2020, the FBI made the announcement that the most significant foreign attempt to influence that year's elections in the US had been orchestrated by a group in Iran.

During the last weeks leading up to the election, Democrats who were registered to vote in Florida, a state that makes voter information publicly available, reported receiving threatening emails that instructed them to switch parties and vote Republican. The radical pro-Trump organization known as the "Proud Boys" claimed authorship of the emails.

Iran's government, however, said they had nothing to do with it at the time.

The following month, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) brought charges against two Iranian nationals in connection with the plot, claiming that the pair had attempted to undermine voter registration in 11 states and had succeeded in doing so in one of those regions.

Emennet Pasargad and six Iranians linked with it were hit with sanctions by the Treasury Department in 2021 for their online operation to harass and manipulate American voters, as well as to erode voter confidence and foment conflict, in connection with the 2020 US presidential election.

Warning From the FBI Concerning Emennet Pasargad

In a document that was released on Thursday, the FBI warned that these approaches might be utilized to attack US companies, as shown during Emennet's cyber-enabled data operation that targeted the 2020 election.

Aside from the effort to influence the result of the previous presidential election, Emennet Pasargad is mainly known for hacking Israeli businesses. According to the FBI, the gang often breaks into organizations and publishes potentially sensitive information online under fictitious hacktivist identities.

Cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike has been keeping tabs on the Emennet Pasargad for years. Now, their senior vice president of intelligence, Adam Meyers, has informed NBC News that early this year, the organization hacked and exposed material from many Israeli targets. Meyers alleged they hacked CCTV cameras at Israeli ports.

US Government on Iranian Hackers

In the memo, the FBI also stated that over the last year, the government agency had detected a devastating cyber strike on a US firm. This indicates that the group continues to be a danger to companies' cybersecurity.

The FBI did not specify which business firm it was referring to. NBC News attempted to clarify that part but received no response from the government agency.

The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) stated in recent weeks they found no indication of a foreign adversary planning for substantial cyber operations targeting US electoral infrastructure, but influence operations were possible.

Related Article: New Hacker Technique Lets Attackers Disable Antivirus Solutions and Infect the Users Device Anyway

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Written by Trisha Kae Andrada

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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

The Jesse Ketchum medals did not turn up until a day or two after Juanita Kirkland Hunter made the move. About six months ago, she left a Buffalo townhouse for an apartment at Gates Circle, a smaller space that meant giving up some family treasures.

The medals had particular importance, and their absence left her worried. Juanita was relieved when her son Wayne discovered them in her old basement, still stored in the original boxes.

A remote ceremony gives even greater meaning to the Jesse Ketchum Medal The awards, in their 21st century form, typically involve a celebration that honors Buffalo's highest achieving eighth-grade students. This year's event will be a virtual one.

They were like one of those secrets in your life thats hidden and quiet but always back there, all the time, said Juanita, who had a plan.

At 92, she called a newspaper guy who had written often about the Ketchum medals, which led to Juanita  who weighs maybe 110 pounds  bundling up and grabbing her cane last Tuesday evening against a cold October rain and wind, before she climbed into a waiting car for the ride to West Hertel Academy.

Once indoors, a reverent maintenance man found a wheelchair to make the journey down a long corridor a little easier, and Juanita took a seat off to the side in the auditorium.

More than 30 students and their families had gathered for the 151st anniversary of the Ketchum medals, now awarded to top eighth-grade scholars in the Buffalo city schools. It was the first in-person Ketchum ceremony since 2019, before the pandemic.

As historian Bill Greco told the children, the tradition began in 1871, when the honor was created in memory of a Buffalo humanitarian with a fierce belief in public education.

Since then, while millions of girls and boys have attended Buffalo schools, fewer than 12,000 received Ketchum medals  placing each of Tuesdays recipients, as Greco emphasized, on a lofty list.

Two of the medals  in 1942 and 1943  went to a child named Juanita Kirkland, the finest student in both the seventh and eighth grades at the old School 32.

Eighty years later, as applause rolled down, she chose to give them back.

Moments earlier, Semiah Balazadeh, formerly of School 81 and now of Leonardo da Vinci High School, took the stage  as Ketchum gold medalist  to lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Semiah's scholastic average of 100 was as high as it gets, just ahead of the 99.75 registered by School 53s Rasni Ullah, a silver medalist who could not be there Tuesday.

The teens were greeted by Mayor Byron Brown, Superintendent Tonja Williams and state Sen. Tim Kennedy, whose daughter Eireann was a medalist. Williams lauded the students as eagles "who run into the storm and use the storm to rise higher," followed by a ballet by dancers from the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts.

Ariela Granados Murcia, 16, a junior at the International Preparatory School, sang the national anthem, which she saw as gratitude: More than a year ago, her family found safety in this city, where her parents are seeking asylum from violence in El Salvador.

Now that Im living here, Ariela said of Buffalo, its becoming part of me.

Like Ariela, Alejandro Rios Velazquez  the Ketchum medalist at the DYouville Porter Campus School  dedicated the honor to his parents and their example. Nine years ago, when his family left Puerto Rico and moved to Florida, Alejandro spoke no English as he entered grade school.

While he learned the language with the same tenacity he brings to schoolwork, he was surprised to be named a Ketchum recipient. That quiet wonder was magnified Tuesday when Juanita, on the arm of district official Daphne Bell, walked to the front of the hall.

The real deal, Alejandro said. Inspirational. I couldnt believe all she went through, and shes still here."

He referred to the Kirkland family story, so compelling that associate superintendent Fatima Morrell, president of the Ketchum Memorial Fund Board, had time to share only a fraction.

Juanita is one of the nine children of Mamie Lang Kirkland, who left Mississippi as a 7-year-old when her father fled the imminent threat of being lynched. She would be uprooted again, by riots and the danger of the Ku Klux Klan, before she and her husband, Albert, finally settled in Buffalo.

Mamie lived to be 111. Her son, writer and director Tarabu Betserai Kirkland, convinced his mother of the larger importance of her story, and she became a national symbol of courage and resilience. Of her daughters, three still reside in Buffalo.

Among them, at 92: Dr. Juanita Kirkland Hunter.

Mamie Lang Kirkland, Buffalo's oldest citizen, dies at 111 Mamie Lang Kirkland was 111 years and 116 days old when she passed away Saturday in her Buffalo

Juanita said her parents  their lives shaped by trauma  emphasized education for their kids. That was amplified once Juanita attended School 32, a place of longtime reverence within the citys Black community.

She spoke of three African American teachers  Mrs. Jones, Miss Plummer and Mrs. Robinson  who made a particular difference in her life, sometimes stopping by her Pratt Street home to check in with her parents.

Today Juanita understands what she could not know then: Within her, in a way lasting beyond 90 years, these teachers ignited a sense of the possible.

Under their tutelage, Juanita received two Ketchum medals at School 32. She would graduate from the old Hutchinson Central High School and the Edward J. Meyer Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, going on to become a head nurse and to earn advanced degrees at the University at Buffalo, eventually joining UB's nursing faculty after serving as public health nursing coordinator at the Buffalo Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Sean Kirst: For rising Buffalo students, medal provides 'gateway to a whole new world' Before Mohammad Bhuia could give his undivided attention Tuesday to one of his great moments as a father, he had a mission he needed to complete. His toddler son, Shayan, was tired and restless in the auditorium at Buffalos West Hertel Academy. Mohammad carried the little boy to the back of the hall. The father walked in patient back-and-forth

In one of her defining achievements, Juanita  whose late husband, Archie, was a social worker  created a Center for the Homeless, through UB. Again, it reflected the ethic of her parents: When hungry people would knock on our door, they always had something to give.

To Juanita, the medals represent the childhood gateway to all that empathy in action. Its the kind of thought that is a little like a wish bowl, Juanita said, and you write it down and you put it in and 25 years later you go back and you read it, and you think, Did I accomplish anything I wanted?

The answer came in long applause from all these high school freshmen, and her wish today is that similar journeys open up for each for them.

Morrell, who introduced Juanita to the audience, described her presence as an honor. The granddaughter of a man who escaped lynching in the South traveled to West Hertel with a gift to buoy the students only five months after a racist mass murderer brought the kind of terror to Buffalo that Juanita's parents prayed they left behind.

Against all odds, she achieved beyond imagination, Morrell said of Juanita, whose own children  feeling the same educational imperative  all earned graduate degrees.

The medals will go on permanent display at what is now called the Bennett Park Montessori School 32, Morrell said, meant as inspiration for everyone  including young girls of color who will "know that they can also be great in any career or endeavor they choose, as Dr. Hunter did."

Once the ceremony ended, an appreciative Juanita  moved by an event she quietly described as "lovely"  gathered her things. As she stepped into the aisle, she was introduced to Patience Colbert, 14, a fellow Ketchum recipient.

The child said the meeting was an honor, based on a revelation during the long months at home in the pandemic. She understood, in that isolation, how much she missed school  and how she had spent too much time over the years, she said, ignoring teachers.

I changed, she said, while her mother, Patricia McCullough, nodded emphatically. She made no excuses, she buckled down and she stuck with it, said McCullough, who looked at her high school freshman, alongside this white-haired Buffalo pioneer, and saw a bridge that held strong across the years.

McCullough named her daughter Patience, "a unique name for a unique girl," knowing such strength is exactly what you need to go all the way from here to, well, Juanita.

...

Here is a list of this year's recipients:

Semiah Balazadeh, gold medalist

Rasni Ullah, silver medalist

Farjana Reka

Nebiat Hadish

Eireann Kennedy

Jennifer Ocampo Hurley

Arik Bishas

Nur Aisha Mohamed Ali

Paw Htee

Lindsay Osei-Kwabena

Ayan Noor

Chaw Win

Lena Nguyen

Mana Abdikadir

Kamaree Elliott

Bradley Brach

Nur Shaherah Binti Mohamad Yusuf

Jasmira Pineiro

Mahirin Akhi

Mekela Dade

Salma Dilley

Bailey Mulvey

Alejandro Rios Velazquez

Dakota Domros

Usman Alom

Haley Peffer

Aker Deng

Sadman Chowdhury

Muntahar Ikra

Ahasanul Fahim

Madison Doran

Patience Colbert

Zachary Guido
China remains the largest crypto market in East Asia.



(Photo : Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

A visual representation of the digital Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin on December 07, 2017 in London, England. Cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Lightcoin have seen unprecedented growth in 2017, despite remaining extremely volatile.

The country's digital currency transactions between June 2021 and July 2022 surpassed those of South Korea and Japan.

Back in 2013, the Chinese government already tried to phase out cryptocurrencies. In May 2021, China also banned people from mining cryptocurrencies.

If the Chinese government is making efforts to restrict these digital coins, how come it is still among the biggest market across the globe?

Why Is China Still Largest Crypto Market?

According to the South China Morning Post's latest report, the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government against cryptocurrencies prompted many skirt regulations (meaning rules that can be avoided without breaking them).

(Photo : Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

In this photo illustration of the ethereum, ripple and litecoin cryptocurrency 'altcoins' sit arranged for a photograph on April 25, 2018 in London, England. Cryptocurrency markets began to recover this month following a massive crash during the first quarter of 2018, seeing more than $550 billion wiped from the total market capitalisation.

Also Read: Binance's BNB Chain Resumes Operations After Losing $570 Million in Cross-Chain Bridges

With that, Hong Kong and Macau, China's special administrative regions, ranked fifth and seventh, respectively, in East Asia when it comes to crypto.

On the other hand, the overall crypto transaction in China surpassed South Korea and Japan between June 2021 and July 2022.

Chainalysis said that during this period, the Chinese crypto market recorded more than $200 billion in digital coin transactions.

"Chinese traders have long used VPNs [virtual private networks] to circumvent the Great Firewall," explained Kapronasia founder Zennon Kapron.

He added that several BTC mining activities were able to continue despite Beijing's restrictions.

Other Asian Countries Want to Legalize Crypto

While China is trying to restrict cryptocurrencies, Coin Telegraph reported that other Asian countries want to legalize these digital coins.

Hong Jong is reportedly trying to become a global cryptocurrency hub.

Experts stated that the country wants to achieve this by launching some legal crypto industry-related projects.

Among its initiatives is introducing a new bill that would allow the government regulates digital coins, as explained by Elizabeth Wong.

Aside from this, the Hong Kong government also wants to allow retail investors to put their money into virtual assets directly.

If you want to learn more about Hong Kong's plan to legalize cryptocurrency, you can visit this link.

In other stories, the Ethereum Merge event was successfully launched.

Previously, Bitcoin stumbled, dropping below $22,000.

For more news updates about cryptocurrencies and other related topics, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: South Korean Authorities Seek to Cancel Terra Crypto Founder Do Kwon's Passport

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Twitter confirms the design changes to its icons on a thread via @TwitterDesign on Friday. "The goal was to create a cohesive set of icons that are bold in shape and style yet still relatable and a little cheeky where possible," the company stated.

(Photo : LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

This photograph taken on October 26, 2020 shows the logo of US social network Twitter displayed on the screen of a smartphone and a tablet in Toulouse, southern France.

New Design for Icons

If anyone noticed something different with the app's appearance today, you are not tripping. Twitter confirmed that they are changing the design of its icons as they aim to "create a cohesive set." XDA-Developers reported that the company detailed the new design update in a thread through its Design account.

The company started testing these new icons in August last year, as they provide a more modern backdrop if ever they add more changes to the app. A tweet was also visible to the thread before and after the design of the icons to show the differences between the two. The icons now have much thicker lines than before.

Good is good but better is better.



Thats why were introducing our brand new icons.



Lets talk.  pic.twitter.com/xmkaQr5zkQ  Twitter Design (@TwitterDesign) October 21, 2022

As per Twitter Spokesperson Shaokyu Amdo, the company will roll out the new design for its icons over the coming days to iOS, Android, and web. You also might want to check your own Twitter as Amdo stated that some of the users already have the new design. The Verge confirmed that some of the users on the web and in iOS saw the new update.

Also Read: Twitter View Counts, Engagement to Become Public? New Feature Concerns Users; Here's Why

Keith Miller, one of the people behind the design systems team of Twitter, stated on his account that they were able to fuse the 400 icons as they updated it with a bolder, cleaner, and more aligned. He thanked the team and stated that this will not be possible without their talents.

Along with the team, Twitter Design Foundation also partnered with the Iconist Team and designers Martin David and Andreas Storm. To make the design cleaner than the previous set and for it to be consistent, they established a "new grid, set of guidelines, and techniques."

The 'Chirp' Font

Twitter also rolled out its new font on the same date as they test the new design for its icons. The 'Chirp' font was confirmed when the official account of the company tweeted "Wait did our font change? Okay, confirmed. It did."

okay confirmed it did  Twitter (@Twitter) August 11, 2021

The company described it as one part of a broader brand refresh that they presented last January 2021. They added that "Chirp strikes the balance between messy and sharp to amplify the fun and irreverence of a Tweet, but can also carry the weight of seriousness when needed.

The Verge stated that font was previously used by the company for its promotional materials and graphics. As per Twitter Creative Director Global Brand Derrit DeRouen, it was his 'persona desire' for this to be Twitter's own font.

Related Article: Twitter Begins Testing a New Feature that Allows Users to Control their Mentions and Replies





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Written by Inno Flores

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China has successfully tested a working Hyperloop-like train system that uses magnetic levitation (maglev) to transport its pods in vacuum-sealed tubes with little to no air resistance. It is already a working prototype in Northern China, specifically in the Shanxi province, which delivers a high-speed transportation system for humans and cargo.

Hyperloop was first introduced by Elon Musk in 2012, and plans to do one in the United States with The Boring Company to deliver on the experience.

China Successfully Tested a Vacuum-Sealed Hyperloop-like System

(Photo : Dan Roizer on Unsplash)

According to China Daily, the North University of China and Third Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. successfully tested its working prototype of the new train system that resembles Elon Musk's idea called the "Hyperloop."

These trains would travel on a vacuum-sealed tube where there is little to no air resistance giving it the maximum velocity it needs to transport passengers and cargo at high speeds.

The test tubes for the project already run 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) on its Datong test line, achieving speeds of up to 80 miles per hour (130 kph).

It also centers on maglev to propel the trains to move, with the famed magnetic force pushing and pulling the travel pods to shoot its way onto the tubes that reach adequate speeds for now.

Read Also: US Looks to Expand Tech Bans on China to AI and Quantum Computing

China Went Ahead of Elon Musk, The Boring Co.'s Idea

Musk planned the Hyperloop for The Boring Company to connect Los Angeles and San Fransisco in tubes powered by magnets.

China's successful test is a testament to its advancement of the project, which will now focus on expanding its test tubes to 37 miles long, aiming to deliver new top speeds of up to 621 miles per hour.

Technological Advancements in China

There are multiple reports on China's advancements in their technology, with many ventures that the Asian country makes back in the Eastern hemisphere that astonish the world. The United States is intent on its campaign to hinder this via many restrictions and bans that it imposed on Asian country that prevents its access to technology.

Different advancements are already available from China, may it be for the country's defense with new battle tanks for its military, CNSA's rockets for space ventures, energy solutions, and more developments.

It is no doubt that China is a superpower now, and its advancements bring the country to greater heights, one that can compete with any global leader in the tech industry.

The country is also spending a lot for its developments that will turn to massive profits for them, centering on their technology which the states push forth to bring for all to use.

China got ahead of The Boring Company and Elon Musk in the Hyperloop development with its new train system that resembles the famed idea of the world's top billionaire. Moreover, it is already successful in testing, and the working prototype was able to deliver at high speeds in its early stages of development, soon awaiting its completion.

Related Article: Why China Still Largest Crypto Market? Transactions Already Surpassed Those of Japan, South Korea

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Written by Isaiah Richard

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The Elon Musk Twitter deal debt is now reportedly forcing banks, which financed the social media acquisition of the mega-billionaire tech entrepreneur, to hold on to it.

(Photo : Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Tesla head Elon Musk talks to one visitor as he arrives to to have a look at the construction site of the new Tesla Gigafactory near Berlin on September 03, 2020 near Gruenheide, Germany. Musk is currently in Germany where he met with vaccine maker CureVac on Tuesday.

Sources reportedly familiar with the matter spilled that multiple banks have halted their plans to sell the debt to investors.

What could be the reason behind this move?

Elon Musk Twitter Deal Debt Forces Banks to Hold On

As per the latest news story by Reuters, the bank that finances the Twitter acquisition of Musk is reportedly holding on to the debt of the billionaire worth a staggering $13 billion. Banks helping in the deal include Morgan Stanley, Barclays, and Bank of America.

The news outlet reports that clandestine sources are saying that these banks would no longer sell the debt of Elon Musk to investors in the meantime.

Instead, these giant banking firms have reportedly decided to keep these billions of dollars in their balance sheets.

According to a recent report by The Verge, in cases such as this, banks usually sell debts to enter into a buyout. After this, these giant financial institutions move forward to another multi-billion deal.

However, the same could not be said for the Twitter deal of the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive officer (CEO).

The banks that helped finance the acquisition, such as Morgan Stanley, reportedly plan to hold on to the debt.

But how did these giant institutions come up with this decision?

Read Also: Elon Musk Has Withdrawn Request to the Pentagon to Fund Starlink Internet Terminals in Ukraine

Why Banks Have Been Forced to Hold On Twitter Deal Debt

Reuters says in the same report that sources are saying that these banks are looking to keep the $13 billion debt on their balance sheets. But when do they plan to sell it to investors?



(Photo : CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

This illustration photo taken May 13, 2022, displays Elon Musks Twitter account with a Twitter logo in the background in Los Angeles. - Elon Musk sent mixed messages Friday about his proposed Twitter acquisition, pressuring shares of the microblogging platform amid skepticism on whether the deal will close.

The anonymous source adds that the banks are doing this in the meantime. However, once the investor appetite gets stronger, they would start selling the multi-billion debt of Musk.

But it is worth noting that these banks, including Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and Barclays, have refused to confirm nor deny the move to hold on to the Twitter deal debt.

Meanwhile, The Verge notes in its story that these giant institutions have decided to put on hold the selling of the debt to investors due to the financial conditions.

Related Article: Elon Musk's Plan to Sack 75% of Twitter's Workforce May Jeopardize Data Security, Content Moderation

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The U.S. election in 2022 is just around the corner. To help people during this critical period, social media sites need to make efforts to stop the spread of misinformation.

(Photo : Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Voters cast their ballots at a Masonic Lodge on June 5, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. California could play a determining role in upsetting Republican control the U.S. Congress, as Democrats hope to win 10 of the 14 seats held by Republicans.

During the past U.S. elections, Facebook, Twitter, and other online platforms faced criticism because of the way they handled fake news and other untruthful content.

To ensure that the previous misinformation issues will not happen again, social media companies said they formulated plans to prevent fake news in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections, as reported by Fast Company.

Which Social Media Site Can Efficiently Handle Misinformation During Election?

Dam Hee Kim, a University of Arizona assistant professor, explained that social media sites are important sources of essential news.

(Photo : Photo credit should read JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images)

A picture taken on May 14, 2012 in Paris, shows an illustration made with a figurine set up in front of Facebook's homepage. Facebook, already assured of becoming one of the most valuable US firms when it goes public later this month, now must convince investors in the next two weeks that it is worth all the hype.

Also Read: Twitter View Counts, Engagement to Become Public? New Feature Concerns Users; Here's Why

However, she added that these platforms could also become a source of misinformation.

Now, here is the ranking of Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and other sites based on how they handle the spread of untruthful posts:

Twitter (B)

People don't consider Twitter among the biggest culprit of misinformation.

YouTube (B-)

YouTube is among the platforms that can recommend reliable sources.

Facebook (C)

Facebook is criticized for misinformation that can easily spread on this platform. Experts said that this was seen during the 2016 presidential election campaign.

TikTok (D)

Unlike other platforms, TikTok has less strict rules when it comes to fake news. Researchers explained that misinformation could easily spread on this platform because videos are more difficult to fact-check.

How to Spot Fake News?

FactCheck.Org provided some tips on checking if the post you are reading on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites, is true or false.

These include the following:

Always check the source. Make sure that its "about" section is true. Try searching on Google if the source is reliable.

Check who wrote the article or who posted the content. Search for the author's background.

Try checking the headline. If the headline sounds fishy, then the content could be false.

Recently, the Online Safety Bill's delay was criticized by a father, who claimed it could endanger young users.

Also, previously, Tumblr's porn ban is confirmed to stay.

For more news updates about social media sites and other platforms, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Meta Finds Over 400 Malicious Apps Spreading Malware on Facebook

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Written by Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Wildlife conservation efforts in China appear to be yielding favorable results because of the recent discovery of nearly extinct Siberian tiger footprints in Heilongjiang province, where the big cats once roamed. Experts estimated the global population of Siberian tigers to be 400-500 in 2015, dropping to 50 in China in subsequent years.

Siberian Tiger Footprints Hint Improving Populations

The South China Morning Post was among the first to report that the discovery of Siberian tiger footprints in northeast China raises the prospect that major government efforts to preserve the big cat's natural habitats may be taking a positive effect. These efforts may aid Siberian tigers in returning to their territories.

The footprints were discovered near Mishan in northeast China, where most local conservation efforts have been concentrated in recent years. Siberian tigers, also known as Amur and Ussuri tigers, are the world's largest cat species and the world's northernmost type of tiger. These cats are already considered near-extinct due to factors such as poaching and natural habitat destruction.

Read Also: Experts Worry Russian Invasion Caused Massive Ecological Damage, Ukraine to Roll Out Green Recovery Plan

The footprints discovered by border police were approximately 10cm in length and width, according to the SCMP. As per reports, only about 50 tigers can be found in the region spanning northeast China and far western Russia.

Based on a report by the Global Times, the city and local township public security officials have assigned officers to find the tiger and work to quickly look into any signs of the Siberian tiger in order to protect people's lives and property.

Continued Preservation Efforts

For the past 20 years, China has been working to promote national protection projects. "The scene of tigers roaring in the mountains has reappeared," Yang Zhongqi, a CPPCC member and chief expert of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, said.

The official added that the country's forests now cover 23% of its land thanks to extensive greening initiatives and numerous natural reserves that account for 18% of its total area.

According to China Daily, in order to establish a number of facilities and create a unified management system by 2020, the central government established a national park system in 2013.

After four years of operation as pilot projects, the same report tells us that five national parks, including the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, were formally established.

Success Stories

In 2017, China began construction on a mega national park that is said to rival Yellowstone National Park in the United States, with an area that is more than 60 percent larger. The vast national park will be a refuge for two endangered species: the Siberian tiger and the Amur leopard.

Additionally, another set of Siberian tiger tracks was discovered in the Greater Khingan Range in Inner Mongolia in January of this year. This was the first time markings had been discovered in the region in more than 50 years.

The long-term resilience and health of any ecosystem depend on species recovery, according to WWF. And some important species crucial to their ecosystems are making a comeback. Some of the species being returned to areas where they were extinct include cheetahs, wild bison, vultures, and black-footed ferrets.

Related Article: Solar Farms May Increase Diversity of Plant Species and Benefits Wildlife

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OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - Stories of great achievement often find their way on Royal Canadian Mint coins and on the 175th anniversary of his birth, Alexander Graham Bell is being recognized for his numerous breakthrough inventions, and the legacy of innovation he fostered over the many years he spent working and living in Canada. The famous inventor of the telephone, who transformed the world of communications and produced yet more groundbreaking innovations, is being remembered on a new one-dollar commemorative coin circulating as of today.

The Royal Canadian Mints 2022 $1 circulation coin commemorating Alexander Graham Bell (CNW Group/Royal Canadian Mint)

"The story of Alexander Graham Bell is one of persistent scientific exploration and great personal achievement, but it is also a tremendous tale of Canadian innovation," said the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. "From conceptualizing the telephone in Brantford, Ontario, to pioneering new air and marine craft later in life from Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canadians can take great pride in their connection to one of history's greatest inventors."

"As the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell looms large in our history books, but that one famous achievement has tended to overshadow his whole body of work, from his youth in Brantford, Ontario to his return to Canada, where he spent decades in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, inspiring and working with many skilled and ingenious Canadians," said Marie Lemay, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "By issuing a one-dollar coin in conjunction with the 175th anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell's birth, the Mint is celebrating the spirit of Canadian know-how and innovation behind wondrous home-grown creations such as Canada's first-ever powered aircraft and a hydrofoil that was the world's fastest marine craft of its time."

The reverse of this new commemorative circulation coin was designed by Canadian artist Christopher Gorey. It depicts Mr. Bell and two of the inventions he designed: the HD-4 Hydrofoil and the Silver Dart. It also includes an engraving of Mr. Bell's signature, as well as the inscription "175 YEARS/ANS" to recognize the anniversary of his birth. The observe features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Susanna Blunt in 2003.

Story continues

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1847, Bell settled with his family in Brantford, Ontario, where he developed a passion for problem-solving and science from his early years. It was there that he built a workshop to conduct sound experiments, where the idea for an "electric telephone" first took shape. In 1871, he accepted a teaching position in Boston, dividing his time between his new home and the family homestead in Brantford.

"My great-grandfather had a genuine and rare intellectual curiosity that kept him striving, researching and creating. As my father told me, he could no more stop inventing than stop breathing," said Alexander Graham Bell descendant Sara Grosvenor. "His legacy is still relevant through his many inventions, many of which we take for granted. From the telephone, to the photophone, to aviation research, to medical devices like the respirator, the iron lung, the metal detector and the audiometer. All these impacted people's lives and I think that's what a legacy

is  how someone impacts other people's lives in a positive way."

After inventing the telephone in 1876, he built Beinn Breagh, an estate near Baddeck on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. It is there that he designed more inventions, such as the Silver Dart, Canada's first manned aircraft, and futuristic hydrofoil marine craft that blazed the waters of Bras D'Or Lake. He spent much of his later life working at Beinn Breagh, until his death in 1922. Baddeck is now home to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, where artifacts and full-scale replicas of his transformative inventions are on display. To help Canadians from coast to coast to coast experience Alexander Graham Bell's incredible story of innovation, the Mint has created a 3D virtual museum experience that can be explored at www.rcmintverse.ca.

The Alexander Graham Bell circulation coin is limited to a mintage of three million coins, of which two million feature a colour enhancement. It will reach Canadians through their change as bank branches and businesses replenish their inventories of one-dollar circulation coins.

The coloured and uncoloured circulation coin can be purchased together as part of a seven-piece Collector Keepsake coin set. They are packaged in a richly illustrated collector card that contains one of each currently circulating coin, from five cents to two dollars. The Mint has also issued coloured and uncoloured Special Wrap Rolls of the circulation coin and a $200 Pure Gold Coin that is a 1 oz. gold version of the circulation coin design.

Earlier this year, the Mint issued a number of collector products honouring Bell, which include:

The 2022 Proof Silver Dollar;

The 2022 Silver Proof Set;

The 2022 Special Edition Silver Proof Set; and

The 2022 $100 Pure Gold Coin

All these collectibles can be ordered as of today by contacting the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca/bell. They are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint's Ottawa and Winnipeg boutiques, as well as through the Mint's global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. The Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca. Follow the Mint on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Images of the circulation coin and related collector products are available here.

SOURCE Royal Canadian Mint

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2022/20/c1328.html
[Pick] I took care of you all my life... Son in his 40s who murdered his mother for nagging him
United States Mint

Anna May Wong will be the first Asian American to be on a US quarter.

The American Women Quarters Program is a four-year initiative that will feature five different women each year on the flip side of the coin.

Among those being honored in 2022 and 2023 are Maya Angelou, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bessie Coleman, and Maria Tallchief.

Heads up: The next US quarter will feature the first Asian American to appear on a circulating coin in the US.

Starting on Monday, Chinese American movie star Anna May Wong will appear on the reverse side of the quarter, as part of the American Women Quarters Program. Wong, who died in 1961, will be the fifth woman honored this year, following poet Maya Angelou, astronaut Sally Ride, Cherokee Nation leader Wilma Mankiller, and suffragist Nina Otero-Warren. Each of the special quarters features a right-facing portrait of George Washington on the front.

The American Women Quarters Program is a four-year initiative, overseen by the United States Mint, that started in 2022. The quarters highlight women who have contributed to the development and history of the country through their work in fields like suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts. The US Mint will release five new coins in the series each year.

"It matters to have women on U.S. currency because our currency should reflect our nation and the stories of our American people," a US Mint spokesperson told Insider. "Women have made great contributions to our country and it is vital that we recognize those contributions on our coinage."

There will be 320 million quarters released per honoree and distributed all over the country, a US Mint spokesperson told Insider. People can purchase quarter rolls from the US Mint website or request them from their local bank and credit union.

Michele Selene Ang, a Chinese American actor and filmmaker, has watched Anna May Wong's films and takes inspiration from the late actor's resilience and ability to elevate what could be hollow roles into characters with full lives, Ang told Insider.

Story continues

"I think her life is a great example of incredible bravery and resourcefulness," Ang said. "She found ways to grow outside of the American studio system as an artist and as a woman."

Here's a closeup look at the coins being issued in 2022 and 2023.

Anna May Wong

Anna May Wong quarter United States Mint

Anna May Wong is considered by many to be the first Chinese American movie star. Wong was born in Los Angeles on Jan. 3, 1905, and appeared in more than 60 films over her career. Wong challenged racism and discrimination from the movie industry but gained international fame in Hollywood and Europe. Her film repertoire includes "Daughter of the Dragon" (1931), "Shanghai Express" (1932), "Piccadilly" (1929), and "The Thief of Baghdad" (1924). Wong received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Nina Otero-Warren

Nina Otero-Warren quarter United States Mint

Nina Otero-Warren was the first Hispanic woman to run for US Congress. Otero-Warren fought for women's voting rights in New Mexico, where she was born in 1881. She then became the state's first woman to serve as superintendent of Santa Fe public schools, holding the position for over a decade.

Nina Otero-Warren quarters were released on Aug. 15, 2022.

Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller quarter United States Mint

Wilma Mankiller was the first woman elected as chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1985. She was born in Oklahoma on Nov. 18, 1945. Mankiller fought for women's and Native American rights, empowering Native communities in California and Oklahoma and serving the Cherokee Nation for 10 years. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.

Wilma Mankiller quarters were released on June 7, 2022.

Sally Ride

Sally Ride quarter United States Mint

Sally Ride, born in Los Angeles on May 26, 1951, was the first American woman and the third woman to fly in space. Ride earned degrees in physics before she joined NASA in 1978 and launched into space aboard the space shuttle Challenger with four crewmates in 1983. The mission deployed communications satellites and performed a variety of experiments.

Sally Ride quarters were released on March 22, 2022.

Maya Angelou

Maya Angleou quarter United States Mint

Maya Angelou rose to prominence as a poet, civil rights activist, actor, and performer who is internationally hailed as one of the most influential authors of her time. Angelou's career spanned over 50 years and in that time, published autobiographies, essays, plays, movies, television shows, and the acclaimed memoir "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" in 1969. Angelou is the first African American woman to be featured on a US coin. She was born April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri.

Maya Angelou quarters were released on Jan. 3, 2022.

Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman quarter United States Mint

Bessie Coleman was the first licensed African American woman and Native American pilot. She was born in Texas on Jan. 26, 1892. Coleman was inspired by the female French pilots of World War I, and pursued her dream to become a pilot by leaving the US and enrolling in a flight school in France. She earned her pilot's license in 1921 and conducted her first public flight in 1923. Coleman was planning to open a flight school, but she died after falling out of a plane during one of her flights in 1926.

The Bessie Coleman quarters are scheduled to be issued in 2023.

Edith Kanakaole

Edith Kanakaole quarter United States Mint

Edith Kanakaole was a hula dancer, chanter, teacher, composer who was dedicated to preserving native Hawaiian culture, hula, and language. Kanakaole was born on Oct. 30, 1913, in Hawaii, where she founded the dance company Halau o Kekuhi, internationally celebrated for its mastery of traditional hula and chant.

The Edith Kanakaole quarters are scheduled to be issued in 2023.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt quarter United States Mint

Eleanor Roosevelt was the first lady of the US from 1933 to 1945 and the longest-serving first lady. Roosevelt cultivated a passion for working in political, racial, and social justice. She became the chair of the UN's Human Rights Commission in 1946 and was the chairperson of the drafting committee that formulated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She was born on Oct. 11, 1884 in New York City.

The Eleanor Roosevelt quarters are scheduled to be issued in 2023.

Jovita Idar

Jovita Idar quarter United States Mint

Jovita Idar was a Mexican American journalist, civil rights activist, teacher, and nurse who championed Hispanic cultural preservation and actively wrote about women's suffrage for her family newspaper, La Cronica. Idar was born on Sept. 7, 1885 in Texas.

She co-founded political organization La Liga Femenil Mexicanista (The League of Mexican Women) in 1911 and was the league's first president. The league raised money for families living in poverty and supported women workers through education and financial education.

The Jovita Idar quarters are scheduled to be issued in 2023.

Maria Tallchief

Maria Tallchief quarter United States Mint

Maria Tallchief was recognized as America's first major prima ballerina. She was born on Jan. 24, 1925, in Oklahoma and grew up on a reservation before making her way to New York to find a ballet company to join. In 1947, she became the first prima ballerina in the New York City Ballet and then co-founded the Chicago City Ballet with her sister in 1980.

The Maria Tallchief quarters are scheduled to be issued in 2023.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A former Opelousas Police Department officer captured on hospital video battering a Black man who was awaiting treatment for a mental health episode in October 2019 was convicted Tuesday on three counts of malfeasance in office.

Tyron Andrepont, 52, was found guilty of three out of the five malfeasance counts he faced. The malfeasance counts stemmed from Andrepont striking the victim, Jonah Coleman, in the face, grabbing his neck from the front and putting him in a chokehold, prosecutor Katie Ryan said.

The jury found Andrepont not guilty on a malfeasance count for pushing Colemans leg over his head and was undecided on a count stemming from pulling his handcuffed right arm, which Ryan elected to dismiss.

The former police officer will face up to five years in prison, with or without hard labor, for each charge. How many years and whether his sentences will be served back to back or at the same time will be determined by Judge Ronnie Cox.

Cox was appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court to preside over the case after the assigned judge, 27th Judicial District Judge Gerard Caswell, was out ill during jury selection.

A sentencing date will be set once a pre-sentencing investigation is completed, Ryan said.

A malfeasance conviction automatically revokes Andreponts P.O.S.T. certification, which is a requirement to work as a law enforcement officer in Louisiana.

I think the main goal for the family in this case was a felony conviction to prevent Tyron Andrepont from ever working in law enforcement again, she said.

The trial unfolded over two days. Evidence was presented and witnesses gave testimony on Monday and the prosecution and defense presented closing arguments Tuesday morning. The jury deliberated for about four hours, Ryan said.

Witnesses for the district attorneys office included Major Mark Guidry of the Opelousas Police Department, Opelousas officer Tyrone Davis, the paramedic and EMT who brought Coleman to the hospital, retired Louisiana State Police investigator Mark Fournet, a use-of-force expert from the St. Landry Parish Sheriffs Office and Colemans mother, Flora Coleman.

The defense called one witness, Ruston-based use-of-force expert W. Lloyd Grafton. Andrepont did not take the stand in his own defense, Ryan said.

Surveillance video, both from the hospital emergency room and body cameras, was crucial to the case, the prosecutor said. A hospital surveillance camera provided an unobstructed view of the battery; the video filled in details the victim, dazed from his mental health episode, was unable to recall.

I initially watched the video when the case first came into our office and I remember being so shocked by it. When I picked it back up after not having seen the video in a while, I was equally as shocked watching it the second time. It was just unacceptable, she said.

The evidence and witness testimony painted a picture of what happened Oct. 30, 2019, and in the subsequent investigation.

Jonah Coleman, who lives with bipolar disorder and other mental health diagnoses, had struggled to sleep for several days. He attempted to harm himself by drinking diluted ammonia and at one point put a knife to his neck; he wasnt violent or threatening to family, but concerned for his safety, they called an ambulance to take him to the hospital for care, Ryan said.

The responding officer and emergency medical professionals confirmed he was not a violent threat or combative while being brought to Opelousas General Health Systems south hospital.

While at the hospital, Jonah Coleman did not stay confined to the room he was placed in; Flora Coleman testified her son suffers from anxiety and claustrophobia when suffering such episodes. The battery occurred while hospital staff restrained the then-20-year-old to prevent him from walking around, the prosecutor said.

Ryan said the Coleman family was alerted that something may have happened to their son when staff at Vermilion Behavioral Health Systems, a Lafayette inpatient mental health hospital Jonah Coleman checked into, reported he had bruises and a slight limp.

Flora Coleman filed a complaint with the Opelousas Police Department; Opelousas General officials also submitted their security video to the department, the prosecutor said.

Opelousas Police Chief Martin McLendon requested Louisiana State Police conduct an investigation. After being criminally charged in June 2020, Andrepont attempted to resign from the department, but his resignation was denied and he was instead terminated by the Opelousas Board of Aldermen.

McLendon said he wanted the termination on Andreponts record should he attempt to get another law enforcement job pending the outcome of his criminal case.

I think inherently we trust the police and I think we should be able to trust the police. The jury heard from a few officers and public servants who took pride in their oath and took pride in their job of protecting and serving, and when you have a bad apple like Tyron Andrepont, it reflects badly on all law enforcement officers, Ryan said.

Jonah Coleman, now 23, did not take the stand in the case and did not attend the trial. The prosecutor said he continues to struggle to this day after his encounter with Andrepont and his family and prosecutors agreed it would be best for his mental health to forgo attending.

Ryan said Flora Coleman made sure the jury had an idea of who her son was: a smart young man who graduated at the top of his high school class and went on to earn an associates degree and professional certifications, but who in his late teens and early 20s began showing signs of mental illness. Hed been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, but didnt have a violent nature and didnt try to harm others, even when struggling, the prosecutor said.

Ms. Flora Coleman was a very vocal advocate on behalf of her child. She refused to let it go, refused to sit down, refused to remain quiet about what had happened and she drew attention to this case and what happened to her son. As a mother, if something happened to my child I hope I would be an advocate for him in the same way Ms. Coleman was an advocate for Jonah, she said.
Dr Fiona Allon, a cultural studies lecturer whos extensively researched Australians love of renovation and the home, says this is the first property show shes seen specifically targeted to a younger generation. But it doesnt surprise her at all. Were at a tipping point in intergenerational wealth transmission, she says. Property has become the main game in town for wealth, and [many members of this] generation will inherit their parents property portfolios. Loading Though its true that a great deal of Millennials are simply unable to enter the market, she says, others are now finding ways in  and these people are becoming increasingly interested in how the system could benefit them. Ive interviewed a lot of Millennials who have been going to property market seminars about how to be a property investor and borrowed huge amounts of money to invest.

Megan Pustetto, 31-year-old host of the reality TV podcast So Dramatic and founder of the site of the same name, is not one of these people (I dont own a home. I rent. I have no plans to own a home, she says, laughing). But she still regularly watches traditional reno shows such as The Block. I just love looking at all of the houses and seeing the process behind it. Someone who has a home might look at these shows as a practical guide to real estate ... But I think the average Australian, even if they dont own a home, still loves that kind of aspirational element. Loading While not all Millennials are cosplaying home ownership through the The Block  or watching free-to-air TV at all  Pustetto certainly isnt alone in her love of an old classic. In the UK, for instance, recent YouGov surveys show Grand Designs, which has been on air since 1999, is just as popular with Millennials as it is with older generations.

And in the past few years especially, theres been an increased global demand for shows that take this aspirationalism to a whole new level. From Selling Sunset to Luxe Listings Sydney, Pustetto says there is a growing interest in seeing how the rich and famous live. And while thats always existed in some form (the Real Housewives franchise, for instance, has been running since 2006), its become increasingly focused on housing. [Its all about] the real estate porn, Pustetto says. You just want to see these amazing houses that you would never, ever be able to afford or have access to. These shows are a form of escapism for people. If youre having a really hard time in your life or hating your living circumstances, you can feel exported to this other world.

Hurbert-Burns says shes seen sustained interest in similar series on Binge too: They feed Australians appetite for stickybeaking. Its like when you go and look at a house at open inspection even though youre not really buying. Being able to do that from the comfort of your couch is definitely an appeal. Despite the financial crisis and the pandemic, or perhaps because of it, Allon says its still a very seductive idea that we can somehow live vicariously through these images of the super-rich. And, importantly, we can do this while still maintaining enough distance to judge their outlandish personalities and/or questionable style. This is happening everywhere to varying degrees, from social media to Aussie design publication The Design Files to Architectural Digests viral celebrity home tours.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Chasten Hunter is the first to hear the foal calling out from deep in the Queensland bush. He hails the other five rangers and they are soon tramping through the thick forest to find the injured animal. Its once white hair is now matted and brown and its shaking uncontrollably. A severe gash on its leg makes its attempts to stand up painful to watch. The Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji rangers decide to take the foal back to their base camp in Yarrabah, a small town an hours drive from Cairns. The men carry the injured foal to a nearby dirt track and load it onto ranger co-ordinator John Wilsons ute. Hunter and ranger Victor Bulmer join the animal on the utes tray to make sure it remains calm on the drive back. Gunggandji Land and Sea Rangers Victor Bulmer and Chasten Hunter care for a horse found in distress deep into the scrub. The horse was picked up by the rangers and taken back to town on the back of their ute. Credit:Brook Mitchell John, the horse said slow down, yells Hunter as the car bumps down the dirt track, sending everyone flying into the air and crashing against the utes metal tray. Despite the bumpy road, flying rocks and speed, the foal has stopped its awkward attempts to stand and lays its head down. Its relieved to have been rescued. Back at the ranger base, the men find a paralysis tick in its mane, which suggests the prognosis is not good. A travelling vet in town agrees: the animal will need to be put down unless the owner can afford the necessary medicine. The foal, about three months old, is loaded into another van by a council worker who will see if they can find the owner. Despite the sombre mood at the ranger camp, the foals determination to survive offers a tiny sliver of hope it could last through the night. The Age and Herald spent two days with the Indigenous rangers to observe them at work. They say its a dream job to work on their country, where theres something different every day. The country they work on spans 8200 hectares of Aboriginal land and was determined as exclusively native title by the Federal Court of Australia in 2012. The area is held in trust by the Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji Peoples Prescribed Body Corporate (GMYPPBC), which manages the land on behalf of the Gunggandji and Mandingalbay Yidinji people. About 18 months ago, the organisation commenced a ranger program that employs eight rangers from Yarrabah. It works alongside two other ranger programs in the area. The township is the seventh-most disadvantaged postcode in the country and has a population of about 2500, of whom 95 per cent are Indigenous. Its unemployment rate is above 40 per cent  the national average is 3.8 per cent  and it has a staggering crime rate. Driving through town, ranger Fredrick Lefoe points out the service station: This place always gets broken into, he says. At the local primary school, he notes the shade cloth had to be removed after the children kept climbing on top of it and pulling it down.

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Some boys dont have employment, Hunter says. Like the other young men, he is often asked by the community whether there are any more ranger jobs. Head Ranger Roszaly Aitken grew up in Yarrabah but left to spend time in the navy and as a carpenter. He always intended on returning. Theres a saying the elders are fond of: Whenever you leave and learn something new, bring it back. Thats just what the years away have taught him, says Aitken. There are bigger places than Yarrabah and [Ive also learnt] the skill set to mentor the young fellas. The Gunggandji Land and Sea Rangers monitor the resident crocodiles via drone to keep the community informed of the risks of swimming and creek crossings in the area. Credit:Brook Mitchell The rangers conduct cultural burns, run educational programs for the local children and set up cameras to monitor feral cats and pigs. But their favourite activity is flying a drone over a small creek to monitor about 15 crocodiles, including one called Big John who is missing part of his tail. The work helps them inform the community about crocodile safety and gain a better understanding of the animals with whom they share their environment. But its also about observing how their environment is changing. Shatner Patterson, who is employed as a cultural engagement officer, and ranger Justin Keyes say over their lifetime, the coastline has eroded by about 50 metres. Years ago, houses lined the beach. But higher and higher tides have seen those families move to safer ground. The men are concerned that as climate change worsens, so will their country. Patterson says his people have already lost so much through colonisation, including their storylines, and thats why the ranger program is so important. Its about preserving and passing along what remains to the next generation.

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The most recent federal state of environment report notes that Indigenous knowledge and practices are key to environmental management, and that ignoring these can negatively impact health and wellbeing. The report notes land rights and native title have enabled recognition of some Indigenous rights across 57 per cent of Australias lands. Director of Aboriginal research at Sydney University, Professor Jakelin Troy, says Indigenous ranger programs are vital because they include the voices and knowledge of those who know their country and its needs best. Troy says Australia is leading the way in integrating Indigenous knowledge of conservation and land management, but that push has only occurred in the past five years. What we see in Australia and what is being recognised now, is that the future is going to depend on having a deep understanding of the Indigenous landscape, so we can ... plan for the changes that are going to happen, she says. She adds that state and federal governments need to keep investing in Indigenous ranger programs and making them embedded practices to help sustain the health of ecosystems. More must be done to ensure knowledge from Indigenous elders is passed to the next generation, she says. If these places are destroyed, all people lose, Troy says. Indigenous rangers are switched on to what is going on, not only in climate change which is bringing increasing environmental catastrophe but also understanding the cultural value of places. Our histories are everybodys history  we need to protect them.

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Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek says Indigenous ranger programs are a way for First Nations people to be acknowledged when they care for Country, as well as bringing wider benefits to the community, including employment in areas where jobs are scarce. The future is going to depend on having a deep understanding of the Indigenous landscape. Director of Aboriginal research at Sydney University Jakelin Troy For 60,000 years, Indigenous people have been looking after the Australian environment. We need to respect that and learn from it, she says. Through the National Indigenous Australians Agency, the federal government funds 80 organisations for more than 128 ranger groups, employing about 1900 Indigenous rangers. Additionally, state and territories fund their own programs. Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney says Indigenous rangers play an important role in caring for land and sea country using traditional knowledge and cultural practices to help protect our natural environment and cultural heritage. Despite the beneficial role Indigenous rangers play in the environmental, cultural, social and economic outcomes for their communities and the country more broadly, there is a need for more resources. The federal government had committed to doubling the number of Indigenous rangers by the end of the decade. Between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2028, funding is expected to be about $1.3 billion. But government support can often be tied to a funding cycle.

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Some organisations that support ranger groups have created other ways of generating income. For example, the Mandingalbay Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation, with support from the Djunbunji Ranger Program, delivers tours through their land, taking visitors through East Trinity Reserve  the location of one of the worst environmental disasters in Queensland. In the 1970s, the 774-hectare area experienced catastrophic acidification after it was drained for sugarcane cultivation, making the area uninhabitable. Now, hydrated lime is flushed through to manage the acidity, and the river bank teems with mangroves, crabs and fish. The rangers ferry visitors through the twisting canals, before welcoming them with a smoking ceremony and sharing stories and knowledge. Loading Djunbunji ranger co-ordinator Victor Bulmer, whose son is a ranger in the GMYPPBC program, has played a pivotal role in seeing the area granted Indigenous Protected Area status. Bulmer says being able to work on his Country as well as share his story with others gives him a sense of pride. I will always be here, he says. A horse found in distress deep into the scrub by rangers is taken to be reunited with its owner. Credit:Brook Mitchell Also keen to stay is the little foal the rangers rescued the day before. Early in the morning and under a blazing sun, word filters through the group that after a night of sleep and medicine, the foal is standing up and walking around. As soon as the men clock off, they drive into town to see the animal, give it a pat and joke among one another about what theyll name it. Within a few days, the little foal is released back into the national park. Loading Over the ensuing weeks, the rangers grew concerned after not spotting the foal. But after a few more days, it was seen walking around with its mother on the beach.
Each fortnight, Stephanie Darling roadtests a different make-up, skincare or wellness trend to find out whether its worth your time. Ahead, what to look for in a rejuvenating facial.

Stephanie Darling: Holidays and injuries have taken their toll on my skincare regime. Time for a pick-me-up. Credit:iStock

The lowdown After returning from a European holiday, during which all my skincare regimens went to hell, partly as a result of fracturing both wrists (yes, really), I hot-footed it to Ella Bache for a Reawaken My Rejuvenation facial to deal with my dull, unexfoliated skin. I was greeted by Christine, a therapist Ive known for years, so I knew she would work her magic to re-texture my skin with this treatment, which features a highly concentrated retinol mask. After double-cleansing my face using a cream and then a foaming cleanser, she focused on the area around my eyes using Ella Bache Eye and Lip Cleanser (ellabache.com.au, $47), before applying a fruit enzyme exfoliator. Christines hands, combined with the potent retinol and a Qigong brushing infusion, helped slough off all those dead skin cells. Next was a soothing facial massage followed by the application of Ella Bache Great SPF50+ Facesaver lotion ($50), to keep my freshly revealed skin safe from the sun.

Pain factor None.

Downtime Thirty uplifting minutes.
Are you craving an adventurous Second Act but worried about how to finance it? Especially if youre female. Unequal pay and unfair pensions leave women in a much worse financial position than men as we face retirement. So how can we indulge our travel lust without breaking the bank? The answer is a new trend called grey hostelling. I discovered this phenomenon when my girlfriend invited me for a break in the historic Portuguese seaside city of Porto.

I pictured myself sipping vinho verde on the balcony of some plush hotel, overlooking the Douro River as it sweeps into the Atlantic. So you can imagine my horror when our taxi drew up outside a youth hostel. I immediately got out my compact and made my girlfriend look into the mirror. See those things on your face? Theyre wrinkles, not pimples. We are way too old to stay here.

Kathy Lette: After four days in the historic Portuguese seaside city of Porto, Im a hostel convert.

One of the best things about getting older is never again having to slum it in youth hostels. Years of youthful backpacking has left me forever hostile to hostels. Most establishments were so crummy the staff stole towels from the guests. Bedrooms were so cramped, the cockroaches were hunchbacked and the bed bugs were round-shouldered. There was so much dust beneath those soggy bunk beds, the mice got around on stilts. I still have nightmares about peeling stray pubes off communal soap with cringing fingers.

I glanced up at a pockmarked tenement so decrepit it was clearly only still standing because the woodlice had linked arms. With limbo-low hopes, I followed my soon-to-be-ex-friend up the rickety stairs, but was pleasantly surprised to enter a spacious, comfy sitting room. The high windows overlooked Portos big, broad river, where multicoloured houses cluster like barnacles up steep banks to a city summit bristling with church spires.
Australia and Japan sign 'landmark' security agreement

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MEXICO CITY (AP)  Hurricane Roslyn moved off Mexicos Pacific coast Friday night, with forecasters predictng a weekend landfall between the resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Roslyn became a Category 1 hurricane in the evening and its maximum sustained winds increased to 85 mph (140 kph) late Friday.

The storm was centered about 255 miles (410 kilometers) south of Cabo Corrientes  the point of land jutting into the Pacific south of Puerto Vallarta  and moving west-northwest at 7 mph (11 kph).

Forecasters said Roslyn could become a strong Category 2 hurricane before curving northward Saturday, brushing Cabo Corrientes and then reaching the coast Saturday night or early Sunday.

Hurricane Orlene made landfall in roughly the same region, about 45 miles (75 kilometers) southeast of Mazatlan, on Oct. 3.

The hurricane center said hurricane-force winds extended out 15 miles (30 kilometers) from Roslyn's core, while tropical storm-force winds extended out to 70 miles (110 kilometers).

Mexico issued a hurricane warning covering a stretch of coast from Playa Perula south of Cabo Corrientes north to El Roblito and for the Islas Marias.

The National Water Commission said rains from Roslyn could cause mudslides and flooding. and the U.S. Hurricane Center warned of dangerous storm surge along the coast.

Jalisco state Gov. Enrique Alfaro said on Twitter that any school activities in the region would be cancelled Saturday and he urged people to avoid touristic activities at beaches and in mountainous areas over the weekend.

The Associated Press
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Sydneys growing south Asian community is gearing up for the most important event of its cultural calendar, with Diwali celebrations lighting up houses, streets and schools. Monday will mark the start of the festival of lights, a five-day event during which Hindus and Sikhs illuminate their homes with oil lamps, called diyas, eat traditional sweets and worship Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth. Kangan and Swechha get in the spirit ahead of Diwali Festival celebrations in Parramatta. Credit:Brook Mitchell Census data showed the number of Hindus in Australia increased by more than 240,000 between 2016 and 2021, the largest increase of any religious group, while the number of Sikhs rose by 84,000. Vivek Bhatnagar, spokesperson for the Australian Hindi Indian Association, said it was exciting to see more local communities hold public celebrations and greater recognition of the festival, reflecting the growing Indian population. However, with Christmas mince pies already appearing on supermarket shelves, he noted many retailers had missed the boat on Diwali, which sees families buying up Indian sweets, lanterns, sparklers and candles. Residents on Phantom Street in Nirimba Fields celebrate ahead of the start of the Dwali festival. Credit:Brook MItchell

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Loading It surprises me that the shops carry such limited stuff, really, he said. In recent years, Woolworths has started to place Happy Diwali signs in front of some of its stores. A spokesperson for the supermarket said it was now offering Indian supermarket items in more than 250 stores. Meanwhile, Coles said it expanded its Indian range at selected stores around Diwali time. Devleena Ghosh, a professor of social and political sciences at UTS, said a critical mass of a cultural community was needed to make their celebrations part of the fabric of a city, as has occurred in Sydney with the Lunar New Year, and even Ramadan through Lakembas popular night markets. When Indians in Australia were in smaller numbers, Diwali was just a celebration in peoples houses, she said. But now there is an appetite for public festivals and celebrations; the community is able to assert its space in the public sphere. In NSW, the greatest increase in people who said their religion was Hinduism on the census was in Blacktown City Council, in Sydneys west, where the figure almost doubled to 51,800.

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Phaneendra, Koran and Manuka celebrate on Phantom Street in Nirimba Fields. Credit:Brook Mitchell The council has run a Diwali lights competition for residents since 2017, during which time the number of entries has doubled. While Harris Park  where Parramatta City Council is holding a Diwali light show  has been dubbed Sydneys Little India, the suburbs of Schofields and Nirimba Fields, in the Blacktown area, may soon be giving it a run for its money. Thirty per cent of residents in the area identified as Hindu in the last census and 28 per cent described their ancestry as Indian. About a quarter of the areas population moved to Australia in the past five years. Neighbours have embraced Diwali on Phantom Street in Nirimba Fields by decorating their homes, drawing a crowd of light-seekers driving to see the displays. Residents on Phantom Street in Nirimba Fields. Credit:Brook Mitchell Eight houses on the street have entered the councils competition. One of the entrants, Praveen Martha, said he and his neighbours had helped each other with the light shows. The families all moved into the newly built area in early 2021.

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We generally like decorating houses for Diwali, it is something we do together, Martha said. His children Hasya, five, and Hasina, 13, helped with their display. Residents on Phantom Street in Nirimba Fields celebrate ahead of the start of the Dwali festival. Credit:Brook Mitchell Earlier this week, Parramattas Bayanami Public School held its first Diwali celebration since opening in 2019. Principal Amanda Connelly said the school wanted to reflect the celebrations its students take part in with their families: more than half of the schools 626 students were born in India or Sri Lanka, and an additional 50 have Indian or Sri Lankan heritage. Children took part in traditional dance, made lanterns and listened to a parents musical performance. School principal Amanda Donnelly in traditional dress pictured during the celebration of Diwali at Bayanami Public School. Credit:Flavio Brancelone Assistant principal Arpana Pillay, who devised the celebration with a group of parents, said families who celebrated Hinduism appreciated being able to celebrate their culture, but also being able to share the festival with others.

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Brimbank spent two years on a plan to redevelop Sunshine and nearby Albion stations to connect them into the heart of its business district, which would encourage new housing and commercial development and transform the area into the capital of Melbournes west. But the Airport Rail business case confirmed the project will not involve the redevelopment of Sunshine Station and excluded plans for a new concourse, overpass, three new platforms and bus interchange. The documents acknowledge that rebuilding the station and blending it into the greater Sunshine precinct was a better outcome for the community, who would get better transport access and avoid further disruption if the full upgrade went ahead later. But the project decided to limit Sunshines upgrades to avoid significant additional cost and so the project can be delivered in a shorter timeframe, the business case says.

Draft plans suggest Sunshines platform will extend further south  away from the business district  and have a new pedestrian overpass connecting them, along with a fifth platform so V/Line trains from Bendigo can stop at Sunshine for the first time. John Hedditch, a former Brimbank mayor and a co-founder of the Greater Sunshine Community Alliance, said it was unlikely any future government will redevelop the station again after the airport rail project is finished in 2029. The 2018 promise is a dud and the likely outcomes from the plans weve seen so far is a lost opportunity and a real tragedy for what could be the Parramatta of [Melbournes] west, he said. Vu Du runs a mortgage brokerage close to Sunshine Station, and he said that expectations it would be fully redeveloped underpinned hopes for the areas economic revival. He said it would be devastating if that was not delivered. Weve already started to see drastic changes in the area with more apartments going up and different businesses coming in, said Du, who is also president of Sunshine Business Association. This area just has so much potential... but that could halt if the station doesnt come to fruition.

An Andrews government spokesman said that by 2029, Sunshine Station would have a train leaving every three minutes connecting to five new CBD stations as well as Melbourne Airport, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. We have been delighted with the overwhelming community support for a project that will transform Sunshine and provide a massive economic boost to the region, he said. Hedditch said the community expected a final master plan confirming the design months ago but he believed the government was delaying its release until after the November 26 election. They know theres going to be a backlash from a vocal and growing community who know whats being proposed isnt what was promised, he said. Sunshine and Albion are part of the lower house seat of Tarneit, which Labors Sarah Connolly won at the 2018 election with an 18 per cent margin. Following a seat redistribution, the area will be part of the new seat of Laverton, which the VEC estimates would have had an even safer 23 per cent margin in Labors favour last election.

Nguyen said there was a sense in the western suburbs that communities in safe Labor seats were being taken for granted ahead of an election focused on the $35 billion Suburban Rail Loop in the eastern suburbs. She called on both major parties to commit to funding the full upgrade before polling day. It would just make more sense if the state government investment more money in the communities that need help the most, she said. At the northern end of the Sunshine city centre at Albion Station, residents have already been outraged by plans to build a 50-metre-high rail bridge cutting across the face of the heritage-protected John Darling and Son flour mill, which developers plan to turn into a hotel and offices. Connolly, the local member, announced last week that Labor would spend $80 million rebuilding Albion Station, but detailed plans have not been released.
The Loddon River has peaked at Kerang but the town will be isolated for days, while Echuca is bracing for the Murray River to hit the highest level in a lifetime.

It comes as thousands of residents who have chosen to defend their homes against the deluge face being trapped.

Echuca residents are bracing for the Murray River to peak. Credit:Jason South

Victorias SES chief officer of operations Tim Wiebusch said while the flood situation was evolving, there was some good news on Sunday.

We have now seen a peak on the Loddon River at Kerang of 77.97 metres (above sea level), just below the 78-metre mark that was being forecast for this event, he said.
A bowl of pasta is only complete with a handful of hard, crumbly parmesan cheese. The question is whether to grate, shave or  foodies look away now  sprinkle it from a jar.

Italian producers of parmigiano reggiano are fighting a bid by food giant Kraft to brand the canisters of dried powdered cheese found on supermarket shelves in Australia as parmesan because it would confuse consumers.

Caterina Borsato, owner of Caterinas Cucina Bar in Melbournes CBD. Credit:Justin McManus

Consorzio Del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano, a consortium which oversees cheese production from 321 dairies in northern Italy, is appealing a decision by the Australian Trade Marks Office to allow Kraft to use the word parmesan.

The consortium opposed the application to trademark Kraft parmesan cheese on the grounds that the word parmesan is an English translation of parmigiano reggiano, a product which Australian consumers would expect is made under strict conditions in Italy.
Loading When she turned up in the town of Thargomindah in western Queensland, she knocked on the door of the shearing contractor and said: I am here to fly your plane. The man replied: You? He didnt believe I could even fly a plane, Ley says. She met her future husband in the shearing sheds of Thargomindah, before they had three children and settled on a family farm in north-east Victoria.

At the age of 30, while still working full-time on the farm and with a one-year-old child, Ley started studying economics at university before getting two masters degrees and working at the Australian Tax Office. She was preselected for the Liberal Party in the seat of Farrer in 2001, winning it from the Nationals after the retirement of former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer. Sussan Ley now has to work closely with Liberal leader Peter Dutton. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But it wasnt all smooth sailing. After serving as health minister in the Abbott and Turnbull ministries, she was forced to resign in 2017 when it was revealed she bought a property on the Gold Coast during a taxpayer-funded trip. Ley, now 60, says she could have become bitter and twisted after being dumped from cabinet, but decided to double down on work in her electorate.

I went to the backbench which is good for the soul. And I was fortunate enough to return to the Morrison cabinet, she says. I accept that politics can deal you some tough hands But for me, it was about saying: Right, what do I do now that adds value to my role? She also showed a maverick streak during this period, threatening to vote for a ban on the trade of live sheep exports. She credits this resilience to her upbringing. Born in Nigeria to British parents, Ley spent her early years in the United Arab Emirates where her father worked as a spy for MI6. When she was 10, she was sent to boarding school in England while her parents remained in the UAE. After three years, the whole family moved to Australia where her parents bought a hobby farm outside Toowoomba.

After the family moved to Canberra, Ley became a rebellious high school student and self-confessed punk. She walked around with no shoes, black lipstick, spiky purple hair, a dog collar, and a nose piercing connected to the razor blade in her ear. Sussan Ley was elected to parliament in 2001. Credit:ALEX MASSEY It was this rebellious streak that led her to put an additional s in her first name as a young adult. It wasnt very popular with my mother at the time. She still thinks it should be removed, Ley says. Those close to Ley describe her as a spontaneous person who is one of the most laid-back politicians in federal parliament.

On many nights she can be found in the front bar at pubs in her electorate having a chat with locals. Loading The pubs are where you hear the wisdom from ordinary people, she says. Ley has also, on occasion, been seen dancing shoeless at the pub. Not for many years, she insists. But, like, who shouldnt dance shoeless?

While the challenges for women may have changed since she faced rampant sexism in the workplace back in the 1980s, Ley believes it is no less challenging today. There are still expectations and views of women that people dont express because they are aware that they are restrained from expressing them, she says. But maybe they still hold them. And maybe they still hold them in the workplace. And maybe they subliminally impart those views to women, and they feel it. So, its different, but its still a challenge. After being elected Liberal deputy leader following the Coalitions defeat at the May election, Ley wants to use her diverse life experiences to help the party better connect with women across the country. But she has given herself the specific responsibility of winning back the six seats which fell to female teal independents. She accepts that issues like integrity, climate and the economy played a huge part in women deserting the party at the election. But she also cautions not to view women as some homogenous political grouping.
More elderly people being told they are not an urgent case when their pain is so bad they cant get out of bed? The pandemic has highlighted this but it did not cause it. The system was already stretched and patients were already suffering. Labor says it has pumped in $12 billion over eight years. The money isnt working. The system remains dysfunctional. Loading How many more doctors have to risk their jobs to break the government gag and explain what is really happening? This week the chief executive of Western District Health, Rohan Fitzgerald, spoke to me about the third-world hospital he runs in Hamilton. Thirty minutes before he came on my show he was told by health officials not to talk. Risking his job, he spoke anyway.

Then on Thursday, Professor Mark Fitzgerald, head of trauma at The Alfred, went into battle for his staff and patients. Mark Fitzgerald has gentle eyes and a warm smile that rarely dims. Hes no politician. He hates the limelight. But the time came and he stood up. Loading With others, he helped build The Alfred into one of the best trauma centres in the world. He has given his life to helping sick and injured people in this state. That didnt matter when he approached the premier. He was ignored. So he went public, saying that The Alfred operating theatres were hopeless and staff was deeply frustrated. He was the second senior Alfred doctor to make such noise this year. In May, trauma surgeon Professor John Wilson quit, saying the system was so broken that lives were in danger.

Professor Fitzgerald had the same message. But he wasnt resigning, he was pleading. The Alfred is run down. Patients say used bed pans are stacked at broken washing machines for days. Families bring food for patients. The operating theatres are prehistoric. Plans to fix it were first prepared about 15 years ago. Alfred chief executive Professor Andrew Way says there is a build ready plan for a new hospital but no government commitment to fund it. Finally, having been held together by the will of the staff, its unravelling. Thats why Mark Fitzgerald made his plea to the premier. What he got in return was classic Andrews deflection and spin. The deflection, a half-baked green energy stunt, worked. But the meaningless waffle from the health minister elicited uncharacteristic anger from Professor Fitzgerald:

The concern Ive got is this long-winded diatribe of avoiding answering the question. I just want a simple answer, and the staff who work for me want a simple answer. Are we supported by the government or not? It would be reassuring to think the premier would listen. He seems to have done nothing of the sort. So here are two ideas, for both sides: First, give us a plan for the next five years. Will more foreign nurses be recruited? Can private hospitals be used? Is there spare capacity interstate? The system is broken. It needs patching. Although thats no permanent solution, we cant continue like this while we wait for photo opportunities to become hospitals.
As the co-owner of Michels Corp., Republican Tim Michels has made his successful business  which has grown from a few hundred employees to more than 8,000  a primary talking point in his campaign for governor.

If he succeeds in unseating Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Nov. 8, Michels has pledged to divest from the Brownsville-based construction company thats secured millions in state contracts over the last decade to avoid any conflicts of interest, as state law requires the governor to sign the states largest road contracts.

Tim will divest himself of interest in the company and there will be no conflicts of interest, Michels spokesperson Anna Kelly said. Unlike Tony Evers, he will work hard and with integrity and will be transparent.

Beyond that blanket pledge, however, Michels has yet to provide details on how he would distance himself from the family company, such as putting his assets into a blind trust or selling company stock.

Asked in the one and only debate between Michels and Evers earlier this month how he would avoid potential conflicts of interest with his company, Michels said any state contracts his construction company received were awarded through a transparent bidding process and vowed to divest himself from the company.

Evers jumped on the pledge, noting that the potential future governors company is likely to continue bidding on state projects.

How do we actually know how thats going to work? Evers added. I think its going to look kind of fishy.

Michels addressed the matter obliquely in a speech Tuesday to members of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee.

From the day after Election Day, from then until inauguration day, I will completely divest from Michels Corp., he said. We are currently working with some of the best ethics attorneys in the state, some of the best ethics attorneys in the country. Theyre applying that to Wisconsin ethics laws and there will be no conflict of interest after Im sworn in as governor.

Wisconsin Ethics Commission Administrator Dan Carlton said he couldnt speculate on whether Michels plans would satisfy the state ethics code, noting that each circumstance comes down to the details.

There are so many different facts that are involved in making that determination that it really, truly is a case-by-case basis, Carlton said.

Wisconsins ethics law bars public officials from taking official action or using their office or position to benefit themselves, immediate family members or any associated organizations. Siblings are considered immediate family members under state law, and association with an organization is defined as the official or any immediate family members having an ownership or controlling interest in the organization.

State statute goes on to note that, in a representative democracy, lawmakers are drawn from society and, therefore, cannot and should not be without all personal and economic interests in the decisions and policies of government.

Standards of ethical conduct for state public officials need to distinguish between those minor and inconsequential conflicts that are unavoidable in a free society, and those conflicts which are substantial and material, the law says.

Michael Kraft, professor of public and environmental affairs at UW-Green Bay, said a common procedure would be for Michels to put his assets into a blind trust.

The extreme position would be, I roll all of my assets, or as many as I can, into a blind trust, over which I have no control whatsoever, Kraft said, though he noted such a move would be challenging, given Michels direct ties with the company. Thats a family business so its kind of hard. Its not like selling stocks. Its your own company, so you cant really divest your name or the companys name.

Michels first announced plans to divest from the company in April if he is elected. At the same time, he told WTMJ-AM he hopes Michels Corp., which he co-owns with his brothers, continues to seek state contracts for road projects, which typically go to the lowest qualified bidder. The company has received more than $1 billion in contracts from the state Department of Transportation since 2014.

Michels Corp. also comprises several other construction companies, including Michels Pipeline, which earlier this year signed a letter of intent with Enbridge Inc. to build the pipeline companys Line 5 pipeline through Wisconsin.

It wont be my decision, Michels said of whether the company would bid on state projects. It will be my brothers decision. But again, we bring value, we bring value to the taxpayers of Wisconsin.

That should be small comfort to voters, Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Hannah Menchhoff said.

Michels says he can read a balance sheet, so he should be able to see, that just doesnt add up, Menchhoff said. Wisconsinites deserve a governor who will do the right thing and put our state first, not his own pocketbook.
Thanks to digital transformation, digital devices and applications now support societies in becoming more sustainable and drive business operations to efficiencies not seen before. At the same time, the abundance of innovative technology has also highlighted flaws and brought challenges that organizations must address. Among them has been the rapid rise in cybercrime.

As our digitized existence continues to expand, the occurrence of cybercrimes has accelerated, and the greater our exposure to data intrusions and fraud or thefts becomes. The plethora of technology now available has created a new breed of cybercriminals, who have grown in volume, speed, and, most dangerously, sophistication, with attackers using every avenue and opportunity to hack into an enterprise's server.

The growth in intelligence among cyber attackers has also made hacks and breaches more detrimental to enterprises, with some attacks being fatal, depending on the size of the company. On average, today, there's a cyberattack every 39 seconds, and it is now estimated that cybercrime will cost companies worldwide $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015.

The unwanted surge in cybercrime has forced enterprises of all sizes and industries to swiftly adopt cybersecurity applications and solutions. Prior to 2021, 54 percent of companies said their IT departments were not currently sophisticated enough to handle advanced cyberattacks. However, with an annual growth of 12 percent, sales of cybersecurity products and services topped $124 billion by the end of 2021 as enterprises attempted to bolster their digital defenses.

The technology making perhaps the biggest impact in terms of defense has been artificial intelligence. AI has grown quickly and become more commonplace in an array of industries thanks to the organization-level capabilities it offers.

When it comes to cybersecurity, AI is experiencing the same growth that has been documented in other sectors. AI in the cybersecurity market was valued at $8.8 billion in 2019 and has undergone growth at a CAGR of 23.2 percent. These numbers have experts estimating that the market may reach $38.2 billion by 2026.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which brings attention to cyber threats and aims to help individuals and organizations learn how to protect themselves. Proofpoint (News - Alert), an expert in AI applied to cybersecurity challenges, is a participant, offering a Cybersecurity Awareness kit with resources and communications that cover such topics as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA (News - Alert)), managing passwords and PINs, the risks of outdated software, and phishing.

Eric Hahn, former CTO of Netscape, founded the company in 2002. It has since grown to more than 4,000 employees serving over 8,000 enterprises worldwide. The company went public in 2012. In 2020 it generated more than $1 billion in revenue, making it the first SaaS (News - Alert)-based cybersecurity and compliance company to meet that milestone. In 2021, Proofpoint was acquired by Thoma Bravo, a leading private equity software investing firm, in a transaction that valued Proofpoint at $12.3 billion. This is the largest go-private software deal in history.

"The expected continued growth of AI use in cybersecurity comes as no surprise when factoring in the array of benefits it can offer enterprises looking to strengthen their defenses," said Joe Sykora, SVP of Worldwide Channels and Partner Sales at Proofpoint. "For example, advanced AI and ML technologies can help provide better vulnerability and threat management, empowering companies to stay ahead of a continually evolving threat landscape. Companies today need to detect, identify, and prevent a dynamic and increasingly sophisticated range of threats to protect their assets, their employees, and reputation."

Analyzing and assessing existing security measures through AI research can help in vulnerability management. Solutions like Proofpoint's platforms can allow enterprises to fully leverage AI's security benefits by discovering and prioritizing risks, directing incident response, and identifying malware attacks before they come into the picture.

"AI makes it possible to assess systems exponentially faster than traditional methods, including manual efforts by cybersecurity personnel," Sykora said. "AI platforms increase their problem-solving ability manifold, identifying weak points in the cloud, across networks, within applications, and more. AI helps businesses focus on more strategic security outcomes."

Furthermore, while mimicking some of the best human qualities and leaving out the shortcomings, AI takes care of duplicative cybersecurity processes that cybersecurity teams dont relish.

"IT security teams were the first to embrace AI, as it frees them up by automating analysis in real time  alerting them based on the policies they set to be notified when risk is identified," Sykora said.

As enterprises now make cybersecurity a priority, especially given increasingly strong compliance requirements, more are looking for AI solutions to add to their repertoire.

Proofpoint's recently announced Intelligent Compliance Platform is an AI-driven cybersecurity solution designed to address new threats, including sophisticated attacks that include social engineering, drawing human beings into the mix, and preying upon employees who can bring a system down with one bad "click."

The platform leverages Proofpoint's proprietary machine learning engine to provide business leaders with AI-powered collection, classification, detection, prevention, search, eDiscovery, supervision, and next-generation predictive analytics while meeting complex compliance and information governance obligations.

"This is an entirely new ballgame," said Nikki Meyer, CVP of Vendor Alliances at Pax8, which includes Proofpoint among the security solutions in its cloud marketplace. "We understand today's organizations are overwhelmed with growing volumes of data that are incredibly difficult to manage, so we were very excited to announce Proofpoint's AI platform to the MSPs we serve. The value is not just for IT  the real value comes when compliance and legal staff no longer must manually search and review petabytes of messages or files from regulatory compliance, supervisory, or investigations. Proofpoint's new Intelligent Compliance Platform vastly improves the detection of non-compliant communications and content while quickly pinpointing supervised insider risks."

Proofpoint's technology transforms the modern-day compliance world, improving efficacy and efficiency through automation. The platform enables intuitive compliance, insider risk, and data management controls to classify and predict risks across a wide array of digital communications channels, files, email, and endpoint activities. This enables Compliance, IT, Information Management, and Legal teams to gain visibility and access information with superior fidelity and context to growing volumes of enterprise data while detecting and preventing corporate and regulatory risks in real time.

The Intelligent Compliance Platform is powered by a combination of several of Proofpoint's leading solutions, including:

Proofpoint Capture : Modernizes data collection from the most critical and popular communications collaboration platforms.

: Modernizes data collection from the most critical and popular communications collaboration platforms. Proofpoint Patrol : Ensures full compliance and reputation protection from employee social media accounts by monitoring, remediating, and reporting on social media policy violations at scale with intelligent classifiers, automated workflows, and intuitive reporting.

: Ensures full compliance and reputation protection from employee social media accounts by monitoring, remediating, and reporting on social media policy violations at scale with intelligent classifiers, automated workflows, and intuitive reporting. Proofpoint Track : Provides complete visibility into the capture stream to ensure that collected communications are received by downstream services such as repositories and supervision tools.

: Provides complete visibility into the capture stream to ensure that collected communications are received by downstream services such as repositories and supervision tools. Proofpoint Archive : Simplifies storage, search, legal discovery, supervisory, and end-user data access through a cloud-first archive that provides a secure and scalable central repository.

: Simplifies storage, search, legal discovery, supervisory, and end-user data access through a cloud-first archive that provides a secure and scalable central repository. Proofpoint Discover : Makes e-discovery and case management easy with a built-in, high-performance search, advanced dashboards and visualizations, no-cost export, and legal hold.

: Makes e-discovery and case management easy with a built-in, high-performance search, advanced dashboards and visualizations, no-cost export, and legal hold. Proofpoint Supervision : Satisfies corporate and regulatory compliance requirements by supervising regulated employees and leveraging hundreds of advanced detection scenarios to detect timely communications risks.

: Satisfies corporate and regulatory compliance requirements by supervising regulated employees and leveraging hundreds of advanced detection scenarios to detect timely communications risks. Proofpoint Automate: Applies market-leading machine learning to help significantly reduce false positives in data collection, monitoring, search, discovery, and supervisory activities.

AI is becoming a must-have for enhancing the performance of IT security teams. Humans can no longer scale to sufficiently secure an enterprise-level attack surface, and AI gives the much-needed analysis and threat identification that can be used by security professionals to minimize breach risk and enhance security posture.

Edited by Erik Linask
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Cloudy skies. A shower of rain or wet snow possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low around 30F. Winds light and variable.
This time of year, I love to get into the Halloween spirit by listening to scary podcasts, watching horror movies, and reading some spooky books. Here are three spooky reads you could add to your list this year.

"The Book of Living Secrets" by Madeleine Roux

No matter how different best friends Adelle and Connie are, one thing theyve always had in common is their love of a little-known gothic romance novel called Moira. So, when the girls are tempted by a mysterious stranger to enter the world of the book, they hardly suspect it will work. But suddenly they are in the world of Moira, living among characters theyve obsessed about for years.

Except  all is not how they remembered it. The world has been turned upside down: The lavish balls and star-crossed love affairs are now interlaced with unspeakable horrors. The girls realize that something dark is lurking behind their foray into fictionand they will have to rewrite their own arcs if they hope to escape this nightmare with their lives. This book is great for fans who enjoyed The Hazel Wood.

"Small Favors" by Erin A. Craig

Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range -- five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned.

As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents' deepest desires, however grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister, and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames.

"The Name of the Star" by Maureen Johnson

Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school just as a series of brutal murders mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper killing spree of more than a century ago has broken out across the city. The police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man believed to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him -- the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target  unless she can tap her previously unknown abilities to turn the tables.

These are three great books that can be found in the Teen Space, along with many others. Library personnel would also love to help you find your next spooky read, so drop in and see us. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica at 402-562-4203 or email Jessica.Wilkinson@columbusne.us. I hope you all enjoy your next spooky read this Halloween season!
Alex Jones takes the witness stand to testify at a trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn., on Sept. 22, 2022. (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool, File)

Alex Jones Seeks New Trial as Sandy Hook Families Seek up to $2.75 Trillion in Punitive Damages

Alex Jones has asked a Connecticut judge to throw out a nearly $1 billion verdict against him and order a new trial in a lawsuit by Sandy Hook victims relatives over public claims he made about the mass shooting, while the families have asked the judge to impose the harshest possible punitive damages against the InfoWars host.

Jones filed the requests on Oct. 21, arguing that Judge Barbara Bellis pretrial rulings resulted in an unfair trial.

Jurors in his trial ordered Jones to pay nearly $1 billion to families of the Sandy Hook school massacre for defamation, slander, and emotional damages.

Jones for years claimed that family members of the Sandy Hook victims were actors who faked the tragedy and described the shooting as a staged hoax as part of a government plot to take away Americans guns.

Calling the Oct. 12 ruling against Jones a substantial miscarriage of justice, Joness legal team wrote in Fridays motion that the amount of the compensatory damages award exceeds any rational relationship to the evidence.

Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the 15 plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Jones, declined to comment on the filing Saturday when asked by The Associated Press. Mattei did say, however, that he and other attorneys for the Sandy Hook families plan to file a brief opposing Joness request for a new trial.

Twenty first-grade schoolchildren and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School died in the Dec. 14, 2012 attack. Authorities said the gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, first shot his mother at their home before going to the school, where he opened fire and later turned the gun on himself.

Harshest Possible Punitive Damages

The judge in Joness case ordered him to pay $965 million in compensatory damages to the plaintiffs and said punitive damages should be awarded. Hearings have been scheduled for early November to determine the amount of the punitive damages.

Families of the victims on Friday asked the judge to order Jones to pay the harshest possible penalty, with one calculation cited by Bloomberg suggesting the figure could be as high as $2.75 trillion.

The only appropriate punitive damages award in this case is the largest award within the courts power, the families lawyers said in the filing, per Bloomberg. The defendants have acted willfully, maliciously, and evilly, in full knowledge of the harm they are causing people who had no means to fight back, except to bring this case.

During Joness trial, relatives of the victims said that they were threatened and harassed for years by people who believed his false claims about the massacre.

Jones has vowed not to pay the full amount.

I got a couple of houses, a couple million bucks in the bank, Jones told Newsmax on Oct. 14. Its a total joke. And so if they think theyre gonna get 900-plus million dollars, theyre gravely mistaken.

Norm Pattis, Joness lawyer, wrote in the motions filed Friday that there was a lack of evidence directly tying Jones with the people who harassed and threatened the Sandy Hook families.

Yes, the families in this case suffered horribly as a result of the murder of their children, Pattis wrote, adding that Jones did not send people to harass and threaten the families.

There was no competent evidence offered at this trial that he ever did, he wrote. Instead, there was a shocking abuse of a disciplinary default and its transformation into a series of half-truths that misled a jury and resulted in substantial injustice.

Political commentator Michael Tracey reacted to news that Sandy Hook victims families were seeking the steepest possible punitive damages, saying in a post on Twitter that Jones was wrong but that the potential $2.75 trillion that has been cited in media reports as a possible punishment seems crazy.

I actually covered the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 and saw, in person, the body of a dead first grader, Tracey said. So yeah, Alex Jones was wrong.

But this new idea that spreading crazy theories about news events somehow warrants ruinous *multi-trillion* dollar penalties also seems crazy, he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Hawaiian Airlines plane taxis for position at Kahalui, Hawaii on the island of Maui, on March 24, 2005. (Lucy Pemoni/AP Photo, FIle)

Amazon Will Use Hawaiian Airlines to Operate Cargo Planes

HONOLULUHawaiian Airlines will operate 10 cargo planes for Amazon.com starting next fall under a deal that could eventually involve more planes and give Amazon a 15 percent stake in the airline.

The airlines parent company, Hawaiian Holdings Inc., said Friday that it will fly and maintain an initial fleet of 10 leased Airbus A330-300 jets for the retail giant. The fleet could grow depending on Amazons future business needs, the company said.

Hawaiian said it issued warrants that Amazon can exercise over the next nine years and acquire up to 15 percent of Hawaiian stock.

Shares of Hawaiian Holdings jumped 13% in afternoon trading on Friday.

When travel plunged and consumer spending spiked early in the pandemic, airlines began carrying more cargo and demand for freighter planes grew. More recently, the cargo business has cooled off as consumer spending shifted away from goods toward services including travel, and airlines have been stuck with excess cargo capacity.

Global demand for cargo fell 8.3 percent in August compared with a year earlier, the International Air Transport Association reported this month.

Hawaiian said it wont use any of its current planes to serve Amazon. Instead, Amazons air division will lease the first 10 planes  which will be converted from passenger jets to freighters  from leasing company Altavair.

This relationship provides a catalyst to grow our business and the unique opportunity to diversify our revenue sources while capitalizing on our established strengths, said Hawaiian CEO Peter Ingram.

The A330-300 is a large, two-aisle plane that usually has about 330 seats when used for passenger flights.

Philippe Karam, director of Amazons air fleet, said the jets will be the largest and newest planes flying for Amazon Air.

Amazon brands its fleet as Prime Air, and it has struck previous deals with both passenger and cargo airlines. In 2019, Sun Country Airlines announced it would operate 10 converted Boeing 737 aircraft for Amazon. Under a deal with Atlas Air, Amazon took warrants that could be converted into a 20% stake in the cargo carrier.
Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security Clare O'Neil speaks to media in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 20, 2022. (AAP Image/James Ross)

Australia Falls Behind in Cyber Security: Australian Minister

Australian Cyber Security Minister Clare ONeil has admitted that the country is in a bad position in the fight against cyber-attacks following the latest data breach at private health insurance provider Medibank.

This comes as up to four million Australians now face the risk of having their personal information stolen.

According to Medibank, the alleged hackers claimed they had obtained 200 gigabytes of data, including medical history, Medicare numbers, addresses, phone numbers and some claims data. However, the company was unsure if the hackers claims were accurate.

The attack is currently under investigation by the Australian Federal Police, and Medibank said it was trying to verify what information was stolen and how this would affect customers.

The minister said that the Medibank data breach, plus the massive cyber-attack on phone and internet provider Optus in September, had caused significant concerns about cyber security.

Weve really got to just step back and have a good conversation here about what is going on and why it is that we are so behind the eight ball with cyber issues generally, ONeil told the Seven Network.

Weve got to muscle up here and understand that this is our future, and our job is to make sure that the country is better prepared when things like this happen.

Medibank signage sits on top of the Medibank building in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 1, 2014. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

While ONeil said she believed that Medibank had taken all necessary steps after it found out about the cyber-attack, the minister noted it was alarming that the medical details of Australians were exposed.

At the end of the day, you can replace a credit card. This is health information, it is private and personal information of people that has no place being put into the public realm, she said.

It will be a dog act if these cyber thugs make the decision to make any of the information public.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the priority of the government right now was dealing with the Medibank situation and looking at what can be done to protect people who might have had their information stolen.

Absolutely, we need to respond to the bigger picture in light of the fact that these attacks are here, they are happening more often, and there are serious breaches often.

The Oppositions Reaction on Medibank Data Breach

Meanwhile, Opposition government services spokesman Paul Fletcher criticised the government for being slow in dealing with the data breach.

Affected customers are still in the dark and rightly fearful of the integrity of their accounts, he said in a statement.

This confusion is compounded by the changing allocation of ministerial responsibility for cyber security.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the Coalition would support tougher legislation on the storage of personal data by companies.

It needs to be dealt with quickly, he told the Nine Network.

The companies have an onus to disclose and support.
Biden Says John Fettermans Wife Will Make a Great Lady in the Senate

President Joe Biden said on Oct. 20 that Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fettermans wife, Gisele Baretto Fetterman, will make a great lady in the Senate.

The remarks, apparently in error, were made while on a stop at the site of a bridge that collapsed last year in Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania, where the president touted his $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

During the speech, Biden thanked John Fetterman, the states lieutenant governor, who attended the event.

John, thank you very much for running. I really do appreciate it, said Biden. And Gisele, youre going to be a great, great lady in the Senate.

The apparent gaffe was made amid ongoing questioning of John Fettermans health and cognitive ability since he suffered a stroke in May days before the primary. His GOP opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz has repeatedly questioned his ability to serve as senator if elected.

On Oct. 19, the Fetterman campaign released a medical report that said the Democratic nominee is recovering well from his stroke and his health has continued to improve.

Earlier this week, Oz came under fire for suggesting that Gisele would serve as senator if her husband was elected.

Gisele Fetterman came to the limelight after taking a stepped-up role in her husbands Senate bid after the stroke took him off the campaign trail in May.

Last week, she criticized NBC journalist Dasha Burns, who conducted John Fettermans first in-person interview since the stroke, after Burns revealed that the lieutenant governor required close captioning to read the questions asked, and that in small talk before the interview without captioning, it wasnt clear he was understanding our conversation.

Gisele Fetterman suggested Burns should face consequences for her comments, while labeling the reporter an ableist.

John Fetterman and Oz are set to debate on Oct. 25 for the first time. Fetterman has insisted on using a computer to translate audio to text. No other debates have been scheduled.

The lieutenant governor once led Oz in the polls by double digits, but that advantage has gradually declined in recent months.

An AARP Pennsylvania poll released this week conducted by Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research among 1,377 likely Pennsylvania voters between Oct. 4 and Oct. 12 shows Fetterman with a 48 percent to 46 percent lead, which is within the margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.

Early voting started in Pennsylvania on Sept. 19. The midterm election is slated to take place on Nov. 8.

Jeff Louderback and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Parents and students gather in protest of the school district's policy at the Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District offices in Placentia, Calif., on Jan. 18, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Cal State Fullerton Prevents Student Teachers From Working in Placentia-Yorba Linda Schools Due to CRT Ban

California State UniversityFullerton officials notified the Placentia-Yorba Linda School District this week that it has paused sending student teachers to work in the district due to the school boards ban on critical race theory (CRT) in curriculum.

Earlier this year, the school district approved a ban on the curriculum in classrooms to prevent it from becoming a guide for how the subject of race is taught.

The universitys mission is to cultivate educators who are prepared to provide just, equitable, and inclusive education, officials wrote to the district Oct. 17. Therefore, it is critical that we place teacher candidates in districts that support their growth and development throughout the program.

Typically, the university sends around 80 students to work as student teachers in the school district each academic year. Currently, there are only six in the district, whom the university will support toward program completion, according to the letter.

A California State Fullerton symbol is pictured in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 2, 2002. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Lauren Hofreiter, 18, is a biology major sophomore at the university who said she plans to become a full-time teacher in the school district, since she grew up in Placentia and attended El Dorado High School.

In an interview with The Epoch Times, she said she disagreed with the universitys decision because it would prevent students from completing their requirements, even if their field of education doesnt include CRT teachings, such as biology.

Student teachers should be able to make the distinction themselves and decide based on personal relevance and morals whether they want to teach in the district despite the ban, Hofreiter wrote in an email. Any school that encourages diversity of opinion has no place forcing its misinformed views on its students.

Hofreiter said she is worried about how this may affect her future plans.

She said she also believes part of the issue is that people misunderstand CRT curriculum and assume banning it means completely removing racial topics, such as slavery, or preventing books written by authors of color from being taught.

I would expect more from a school that claims to be knowledgeable on the subject, she said.

A file photo of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Board of Trustees in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Dr. Michael D. Matthews, Superintendent of the school district, said it has had a longstanding, successful relationship with the university. Several teachers, administrators, and other employees of the district are Cal State Fullerton graduates.

While we respect the Universitys right to make this determination, we are disappointed by their decision to pause the placement of new student teachers in our district, Matthews wrote in a letter to university officials. We look forward to continuing the discussion about renewing their placement of student teachers in [the district].

The school boards resolution concerning the ban on CRT curriculum states the district values all students and promotes equity and equality, respects diversity, celebrates the contributions of all, and encourages culturally relevant and inclusive teaching practices.

Board members from the school district did not respond to requests for comment.

But Cal State UniversityFullerton spokesperson Kendra Morales told The Epoch Times the pause would be lifted if the school district would establish clarity for teachers about what they can and cannot teach, so that student teachers can gain experience creating lesson plans that align with state standards.

Morales said part of the confusion stems from recent school board discussions about removing diversity celebrations and prohibiting gender-affirming pronouns.

While the pause prevents the university from placing student teachers in the district, Morales said it would not discourage students from accepting offers for a paid teaching internship with the district.
2022 was the year of many firsts for Natalie DeWispelare. Among these new adventures, the 12-year-old, showed swine for the first time at the Nebraska State Fair.

Natalie, who lives in rural David City, has been involved in 4-H ever since she was about 5 or 6 years old. She shows pigs and chickens and also takes part in the fashion show, as well as other 4-H projects.

Natalie showed her two crossbred gilts at the state fair  Dolly and Baby.

For swine, I got second purple out of my class of 10 for one of my pigs and then from my other one I got fourth out of 10 and then seventh out of ninth, she said.

Natalie said that showing at the Nebraska State Fair is quite a different experience than a county fair -- its more hectic with the amount of people there.

There's two show arenas, so pretty fast paced, said Natalies mother, Brittany. They just keep the shows moving. Definitely a lot bigger than she's ever had to deal with before. She did pretty well for her very first year showing at the state fair. I think she was pretty confident, too, pretty proud of it too.

The process for showing at fairs starts in the spring.

The beginning of March, and I had to feed them two times a day and then when we got closer to fair I had to feed them three times a day, Natalie explained.

She also had to wash them every other day and walk them daily. These days, she is washing them every day and continues to walk them.

The family lives on farmland and has swine, chickens and a rabbit. Theyve owned other livestock previously.

When asked what she likes about showing swine, Natalie said, probably the experiences that I make and the people that I've met.

For the 4-H fashion show, Natalie made a dress this year. Last year  she had also taken part in the fashion show at the state fair  she crafted a romper.

The amount of time it takes to make a piece of clothing depends on what type of clothing it is, Natalie said.

The dress that I made for this year took me like two months. But it's because my sister and me rotated days with my grandma, she added, noting her grandmother taught her and her sister how to sew.

Natalie modeled her clothes at the fair.

For the fashion show, the modeling judge chose one representative from Butler County to model at the state fair. Natalie was chosen and she was chosen last year too. This year, she was definitely a lot more comfortable on the runway, knowing a little bit of what it was about, Brittany said.

Brittany added that Natalie had to learn to walk slowly and pivot. She also needed to wear comfortable shoes. Natalie practiced a lot for her runway walk last year since it was her first year, Brittany said.

Last year, she got a blue ribbon at the state fair in the fashion show and this year she got a purple ribbon so she improved and she did well, Brittany said.

Brittany noted that 2021 was the first year the family had gone to the state fair since it moved to Grand Island.

This year she kind of talked us into showing her pigs at the state fair and we were a little hesitant at first because we just weren't familiar with it, Brittany said. I showed pigs growing up but I never showed at the state fair level. It was definitely fun to learn about the state fair and what that's all about.

For the first time, Natalie showed swine, Dolly, at the Aksarben Stock Show.

That'll be a whole new experience too, she's never shown at Aksarben, said Brittany in September. But the good news is that is in the same place where the State Fair was held, so at least she'll be familiar with the facility.

Natalie said she hopes to talk her parents into letting her show two more pigs next fair season and may take part in the fashion show again.
Former President Donald Trump says 15 of the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago are his personal property. And the House Jan. 6 committee is subpoenaing Trump.

President Joe Biden is again touting deficit reduction and student debt forgiveness. It comes as Republicans are vowing to fight excessive spending if they reclaim the majority.

Floridas surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo talks about his new book Transcend Fear and how overcoming fear helped him in his career and eventually taking on COVID-19.

The federal government is moving to bypass the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Pentagon announced a new policy that will provide funding for troops who need to travel for an abortion.

Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline joins us to discuss laws on abortion and some of the concerning activities of Planned Parenthood.

The U.S. government is indicting seven Chinese nationals for harassing U.S. residents who fled China and attempting to repatriate them.

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Nicolas Chaillan, former Chief Software Officer of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, in Washington on Oct. 10, 2022. (Jack Wang/The Epoch Times)

CCP Seeks to Use TikTok Data Against Americans: Former Pentagon Official

Chinas communist regime is in a cold war with the United States and seeks to use data gathered by companies like TikTok against American interests, according to a former Pentagon official.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will use apps like TikTok as weapons of mass manipulation and misinformation, according to Nicolas Chaillan, former chief software officer of the U.S. Air Force.

What youre going to find is now 40 percent of kids under 24 are using TikTok as the way to search for information, Chaillan said during an interview with EpochTV that aired on Oct. 18.

When you look at what the CCP has been doing, for many years now, information and the control of information is probably the cornerstone of being able to push that agenda to the American people.

Chaillans comments follow a rough couple of weeks for TikTok, which has faced allegations that it allowed political ads with false claims and misinformation ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

The company previously admitted that it had censored users at the behest of the CCP, but claims to no longer participate in the practice.

TikTok Key to CCP Efforts to Steal Technology



For Chaillan, TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, present a unique problem for U.S. national security, as both companies ties to the CCP mean that detailed and sensitive information on U.S. citizens could be passed on to a hostile regime.

The issue youre going to see with TikTok is multifaceted, Chaillan said. Effectively, youre going to find the data issue with potential access to personal information, including face prints, and voiceprints, which can ultimately give access to future payment systems.

Chaillan said that China was already deploying authentication systems for financial systems that rely on facial recognition. As TikTok scoops users information about their facial, vocal, and typing patterns, this information could be used by CCP assets to steal from or impersonate Americans.

It also provides the CCPs intelligence apparatus with the ability to target people or companies for espionage by gaining leverage that it can use for social engineering, a type of psychological manipulation intended to get people to divulge information or otherwise behave in ways that they normally would not.

Think of the ability to infiltrate American companies, Chaillan said. Lets say you want to steal some technology from an American company. Youre going to be able to know exactly what the people behind the company like, what theyre listening to, what books they read.

So, you can show up as an intelligence group and you can really engage with those people and have a deep relationship, thanks to the information you gather. So, its really enabling them as an intelligence community to have access to pretty much everything about, you know, 40 percent [or more] of America.

China is at War with Us



Chaillan also said that the pace at which TikTok was accumulating data about U.S. citizen was worrying because that data could boost the CCPs efforts to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and weapons platforms that depend on it.

The more data you have the faster you can train, and the faster you can train the faster you can deploy, Chaillan said.

With the volume of data were talking about, this is whats going to be powering the next iteration of artificial intelligence and machine learning weapons. Not just for basic use cases of spying on people and tracking faces and things like that. Its also now being used for the next generation of weapons, of actual physical weapons.

Chaillan said that the Pentagon and lawmakers in Washington are not fully appreciating the severity of the situation, however, and are too slow to act on emerging threats.

Congress still struggles to turn on their phone, let alone understand the power of data, Chaillan said.

Theres really a lack of understanding of technology, probably because Congress has no term limits, and you end up seeing people that just should not even be in [these] jobs.

To that end, Chaillan said the CCP considers itself at war with the United States, albeit, for now, a bloodless one.

I think theres a really poor understanding of what China is doing, Chaillan said.

But the CCP is an enemy here. And I can tell you that when you take a step back and you look at whats been done in the last 25 years, youre going to see a methodical war against American interests.

Andrew Thornebrooke Reporter Follow Andrew Thornebrooke is a reporter for The Epoch Times covering China-related issues with a focus on defense, military affairs, and national security. He holds a master's in military history from Norwich University.
People vote at outdoor booths during early voting for the mid-term elections in Pasadena, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2018. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

China Seeks to Influence US Politicians Ahead of Midterm Elections: Former Intelligence Officer

Just weeks before the midterm elections, the FBI issued a warning to some of the Democratic and Republican state party headquarters of a possible attack by Chinese hackers. The hacking might be part of Beijings political espionage efforts or an effort to influence the nominees positions on China, according to Nick Eftimiades, a former senior intelligence officer and author.

And weve seen this actually come to light in a number of cases in the United States and the UK and Italy, elsewhere in Sweden, where they actually work very, very aggressively to try and shape any opinions that can be formed toward China, Eftimiades told NTDs China in Focus.

That kind of attack might be used for information collection, he said.

Eftimiades said the monitoring work would help them to observe which way the elections are going to go, which candidates have advantages, and what each partys strategies are.

So that they can better prepare for it, so they can shape the international environment for which theyre gonna have to deal, he said.

In his opinion, this approach is just a portion of a broader plan being pushed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

As author of the book Chinese Intelligence Operations, Eftimiades pointed out that the influence operation is conducted through two formats: propaganda and covert agents.

In relation to the first format, the regime spends billions every year to advance its propaganda through news broadcasting on thousands of different forms of media globally and through its diplomacy, he said.

Covert Influence Operations

And then theres a whole covert dynamic of this, where China will try and influence political leaders, business leaders, the Chinese diaspora to not vote for certain candidates, for example, to assume certain positions on China, Eftimiades said.

The covert operations are coordinated by various bodies of the regime, including the China friendship associations, the United Front Work Department, and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said.

According to the U.S.China Economic and Security and Review Commission, the CCPs United Front Work Department (UFWD) guides key affiliated organizations abroad to conduct influence operations targeting foreign actors and states.

They are all geared toward shifting opinion or controlling or directing foreign opinion on China, Eftimiades said.

He singled out the case of Christine Fang, the alleged CCP spy who, according to an Axios report, built up an extensive network of contacts with up-and-coming politicians in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.)

Encirclement Strategy

One of the more interesting aspects of Chinas strategy in this regard is encirclement, Eftimiades said.

With this strategy, the regime tends to exert influence on individuals around the targeted politician, rather than directly on the person, according to the expert.

They can take aim at the academics that will be supporting that person; the cyber operations to understand who has pro-China views and who doesnt; to a business person, to whom they will say, Look, if you really want to do business in China, you need to go back with this message.

This kind of orchestrated campaign has been deployed at both local levels and national levels, in his opinion.

Self-Censorship

The regime has used material interest as a tool to trap American individuals into facilitating its infiltration, he said.

There was greed, greed on the part of government officials, on the part of corporate officials, and on the part of universities who dont want to give up the money that theyre making, even if it means violating their own personal beliefs on freedom and academic freedom and freedom of speech, Eftimiades said.

Those who are lured into dealing with the regime have to play by Chinas rules, which means your liberty, your freedom as an American or in liberal democratic societies globally, is restricted  by China, he said.

For anyone who breaks the rules, China will cut that persons access to dealings in China, according to Eftimiades.

Theyll cut business deals for business persons the same way theyll cut Hollywood, from showing films in the worlds largest market in China, if theres anything that they find offensive, he said. Its an often imposed form of self-censorship.

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.
On Oct. 19, 2022, one Hong Kong expat involved in a protest outside the Chinese Consulate in Manchester, UK, held his first public press conference. He said that he was dragged into the consulate and beaten by several men, causing him to be hospitalized overnight for the injuries. (Ben Stansall/AFP)

Chinas Wolf Warrior Diplomacy: Violence Toward UK Protesters

Commentary

Hong Kong residents are familiar with the aggressiveness of the Party cadres, who have become increasingly condescending after the 1997 handover. Despite Article 22 of Hong Kongs Basic Law explicitly stipulating that no department of the central government and no province may interfere in Hong Kongs domestic affairs, the Liaison Office claims that it is not bound by this article and has the right to exercise supervisory power over the Hong Kong government.

Such leftism is, of course, not limited to Hong Kong. The latest case found outside mainland China took place on Oct. 16 in front of the Chinese consulate in Manchester, UK. As Hong Kong expats protested peacefully outside the consulate, members of the consular staff rushed out, confiscated a caricature of Xi Jinping by force, dragged a protester onto the consulate grounds, and then beat him up. Police on site managed to drag him out of the consulate gate and onto the public sidewalk.

After the incident, a consulate spokesperson described the protesters as a small bunch of Hong Kong independence advocates and said that the display of images insulting Xi would be intolerable and unacceptable for any diplomatic and consular missions of any country. However, none of that justifies the physical attack. The 1963 Vienna Convention stipulates the inviolability of consular premises and some immunity of consulate staff, who are, however, still liable for personal conduct that violates the laws of the host country. Interfering with a peaceful protest and committing violence against protesters in a host country is not part of legitimate consular service.

The BBC reported that at least eight embassy staff members were involved in the incident. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) keeps saying that it will not interfere in the affairs of other countries, but it didnt refrain from using violence toward a small protest on foreign soil. Actions speak louder than words.

One astounding detail is that those who interfered with the protest, and captured on camera, were not ordinary people but core members of the consulate, reportedly: Consul-General Zheng Xiyuan, Deputy Consul-General Fan Yingjie, consul Gao Lianjia, and counsellor Chen Wei. Such wolf warriors carrying out blatant aggression on foreign soil naturally caused an outcry. Hong Kong people are reminded of Sun Yat-sen being kidnapped in London in the nineteenth century. People outside Hong Kong will now find it easier to believe that, given the regimes blatant violence on foreign soil, the Chinese have exerted more brutal violence in Hong Kong, their own territory, by hiring Putonghua-speaking police to suppress protestors, and causing an unprecedented number of floating bodies and young suicide victims falling from buildings during the 2019 anti-extradition protests, and the fall of civil society under the National Security Law.

The top priority of Chinese officials sent abroad is supposed to be promoting communication and understanding; but they always tend to be politically oriented. The most classic case is the Cultural Revolution, during which Beijing explicitly stated that ultra-leftism was only to be practiced in the mainland, not in Hong Kong or Macau, which were British and Portuguese colonies respectively at that time. However, Macau witnessed the 1966 Riot, which almost toppled the Portuguese colonial government; the Hong Kong Xinhua News Agency, after sending a delegation to learn Macaus advanced experience, followed suit, and the unaccomplished 1967 riots resulted in widespread antipathy towards China among Hong Kong residents.

Ultra-leftism has evolved into wolf warrior diplomacy in the Xi era. Chinese embassies interfere in the affairs of the host countries, such as infringing on the academic freedom of universities; demanding the cancellation of the exhibition in Italy of Badiucao, a Chinese political cartoonist; and asking U.S. enterprises to lobby Congress to drop the anti-China bill. The Chinese communists have made it clear that diplomats must take a strong stance and dare to struggle when facing challenges.

Will Britains Tories make use of this incident to deal a severe blow to China in order to regain some popularity? Despite the communists intention to warn the Hong Kong populace not to pursue the path of Hong Kong independence, is it too great a price to pay if this leads to a new impasse in Sino-British relations?

What constitutes an insult to a leader deserves more thought. If it is from a government official, condemnation may be justified; but when from the public, the words are an exercise in the right to free speech. Recently, an image was circulating on the web showing a box of minced beef with Liz Trusss name and image on it, captioned 0% brains. This kind of insult is commonplace in the West, but incomprehensible to communists under a one-party dictatorship.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Dr. Peter McCullough, an internist, cardiologist, epidemiologist, and leading expert on COVID-19 treatment, expressed concern over the recent move by advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommend adding COVID-19 vaccines to the child and adolescent immunization schedules.

All 15 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted on Oct. 20 to add the Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax vaccines to the 2023 child and adolescent immunization schedules for ages 18 and younger, asserting that the vaccines can still prevent severe diseasedespite waning efficacy.

I see patients with COVID-19 in my practice over the course of the last three years, including giving advice on younger children. The [COVID-19] disease is characteristically mild and is easily treated. And so the vaccines are not medically necessary, theyre not clinically indicated, McCullough told NTD News.

We dont have any assurances that these are going to be safe over the short or even longer term, he added. As a cardiologist, I have great concerns over myocarditis.

Thailand Research

McCullough cited a paper by Thailand researchers published in August that showed a rate of 2.3 percent of damage to the heart in children aged 1318 who took the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

And thats just with one shot, he noted, referring to the paper. So Im greatly concerned that this [CDC] decision is off the rails. These vaccines are still experimental, and they shouldnt be brought into the vaccine schedule.

The COVID-19 vaccines have proven increasingly ineffective against both infection and severe illness from newer virus variants. In addition, there is no evidence the vaccines protect against severe disease for children under 5. The clinical trials for that population werent powered to measure such efficacy.

An image from a CDC presentation shows the proposed additions to the child and adolescent immunization schedules. (CDC via The Epoch Times)

McCullough expressed concerns over the efficacy and dosage of the vaccines. The original vaccines, which are being recommended to be added to the schedule, are now obsolete, he noted, adding that they were coded against the original Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Moderna and Pfizer had pediatric dosing. There was great concern that children closer to age 12 would be getting too much, he also noted. But those vaccines are obsolete.

McCullough also expressed concerns over the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent boosters, which have also been recommended by the ACIP members to be added to the child and adolescent immunization schedules.

The new bivalent booster vaccines have never been tested in humans at all, neither adults nor children, he said. So I cant imagine whats going to come out on the schedule with respect to the series of injections, the schedule of when theyre given, and then which ones, because the bivalent vaccines have never been tested in any human being.

In the United States, both bivalent boosters from Pfizer and Moderna contain formula directed against the original, extinct Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and against the common elements of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. The new bivalent boosters havent been tested in humans at all.

These bivalent vaccine boostersthey failed in animal studies, they were approved anyway for adults, McCullough noted. Now the real quandary is what does happen with a pediatric vaccine schedule? All this adds up to [that] these vaccines in no way should be added to a routine schedule.

McCullough warned the move could erode parents trust in the vaccine schedule, adding, if they lose trust, they may back out of the entire vaccine schedule for children.

Under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, no vaccine manufacturer shall be liable in a civil action for damages arising from a vaccine-related injury or death for any vaccine recommended for children. As such, vaccines recommended for children, as in the recent ACIP vote, will receive automatic immunity from liability, including when the vaccine is administered to an adult.

That act provided a liability shield for the manufacturers, McCullough said, noting that at the time the law was enacted, various vaccines were being developed. That act should be dissolved at this point in time [and] the vaccine manufacturers should be held fully liable in cases where children are injured from vaccines.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.

Epoch Health articles are for informational purposes and are not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult a trusted professional for personal medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment. Have a question? Email us at AskADoctor@epochtimes.nyc
An exterior view of the Airport Branch Courthouse of the Los Angeles Superior Court at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 7, 2013. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Ex-UCLA Gynecologist Found Guilty of 5 Sex-Related Charges, Acquitted of 7 Others

A former University of CaliforniaLos Angeles (UCLA) gynecologist was found guilty Oct. 20 of sexually abusing patients during his tenure at the university.

Dr. James Mason Heaps, 65, was indicted on 21 sex-related charges involving seven patients between 2009 and 2018 but was only found guilty of five countsthree counts of sexual battery by fraud and two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person.

The charges involved two patients, with jurors finding that both victims were particularly vulnerable and that Heaps had abused a position of trust.

The judge acquitted Heaps on seven other chargesincluding one count of sexual exploitationwhile jurors deadlocked on the remaining nine. Prosecutors have not announced if any of those charges will be retried.

Heapswho is set to be sentenced Nov. 17is facing anywhere between 21 and 28 years in state prison, along with mandatory lifetime registration as a sex offender, Deputy District Attorney Danette Meyers said after the verdicts were read.

Hes a predator, Meyers told reporters shortly after Heaps was handcuffed in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom and led away to a courthouse lockup.

One of the victims whom Heaps was convicted of sexually battering told the judge, Im fearful. I dont feel safe.

A registered nurse cares for COVID-19 patients in a makeshift ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Calif., on Jan. 21, 2021. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael D. Carter ordered Heaps to be taken into custody without bail shortly after he was found guilty.

Heapss attorney, Leonard Levine, had urged the judge to allow his client to remain free on bond, saying electronic monitoring or house arrest could be ordered if Carter had any concerns about Heapss whereabouts.

However, Carter ordered Heaps to be taken into custody without bail, calling the charges serious and citing a potential flight risk because Heaps has now been convicted.

Defense Attorney Disappointed With Guilty Verdicts

Outside court, Heapss attorney said the defense was disappointed with the guilty verdicts, but gratified with the panels decision on the counts on which Heaps was acquitted.

Levine said he is planning on appealing the verdict, and Heaps would be found not guilty if jurors had heard all of their evidence they provided.

He told reporters that there were significant issues and rulings that the court made that we think had an effect on the juryevidence that we offered that the court would not introduce or allowed to be introduced concerning financial bias on the part of the alleged victims, the contact with attorneys well before they contacted the police, the filing of lawsuits and so forth.

He said he also plans to ask the judge to grant his client a new trial.

Meyers countered that the prosecution would have had the right to call all 500-plus victims who were part of a civil lawsuit if that had been deemed admissible, saying that it would have been a two-second verdict if that evidence had been deemed admissible.

Fellow prosecutor Rosa Zavala said the verdict demonstrated that no one is above the law.

Dr. Heaps is not above the law. These women were brave. They told their story and now he is going to be held accountable, she said.

In her rebuttal argument earlier this month, Zavala told jurors that Heaps capitalized on the vulnerability of his patients and all of these medical needs created an excuse for him to begin some sort of procedure that then turns sexual.

Heapss attorney countered that the evidence showed the examinations performed by his client were appropriate and for a medical purpose.

He told the panel that his client is a doctor who did his job and did his job well and said he believes the case involved medical examinations that were sexualized by the patients.

UCLAs $700 Million Settlement

Heapswho was ordered in 2019 to cease and desist from the practice of medicine as a condition of bail after he was first charged in 2019served as a gynecologist/oncologist, affiliated with UCLA, for nearly 35 years.

At one time, he was reportedly the highest-paid physician in the University of California system and had treated about 6,000 patients, attorneys said.

More than 500 lawsuits were filed against Heaps and UCLA, accusing the school of failing to protect patients after becoming aware of the misconduct.

Attorney Darren Kavinokywho along with colleague Jennifer McGrath represents three of the charged victims and more than 300 victims in a civil lawsuit against the University of California that resulted in a $374 million settlementalso commented after the verdict.

Today, justice has been served. James Heaps is now a convicted felon, a convicted sex offender. While nothing can give these women back what they lost as a result of this case or reverse the trauma that Dr. Heaps inflicted, this conviction holds him accountable for his horrific actions and is a victory for us all, he said.

The settlement came on top of a $243.6 million resolution of lawsuits involving about 200 patients announced in February, and a $73 million settlement of federal lawsuits reached last year involving roughly 5,500 plaintiffs.

A student walks toward Royce Hall on the campus of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 11, 2020. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

The lawsuits alleged that UCLA actively and deliberately concealed Heapss sexual abuse of patients and continued to allow Heaps to have unfettered sexual access to female patientsmany of whom were cancer patientsat the university.

UCLA issued a statement in May saying, The conduct alleged to have been committed by Heaps is reprehensible and contrary to our values. We are grateful to all those who came forward, and hope this settlement is one step toward providing some level of healing for the plaintiffs involved.

The federal lawsuits alleged that while patients complained about Heaps years earlier, it was not until late 2017 that the allegations were reported to UCLAs Title IX office, and a formal investigation was opened.

Heaps was allowed to continue seeing patientsboth during the investigation and after the university informed him that his contract would not be renewed when it expired on June 30, 2018.

The university ended his employment and notified law enforcement of the allegations against him on June 14, 2018.

Heaps was arrested in June 2019 and charged with multiple counts of sexual battery. Following his arrest, many more women came forward to report alleged sexual misconduct, and in August 2020, Heaps was charged with additional felonies.

In a similar case, the University of Southern California in March 2021 agreed to pay more than $1.1 billion to former patients of ex-campus gynecologist George Tyndall, the largest sex abuse payout in higher education history.

Tyndallthe only full-time gynecologist at the universitys student health clinic from 1989 until 2016has pleaded not guilty to dozens of sexual assault charges.

City News Service contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden speaks about student debt relief at Delaware State University in Dover, Del., on Oct. 21, 2022. (Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images)

Federal Appeals Court Temporarily Halts Bidens Student Loan Relief

A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked President Joe Bidens plan to cancel billions of dollars in federal student loans.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency petition from six Republican-led states who asked for a pause on the student debt relief while the court rules on their request for a longer-term injunction.

The St. Louis-based appeals court also ordered an expedited briefing schedule on the matter.

The lawsuit by the six Republican-led statesNebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and South Carolinais before the appeals court after a lower court judge rejected the suit a day prior.

The states had argued that the debt relief program bypassed Congress and posed a threat to the states future tax revenues, as well as money earned by state entities that invest in or service the student loans. But U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey in St. Louis determined that while the six states had raised important and significant challenges to the debt relief plan, their lawsuit lacked the necessary legal standing to pursue the case.

Autreys decision had come about an hour after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied without explanation an emergency request to put the debt relief plan on hold in a separate challenge brought by the Wisconsin-based Brown County Taxpayers Association.

Bidens student debt relief program, announced in August, seeks to cancel up to $10,000 to borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year (or $250,000 as a couple per year), or $20,000 in debt relief to Pell Grant recipients who meet similar income standards.

Applications opened on Oct. 14. Nearly 22 million borrowers had applied for the debt relief program since, Biden said earlier Friday. This constitutes about half of the more than 40 million Americans that the Department of Education expects are eligible for some amount of debt relief.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Felon Gets Life Without Parole for Fathers Day Fatal Shooting in Santa Ana

SANTA ANA, Calif.A 36-year-old felon was sentenced Oct. 21 to life in prison without the possibility of parole for gunning down a father working in his food truck on Fathers Day as the defendant was aiming at a gang rival in Santa Ana.

Jose De Jesus Gomez-Ochoa was convicted in March of murder with a special-circumstances allegation of gang activity and sentencing enhancements for the discharge of a gun causing death. He was also convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Menninger tacked on 25 years to life to the sentence.

Ochoa has two prior strike convictions for drug dealing in 2011 and possession of a firearm by a felon in 2012.

He was convicted of killing 52-year-old Eliu Armando Gramajo on June 19, 2016.

In a sentencing brief, Senior Deputy District Attorney Janine Madera said the defendant intentionally went into a gang neighborhood with a fully loaded firearm and shot five times down a residential street.

He shot at a food truck, knowing that not only was he shooting at the intended target, but also not knowing and caring that someone was working inside and that any number of people could have been hurt, Madera said.

Ochoa not only killed the victim, but also endangered every man, woman, and child who lived or happened to be on that street that day, Madera wrote. The defendant made all of these violent choices at 30 years old, being married with children, so he clearly was old enough to understand the gravity of his actions.

Just after 7 p.m. that day, Gramajo, a father of three, was working in his food truck at 1702 Evergreen Street when the defendant opened fire on Vladimir Silva, but instead wounded Gramajo, Madera said in her opening statement.

He was working on Fathers Day to support his family, Madera said.

The food truck had been there for several years on the border of two warring gangs in Santa Ana, Madera said.

Evergreen was at the heart of a gang dispute, she added.

Gramajos food truck was tagged with graffiti of a rival gang of the defendants, Madera said.

Surveillance video from a laundry business was played for jurors showing Ochoa getting out of his Chevrolet pickup, gun in hand, and dashing down an alley toward Evergreen with another man standing by the vehicle as a lookout, Madera said.

Silva was known as Danger and associated with a rival gang of the defendants, Madera said. He was at the food truck to pick up a meal when Ochoa opened fire on him, Madera said.

Ochoa was arrested the following day. When he was shown stills from the surveillance video, he denied it was him or his truck, Madera said.

But during jailhouse calls to his mother and girlfriend, he made multiple incriminating comments about the evidence against him in the case and at one point, said, I killed him, momhe was innocent, according to Madera.

Ochoas attorney, Marin G. Stapleton Jr., said in his opening statement of the trial, This is a case about who killed Mr. Gramajo.

He added, It was clear that this was a tragedy.  But this trial is about whos responsible for it.

Stapleton said that Ochoa lied his way through his entire interview with police but, he admitted it was his gang that killed the victim in the case while shooting at my client.
Funeral for 2 Ambushed Officers Draws Peers From Around US

EAST HARTFORD, Conn.The grieving widows of two slain Connecticut police officers gave tearful tributes to their husbands Friday during a funeral attended by thousands of law enforcement officers from around the country.

Others who spoke at the service for Bristol officers Dustin DeMonte and Alex Hamzy pleaded for an end to hatred and suspicion against the police.

To Alex and Dustin, you were both true heroes, amazing people and you will be missed beyond words by everyone, said DeMontes wife, Laura, who is pregnant with their third child. I am so sorry this happened to you. Two of the very best humans. So kind, positive and fun-loving.

DeMonte, Hamzy, and Officer Alec Iurato were shot Oct. 12 in what police believe was an ambush set up by a 911 call made by the shooter, Nicholas Brutcher. Iurato, who survived a gunshot wound to his leg, struggled to get behind a police cruiser and fired a single shot that killed Brutcher. Brutchers brother, Nathan, also was shotpossibly by his brotherand survived.

This combo of images shows (LR) Bristol, Conn. Police Department Sgt. Dustin Demonte, Officer Alex Hamzy, and Officer Alec Iurato. (Connecticut State Police via AP)

DeMonte was a sergeant with 10 years experience on the force, and Hamzy was an officer for eight years. The funeral included formal, posthumous promotions of DeMonte to lieutenant and Hamzy to sergeant.

Without the crutches he has been using because of his wound, Iurato carried a flag into the stadium during the ceremony. He did not speak at the service, but several people who did called him a hero. He received a standing ovation later during the funeral when Bristols police chief spoke of his bravery.

Hamzys wife, Katie, said there werent enough words for her to describe her love for husband and read a quote she said she came across when he first became a police officer.

When I see his badge, it is not just a number, Katie Hamzy said, reading from the quote and crying. It signifies honor and it has my ultimate respect. His badge that I proudly stand behind lies upon his chest, close to his heart, because this call on his life as an officer takes heart.

She added: So while you may know my officer as a number, know he is far more than that. He is my hero, my protection, the love of my life and, of course, my heart. I love you Alex.

Thousands of police officers, some from as far away as California, Colorado, Texas, and Canada, were in the stands for the nearly three-hour ceremony at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, the University of Connecticuts 40,000-seat stadium in East Hartford.

Police officers file into Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field for a funeral service for Bristol Police officers Dustin DeMonte and Alex Hamzy in East Hartford, Conn., on Oct. 21, 2022. (Sean Fowler/Hartford Courant via AP)

Parts of major highways in the Hartford and New Haven areas were shut down as processions that included dozens of police motorcycles escorted the two officers bodies from funeral homes to the stadium.

Officers carried the American-flag-draped caskets into the stadium, followed by the officers families and other Bristol officers and firefighters. Relatives of DeMonte and Hamzy were comforted and escorted to their seats by officers and others.

The flags on the caskets were folded and given to the widows at the end of the funeral. Officers then returned the caskets to the hearses as bagpipers played Amazing Grace.

Police line the path as the hearses for Bristol Police officers Dustin DeMonte and Alex Hamzy arrive at a funeral service in East Hartford, Conn., on Oct. 21, 2022. (Sean Fowler/Hartford Courant via AP)

Mourners had streamed into the stadium over several hours before the service began an hour late around noon.

Officers from other states said it was important to show support in large numbers after such a tragedy, especially to the fallen officers families and letting them know theyre not alone.

Were all family, said Sgt. Greg Dube, of the New Hampshire State Police. We definitely feel their pain. The best way we can show our respect is in strength in numbers.

Police officers file into Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field for a funeral service for Bristol Police officers Dustin DeMonte and Alex Hamzy in East Hartford, Conn. on Oct. 21, 2022. (Sean Fowler/Hartford Courant via AP)

DeMonte, 35, and Hamzy, 34, who both worked in patrol, were described by family, friends and colleagues as respected officers who were dedicated to the Bristol community, who cared deeply for their families and who put others ahead of themselves.

DeMonte, who also was a school resource officer, volunteered to honor local officers killed in the line of duty and help the homeless. Hamzy enjoyed mentoring youths and was an adviser to the Bristol Youth Cadet Program.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shooting. A preliminary report said Brutcher fired more than 80 rounds as he attacked the officers from behind. The state inspector general also said in the report that it was evident Iuratos use of deadly force on Brutcher was justified.
Protesters stand on the back of a truck during the Freedom Convoy demonstrations against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

GoFundMe Denies Seizing Funds Raised for Freedom Convoy

Crowdfunding company GoFundMe has denied seizing donors money after it shut down the fundraising account for the truckers protest in Ottawa, according to Blacklocks Reporter.

A letter from lawyers sent to the Public Order Emergency Commission inquiry said rumours that GoFundMe failed to promptly refund contributions were a misunderstanding.

All donors are expected to see a full refund including any tip and transaction fee, the letter said.

GoFundMe took their Freedom Convoy fundraiser offline on Feb. 4. Juan Benitez, former president of GoFundMe, said that neither the federal government nor local authorities contacted him to dismantle the fundraiser. He said he proactively sought them out after hearing their statements in the media.

At that time, GoFundMe said donors could choose another independent charity for their funds to go to or request a refund, but this became misunderstood after rumours circulated on social media, causing people to lash out at GoFundMe, according to the lawyers.

Shortly after making its announcement GoFundMe employees experienced a flood of violent and threatening messages including death threats, the lawyers wrote. The letter mentioned Tim Pool, who told his million followers on Twitter, GoFundMe just stole the Freedom Convoys money.

GoFundMe released a statement on Feb. 5 saying that due to donor feedback it would automatically refund donors to simplify the process.

$10 Million, Mostly Canadian

Our records show that 88 percent of donated funds originated in Canada, and 86 percent of donors were from Canada, said Benitez back in March.

The letter to the Emergencies Act inquiry from the lawyers said that fundraising for the protest reached approximately $10 million from over 133,000 donors.

Benitez said GoFundMe could detect nefarious activities, but nothing was significant enough to report. Our tools did flag some behaviour that we deemed unacceptable, and we did remove some donations, he said.

There was virtually no, perhaps a handful at most, of donations from Russia. In our opinion and the evidence we see, there was just no coordinated effort there to have any kind of contribution or impact.

Multiple government officials had suggested that the protests could be foreign-funded.

It is important that we follow the money because for a number of weeks there have been alarm bells going off about the rate at which the leaders have been able to raise significant funds, much of which has been raised from abroad, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Feb. 16.

We have seen strong evidence that it was the intention of those who blockaded our ports of entry in a largely foreign-funded, targeted, and coordinated attack which was clearly criminally intended to harm Canada, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair told reporters Feb. 16.

A transcript at the Oct. 18 commission hearing showed that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service advised the federal government on Feb. 6 that CSIS has also not seen any foreign money coming from other states to support this.

Noe Chartier contributed to this report.
In hopes of helping to prepare and educate kids and parents on staying safe and secure in a digital world, a number of presentations will be held by Smart GEN Society locally.

Smart GEN Society is a national organization based in Omaha that focuses on empowering students and parents to make smart choices in the digital world. The group has given workshops, seminars and other educational opportunities in 15 states.

The main focus is preventative education for students and parents and educators to make sure that they understand the ramifications of social media, both the positives and the negatives, and how they can make the best choices to stay on brand, stay safe and protect their own privacy, Smart GEN Society CEO and Founder Amie Konwinski said.

Next week, Smart Gen Society presentations will be held in Columbus.

We are bringing the talks to the schools and then we're also hosting some parent presentations, targeting kind of the lifespan for kids, at least, for early childhood with their toddlers and tech all the way up to our adolescence. Hoping to impact as many families as possible with all of this information, said Dr. Tara Sjuts, a psychologist at Columbus Psychiatry Clinic and board president of Smart GEN Society.

With Columbus Community Hospitals support, Parenting the Smart Gen will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, in the first floor conference center at CCH. On Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Toddlers and Tech will be held in the Columbus Wellness Centers multipurpose room.

Sjuts noted that, as a parent herself, current parents are trying to parent in a world they didnt grow up in.

The first time that I heard the Smart GEN talk, I was just absolutely blown away, Sjuts said. I had thought that I was somewhat tech savvy and knew my way around the world and what was going on. But there's so much more going on behind the scenes and online that our kids are dealing with that parents just have no idea is out there or how real it really is.

Helping kids needs to be done from a community perspective, she added.

The more we can help our parents and make sure they know what's going on, the more of a wraparound impact we're going to be able to have with our kids, Sjuts said.

Sjuts noted it can be difficult to put boundaries in place and have conversations with kids about social media and screen time when the parents themselves may not understand what can happen online.

I think this Smart GEN presentation does such a great job of highlighting the current state of the digital world and what kids are facing, Sjuts said. It gives parents a bit of a window into that so that they can kind of take that as the first step in learning about what our kids are dealing with in terms of predators and phishing and things like that, that are happening literally daily.

With CCH supporting the presentations, Sjuts said that the hospital recognizes them as a benefit for the community and a way for them to be offered locally without residents needing to drive to Omaha.

The depression and suicide rates are just skyrocketing and the pressures that kids are facing online is overwhelming, Sjuts said. I love that the hospital sees that and wants to do something to address that, and part of that is just (to) start making changes here in our own community.

Konwinski added that Smart GEN Society presentations receive positive responses.

Especially in the parenting presentations, we teach parents how to have good communication tools to use to talk to their own kids about social media and digital technology. They are always very thankful for the information. And it gives them those good talking points, so they can have really meaningful digital plans within their own families and households, Konwinski said.

Right now, we know that online exploitation is up and 97.5%. So it's just really important that parents are aware of some of the pitfalls of predator and peer exploitation on their digital devices.

Although RSVPs to the presentations were asked to be submitted by Saturday, Sjuts said that everyone is welcome to attend, even without an RSVP. Those who still wish to RSVP can do so by emailing kadahl@columbushosp.org or calling 402-562-3359.
Ex-Deputy Leader of the Greens in the Senate Lidia Thorpe speaks to the crowd with mock blood on her hands on September 22, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. Indigenous groups have held "Abolish the Monarchy" rallies around Australia on Thursday to highlight the impact of British colonisation in Australia. Thursday 22 September was declared a one-off public holiday as a National Day of Mourning for Australia following Queen Elizabeth II's death. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Greens Senator Under Probe for Undisclosed Relationship With Ex Gang Boss

Left-wing Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe is under investigation over whether she breached any confidence when dating an ex-gang leader while being a member of the law enforcement committee.

It comes as Labor and the Coalition are both placing pressure on Greens leader Adam Bandt to take stronger action against Thorpe, who announced her resignation from her role as Greens deputy leader in the Senate on Thursday. Thorpe will still retain her senator seat.

Thorpe confirmed to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that she was in a brief relationship with Dean Martin, the former president of the outlaw motorcycle gang Rebels, in early 2021.

However, she didnt disclose her relationship to party leader Bandt despite sitting on a parliamentary committee that granted her access to confidential documents on gangs, sparking concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Chair Helen Polley announced a probe into the Thorpe on Friday.

Incoming Senator Lidia Thorpe during her swearing-in at in the Senate at Parliament House on October 06, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Theres been a breach of trust, and we want to check the facts, the Labor senator said.

She has shown such poor judgement, declaring a conflict of interest is Senate 101  this feeds into the discourse that politicians are in it for themselves as the Albanese government is trying to restore that public faith in the integrity of politics.

With Senator Thorpes contempt for the Senate with the swearing-in ceremony and now the breach of trust in failing to advise of a conflict of interest, she should consider if its the right place for her, she said.

She told The Australian that the committees secretariat is looking into all previous minutes taken during meetings when the Australian Federal Police (AFP) gave briefings about criminal gangs in which Thorpe was in attendance.

Major Parties On Unity Ticket

At the same time, the centre-right Coalition warned Thorpe could face a censure motiona move showing no confidence in a minister or governmentwhich could result in Thorpes removal from Parliament.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Thorpe was unfit to serve.

From day one with Lidia Thorpe, its always been about her. Its never been about the institution she serves and the privilege she has representing the great state of Victoria, she told Sky News Australia.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley speaks during question time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 4, 2019. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Ley argued that despite being aware of the confidentiality of the law enforcement committee, Thorpe had used or abused it by being associated with an outlaw motorcycle gang, which is simply not good enough.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also weighed in on the issue, calling on Bandt to provide a full explanation of what exactly the circumstances were.

The fact that he apparently wasnt aware of this information from Senator Thorpe, even though it was reported to his office, clearly shows that they need to change their procedures that are in place, he told reporters in Perth.

Meanwhile, One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson criticised the Greens for demanding integrity and principle from everyone except themselves.

If Senator Thorpe had principles, she would resign from the Senate. If Greens leader Adam Bandt had integrity, he would kick her out of his party, she said in a statement.

Education Minister Jason Clare said the relationship was a clear conflict of interest.

You cant be on an inquiry investigating outlaw motorcycle gangs and be in a relationship with an (ex) outlaw motorcycle gang member, a bikie, he told Sevens Sunrise program on Friday.

Thorpe previously admitted the mistakes she had made.

I  have not exercised good judgement, she said in a statement.

AAP contributed to this article.
The Fungi Future Is Here  at an Urban Mushroom Farm Just South of Downtown L.A.
Comparing old Hubble observatory pictures with ones from the brand-new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a bit like contrasting grainy VHS tape with crisp, laser-sharp 4K. NASA just released this show-stopping new nebula photo, adorned with countless baby stars sparkling like cosmic Christmas decorations, and its enough to make your knees wobble.

The Pillars of Creation nebula, captured by NASAs James Webb Space Telescope, which launched on Christmas Day in 2021. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)).

The original iconic shot of the newly forming stars and elongated nebula structure, called the Pillars of Creation, was first captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995. That same telescope later revisited the formation in 2014. Many other observatories have also stared deeply at this nebula.

NASAs recent shots of this star nursery reveal a level of detail never seen before. The JWST, using its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument, zoomed in on a small section of the vast Eagle Nebula, located some 6,500 light years away, where knots of dust and gas have pulled together, compelled by the force of their own gravity, heated up, and begun the early stages of forming new stars.

Stretched out like long, gnarly fingers, these accumulations of gas and space dust are the most notable features of the Pillars of Creation. Just beyond their reach, infant stars display diffraction spikes, looking like trillions of glittering diamonds from afar.

Looking closely at the majestic, rock-like formations of the Pillars, you can see wave-like undulations flowing outward from them, which, according to NASA, result from jets of gas being ejected from protostars being born within. This can sometimes cause wavy patterns that look like the wake of a boat traveling through the water. The brightly-glowing crimson masses inside these dusty pillars are caused by energetic hydrogen molecules resulting from these jets. These new young stars are estimated to be only a few hundred thousand years old. Only indeed.

(L) The Pillars of Creation nebula captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995; (R) The Pillars of Creation nebula captured by NASAs James Webb Space Telescope in 2022. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)).

The penetrating sensors of the JWSTs NIRCam seem to see right through the nebula, as though it was almost transparent, yet nowhere in this picture can be seen distant galaxies beyond our Milky Way. The tightly cropped view focuses on the densest part of our galaxy where translucent gas and dust called interstellar medium obscure more distant regions of the universe.

The heightened precision of JWSTs new picture of the Pillars of Creation will help researchers to revamp their models of star formation, allowing them to count more precisely the number of stars inside this cosmic nursery, and measure the quantity of gas and dust in its vicinity. Over time, [these data] will begin to build a clearer understanding of how stars form and burst out of these dusty clouds over millions of years, NASA said.

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On Oct. 19, Zheng Xiyuan, Consul General of the Chinese Communist Party in Manchester, was interviewed by Sky News (screenshot of the interview video from Sky News), and believed that it was his "duty" for pulling the hair of the Hong Kong protesters shown on the left. ". (Matthew Leung/THE CHASER NEWS/AFP)

Its My Duty, Says Chinese Consul-General in Manchester Seen Pulling Protesters Hair

The incident of beating up Hongkongers by the Chinese consulate staff members in Manchester, England, continues to escalate. On Oct. 20, Zheng Xiyuan, the consul general of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Manchester, admitted to beating people but did not admit any wrongdoing.

On Oct. 16, a Hong Kong protester was dragged into the Chinese consulate in Manchester and brutally beaten. Four diplomats, including the Chinese consul general in Manchester, were suspected of taking part in the beating incident, arousing international attention and condemnation. British police are currently investigating the attack, and Chinese diplomats are under scrutiny.

Zheng Xiyuan Admits to Being Involved in Beating Incident

The British government has issued a summons to the Chinese Charge dAffaires at the Chinese Embassy in London, requesting him to explain the incident. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the protest of 30 to 40 people (in front of the Chinese consulate in Manchester) on Oct. 16 was peaceful and legal. The protesters included Hong Kong citizens now living in the UK.

In an Oct. 19 interview with Sky News, Zheng Xiyuan, defended the actions of himself and his staff, saying the slogans of Hong Kongs pro-democracy protesters incite violence.

I dont attack anybody. I am just peacefully, said Zheng.

Asked by a Sky News reporter about a photo showing him wearing a mask and pulling the hair of the victim, Bob Chan, Zheng changed his mind and argued: I think its my duty (as a diplomat).

The interviewer asked, To pull his hair? Zheng responded, Yes! He added that any diplomat would do the same in such a situation.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly supports the fighting spirit.

On Oct. 20, Ma Zhaoxu, Vice Foreign Minister of the CCP, said at the fourth press conference of the 20th National Congress that daring to fight is the spiritual quality of the CCPs diplomacy. He added that the CCPs diplomacy will continue to demonstrate its fighting spirit, improve its combat capability, and always be ready to safeguard the CCPs national interests and dignity on the front line, We dare to show our swords and fight resolutely on Taiwan, Hong Kong-related, Xinjiang-related, Tibet-related, maritime-related, human rights, and other issues, effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Current affairs commentator Li Linyi said that Ma Zhaoxus speech at the 20th National Congress of the CCP, saying that he must dare to fight, is tantamount to indirectly supporting Zheng beating protesters. At the same time, Zheng also said in an interview with British Sky News, It is my duty.

Another sign is that under the atmosphere of the CCPs massive left-turn, CCP diplomats have become more shameless. In the case of conclusive evidence such as video footage, Zheng Xiyuan has the cheek to say that it was his duty to beat people, he said.

Li Linyi added that from another perspective, it is understandable why he did this and why he said it. As he felt that the protesters were insulting Xi Jinping, and he came forward to defend Xi by beating people, any diplomatic price was worth it because he could be promoted later.

Chinese diplomats have become more combative on the international stage as relations with the West continue to deteriorate over issues ranging from human rights to COVID-19. Analysis believes that this wolf warrior tone is aimed at domestic audiences.

A global survey released last month by the Pew Research Center found that views of the CCP in the U.S. and other advanced economies have deteriorated dramatically under Xi.

What Xi Jinping seems to be sketching is a foreign policy that accepts the long-term strategic competition between China and the United States, Neil Thomas, senior analyst at U.S. risk consultancy Eurasia Group, told Nikkei Asia.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an international organization composed of 18 countries and the European Parliament, and more than 170 members of parliament from different parties have condemnation Zheng Xiyuans words.

IPAC member Tim Loughton, a Conservative MP for the UK, wrote, stressing the need for strong action, which involves chucking out some of those people and it involves posting additional police outside every CCP-run establishment in the UK to make sure that no more peaceful demonstrators are attacked in this way.

IPAC member Afzal Gorton, a UK Labour MP, wrote that it was disgusting for the Chinese consul general to arrogantly claim that it was his duty to tear down protest banners and attack protesters.

IPAC co-chair and former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith wrote to secure an Urgent Question debate on the Communist China Consul Generals role in the attack on Manchester Hong Kong protesters. During the debate, cross-party MPs called for the revocation of the diplomatic immunity of the consul general and other relevant officials.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their meeting in Tokyo on Sept. 27, 2022. (Japan Pool Via Jiji Press/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images)

Japan, Australia Sign Defense Pact Enabling Joint Measures During Contingencies

Japan and Australia have signed a joint security pact allowing them to consult on contingencies that threaten their national security interests amid growing concerns over ChinaTaiwan tensions.

Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, signed a joint declaration (pdf) in Perth on Saturday, which is an updated version of a declaration signed between their predecessors in 2007.

Japan regards Australia as a special strategic partner that forms the core within the cooperation by the like-minded countries of Japan, Australia, India, and the United States, Kishida said in a statement a day before the meeting.

The latest joint declaration states the two nations will consult with each other on contingencies that threaten their sovereignty and regional security interests, and consider measures in response.

They vowed to boost exchanges of strategic assessments at all levels, including through annual reciprocal leaders meetings, foreign and defense ministers meetings, dialogues between senior officials, and intelligence cooperation.

Bolstering US Cooperation

The declaration also includes reinforcing their alliances with the United States, which are viewed as critical pillars for the two nations security, as well as the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific.

Deepening trilateral cooperation with the United States is critical to enhancing our strategic alignment, policy coordination, interoperability, and joint capability, the declaration says.

The two nations aim to deepen practical cooperation and further enhance interoperability between their armed forces through joint exercises, multilateral exercises with partners, and mutual use of facilities.

Albanese said the updated joint declaration will serve as a compass for our security cooperation for the next decade and accelerate their efforts to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Australia-Japan relationship is unique and of benefit to the whole region given our shared values and interests, he said in a statement.

While China was not mentioned in the updated joint declaration, the move appeared to be in response to the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) growing military presence in the region and provocations against Taiwan.

Shingo Yamagami, the Japanese ambassador to Australia, said on Twitter that the two nations updated their bilateral security pact with a view to increasing deterrence due to the changing security environment in the Indo-Pacific.

Japan devoted significant space of this years annual defense report to Taiwan, stating that Taiwans stability is critical for Japans security and must be closely monitored with a sense of urgency while cooperating with the international community.

China has made clear that it would not hesitate to unify Taiwan by force, further increasing tensions in the region, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said in the report released on July 22.

The CCP claims Taiwan as part of its territory, even though Taiwan is a sovereign nation with a democratically elected government. Beijing has vowed to conquer Taiwan by force if necessary.

China initiated 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.
L: Boris Johnson arrives at Gatwick Airport in London on Oct. 22, 2022. (Gareth Fuller/PA) M: Rishi Sunak outside his home in London on Oct. 22, 2022. (Beresford Hodge/PA) R: Undated file photo of Penny Mordaunt. (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Johnson Lands in London as Sunak Believed to Have Enough Votes for Leadership Nomination

Mordaunt was the first to declare bid

Boris Johnson landed in London on Saturday morning from a shortened holiday after a supporter said the former prime minister was ready to get his old job back following Liz Trusss resignation.

Conservative MP James Duddridge on Friday told the PA news agency that Johnson messaged him saying: We are going to do this. Im up for it.

Meanwhile, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, whose resignation was instrumental in triggering the unravelling of Johnsons government, is believed to have become the first to secure more than 100 supporters among Conservative MPsover the threshold of nomination, according to former Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

But Neither Johnson nor Sunak has formally declared they were running.

Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt, who finished third during the last leadership contest, became the first to declare candidacy on Friday.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said on Friday that she would make a statement in due course when asked whether she would throw her hat in the ring again.

During the last leadership race, Braverman finished sixth with 27 votes.

Potential candidates have until Monday to secure their nomination. With 357 Conservative MPs in Parliament, there will be a maximum of three candidates. MPs will then vote on Monday to eliminate one of them if necessary, leaving two final candidates for the party members to choose from.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who was floated as a unity candidate, has ruled out running in the race, writing on Twitter that he is privileged to be the UK Defence Secretary and the current threat requires stability in that office.

Wallace told broadcasters on Friday that he currently lean[s] towards Boris Johnson, citing his record of winning a general election and investment in defence.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel, former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, Cop26 president Alok Sharma, and Levelling Up Secretary are among those who publicly declared support for Johnson.

Declaring her support on Twitter, Patel said Johnson has the mandate to deliver our elected manifesto and a proven track record getting the big decisions right.

But the former prime minister still has a parliamentary investigation hanging above his head over whether he had misled Parliament with his statements regarding Partygate.

Johnson received a fine following the polices Partygate investigation, for breaching COVID-19 restrictions during an office birthday party for him.

The Liberal Democrats have launched a bid to block Johnson from returning to No 10 Downing Street by bringing forward a motion that seeks to stop MPs found to have broken the law while in government from getting into No 10.

Sunak also received a fine for participating in the same birthday party.

Raab said on Saturday that hes supporting Sunak, telling BBC Radio 4s Today programme that Sunak has the right plan to restore financial stability to the UK economy and can rebuild trust and confidence in the government.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Philp, Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, and former cabinet ministers Sajid Javid, Johnny Mercer, and George Eustice are among Sunaks supporters.

Mordaunt on Saturday said the country needed a fresh start.

The challenges facing the country are grave. Only with a fresh start, competent leadership, and a relentless focus on the people of the UK, can we address these issues head on. the former defence secretary wrote on Twitter.

Conservative MP Bob Seely on Thursday said Mordaunt has a great set of qualities  lots of ministerial experience  and she resonates with people.

Right now when we are facing a couple of international crises, both in energy, but also in the Ukraine war, having somebody with stature, with government experience, who can resonate with people, I think is really important, he said.

MPs Neil Hudson, Harriett Baldwin, Nicola Richards, and former business secretary Andrea Leadsom have also declared their support for Mordaunt.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing, on Capitol Hill on May 17, 2022. (Shawn Thew/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Judge Orders Fauci, Psaki, Top Officials Be Deposed in Big Tech Censorship Case

A federal court ordered on Oct. 21 that Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top officials testify under oath at depositions in a case that has uncovered evidence of alleged federal government collusion with Big Tech companies to censor users.

The attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri and other plaintiffs allege that Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and President Joe Bidens chief medical adviser, and other defendants colluded and coerced social media companies to suppress disfavored speakers, viewpoints, and content regarding COVID-19.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty went a step further than a previous ruling that forced written testimonies and ordered Fauci and other defendants to testify under oath at depositions.

After finding documentation of a collusive relationship between the Biden Administration and social media companies to censor free speech, we immediately filed a motion to get these officials under oath, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a statement.

It is high time we shine a light on this censorship enterprise and force these officials to come clean to the American people, and this ruling will allow us to do just that. Well keep pressing for the truth.

Several other plaintiffs joined the lawsuit in August, including Drs. Jay Bhattacharya and Martin Kulldorff.

New Civil Liberties Alliance Jenin Younes, who is helping represent the doctors, said she looks forward to learning just how far the accused government officials went to push their COVID-19 perspective.

For the first time, Dr. Fauci and seven other federal officials responsible for running an unlawful censorship enterprise will have to answer questions under oath about the nature and extent of their communications with tech companies, Younes said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

Doughty also ordered the depositions of former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, White House director of digital strategy Rob Flaherty, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly, and FBI special agent Elvis Chan.

Protesters hold signs denouncing Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the Humanity Against Censorship rally in front of Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on May 19, 2022. (Mrs. Hao/The Epoch Times)

Faucis Self-Serving Blanket Denials

In his ruling, Doughty said he agreed with plaintiffs that Faucis previous self-serving blanket denials about his role in censoring views on social media couldnt be taken at face value.

Plaintiffs argue that even if Dr. Fauci can prove he never communicated with social media platforms about censorship, there are compelling reasons that suggest Dr. Fauci has acted through intermediaries, and acted on behalf of others, in procuring the social-media censorship of credible scientific opinions, Doughty said in his ruling. Plaintiffs argue that even if Dr. Fauci acted indirectly or as an intermediary on behalf of others, it is still relevant to Plaintiffs preliminary injunction motion. The Court agrees.

Lastly, Plaintiffs argue that Dr. Faucis credibility has been in question on matters related to supposed COVID-19 misinformation since 2020. Specifically, Plaintiffs state that Dr. Fauci has made public statements on the efficacy of masks, the percentage of the population needed for herd immunity, NIAIDs funding of gain-of-function virus research in Wuhan, the lab-leak theory, and more.

Plaintiffs urge that his comments on these important issues are relevant to the matter at hand and are further reasons why Dr. Fauci should be deposed. Plaintiffs assert that they should not be required to simply accept Dr. Faucis self-serving blanket denials that were issued from someone other than himself at face value. The Court agrees.

Security personnel outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology during the visit by the World Health Organization (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of COVID-19, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Censoring Lab Leak Theory

The plaintiffs argued that Fauci allegedly insisted on the censorship of speech backed by great scientific credibility and with enormous potential nationwide impact that contradicted his views.

For example, he communicated in a long-shielded phone call with some scientists to discredit any theory that COVID-19 was the result of a lab leak in Wuhan, China. The scientists went on to write a paper severely reprimanding others who were open to the theory.

If the lab leak theory were true, in turn, it would mean that Fauci could be potentially implicated in funding the research on viruses that caused the COVID-19 pandemic that killed millions of people worldwide, the plaintiffs argued. This is because he funded risky gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology through intermediaries such as EcoHealth Alliance.

In late January 2020 and early February 2020, Fauci was also in touch with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in oral communications about the governments COVID-19 response. Facebook then allegedly went on censor the lab leak theory, according to the plaintiffs.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a White House daily press briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on May 4, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Overwhelming Need to Depose Officials

The court also found that Flaherty, Psaki, Andy Slavitt, and other officials also have personal knowledge about the alleged censorship issues and ordered them to be deposed.

Doughty said theres an overwhelming need for Flaherty to be deposed to determine whether fundamental rights to free speech were abridged as a result of alleged collusion between senior Biden administration officials and Big Tech.

The plaintiffs argued that Flaherty had extensive oral meetings with Twitter, Meta, and YouTube on vaccine hesitancy and combatting misinformation related to COVID-19.

The judge said theres a substantive need for the deposition of Slavitt, who served as the White Houses senior COVID-19 adviser. Doughty noted that Slavitts remarks on a podcast showed he has specific knowledge as it relates to the issues in the lawsuit.

The court order cited a series of public comments made by Psaki when she served as White House press secretary, including calling on social media platforms for consistency in banning disfavored speakers.

Psaki has made a number of statements that are relevant to the Governments involvement in a number of social-media platforms efforts to censor its users across the board for sharing information related to COVID-19, Doughty said in his ruling.
Supporters at the "Rally to End Child Mutilation hold up signs as about 2,000 gathered at War Memorial Plaza Oct. 21, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Bobby Sanchez for The Epoch Times)

Judge Declines to Dismiss Lawsuit Against Arkansas Ban on Transgender Procedures for Minors

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.A federal judge declined on Oct. 21 to dismiss a lawsuit against Arkansass ban on gender-transition procedures for minors. As a result, the nations first such law will remain in legal limbo while a national debate over the procedures appears to be intensifying.

On Oct. 21, after three days of testimony from plaintiffs witnesses in U.S. District Court in Little Rock, lawyers representing the state of Arkansas asked District Judge James Moody Jr. to throw out a constitutional challenge to the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act.

Moody said an Aug. 25 decision from a federal appeals court gave him marching instructions that largely neutralized the states arguments against the suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit had ruled that Moody was correct when he temporarily blocked the law from taking effect in 2021. The states lawyers have asked the appeals court to reconsider that decision.

Meanwhile, the case has moved forward in Moodys court; the trial, which began on Oct. 17, will resume on Nov. 28 with testimony from the states witnesses.

Arguments Mostly Constitutional

The Arkansas trial is focusing narrowly on the constitutionality of the SAFE Act, which directly affects only a sliver of the population: youths seeking medical intervention for gender dysphoria, or mental distress about ones gender.

Chase Strangio, an ACLU lawyer, argued that the testimony thus far has clearly shown that cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers greatly improved the lives of young people who received these treatments.

This care has turned the lights on for them, and taking it away would be potentially catastrophic, Strangio, arguing for Moody to allow the lawsuit to proceed. Strangio said the law unconstitutionally denies transgender patients access to treatments that are used for other purposes by non-transgender patients.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, which is hearing a challenge to the states ban on transgender medical procedures for minors, in Little Rock, Ark., on Oct. 17, 2022. (Janice Hisle/The Epoch Times)

Dylan Jacobs, an Arkansas assistant solicitor general, argued that the lawsuit should be thrown out because the state has a legitimate interest in protecting young people from taking steps that could lead to irreversible sterility and lifelong health consequences.

Jacobs also countered the ACLUs contention that the law infringes on doctors rights to free speech by forbidding them from referring patients to other professionals for the controversial treatments.

Its not an actual speech restriction. Its a conduct restriction, he said.

Bigger Than Arkansas

The Arkansas cases implications stretch far beyond the states borders.

Testimony in Moodys court has barely hinted at the intense moral, ethical, and monetary arguments swirling around these procedures nationwide. In recent weeks, protests against the procedures have popped up in several states, including California, Texas, and Tennessee.

Chloe Cole, who regrets taking steps to masculinize her female body, takes part in a demonstration in Anaheim, Calif., on Oct. 8, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Detransitionerspeople who regret undergoing gender-transition procedureshave been at the forefront. Several of international renown are listed in court records as proponents of the SAFE Act. They include Keira Bell, Laura Becker, and Sinead Watson, among others.

Supporters of the SAFE Act argue that more states should outlaw the procedures as harmful to minors long-term health and happiness.

But the ACLU, transgender activists, and some prominent medical organizations say the treatments alleviate distress that could lead to suicide if unchecked. They also argue that denying the procedures amounts to illegal discrimination based on gender identity.

Grave Concern

In Arkansas, the ACLU filed suit on behalf of four transgender youths and their families, along with two doctors who provide the controversial treatments. Both doctors testified that the procedures are considered safe and effective.

According to testimony during the trial, cross-sex hormones are the most commonly prescribed gender-transition procedure for minors.

Puberty-blocking medications and genital surgeries are rare among patients under age 18. But a rising number of teenage girls have had their breasts removed so their bodies will appear more masculine.

The SAFE Act says it is based on grave concern over doctors providing these treatments to minors despite the lack of studies showing that the benefits of such extreme interventions outweigh the risks.

Although much of the ACLU witnesses testimony was highly technical, four parents of young plaintiffs gave often-emotional testimony; a teen who received cross-sex hormones was the final ACLU witness to testify.

Clinic Puts Procedures on Hold

Dylan Brandt, 17, began receiving cross-sex hormones at an Arkansas gender clinic two years ago.

Although the treatments are continuing for Dylan and other established patients, the clinic has hit the pause button on gender-transition procedures until the Arkansas legal battle plays out in court.

Dr. Michele Hutchison, former director of the Gender Spectrum Clinic affiliated with Arkansas Childrens Hospital, testified that earlier this year, the hospital ordered the clinic to start no additional patients on puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones.

Ryan, a gender variant fourth grader, center, runs with others during recess at their school in Illinois on May 2, 2013. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Previous patients are being allowed to continue as prescribed but hospital officials apparently thought it was unwise to start more patients on a treatment regimen that would be halted if the SAFE Act takes effect, Hutchison said.

Hutchison, who had been one of Dylans doctors until she moved out of state, is no longer a plaintiff in the case because she moved out of Arkansas. She traveled from her new residence, in New Mexico, to testify in Moodys court.

The clinics current director, Dr. Kathryn Stambough, testified that 43 patients are awaiting cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers because they have been unable to get the medications elsewhere during the clinics moratorium. Stambough said she expects the procedures to resume if the ACLU prevails in its lawsuit.

The clinic hasnt performed gender-transition surgeries, the two doctors said; both reported no serious side effects from gender-transitioning prescriptions.

Concerns About Unknowns

State Rep. Robin Lundstrum, who sponsored the SAFE Act, has said that she worries about the future of children who go through any gender-transitioning medical treatment.

She has cited stories of transgender adults who told her about long-term health effects from the treatments they received. These adults also said that their happiness and mental health didnt improve in the long run. In fact, some have publicly stated that their transitioning caused additional social, mental, and health issues that they didnt expect.

Arkansas Rep. Robin Lundstrum, sponsor of a state law that seeks to ban gender-transitioning treatments for minors, appears in an undated photo. (Courtesy of Robin Lundstrum)

Lundstrum and others refer to a 30-year Swedish study that followed more than 300 patients who underwent gender-altering surgeries. That group was 19 times more likely to commit suicide than a group of peers, the study showed.

Lundstrum said the SAFE Act is intended to protect children because the long-term effects on minors remain unknown; she and others consider the gender-transitioning medicines and surgeries experimental for youths.

Although parental consent is almost universally required before minors undergo such treatments, Lundstrum cited reports of some parents receiving insufficient information.

But Hutchison testified that, at the Gender Spectrum Clinic, doctors and other professionals have repeated, detailed discussions with young patients and their parents; a 10-page consent form lays out the risks and benefits of masculinizing or feminizing treatments.

Hutchison said patients and their parents have been specifically advised that treating adolescent gender dysphoria is a relatively recent use of those drugs, and we will learn more as time goes on.

Teen Testifies About Testosterone

Dylan, who was born female, testified about a long-felt affinity for all things masculine. Dylan, who now presents as a male with obvious facial hair, said testosterone injections have done more than alter external appearance.

A transgender individual shows a testosterone ampule at a hospital in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 8, 2020. (Claudio Reyes/AFP via Getty Images)

When asked to use one word to sum up the effect of the gender-altering treatments, Dylan replied, Hopeful.

Lawyers representing the state of Arkansas declined to cross-examine Dylan. They also asked no questions of four parents of the young plaintiffs. All four expressed a common theme: They believe their children need the treatments to improve their outlook and self-perception. If the SAFE Act stands, they would be faced with the dilemma of either traveling out of state or uprooting their families to other states that would allow the treatments.

As The Epoch Times previously reported, nearly 40 other attorneys general have expressed opinions about the case. About half, mostly from Republican states, support Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledges side; the other half, from predominantly Democrat states, align with the ACLU in its opposition to the SAFE Act
A man walks along a street in a neighborhood of single-family homes in Los Angeles on July 30, 2021. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Judge Blocks Los Angeles Countys Unconstitutionally Vague Eviction Moratorium

A U.S. District Court judge has granted a preliminary injunction against Los Angeles Countys pandemic-era eviction moratorium.

The Oct. 19 ruling by District Court Judge Dean Pregerson requires the county to end by Dec. 1 its policy of allowing residents to forego paying rent.

The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles and the Apartment Owners Association of California filed a lawsuit in March asking the judge to stop enforcement of the rent moratorium, saying the policy was unconstitutionally vague. They also asked for monetary relief.

Theres no rational basis for the County keeping its eviction moratorium in effect for nearly three years especially since the health crisis ended long ago, Jeffery Faller, president of the Apartment Owners Association of California, said in a statement.

In the ruling, Pregerson granted the preliminary injunction based on the vagueness of the policy and lack of specific standards for how to legally apply the moratorium.

A For Lease sign is posted outside a house available for rent in Los Angeles on March 15, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Los Angeles County enacted the eviction moratorium in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As a result, many landlords have been unable to collect rent and have lost their properties to foreclosure or fire sales, according to Faller.

Some renters have taken advantage of the situation by not paying rent as they claimed COVID-related impacts and used their money to travel or purchase cars and homes for themselves, Faller said.

The countys Board of Supervisors voted in January to extend the moratorium through the end of the year while leaving in place some protections until June 2023. Californias moratorium ended in September 2021.

The states COVID-19 state of emergency is also expected to end Feb. 28, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Oct. 17.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, speaks to reporters during a visit to the Antioch Water Treatment Plant in Antioch, Calif., on Aug. 11, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The county is reviewing the courts decision and has no comment on ongoing legal matters, spokesman Jesus Ruiz told The Epoch Times.

The county encourages renters and property owners who have questions about the countys COVID Tenant Protections Resolution, which is still in effect, to visit its website or call 800-593-8222 to speak with a counselor at the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, Ruiz said.

The extension allowed COVID-affected tenants to withhold payments and declare themselves unable to pay rent beginning April 1. Landlords were also prohibited from evicting tenants for causing a nuisance, allowing others to live with them, or keeping unauthorized pets.

For landlords, the courts rulingcoming two months before the moratoriums end dateis overdue.

While this ruling is certainly great news for rental housing providers in Los Angeles County, the Courts decision comes a little too late, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles Executive Director Daniel Yukelson said in a statement.

Graffiti calling for a rent strike is seen on a wall on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles on May 1, 2020. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)

The groups intend to continue pursuing the case and to obtain a final order declaring the countys ordinance unconstitutional to allow association members to seek compensation to cover billions of dollars in losses, he said.

Cheryl Turner, board of directors president of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles and State Senate candidate, said the county used the excuse of the global pandemic to wield unlimited power over private property owners.

No business other than the rental housing business had been singled out and forced to provide services for free, Turner said in the statement.

There have been other challenges to eviction moratoriums across the United States but none have been successful, according to attorney Douglas J. Dennington of Rutan & Tucker of Irvine, who represented the landlord groups.

The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles has also filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles challenging the constitutionality of its moratoriums on evictions and rent increases. The case is still pending.
A person walks past signs posted outside City Hall calling for the resignations of L.A. City Council members Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo in the wake of a leaked audio recording in Los Angeles, Calif., on October 18, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

LA City Council Meetings Next Week Scheduled To Be In-Person

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles City Council is set to resume in-person meetings next week in the council chamber, according to the city clerks office Oct. 21.

The agenda for next Tuesday and Wednesdays meeting, posted Friday afternoon, notes the meeting location as the council chamber at City Hall. A representative from the city clerks office confirmed the in-person meetings to City News Service.

The council held meetings virtually this week due to COVID-19 exposure, with 10 membersthe minimum for a quorumpresent for most of all three meetings.

Los Angeles councilman Kevin de Leon speaks at The Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Both Council President Paul Krekorian and Councilman Mike Bonin have tested positive for COVID-19 since last week, though Bonin has since tested negative. Councilman Mitch OFarrell, the councils current president pro tempore presided over meetings this week in front of an empty chamber while Krekorian and the other council members joined remotely.

City News Service has reached out to Krekorians office for an update on whether the council president has tested negative.

Last weeks meetings were either delayed, adjourned, or canceled as protesters filled the council chamber demanding the resignations of the council members involved in the City Hall racism scandal.

Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo (L) speaks about the US Citizenship Act of 2021 and urges action on US President Bidens immigration reform plan outside of City Hall in Los Angeles on April 29, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Molly Talcott, who lives in Cedillos district and teaches in de Leons district as a professor at Cal State LA, implored the council to break quorum.

Its up to you all to take a stand, Talcott said. You cannot be neutral on a moving train. And continuing to hold City Council meetings shows that you continue to be complicit.

Denise Kniter, policy manager with the Los Angeles County Business Federation, spoke for the group of more than 200 businesses.

We have lots of pressing, important issues that we need to tackle that cannot be addressed in good faith while you are still holding office, she said, addressing de Leon and Cedillo. Youve proven yourself completely unfit for public office.

Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian speaks on stage during AIDS Walk Los Angeles 2019 in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 20, 2019. (Randy Shropshire/Getty Images)

But several council members explained why they were continuing with the citys business, and said that whether they meet has no leverage over the two embattled councilmens decisions.

We will not shut down meetings because one person out of 4 million people chooses not to do the right thing and resign from his office, Council President Paul Krekorian said.

We cannot let bullies continue to block the work of the council by refusing to resign, Councilwoman Nithya Raman said. And I dont believe that us not meeting has any leverage on them making that decision. They have shown a clear indifference to calls from throughout this entire country.

Nithya Raman is seen as Marie Claire honors Hollywoods Change Makers in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 12, 2019. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Marie Claire)

The protest is one of the latest developments in the publics reaction to the recording that was leaked Oct. 9.

In the conversation from October 2021, then Council President Nury Martinez made racially disparaging comments toward various ethnic groups, as well as Councilman Mike Bonins 2-year-old black adopted son.

The remarks were made during a discussion on the citys once-a-decade redistricting with Councilmen Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez attends the LA Promise Funds Girls Build Leadership Summit at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Dec. 15, 2017. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

In the tapes, de Leon compared Councilman Mike Bonins handling of his son at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade to when Nury brings her little Goyard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag. He did not interject as Martinez belittled Bonin, who is white and openly gay, and called Bonins child ese changuito,Spanish for that little monkey.

Martinez also said of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon: [expletive] that guy. (inaudible)  Hes with the blacks.

The group later talked about how to keep Latino councilors in office so that Latino districts would not lose financial resources after the maps were redrawn.

While former Council President Nury Martinez has resigned, Councilmen Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo have defied calls for resignation.

Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera in Long Beach, Calif., on Jan. 12, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

If neither resigns by Tuesdayand de Leon already said this week he does not plan on stepping downprotesters could attempt to disrupt the meeting again if it is held in person.

Items scheduled to be taken up next week by the council include calling a special election to fill Martinezs vacant seat and censuring de Leon and Cedillo.

Sophie Li contributed to this report.
Small-town celebrations, decorations and businesses are a staple feature of the holiday season, and to celebrate that, the Nebraska Passport program is adding a holiday passport to their roster, featuring 20 must-see Nebraska places for the holidays.

The Farmer's Wife Boutique and Coffee Co. in Lindsay was put on the flagship list. Founded in 2019 by Owner Breanna Sueper, The Farmer's Wife welcomes everybody, from locals to highway travelers.

"We have something for everybody here, everybody is welcome here. Thats what I wanted," Sueper said. "I wanted some place in the community where everybody feels welcome and I think we've definitely accomplished that."

As the year gets closer to the holiday season, barista Grace Preister said, the fall decor and gifts will begin to make way for more festive items.

"For Christmas we go all out, we are a very big Christmas place, we do a lot of gift things, stocking stuffers, graphic T-shirts do well here," Preister said. "We started getting candles in and I know we'll be getting holiday candles in too."

Sueper started the business in 2019, after working for several years as an assistant manager at Buckle in Norfolk and several years before that as a paraeducator.

"Originally, in college I wanted to run my own business eventually and when I moved to this area, I saw there was an empty lot here and I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it originally," Sueper said. "But it came to me I wanted to do some sort of like boutique because I had experience on the retail side."

Bearing that in mind, Sueper realized having just a boutique would not cut it in a community as small as Lindsay. She decided coffee was a good second half to the business, and started work on the empty lot.

"It worked really well for us having both things so when people come in they can shop and look around. We specialize in gifts, we have women's clothing as well, we have something for everyone," Sueper said.

To say the business started from scratch is something of an understatement. When Sueper purchased the lot, it was just dirt. With the help of her father, who has done construction for years, and her husband, the dream came to life.

"I would definitely say the most special thing about this place is we built it from the ground up, me, my dad and my husband and a lot of other people helped build it," Sueper said.

To that end, Sueper was allowed a lot of creative space in the building's design, getting the open layout she wanted, adding on a patio, and being able to make decisions every step of the way.

"Everything in here I can tell you why I did what I did because I painted the ceiling, I picked everything out. It was a lot of hard work, but it was definitely worth it," Sueper said.

The name itself, Sueper said, is a personal touch. Being married to a farmer herself and living in a farming area, she thought it just made sense.

Barista Autumn Patzel said the best part of her job at the boutique is the people. With the shop being located right off of Highway 91, staff see a lot of local and long-distance traffic, which they love.

"We don't ever really have any rude customers, for the most part it's a very kind establishment, so we just talk to customers, learn about them, sometimes we see out-of-state people and it's fun to see if they're visiting family or what they're doing," Patzel said.

Preister agreed that getting to know customers is a fun part of the job and that the place fulfills Sueper's goal of being welcoming and bringing people together.

"My favorite part of working here is being able to talk to customers and getting to know who we're serving," Preister said. "I love asking them what brings them in here if I haven't seen their face before and know they're not from town."

Sueper added that the best part for her is the smaller finer points of the job, from the people to the look on kids' faces when they get their very own drink, often with a "crazy straw."

"We always say this here, 'It's the little things that matter,' the little details, that's kind of what we're all about. It really makes people want to come back. We have a warm atmosphere," Sueper said.

The boutique was on the regular Nebraska Passport list in the past, Preister said, which brought them a steady amount of business that year.

Being almost perfectly centered between several other stops on the list, including Fremont, Grand Island, Seward and Broken Bow, staff are hoping the new passport brings plenty more new faces in for them to get to know.

"We have a lot of regulars and a lot of new people and we try our best to treat everyone kindly," Sueper said. "It doesn't feel like work to me."
Lawyers Prepare to Sue Any State That Requires COVID-19 Vaccination to Attend School

Any state that requires COVID-19 vaccination to attend school will face a lawsuit, lawyers said this week.

The Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), run by TV host Del Bigtree, has pledged to finance up to 50 lawsuits, Aaron Siri, who frequently represents the group, said.

ICAN has told us it will financially support a challenge against any state. So, if all 50 states require it to attend school, ICAN will support challenging the mandate in every single one of those states, Siri told The Epoch Times.

The process would require finding parents or others who want to challenge any mandate that arises, but the funding and legal representation for such suits are in place.

The pledge comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) advisory panel on Oct. 20 recommended adding COVID-19 vaccines to the child and adolescent immunization schedules.

The CDC still has to accept the recommendation, but is expected to do so given its stance on vaccines throughout the pandemic. The agency did not respond to a request for comment.

Some states require most vaccines on the immunization schedules for school and daycare attendance, including Virginia, though none require annual influenza vaccines for school attendance, according to Immunize.org.

Some governors and gubernatorial hopefuls have vowed to block COVID-19 vaccine mandates for children, including the governors of Florida, Colorado, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Other states are expected to mandate the vaccines, including California.

Authorities there were preparing to require the vaccines for schoolchildren but have delayed the statewide mandate until at least July 2023. Some local governments started to mandate the shots, but at least one mandate was blocked due to a legal challengefrom Siri.

The updated CDC schedules wont take effect until 2023, and Siri expects any mandates would not take effect until the start of the 20232024 school year.

But the mandates would be announced well before they take effect, to give parents time to vaccinate their children.

Siri declined to speak about the basis for any challenges.

I dont discuss litigation strategy for potential matters, he said.

The basis for the San Diego case was separation of powers. Plaintiffs said the mandate, which lacked religious exemptions, violated state law. Only the state legislature can impose such mandates, San Diego Superior Court Judge John Meyer ruled.

In a long-awaited victory by those seeking to retain the right to informed consent and medical decision-making free from coercion, the Court found that it was compelled to invalidate the mandate as the school district had no authority to implement or enforce such a requirement, Siri wrote on his blog at the time. The basis for this decision, that school boards in California do not have the authority to require a COVID-19 vaccine, would apply to all school boards across California that are seeking to mandate a COVID-19 vaccine.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) speaks to media after a panel discussion in part with the America the Great tour hosted by Heritage Action for America at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Oct. 14, 2022. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Lindsey Graham Asks Supreme Court to Quash Subpoena in Trump Election Probe

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to quash a subpoena for his testimony before a special grand jury in Georgia in a probe into possible unlawful interference in the 2020 election.

Graham filed his request a day after a federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that the Republican senator must testify.

The probe, fronted by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat, seeks to question Graham about phone calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in the weeks after the 2020 election.

Graham has argued that his post-election conduct was part of legislative fact-finding efforts and therefore protected by the Speech and Debate clause. The clause ensures congressmen cant be questioned in any other Place about any speech or debate in either chamber of Congress.

The federal appeals court agreed with a lower court that any line of questioning about legislative activities is prohibited but that not all of Grahams conduct fell within this category.

The grand jury may therefore follow a narrowed scope of questioning that wouldnt violate his rights as a sitting senator.

Graham may be questioned about any alleged efforts to encourage Raffensperger or others to throw out ballots or otherwise alter Georgias election practices and procedures.

Communications and Coordination

The federal appeals court ruling stated that Grahams communications and coordination with the Trump campaign regarding its post-election efforts in Georgia, public statements regarding the 2020 election, and efforts to cajole or exhort Georgia election officials fell outside of protected legislative activities.

The Republican senator cant be questioned over his investigatory fact-finding on telephone calls to Georgia election officials during the grand jury testimony.

The lower court in September ruled that this area of inquiry falls under the protection of the Speech or Debate Clause, which prohibits questions on legislative activity.

Grahams lawyers have previously argued that his testimony would erode the constitutional balance of power and the ability of a Member of Congress to do their job.

However, Willis has said that Graham possesses unique knowledge concerning what was said in the phone calls as well as any communications between himself, others involved in the planning and execution of the telephone calls, the Trump Campaign, and other known and unknown individuals involved in the multi-state, coordinated efforts to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere.
The worlds oldest living land animal on record, a tortoise named Jonathan who resides on St. Helena island, is celebrating his 190th birthday and has gained a new world record title.

His official record title is oldest chelonian, a category which encompasses all turtles, terrapins, and tortoises, Guinness World Records shared on Facebook.

Jonathan (left) 1882-86, on the grounds of Plantation House, St Helena. (Public Domain)

Jonathan is believed to have been born in 1832. Photos that were taken between 1882 and 1886 at Plantation House, the residence of the Governor of St. Helena where Jonathan has spent most of his life, show a fully grown Jonathan happily grazing on the grass beside another tortoise.

Jonathan arrived in St. Helena from Seychelles in 1882 and was presented as a gift to then-governor, Sir William Grey-Wilson. Since then, 31 additional governors have held office.

(Courtesy of St Helena Government)

Despite his longevity, Jonathan is not alone at the governors residence. He enjoys the company of three other resident tortoises, David, Emma, and Fred.

Jonathan has lost his sight and sense of smell but is faring well and enjoying life grazing the ground at Plantation House. His keepers feed him by hand once a week to boost his calorie, vitamin, mineral, and trace element intake, Guinness World Records reported. His hearing is excellent, and he recognizes his personal vet Dr. Joe Hollinss voice and associates it with tasty treats.

Jonathan is hand-fed once a week. (Courtesy of St Helena Government)

Millions fell in love with Jonathan after footage of his very first bath was shared on YouTube in March 2016. Jonathan was an estimated 184 years old at the time.

He was washed by Hollins, on the grounds at Plantation House, using a gentle, circular scrubbing method and non-abrasive materials, which were pre-approved by a tortoise specialist. The inspiration for bathing Jonathan came after Hollins cleaned and transformed the shell of a female tortoise living on the same site.

(Courtesy of St Helena Government)

To the cameras, Hollins said, What an honor! Im in my profession because I love animals, and Ive got here the oldest-known, living land animal in the world and Im looking after him. Isnt that amazing?

According to Hollins, Jonathan has simple pleasures  he enjoys sleeping, mating, and eating. Cabbage, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, apple, and banana are his favorite foods, although the latter tends to gum up his mouth. He also likes to sunbathe on mild days, absorbing the suns heat through his long neck and legs, which are stretched out of his shell, and transferring the heat to his core. When its cold, he burrows under leaves or grass cuttings to stay cozy.

(Courtesy of St Helena Government)

As per experts, its also highly possible that Jonathan might be older than we think.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Wang Qishan (R), former head of the Chinese Communist Party's anti-corruption agency, attends the opening session of the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp legislature, in Beijing on March 5, 2018. (Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images)

Nearly 5 Million CCP Officials Probed for Graft in the Past Decade, Systemic Corruption Revealed: China Observers

The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) disciplinary watchdog claims to have investigated almost five million Chinese officials of all levels for possible corruption since Xi Jinping became the paramount leader in 2012.

Xiao Pei, deputy secretary of the CCPs Committee for Discipline and Inspection, said in Beijing on Oct. 17 that the top disciplinary body filed investigations of 4,648,000 party officials in total in the past decade. Among the probed officials, 553 are senior party officials at the deputy ministerial level and higher, who are directly selected and appointed by the party Central Committee.

According to Xiao, 49 of them were voting or alternate members of the 18th Central Committee, and 12 were voting or alternate members of the 19th Central Committee.

Xiao said that 207,000 officials who received various forms of punishment are Party officials of lower levels, including county-level officials.

Xiao made the comments at a press conference on the sidelines of the CCPs ongoing 20th National Congress.

Xi Jinping took over as leader of the Party, the state, and the military, in 2012. Since then, Xi and Wang Qishan, his right-hand man and former anti-graft Czar, launched anti-graft campaigns to eliminate their opponents.

The new Chinese communist leadership famously promised that it would tackle both tigers and fliesmeaning high- and low-level onesin its thunderous crackdown on corruption over the last decade.

The CCP has 96 million party members, Xiao said at the press conference.

The CCPs rubber stamp National Congress convenes every five years, and typically runs for a week. This is an important political event for the CCP, at which delegates elect voting members and alternate members to the partys Central Committee, which then selects members for the decision-making Politburo.

Xiao boasted that the anti-graft campaign in the past 10 years was unprecedented and had achieved a landslide victory.

China observers believe that the shocking numbers reveal that corruption is common in the communist regimes officialdom.

Systemic Corruption: China Observers

Lan Shu, a China current affairs commentator, said that the Chinese communist regime system is corrupt.

Delegates attend the opening session of the 18th Communist Party Congress on Nov. 8, 2012, in Beijing, China. Many Party officials have found themselves wiretapped recently, and paranoia in the ranks increases amidst an anti-corruption campaign led from the top. (Feng Li/Getty Images)

In a recent interview with the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times, Lan said that the CCP has put itself above and beyond Chinese law, which is one reason that corruption has become a common phenomenon in China.

With this system, Chinese law is not binding to CCP officials, especially the senior ones, Lan said.

He added that a second reason for corruption is the regimes appointment and dismissal system of its officials.

Officials of each level are appointed by higher-level officials, and they thus develop various intricate relationships in the process, Lan said, Therefore, CCP officials are corrupt from top to bottom.

Lan said that the CCP punishes its corrupt officials when they become a threat to the rule of the party.

The CCP fights graft while graft spreads all the time within its officialdom, Lan said, Thats why the CCP claims that its anti-graft campaign is always on the way.

Graft in China cannot be removed under the CCPs systemic corruption, Lan said.

Li Yuanhua, a Chinese historian now living in Australia, holds a similar view to Lan.

Li said that the communist regime is riddled with graft, bribery, and corruption. The handful of top-level officials fall due to political infighting, not because of corruption.

For the Chinese communist officials, there is an unwritten protocol that criminal charges dont extend to standing members of the CCPs Politburo, Li said in a recent interview with the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times.

Li said that former CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin and his confidants were among the most corrupt officials in the country.

After taking power, Xi Jinping focused on purging senior CCP officials, including two vice-chairs of Chinas Central Military Commission, Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, for taking bribes, selling military posts, and getting kickbacks from the purchase of military goods.

Former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission Guo Boxiong attends a political meeting in Beijing on March 5, 2013. (Goh Chai Hin/AFP/Getty Images)

Guo Zhenggang, son of Guo Boxiong, once boasted that half of Chinas military officials were promoted by his father, reported the Chinese language edition of VOA in 2014.

Xi purged his opponents in the name of anti-graft to consolidate his power, Li added.

Guo was jailed for life in 2017, and Xu died of cancer in 2015 before he could face trial.

When the CCP boasts its purging five million corrupt officials to be a victory, it reveals that the whole CCP officialdom has been corrupted, Li said.

Xia Song and Li Yun contributed to this report.
There are rules in the physical world that dont apply to the mental one. In a dream, you can fly. One can imagine a squirrel talking to ones self. The realm of dreams and imagination is, however, often thought to be self-contained, with no tangible bearing on the real world.

But the study of precognition in dreams has taught cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Julia Mossbridge otherwise. She defines the term precognition, as a kind of mental time travel into the future to get information.

Is It Possible to Time Travel Mentally?

Tulving, a professor of Torento university, believes not only we remember the past events, but we remember the future. In fact, it is an ability of our memory to travel in time, and this ability is restricted to human while animals fail to picture the future in their mind. Actually our brain uses the past experiments to predict the future. That is how out memory involves in time traveling.

Were just so used to applying the rules of the physical world to the mental world that we dont really get it that there are different rules. Thats a different domain, she said.

The separation that we have between people in space and the separation we have between events in time in the physical worldwho says that has to apply to the mental world?

Precognitive dreams suggest the mind doesnt follow the rules we usually apply in the physical world, she added.

Before going deep into the subject, lets see what we call time traveling.

What Is Time Traveling?

Generally speaking, time traveling is defined as going backward in time or jumping to a certain point in the future. Although it cannot happen this way, scientists borrow Albert Einsteins theory of relativity and admit the possibility of time dilation, which relates to our perception of time. NASA also is studying wormholes to find a way to time travel. On the other hand, phycologists bring up the phrase mental time travel.

Mossbridge has been working with physicists and psychologists to figure out the rules of mental time travel. Her book, Transcendent Mind, co-authored with Dr. Imants Baruss, was published by the American Psychological Association in 2017.

Having a major scientific institution publish her book is a significant step forward for scientists who have seriously studied precognition, a shared mind, and other phenomena that suggest the mind exists beyond the brain.

Mossbridges personal experience with precognitive dreams started her on this research journey. She said that one such dream knocked my socks off.

She recounted having had a dream that accurately predicted an event in great detail.

At the time she had the dream, she was going through a divorce. She had a 5-year-old child and didnt know where they would live. She thought of an area where she used to live and decided it would be nice to return there.

In the dream, she called a landlady whom she knows in the area. This landlady told her she had a two-story rental property available. The upstairs unit had been recently refurbished and was already occupied. The downstairs was being refurbished and would be ready in two months. The landlady said she could show Mossbridge around the upstairs so she could get an idea of what the downstairs would look like when finished. If Mossbridge were to sign the lease right away, she could pick the color of the paint.

In waking life, after the dream, Mossbridge didnt call the landlady; she encountered her by chance instead. But several other minute details of the dream came true: the two-story property, the refurbishing, the two months until the bottom floor would be finished, picking the paint colorall of them.

People both have dreams that seem mundane and dreams about things that are really important in their lives. Precognition works that way, Mossbridge said. But Im kind of starting to get convinced that the things that seem mundane are not. That theyre more like signposts in your life. You dont recognize them as important events, but later you go, Oh yeah.

The first precognitive dream she recalls was one she had as a child. She dreamt that her friend lost her watch on the playground, and it happened the next day. It was a mundane event, but looking back, it seems pertinent to Mossbridge. The watch, representing time, became a topic central in her research later in life.

As a scientist, Mossbridge asks herself whether this is all confirmation bias. In science, confirmation bias generally means interpreting information in a way that confirms a preexisting belief. A meaningless dream could be precognitive if one looks back on it and intentionally searches for connections to events in waking life.

Thats why Mossbridge tests things scientifically. Experiments, she discovered, have shown that people sometimes unconsciously know whats going to happen in the future.

A file photo of a man wearing an Electroencephalography (EEG) cap. (Ulrich W.)

She conducted a meta-analysis of experiments from seven independent laboratories, indicating that the human body reacts to future stimuli. When something is about to happen, a person unconsciously already knows about it. This unconscious response can be tested in a lab by measuring reactions in the nervous system, sweat glands, or heart rate.

Mossbridge described how this presentiment works in an analogy of a stick being dragged through water. The stick, representing an event, causes ripples on either side of it, representing the emotional disturbance we feel from the event. Ripples in front arent as pronounced, but those behind are larger. Similarly, the emotional response to events is more subtle before the event occurs than after.

She has also worked on experiments to show that people can use remote viewing and precognitive dreaming to predict stock market events and even terror attacks.

Predicting mass shootings or bombing attacks could be especially helpful in society. In 2015, Mossbridge had a precognitive dream about an ISIS bombing in Kuwait.

The dream occurred the same night it happened, and a lot of the details lined up. She saw it happening during a midday prayer; she saw the number 27, which was the number of people killed; she saw the letters IS, which stands for Islamic State. Some of the details didnt align, though; she thought it was in Israel, not Kuwait.

An image showing a suicide car bomb attack by ISIS in Kobani, Syria. (Gokhan Sahin/Getty Images)

Dr. Julia Mossbridges journal, where she recorded an apparently precognitive dream about a bombing on July 26, 2015. (Screenshot/Skype)

Nonetheless, Mossbridge thinks that if people could share their premonitions on an online registry, it might help. If the registry received dozens of premonition accounts, all matching up in certain aspects, it could indicate an event is likely to occur.

People could avoid a certain location if enough people premonish the event at a particular time and place.

She also envisions a future with a central premonitions registry.

Although there have been some attempts to create such a registry, Mossbridge said, They dont seem to catch on because people cant be out of the closet with this stuff. People are scared. If I were to tell someone about that dream about the bombing, if it was too much detail, they might be coming up to my house and saying, So, you did this bombing.

According to Mossbridge, since we dont know how to deal with such information yet, we call people who make premonitions crazy, or more generously, they are seeing coincidences as something thats meaningful, but theyre just coincidences.

Thinking about time and transcendent mental abilities are among Mossbridges favorite things to do, though she also works on all kinds of other neat projects. Her roles include research director of the Mossbridge Institute, director of the Innovation Lab at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and visiting scholar at Northwestern University.

Her daily tasks involve using compassionate robots to increase peoples happiness, developing apps to help people listen to their intuition and test their psychic abilities, and teaching Silicon Valley programmers take care of their minds.

How Do I Stop Mental Travel Time?

It is a good practice to relieve the brain from thinking about the past or future and live in the moment.

To stop mental travel time, it is helpful to focus on your real-time physical state and environment. As in meditation, pay attention to whats happening at the moment. Focus on your breathing when you are distracted.

It may seem not easy at first, but remember, practice makes perfect.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
The Tavistock Centre in London in an undated file photo. (Aaron Chown/PA)

NHS to Tighten Rules on Puberty Blockers, Social Transitioning of Childrens Gender

Puberty blockers will only be given to children under a formal research protocol, new draft guidelines published on Thursday by National Health Service (NHS) England said.

The draft interim service specification for specialist gender dysphoria services for children and young people also restricted the encouragement of using social transitioningsuch as using pronouns inconsistent with ones biological sex and adopting the appearance of the opposite sex.

It is part of NHS Englands transition from having a single gender identity development service (GIDS) centre to multiple regional centres as the existing GIDS at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is set to close by next spring after an official report in February found issues around safety.

The interim review on Tavistock GIDS was carried out by top British paediatrician and past president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Dr. Hilary Cass.

At the time, Cass expressed deep concerns about the affirmative model, concluding that primary and secondary care staff have had to adopt an unquestioning affirmative approach.

Two Phase 1 services will be set up to replace the Tavistock center, one in London and one in the Northwest.

They will operate under the interim service specification until new service specification is formed in 2023/24 after Cass publishes her final report.

NHS England said it will collect feedback on the draft guidelines until Dec. 4.

In the draft (pdf), NHS England clarified that social transition should only be considered where the approach is necessary for the alleviation of, or prevention of, clinically significant distress or significant impairment in social functioning and the young person is able to fully comprehend the implications of affirming a social transition.

NHS England said the change is in line with Casss recommendation that early social transition should be viewed as an active intervention rather than a neutral act because it may have significant effects on the child or young person in terms of their psychological functioning.

The guidance added that gender incongruence in young children, which it defines as a discrepancy between birth-assigned sex and gender identity, does not persist into adolescence in most cases.

Regarding hormone treatment, NHS England said its developing proposals for prospectively enrolling children and adolescents into a formal research programme with adequate follow-up into adulthood, and that it will only commission GnRHa (gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist), a type of puberty blocker, in the context of a formal research protocol.

Four substantive changes are included in the draft.

Experts in paediatric medicine, autism, neurodisability, and mental health will be added to the clinical team currently comprised of specialist social workers, family therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, paediatric and adolescent endocrinologists, and clinical nurse practitioners.

The new draft guidance also specified that the clinical lead for the service will be a medical doctor, while current guidance doesnt make such specification.

Changes are made to the progression through the clinical pathway to make it more structured, and GPs and NHS professionals will have to be involved in the referrals to GIDS.

Owen Evans contributed to this report.
Police make an arrest on the 21st day of the trucker protest against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act, in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 17, 2022. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

No Need for Emergencies Act, Says Senior OPP Officer Involved in Planning Freedom Convoy Removal

A senior officer from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) involved in planning the takedown of the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa last winter says that invoking the Emergencies Act was not necessary to clear the protest.

We had some help with [the provincial declaration of emergency] and the Emergencies Act, but in my humble opinion, we would have reached the same solution with the plan that we had without either of those pieces of legislation, now-retired Chief Superintendent Carson Pardy told the Public Order Emergency Commission on Oct. 21.

A summary of previous commission interviews with Pardy says he believes police would have done so within the timeline that the [Integrated Planning] Cell was contemplating before the federal government declared an emergency.

At the time of the Freedom Convoy protest of last January and February, Pardy was the commander of the North East Region of the OPP.

He ended up contributing to, and approving, operational plans to deal with the Ottawa protest.

Pardy, who has experience in managing large-scale protests and major events, was put in charge of leading the Integrated Planning Cell on Feb. 7 to assist the Ottawa Police Service (OPS).

Pardy painted a picture of an OPS exhausted and in disarray at that time, which was requesting police resources from other jurisdictions without having a specific plan for their use.

Other testimonies in front of the commission this week revealed the OPS assessed the protesters would be gone after the first weekend.

Instead, the OPP predicted they would be there for the long haul given some had driven from western Canada, they were supported through very successful crowdfunding, and it assessed their demands would not be met.

The trucker-led protest was demanding the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and arrived in Ottawa on Jan. 28. It was dispersed on the weekend of Feb. 18, after the Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14.

The commission was established by law to review the invocation and is conducting its public hearings until late November.

Tow Trucks

A recurrent theme since the Emergencies Act was invoked and during the commission hearings is the issue of the availability of towing companies to remove the heavy trucks parked in downtown Ottawa.

The Liberal government says tow trucks could only be obtained by compelling towing companies through the Emergencies Act.

The commission heard towing companies were reluctant to get involved out of fear for their safety or due to their support of the protest.

Pardy said special authorities were not needed to tow the trucks. We tow vehicles every day, he said.

The Emergencies Act complemented polices ability to tow vehicles in a timely manner, but police would have done so anyway, says Pardys interview summary.

While saying the act was not needed, Pardy nevertheless said he was thankful for it.

We used it to the best of our abilities to incorporate it in our plan.

Former Colleagues in the Crowd

Pardy also commented on the make-up of the Freedom Convoy protest during his testimony, saying the profile of the protester was none like Ive ever seen in my 36 years career.

He said two retired officers who had worked for him were among the protesters.

We saw children, we saw a lot of crestfallen police officers in the crowd, military, nurses. So it wasnt your normal group of people that youre dealing with, he said.

Were there still concerns from our perspective on extremism? Absolutely. But we relied on and trusted the intelligence as it came in on that regard.

His former colleague Superintendent Pat Morris, the intelligence chief for the OPP, testified before the commission on Oct. 19.

He said neither CSIS nor the RCMPs national security investigation team saw the protest as a threat to national security.

In terms of producing intelligence, we found no credible intelligence of threats, said Morris with regards to threats of violence.
Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.) speaks during a roundtable at the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, on June 18, 2020.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Oklahoma Governor Vows He Wont Allow Life-Changing Gender Surgery for Children

Amid ongoing controversy over the transitioning of gender dysphoric youth, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said hes responsible to protect minors in his state and will continue to take steps to prevent children from being permanently altered either by hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery.

We have a duty to protect minors from a lot of things: we dont let them drink, we dont let them get tattoos, Sitt told Fox News. Their brains arent fully developed.

This is not something were going to allow to be done to minors and use taxpayer dollars, he added.

The Republican governors latest comment comes after he signed a bill earlier this month that blocks the Oklahoma University Childrens Hospital from receiving federal pandemic relief money unless it stops performing, what it calls gender-confirming care for children.

Stitt explained that what some people call gender transition surgery is life-changing, -altering sterilization surgeries, noting that this kind of service should only be available to adults who are healthy and fully developed.

Were not going to let that happen to children, Stitt told the network. Lets make sure that theyre healthy, that theyre fully developed, that they are adults, and then they can make that decision.

Puberty blockers do affect people, the governor added. We believe in traditional family values in Oklahoma. And to think about minors, healthy children being permanently altered either through hormone therapy or some kind of surgery, its not going to happen in Oklahoma.

Gender dysphoria, according to the American Psychiatric Association, is a condition of distress created by an individual who identifies with the opposite biological sex.

As previously reported by The Epoch Times, separate studies found 88 percent of boys and girls experiencing gender dysphoriawho had not yet undergone social transitioningreported when they were teens that it was no longer an issue and they accepted their biological gender.

Stitt, speaking to Oklahoma youth seeking gender transition services, said his legislation isnt against any one person or any class of people, telling Oklahomans that its better to wait for such a life-altering decision until they become of age and their mind is fully developed.

Jimmy Nguyen, the president of the LGBT advocacy group PFLAGs Oklahoma City, told Fox News in a statement that the general consensus by the medical community agrees that it is better to pause hormone therapy and allow the youth to come to terms with themselves in their own time.

However, he noted that he believes Stitt should not be taking this crucial decision out of the hands of families and the children that they directly affect.

Wildly Inappropriate

Stitt said in a statement on Oct. 4 that his law is also meant to prevent tax money from being used to fund irreversible procedures on healthy children.

It is wildly inappropriate for taxpayer dollars to be used for condoning, promoting, or performing these types of controversial procedures on healthy children, the governor said.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signs documents in an undated photo downloaded on Oct. 14, 2022. (Courtesy of State of Oklahoma)

The new law sets aside over $108 million in American Rescue Plan funds to the University of Oklahomas health system, or OU Health, for a variety of projects such as pediatric mental health care, cancer treatment, and mobile dentistry. However, the health group may only get the money when none of its medical facilities offer gender reassignment medical treatment to patients aged under 18.

On Sept. 27, two days before the bill passed Oklahomas Republican-led legislature in a special session, OU Health said it would stop providing what it called gender-confirming care for children. Stitt said this was not enough, and wanted lawmakers to craft another bill that would ban such treatment on minors across the state.

I am calling for the legislature to ban all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors when they convene next session in February 2023, said Stitt, who is running for reelection this November.

Some Republican lawmakers agreed with Stitt, saying that the new law doesnt go far enough.

Lets be abundantly clear. This doesnt stop minors in the state of Oklahoma from having sex change surgeries, Republican state Sen. Nathan Dah said during the Sept. 29 special session. It only stops it from happening at OU.

Bill Pan contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Oregon Gubernatorial Candidate: Completely Wrong to Require COVID Shots for Children

'Our schools need to get back to reading, writing, and math as far as the core focus of our education system.'

Oregons Republican gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan has promised that, if elected, shell do everything in her power to prevent COVID-19 vaccine requirements for children to attend school.

Yeah, I will be pushing back against that as governor, Drazan told the Washington Examiner during an interview on Thursday. Were not talking about eradicating measles. Were not talking about polio.

Especially for our school-aged children, families know best, Drazan noted, adding that shell certainly make COVID-19 vaccines widely available for those that choose them, but shell always oppose mandating the shots for children to attend school.

Drazan is among a number of Republican governors and gubernatorial hopefuls who have vowed to fight an effort by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to adopt an updated immunization schedule that will include COVID-19 vaccines.

Advisers to the CDC voted on Oct. 20 to recommend including the shots on the next version of the child and adolescent immunization schedules, which will be published in early 2023.

The CDC still has to adopt the recommendation, but the agency has been aggressively pro-vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To mandate it as a condition of entering and remaining in our public school system is completely wrong, Drazan told the paper, speaking after a roundtable on homelessness in a small city three hours outside Portland.

Increased Homelessness, Poverty, and Crime

Meanwhile, Drazan also vowed to get politics out of the classroom, declare an emergency to address the homeless crisis, roll back ballot measure 110 which decriminalized hard drugs, and restore public safety in the state.

Our schools need to get back to reading, writing, and math as far as the core focus of our education system, Drazan said. We need to get politics out of the classroom, get parents back in.

Drazan also criticized state measures that have prevented law enforcement officials from making arrests for lower-level offenses such as open drug use.

It just doesnt make sense that heroin and meth and fentanyl would be legal, she said. Right now, too often we see that people are openly using those substances, and it has made our communities less safe.

With four different polls surging in Drazans favor, she welcomed Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to a rally in Oregon on Oct. 18 to campaign alongside her just days after President Joe Biden traveled to the state to support her Democratic opponent Tina Kotek last week.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin at an election rally in Oregon with Republican candidate for governor Christine Drazan. (Courtesy John Burke)

Oregonians are ready for a leader who wants to keep schools open, keep the streets safe, and keep their money in their pockets, Youngkin said, urging voters to choose change.

Its your moment to take back your state, he added. Thats what weve done in Virginia, and its what Christine Drazan is going to do in Oregon as your next governor.

Drazan is leading in a three-way race against Kotek and independent candidate Betsy Johnson. She has mounted an unusually strong bid for governor in a state that has not chosen a Republican leader in 40 years.

Scottie Barnes contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 20, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Peter Menzies: Canada Needs a Sound Free-Market Strategy for News Industry, Not Confetti Thrown at Favourites

Commentary

The big debate about the future of Canadas mainstream media these days wont be about whether or not its newsrooms will be made dependent on the good graces of Justin Trudeaus government. Thats over.

Now, were just arguing about the price.

That became abundantly clear on Oct. 21 when Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. And while he tried hard to assure committee members that his Online News Act wouldnt allow politicians to choose which media would qualify for its benefits, its becoming very clear his legislation will designate winners and losers. And not only will the biggest winners be those whose survival is least at risk, Rodriguez appears determined to make as many media as are willing permanently dependent upon the continued existence of a Liberal government.

The minister, who described legacy media as vital to democracy but made no mention of new startups or innovators, said he wanted nothing to do with deciding who would qualify as a designated news organization under Bill C-18 (the Online News Act). But in response to a question regarding which body news providers could appeal to if they arent designated as beneficiaries, he said the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) would decide. (Thats despite the fact the CRTC chair said earlier that they did not want to decide).

Regardless, somebodys got to do it and at the end of the day it will be people appointed by the Trudeau governmenteither CRTC commissioners or the panel that decides which organizations make the cut as a qualified news organization as defined in the Income Tax Act.

The group that decides who qualifies is called the Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax Measures. It consists at the moment of only four members: chair Colette Brin, a journalism professor at Laval University and former Radio Canada reporter; Kim Kierans, journalism professor at University of Kings College in Halifax and a past CBC reporter; Margo Goodhand, former editor of the Winnipeg Free Press and the Edmonton Journal; and Pierre-Paul Noreau, former publisher of Le Droit and former board member of News Media Canada, the lobby organization that pushed for Bill C-18. Karim H. Karim, a professor at Carleton University and former Heritage Canada staffer, resigned his post almost 18 months ago and the government hasnt appointed a successor.

As for those small operators left out of the Bill C-18 windfall, the Heritage Minister was quick to point to the Local Journalism Initiativewhich he topped up on Oct. 20as a source for their sustenance. Originally announced as a $10 million a year fund for five years, Rodriguez is doubling that to $20 million next year and it sure sounds like its not expiring after five years. Nope, its looking like the $10 million a year for five years is becoming $20 million a year forever. And if thats not enough, Rodriguez extended the Special Measures for Journalism portion of the Canada Periodical fund with an additional $40 million over the next three years, which should take benefiting news organizations and Rodriguez through to the next election.

Little wonder Rodriguez boasted how the world is watching, as in his view Canada leads the way in ensuring its legacy mediaand democracy itselfsurvive change.

But while hes avoiding personally picking winners, theres no question hes building a world in which it is glaringly obvious to news organizations which political party will keep them fed, watered, and paying their mortgages.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has run the numbers on Bill C-18, which forces social media and search engines to pay news organizations for posting their content on the platforms for free. And the big winners in that cashapalooza playa barefaced shakedownwont be the legacy newspapers that are facing bankruptcy and begged for it in the first place. Nope, according to the PBO they will get a mere $80 million a year to fight over between them, with the remaining $249 million likely to line the pockets of well-heeled broadcasters like the CBC, Bellmedia/CTV, Corus/Global, and others.

Bill C-18 wont, in other words, save legacy newspapers like the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Ottawa Citizen even if, as seems increasingly unlikely, Facebook continues to allow news postings. But it might just provide their online competitors with the loot needed to finish them off.

According to the PBO the majority of the profits from Bill C-18 is going to the CBC and other big broadcasters, Saskatoon West MP Brad Redekopp tweeted. The only thing the world is watching is @Pablorodriguez tear away the credibility of our media.

Its important that people have sources of newsaccurate newsthat they can trust. As we have seen from testimony in the Emergencies Act inquiry, hysterical left-wing and just plain bad reporting can have serious consequences.

Canada needs a proper free-market industrial strategy for its news industry in the 21st century. Bill C-18 and all the other financial confetti being thrown by Rodriguez at the feet of some of his favourites isnt it.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Clarification: The trip to New York City referenced in this article was organized and funded by state Sen. Aram Garabedian.

As a kid, Martha Jamgochian didnt know the dark parts of her family history. Anything she managed to gather was overheard.

As my mother grew older, sometimes she would say something, but it was more like she was thinking aloud and I happened to be there, as opposed to sitting you down and telling you what happened, Jamgochian said. They never ever did that. They shared everything with their children, except their pain.

Camille Gregorian had the same experience, using her knowledge of Armenian as a child to translate her grandmothers conversations with friends.

I didnt know it all, but I just knew horrible things happened, because they would cry, Gregorian said. They would talk and cry, and talk and cry.

More: 'His name is mostly forgotten': Honoring James Rhea, Journal's first Black reporter

Camille Gregorian, vice president of the board of the Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island, stands next to Varoujan Karentz, the board's founding chair, at the association's museum in Providence.

They were talking about the Armenian genocide. Starting in 1915, the Ottoman Empire targeted its Armenian minority, killing about 1.5 million people during World War I, though estimates vary. Turkey, which emerged at the end of the empire, has refused to acknowledge the genocide for what it was. (The United Nations' 1985 report on genocide made clear that the crimes indeed met the definition of genocide.)

Museum is a resource for those tracing Armenian ancestry

Many Rhode Islanders trace their relatives back to those horrific years  including Jamgochian and Gregorian, both of whom are on the board of directors of the Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island, nestled in an office building in Providence. The associations first-floor space houses a small museum with various panels detailing Armenian history and its connection to Rhode Island communities.

Varoujan Karentz, the boards founding chair, described the genocide as what bonded Armenians together.

More: Murder, myth, devotion: Amy Russo shares stories from Providence's North Burial Ground

Story continues

People that emigrated to Rhode Island didnt know where the rest of the Armenians were, he said. All they knew was that everybody was being killed, so they came here  clothes on your back and no nickels in the pocketbook.

Camille Gregorian shows two family photos. On the left is an image of her brother, George M. Gregorian and father, George K. Gregorian, and on the right is an image of a popcorn stand they started, which traveled to ethnic festivals.

The association, which was started in 1997, has held open houses to help Armenians trace their ancestry with a genealogy station and census records. But for a long time, such resources were sparse.

As Jamgochian recalled, When we were growing up, the information was like this, she said, making a zero with her hand. And people would say, What kind of a name is Jamgochian?

More: How did a Providence bookstore survive bankruptcy, e-books and Amazon? Amy Russo finds out

She recalled the difficulty with which teachers would pronounce her name when school started, moving down the roster when suddenly, there would be a stop.

Martha  is that Jam or is it Yam?, theyd ask. The confusion continued into college.

Martha Jamgochian, board chair for the Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island, stands in front of an exhibit in the association's museum.

Michael Kaprielian, one of the boards founding members, recalled difficulties of his own in college when his fraternity brothers discovered that his Armenian name was Manoog and teased him.

Gregorian summed up the feeling in one sentence: You constantly had to explain yourself.

Sleuthing in the cemetery to trace Armenians in RI

But those names became especially key in the early 2000s, when researchers led by Karentz spent about three months scouring ledgers at Providences North Burial Ground, picking out all names ending in ian  a hint that those interred individuals were Armenian.

More: Why would you walk 215 miles from Providence to New York? Amy Russo finds out

Kaprielian proudly held up a photo of one such grave  that of the Rev. Vaghenag Sisagian, a priest who served the Armenian community and died in 1899.

Michael Manoog Kaprielian, a founding member of the board of the Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island, holds a photo of the grave of the Rev. Vaghenag Sisagian, a priest who served the Armenian community. He's buried in Providence's North Burial Ground.

Hes evidence of one of the Armenians who arrived earlier in Rhode Island than others, though the historical association says it has found hints of Armenian names dating back to colonial Newport.

Today, Rhode Island has been home to a handful of notable Armenians, including judges, former Brown University President Vartan Gregorian, Alex and Ani founder Carolyn Rafaelian  who is Gregorian's cousin  and one name who's been making news as of late: Rhode Island Public Transit Authority CEO Scott Avedisian.

More: What's it like to work the boats at WaterFire Providence? Amy Russo was stoked to find out

The extent of Rhode Island's Armenian community became more apparent in 2015, when former state Sen. Aram Garabedian, who is the son of genocide survivors, organized a trip to New York City where thousands rallied to mark the 100th anniversary of the genocide. While participants came from various states, in total, 12 busloads of Rhode Islanders made the journey.

Remembering that moment, Kaprielian reflected back on his college days, when no one knew his name.

Those people that didnt know us back then, knew us now, he said.

Visit the Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island at 245 Waterman St. in Providence, or at ahari.clubexpress.com.

Providence Journal staff writer Amy Russo, a transplanted New Yorker, is looking for new ways to experience her adopted state. If you have suggestions for this column, email her at amrusso@providencejournal.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bonded by tragedy, RI Armenians find strength in history and community
A new report is giving details on missile technology funded by U.S. taxpayers being transferred to China.

Are Halloween candies safe? Lethal fentanyl found disguised inside snacks has been seized by U.S. officials.

Beijing officials are vowing to boost the fighting spirit of Chinese diplomacy, alongside the regimes political conference.

After an attack inside the Chinese consulate in Manchester, the Chinese consul general admits to pulling a protesters hair during the incidentcalling it his duty as a diplomat.

Australia is launching an investigation after reports that its former military pilots are getting recruited by Beijing.

Topics in this episode:

Report: U.S. Tech Boosts Chinas Hypersonic Missiles Beijing Summons Microchip Firms for Emergency Talks Fentanyl Pills Inside Candy Boxes Seized China Vows to Boost Fighting Spirit in Diplomacy Chinese Provinces Face Rising Income Deficit: Report Hong Kong Fights Against Talent Loss

UK Urges China to Waive Immunity for Accused Diplomats EU Head: Were Witnessing Growing Tensions w/ China Australian Probe: China Recruited Former Air Force Pilots CCP Infiltration Causes Self-Censorship in U.S.: Expert U.S. Needs Coherent Way of Handling China: Expert

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BUY Jan 6 DVD: The Real Story of Jan. 6 Documentary102 Minutes, Color) , Promo Code [Tiffany] for 20% off.
On Oct. 31, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments to decide if universities can use race in admissions decisions. Kenny Xu says Asian-Americans are getting shortchanged and its time to reward merit, not skin color. Xu is the president of Color Us United and best-selling author of An Inconvenient Minority: The Attack on Asian American Excellence and the Fight for Meritocracy.

Next, in America Q&A, we ask: If affirmative action lifts up some people, but holds others back, is it fair?

Then, Ward Connerly, president of the American Civil Rights Institute, has been fighting race-based discrimination at colleges for decades. He says there are very few people left who want these programs.

Finally, mass anti-regime protests erupted in Iran after morality police beat to death 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for not wearing her headscarf properly. Iranian women want Western support, but theyre not getting it. In our second America Q&A, we ask: What do you think the Wests reaction should be?

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Employees putting together a huge makeshift quarantine facility that will be used for COVID-19 patients in Shanghai, China on April 7, 2022. (CNS/AFP via Getty Images)

Shanghai Spends Big Money Constructing Makeshift Quarantine Facilities, Tightens COVID-19 Curbs

Shanghai plans to invest over one billion yuan ( about $138 million ) to build a quarantine facility on an islet near the city center, according to a tendering document released on Oct. 13.

The construction project, titled Fuxing Island Preparatory Makeshift Hospital and Isolation Site of Close Contacts, was awarded to state-owned builder China Communications Construction Corp. for 1.38 billion yuan (about $191 million), according to an official announcement of the Shanghai municipal government.

The announcement is marked 404 and thus not found by a Google search; but Reuters and Taiwans Central News Agency (CNA) both reported on the project on Oct. 19.

A 404 error message indicates that the server was not able to retrieve the requested page.

The new facility, upon completion, will have 3,009 rooms with 3,250 beds, according to Reuters and CNA.

The official document didnt give a time of completion of the project, the Reuters report said.

A netizen commenting on the news of the new makeshift hospital on Fuxing Island said: Over 400,000 yuan (about $55,000) [construction cost] per bed. How expensive!

More Makeshift Quarantine Facilities Reported

The Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times accessed several video clips showing that more isolation facilities in the city have been completed and are in use, including Xuhui Makeshift Hospital, Xupu Bridge Makeshift Hospital, Jiangwan Stadium Makeshift Hospital, and Huinan Town Makeshift Hospital.

The Epoch Times wasnt able to verify the authenticity of the video footage.

According to an April report by state-owned media Shanghai Peoples Daily, Jin Chen, a deputy director of Shanghai housing and urban-rural development committee, said that five makeshift hospitals built by the municipal government were completed by April, supplying a total of 88,000 beds. Jin said that district governments in Shanghai had completed the construction of makeshift hospitals that provide 21,000 beds and that makeshift isolation facilities supplying approximately 20,000 beds were being built by the district governments.

The construction of various makeshift hospitals and isolation facilities for positive COVID-19 cases and their close contacts reveal that Shanghai municipal authorities dont plan to relax their draconian zero-COVID curbs any time soon.

The Epoch Times reached out to the municipal government for comment on Oct. 21 and hadnt received a response as of press time.

On Oct. 20, Shanghai reported zero positive cases and 13 asymptomatic cases for the day.

As of Oct. 19, over 50 neighborhood communities in Shanghai have been designated as medium-level risk areas by the municipal government, which means that residents in these areas are allowed to move around within the communities but are not allowed to leave their communities.

Stringent Lockdowns, Poor Conditions in Makeshift Facilities

Shanghai, with a population of 25 million people, has been locked down sporadically since the end of March this year, the longest lockdown was from the end of March to June 1, causing deaths and mental illnesses of residents, and triggering an outcry and protests from residents.

Xiao Min (pseudonym), a student from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times that she and her schoolmates were transferred from the university to a makeshift isolation site on the evening of Oct. 7.

The makeshift isolation facility is in poor condition. The toilets are leaking; there is no shower, and there is no hot water, Xiao Min told The Epoch Times in an interview on Oct. 10.

From a video clip obtained by The Epoch Times, the isolation facility near a Shanghai stadium was seemingly made using modified shipping containers.

Professor Zhang Tianliang, a current affairs commentator based in the United States, said in a video program of his on Oct. 18 that he anticipated Li Qiang, the current CCP party secretary of Shanghai, to be promoted by Xi Jinping at the 20th national congress that is currently underway.

Li will most likely be promoted by Xi to the position of the first deputy premier, Zhang said in his program, adding that Xi wants people precisely like Li who faithfully obey Xis policies.

Li Jing contributed to this report.
Smith Says Shell End Alberta Health Services Partnership With World Economic Forum

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will end the partnership her provinces health authority has with the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Her remarks came during a livestream on Western Standards Question Period with Premier Danielle Smith program on Oct. 21, where she said she holds the Alberta Health Services (AHS) accountable for its COVID-19 advice to the government of Alberta over the last two years, and that its ties with the WEF serve no purpose to the province.

I believe that Alberta Health Services is the source of a lot of problems that weve had, Smith said.

They signed some kind of partnership with the World Economic Forum right in the middle of the pandemic; weve got to address that. Why in the world do we have anything to do with the World Economic Forum? Thats got to end.

Caught the Eye

On July 2, 2020, the AHS published an article sharing that it has caught the eye of the WEF, which invited AHS to join its Global Coalition for Value in Healthcare to play a role in shaping future health care on the international stage.

The coalitions goals align with those of AHS when it comes to recognizing the rights of individuals and introducing more of a social responsibility into health care, the article said.

According to the WEFs website, the coalition was launched in 2019 and is part of its Platform for Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare.

The Platform curates international organizations, academic institutions, pharmaceutical and biomedical companies, health care NGOs, hospitals, health care providers, infrastructure, and insurance organizations to shape the global health agenda, the WEF said.

Organizations partnering with the Forum, whether governments, cities, civil society, or private-sector participants, are invited to join the coalitionto drive the overall efforts as members of the Executive Board, exchange knowledge and submit their initiatives as innovation hubs of the coalition, or learn best practices as digital members.

In a 2019 video, the WEF said the coalition will drive health care change by disseminating best practices, building a global network of practitioners, and champion global informatics standards for health data, among its initiatives.

Whole Broad Science

During the livestream, Smith criticized the scientific committee at the AHS, saying that the members didnt look at the whole broad science.

They want to make themselves permanent, she said. I dont want to have a scientific committee that isnt prepared to look at therapeutic options in the middle of the pandemic and throw out the pandemic planning plan.

In addition, she said she will terminate the entire AHS board.

Smith had promised to overhaul the AHS and to change management within the department during her leadership race. She had also pledged to amend and strengthen legislation so Albertans cant be discriminated-against on the basis of medical decisions.

Rachel Emmanuel contributed to this report.
A North Korea flag flutters next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 9, 2017. (Edgar Su/Reuters)

South Korea Arrests 2 Former Top Officials Over Fishermans Killing by North Korea in 2020

South Koreas former defense minister and ex-coast guard chief were arrested Saturday for their alleged involvement in covering up the killing of a South Korean fisheries official by North Korea two years ago.

The Seoul Central District Court said it issued arrest warrants for former defense minister Suh Wook and former coast guard commissioner general Kim Hong-hee due to their flight risks, Yonhap News Agency reported.

They were arrested for abuse of power and falsifying official documents relating to the case of Lee Dae-jun, 47, who was fatally shot by North Korean troops while on duty on a fishing boat near the maritime border in September 2020.

The former Moon Jae-in administration concluded that Lee attempted to defect to North Korea due to his gambling debts, but the coast guard said in June that it found no evidence suggesting that Lee intended to defect.

Prosecutors alleged that Suh destroyed intelligence reports to impede the probe into Lees murder, while Kim was accused of using fabricated facts to conclude Lees motive to defect. Both of them denied the allegations.

Their arrest followed an investigation by the Yoon administration, which revealed that Lee was left in water for nearly six hours as he drifted in and out of consciousness after being found by North Korean troops.

The latest documents from the parliamentary investigation also found the coast guard, who was in charge at the time, violated rules during their initial rescue efforts by failing to seek help from other vessels and authorities nearby.

A state audit also requested prosecutors to investigate 20 officials from five agencies, including a former national security advisor and a former national intelligence service chief of the previous government, in relation to the case.

Probe Into 2019 Deportation of North Korean Fishermen

The Yoon administration is also investigating the repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in 2019. Yoons office accused the former government of ignoring domestic laws, which recognize North Koreans as South Korean citizens, and their rights to a fair trial.

The two fishermen fled to South Korea in 2019 and admitted to killing 16 other men aboard their vessel. They expressed a desire to defect, but the then-government of Moon Jae-in rejected their request as insincere.

Some critics claimed that former President Moon ordered their repatriation to appease North Koreas government, following his administrations efforts to resume peace talks with the nuclear-armed nation.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Special Election to Fill Nury Martinezs Former Seat Could Cost Over $7 Million

LOS ANGELESA special election to fill the Sixth District seat vacated by Nury Martinezs resignation for her involvement in the city hall racism scandal could cost Los Angeles up to an estimated $7.65 million, the city clerks office said Oct. 21.

The election would take place on April 4, 2023, at the earliest, with a runoffif necessarytaking place on June 27. The council is set to discuss calling a special election at Tuesdays meeting and allocating $7.65 million for the two elections.

The Sixth Districtwhich includes central and eastern portions of San Fernando Valleyis being overseen by a non-voting caretaker, the citys chief legislative analyst, Sharon Tso. A non-voting caretaker does not hold a seat on the council but oversees the council office to make sure the district provides constituent services and other basic functions.

Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (D-Arleta) who was floated as a candidate for the seat if the council holds a special election, said this week that she wasnt interested.

I love my role in the state Assembly, which allows me to work onand make progress onthe issues that I care most about, especially environmental justice and empowering underserved communities, Rivas said on Twitter.

Martinez resigned from the council last week after the recent leak of a recorded racially charged conversation from a year ago made her the center of a political firestorm. She made disparaging comments aimed at Councilman Mike Bonins 2-year-old black adopted son and at other ethnic groups while the group discussed the politically sensitive process of redrawing council district boundaries.

Martinez spoke about Bonins son as Parece changuitowhich is translated to like a little monkeywhile recalling seeing Bonins son on a float during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, where she said the child was like an accessory.

de Leon chimed in and said Bonin treats his child the same way as when Nury brings her Goyard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag.

During the conversation, Martinez used multiple slurs in Spanish to describe Bonins son.

Her term was set to expire in December 2024.

The other two council members involved in the leaked conversation that spurred the scandal, Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo, have so far defied calls to resign. de Leon said earlier this week that he does not plan on stepping down, and a spokesman for Cedillo said Oct. 19 night that the councilman remains at a place of reflection.

de Leons term also expires in December 2024.

Cedillo lost his re-election bid to Eunessis Hernandez in June and will leave office in December. Council President Paul Krekorian has suggested swearing in Hernandez immediately if Cedillo resigns.

Recently, Councilwoman Heather Hutt served as a non-voting caretaker of the 10th District for several months before being appointed as council member last month in place of Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who is suspended as he awaits trial on federal corruption charges. Previous fill-in Councilman Herb Wesson was legally barred from serving on the council.
Military personnel in ceremonial uniform lowers the national flag of Sri Lanka at Galle Face Green in Colombo, Sri Lanka on July 17, 2022. (Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images)

Sri Lanka Passes Constitutional Amendment to Limit Presidents Authority

Sri Lankas parliament approved a constitutional amendment on Oct. 21 that will limit the presidents authority, in a move to restore political stability amid the nations worst economic crisis in decades.

The bill was passed with a two-thirds majority in parliament, with 179 lawmakers voting in favor, one voting against it, and 45 others absent. The government said it seeks to preserve judicial and public sector independence.

The amendment transfers some presidential powers, including the appointment of officials, to a constitutional council comprising lawmakers and respected non-politicians.

The councils recommendation is required for presidential appointments of senior judges, attorney generals, central bank governors, police, election commissioners, and bribery and corruption investigators.

The prime minister will recommend Cabinet appointments, and the president wont be allowed to hold any Cabinet positions except defense.

The bill reinstates many democratic reforms made in 2015, which were reversed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa when he was elected in 2019 and concentrated power in the presidency.

Protesters blamed Rajapaksa for the countrys economic woes, which deprived the population of basic necessities. Many viewed Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was appointed president by parliament in July, as a Rajapaksa loyalist.

Unbridled and Unchecked

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), a Colombo-based think tank, said the legislation makes no significant changes to curtail the presidents power, which over time may erode democratic institutions in Sri Lanka.

No change has been made in the presidents power to determine the number of ministers and ministries and the assignment of subjects and functions to such ministries, the CPA said in a statement.

The bill also provides that the president shall hold the Defense Ministry and that he can assign to himself any other portfolio and function on the advice of the prime minister.

The bill failed to address Sri Lankas governance crisis as it didnt include the complete abolition of the executive presidential system and the return to a full parliamentary constitutional democracy, according to the CPA.

Unless and until the unbridled and unchecked powers of the executive presidency are abolished and replaced with a Cabinet executive representative of and responsive to parliament, it would be impossible to make the necessary decisions to resolve the present economic crisis, it said.

Sri Lanka has $51 billion in foreign debt, $6.5 billion of which is owed to China. The country defaulted on its debt in May as it was unable to pay for essential imports, sparking nationwide protests that led Rajapaksa to flee Sri Lanka.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Study: Wildfires Canceled Californias CO2 Gains

Commentary

In 2020, greenhouse gas emission reductions by California were negated by the CO2 from wildfires. Thats according to a new study by researchers from UCLA and the University of Chicago, Up in smoke: Californias greenhouse gas reductions could be wiped out by 2020 wildfires.

Yet, comprehensive sensible policies could mitigate the wildfires. These policies include, especially, undergrounding power lines, which often spark onto dry wood, starting conflagrations.

According to the study, We estimate that Californias wildfire carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from 2020 are approximately two times higher than Californias total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions since 2003. Without considering future vegetation regrowth, CO2e emissions from the 2020 wildfires could be the second most important source in the state above either industry or electrical power generation.

Their solution: Our analysis suggests that significant societal benefits could accrue from larger investments in improved forest management and stricter controls on new development in fire-prone areas at the wildland-urban interface. Those things would help.

But the state has lagged in dealing with its aging electricity infrastructurea problem made worse, ironically, as more electric vehicles hit the road and need more juice from already overloaded power lines.

When I was state Sen. John Moorlachs press secretary, 2017-20, one of his priorities was the power lines. In 2016, the year before I joined him, he sponsored Senate Bill 1463. It would have required the California Public Utilities Commission and CalFire to prioritize fire-hazard areas associated with overhead utility facilities when determining areas which it will require enhanced mitigation measures for wildfire hazards.

After scrupulous vetting by several committees, it passed unanimously in both houses of the Legislature. Then Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it. Which made no sense.

In 2018, during another wildfire conflagration, the Daily Caller reported, As California Burns, Jerry Brown Takes Heat for Vetoing 2016 Wildfire Mitigation Bill. It quoted Moorlach, Not addressing wildfires has reversed all the work weve done to reduce greenhouse gases. Its inconsistent.

Also in 2018, Moorlach introduced a new bill, numbered again Senate Bill 1463. It would have spent $600 million to mitigate wildfires. This time, things turned out better, as another bill, Senate Bill 901, grabbed the idea and included $200 million from cap-and-trade revenues to go toward wildfire mitigation. That bill was authored by state Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), and the money at least was a start.

Flummoxed voters bounced Moorlach in 2020. That was just before the massive, unexpected surpluses of the past two years flowed into the state treasury. What an opportunity to sharply reduce greenhouse gases, not by some utopian edict of banning non-electric cars by 2035, but by actually doing something comprehensive about the spark-prone power lines.

There has been some action. Gov. Gavin Newsoms summary of the budget enacted in June for fiscal year 2022-23 tallied, The Budget includes $1.2 billion in additional actions to continue building forest and wildfire resilience statewide.

Industry also is acting. According to San Diego Gas & Electric, its Wildfire Mitigation Plan outlines a suite of programs and initiatives that the company will undertake to continue to advance wildfire safety. One of those initiatives is strategic undergrounding of overhead power lines.

Burying power lines removes the risk of these lines sparking fires during adverse weather events, but more importantly, buried lines can remain energized during Public Safety Power Shutoffs, reducing the impact of power outages to fire prone communities.

All that also is a start. But given the great emphasis put on reducing CO2 emissions by California politicians, and the immense cost imposed on residents here, shouldnt this have been the top priority on spending this years $100 budget surplus?

According to one estimate, At a cost of $3 million per mile, undergrounding 81,000 miles of distribution lines would cost $243 billion. A lot of money. But, say, $50 billion could have been taken from the $100 billion surplus to underground the most vulnerable power lines.

Finally, Proposition 30 on this Novembers ballot mainly is about increasing taxes on what supporters actually brand Greedy Billionaires and CEOs. Taxes would rise up to $4.5 billion a year to install electric vehicle chargers to benefit Lyft, the initiatives sponsor. But as bait for voters, it also would spend 20 percent of revenues on a Wildfire Green House Gas Emissions Reduction fund. That could mean up to $900 million a year to reduce wildfires.

As with most issueshomelessness, crime, drought, tax reform, agriculture, energythe state is taking a haphazard, piecemeal approach to fighting wildfires. The comprehensive approach the state took during its Golden Age of the 1940s-early 1970sbuilding the state water and schools systems, especiallyis something no longer possible. Even as the state enters another season of wildfires, burning down homes and turning Californians into human Smores.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A large group of protesters stand on the East steps of the Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

Tennessee Man Gets 4 Years in Prison For Breaking Into Capitol During Jan. 6 Breach

A man from Memphis, Tennessee, has been sentenced to four years in prison for misdemeanor and felony offenses related to his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach incident.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Matthew Bledsoe, 38, attended a rally near the Ellipse and subsequently headed over to the Capitol. After 2:13 p.m., he entered the Capitol grounds. Bledsoe then moved to the Capitol Building, scaled a wall at the Upper Northwest Terrace, and entered through a fire door at the Senate Wing.

Among other things, he yelled, In the Capitol. This is our house. We pay for this [expletive]. Wheres those pieces of [expletive] at? He climbed a statue and was outside the corridor to the House Chamber and hallways near the Speakers Lobby, according to an Oct. 21 press release from the Department of Justice (DoJ).

Bledsoe spent roughly 22 minutes inside and left the Capitol building at around 2:47 p.m. Within two hours, he came back and lingered outside the East Rotunda Doors.

Bledsoe was arrested on Jan. 13, 2021. On July 21 this year, he was found guilty by a jury in the District of Columbia of one felony offense of obstruction of an official proceeding.

He was also deemed guilty of four misdemeanor offenses, including (a) disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building, (b) entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, (c) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol Building, and (d) parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building.

Bledsoe was sentenced to a 48-month prison term, following which he will be put on supervised release for three years. In addition, he must also pay $2,000 in restitution and $2,000 in fines.

Court Proceedings

At the court, Bledsoe claimed that he was not aware that Congress was certifying the 2020 presidential election when he entered the Capitol building. He pleaded not guilty to all charges laid against him.

Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell dismissed his claims, insisting that Bledsoe knew what was going on, NBC reported.

The government had asked for 70 months in prison. But the judge refused the request saying that a 70-month prison term would create a sentencing disparity with other Jan. 6 lawsuits.

Bledsoe apologized for letting my emotions get the best of me on that day.

Its hard to reconcile the image of you today, Mr. Bledsoe, with the image of you on that tape, Howell said.

In the 21 months since the Jan. 6 breach, over 880 individuals from almost 50 states have been arrested, including more than 270 people who are charged with impeding or assaulting law enforcement.

Around 3,000 people are estimated to have entered the Capitol or assaulted law enforcement officials on Jan. 6. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter told the judge that the DoJ might eventually bring charges against 2,000 individuals.
Truss Resignation a Symptom of Conservative Crisis in the Anglosphere

Commentary

The resignation of Liz Truss after barely six weeks as the UK prime minister is seen by many commentators as the consequence of pursuing extremist, experimental economic policies.

Yet, Sir Humphrey Applebyof Yes Minister famewould have described Truss as very courageous in pursuing free market policies, which are now almost universally panned by these same, self-congratulating commentators as electoral poison.

The fact is that Trusss departure from No. 10 Downing Street is a symptom, not a cause, of whats wrong with centre-right politics across the Anglosphere, for two reasons.

First, centre-right parties in the UK, Canada, and Australia have abandoned core centre-right principlesincluding economic liberalismand have ceased making the case for them.

In Britain, the Conservative Party long ago decided it didnt want to be a conservative, centre-right party.

Trusss predecessor, Boris Johnson, didnt lose the prime ministership because of Partygate. That was merely the excuse.

Johnson was removed because his embrace of net-zero emissions and climate change super-activism led Britain into an energy crisis.

It has resulted in massive price hikes for household energy bills, born by the very voters in the red wall that gave the Tories the biggest electoral majority they had since Margaret Thatchers huge win in the 1987 general election.

Johnson won dozens of working-class seats that had never voted Conservative before. He won them on Brexit and patriotism and because the centre-left Labour Partys Jeremy Corbyn was so extreme. Now, the Conservatives could easily lose those seats.

Conservatives Presiding Over Centre-Left Agenda

As Australian journalist Greg Sheridan points out, on Brexit, Johnson forced his party to make a choice in utter defiance of the zeitgeist. But on everything else, Johnson has governed as a left-of-centre, zeitgeist-observing Labour leader might.

The two Conservative leaders before Johnson, Theresa May and David Cameron, accepted all of Labours social agenda. Camerons only conservative feature was attempting to control spending and balance the budget, plus some modest tax cutting.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron (R) stands with then-London Mayor Boris Johnson as the Olympic cauldron is lit for the Paralympic Games in Trafalgar Square in London on Aug. 24, 2012. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Now, under a Conservative government, Britains tax take is the highest since the 1960s, soon to become the highest since the 50s.

The energy crisis and the tax burden are the two big things that Truss tried to address, but was unable to do so thanks to her predecessors.

As John Roskam, of the Institute of Public Affairs, writes in the Australian Financial Review, what has occurred in the past few weeks reveals what happens when you stop making the case for economic freedom.

He cites former Tory leader and Foreign Secretary William Hague, who wrote in The Times that all that was left for the Conservative Party to do was to live with big government and try to make it work a bit better (this is also what many centre-right Liberal members of Parliament in Australia believe too, by the way).

They have given up because, in their mind, its too hard since it will likely provoke horror in the financial markets and ridicule from commentators, and spook voters who have become comfortable with staying at homewhile leaving future generations with the debt burden.

This parlous state of affairs is thanks to ever-increasing government largesse, practised by both centre-right and left-wing governments.

We have been here before. Advocates for economic freedom are back where they were in the 1970s. They are policy dissidents, as Roskam calls them.

What follows is an extract from the memorandum of advice provided to the incoming Thatcher government in 1979 (which former Australian Prime Minister John Howard reproduced in his autobiography Lazarus Rising). It is as true today as it was then.

First and foremost, the UK public sector has swollen beyond belief (due to) the Welfare State, rampant. Necessarily, therefore, the overall burden of taxation is too high, and its effects are exacerbated by the structure of the taxation system;

which, although ostensibly directed at the fat cats, in practice results not (or not so much) in levies falling genuinely on well-to-do but rather on the middle classes;

so that, literally, people in that category are increasingly disposed to vote with their feet by taking their skills, energies and, not least, their attitudes towards their society, elsewhere.

Thatcher had to argue not only against her opponents, but also, even more fiercely, against those of her own party, to convince them of the benefits of economic freedom. Even those in her own party begged her for a U-turn, which she famously refused to do.

Leadership Qualities Not Up to Par

The second reason for Trusss demise is the system that chooses our leaders no longer produces caliber such as Thatcher who can make the case for economic liberalism and carry it through.

As Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson told Piers Morgan, there needs to be a rethink in how leaders are chosen because its not working.

Clearly the systems that we have had in place post-war the last 80 years to raise up talent to put in positions to rule over the rest of usthat system is very flawed, Carlson said.

Its producing instead short-sighted day traders who have no real investment in the countries they lead, no long-term vision for those countries, and no moral strength.

Theyre weak, and weak leadership in the home, as in the nation, results in disaster.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher poses for a photograph in London, in 1980. (AP Photo/Gerald Penny)

Truss didnt succeed because she, like her predecessors, doesnt possess Thatcher-like skills to make the case that prosperity is built on the back of economic freedom, lower taxes, smaller government, and less regulation to allow private enterprise and individual initiative to flourish.

One only has to look at her media performances to know that she was, to put it simply, not up to the task.

Lets not forget Truss was seen as a least-worst option in the party leadership contest compared to former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, a former investment banker and hedge fund manager, whose resignation was the catalyst for the end of Johnson.

Its this system that sees deep-thinkers such as MPs Kemi Badenoch and Danny Krugerwith their genuine commitment to finding a way to rebuild a good society from the ruins brought about by the globalist creed of the past two decadesexcluded from leadership positions in place of mediocrity and careerists.

Theyre considered too risky and thus a threat to personal electoral survival by many MPs.

Every man for himself now seems to be the order of the day.

Trusss demise is the wake-up call that not only economic liberals need, but that democracy in the Anglosphere needs if it wants to produce worthy leaders.

The low point of the 1970s led to a revolution. And it can happen again.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Ukrainian military said it used anti-aircraft missile units and mobile fire groups to destroy 18 Russian cruise missiles during a string of attacks on energy infrastructure across the country Saturday morning.

18 enemy cruise missiles were destroyed by aviation, anti-aircraft missile units and mobile fire groups, a post from the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

In addition, the Russians attacked from ships in the Black Sea with Kalibr cruise missiles. A total of 16 starts, it continued. CNN cannot independently confirm the Ukrainian militarys claims.

Several rockets flying towards Kyiv on Saturday were shot down by air defense forces in the region, the citys Mayor Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said in a separate statement.

A series of attacks across Ukraine Saturday has so far left residents in parts of Odesa, Cherkasy, Kropyvnitsky, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi and Lutsk without electricity, according to officials in each region.

Russia has launched a series of attacks across Ukraine in recent weeks, striking civilian infrastructure and sowing terror in Ukrainian cities far from the frontlines of the war.

The attacks have increased since the summer when, according to the United States and Kyiv, Moscow acquired suicide drones from Iran.

On Friday, France called for a United Nations investigation into whether drones used in the attacks are being supplied by Tehran.

We expect the UN experts to go on the ground and to collect the remains of these drones and to tell us where they are coming from. This is part of their mandate, they report twice a year and it has to be done, Frances Ambassador to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, told reporters in New York on Friday.

However, Iran has denied supplying weapons to Russia and accused the West of running a disinformation campaign against it. Russia has also denied using Iranian drones, saying such claims are unsubstantiated inferences and far-fetched assumptions.

The French ambassador dismissed these denials, saying nobody is paying any attention to them and that the facts are crystal clear.

Story continues

France views Russias use of drones in Ukraine as a massive violation of international humanitarian law and international law, he added, saying that it also went against a UN resolution on Irans nuclear program.

His comments came after a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine, held following requests by France and Mexico.

CNN reported Tuesday that Iran has sent military personnel to Russian-occupied territory inside Crimea to train and advise the Russian military on the use of their drones, according to two sources familiar with US intelligence.

Suicide drones, are a type of aerial weapon system. They are known as a loitering munition because they are capable of waiting for some time in an area identified as a potential target and only strike once an enemy asset is identified.

They are small, portable and can be easily launched, but their main advantage is that they are hard to detect and can be fired from a distance.

Ukrainian authorities say Russia has ordered 2,400 Shahed-136 drones from Iran and that it is rebranding and using the Shaheds under the name of Geran.

US officials say there has been some evidence already that the Iranian drones have experienced numerous failures on the battlefield.

De Riviere, the French ambassador, said Moscow was changing its tactics and targeting civilian infrastructure because the Russian army is clearly in trouble on the ground.

Therefore, Russia has decided to increase its pressure on Ukrainian civilians to destroy energy facilities, hospitals, schools. Many cities in Ukraine have been targeted by the Russian artillery. This must clearly stop.

So this is where we are, we need to talk, we need to discuss, we need to put this war to an end, de Riviere said, and the sooner, the better.

Attacks across Ukraine

Just hours later, on Saturday, nearly 1,000 homes in the southern Ukrainian town of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk region were left without electricity after Russian shelling during the night severed power lines, according to governor Valentin Reznichenko. The city of Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine also reported losing power, folllowing a series of explosions.

Ukraines Ministry of Digital Transformation said air sirens were activated across the country, in all regions except Russian-annexed Crimea.

The governor of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine said rockets had been seen overhead probably on [their way] to western and central Ukraine.

The governor of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine also warned residents of the threat of a rocket strike.

And in western Ukraine, the head of the Khmelnytskyi regional military urged residents to stay indoors amid reports of explosions.

Parts of the Odesa region were without electricity following two missile strikes on an energy infrastructure facility Saturday, according to the head of the regional military administration Maksym Marchenko.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Walmart to Pay $215 Million to Settle Florida Opioid Claims

Walmart Inc. has agreed to pay $215 million to resolve claims its pharmacies fueled an epidemic of opioid addiction in Florida, the states attorney general announced on Thursday.

As part of the deal, Walmart has also agreed to dispense 672,000 treatment kits with the anti-overdose drug naloxone to first responders in the state.

Im grateful for Walmart stepping up and agreeing to partner with the state to provide law enforcement and first responders with much-needed naloxone, Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a statement. This will greatly help in our continuing mission to end the opioid crisis and save lives.

The state has now secured a total of $3.2 billion through legal action to help fight the opioid crisis, according to Moodys office. That includes recent settlements of $683 million with Walgreens Boots Alliance, $484 million with CVS Health Corp. and a combined $394 million with three drugmakers.

This partnership is the latest chapter in Walmarts commitment to fight the opioid crisis, Walmart spokesperson Randy Hargrove said in a statement.

The retailer, which did not admit any wrongdoing, previously settled opioid-related claims brought by West Virginia for $65 million and New Mexico for an undisclosed sum. It was also ordered in August to pay a combined $650.6 million with Walgreens and CVS to two Ohio counties.

The U.S. opioid crisis has caused more than 500,000 overdose deaths over two decades, according to federal government data. More than 3,300 lawsuits have been filed accusing drugmakers, distributors and pharmacy chains of fueling the crisis.

Major drugmakers and distributors have reached nationwide settlements worth more than $30 billion altogether, resolving most lawsuits against them, while pharmacy operators have continued to litigate or settle cases one by one.

By Brendan Pierson
Smoke billows in a forested area after the Nakia Creek Fire exploded in Clark County, Wash., on Oct. 16, 2022, in this still image taken from video obtained from social media. (Clark County Fire District 3/via Reuters)

Wildfire Smoke Chokes US Northwest, Residents Don Masks

SEATTLE, Wash.Wildfires in Oregon and Washington are blanketing much of Americas Pacific Northwest with smoke, choking residents in Seattle, Portland and other parts of the two states with the worst air in the United States, according to government data.

In the Seattle area, home to some 4 million people, the sky was brown and the air was difficult to breathe on Thursday. When the sun peeked through it was orange.

Its been making me dizzy, said Joe Dinkins, who was waiting for a friend along the Elliott Bay waterfront in downtown Seattle Thursday. I usually walk around a lot, but Ive been having to cut down my exercising and take the bus instead.

The 10 U.S. locations with the worst air quality on Thursday were all in Washington or Oregon, led by Oakridge, Oregon, 150 miles (240 km) southeast of Portland. Oakridges air quality index was 487, in the hazardous category, according to the federal airnow.gov website.

Seattle, with an air quality index of 207 and Portland, with 204, led large cities on the list, with air considered to be very unhealthy. To have poor air quality from wildfire smoke as late in the year as October is unprecedented in Washington, said Susan Woodward, spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Its a column of smoke all the way down to the ground right now, she said.

The air quality index measures a combination of ozone and particulate pollution in the air.

In Portland, the air was hazy and people wore N95 face masks outside as they walked or rode bicycles through town, Harry Esteve, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, said on Thursday.

In Oregon, smoke from numerous fires has been held close to the ground by a weather system, he said.

On Thursday, Oregon expanded an air quality advisory to cover much of the state including the Portland metro area, urging people to stay indoors if possible and use filtered ventilation systems or air purifiers.

Rain expected on Friday throughout the region was expected to aid firefighting efforts and improve air quality.

But Esteve said that officials working to put out numerous fires burning in Oregon fear that extreme dry conditions over the summer have left brush and other fuels for fire so parched that it would take a lot of moisture to extinguish them. As a result, the blazes may continue to smolder and create smoke despite the anticipated precipitation, he said.

The federal governments InciWeb wildfire information site shows more than two dozen wildfires currently burning in Washington and Oregon. About 10 fires burning within a few hours drive of Portland have contributed to the smoky air there, officials said earlier this week.

By Sharon Bernstein and Matt McKnight
Chinese Leader Xi Jinping raises his hand as he votes during the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party at The Great Hall of People in Beijing, on Oct. 22, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Xi Set to Secure Third Five-Year Term After Two Senior Officials Exit Leadership Group

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is all but certain to secure a third five-year term and rule China until at least 2028, after two senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials were not named to the communist regimes new leadership group.

On Oct. 22, the Chinese regimes 20th Party Congress, a twice-a-decade political event, came to a close, shuffling in a new group of Chinese officials that make up the regimes Central Committee, a 200-plus-member body comprised of the Party elite.

Those on the Central Committee can take up seats in the 25-member Politburo, and some in the 7-member Politburo Standing Committee, the communist regimes highest decision-making body.

69-year-old Xi is among those named to the new Central Committee, according to Chinas state-run media.

Missing from the list of the new committee members are Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, 67, the second in the CCP hierarchy, and Wang Yang, 67, the head of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body.

Also gone are Vice Chinese Premier Han Zheng, 68, and Li Zhanshu, 72, chairman of the regimes National Peoples Congress.

All four are members of the Politburo Standing Committee, which is currently headed by Xi.

CCP

It is unusual for Li and Wang to step aside considering that both have not reached the Partys unwritten retirement age of 68.

Li Linyi, a China affairs commentator based in the United States, told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that the exit of Li and Wang can be seen as a political victory for Xi, given the two are considered members of a rival political faction known as tuanpai or Youth League Faction in the Party.

In other words, Xi has consolidated his power to an unprecedented level within the Party, according to Li Linyi.

As for Han and Li Zhanshu, Li Linyi said thats to be expected given that they have already reached retirement age.

With four vacancies in the Politburo Standing Committee, Li Linyi said Xi is in a position to fill them with his political allies.

China is scheduled to announce its new leadership or members of the Politburo Standing Committee on Oct. 23 following a plenary meeting, according to Chinas state-run media.

Li Linyi added that the focus on Chinas new leadership should be turned to Hu Chunhua, who is considered a tuanpai member, whether he could take up a seat in the next Politburo Standing Committee after being named to the Central Committee on Saturday.

Hu is currently a member of Politburo and one of the Chinese Vice Premiers.

More Human Rights Abuses

As for the future of China with five more years of Xi, rights groups had already issued warnings ahead of the final day of the Party Congress.

On. Oct. 21, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned that Chinas attacks on press freedom would continue.

The extension of Xi Jinpings mandate, if confirmed, is disturbing news for press freedom as it will allow the Chinese leader to carry on the crusade against journalism he set in motion ten years ago, Cedric Alviani, head of RSFs East Asia Burea said in a statement.

The group said Xi is pursuing a new world media order, in which journalism is being used to disseminate state propaganda, and 149 nations in the world have been infected by Chinas dystopian media model through the regimes foreign policy of Belt and Road Initiative.

As a result, Alviani called on democracies to employ all necessary means to dissuade the Chinese leader from disseminating his dystopian model of society based on censorship, propaganda and surveillance.

Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, warned Chinas human rights situation would deteriorate in a statement issued on Oct. 12.

Another five years of Xis leadership is bad news for the cause of democracy and freedom, and worse news for the Chinese people, Abramowitz said. If past is prologue, a third term for Xi will result in more human rights abuses within China and more aggressive suppression of free speech globally, even as his domestic and foreign policies backfire and public outrage intensifies.
By Kathleen Furore

From Tribune Content Agency

Several people I know have decided to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into reality and have launched small companiessome alone, some with one or two business partners. Most arent taking a salary. What should entrepreneurs who are principal owners of a new business venture consider before they start paying themselves? And do they have to pay minority owners too?

Like most business issues, there isnt a one-size-fits-all answer. Business pros suggest asking a few questions to help decide when and how to take a salary as a start-up entrepreneur.

How is your business structured? Paying yourself as a startup owner is not just about setting the wage; legal issues also matter. Your entrepreneurs salary strongly depends on your startups legal and tax structure, says Maciej Kubiak, head of people at PhotoAiD. So, identify your business structure and learn about the rules and regulations of taxation. Knowing if you are an LLC or a sole proprietorship company, you will plan your entrepreneurial salary in accordance with the law.

Take a Limited Liability Company (LLC), a common option that lets business owners take advantage of the benefits of the corporation and partnership business structures, and still protects owners from personal liability in most instances, information from the Small Business Administration says.

As the post How to Pay Yourself in an LLC at legalzoom.com explains, the most common ways to pay yourself in an LLC is to treat yourself as an employee with wages, or to treat yourself as an LLC member and receive distribution from the profits.

Do you have sufficient capital? Another way to phrase the question: How much money needs to be reinvested back into the business to help it grow? says Jeroen van Gils, CEO of technology Lifi.co, a company that provides wireless optical networking technology.

While Dennis Shirshikov, finance professor at City University of New YorkQueens College, and strategist at the real estate technology company and brokerage Awning.com, says the earlier entrepreneurs can start paying themselves the better, he stresses that ensuring there will be enough money to weather challenges is key. They should have sufficient capital in the business to get through any regular downturns, or access to credit before processing their first payroll payment, Shirshikov says.

Taking too much out at once can make it harder for the company to succeed and could put its future at risk, cautions Kimberley Tyler-Smith, an executive at the career tech platform Resume Worded. If your company is doing well financially and has enough cash flow, then yes, taking a salary will help you cover your expenses until the business turns a profit. However, if things arent going so well financially, taking out too much money can put even more pressure on your business by making it harder for it to succeed.

Should I pay other owners? According to How to Pay Yourself in an LLC at legalzoom.com, it depends on the role owners play. In an LLC, for example, if all members participate equally in the operation of the business, you cant pay one a salary and not the others. However, if you are the only member that has a management role, you can pay yourself a salary without setting up salaries for the other participating LLC members, the post explains.

Shirshikov advises paying passive minority owners after a return on investment calculation has been made. If the business can earn a minority owner 15 percent on reinvested money, they may well forgo taking payment in exchange for a larger future payment instead, he notes.

If the minority owners are playing active roles in the business, they should be paid in line with their work and, of course, the overall salary structure of the venture, adds Riley Beam, managing attorney at Douglas R. Beam, P.A. If they are inactive, they can be paid according to the agreement drawn or the business policy agreed upon by all the partnersa strong reason why these issues must be ironed out well before taking on investors or partners in a business.

(Kathleen Furore is a Chicago-based writer and editor who has covered personal finance and other business-related topics for a variety of trade and consumer publications. You can email her your career questions at kfurore@yahoo.com.)

2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The Epoch Times Copyright  2022 The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, October 21, 2022: The Nigerian- American Coalition for Justice and Democracy (NACJD) , an American based non-governmental organization has joined friends and well wishers to heartily congratulate their founding chairman, Prof. Eddie Oparaoji on his well-deserved appointment as the chairman of the Labour Party Nigeria, US Chapter 7-Man Caretaker Committee.

In a statement issued by the Vice Chairman Barr Helen Mbakwe and Secretary of the organization Chijike Ndukwu, which was made available to newsmen in Owerri today (Saturday), expressed its joy over the appointment of its foremost chairman to head such an important caretaker committee of Labour Party in United States of America.

According to the group Who the cap fits? Prof. Eddie Oparaoji, a veteran of the famous National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) abroad, has all it takes to be successful in this new role

In the choice of Prof. Eddie Oparaoji  a technocrat, good governance advocate, and administrator par excellence, the Labour Party Nigeria and the incoming Peter Obi/Datti Ahmed presidency will have a respected and potent ally in the United States It maintained that through the Labour Party Nigeria, a New Nigeria continues to be a reality every day. This appointment, in our opinion, shall open doors for a stronger relationship between Nigeria and the United States.

Speaking further, the Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy thanked the leadership of Labour Party in Nigeria and the Labour Party Nigeria Diaspora Committee for a compelling choice they made in choosing Prof. Oparaoji and his committee members.

NACJD which is a Washington, DC. Research and Good Governance advocacy non-profit organization in the United States that lobbies the US Government, Congress, and the policy-making community to influence US policies on Nigeria thereby called on Nigerians in the United States, especially those who support the Labour Party Nigeria, to rally and support the newly appointed chairman and its committee members to ensure victory for Peter Obi/Datti Ahmed presidential ticket ahead of the forthcoming general election.
Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has expressed optimism that the All Progressives Grand Alliance party (APGA) will emerge victorious in the forthcoming Governorship elections in Enugu and Ebonyi States.

Governor Soludo stated this when a campaign delegation of APGA faithful and their Governorship Candidates from Enugu and Ebonyi State paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor's Lodge Amawbia.

The Delegation from Enugu State comprises of Frank Nweke Junior (APGA Governorship Candidate), Dr. Edith Ngozi Ugwuanyi (APGA Deputy Governorship Candidate), Chief Casmir Ugwuishi (APGA Senatorial Candidate), Mr Ndubuisi Enechi Onyia, Mr Nonso Nnamani, Mr Francis Onyemenam and Ms Uche Ezeugwu.

Others from Ebonyi State are; Prof Benard I. Odoh (APGA Governorship Candidate), Dr. Nkata Chukwu (APGA Deputy Governorship Candidate), Sen. Onwe Emmanuel (APGA Senatorial Candidate, Ebonyi Central), Charles Otu, Boniface Ogbu and Amaechi Nwenewo.

According to the Governor, APGA is one big family.

"When I look at you all, I'm looking at a team. We must forge together to begin the journey to get this country to work.

"It is time for true progressives to come together to move this party forward " Governor Soludo stated

"As flag bearers of this party, you must understand APGA is more than a political party. It is a movement that I believe in."

"My purpose at this moment is to fix our land. I started from the International scene to Abuja and now, I am at Awka. I am on a journey towards retirement.

"Our individualism is our greatest strength but also our greatest weakness. We want to succeed alone but we forget about collective power on which our founding fathers thrived on.

"APGA is the address of Ndigbo. We need to organize ourselves and bargain for others.

"There are governing alliances and where these votes are! We must organize and bargain in a more serious manner for people to take us seriously.

"There are basic infrastructures that give you electoral victory. You look at the demographics of those voters, what drives them to vote.

"I am hoping and believing that after the election post-march, Ndigbo will start having serious conversations.

"Alliance is the politics played in the first and second republic.

"I feel very passionate because I am talking to members of my family. We must turn our anger positively and have a long term view of this matter.

"Our people must go back to the drawing board. Zik and his team understood our society and we must instil the new Zikism.

"We have lots of work. I must encourage you strongly that we must work and understand the power of organization.

"We must change the system to become an economic powerhouse and nations will find and come to us," Governor Soludo concluded.

Prof Oddo, while speaking earlier said, he has been anticipating this kind of opportunity to meet with the Governor. He further said the motto of tye party is hingdled on Onye aghana nwanne ya. Meaning, "We are the same family."

He reminded Governor Soludo that when he was competing, he talked about regional geo-political economy. He stressed that the people are tired with PDP and APC politics.

Prof Oddo disclosed that in Ebonyi and Enugu, APGA billboards, posters and vehicles are being destroyed.

He indulged Soludo to make a speech as APGA Governor in regards to that in a joint conference.

Frank Nweke added that he is paying his respect to Governor Soludo on the great work and his laser focus on security and road infrastructure.

He also recalled how him and Soludo had the opportunity to serve with President Obasanjo, whom he described as a statesman, a lover of Nigeria, the most detribalized Nigerian.

What mattered according to Frank Nweke was the capacity and competence of each of the individuals appointed

"From the depth of my soul, I want to assure you that I have imbibed the spirit of Onye aghana nwanne that's why I'm in APGA," he said.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Alex Obiogbolu, amongst others attended the event.
The Arewa group, Northern Awareness Movement (NAM), has been instructed by the Advocacy Network on Religious and Cultural Coexistence (ANORACC), a non-political and charitable organization, to stop acting like a regional group in their attack on Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

On October 22, 2022, after the NAM's blatant remark that Wike had "drawn a battle line with the North," the ANORACC made this known in Port Harcourt through their Director, Odimegwu Onwumere.

According to ANORACC, the Arewa group is clearly engaged in regional politics rather than national politics, which is consistent with the northern political ideology's goal of increasing their political power and influence.

The statement said that instead of the national normative agenda, NAMs agenda invariably focuses on the development of political or social system based on the northern region's political and economic interests.

"The attack by the Arewa group on Wike has demonstrated that the region may not want national politics but rather a sub-national entity, gaining strength from or aiming to strengthen the consciousness of and loyalty to a distinct region as the North with a pointless attack on Wike.

"The attack by NAM on Wike is an open invitation by the north that they demand the three distinct components: movements urging unitary states to grant territorial autonomy; the central state's regional organization for implementing its policies, including regional development policies; regional autonomy and political centralization," ANORACC stated.

The Arewa's NAM referred to Wike's free speech as a "smear campaign against the entire Northern region of the country," as previously mentioned.ANORACC condemned the statement made by Muhammed Inuwa, the coordinator of the NAM.

ANORACC said that Atiku, who is running for president in 2023 under PDP, couldn't be more northern than the entire Nigerian population he is trying to represent. ANORACC emphasized that a recent purported statement attributed to Atiku instructed northern voters not to vote for candidates from Yoruba, Igbo, or any other ethnic group except for him, who is a northerner.

Despite this, the ANORACC stated that they were not surprised that Inuwa spoke the glaring segregative mind of the North against other ethnic groups.

"We denounce any racial sentiment. The Arewa or any other group ought to be aware that Wike is not the cause of Nigeria's problems. According to statistics, the North has ruled Nigeria for more than 40 of its 62 unyielding years of existence., said ANORACC.

ANORACC stated, "This ought to be a point at which the Arewa group ought to hide their face in shame and make statements that are capable of enhancing the state of affairs in the country rather than playing on ethnic sentiment."

As a result, the ANORACC urged Atiku to distance himself from the NAM's statements, which, if he were not the NAM's sponsor, could cause confusion in Nigeria's already chaotic state.

ANORACC urged Nigerians to act prudently during this time, pointing out that the country has suffered for an excessive amount of time and requires leaders who prioritize both their own selfless interests and the interests of the people.

Odimegwu Onwumere,

Director, Advocacy Network on Religious and Cultural Coexistence (ANORACC).

Email: [email protected]


A visitor to Benin City may be inclined to consider the city for its famous bronzes and for its ivories and wood carvings, particularly for its museum that years back portrayed the metropolis as a terminus for beautiful arts and crafts. In fact, the citys present artisans still practice the ancient method of cire perdue (lost-wax) casting, and its wood carvers are organized into a cooperative craft society.

In fact, the city today has many of the familiar features and institutions a city can boast of as there are seven universities and other categories of tertiary institutions, of which one belongs to the federal government, two belong to the state government, and four are privately owned. Other public infrastructures that can be found in the city include all essential systems and facilities that allow the smooth flow of an economys day-to-day activities and enhance the peoples standard of living. It includes basic facilities such as roads, water supply, electricity, telecommunications, and banks.

However, the color that beautifies the city is with each passing day palling into insignificance as it is troubling that the challenges generated by various cult sects in Benin have been dominating social media space. Its notoriety is fast becoming worrisome as tears and blood are shed virtually on daily basis without let and hindrance. It is stubbornly reported day after day, in many different forms on social media and traditional newspapers, and is converted into several genres of communication, furthered, and kept alive, through jokes, warnings, protests, condemnation, and as a breeding ground of distrust for the government under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

To anyone in the city, headlines that have the similitude of the following, 8 die in Benin cult war, Police Arrest 30 for Alleged Cultism in Edo, Corpses litter streets in Benin as cult war rages Many killed as cult groups fight in Benin, Cult war: Police crack 30 suspects, recover the severed head of ... and Police Move To Stop Cult Killings, Nab 4 In Edo as court ... are not astounding news on the pages of newspapers and on virtual space.

It would be recalled that the governor, Obaseki in November 2019, set up a special team to combat cultism

At the time, he said the special team would ensure that the law passed on cultism in the state is activated while persons found culpable of cult-related crime would be prosecuted, noting, Our goal is to make sure that cases of cultism are properly dealt with. We will ensure that we have conviction, particularly in our institutions of higher learning.

Obaseki noted that the review of the incidence of crime in the state for the month of October showed that kidnapping was on the increase, adding that the cases of kidnapping are reviewed with a view to improving local and state government strategies in combatting the crime.

Analyzed from the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to say that despite efforts being put in place by the government to nip the challenge in the bud that cultism as an obnoxious activity in the state has kept raging.

Not only has flood posed an insurmountable challenge in the State, but it has also been causing damages in loss of lives, destruction of properties, and destruction of crops in the rural parts of the state. Without a doubt, flooding has caused severe damage, disrupts economic processes, and caused food shortages.

The city has in the recent times witnessed chaotic scenes across major roads, and prominent among the scenes was when residents along Sapele Road in the month of August protested against the bad portion of the Sapele by-pass which created gridlock around the area.

While that was on, all other roads in the city including the Government Reservation Area (GRA) were blocked as drivers of commercial vehicles protested the enforcement of their compliance to the announced state colors implementation for commercial vehicles.

The drivers in their numbers blocked the busy Sapele road, Ring road, Ugbowo road, Aduwawa, First East Circular road, and Akpapava to show their grievances.

The chaos was unarguably fueled by the governments directive that Salon cars should begin to pay N20, 000 for the color code and N30, 000 for buses.

Most motorists in the state, kicking against the directive, were unanimous of the view that the state government was insensitive to the prevailing economic conditions when it gave a months notice to obtain color code and paint their buses in Edo color.

Even as Governor Obaseki, a few weeks ago, urged residents of the state to support his administrations drive to sustain institutional reforms across different areas of governance, so as to make life better for all, not few observers were of the view that there are multi factors that can deter investors from investing in the state.

The governor, who addressed newsmen in Benin City, on the progress made so far by Edo State as it marks 31 years after its creation in 1991, said the state has changed significantly in 31 years as its population had doubled, adding: At 31 years, Edo State has changed. The population has more than doubled and the institutions inherited 31 years ago have deteriorated significantly.

Despite the lip service that the governor has been paying to governance since his inauguration to office, it is crystal clear that the condition of infrastructural development in the state is by each passing day fast becoming deteriorated than he met it.

Given the foregoing, it is little wonder that the inept and lackadaisical attitude of the governor to governance has not gone unnoticed as he has for the umpteenth time been called to order, albeit in his characteristic belligerent manner has decided not to listen to the voice of reason.

For instance, just a few months ago, a coalition of pressure groups in Edo State, under the aegis of Benin Socio-Cultural Organizations (BSCO), carpeted him for not fulfilling his numerous campaign promises.

Sadly enough, his blatant ineptitude in governance is no doubt been detrimental to Edo State indigenes and visitors to the state. For instance, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, of Omega Fire Ministries has fallen victim to Obasekis ineptitude in the area of provision of Security in the state as he was on in the evening of Friday, October 21, 2022, with his convoy attacked by gunmen, along the Benin-Auchi Road in Edo State, and seven persons including three policemen were killed.

The outspoken cleric was said to be returning to his Auchi base from Benin City after a foreign trip when suspected kidnappers opened fire on his convoy around Warrake village close to Auchi Town.
Nineteen inmates at three Missouri prisons have died or presumably died from opioid overdoses since March, according to a sampling of county coroners contacted by the Post-Dispatch this week.

Potosi Correctional Center had seven confirmed fatal overdoses and an eighth presumed.

I have no idea how or why, other than obviously drugs are getting inside the prison, Washington County Coroner Steve Hatfield noted of the spike there.

Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre had five overdose deaths, including three since Oct. 10. Each case is pending toxicology reports. St. Francois County Coroner Jason Coplin said hes handling each one as an overdose.

They are getting in during visiting hours, Coplin said of the drugs. Thats the only thing I can think of.

South Central Correctional Center in Licking had six fatal overdoses since June. Texas County Coroner Marie Lasater said five are presumed overdoses, one, involving Christopher Scroggins, was confirmed by autopsy and toxicology. She described the fentanyl analog that showed up in his bloodwork as cartel blend.

Its much stronger than whats used in the hospital, Lasater said.

She said she was frustrated that the remaining death reports are taking so long to complete because of a backlog in state contracted autopsy and toxicology lab analysis. Victim ages range from 23 to 42. At least one of them was from St. Louis County.

Demarco E. Washington, 35, of the Glasgow Village area, was serving a 10-year sentence for the 2019 death of his 11-month-old daughter, Journey Washington, who died from fentanyl intoxication. Washington told police after his arrest that he had lost a fentanyl capsule in his daughters bedroom.

State response

Lasater said there have been numerous overdoses at the prison in Licking, most of them nonfatal.

An assistant for South Central Correctional Center Warden Michele Buckner referred a reporter to the Missouri Department of Corrections administrative office in Jefferson City for comment. Spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said Director Anne Precythe wasnt available to be interviewed by phone Friday. Pojmann refused to immediately provide comprehensive death data for prisons statewide, nor comment about specific hot spots.

All facilities struggle with the challenge of keeping drugs and other dangerous contraband out of prisons, Pojmann said by email. To answer your question, we would have to gather data, including medical records, autopsy reports, incident reports and other relevant information and conduct a comparative analysis. At this point, we dont have all of the toxicology reports from recent deaths.

Kaleb Smith, 27, an inmate in Licking who previously lived in Forsyth, Missouri, died Aug. 31. His family is fed up with the apparent lack of urgency.

As of this point, we still dont know how or why he died, said Mike Smith, an uncle. The prison has only said they are conducting an internal investigation.

Told of the coroners preliminary analysis, he said: That is what I have suspected, but nobody is cooperating with us.

He said his nephew struggled with addiction for a long time. According to court records, an arresting officer noted several track marks on Kalebs hand when he and a friend were pulled over Nov. 16, 2017, in Ozark, Missouri. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance, morphine and buprenorphine, which is typically used as a medication to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms.

There is an effort underway to disperse Narcan, the overdose-reversing nasal spray, to at-risk communities in Missouri, but that hasnt happened in state prison cells.

Tim Cutt, director of the Missouri Corrections Officers Association, said only medical personnel are authorized to administer Narcan. Corrections officers, he said, are allowed to carry pepper spray and handcuffs.

I would say my staff doesnt want to carry (Narcan) because it could increase their liability if something went wrong, he said.

Getting in

Drugs get into prisons in various ways.

To cut down on the chance of bringing them in via the mail system, Missouri is now scanning personal letters to inmates and delivering them electronically. Legal mail and some other types of mail are still delivered to prisons.

Historically, drugs have also gotten in through visits and prison employees.

The corrections department, like many other state agencies, has struggled to hire and retain staff. Qualifications have been lowered over the years. Cutt said the state no longer drug tests each correctional officer recruit.

Asked for verification, Pojmann said: Any employee can be tested for drugs at any time.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, there were 2,712 urinalysis tests conducted among Department of Corrections employees, according to state records, which includes probation, parole and other areas of the enormous agency.

State prison records say 75% of offenders need drug treatment. This week, there were 23,500 inmates spread throughout 19 prisons.
Public finance expert Prof Paschal Okolie has called for a reorientation in the character and integrity of public servants and Nigerians to fight corruption in the nations public service.

The Special Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Financial Matters, Okolie declared at the Audit Reporting Training workshop for journalists in Anambra and Enugu States on 19 October 2022 that corruption has remained a bane despite many changes in the law and IT-driven applications for financial management in the country since 2010. Okoliecompared Nigeria to the Great Wall of China that enemies breached because of human failure in character and integrity.

He also observed that many states were yet to implement policies such as the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and the Open Government Partnership Agenda aimed at promoting accountability in public financial management.

Experts say only 15 of Nigerias 36 states and the FCT signed up for the Open Government Partnership programme.

FrontFoot Media Initiative organised the workshop in Awka, the second in the series after Benin City, as part of the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability Project under the auspices of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and the sponsorship of the MacArthur Foundation.

Okolie stated, Evidence abounds that unless the issues of character and integrity are addressed, Nigeria will continue to be challenged by corruption arising from deficient application of the principles and practice of auditing and prudent, transparent and accountable financial management in the Nigerian public sector.

Challenges of public sector financial management in Nigeria include poor institutional governance, manpower development issues, weak oversight, corruption, and character and integrity, according to Okolie.

He commended efforts by the federal and state governments to tackle the legal and technical challenges through enforcing financial and operational autonomy for the office of the Auditor-General through the amendment of the Audit Law establishing the Audit Service Commission that will operate like the Civil Service Commission and approval of ICT-driven initiatives of IPSAS, TSA and SFTAS.

Through the efforts of the World Bank and Federal Government sponsored SFTAS, Nigeria amended the Audit Law to guarantee the independence of the Office of the Auditor General. However, many states are yet to implement it.

The country has also enacted several laws for financial management. They include sections 80 and 120 of the 1999 Constitution on powers and control over public funds, the Finance (Control and Management) Act, Financial Regulations for FG, Instructions for States and Memoranda for LGCs (the functions and responsibilities of AGF, AuGF, AGS, AuGS and Treasurers of LGs are fully captured here).

Others include the Appropriation Acts/Laws of FG/States for different years, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007-For prudent management of the nations resources, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Act, 2002, The Corrupt Practices and Other related Offences Commission Act, 2000, Federation Accounts Act, 2005 and Treasury Circulars issued by Accountant Generals at federal and state governments.

Other speakers at the two-day workshop, which washeld at Hilton Leisure Resort and Hotel, included Dr Emenike Ezinando, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Anambra State, and Prof Emma Okoye, Director of the Unizik Business School, Awka. Also speaking were FrontFoot Media Initiative chairman Sully Abu, managing director Emeka Izeze, as well as training coordinator Chido Nwakanma. Sonala Olumhense spoke from the USA on the Imperative of Audit Reporting for Nigerian Journalism.

Forty-two journalists participated in the workshop. They resolved to critically examine state audit reports and tell stories from their contents, as well as report where states contravene the law by not submitting and publishing audit reports.
Phuket readies for Chulalongkorn Day

PHUKET: Thais in Phuket as elsewhere throughout the country are getting ready to celebrate the Chulalongkorn Day this Sunday (Oct 23).

culture

By The Phuket News

Saturday 22 October 2022, 02:12PM

Rama V is considered one of the greatest Kings of Siam. Photo: Phuket PR file photo

Every year on October 23, Thai people celebrate the life and reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) on the anniversary of his death in 1910, the day known as Chulalongkorn Day.

King Chulalongkorn was the fifth king of the Chakri Dynasty. He is considered one of the greatest monarchs of Siam as he led several major reforms in Thailand from the Thai educational system and military affairs to the abolition of slavery in Thailand and implementation of European-style currency.

To commemorate this special day, Thais show their respect for the great monarch by placing wreaths and flowers at Rama V statues in their hometowns.

Officials organise a variety of formal activities for the Chulalongkorn Day, including giving alms to monks, offering of wreaths in front of a statue of Rama V, candle-lit ceremonies at sunset.

As Chulalongkorn Day this year falls on Sunday, the next Monday (Oct 24) will be a substitute holiday. Most government offices will be closed, including Phuket Immigration, Phuket Land Transport Office, all three District offices, local municipalities and administration offices.

Main bank branches are normally closed as well, but bank branches inside shopping malls are open as usual.

There is no ban on the sale of alcohol by law for this public holiday.
PSU joins island-wide drive to provide food relief to flood victims

PHUKET: Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket Campus has set up a coordination center to receive donations for victims of natural disasters in Phuket, joining forces with many other government and non-government organisations helping people in need.

disasterscharityweatherSafety

By The Phuket News

Saturday 22 October 2022, 09:00AM

PSU Phuket has joined the drive to help flood victims. Image: Phuket Info Center

The donations are collected at building number 10 of PSU Phuket every day from Oct 20. The entrance to the building is located opposite a SuperCheap store.

The items most needed include survival bags, drinking water, rice, dried food. For more information, people are advised to call 081 0864958 or 086 4702037.

The Phuket Hotels Association (PHA) and Living Waters Foundation also launched a drive to help people across the island to overcome the consequence of heavy rains which left vast areas of Phuket flooded.

The designated drop-off points for donations were named as JW Marriott Phuket in Mai Khao, SAii Laguna Phuket in Cherng Talay, Intercontinental Phuket Resort in Kamala, Holiday Inn Resort Phuket in Patong, Avista Grande Phuket Karon MGallery in Karon, The Nai Harn in Rawai, Courtyard by Marriott in Phuket Town, 5 Star Marine Phuket in Koh Kaew.

For additional information, people are advised to contact Khun Nat from Living Waters at 081 272 3472 or more@livingwatersphuket.com. For contacts of specific collection points click here.

Other organisations and agencies involved in food relief efforts include the Scholars of for Sustenance Foundation, Phuket Red Cross, Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, Royal Thai Police, local municipalities and tambon administrative organisations (OrBorTor), foreign embassies and consulates.
Search launched for missing Russian tourist in Phuket

PHUKET: Police and rescue workers are looking for a female Russian tourist who went missing after visiting Naithon Beach in the northern part of the Island on Oct 20.

Safetytourism

By The Phuket News

Saturday 22 October 2022, 10:52AM

Elena Radchenko went to Naithon beach on Oct 20 and did not return to her hotel. Photo: Phuket Info Center

Elena Radchenko went to Naithon beach on Oct 20 and did not return to her hotel. Photo: Phuket Info Center

Elena Radchenko went to Naithon beach on Oct 20 and did not return to her hotel. Photo: Phuket Info Center

Elena Radchenko went to Naithon beach on Oct 20 and did not return to her hotel. Photo: Phuket Info Center

Elena Radchenko went to Naithon beach on Oct 20 and did not return to her hotel. Photo: Phuket Info Center

Elena Radchenko went to Naithon beach on Oct 20 and did not return to her hotel. Photo: Phuket Info Center

Authorities were notified of the missing tourist on Oct 21, while the woman was last seen the day before at Naithon Beach. It was reported that the tourist did not return to her accommodation which lead to alarm being raised .

Officers from various agencies joined the search effort on land and sea but had to withdraw after 9pm having found no traces of the woman by that time, Phuket Info Center reported.

Phuket Info Center identified the woman as Elena Radchenko, 53. Yet an earlier social media publication in Russian language states that the woman is only 50 years old.

The publication in Real Phuket group in Telegram messenger specifies that Mrs Radchenko stayed at Naithonburi Hotel and was last seen on Naithon Beach at around 11am on Oct 20. In the evening her personal belongings were found where she left them on the beach.

Mrs Radchenko is described as being 160 cm tall, with fit body composition and dark straight hair. She was dressed in a blue long-sleeved swimming suit.

The Telegram post asks those knowing anything about Radchenko to call +79852007216 (Alexander) or +79122280900 (Manuela).

Phuket Info Center provides a wide list of various agencies which can be contacted regarding the search efforts:
And now, my take on some more reviews from the 1979 edition of the Rolling Stone Record Guide:

Black Sabbath- One star reviews for most of their 1970s albums, and two stars for Paranoid. "Time has passed them by."- Look, I'm not a huge fan of this band, but even I know that, at the very least, their 1970s material, particularly the Paranoid album, has stood the test of time. That album is now considered a landmark of heavy metal.

Blondie - "Punk rock's answer to Linda Ronstadt." I don't even know what the heck guide co-editor Dave Marsh's snarky remark here even means. "Blondie's Deborah Harry does for Patti Smith what Alice Cooper did for Iggy Pop: swipes a minor good idea and beats it to death." Again, what in the heck does this mean? Blondie is now seen as one of the best groups of the late 1970s. The review is snark over substance. At least it acknowledges that the band can play. I'm not sure record labels frequently sign bands whose members don't know how to play their instruments.

Boney M- "Although they were in the forefront of the European pop-disco movement, Boney M. managed to squander every advantage, often through sheer tastelessness and genuinely wretched excess.... Rivers of Babylon...does to reggae what some listeners might like to do to the group: drowns it." In this case, I agree with Marsh's snark. This German group offered a heavy handed and frequently ridiculous take on Eurodisco, but I'm not as hostile to the fairly pleasant Rivers of Babylon. But I can't stand Ma Baker, particularly the clumsy spoken intro.

Bread- "Especially in its later days, Bread was downright inspirational. Sparkling lyricism, lush melodicism, immaculate production dynamism, foolproof vocal harmonies (with soul, no less) and a nearly unchallenged hit-single-writing capacity." This review got me interested in the soft-rock group, and I agreed with every word, at least for the group's greatest hits collection. And that's why I was surprised that Marsh (who did not write the above review) slagged the group as wimpy in his Book of Rock Lists.

Carpenters- "This brother-sister duo from New Haven." Wrong, Karen and Richard spent their childhood years in that city, but as Carpenters, they were from Downey, California. "By Horizon (their 1975 album), Karen Carpenter's contralto had acquired ripe overtones while remaining serenely inexpressive. Singles, a greatest-hits collection, says it all. Bubbly and bland." This review sadly reflects the critics' and some record buyers' view of the band during Karen Carpenter's lifetime  she died of complications related to anorexia nervosa in 1983. And in the aftermath of her passing, critics suddenly realized what had been obvious -Karen had one of the most expressive, soulful voices in popular music. They became so hip, in fact, that a tribute album came out with versions of their songs by alternative bands. Having said all that, there are moments on their original studio albums that are kind of bland and even goofy. By the way, the 1983 guide docked each album a star, for no good reason.

The Captain and Tennille-"Toni Tennille looks like a toothpaste-commercial reject, and acts the part." How nasty. This group produced pleasant pop, and such a gratuitous insult would likely be excoriated by today's Rolling Stone Magazine as mysogynist, and rightly so.

The Carter Family- I have no argument against the laudatory reviews for this pioneering country music group, particularly for their RCA recordings. It just seems strange, as the Guide sort of implies, that at the time, their best reviewed albums were only available in North America not on RCA, but on its budget label, Camden. Those budget albums, in general, were not attractively packaged and contained fewer songs than a typical RCA album, though not in all cases. Also, the five-star Camdens were in a mix of RCA's terrible fake stereo and original mono. Such was the state of LP availability in the late 1970s.

Otis Redding- More on this soul giant in a subsequent column, but speaking of LP availability, it was an utter crime that the only Otis albums available at the time of the 1979 guide were two hits album, one live album and one original studio album. This, of course, made my finding of some of Otis's original albums in their original pressing at a Montreal used record store at a very reasonable price in the 1980s seem like a massive achievement. Of course, all of Redding's material is easily available now.

Next time: More from the Guide.
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Vickey Bonney knew in the 7th grade she wanted to enlist in the U.S. Navy.

There was just never a question for me, Bonney said. I just always knew.

Bonney said she never even considered any other branch, what else is there?

During her senior year of Higbee High School, September 1987, she enlisted, starting her journey with a year of Naval Reserves. Just a year later she would fly out to Orlando, Florida for basic training.

Bonney was well on her way to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather, who served in World War II, and uncle, who served in Vietnam. However, as a woman, her journey would have a few more restrictions than those before her but she never let that get in her way.

Although I served during Desert Storm, I was not in an active war zone, Bonney said. During that time, it was still a relatively new concept to have women in those positions, although, every one of us would have gone if we were called!

Bonney said during basic training, you fill out a Dream Sheet of the top places you would like to be stationed and of course, she chose all overseas locations. She never left stateside.

We later learned, that whatever you put, you get the opposite, Bonney said. I did my boot camp and schooling in Orlando, Florida. At that time, it was the only place females could train. After that, I was stationed on a Marine Corps Air Station on the East Coast."

Bonney said she did not get a lot of travel because at that time, women were not allowed on ships.

During her active duty time Bonney was an engineman/fireman. She said this may have been her title but just like with any job, there are always other duties as assigned.

I was stationed on the East Coast, and our primary purpose was to provide support to the flight line and the offshore range, utilized for aerial target practice, Bonney said. As the engineman, I ensured that the 671 Detroit motors in each vessel was in operating order and running smoothly.

"Additionally, I was a qualified coxswain (steersman of a ships boat), so I was also able to drive the boat as needed. As part of the support, I became the first female member of the Search and Rescue Team, assisting with any water rescues, both military and civilian.

Bonney said during a 24 hour watch, a civilian boater reported a Marine Corps Harrier jet crashing in the sound.

As the duty officer, I called my crew to action, and utilizing a 22-foot whaler, proceeded to the crash site to lend support to the helicopter rescue team, Bonney said. As first on scene, we proceeded to secure the site, search for survivors, and contain fuel and oil spills to the immediate site.

Bonney said when the helicopter arrived they were only able to retrieve one of the pilots.

My team, myself and one other person took action, Bonney said. I entered the water, retrieved the semi-conscious pilot, checked his injuries, stabilized him and transferred him to the vessel. Once back to base, he was transferred to ambulance. Our team received a commendation for our actions that day, and I am happy to report that both pilots survived the incident.

This is just one moment in the 3.5 years of Bonneys time on active duty. In December of 1990, her status would change to reserve for the next 7.5 years.

Bonney said she made many friends throughout those years but has since lost touch with most, losing a few who did not return from Desert Storm.

However, my best friend joined the Army, after I joined the Navy, Bonney said. We were able to stay in touch and be a support to each other, through changes of duty stations, and even with that Army/Navy rivalry, we have been friends for 36 years.

Bonney said she thinks her time in the service played a major role in creating the person she is today: fiercely loyal, attentive to detail, and having a get it done attitude.

One of the lifes biggest challenges is having an end goal, but no direct path to getting there, Bonney said. I think most service members would agree, that our experiences in the service taught us to find a way. We tend to think outside the box and utilize, what I call creative critical thinking.

Bonney, who now lives in Washington County, said her military service has bled into every aspect of her life including in the raising of her daughter, who claims Bonney ran our house like boot camp.

But the best thing for me, is the sense of camaraderie with other service men and women, Bonney said. It is a common bond between us all, even if we have never met before, we are brothers and sisters. We love our country, we love our constitution and we would still fight to maintain the freedoms that every citizen takes for granted.

"We know the price of those freedoms, weve paid it, in our own sacrifices, as well as the sacrifices of those comrades we have lost.

Bonney said the decision to serve is not one to make lightly.

Know what you are getting into, do your research and make an informed decision, Bonney said. It is a noble thing, it is a selfless act, but it can offer great rewards.

When asked if she would do it all over again, Bonney said there is no question about it, she would.

When 9/11 happened, I almost re-enlisted, but I had a young child at home, Bonney said. It takes a special person to stand up and say, I dont know you, but I will protect you. I will trade my life for yours.
BILL ZUCK is hopeful for our nation this election season. You can reach him at wcz78@yahoo.com .
Oreste D'Arconte: My pandemic log is over, but COVID is not
Peter Gay is the executive director of North Attleborough Community Television Inc.  North TV. The views expressed in his column are not necessarily those of North TV. Reach him at pgay@northtv.net .
MADI ALLARD, Stonington, Field Hockey, Senior; Allard made four saves in a penalty shootout, helping Stonington defeat Canton in the Class S semifinals. Most of the game was played in a steady snow. Stonington later lost in the title game to North Branford.

DREW DENONCOUR, Chariho, Boys Soccer, Senior; DeNoncour made a save in the final 30 seconds to preserve a 2-1 win for the Chargers in the Division II championship game. DeNoncour was named the games MVP as Chariho won the D-II title for the second straight year.

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Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

Ms P.C. writes: My parents held a Sun Life Financial of Canada policy, which became payable after they both died. The second death was my mother's, early in February this year.

The company was informed within a couple of days, yet we are still waiting for the payment. It does not respond to emails or pick up the phone after 4pm and, despite promising to call back, it never does.

Its customer care is appalling. We were told that payment was approved in May, but since then there has been no progress. We now wonder whether it has the funds.

Soaring delay: Sun Life had yet to pay six months after a policyholder died

Tony Hetherington replies: The easy part of this situation was to say yes, the company (which is not the same as the British company called SunLife Ltd) does have the funds to pay the 126,427 that is due to you and your sister following the deaths of both your parents.

It is the internal administration of Sun Life Financial of Canada that has caused problem after problem.

You notified the firm and made a claim on the policy in February. In April, you called and were told there was a backlog of claims.

You called twice in May and got no answer. At the end of May, the phone was answered and you were told you would be called back within five days, but no call came. In June, you were told your claim was in a queue and would be paid 'any day now'. But in August, you were told your claim was still waiting to be authorised.

Later in August, you were told the claim would be 'escalated'. Yet at the end of August, you were told your claim was with 'the referral team' due to its value, and should be dealt with in the following days, which, of course, it wasn't.

I put all this to Sun Life Financial and asked what had caused such a serious backlog of claims. I asked the company to explain why you were informed in August that your claim was waiting to be authorised, when you had already been told in June it was in a queue to be paid.

The answers are a mixture of technical failure and human error. The company told me: 'In November 2021, we completed the migration of our customer and policy administration services to a new system.'

This involved a transfer of more than 470,000 records, and it was not completely successful, meaning that some policy values had to be calculated manually, which in turn meant finding and recruiting skilled staff. This led to a backlog. But why was your claim delayed for so long?

I was tod: 'The example of Ms C is exceptional and is particularly unfortunate as we should have paid this bereavement claim in June.'

Given its high value, your claim needed to be authorised by a senior official. Records showed this authorisation was requested, but in fact your claim was never passed on to the right person. The company told me: 'This is a result of human error. We will learn from this.'

After I contacted it, Sun Life Financial got in touch with you to apologise. It has now paid 127,015 to include interest, and separately sent you a cheque for 500 to say sorry for the distress and inconvenience.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Last year, about 200,000 children left primary school without being able to read or write. The problem was already pretty bad before the pandemic. Now it is much worse and is predicted to become even more acute over the next few years.

The issue has widespread ramifications. More than 7million adults in the UK can recognise only the most basic words and that number is likely to grow.

Illiteracy limits job prospects, affects self-esteem and can even reduce life expectancy, with a total economic cost estimated at 81billion a year.

Head start: Philanthropic investment firm Literacy Capital contributes 0.9% of its assets to literacy

Sharon Pindar experienced all this personally. Her mother could not read or write and suffered emotional and physical harm for much of her life. So when Paul Pindar turned to his wife on a dreamy holiday five years ago and asked what she would like to do with the rest of her life, she said simply she would like to teach children to read.

Those few words spawned an idea  Literacy Capital, a fast-growing investment company with a twist. The shares are 3.89 and should gain ground, despite the choppy economic climate.

Driven and highly successful, Paul Pindar co-founded the consultancy Capita when he was still a young man, taking it from a 330,000 venture in 1987 to a FTSE 100 company valued at 8.5billion when he retired as chief executive in 2014.

Fast forward to 2017 and Pindar was working with his son Richard, a former accountant, on a number of private business ventures. The duo decided to combine their financial nous with Sharon Pindars charitable mission and Literacy Capital was born. The company invests in all kinds of small but promising UK firms and helps them to grow.

Investments are made for the long term, sectors such as gambling and low-cost alcohol are avoided and the group donates 0.9 per cent of the value of its assets every year to literacy charities.

This novel approach delivers financial and social results. Companies in the Literacy Capital portfolio are growing fast and the groups shares have risen significantly since listing on the stock exchange in June 2021.

As the company has grown, so have its charitable donations. To date, more than more than 4million has been gifted to literacy charities, including Sharon Pindars own endeavour, Bookmark, which works with almost 200 schools, offering one-on-one reading sessions to struggling children.

The two enterprises are run separately but there is a symbiosis. Many of the businesses that Literacy Capital acquires are run by their original founders, who would rather sell their firms to a company with a philanthropic slant than one run entirely for financial gain.

As a result, Pindar senior and junior are approached dozens of times a week with offers of businesses for sale.

Most are rejected, however. The Pindars are looking for firms with genuine, long-term potential, through economic cycles. There are just 18 companies in the Literacy Capital portfolio and results to date are impressive.

Butternut Box was founded by a couple of investment bankers cooking healthy dog food in their families kitchens. Literacy Capital invested in the business in 2018, when the founders were still operating from home. They were feeding a thousand dogs and annual turnover was about 1million.

Today, Butternut Box feeds more than 150,000 pooches, turnover runs into tens of millions and the group operates from an eight-acre site in Doncaster, one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Literacy Capital has a stake of almost 6 per cent in the firm and prospects are bright.

Many businesses in the portfolio are owned outright, including the two largest investments, Grayce and RCI.

Founded by a husband and wife, Grayce recruits, trains and employs graduates in IT and related fields.

Literacy Capital acquired the business in 2018, when the founders were looking to reduce their involvement, but sell to a buyer that would look after and nurture the firm they had built. Literacy Capital has since invested time and money in the business and sales have risen fivefold.

RCI tells a similar story. The firm works with the police and the NHS, providing specialist support to victims of crime and assault. It was founded by four partners, who were looking for a buyer to help them build the business. Literacy Capital bought the group in 2018, strengthened the management, made four acquisitions and expanded into areas including data analytics to help NHS trusts reduce waiting times. Demand is strong and revenues are growing at pace.

An update on the portfolios performance is expected later this week and should show Literacy Capital continuing to deliver. The group does not pay dividends yet but that is likely to change within a couple of years.

Reassuringly, too, Paul and Sharon Pindar own 28 per cent of the business, Richard has a 10.7 per cent stake and several members of the team recently bought shares.

Midas verdict: Literacy Capital offers shareholders a chance to invest in a business that is growing fast and doing good. At 3.89, the shares are a buy. Bookmark is also seeking volunteers, offering a different kind of reward.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: BOOK Contact: literacycapital.com or 020 3960 0280
Demand in clothing shops has proved surprisingly resilient over recent weeks, retail sources tell Whispers. That's despite the chaos all around.

But there are signs of pain. Chief executives have remarked that online sales have weakened more dramatically than anticipated this autumn.

Are punters finally weaning themselves off their trigger-happy addiction to online shopping?

A good sign: Tony Shiret, a veteran retail analyst at stockbroker Panmure Gordon, has his eyes on Next, upgrading it last week from hold to a buy

Undoubtedly, the impact of higher prices, energy bills and mortgages hasn't yet fully hit stores. That is likely to change soon. But winners emerge from every downturn.

Tony Shiret, a veteran retail analyst at stockbroker Panmure Gordon, has his eyes on Next, upgrading it last week from hold to a buy as the shares dropped nearly a fifth in a month.

He said: 'We expect Next to be able to manage its way through the downturn in demand we are likely to witness soon. Its medium-term prospects are not properly recognised in our view.'

Moonpig shares being weighed down

Moonpig's shares have been 'pretty anaemic', points out stockbroker Davy.

They floated early last year at 3.50 and now trade at 1.28, having fallen 31 per cent in the past month alone.

They are being weighed down by fears that its recent acquisition of Buyagift, which sells 'experiences' such as spa days and posh afternoon teas, may not perform that well in a downturn.

Despite this, Davy suggests it's the 'highest quality business' among the IPO class of 2021.

And Moonpig has raised its guidance five times since floating.

One to keep an eye on.

Second-largest shareholder backing UKCM

UK Commercial Property Reit (UKCM) can take comfort knowing its second-largest shareholder will back this week's resolution calling for the company to continue operating.

Investec Wealth & Investment holds 11 per cent and believes shares in the FTSE 250 firm, which has a 1.7billion portfolio, are 'oversold'.

That will boost UKCM after the group earlier this month revealed the meeting would be held to decide its future.

The vote is triggered whenever its share price falls below its net asset value for at least 90 days.

UKCM shares have fallen around 21 per cent this year.

The trust has 'unanimously' called on its investors to back the resolution.

Its largest investor, insurer Phoenix Group, has already pledged its support.

Could Vin Murria land knockout punch at Saatchi?

M&C Saatchi appears to have fended off the advances of both Vin Murria and communications firm Next Fifteen, as the latter bowed out this week.

M&C's Moray MacLennan is bullish on the ad agency's prospects as a standalone firm.

But investors may be bracing for Murria's next move.

The tech supremo, who owns a large slice of M&C, has made no secret of her opposition to the status quo.

The stock has fallen more than a third since the bid saga began.

Sources believe M&C may not have heard Murria's last. Perhaps MacLennan may yet regret drubbing Murria's offer by using an image of a boxer with 'Low Price' and 'High Risk' emblazoned on his outsized gloves.

Could she still land a knockout punch?
Hundreds of investors who lost money in the Woodford scandal three and a half years ago have said they will join a High Court claim against two key parties involved in the debacle.

Litigation specialist RGL, which issued the claim nine days ago on behalf of 3,200 investors who suffered immeasurably from the suspension and dismemberment of Woodford Equity Income fund, says more than 500 investors have emerged in recent days to join the claim.

RGL's High Court move, exclusively reported in The Mail on Sunday last week, targets Link Fund Solutions and investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown.

Compensation claim: Hundreds of investors who lost money in the Neil Woodford scandal have said they will join a High Court claim against two key parties involved in the debacle

It believes both failed investors as the 3.8billion Woodford fund imploded, resulting in big investor losses.

RGL says Link failed to look after the interests of the fund's 300,000 investors as manager Neil Woodford shifted the portfolio from blue chip UK shares and into risky illiquid firms.

As the fund's authorised corporate director, Link's duty was to safeguard investors.

As for FTSE100-listed Hargreaves Lansdown, it recommended the fund right up until its suspension in June 2019 despite internal concerns that the portfolio was becoming riskier.

In June 2019, 134,000 clients of Hargreaves Lansdown had direct holdings in Equity Income, and 160,000 had indirect exposure through multi-manager funds run by the platform. After our report, Hargreaves Lansdown chief executive Chris Hill said he would stand down by November 2023.

Last week, founder Peter Hargreaves, its largest shareholder, accused chairwoman Deanna Oppenheimer of overseeing a 'diabolical' performance. Shares in Hargreaves Lansdown have fallen more than 50 per cent over the past year.

The Financial Conduct Authority has yet to publish its report into the demise of Equity Income. But it has informed Link it faces a 50million fine and a 306million compensation bill.
Lord Hollick, chairman of an official committee investigating Britain's water industry, this weekend slammed executives and regulators for failing to prevent the discharge of millions of tons of raw sewage into rivers  and said it could cost at least 150billion to tackle the problem.

The Labour peer, a former owner of Express Newspapers, spoke of his 'dismay' over evidence presented to the Lords Industry and Regulators Committee on the appalling state of water infrastructure, following decades of under-investment. There were 375,000 untreated sewage leaks into rivers in 2021 alone, according to the most recent figures.

Hollick said that the state of Britain's sewage and water systems was a 'very serious issue' that was going to take 'a great deal of funding and investment to put right'. He added that the lowest figure he had so far heard for the investment needed tackle the sewage problem was 150billion.

Problem: There were 375,000 untreated sewage leaks into rivers in 2021 alone, according to the most recent figures

Ending leaks could add 100billion to the bill, he said. Other estimates for the upgrades needed have ranged up to 600billion.

The money would probably come from the water companies, along with significant sums from taxpayers and higher bills for customers.

Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, told the committee he had not been aware of the scale of the problem until the monitoring of water quality was stepped up over the past two years. Hollick said he had been 'surprised' by Bevan's comments. The industry is overseen by regulator Ofwat and the agency.

Hollick said: 'It is a surprise neither the Government nor the two regulators took action some time ago. It's an industry-wide failure which has now got to be put right.'

He added that the public had helped reveal the extent of the pollution and leaks, saying: 'MPs have been hearing for a long time from constituents that they can't swim in the river or the sea. We're going to be very interested to hear from Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena as to why the Government hasn't been more decisive and insistent sorting this out.'

Ofwat's chief executive and chairman will this week appear in front of the committee, and Jayawardena in coming weeks.
Thomas More Society Attorneys Uphold Cathy Miller's Right to Practice Christian Principles on the Job

California Court Delivers Victory for Cake Artist Targeted for Religious Discrimination

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Thomas More Society

Oct. 21, 2022

BAKERSFIELD, Calif., Oct. 21, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- Cake designer Cathy Miller has been vindicated in the California courts for practicing her Christian principles on the job. On October 21, 2022, attorneys from the Thomas More Society brought home a First Amendment victory for the cake shop owner of Tastries, a popular Bakersfield, California bakery that was targeted by gay activists. The ruling, handed down by Judge Eric Bradshaw of the Superior Court of California in Kern County, decided for Miller in a lawsuit brought against her by the Department of Fair Housing and Employment.

"We applaud the court for this decision," stated Thomas More Society Special Counsel Charles LiMandri, partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP. "The freedom to practice one's religion is enshrined in the First Amendment, and the United States Supreme Court has long upheld the freedom of artistic expression."

Miller had been the target of multiple lawsuits after a lesbian couple asked her to create a wedding cake and she referred them to another baker. Miller's polite refusal to design a custom cake for a homosexual union was rooted in her sincere religious belief that marriage is intended to be between one man and one woman.

The legal action against Cathy's Creations, Inc., brought by the Department of Fair Housing and Employment was filed under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, which provides protection from discrimination by business establishments on the basis of race, ethnicity, or religion.

"There's a certain irony there, observed Paul Jonna, Thomas More Society Special Counsel and partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP "that a law intended to protect individuals from religious discrimination was used to discriminate against Cathy for her religious beliefs."

Jonna also pointed out that Miller does not have fringe beliefs.

"Cathy believes in the Bible," said Jonna, and recalled how Miller was harassed by opposing attorneys for her adherence to its teachings.

A February 24, 2022, deposition in the case records an attorney for the state needling Miller:

-- Attorney Gregory Mann (attorney for the state): Do you try to follow everything that the Bible says? --Cathy Miller: I do my best, but I'm a sinner, but I do my best. --Mann: Do you follow some of the eating practices from the Old Testament in terms of not eating pigs, not eating shellfish, et cetera?

"The state was actually questioning the sincerity of Cathy's faith," remarked Jonna, noting the Tastries is bountifully adorned with Christian decor, and even plays Christian music over its audio system.

"The fact that they called Miller's open and sincerely held beliefs into question is almost as disturbing as quibbling over her status as an artist," Jonna commented.

The Institute of Culinary Education clearly labels cake designers as "cake artists" who practice the "Art of Cake Decorating," and observes that cakes have a known history dating back to ancient Egypt and are created with the finest and most expensive ingredients as an "act of celebration."

It was this celebration of a marriage between two people of the same sex, that Miller could not condone in accordance with her Christian beliefs, explained LiMandri, during the July 25, 2022, closing arguments before Judge Bradshaw.

Miller would have been happy to sell the two women a pre-made cake, added LiMandri, but declined to grace their celebration with her personal artistry in a custom cake, which would be tantamount to approval, which Miller could not give.

Read the decision issued on October 21, 2022, 2022, issued by Judge J. Eric Bradshaw of the Superior Court of California, County of Kern, in Department of Fair Employment and Housing v. Cathy's Creations here.

Read more about the Thomas More Society defense of artisan cake designer Cathy Miller:

About the Thomas More Society

The Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, religious liberty, and election integrity. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, the Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, visit thomasmoresociety.org.

SOURCE Thomas More Society

CONTACT: Thomas Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net
A Government minister has said it is disappointing that more than 30 Ukrainian refugees were left without accommodation on Friday.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heyden said this was not the space the Government wanted to be in.

The Fine Gael TD added that from Monday an overnight facility will be in place at Dublin Airport to take in refugees who arrive on late flights, before being processed at the Citywest transit hub the next day.

The Government admitted on Thursday that it cannot rule out that Ukrainian refugees will not end up on the streets due to a shortage of accommodation.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth confirmed to the PA news agency on Saturday that 33 refugees, all single men, were told on Friday that there was no accommodation available for them.

A spokesman said: Thirty-three people, all single males, were informed yesterday that no accommodation was available and asked to provide contact details for when it does become available.

The Citywest transit hub, which processes new arrivals, has reached capacity. It is understood some slept in Dublin Airport overnight.

The Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has said that all those affected were single men.

My understanding is 33 male Ukrainians were not able to be accommodated last night. And thats a really disappointing place for us to be in, Mr Heyden told RTEs Saturday with Katie Hannon.

We dont want to be in that space.

He said he understood the men were registered, their contact details were taken and they were linked up with NGOs.

He told the programme an increase in people coming from Ukraine has put stress and strain on the system.

Mr Heyden said: We are talking about 60,000 people who have come to our shores this year, who are seeking and who have been accommodated by the state to date, that compares to 7,250 this time last year. Thats the equivalent of the population of Waterford city, its a massive undertaking.

What weve seen in recent weeks is that the amount of people coming has increased significantly. While it had dropped off a little bit over the summer, it has more than doubled in recent weeks compared to what it was at the beginning of September and that has put stress and strain on the system.

He added: We cant guarantee everybody who comes here a bed now because of the situation were in. We have to be honest and upfront about that while we redouble our efforts, work across Government, across State agencies to develop those medium term solutions.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said on Thursday night that the Citywest transit centre had reached capacity amid a severe constraint on suitable accommodation.

A group representing NGOs said that pregnant women and the elderly were sleeping on chairs and on the floor at the overcrowded Citywest facility.

Wayne Stanley, head of policy and communication at the Simon Communities, said the country is heading into a perfect storm on accommodation.

He said the situation is very worrying and is likely to get worse.

Obviously the Simon Communities and all of the homeless services in Dublin and around the country will do everything we can to support people, but theres no capacity in the system at the moment, he said.

The Government is the process of bringing in a moratorium on evictions, given the scale of the homelessness crisis were facing this really is a perfect storm were heading into.

He said there would not be many refugees on the streets so far caused by the accommodation shortage, but added: The coming weeks are going to be very difficult so we are very concerned.
[October 21, 2022] ARGO GROUP SHAREHOLDER ALERT by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Reminds Investors With Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. - ARGO

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until December 19, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE: ARGO), if they purchased the Company's shares between February 13, 2018 and August 9, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What You May Do If you purchased shares of Argo and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-argo/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by December 19, 2022.



About the Lawsuit Argo and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On August 8, 2022, the Company disclosed that it had entered into a Loss Portfolio Transfer agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Enstar Group Limited covering a majority of the company's U.S. casualty insurance reserves and that it anticipated recognizing an after-tax charge of approximately $100 million in connection with the transaction in the third quarter of 2022. On this news, shares of Argo stock plummeted approximately 28%, from a closing price of $32.22 per share on August 8, 2022 to a closing price of $23.10 per share on August 10, 2022. The case is The Police & Fire Retirement System City of Detroit v. Argo Group International Holdings, Inc., Thomas A. Bradley, Scott Kirk, Kevin J. Rehnberg, Mark E. Watson, III and Jay S. Bullock, 1:22-cv-08971. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221021005505/en/

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[October 21, 2022] Beijing E-Town pulls out all the stops to attract top businesses

BEIJING, Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, has been ramping up efforts to foster strategically important industrial clusters that represent the latest in the science and technology world. The goal is to build itself into a hub of high-tech industries with international influence. Beijing E-Town saw its gross industrial output value reach close to 600 billion yuan ($86 billion) in 2021, ranking first in the city. High-tech industries, represented by new-generation information technology, high-end automobiles and intelligent manufacturing, contributed more than 90 percent of the gross industrial output value. At the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, an 8K ultrahigh-definition ground display system, the largest of its kind in the world, demonstrated the abilities of Chinese technology to viewers across the globe. "The core technologies o the world's largest display are in our hands," said a representative of BOE Technology Group, China's leading liquid crystal display panel maker based in Beijing E-Town.



In 2021, BOE's LCD shipments for five major application scenarios, which were smartphones, tablets, laptops, monitors and televisions, all ranked first in the world. "In the last 10 years, Beijing E-Town focused on critical strategic needs, accelerated research into key technologies and achieved major breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies and industries of strategic importance," said a Beijing E-Town official.

Beijing E-Town had been a cradle of innovative products and technologies for the past 10 years. As of the end of 2021, high-tech companies in Beijing E-Town delivered 96.7 percent of the area's total industrial output value. In 2021, the number of national-level "little giants" based in Beijing E-Town ranked first among more than 200 national economic development zones in the country. To be called a "little giant", a Chinese company must see a minimum 5 percent year-on-year average growth rate of its main business income or net profit in the past two years. Beijing E-Town is turning into a magnet for high-end resources from across the globe, with local industries moving toward the higher end of the global value chain. Four new production lines of German pharmaceutical company Bayer in Beijing E-Town are under construction. When put into operation, the fully automatic high-speed production lines, coupled with fully automatic logistics systems, are set to increase production capacity by 40 percent and help build a world-class manufacturing factory. During the past decade, an increasing number of multinationals have chosen to set up their latest and most advanced production lines in Beijing E-Town. To date, Beijing E-Town was home to some 140 projects backed by more than 90 Fortune Global 500 companies. Beijing E-Town is the first in the city to carry out the administrative reform that involves the entire administrative management chain ranging from approval to supervision and enforcement. The move has realized "one seal for examination and approval, and one team for law enforcement" and enabled further improvement in administration efficiency. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beijing-e-town-pulls-out-all-the-stops-to-attract-top-businesses-301656507.html SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Right now the legacy of Hollywood hottie Sara inspires this peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines . . .



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Local Fixes Ahead Of Winter

Expansion joint repairs set to begin Monday for northbound Bond Bridge SOURCE: File image The Missouri Department of Transportation said repairs to expansion joints along northbound Interstate 29/I-35 Bond Bridge over the Missouri River will start on Monday.Weather permitting, the work is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m., which means that various lanes will be closed for several days at a time.

Inferno Aftermath

Firefighter remains hospitalized after Friday's grass fire BUCKNER, Mo. - Fort Osage Fire Chief says one of the firefighters that were injured in a grass fire Friday afternoon was released from the hospital with minor injuries, while the other remains hospitalized with serious injuries. The firefighters were among a number of emergency crews who responded to a grass fire in front of a house north of Buckner.

Building New Start

Renovations underway at Reconciliation Services in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Renovations are underway at the Reconciliation Services headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. The nonprofit provides donor-paid social services and mental health treatment. It also operates Thelma's Kitchen, a donate-what-you-can restaurant and accompanying box-lunch catering service, at its location on the southeast corner of 31st Street and Troost Avenue.

EPIC BREW DEBUTS!!!

Boulevard and Vine Street Brewing hope to inspire Kansas City with a beer dedicated to Buck O'Neil The Buck O'Neil Barrel-Aged Saison honors the late first baseman and manager of the Kansas City Monarchs, Buck O'Neil. The limited release beer is expected to be available on tap and in bottles beginning the first week of November - brewed in a partnership between Boulevard Brewing Co.

Local Rental Game Sneak Peek

Airbnb calls these Kansas City's most popular listings [PHOTOS] - Kansas City Business Journal Looking for a staycation? Maybe you want to stay in one of Kansas City's most popular Airbnbs, which range from a 1970s Airstream trailer to a brick studio apartment in the Westside neighborhood. Check out photos and links to the property listings.

All About Hottie . . .

Sara Malakul Lane - Biography, Height & Life Story | Super Stars Bio Sara Malakul Lane is a Thai-American actress and former supermodel. She has worked in innumerable Thai and Hollywood movies. She is notable for starring in the 'Kickboxer' action film franchise in many movies as the female lead actress. She is a member of the "Chakri Dynasty" and directed descendent of Rama I and Rama II of Siam.

Prez Plan Pushed Back

Biden's student debt relief plan is temporarily blocked. Here's what you need to know. A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan - halting any debt from being erased. But the administration is encouraging people to continue submitting their applications. The Friday evening ruling comes less than a week since the application portal went live.

MAGA Attack Unpacked

Jan. 6 committee's Trump subpoena an attempt to divert conversation ahead of midterms, political insiders say The House Select Committee on Jan. 6 issued a subpoena to former President Donald Trump on Friday in relation to the 2021 riot at the Capitol, and the committee's decision could influence nationwide midterm elections just over two weeks away. Trump is requested to appear for a deposition on Nov.

Conspiracy 2nd Chance

Alex Jones seeks new trial after $1 billion Sandy Hook verdict Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has asked a Connecticut judge to throw out a nearly $1 billion verdict against him and order a new trial in a lawsuit by Sandy Hook families.

Midterm Campaign Advice

Without an Economic Message, Democrats Will Never Close the Deal With less than three weeks to go until the midterms, the Republicans are gaining traction in many individual Senate races, and taking a small lead in the generic congressional polling.

Rolling Toward Recession

Wall Street Warns of Trouble Brewing in Auto Loans as Prices Dip (Bloomberg) -- The largest US banks are warning of trouble ahead in auto loans as dropping prices for used cars risk leaving borrowers underwater.

Billionaire Adventures

Elon Musk's Weird Week: Memes With Kanye And Trump, Joking With A Former Russian President And A Possible Federal Probe The world's wealthiest man Elon Musk had yet another eventful week, chumming up to Kanye West even as the rapper comes under fire for a series of antisemitic comments, trading barbs with Russia's former President Dmitry Medvedev and potentially becoming the subject of a national security probe.

Vlad Sends Signals

Russian Authorities Advise Civilians to Leave Kherson Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine told all residents of the city of Kherson to leave "immediately" Saturday ahead of an expected advance by Ukrainian troops waging a counteroffensive to recapture one of the first urban areas Russia took after invading the country.

BOJO RETUNS?!?!

Boris Johnson, ousted by scandal, eyes comeback as UK leader LONDON (AP) - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson -- ousted by ethics scandals just three months ago -- jockeyed to make a comeback Friday as one of several contenders seeking to replace Liz Truss, whose rapid downfall threw the country's leadership into disarray at a time of severe economic challenges.

American First Ladies United

Melania Trump Made the Surprising Decision to Join Forces With Michelle Obama & Hillary Clinton For This Historic Cause Melania Trump made an announcement on Twitter this week that had some users scratching their heads. She's joining all of the living former first ladies - Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Rosalynn Carter, along with current First Lady Dr. Jill Biden - to join efforts to get a women's suffrage monument erected on the [...]

Diva Claps Back

In "Midnights" Taylor Is Seemingly Out For Revenge Against The Celebs From Her Most Famous Feuds "Now she gets the house, gets the kids, gets the pride, picture me thick as thieves with your ex-wife."

South Side Shopping Guide Debuts

Truman General store in Grandview is a pleasant step back in time Housewife fans from around the metropolitan area now have another good reason to make the trip to downtown Grandview. In little less than a year, Housewife Cafe and Bistro owners Anna and Joel Sorge have opened Truman General, an old-fashioned mercantile and homemade ice cream shop, next door at 809 Main St.

Local Inspiration

'Miracles still happen': Why this KC man has been bell-ringing for 43 years KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Three words have guided Harold Hepfer's life ever since a fateful day in 1959. "Miracles still happen," he said. "They didn't expect me to live." Hepfer lost his arm in a car accident during his sophomore year of college.

Prep For Holiday Season

260: Winter Magic on Cliff Drive On this week's episode of the Northeast Newscast, we're joined by Jolt Lighting and KC Parks and Rec to discuss the upcoming Winter Magic light display on Cliff Drive. The drive is approximately one mile long and completely adorned with game-changing holiday light displays.

Kansas City Market For The World

Black Pantry expands nationally through online shop; founder works to set new standard for buying Black Kansas City's premier boutique for Black-owned essentials always had its sights set on building a national identity, said Brian Roberts, but he needed to prove himself and his business on the local level first. "A lot of people were pushing me in the beginning to go the website direction, but I didn't want to do that.

Winds Of Change

Windy and warm Saturday precedes a VERY windy Sunday Hide Transcript Show Transcript LET'S DO IT. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL. AND I MEAN, WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL FALL COLORS HERE, BUT IS THIS HEAT HELPING? NO. OH, NO, NO, NO, NO. AND THE DROUGHT, THE DROUGHTS, THE REAL PROBLEM. WE USUALLY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FALL FOLIAGE HERE.

Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
A resource for this town's speaks out after a proposed crackdown . . .



Here's the word . . . And a highlight . . .



"The Kansas City Public Library has long supported the best interests of children  of all in our community. And we value parental oversight. Parents and guardians should be interested and involved in everything their children read, see, and hear. We invite and encourage that.



"Our current collection development policies assign the selection of youth material to experienced, professional collection development and childrens librarians. When selecting materials for children and teens, they seek titles that reflect the experiences and interests of those age groups.



"From our board of trustees to management to every librarian and member of our staff, the Kansas City Public Library adheres to the Library Bill of Rights, which maintains in part: A persons right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views. That pertains to children as well as adults.



"We remain sensitive to any specter of censorship and restriction of equitable access to books and other vital Library materials. Yes, parents and guardians should be arbiters on what is suitable for their children. They shouldnt impose those choices on others. Nor should the state of Missouri."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Pretty sure that everybody in this Millennial "teen" movie was 30 when this video was released more than TWO DECADES ago . . . However, the tune is catchy and it goes through my head whenever I'm forced to talk to anybody younger than me . . . Which is becoming increasingly often.



Sadly . . . The pop tune contrasts recent news of rougher Kansas City metro life for the NextGen . . . Here are a couple of examples:



Court docs: Blue Springs teen killed in shooting may have been involved in botched drug, gun deal KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Court documents in Jackson County reveal Wyatt Conroy , the 15-year-old teen who died in a shooting in Blue Springs , may have been involved in a botched drug and gun deal. Investigators reviewed surveillance video from the parking lot of the Church of Resurrection, where Conroy was shot and killed.

Missouri teen sentenced to 26 years in prison for shooting girl during $20 marijuana deal A 17-year-old Kansas City, North, teen was sentenced to 26 years in prison in the shooting of another teen in the head over $20 worth of marijuana at a Riverside park, according to the Platte County Prosecutor's Office.

Court documents show Blue Springs teen died during drug deal BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.- Court documents provide new details surrounding the death of a 15-year-old Blue Springs High School student. The documents show Wyatt Conroy and another teenager went to The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Blue Springs Saturday to buy marijuana. Minutes later, police said Conroy died in he parking lot.

Developing . . .
News released Friday in order to keep the public from talking about it . . . Or asking any questions about public safety and/or danger to drivers/pedestrians & cyclists . . .



Here are the basics . . .



An arbitrator says a KCFD firefighter, was negligent and "directly caused" the Westport crash that killed three people, injured another, and damaged a building on Dec. 15, 2021.

The crash involved a KCFD pumper truck and an SUV at the Westport intersection of Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Arbitrator recommends $32.4M to victims of deadly 2021 crash in Kansas City's Westport KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Parties in a civil lawsuit over the wrongful deaths of three people in a crash involving a Kansas City, Missouri, Fire department pumper truck have reached a tentative arbitration agreement worth more than $30 million.

$32M arbitration award recommended in deadly Westport crash involving KC firetruck KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Groups involved in a civil lawsuit over a deadly Westport crash involving a Kansas City firetruck have reached a tentative arbitration agreement for over $32 million. The December 2021 crash near Broadway Avenue and Westport Road killed 41-year-old Jennifer San Nicolas, and 25-year-old Michael J. Elwood.

Developing . . .
Actually, this report doesn't offer much insight . . .

What's missing is a longstanding Local 42 slap fight with the Prosecutor's office.



But here's the cover story . . .



The Jackson County prosecutors office decided not to move forward with a second degree murder charge against the woman because it could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she was acting outside of Missouris self-defense law.



Missouri law governs this case, specifically self-defense and defense of others, leading us to decline charges after a careful review, the prosecutors office wrote in a statement



Missouri law gives people the right to defend and even use deadly force to protect themselves and other people if they believe that their own or another persons life or limb is in danger.



Court documents for the case described a video that captured the altercation between Santi and the man at the gas station fighting over a firearm with an extended magazine. At one point, Santi restrained the man in a headlock, which is when the woman left the vehicle, approached the men and ended up shooting Santi. She was lawfully using deadly force in defense of another, said Missouri criminal defense attorney . . .





Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Fleetex Transport Ltd., led by its president Amarjit Singh Garcha, announced a donation of $100,000 to William Osler Health System Foundation. The Garcha family, pictured L-R: Rajvir Garcha, Amrit Garcha, Amarjit Singh Garcha, Surinder Kaur Garcha, Gurvir Garcha. - William Osler Health System Foundation
A pedestrian suffered serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle in Etobicoke Sunday evening.
Several parts of the country are inundated by flood water this evening.

It comes as a result of more rainfall overnight, causing many rivers to break their banks and water courses to spill over.
The United States can confirm that the UAVs that Russia is using against Ukraine are from Iran and intends to continue working with allies and partners to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the necessary means of defense.

Defense Department Spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said this at a briefing on Thursday, October 20, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We know that these drones are from Iran," he said, commenting on whether the U.S. has evidence that would refute Iran's and Russia's objections in this regard.

Ryder also noted that the United States intends to intensify international cooperation to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.

"The Secretary [Lloyd Austin] has spoken recently to the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, to our partners and our allies about what it is that we can continue to do to support Ukraine in areas like air defense. We will continue to have those conversations not only on air defense, but what other capabilities Ukrainian forces need in the days ahead," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, the White House accused Iran of direct involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as the killing of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Canada condemns the Iranian regime's active support for Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the Canadian Foreign Ministry said this in a statement posted on its website.

"Canada strongly condemns Iran's active support for Russian atrocities in Ukraine through the sale of arms and the sending of Iranian military personnel to train and assist Russian forces in the use of Iranian weapons," the statement said.

The agency added that "these actions lead to civilian deaths, endanger global peace and security, and must stop." "Iran and Russia will be held accountable," the ministry said.

Earlier reports said that Russia actively uses Iranian-made combat drones for attacks on peaceful cities in Ukraine and for the destruction of critical infrastructure on the eve of the winter period.

On October 20, the permanent representatives of the countries of the European Union agreed on additional sanctions against Iran for the supply of "kamikaze" drones to Russia.
As of October 18, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed 15,956 civilian casualties, 6,322 killed and 9,634 injured, in Ukraine since February 24, 2022.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said this at the meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday.

According to her, at least 397 children have been killed in the war since February 24.

The actual figures are likely considerably higher, she added.

DiCarlo also informed members of the UN Security Council that in a recent and concerning development, the Russian Federation launched a series of attacks against cities and towns across the country.

She also outlined that between October 10 and 18, at least 38 Ukrainian civilians were reportedly killed and at least 117 injured by missile and drone attacks against cities and towns across Ukraine.

According to her, the destruction of critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine, combined with soaring gas and coal prices, threatens to expose millions of civilians to extreme hardship and even life-endangering conditions this winter.

The document states that there are reasonable grounds to conclude that war crimes and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have been committed in Ukraine, she added.

DiCarlo also noted that as of 19 October, the total tonnage of grain and other foodstuffs exported through the initiative had reached almost 8 million tonnes and called on extending the grain agreement, with expires on November 22.

To maintain food security worldwide, it is critical that the initiative be extended beyond November, she said.

She also reminded that the General Assembly stated that the referendums held in regions of Ukraine that are or have been under the temporary military control of the Russian Federation and the subsequent attempted illegal annexations of these regions have no validity under international law and do not form the basis for any alteration of the status of these regions of Ukraine.

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Three people have been injured in Russias missile attack on energy infrastructure in the Odesa region.

The relevant statement was made by Odesa Regional Military Administration on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

As a result of the missile attack, two cruise missiles hit a critical infrastructure facility in the Odesa district. Three people have been injured and are now being provided with medical aid, the report states.

Several settlements were left without electricity due to enemy missile strikes.

Odesa Regional Military Administration Head Maksym Marchenko noted on Telegram that municipal services and the Ukrainian State Emergency Service are now eliminating the effects of Russian missile strikes.

Ukrenergo and DTEK are making every effort to restore power supply services as soon as possible.

A reminder that, in the morning of October 22, 2022, Russia launched another massive missile attack on Ukraines critical infrastructure.

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Germany has delivered to Ukraine a new batch of weapons, packages of winter clothing and equipment for the military.

Thats according to the federal government press service, Ukrinform reports.

As follows from the updated list of deliveries, five more armored recovery vehicles were transferred (the same number as delivered in the previous consignment); seven heavy and medium bridge systems; 167,000 cartridges for firearms, 100 tents (the total number now reaches 200); 183 generators (previously 12 were transferred); 116,000 winter jackets; 80,000 winter pants; and 240,000 winter hats.

Finally, the transfer of the Iris-T SLM air defense system has been officially confirmed, as the media reported last week.

Among the new vows announced by Germany are five armored engineer vehicles; 35 8x8 trucks, and 4,000 sleeping bags.

Part of the aid comes from the enterprises, and another part  from the Bundeswehr reserves.

The licenses issued by the government of Germany for the export of military goods to Ukraine in the period from January 1, 2022 to October 10, 2022, total EUR 796,812,445.
The UK Ministry of Defense has published photos showing how the Ukrainian military undergo training in Britain.

The UK, alongside international partners are continuing to train Ukrainian volunteers across Britain to help defend their homeland. Giving volunteer recruits with little to no military experience the skills needed to be effective in frontline combat, the ministry wrote on Twitter.

As Ukrinform reported, from October 2022, service members of the Defense Forces of Ukraine will continue their urban operations training as part of the Canadian Operation UNIFIER in Great Britain.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council at a meeting in Luxembourg agreed to set up a Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine).

The UK, alongside international partners are continuing to train Ukrainian volunteers across Britain to help defend their homeland.



Giving volunteer recruits with little to no military experience the skills needed to be effective in frontline combat.



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/43pTJCqAdw  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) October 22, 2022

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Russian troops shelled Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, with cluster munitions, damaging at least 10 houses and seriously injuring three civilians.

This was reported by the police department in Donetsk region, according to Ukrinform.

"The occupiers fired a Smerch missile, carrying numerous cluster mentions, at peaceful homes. As a result of explosions, at least 10 houses were damaged, three people were seriously injured," the report reads.

According to law enforcers, the invaders used cluster munitions prohibited by international conventions, which cause mass damage. All the shells hit residential buildings and an area close to a store.

According to the police, a 21-year-old woman and two men aged 26 and 58 were injured in the explosion. The victims in serious condition were taken to the hospital.

As reported, Russian troops shelled 13 settlements in Donetsk region, launching 22 attacks on October 21.

Photo: dn.npu.gov.ua

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By striking Ukraines critical infrastructure, Russia wants to provoke new refugees flee to Europe.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Presidents Office head, wrote this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

By striking Ukraines critical infrastructure, Kremlin wants to provoke new refugees flee to Europe. Whether Putin will be able to implement his plan depends on European capitals leaders, he wrote.

Podolyak stressed that the only way to stop humanitarian catastrophe  transfer air defense and additional missiles fast.

As reported by Ukrinform, on the morning of October 22, Russian forces launched a massive missile attack on critical infrastructure facilities across Ukraine.

According to data provided by the Presidents Office, almost 1.5 million consumers across Ukraine were left without electricity after Russias attacks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky in a Telegram post said that Russian invaders launched 36 missiles across Ukraine in the first half of October 22. Most of the missiles were shot down by the Ukrainian air defense.

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There is no trust in Iran's leadership, as the country has not paid the promised compensation to the families of the dead passengers of a Ukrainian passenger jet that was shot down by an Iranian missile in 2020, and is currently selling weapons to Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during an interview with Canadian television channels CTV and CBC, Ukrinform reports.

"I personally don't trust the leadership of Iran. Why? Do you remember the tragedy of the Ukrainian Airlines (Flight 752), which was taken down when an Iranian missile hit it, and there were lots of Canadian citizens on board. Iranian leadership said, 'That wasn't us.' When our experts and partners, including the Canadians, found the details that proved Iran's involvement, they admitted that it was accidental and called it a historical drama, saying at the leadership level that there would be support for the families of the victims. And what did they do? Nothing. They didn't help at all," he said.

Zelensky emphasized that in the future, Iranian diplomats and leadership constantly refuted data from Ukrainian intelligence regarding the sale of Shahed-136 drones to Russia, calling it a provocation to spoil relations between the countries. Currently, this lie, according to the president, has catastrophic tragic consequences for Ukraine.

"Many times - both at the level of ambassadors, at the level of the state leadership and at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - they publicly denied all this. Now we see hundreds of strikes on Ukraine: on the capital, on civil infrastructure, on schools, on universities and on energy facilities. Just to make sure that people could not survive this winter," he said.

Zelensky said that there can be no trust in Iran, because it is a supplier of drones and missiles for Russia.

"Iran continues to deliver drones to Russia - not one, not two, not five: this is not a coincidence. We know that there are orders for thousands. Hundreds have definitely been delivered," he added.

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, earlier condemned Iran's support for Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, en route from Tehran to Kyiv, crashed shortly after takeoff from the international airport of the Iranian capital early on January 8, 2020. All 176 people who were on the plane were killed - 167 passengers and nine crew members. Among the dead are 11 citizens of Ukraine. According to reports, the plane was shot down by Iranian air defense.
Ukrainian life cannot be broken, even if the enemy can temporarily leave us without power.

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:

Dear Ukrainians!

We continue eliminating the aftermath of today's terrorist attacks on our infrastructure. The geography of this new massive strike is very wide: Volyn, Odesa, Khmelnytsky region, Kirovohrad region, Dnipropetrovsk region, Rivne region, Mykolaiv region, Zaporizhia region and other places.

The main target of terrorists is energy. Therefore, please be even more careful than before about the need to consciously consume electricity. The stability of the power industry of our entire state depends on each city and district of Ukraine.

Please limit the use of appliances that use a lot of electricity. And especially during peak consumption hours in the morning and in the evening. Please, pay attention to notices from local authorities and power companies about when there may be stabilization blackouts on your street or in your area. Plan your day with this information in mind.

In part of the territory of our country, where electricity was cut off due to today's strike, it has already been possible to restore power supply. Electricity supply has already been resumed partly in Odesa region, partly in Khmelnytsky region, most of Rivne region has resumed power supplies. There are positive reports from other regions as well. But in many cities, in many districts, recovery work is still ongoing. We are trying to return power to people as soon as possible.

I want to thank everyone who is involved in this work: energy workers, utility and local government workers, government officials and businesses that also help. Together, we are now showing that Ukrainian life cannot be broken. Even if the enemy can leave us temporarily without power, it will still never succeed in leaving us without the desire to make things right, to mend and return them to normal.

And even now  partially in the dark  life in our state, in our Ukraine, is still civilized. Unlike Russia that brings us this terror. They still have the same wildness with electricity there, as in ancient times. Only savages can bring such evil to the world.

I want to emphasize: neither this strike by terrorists nor any other similar strikes by them will stop our defenders.

Russian propagandists are lying when they say that this terror against our infrastructure and people can somehow slow down the active actions of our military or create some difficulties for our defense. Ukrainians are united and know for sure that Russia has no chance of winning this war. Our defense forces are getting everything they need to defend the country and are pushing forward every day  I emphasize: every day.

Our Air Force also shows good results. Of course, we do not yet have the technical ability to shoot down 100% of Russian missiles and attack drones. We will gradually come to this  with the help of our partners, I'm confident of this. But we are already shooting down most of the cruise missiles, most of the drones. Only in the first half of this day, 20 missiles were shot down  Kalibr and Kh-101 missiles, as well as more than 10 Iranian Shahed UAVs.

Today, I want to once again thank our soldiers  fighter pilots and anti-aircraft gunners of the West, South and Center air commands, as well as mobile fire groups of all the Defense Forces for the saved lives of our people and the preserved infrastructure of Ukraine.

We are preparing the ground for extending the global sanctions policy to all Russian propagandists, so-called opinion leaders and show business representatives who support or justify terror. The International Working Group on Sanctions Against Russia, chaired by Michael McFaul and Andriy Yermak, has prepared an Individual Sanctions Roadmap. It prepared a basic list of all those involved in the spread of narratives without which Russian terror is impossible. We must clearly evaluate such an "informational and emotional" component of terror: the Russian army loses and retreats on the battlefield, and therefore the results of terror against our civilian population and infrastructure are presented by Russian propaganda as a substitute for military victories.

Also, various Russian newsmen and stars are involved in justifying the criminal attempt to annex our territory and mobilize for war against us, against Ukraine. Absolutely all such persons should receive a full package of individual sanctions so that they cannot do anything in the world at all. We are working on it.

Ukraine was very well represented this week in Frankfurt at the largest book fair in Europe and one of the largest in the world. This is not just an event for the publishing business and writers. It is one of the key European discussion platforms and an influential informational event.

The First Lady of Ukraine presented her projects supporting education and the cultural sphere there. In particular, the Books Without Borders initiative is to provide children of our forced migrants with books in the Ukrainian language. And also the Ukrainian Bookshelf project, which is already presented in 20 countries of the world.

In total, more than 40 Ukrainian publishing houses, famous writers, famous publicists, and historians took part in the Frankfurt fair. I thank everyone who worked in Frankfurt for making Ukraine heard and bringing the message about it there. Every contribution to the world's support for Ukraine is vitally important.

I thank everyone who works and helps for our victory!

Eternal glory to all who fight for Ukraine!

Glory to our indomitable people!

Glory to Ukraine!
Almost 1.5 million consumers were left without electricity as a result of Russias missile strikes on energy facilities across Ukraine on Saturday morning.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian Presidents Office, said this in a Telegram post, Ukrinform reports.

"Another audacious attack by the occupiers on our infrastructure. The enemy continues to strike energy facilities in various regions across our country," he wrote.

As of now, according to Tymoshenko, 672,000 consumers have been left without electricity supply in Khmelnytskyi region, 188,400 - in Mykolaiv region, 102,000 - in Volyn region, 242,000 - in Cherkasy region, 174,790 - in Rivne region, 61,913 - in Kirovohrad regions, 10,500 - in Odesa region as a result of Russias missile strikes.

"A total of 18 missiles were destroyed by air defense forces. Specialists immediately begin repair works on the affected areas," the official added.

As reported by Ukrinform, on the morning of October 22, Russian forces launched a massive missile attack on critical infrastructure facilities in various regions across Ukraine.

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Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said any use of nuclear weapons by the Russian Federation against Ukraine would be seen as an "act of hostility against humanity."

Thats according to RFE/RL, Ukrinform reports.

"Russia's act of threatening the use of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to the peace and security of the international community and absolutely unacceptable," said Kishida, who is now visiting Australia.

The 77-year period of no nuclear weapons use "must not be ended," according to the prime minister.

"If nuclear weapons were ever used, that would be an act of hostility against humanity...the international community will never allow such an act," Kisihda stressed, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear allusions as "deeply disturbing."

In May 2023, Kishida is expected to host G7 leaders in Hiroshima, where a U.S. nuclear bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, killing 140,000, while the city of Nagasaki was hit three days later.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin has made several thinly veiled threats about his readiness to use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Giorgia Meloni on becoming Italian prime minister and said he looks forward to continued fruitful cooperation.

My congratulations to Giorgia Meloni, the first female Prime Minister of Italy. I wish the new government to successfully respond to all the challenges of today. I look forward to continued fruitful cooperation to ensure peace and prosperity in Ukraine, Italy and the world! Zelensky wrote on Twitter.

As reported, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, 45-year-old Giorgia Meloni, was officially sworn in as the Italian governments head on October 22, becoming the first woman to be elected as prime minister in the country's history.

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Germany's Bundestag continues to study the issue of recognizing the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide against the Ukrainian people.

The President of the German Bundestag, Baerbel Bas, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"The Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag is considering a petition about the Holodomor, which was signed by more than 56,000 people. We are still waiting for the results," said Baerbel.

She recalled that a joint German-Ukrainian commission of historians had considered the topic since 2015. She also noted that Germany supported a declaration for the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor at the 73rd UN General Assembly so that the memory of the victims of the Holodomor would be properly honored.

Speaking about the possibility of providing a political and legal assessment of today's atrocities by Russia, the politician noted that "it is important today that Russian war crimes in Ukraine are documented, then independently investigated, and the guilty brought to justice." The international community should provide assistance in this process. In particular, the German Bundestag has repeatedly condemned these crimes, Bas said, noting that the Public Prosecutor General at the Federal Court of Justice has already started an investigation against Russia after concrete signs of war crimes emerged.

"It is absolutely clear that without truth there can be neither justice nor true peace. Injustice must be called injustice and recognized as such," Bas said.

As reported, the Ukrainian side has been calling on the Bundestag for several years to recognize the Holodomor as genocide. This issue was considered at a meeting of specialized committees and partially in the session hall. However, at least before the war, German politicians, mostly the government, were not ready for such a step. A delegation of the Petitions Committee was supposed to visit Ukraine, but the war adjusted these plans. As for the commission of historians, it has been repeatedly criticized by Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk.
ANKARA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2022 ) :Turkish security forces "neutralized" four PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Syria, Trkiye's National Defense Ministry said on Friday.

The terrorists, who were plotting to attack Turkish soldiers, were targeted in the Operation Euphrates Shield zone, the ministry said in a statement.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Trkiye, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Trkiye, the US, and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the terrorist PKK's Syrian branch.
London, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2022 ) :British Conservative politician Rishi Sunak late Friday reached the minimum threshold to run for party leader, as former prime minister Boris Johnson targeted an audacious comeback.

Cabinet member Penny Mordaunt became the first to formally declare her candidacy after the UK's ruling party was forced into a second leadership contest following the dramatic resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss.

"Honoured to be the 100th Tory MP to support #Ready4Rishi," senior backbencher Tobias Ellwood tweeted, as other backers of Sunak also said he had crossed the barrier.

Sunak will automatically become party leader and prime minister if his opponents fail also to win 100 nominations from their fellow Tory MPs.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat, who ran for leader himself after Johnson was toppled in July, issued a thinly veiled appeal to the scandal-tainted ex-leader to stay out of the race.

"This is no time for political games, for settling scores, or for looking backwards," Tugendhat said as he also endorsed Sunak late Friday.

Neither Sunak nor Johnson has publicly declared they are running.

But Johnson cut short a Caribbean holiday to take part in the accelerated contest, which will see Tory MPs hold a vote on Monday before a possible online ballot for party members next week.

James Duddridge, one of Johnson's closest allies in parliament, said he had been in contact with his old boss via WhatsApp.

"He said... 'We are going to do this. I'm up for it'," the MP said, as a Sky news reporter posted a photograph apparently showing Johnson on a flight home from the Dominican Republic.
(@Abdulla99267510)

Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar says despite many challenges, including Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan continued the reform trajectory and sustained the high-level political commitment of aligning its domestic AML/CFT regime with international best practices.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Oct 22nd, 2022) Pakistan has reiterated that it will continue building on mutually beneficial cooperation with FATF members and the international community to sustain the gains.

Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar thanked the FATF members and the international community for providing valuable support during the Action Plan period.

He said Pakistan has made enormous progress in the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism domain over the course of fulfilling requirements of both Action Plans.

Despite many challenges, including Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan continued the reform trajectory and sustained the high-level political commitment of aligning its domestic AML/CFT regime with international best practices.

The spokesperson said achieving FATF targets was a whole-of-nation endeavour. Multiple ministries, departments and agencies, both at the Federal and Provincial levels, contributed to achieving this national objective.

The engagement with FATF has led to strategic improvements in Pakistan's laws and procedures, making its domestic AML/CFT regime more resilient to cope with current and future challenges.

He further said Pakistan looks forward to sharing its expertise, knowledge and experience with other countries to enhance effectiveness of FATF standards at the global level.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

TASHKENT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2022) A blast has occurred at a warehouse of the Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan in the country's Syrdarya region, there were no victims or injured, the ministry said on Saturday.

"On October 22, at 04.55 (23:55 GMT on Friday), an explosion occurred at the warehouse of the Ministry of Defense in the village of Malik in the Syrdarya region, there were no victims or injured," the ministry said on Telegram.
(@FahadShabbir)

CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2022) Lebanon is planning to begin repatriating some 6,000 Syrian refugees on Wednesday, Lebanese Caretaker Minister of Displaced People Issam Sharafeddine said on Friday.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, whose six-year presidential term ends on October 31, has earlier announced Beirut's intention to resume the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

"On Wednesday, three columns of Syrian refugees with a total of 6,000 people will head to Syria," Sharafeddine told the Al Jadeed broadcaster.

The Lebanese authorities have repeatedly accused international organizations of obstructing the process of repatriation of Syrian refugees. Beirut has repeatedly said that the continued presence of over 1.5 million Syrian refugees in the country with a population of 4.5 million people exacerbates social and public tensions and provokes higher levels of poverty and crime, especially in times of financial and economic crisis in the country.
Gabon, which currently holds presidency in the United Nations Security Council, has granted Russia's behest to bar representatives of Lithuania and Romania from taking part in a session on Ukraine due to an excessive number of EU delegates already on board, a source in the UN told Sputnik

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2022) Gabon, which currently holds presidency in the United Nations Security Council, has granted Russia's behest to bar representatives of Lithuania and Romania from taking part in a session on Ukraine due to an excessive number of EU delegates already on board, a source in the UN told Sputnik.

"The President denied representatives of Lithuania and Romania participation in the meeting yesterday at Russia's insistence," the source said, adding that Russia's reasoning was that too many EU delegates were already taking part.

On Friday, the UN Security Council held yet another session on Ukraine, dedicated to the humanitarian situation. Ukraine, the European Union, Slovakia, Poland, Germany and Greece were taking part besides UN Security Council members.

Over the course of the session, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia shared his puzzlement over the large number of speakers, given that the meeting was a briefing, not a debate allowing an unlimited number of countries.

He noted that the Russian delegation was wondering "what added value" Slovakia, Poland, Germany and Greece would bring to the table other than extending the time of the meeting. Russia is "well aware" of the stances of these countries, which, as Nebenzia said, "could be summarized well enough by an EU representative."

The Russian envoy asked the Security Council president to exercise more discernment when compiling the lists of speakers at UN sessions on Ukraine.

The press service of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said that the country's Permanent Representative to the UN, Rytis Paulauskas, made a protest to Gabon for not giving Vilnius an opportunity to speak on behalf of the three Baltic states and the Czech Republic.
BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2022) Montenegrin Foreign Minister Ranko Krivokapic and Defense Minister Rasko Konjevic were removed from office on Saturday in a legislative ouster initiated by Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, building on a political crisis that has been going on in Montenegro for over a year ago now.

Krivokapic and Konjevic head Montenegro's Social Democratic Party (SDP), a long-time partner of President Milo Dukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). They took office in April following a cabinet overhaul, and have since repeatedly entered confrontation with the prime minister on such issues as fight against corruption, the status of Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and relations with Serbia.

Following an hours-long debate late into the night, 41 out of 81 members of parliament voted for the resignation of Krivokapic and Konjevic.

The SDP and DPS, as well as other supporters of the two ministers, did not participate in the vote.

Milan Knezevic, head of the Parliamentary board for Defence and Security, and his allies from the opposition Democratic Front alliance called for the forming of a new government by November.

At the same time, the Montenegrin lawmakers once again failed to reach a quorum for the election of judges of the Constitutional Court, responsible for the resolution of disputes at the municipal elections coming up on Sunday.

The Russian foreign ministry said on October 14 that Krivokapic and Konjevic have been denied entry to Russia in response to Podgorica's decision to expel Russian diplomats. Krivokapic stated that it was an honor for him to be banned entry to Russia along with his NATO allies from the leadership of the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Russia is concerned about unrest in Chad and hopes that the country's authorities will manage to stabilize the situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2022) Russia is concerned about unrest in Chad and hopes that the country's authorities will manage to stabilize the situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

On Thursday, Chad's Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo said that some 50 people died and nearly 300 were injured in protests across the country against the government's decision to extend transition period and postpone presidential elections.

"We are concerned about the development of the situation in the Republic of Chad where mass protests took place in N'Djamena and other big cities on October 20, with over 1,500 participating in demonstrations," the message read.

The ministry said, citing the Russian embassy in Chad, that there were no Russian citizens among victims of the protests.

"We hope that Chadian authorities will manage to stabilize the situation.

We assume that the dialogue with protesters within the law and avoiding actions that could lead to the escalation of the conflict should be the basis for the normalization of the situation," the foreign ministry noted.

The Central African country has been rocked by unrest after caretaker leader Mahamat Idriss Deby delayed the elections for another two years and presented a new interim administration. On Thursday, media reported that many people took to the streets of the country's capital, N'Djamena, to protest against the transitional administration.

The elections were due to be held in October of this year, wrapping up an 18-month transition period that followed the death in April 2021 of Chad's longstanding president, Idriss Deby Itno.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

KHERSON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2022) Paratroopers of the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed a Ukrainian armor battalion equipped with Macedonian and Slovenian tanks, according to footage obtained by Sputnik.

The unique video footage available to Sputnik shows the Russian military inspecting burned-down military equipment right after the battle.

As a result of successful defensive actions in the direction of the city of Kryvyi Rih, one of the units of the Russian Airborne forces completely destroyed the 1st mechanized battalion of the 28th separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian military and T-72 tanks delivered to Ukraine by NATO countries.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. Western countries have since been providing Kiev with humanitarian, military, and financial aid. Moscow has denounced the flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying it adds fuel to the flame and warning that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for the Russian forces.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2022) At least two people died and a child is missing after a rapid ferry and a water taxi collided in northern Netherlands, NL Times reports citing the Friesland regional security office.

The accident involving the Rederij Doeksen's ferry MS Tiger and the Stormloper water taxi occurred on Friday morning in the Schuitengat channel in the Wadden Sea, near the island of Terschelling.

"There were probably seven people on the Stormloper, out of whom one person (a 12-year-old boy) is still missing," the Friesland regional security office said as quoted by NL Times on Friday.

According to the publication, two people have been confirmed dead and a second person might also be missing. The water taxi sank after the collision.

The Friesland regional security office said that none of the 21 passengers and six crew members on board the ferry were injured.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.
(@FahadShabbir)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2022) The British defense ministry is preparing to transfer about 60 mothballed tanks for exercise and operations in Europe at a NATO military base in Germany, The Telegraph reported.

The UK troops are preparing around 60 Challenger 2 vehicles for exercises at a NATO Forward Holding Base near the city of Paderborn in western Germany, according to the newspaper.

The Telegraph specified that ammunition and supplies at this base are stored in case "NATO is called upon to intervene in eastern Europe."

"We are investing in our site in Germany which shows we are credible and serious about investing in European security because we aim to be a leader in Nato," a source in the defense ministry told The Telegraph.

The newspaper added that there are also discussions about building up ammunition at the base to ease logistics if the "English Channel were to become contested."

At the end of June, NATO leaders agreed on a plan for a significant build-up of the alliance's forces on the eastern flank by 2023 amid Russia's military operation in Ukraine. NATO said that it planned to increase the number of high-readiness forces on the eastern flank to more than 300,000 soldiers in the near future, as well as to increase the composition of combat groups to the brigade level. In addition, NATO countries pledged to increase defense spending.
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared likely Wednesday to leave in place most of a federal law that gives preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings of Native children.

The justices heard more than three hours of arguments in a broad challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act, enacted in 1978 to address concerns that Native children were being separated from their families and, too frequently, placed in non-Native homes.

It has long been championed by tribal leaders as a means of preserving their families, traditions and cultures. But white families seeking to adopt Native children are among the challengers who say the law is impermissibly based on race and prevents states from considering those children's best interests.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh called the case difficult because the court is being called on to draw a line between tribal sovereignty and "the fundamental principle that we don't treat people differently because of race, ethnicity or ancestry."

He was among the conservative justices who expressed concern about at least one aspect of the law that gives preference to Native parents, even if they are of a different tribe than the child they are seeking to adopt or foster. Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Amy Coney Barrett also raised questions about whether that provision looked more like a racial classification that the court might frown upon.

"To get to the heart of my concern about this, Congress couldn't give a preference for white families to adopt white children, Black families to adopt Black children, Latino families to adopt Latino children, Asian families to adopt Asian children," Kavanaugh said.

But none of the non-Native families involved in the case has been affected by the preference the conservative justices objected to, Justice Department lawyer Edwin Kneedler told the court.

Even if there is a court majority to strike down that provision, the rest of the law could be kept in place, said Ian Gershengorn, a lawyer for the Cherokee Nation, the Navajo Nation and other tribes.

He urged the court to uphold the law "that has made such a meaningful difference to so many children."

Representing the non-Native families, lawyer Matthew McGill called on the court to strike down the law because it "flouts the promise of equal justice under law."

Justice Neil Gorsuch, a conservative who is a strong supporter of Native Americans' rights, and the court's three liberal justices seemed strongly inclined to uphold the law in its entirety.

"Congress understood these children's placement decisions as integral to the continued thriving of Indian communities," said liberal Justice Elena Kagan.

Gorsuch said a broad ruling in favor of the challengers also would take "a huge bite out of" other federal programs that benefit Native Americans, including health care.

Most tribes ask court to uphold law

The law's fate is in the hands of a court that has made race a focus of its current term, in cases involving the redrawing of congressional districts and affirmative action in college admissions. Two members of the court, Roberts and Barrett, also are the parents of adopted children.

The full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down parts of the law last year, including preferences for placing Native children with Native adoptive families and in Native foster homes. It also said Congress overstepped its authority by imposing its will on state officials in adoption matters.

But the 5th Circuit also ruled that the law generally is based on the political relationship between the tribes and the U.S. government, not race.

The tribes and the Biden administration appealed some parts of the lower court ruling, while the white families and Texas, allied with those families, appealed others.

More than three-quarters of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the country have asked the high court to uphold the law in full, along with tribal organizations. They fear widespread impacts if the court attempts to dismantle the tribes' status as political sovereigns.

Support from state attorneys general

Nearly two dozen state attorneys general across the political spectrum filed a brief in support of the law. Some of those states have codified the federal law into their own state laws.

A ruling in favor of the families and Texas could undercut the 1978 law and, the tribes fear, have broader effects on their ability to govern themselves.

When child protection authorities remove Native children from their homes, the law requires states to notify tribes and seek placement with the child's extended family, members of the child's tribe, or other Native American families.

All of the children who have been involved in the current case at one point are enrolled or could be enrolled as Navajo, Cherokee, White Earth Band of Ojibwe and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. Some of the adoptions have been finalized while some are still being challenged.

Before the Indian Child Welfare Act was enacted, between 25% and 35% of Native American children were being taken from their homes and placed with adoptive families, in foster care or in institutions. Most were placed with white families or in boarding schools in attempts to assimilate them.
Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping did not mention the United States during the CCP's 20th National Congress this week. But his message was clear: Beijing will double down in the face of Western threats, including those concerning Taiwan.

"We are not committed to abandoning the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures," Xi said, slamming the "serious provocations of external forces interfering in Taiwan."

The U.S. Congress is considering the Taiwan Policy Act, a bill aimed at boosting the military capability of the self-governed island, which Beijing considers a breakaway province, against a potential Chinese invasion.

Xi's address and the CCP congress' report contained stark warnings that China is facing growing external threats and entering a period "in which strategic opportunities, risks, and challenges are concurrent."

As the CCP congress cements a more assertive foreign policy under Xi, who will remain in power for an extraordinary third term, the country is on a collision course with a Biden administration that would be pressed to be even tougher on China should Republicans win more congressional seats in the November midterm elections.

"For 50 years, the Chinese Communist Party has launched an assault on the American way of life, on our economy, on our jobs, on our companies, on our culture, on our institutions, on our very future," Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters in September.

If Republicans win a majority of seats in the House, McCarthy will likely become the speaker.

Representative Michael McCaul, who leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee China Task Force, has vowed that if Republicans retake control, they will prepare the U.S. to win its great power competition against China through tougher legislation, including on export controls.

"My priority will be to stop exporting these technologies and selling these technologies to China so they can build their own war machine that will then in turn be pointed at us," he said at the same press conference.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced aggressive measures limiting exports of advanced U.S. semiconductor technology to China, saying that the technology is supporting Beijing's military modernization.

Beyond Taiwan

Beyond Taiwan, various Republican lawmakers have promised more focus on China  and a tougher U.S. stance on issues from securing supply chains to investigating the origins of the coronavirus  to make their point that President Joe Biden is soft on Beijing.

But even if Democrats retain their slim majority in Congress, Biden's China policy will likely remain hawkish, keeping in place many of the policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump, including steep tariffs on Chinese goods and containing Beijing's influence in the Indo-Pacific.

"Under the Trump administration, the Chinese genuinely hoped that the Democrats would win. But after almost two years of the Biden administration, I think the Chinese have come to the realization that both are not going to change the consensus on China," said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center.

"And some in China would even argue that Biden's policy is even more difficult for China because of how Biden aligns his position and mobilizes allies and partners to jointly counter China's growing influence," Yun told VOA.

Should Republicans retake Congress, Yun said, there will be more skepticism of Biden's compartmentalized approach of competing strategically with China while cooperating on transnational challenges such as climate change and pandemic prevention.

The approach is problematic, she said, because Beijing views its relationship with Washington as transactional; to secure China's cooperation, the U.S. must concede on issues it sees as competitive because for Beijing, "everything is linked to everything else."

From Beijing's point of view, whatever happens in U.S. politics in the foreseeable future, there are no good outcomes, she said.

"Regardless of who wins in this midterm election, or regardless of who wins in the next presidential election in 2024, this China policy is here to stay."
A Pennsylvania man was sentenced Friday to nearly three years in prison for assaulting an Associated Press photographer and attacking police officers with a stun gun during the U.S. Capitol riot.

Alan Byerly apologized to his victims before U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss sentenced him to two years and 10 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Byerly will get credit for the more than 15 months he already has served behind bars since his arrest, according to his lawyers.

"I didn't go to D.C. to harm anyone," Byerly told the judge.

Byerly, 55, pleaded guilty in July of assaulting AP photographer John Minchillo and then activating a stun gun as he charged at police officers who were trying to hold off the mob that formed outside the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Byerly said he was an "antagonistic jerk" when he confronted the officers. He also said he assaulted Minchillo after hearing a voice say, "That's antifa. Get him out of here."

Minchillo was wearing a lanyard with AP lettering when Byerly and other rioters attacked him on the Capitol's Lower West Terrace, according to a court filing accompanying Byerly's guilty plea. Byerly grabbed Minchillo, pushed him backward and dragged him toward a crowd, the filing says. Another AP photographer captured the assault on video.

"I should have never gotten involved, and I'm deeply sorry for my actions," Byerly said.

Prosecutors sought a sentence of at least three years and 10 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Defense lawyers requested a sentence below the estimated guidelines range of 37 to 46 months in prison.

Moss said he believed Byerly was genuinely remorseful for his role in the mob's "assault on democracy." The judge said it was clear that Byerly couldn't have injured anybody with the inexpensive stun gun that he brought to the Capitol, but the officers couldn't have known that, given the sound that it made.

"They were clearly frightened by it," Moss said. "It undoubtedly added to the fear the officers felt that day."

Minchillo "must have been extremely frightened, as well," the judge added.

None of Byerly's victims attended his sentencing hearing.

Byerly bought the stun gun before traveling from his home in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, to Washington, D.C., for the "Stop the Steal" rally January 6. Leaving the rally before then-President Donald Trump finished speaking, Byerly went to the west side of the Capitol and joined other rioters in using a metal Trump billboard as a battering ram against police, prosecutors said.

Later, Byerly approached police officers behind bike racks and deployed his stun gun. After officers grabbed the stun gun from Byerly's hands, he charged at them, struck and pushed them and grabbed an officer's baton, prosecutors said. One of the officers fell and landed on his hands while trying to restrain Byerly.

Defense attorneys said the model of stun gun that Byerly purchased for $24.99 was considered to be "junk" by engineering experts.

"Furthermore, shortly after purchasing the device, Mr. Byerly had accidentally activated it on himself and thus knew that it could not cause injury or even pain," the defense lawyers wrote in a court filing.

Other rioters helped him elude capture that day, but Byerly was arrested in July 2021. He 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 in a court filing.

Byerly, a carpenter by trade and father of four children, has remained in custody since his arrest more than 15 months ago.

Approximately 900 people have been charged with federal crimes for their conduct on January 6. More than 420 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanor offenses. Nearly 300 have been sentenced, with roughly half of them getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years, according to an AP review of court records.

More than 100 police officers were injured during the January 6 riot. Over 270 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employees at the Capitol, according to the Justice Department. Byerly is one of several defendants charged with assaulting members of the news media or destroying their equipment at the Capitol.
Hundreds of people applauded  and some wiped away tears  as a Mississippi community unveiled a larger-than-life statue of Emmett Till on Friday, not far from where white men kidnapped and killed the Black teenager over accusations he had flirted with a white woman in a country store.

Change has come, and it will continue to happen, Madison Harper, a senior at Leflore County High School, told a racially diverse audience at the statues dedication.

Decades ago, our parents and grandparents could not envision that a moment like today would transpire.

The 1955 lynching became a catalyst for the civil rights movement. Tills mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, insisted on an open-casket funeral in Chicago so the world could see the horrors inflicted on her 14-year-old son. Jet magazine published photos of his mutilated body, which was pulled from the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi.

The 2.7-meter-tall bronze statue in Greenwoods Rail Spike Park is a jaunty depiction of the living Till in slacks, dress shirt and tie with one hand on the brim of a hat.

The rhythm and blues song, Wake Up, Everybody played as workers pulled a tarp off the figure. Dozens of people surged forward, shooting photos and video on cellphones.

Anna-Maria Webster of Rochester, New York, had tears running down her face.

Its beautiful to be here, said Webster, attending the ceremony on a sunny afternoon during a visit with Mississippi relatives. Speaking of Tills mother she said: Just to imagine the torment she went through  all over a lie.

Mississippi has the highest percentage of Black residents of any state, now about 38%.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, whose district encompasses the Delta, noted that Mississippi had no Black elected officials when Till was killed. He said Tills death helped spur change.

But you, know, change has a way of becoming slower and slower, said Thompson, the only Black member of Mississippis current congressional delegation. What we have to do in dedicating this monument to Emmett Till is recommit ourselves to the spirit of making a difference in our community.

The statue is a short drive from an elaborate Confederate monument outside the Leflore County Courthouse and about 16 kilometers from the crumbling remains of the store, Bryants Grocery & Meat Market, in Money.

The statues unveiling coincided with the release this month of Till, a movie exploring Till-Mobleys private trauma over her sons death and her transformation into a civil rights activist.

The Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., the last living witness to his cousins kidnapping, wasnt able to travel from Illinois for Fridays dedication. But he told The Associated Press on Wednesday: We just thank God someone is keeping his name out there.

He said some wrongly thought Till got what he deserved for breaking the taboo of flirting with a white woman, adding many people didnt want to talk about the case for decades.

Now theres interest in it, and thats a godsend, Parker said. You know what his mother said: I hope he didnt die in vain.

Greenwood and Leflore County are both more than 70% Black, and officials have worked for years to bring the Till statue to reality. Democratic state Sen. David Jordan of Greenwood secured $150,000 in state funding and a Utah artist, Matt Glenn, was commissioned to create the statue.

Jordan said he hopes it will draw tourists to learn more about the areas history. Hopefully, it will bring all of us together, he said.

Till and Parker had traveled from Chicago to spend the summer of 1955 with relatives in the deeply segregated Mississippi Delta. On Aug. 24, the two teens took a short trip with other young people to the store in Money. Parker said he heard Till whistle at shopkeeper Carolyn Bryant.

Four days later, Till was abducted in the middle of the night from his uncles home. The kidnappers tortured and shot him, weighted his body down with a cotton gin fan and dumped him into the river.

Jordan, who is Black, was a college student in 1955 when he drove to the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner to watch the murder trial of two white men charged with killing Till  Carolyns husband Roy Bryant and his half brother, J.W. Milam.

An all-white, all-male jury acquitted the two men, who later confessed to Look magazine that they killed Till.

Nobody has ever been convicted in the lynching. The U.S. Justice Department has opened multiple investigations starting in 2004 after receiving inquiries about whether charges could be brought against anyone still living.

In 2007, a Mississippi prosecutor presented evidence to a grand jury of Black and white Leflore County residents after investigators spent three years reexamining the killing. The grand jury declined to issue indictments.

The Justice Department reopened an investigation in 2018 after a 2017 book quoted Carolyn Bryant  now remarried and named Carolyn Bryant Donham  saying she lied when she claimed Till grabbed her, whistled and made sexual advances. Relatives have publicly denied Donham, who is in her 80s, recanted her allegations. The department closed that investigation in late 2021 without bringing charges.

This year, a group searching the Leflore County Courthouse basement found an unserved 1955 arrest warrant for Mrs. Roy Bryant. In August, another Mississippi grand jury found insufficient evidence to indict Donham, causing consternation for Till relatives and activists.

Although Mississippi has dozens of Confederate monuments, some have been moved in recent years, including one relocated in 2020 from the University of Mississippi campus to a cemetery where Confederate soldiers are buried.

The state has a few monuments to Black historical figures, including one honoring civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in Ruleville.

A historical marker outside Bryants Grocery has been knocked down and vandalized.

Another marker near where Tills body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River has been vandalized and shot. The Till statue in Greenwood will be watched by security cameras.

Jordan won applause when he said Friday: If some idiot tears it down, were going to put it right back up.
The White House is in talks with billionaire Elon Musk about setting up SpaceX's satellite internet service in Iran, CNN reported Friday.

The news agency cited U.S. officials familiar with the talks who said the White House saw the internet service, called Starlink, as a potential way to allow Iranians to access the internet, circumventing government restrictions.

Irans government severely curtailed internet access after protests erupted last month following the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who was detained by the countrys so-called morality police.

We have our foot on the gas to do everything we possibly can to support the aspirations of the Iranian people, a senior U.S. administration official told CNN.

At the same time, it is truly an Iranian movement led by young girls and spreading to other aspects of society. And we do not want to in any way eclipse their movement, the official said.

The White House did not immediately respond to VOA requests for comment.

Starlink, which uses satellites to beam internet service to terminals on the ground, has been providing internet services to Ukraine since Russias invasion of that country.

CNN reported last week that SpaceX has asked the Pentagon to pay tens of millions of dollars per month to fund Starlink in Ukraine. Following the news reports of the request, Musk wrote on Twitter that he has withdrawn the funding request.

It is not known if Starlink is seeking U.S. government funding to allow it to operate in Iran.

Amini was arrested September 13 by Irans morality police for improper wearing of the hijab. She died three days later while in police custody, sparking widespread protests across the country.
A federal appeals court late Friday issued an administrative stay temporarily blocking President Joe Biden's plan to cancel billions of dollars in federal student loans.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the stay while it considers a motion from six Republican-led states to block the loan cancellation program. The stay ordered the Biden administration not to act on the program while it considers the appeal.

The order came just days after people began applying for loan forgiveness.

It's unclear what the decision means for the 22 million borrowers who have applied for relief. The Biden administration had promised not to clear any debt before Sunday as it battled the legal challenges, but the soonest it was expected to begin erasing debt was mid-November.

The crucial question now is whether the issue will be resolved before January 1, when payments on federal student loans are expected to restart after being paused during the pandemic. Millions of Americans were expected to have their debt canceled entirely under Biden's plan, but they now face uncertainty about whether they will need to start making payments in January.

Biden has said his previous extension of the payment pause would be the final one, but economists worry that many Americans may not have regained financial footing after the upheaval of the pandemic. If borrowers who were expecting debt cancellation are asked to make payments in January, there's fear that many could fall behind on the bills and default on their loans.

A notice of appeal to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was filed late Thursday, hours after U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey in St. Louis ruled that because the states of Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina failed to establish standing, "the court lacks jurisdiction to hear this case."

Separately, the six states also asked the district court for an injunction prohibiting the administration from implementing the debt cancellation plan until the appeals process plays out.

Speaking at Delaware State University, a historically Black university where the majority of students receive federal Pell Grants, Biden on Friday said nearly 22 million people have applied for the loan relief in the week since his administration made its online application available.

The plan, announced in August, would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 yearly or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, will get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.

The Congressional Budget Office has said the program will cost about $400 billion over the next three decades.

James Campbell, an attorney for the Nebraska attorney general's office, told Autrey at an October 12 hearing that the administration was acting outside its authority in a way that would cost states millions of dollars.

The cancellation applies to federal student loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate school, along with Parent Plus loans. Current college students qualify if their loans were disbursed before July 1. The plan makes 43 million borrowers eligible for some debt forgiveness, with 20 million who could see their debt erased entirely, according to the administration.

The announcement immediately became a major political issue ahead of the November midterm elections.

Conservative attorneys, Republican lawmakers and business-oriented groups have asserted that Biden overstepped his authority in taking such sweeping action without the assent of Congress. They called it an unfair government giveaway for relatively affluent people at the expense of taxpayers who didn't pursue higher education.

Many Democratic lawmakers facing tough reelection contests have distanced themselves from the plan.

Biden on Friday blasted Republicans who have criticized his relief program, saying "their outrage is wrong and it's hypocritical." He noted that some Republican officials had debt and pandemic relief loans forgiven.

Other lawsuits also have sought to stop the program. Earlier Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected an appeal from a Wisconsin taxpayers group seeking to stop the debt cancellation program.

Barrett, who oversees emergency appeals from Wisconsin and neighboring states, did not comment in turning away the appeal from the Brown County Taxpayers Association. The group wrote in its Supreme Court filing that it needed an emergency order because the administration could begin canceling outstanding student debt as soon as Sunday.
EU leaders at a European Council summit in Brussels this week wrestled with how to respond to the rising economic and diplomatic power of China, even as Chinese leader Xi Jinping signaled his intention to sustain an aggressive foreign policy during a Communist Party congress in Beijing.

While largely preoccupied by the war in Ukraine, the leaders devoted more than three hours of their two-day summit ending Friday to a strategic discussion on the European Unions relations with China, according to a tweet by the South China Morning Posts Brussels-based correspondent.

Detailed reports of the discussion have yet to emerge, but the difficulty in bringing all 27 EU members to a common position was foreshadowed at a meeting of the blocs foreign ministers earlier in the week in Luxembourg.

In a brief statement issued at the conclusion of that Foreign Affairs Council meeting, the ministers said the European Council reconfirmed the validity of the EUs multifaceted approach on China and described Beijing as a partner with whom the EU must engage, a tough competitor and a systemic rival.

EU sticking to its position

Analysts saw little new in the statement, which sought to bridge a variety of approaches by the various member states, according to Filip Sebok, a research fellow with the Prague-based Association for International Affairs.

Overall, the EU is still sticking to the partner, competitor, rival trifecta, he said in an emailed interview with VOA. Although there is increasing emphasis on the systemic rivalry with China, we should not expect a departure from the basic definition of the EU policy towards China in [the] short term.

Charles Parton, a senior fellow at the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies, said the immediate challenge posed by the war in Ukraine is obscuring the bigger, longer-term threat of China to [Europes] security, prosperity, data and values.

Nevertheless, Parton thinks attitudes in the EU are slowly changing.

"The question is whether EU countries can tolerate the pain of actions, which are required to match that change of attitudes, he said.

Parton, whose diplomatic career in the British foreign service included years of advising the EU delegation in Beijing on matters pertaining to China, pointed out the difficulty of bringing so many countries together on a common position.

As ever, a central issue is whether the 27 can achieve unity of purpose and action, he said. A lowest common denominator approach may not be sufficient.

Certainly, there is concern within the bloc about the intentions of the Chinese leader, who in an address to the party congress Sunday pledged to resolutely safeguard the security of Chinas state power, systems and ideology  and build up security capacity in key areas.

We will crack down hard on infiltration, sabotage, subversion and separatist activities by hostile forces, Xi added in what was widely interpreted as a reference to the United States and its Western allies.

The head of Germanys domestic intelligence service told the German parliament on Monday that the consensus among Western intelligence chiefs was that China posed the greatest long-term security and overall challenge.

When I speak with foreign partners about China, they always say: Russia is the storm, China is climate change. So, were going to have to brace for this climate change in the coming years, Thomas Haldenwang said.

We must not allow a situation where the Chinese state can influence political events in Germany via critical infrastructures, where opportunities for sabotage are perhaps also opened up, where theres also the possibility of influencing public opinions, he warned.

Hamburg port

His warning came amid tension in Berlin over whether China should be allowed to purchase significant stakes in a port in Hamburg, one of Europes most important hubs.

German media have reported that Haldenwangs intelligence service is one of six government agencies that oppose the plan. However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a former mayor of Hamburg, is said to support the Chinese investment.

Scholz confirmed on the sidelines of the Brussels summit that he would lead a delegation including business executives to visit China in the coming weeks.

Estonias prime minister, Kaja Kallas, expressed her reservation when questioned about Scholzs travel plans, telling reporters Friday that she favored a whole EU approach and cautioning against deals that could threaten the unity of the bloc.
France, Germany and Britain called Friday for the United Nations to investigate allegations that Russia is using Iranian drones for attacks in Ukraine.

A letter from the French, German and British missions to the U.N. cited significant open-source evidence, including photographs and video, of Russia deploying Mohajer and Shahed series UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] in Ukraine.

It says the transfer of such weapons violates U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Both Iran and Russia deny that Tehran is providing Moscow with drones.

Ukraine says Russia has used the drones to carry out so-called kamikaze attacks, in which the aircraft is intentionally crashed into a target. The strikes have been terrorizing the country, causing casualties and taking out power facilities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing Ukrainian intelligence services, has alleged that Russia ordered 2,400 Shahed drones from Iran and then rebranded them as Geran-2 drones  meaning "geranium" in Russian.

The drones pack an explosive charge and can linger over targets before nosediving into them. They are relatively cheap, costing about $20,000.

Some Ukrainians say they fear the drone attacks could become commonplace as Russia tries to avoid depleting its stockpiles of precision long-range missiles.

The United States, Britain and France  all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council  have recently said that Iran is violating U.N. Security Council resolution 2231 by providing drones to Russia. The U.N. resolution endorsed the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers.

The U.S. Thursday alleged Iranian military personnel are "on the ground" in Ukraine, assisting the Russian military with drone operations.

"Our understanding is that they [Iranian forces] are on the ground in Crimea, assisting Russian military personnel as they conduct these drone operations in Ukraine," Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters.

When asked about Russia denying it uses Iran-made drones, Ryder responded, "It's obvious that they're lying and charged Tehran with "exporting terror, not only in the Middle East region but now also to Ukraine."
Germanys announcement that it will take in 1,000 at-risk Afghans with their families from Afghanistan will be challenging, an Afghan lawyer says, because it is becoming increasingly difficult for Afghans to leave Afghanistan.

In a joint statement, the German Foreign and Interior ministries announced the new humanitarian admission program on Monday.

The plan is to approve around 1,000 Afghans at particular risk, along with their family members from Afghanistan for admittance every month, said the statement.

It is going to be very challenging, said Abdul Subhan Misbah, former deputy head of Afghanistans Lawyers Union who has been involved in the efforts to evacuate judges and prosecutors from Afghanistan, adding that it is not clear who would be included, and it wont be easy to take people out of Afghanistan that is ruled by the Taliban.

The German government said that the new program would evacuate at-risk womens and human rights activists, former government officials, and civil society members. The program also includes those persecuted in Afghanistan because of their gender, sexual orientation, and/or religion.

Misbah said that many employees of the former government and members of civil society want to leave their country.

Most of the people want to leave, he said. What are the criteria based on which people will be admitted? How are they going to help those at risk to get out of Afghanistan? These questions have to be answered.

Besides the problems they face to get passports and visas, he said, Afghans must travel to a third country because there are no direct flights from Afghanistan to Germany.

It should be something that the German government has to negotiate with neighboring countries to facilitate the process, Misbah said.

Germanys Foreign Ministrys spokesperson, Christopher Burger, told VOA that his government is working with the neighboring countries to help with the process.

We will continue to work through all channels available to us in order to assure safe passage to the people that we want to bring to safety, he said.

Germany has admitted 26,000 Afghans since Kabul fell and the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

Burger said to implement the new program, German authorities would work with organizations already on the ground and involved in helping at-risk individuals leave the country, but the German government would make the final decision on who is the most vulnerable and most in need of admission to Germany.

Local contractors

Burger said the program will continue until October 2025 and does not include 12,000 former German contractors who are officially granted admission to Germany but are still in Afghanistan.

Simply, we are not able to bring people outside the country. They do not have a passport, Burger said. We are working with the neighboring countries on achieving that.

He added that a larger group of Afghans had some sort of association with German organizations in Afghanistan and are still in the proceedings to be recognized as former German contracts.

Axel Steier, the founder of the German-based civil society organization Mission Lifeline, told VOA that his organization runs several safe houses for those who worked with the German government.

He added that these local contractors fear for their lives.

Steier said that the Taliban want to kill them, and [we are] keeping them into safe houses and waiting for a decision from the German government to take them in.

Difficult to leave

The German government said that Afghans who have left Afghanistan would not be considered under the new humanitarian admission program.

So, this is a big issue, said Steier, adding that many at-risk Afghans left Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power. Most of the individuals are staying in Pakistan, Iran or Tajikistan and are unable to return to Afghanistan.

He added that it is difficult for people to get passports and visas to leave the country.

And for both, you need a lot of money. Because you can get a passport only if you pay $1,200 to $1,500, he said. Also, it is very difficult to get [a] visa for Iran. At the moment, it costs $500.

For people who are poor ... [and have no] money for stuff like a passport or visa, it is almost impossible to come [to Germany], Steier said.
It was a deal that brought together oligarchs from some of America's top adversaries.

"The key is the cash," the oil broker wrote in a text message, offering a deep discount on Venezuelan crude shipments to an associate who claimed to be fronting for the owner of Russia's biggest aluminum company. "As soon as you are ready with cash we can work."

The communication was included in a 49-page indictment unsealed Wednesday in New York federal court charging seven individuals with conspiring to purchase sensitive U.S. military technology, smuggle oil and launder tens of millions of dollars on behalf of wealthy Russian businessmen.

The frank talk among co-defendants reads like a how-to guide on circumventing U.S. sanctions  complete with Hong Kong shell companies, bulk cash pick-ups, phantom oil tankers and the use of cryptocurrency to cloak transactions that are illicit under U.S. law

It also shines a light on how wealthy insiders from Russia and its ally Venezuela, both barred from the Western financial system, are making common cause to protect their massive fortunes.

Two Russians

At the center of the alleged conspiracy are two Russians: Yury Orekhov, who used to work for a publicly traded aluminum company sanctioned by the U.S., and Artem Uss, the son of a wealthy governor allied with the Kremlin.

The two are partners in a Hamburg, Germany-based company trading in industrial equipment and commodities. Prosecutors allege the company was a hub for skirting U.S. sanctions first imposed against Russian elites following the 2014 invasion of Crimea. Both were arrested, in Germany and Italy respectively, on U.S. charges including conspiracy to violate sanctions, money laundering and bank fraud.

On the other end of the deal was Juan Fernando Serrano, the CEO of a commodities trading startup known as Treseus with offices in Dubai, Italy and his native Spain. His whereabouts are unknown.

In electronic communications among the men last year, each side boasted of connections to powerful insiders.

"This is our mother company," Orehkov wrote to Serrano, pasting a link to the aluminum company's website and a link to the owner's Wikipedia page. "He is under sanctions as well. That's why we (are) acting from this company."

Serrano, not to be outdone, responded that his partner was also sanctioned.

"He is one of the influence people in Venezuela. Super close to the Vice President," he wrote, posting a link showing search results for a Venezuelan lawyer and businessman who is wanted by the U.S. on money laundering and bribery charges.

Neither alleged partner was charged in the case, nor are they identified by name in the indictment. Additionally, it's not clear what ties, if any, Serrano really has to the Venezuelan insider he cited.

The partners

But the description of the Russian billionaire matches that of Oleg Deripaska, who was charged last month in a separate sanctions case in New York. Some of the proceeds he allegedly funneled to the U.S. were to support a Uzbekistani track and field Olympic athlete while she gave birth to their child in the U.S.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan is media magnate Raul Gorrin, according to someone close to U.S. law enforcement who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. Gorrin remains in Venezuela and is on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's most-wanted list for allegedly masterminding a scheme to siphon $1.2 billion from PDVSA, Venezuela's state oil company.

A U.S.-based attorney for Deripaska didn't respond to requests for comment. Gorrin declined to comment but has rejected other criminal charges against him as politically motivated.

While U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan oil apply only to Americans, many foreign entities and individuals with business in the U.S. stay away from transactions involving the OPEC nation for fear of being sanctioned themselves.

For that same reason, Venezuela's oil sells at a deep discount  about 40% less than the market price, according to the indictment. But such choice terms require some unorthodox maneuvering.

For example, instead of instantly wiring funds through Western banks, payment has to take a more circuitous route.

Tanker of oil

In one transaction this year cited in the indictment  the $33 million purchase of a tanker full of Venezuelan fuel oil  the alleged co-conspirators discussed channeling payments from a front company in Dubai, named Melissa Trade, to shell accounts in Hong Kong, Australia and England. To hide the transaction, documents were allegedly falsified to describe the cargo as "whole green peas" and "bulky paddy rice."

But as is often the case in clandestine transactions, cash appears to have been king.

"Your people can go directly to PDVSA with one of my staff and pay directly to them. There are 550,000 barrels ... to load on Monday," Serrano wrote Orekhov in a November 2021 message.

There was also discussion of dropping off millions in cash at a bank in Moscow, Evrofinance Mosnarbank, which is owned by PDVSA. It was a major conduit for trade with Russia until it was hit with U.S. sanctions in 2019. The two defendants also contemplated a possible mirror transaction whereby cash delivered to a bank in Panama would be paid out the same day at a branch of the same unnamed institution in Caracas, Venezuela's capital.

But Orekhov's preferred method of payment appears to be Tether, a cryptocurrency that purports to be pegged to more stable currencies like the U.S. dollar.

It's not just financial transactions that are a challenge. Delivering the crude presents its own risk because most shipping companies and insurers won't do business with Venezuela and other sanctioned entities. In recent years, the U.S. government has seized several tankers suspected of transporting Iranian fuel heading for Venezuela.

To obscure the oil's origins, Orekhov and Serrano discussed instructing the Vietnamese tanker they were using to turn off its mandatory tracking system to avoid being spotted while loading in "Disneyland"  a coded reference to Venezuela.
Australia and Japan agreed to share sensitive intelligence and deepen defense cooperation Saturday, signing a security pact to counter China's military rise.

Prime ministers Fumio Kishida and Anthony Albanese signed the accord in the Western Australian city of Perth, revamping a dusty 15-year-old accord drafted when terrorism and weapons proliferation were the overriding concerns.

Under the deal, the countries' defense forces will train together in Northern Australia, and "expand and strengthen cooperation across defense, intelligence sharing" and a raft of other areas, Australian officials said.

"This landmark declaration sends a strong signal to the region of our strategic alignment", said Albanese, hailing the "Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation."

Kishida said the agreement was a response to an "increasingly harsh strategic environment," without citing China or North Korea by name.

Neither Australia nor Japan has the ranks of overseas intelligence operatives and foreign informants needed to play in the major leagues of global espionage.

Japan does not have a foreign spy agency equivalent to America's CIA, Britain's MI6 or Russia's FSB. Australia's ASIO is a fraction of the size of those organizations.

But according to expert Bryce Wakefield, Australia and Japan have formidable signals and geospatial capabilities -- electronic eavesdropping tools and high-tech satellites that provide invaluable intelligence on adversaries.

Wakefield, director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, said the agreement is another signal that Japan is becoming more active in the security arena.

"It is a significant agreement in that Japan hasn't overtly worked with partners outside the United States on security," he said. "It may actually end up being a template for cooperation with other countries, for example, the United Kingdom."

Some even see the accord as another step toward Japan joining the powerful Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance between Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

It is "an epoch-making event that Japan can share SIGINT with a foreign nation except for the United States," Ken Kotani, an expert in the history of Japanese intelligence at Nihon University, told AFP.

"This will strengthen the framework of the Quad (Australia, India, Japan and the United States) and is the first step for Japan to join the Five Eyes," he added.

'Leaked like a sieve'

Such a suggestion would have been unthinkable a few decades ago, but events in Japan's neighborhood have forced a rethink of the country's pacifist policies established in the wake of World War II.

In recent years North Korea has repeatedly lobbed missiles over and around Japan, while China has built the world's largest navy, revamped the globe's biggest standing army, and amassed a nuclear and ballistic arsenal right on Japan's doorstep.

But hurdles remain for Tokyo's closer security cooperation with allies.

Japan's intelligence sharing with allies has been hampered by longstanding concerns about Tokyo's ability to handle sensitive confidential material and transmit it securely.

"To put it bluntly, Japan has traditionally leaked like a sieve," said Brad Williams, author of a book on Japanese intelligence policy and a professor at the City University of Hong Kong.

Laws have been introduced to more severely punish intelligence leaks, but for now, Australia will likely be forced to scrub any intelligence it passes to Japan for information gleaned from the Five Eyes network.

Earths, wind and fire

Prime ministers Kishida and Albanese also vowed more cooperation on critical minerals, the environment and energy.

Japan is a major buyer of Australian gas and has made a series of big bets on hydrogen energy produced in Australia as it tries to ease a lack of domestic energy production and dependence on fossil fuels.

"Japan imports 40% of its LNG from Australia. So it's very important for Japan to have a stable relationship with Australia, from the aspect of energy," a Japanese official said ahead of the meeting.

A memorandum of understanding on critical minerals will see Japan tap Australia's supply of rare earths, which are crucial in producing everything from wind turbines to electric vehicles.

China currently dominates world production of critical minerals, leading some to worry that supplies could be cut for political reasons.
For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

The latest developments in Russias war on Ukraine. All times EDT.

10:28 p.m.:

9:22 p.m.: Ukraine's state energy company responded to Saturdays missile strikes by Russia on key energy infrastructure sites by announcing that rolling blackouts would be imposed in Kyiv and 10 Ukrainian regions in order to stabilize the situation, The Associated Press reported.

In a Facebook post Saturday, Ukrenergo accused Russia of attacking energy facilities within the principal networks of the western regions of Ukraine." It claimed that the scale of destruction has been comparable to the fallout from Moscow's first coordinated attack on the Ukrainian energy grid, Oct. 10-12.

Both Ukrenergo and officials in Kyiv have been urging Ukrainians to conserve energy.

Earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on consumers to curb their power use between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. daily and avoid using energy-guzzling appliances such as electric heaters.

Over the past two weeks, Moscow has increased its attacks on key civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. Officials said about 40% of the country's electric power system has been severely damaged.

8:10 p.m.: The Ukrainian presidential office said in its Saturday statement that five explosive-laden drones were downed in the central Cherkasy region southeast of Kyiv, according to The Associated Press.

Ukraine's top diplomat said Saturday's attacks were proof that Ukraine needed new Western-reinforced air defense systems without a minute of delay.

Air defense saves lives, Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, said on Telegram Saturday that almost 1.4 million households lost power as a result of the strikes. He said some 672,000 homes in the western Khmelnytskyi region were affected, while a further 242,000 suffered outages in the central Cherkasy province.

7:13 p.m.: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says the use of a nuclear weapon by Russia in the war in Ukraine would be considered an "act of hostility against humanity, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

"Russia's act of threatening the use of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to the peace and security of the international community and absolutely unacceptable," Kishida said Saturday during a visit to Australia.

In May next year, Kishida is expected to host leaders from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in Hiroshima, where a U.S. nuclear bomb was dropped August 6, 1945, resulting in the deaths of 140,000 people.

The Japanese city of Nagasaki was hit three days later.

Japan remains the only country to have ever been hit with a nuclear bomb.

Kishida said the 77-year period of no nuclear weapons use "must not be ended."

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, President Putin has made several thinly veiled threats about his willingness to deploy tactical nuclear weapons.

6:19 p.m.: The newborn peeking out of a pink blanket in a hospital on the north bank of Ukraine's Dnieper River may never see her grandparents back home in the Russian-occupied south, Agence France-Presse reports.

Her mother fled for the relative safety of government-held Zaporizhzhia to make sure the baby was born a citizen of the country the Russians invaded eight months ago.

But her grandparents stayed behind and out of reach on the opposite side of the shore.

"It may be too late for them to get out," 19-year-old Anastasia Skachko lamented while stealing glances at her still-nameless girl. "I don't even want them to try. The roads are all either mined or getting shelled."

5:27 p.m.: Spain said Saturday that it would send 14 fighter jets to Bulgaria and Romania to bolster NATO's eastern flank, Agence Frace-Presse reported, as the defense alliance strengthens its deterrence capacity following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Madrid will send six Eurofighter jets and 130 soldiers to Bulgaria between mid-November and early December to train local forces, the Spanish defense ministry said in a statement.

It added that a further deployment will see eight F18M fighter jets and 130 air force personnel sent to Romania between December and March 2023 as part of NATO's "reaction and deterrence" strategy.

A long-range aerial surveillance radar has also been deployed in Romania since October 17 and could remain until late June 2023, the statement said.

4:11 p.m.: In Romania, protesters blew horns and banged drums to voice their dismay over the rising cost of living. People across France took to the streets to demand pay increases that keep pace with inflation. Czech demonstrators rallied against government handling of the energy crisis. British railway staff and German pilots held strikes to push for better pay as prices rise.

Across Europe, soaring inflation is behind a wave of protests and strikes that underscores growing discontent with the spiraling cost of living and threatens to unleash political turmoil, The Associated Press reports.

Europeans have seen their energy bills and food prices soar because of Russias war in Ukraine. The fallout from the war has sharply raised the risk of civil unrest in Europe, according to risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.

European leaders have strongly supported Ukraine, sending the country weapons and pledging or being forced to wean their economies off cheap Russian oil and natural gas, but the transition hasnt been easy and threatens to erode public support.

Theres no quick fix to the energy crisis, said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. And if anything, inflation looks like it might be worse next year than it has been this year.

3:17 p.m.: Ukrainian forces are using Soviet-era T-64B tanks to defend the area around the key city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. Russian troops have been making slow but steady progress in the area. RFE/RL's Maryan Kushnir followed a tank crew from Ukraine's 30th Mechanized Brigade as it targeted Russian logistical supplies like fuel and ammunition. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has this report:

2:23 p.m.: Iran has criticized a call by France, Germany, and Britain for the United Nations to investigate accusations that Russia has used Iranian-made drones to attack Ukraine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said October 22 the initiative announced the previous day by the so-called E-3 group of countries was "false and baseless" and that it was "strongly rejected and condemned."

Ukraine says Russia has struck its infrastructure with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones that cruise toward their target and explode on impact.

Both Iran and Russia have denied the accusations.

In a letter signed by their U.N. envoys and seen by Reuters, the three European countries backed Ukraine's call October 17 for a U.N. probe, arguing that the drone use breached a U.N. Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 2231 endorsing the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers.

1:18 p.m.: Many Ukrainians risk their lives to save pets and domestic animals.

Dogs, cats, and even goats have been evacuated from combat zones in Ukraine, including a dog called Crimea that was the sole survivor of a Russian missile attack on a family home in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has this report.

12:08 p.m.: Pro-Russian authorities in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, which Moscow claims to have annexed, Saturday urged residents of the region's eponymous main city to leave "immediately" in the face of Kyiv's advancing counter-offensive, Agence France-Presse reports.

"Due to the tense situation on the front, the increased danger of mass shelling of the city and the threat of terrorist attacks, all civilians must immediately leave the city and cross to the left bank of the Dnieper river," the region's pro-Russian authorities said on social media.

11:12 a.m.:

10:13 a.m.: Finnish officials will arrive in Ankara on Tuesday to discuss their countrys bid to join NATO, Turkeys state-run news agency reported Saturday, according to The Associated Press.

A delegation from Finlands Justice Ministry will meet Kasim Cicek, the head of foreign relations at the Turkish Ministry of Justice, Anadolu Agency said. The talks will focus on the extradition of individuals Turkey regards as terrorists, the report added.

Both Finland and its neighbor Sweden applied for membership in the defense alliance in the wake of Russias February invasion of Ukraine, abandoning long-standing policies of military nonalignment. Becoming a NATO member requires the unanimous support of all current members, including Turkey.

Turkey has threatened to block the process unless Finland and Sweden meet its demands. In particular, Ankara wants them to crack down on people it considers terrorists, such as supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, and members of a group said to have orchestrated a failed coup in 2016.

9:16 a.m.: In late June 2019, a Russian man named Yury Orekhov met in a European hotel with a businessman representing a California-based company involved in consulting and logistics. Orekhov, the co-owner of a German industrial equipment and commodities trading company, told the businessman that he wanted to buy U.S. components to be used in a Russian Sukhoi fighter jet.

According to a U.S. federal indictment unsealed this week, Orekhov allegedly told the unnamed businessman that the paperwork would have to be falsified to show a fake Malaysian company was the purchaser, in order avoid U.S. export restrictions, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

Not long after, a Russian woman who worked for Orekhov followed up with the businessman, requesting help to buy sensitive military technologies including tactical air navigation interrogators and multi-mode receivers, radiation-hardened, military-grade two-terminal temperature transducers.

The sale never went through, according to U.S. prosecutors -- but others arranged by Orekhovs company did, including a variety of sensitive, military-grade technologies in five transactions totaling over $250,000 purchased from a New York company between 2018 and 2020.

8:20 a.m.: Hundreds of thousands of people in central and western Ukraine woke up on Saturday to power outages and periodic bursts of gunfire, as Ukrainian air defense tried to shoot down drones and incoming missiles, The Associated Press reported.

Russia has intensified its strikes on power stations, water supply systems and other key infrastructure across the country, the latest phase of the war as it nears the eight-month mark.

Ukraine's air force said in a statement Saturday that Russia had launched a massive missile attack" targeting critical infrastructure, hours after air raid sirens blared across the country. It said that it had downed 18 out of 33 cruise missiles launched from air and sea.

Several rockets targeting the capital were shot down on Saturday morning, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging service.

7:51 a.m.:

5:34 a.m.: Russian soccer clubs will challenge FIFA at sports highest court next month over emergency rules that let players suspend their contracts and leave since the countrys invasion of Ukraine, The Associated Press reported.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport set Nov. 21 for an appeal hearing brought against FIFA by eight clubs including Russian champion Zenit St. Petersburg.

The interim contract rules first applied by FIFA in March and renewed in June let players and coaches leave on loan to join clubs in other countries. Russian clubs are suspended from European competitions this season but the national league has continued.

The chief executive of Zenit, Alexander Medvedev, said in June the rules amounted to robbery and did not compensate clubs for players that left.

Ukrainian clubs like Shakhtar Donetsk also objected, and said agents tried to exploit uncertainty around its future and take contracted players for free.

4:37 a.m.: The latest intelligence update from the U.K. defense ministry said Russian forces continue to reinforce crossing points over the Dnipro River, and have completed a barge bridge alongside the damaged Antonovskiy bridge in Kherson. It's likely the first time in decades the Russian military has needed to utilize this kind of bridge. If the barge bridge sustains damage, the update said, it is almost certain Russia will seek to repair or replace damaged sections quickly, as their forces and crossing points over the Dnipro river come under increasing pressure in Kherson.

3:18 a.m.: The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S. think tank, said in its latest Ukraine assessment that The Russian withdrawal from western Kherson Oblast has begun. Russian forces likely intend to continue that withdrawal over the next several weeks but may struggle to withdraw in good order if Ukrainian forces choose to attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is demonstrably setting conditions for Russia to continue a protracted war in Ukraine, not for a negotiated settlement or offramp. Meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian sources reported fighting northeast of Kharkiv City along the international border, on the Svatove-Kreminna frontline, and west of Lysychansk.

1:43 a.m.: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko insisted on Friday that Minsk was not preparing to enter the Ukraine conflict, Agence France-Presse reported.

The autocratic leader, a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin, was on a visit to inspect Belarus-made drones, which he said had the potential to cover the border with Ukraine.

"It would not be desirable for these (drones) to be used in Ukraine," the 68-year-old Lukashenko said. "After all, (Ukrainians) are our people."

On Friday he insisted Minsk did not want to become involved in any war.

"We are not planning to go anywhere. There is no war as of today. We do not need it," he said.

12:02 a.m.: A Russian employee of Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) was killed after being mobilized to fight against Ukraine, despite his bank writing to the draft office seeking an exemption, his lawyer told Reuters on Friday.

Timur Izmailov, 33, an IT specialist at Raiffeisen's Russian operations in Moscow, was conscripted on Sept. 23, two days after President Vladimir Putin's partial mobilization order, and died on Oct. 13 after being hit by mortar fire, his lawyer Konstantin Yerokhin said.

Certain workers are exempt from the draft, including commercial bank employees to ensure the stability of the banking system.

But when Izmailov went to his recruitment office to explain that he was entitled to deferment, "The military commissar told him he was not on the deferment list, so he had to be mobilized," Yerokhin said.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine told all residents of the city of Kherson to leave immediately Saturday, ahead of an expected advance by Ukrainian troops waging a counteroffensive to recapture one of the first urban areas Russia took after invading the country.

In a post on the Telegram messaging service, the pro-Kremlin regional administration strongly urged civilians to use boat crossings over a major river to move deeper into Russian-held territory, citing a tense situation on the front and the threat of shelling and alleged plans for what it called terror attacks by Kyiv.

Kherson has been in Russian hands since the early days of the nearly eight-month war in Ukraine. The city is the capital of a region of the same name, one of four that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed last month and put under Russian martial law Thursday.

On Friday, Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions across the province, targeting pro-Kremlin forces' resupply routes across the Dnieper River and preparing for a final push to reclaim the city.

The Ukrainian military has reclaimed broad areas in the north of the region since launching a counteroffensive in late August. It reported new successes Saturday, saying that Russian troops were forced to retreat from the villages of Charivne and Chkalove in the Beryslav district.

Russian-installed officials were reported as trying desperately to turn Kherson city  a prime objective for both sides because of its key industries and ports  into a fortress while attempting to relocate tens of thousands of residents.

The Kremlin poured as many as 2,000 draftees into the surrounding region to replenish losses and strengthen front-line units, according to the Ukrainian army's general staff.

The wide Dnieper River figures as a major factor in the fighting, making it hard for Russia to supply its troops defending the city of Kherson and nearby areas on the west bank after relentless Ukrainian strikes rendered the main crossings unusable.

Taking control of Kherson has allowed Russia to resume fresh water supplies from the Dnieper to Crimea, which were cut by Ukraine after Moscow's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula. A big hydroelectric power plant upstream from Kherson city is a key source of energy for the southern region. Ukraine and Russia accused each other of trying to blow it up to flood the mostly flat region.

Kherson's Kremlin-backed authorities previously announced plans to evacuate all Russia-appointed officials and as many as 60,000 civilians across the river, in what local leader Vladimir Saldo said would be an "organized, gradual displacement."

Another Russia-installed official estimated Saturday that around 25,000 people from across the region had made their way over the Dnieper. In a Telegram post, Kirill Stremousov claimed that civilians were relocating willingly.

"People are actively moving because today the priority is life. We do not drag anyone anywhere," he said, adding that some residents could be waiting for the Ukrainian army to reclaim the city.

Ukrainian and Western officials have expressed concern about potential forced transfers of residents to Russia or Russian-occupied territory.

Ukrainian officials urged Kherson residents to resist attempts to relocate them.

Elsewhere, hundreds of thousands of people in central and western Ukraine woke up Saturday to power outages and periodic bursts of gunfire. In its latest war tactic, Russia has intensified strikes on power stations, water supply systems and other key infrastructure across the country.

Ukraine's air force said in a statement Saturday that Russia had launched "a massive missile attack" targeting "critical infrastructure," adding that it had downed 18 out of 33 cruise missiles launched from the air and sea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said that Russian launched 36 missiles, most of which were shot down.

"Those treacherous blows on critically important facilities are characteristic tactics of terrorists," Zelenskyy said. "The world can and must stop this terror."

Air raid sirens blared across Ukraine twice by early afternoon, sending residents scurrying into shelters as the Ukrainian air defense tried to shoot down explosive drones and incoming missiles.

"Several rockets" targeting Ukraine's capital were shot down Saturday morning, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging service.

The president's office said in its morning update that five suicide drones were downed in the central Cherkasy region southeast of Kyiv. Similar reports came from the governors of six western and central provinces, as well as of the southern Odesa region on the Black Sea.

Ukraine's top diplomat said the day's attacks proved Ukraine needed new Western-reinforced air defense systems "without a minute of delay."

"Air defense saves lives," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, said on Telegram that almost 1.4 million households lost power as a result of the strikes. He said some 672,000 homes in the western Khmelnytskyi region were affected and another 242,000 suffered outages in the Cherkasy region.

Most of the western city of Khmelnytskyi, which straddles the Bug River and had a pre-war population of 275,000, was left with no electricity, shortly after local media reported several loud explosions.

In a social media post on Saturday, the city council urged local residents to store water "in case it's also gone within an hour."

The mayor of Lutsk, a city of 215,000 in far western Ukraine, made a similar appeal, saying that power in the city was partially knocked out after Russian missiles slammed into local energy facilities and damaged one power plant beyond repair.

The central city of Uman, a key pilgrimage center for Hasidic Jews with about 100,000 residents before the war, also was plunged into darkness after a rocket hit a nearby power plant.

Ukraine's state energy company, Ukrenergo, responded to the strikes by announcing that rolling blackouts would be imposed in Kyiv and 10 Ukrainian regions to stabilize the situation.
It's a busy Friday afternoon at a Somali restaurant on the northeast side of Columbus, home to second-largest Somali population in the United States. The smell of spices is just as robust as the loud conversation, and the East African restaurant is crowded after afternoon prayers at the nearby mosque.

The hubbub grows when a familiar face swaggers in  Ismail Mohamed, a young Somali lawyer and candidate for the Ohio Legislature. Elders and youth alike clamor to say hello. The excitement that someone from their community could represent them in the legislature is palpable.

"It's humbling to, you know, to be in this position, but it puts a lot of pressure on you to where folks have really high expectations," he said.

The 30-year-old Democrat is one of a small but growing number of immigrants who fled civil war and famine in Somalia, ready to add their voices to the political process in the places they now call home.

Across the country, 11 Somali Americans are running for legislative seats in Maine, Minnesota, Ohio and Washington state. Somali Americans have also been elected to city councils, school boards and, in Minnesota, legislative seats and Congress.

The growing political clout corresponds with growing numbers. There was an influx of Somalians arriving in the United States in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and their numbers now top 300,000.

"We're just getting started. I hope there are more to come," said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

They are part of an age-old trend of new immigrants testing the waters of the political process once they have settled in the United States. Many Somali American candidates say they want to lend their voices, ensure their communities have a seat at the table, and offer up solutions to the problems plaguing their communities.

"Our driving force is to see betterment for everybody that lives here. Running for office is our way of showing we're here and we're willing to contribute," said Mana Abdi, who is expected to win her race and make history as the first Somali American in the Maine legislature.

Abdi wears a headscarf because of her Muslim faith, like most people from Somalia, while knocking on doors and visiting with residents outside assisted living community on a recent afternoon.

The 26-year-old Democrat came to America as a child, graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington and works at Bates College, and is unopposed because her Republican opponent dropped out after sharing a social media post saying that Muslims shouldn't hold office.

She could be joined by another Somali American, South Portland Mayor Deqa Dhalac, who's running for another legislative district in Maine.

Dhalac, a 54-year-old social worker and a Democrat, said part of the reason she was inspired to run was Republican former President Donald Trump, who made a vulgar comment about immigrants from Haiti and Africa and banned travel from several Muslim countries, including Somalia.

"If we do not run for office, we cannot blame other people for making policy and legislation and complain about it. You have to be at the table if you want to make good decisions for your community," she said.

The newcomers share many of the same concerns as those born in the U.S. The candidates are focused on affordable housing, public safety and increased funding for schools  issues that directly impact their communities.

"People do ask 'are you an American?' just because your last name is, you know, Mohamed or, you know, Abdi," Mohamed said, noting that fellow immigrants are proving they're just as American as others by serving in the armed forces and becoming doctors, lawyers, engineers and more.

Like Abdi, 26-year-old Munira Abdullahi is all but guaranteed to be the first Somali woman and first Muslim woman to serve in the Ohio Legislature because she, too, is unopposed. Abdullahi, who is running as a Democrat, was born in a refugee camp after her parents fled Somalia. A couple decades later, she's youth director for the Muslim American Society and a graduate of Ohio State University.

"I know a lot of young women are looking up to me and seeing themselves in me and they're realizing, like, they could also do this," she said. "I really want young women and young women of color, especially, to look at me and say, like, if I really want to do this, I can."

The immigrants are bringing diverse views and experiences and are contributing to the economy by starting businesses and bringing new energy to communities, said Molly Herman, citizenship and civic engagement manager for the Immigrant Welcome Center in Portland, Maine.

"Getting new individuals, new perspectives, new or different backgrounds, people coming from all types of places, I think is really important, in continuing a successful democracy," she said.

The inspiration for some of the candidates is U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who grew up in a refugee camp and became the first Somali American member of Congress. She and several other young Democratic women of color were collectively nicknamed "the squad."

She said she's eager to see more Somali Americans joining her in Washington.

"Somali Americans are as American as anyone else, and we don't need an invitation to show up or serve our communities. I am incredibly proud of all the Somali Americans who are entering into public service and can't wait to see more of us in the halls of Congress," she said.
South Africa's scandal-embroiled former president, Jacob Zuma, addressed the media Saturday for the first time after completing a 15-month jail term for contempt of court, alleging the country's justice system is unjust and infiltrated by foreign interests.

Zuma, who has faced myriad corruption allegations, also had failed to appear in front of an inquiry into state graft  locally called state capture  that occurred under his nearly decadelong tenure.

Yet, Zuma told the press he had been unfairly imprisoned without a trial, despite the fact he was summoned and failed to appear before the inquiry. Analysts say Zuma is refusing to acknowledge the validity of the inquiry, essentially attempting to portray the presiding judge as leading a witch hunt for the former leader.

Zuma said the countrys justice system has been infiltrated by both international interests and the interests of sympathizers of the former racially segregated apartheid regime.

Zuma also claimed the judge presiding over the inquiry, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, had unfairly targeted him and his allies to distract the public from the countrys real issues.

At the time of his arrest in July 2021, protests led by his supporters in his home province of KwaZulu Natal spiraled into riots around the country that resulted in millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure and stolen goods.

Police said earlier this week that one of Zumas daughters remains under investigation for inciting the unrest.

Zuma spent just three of the 15 months behind bars, and he was released on medical parole for an undisclosed condition.

On Saturday, Zuma didnt provide any evidence of so-called infiltration of the countrys courts  which are viewed by many as the strongest institution for averting otherwise widespread corruption.

Instead, Zuma blamed, but didnt name, the countrys leadership for selling out the judiciary and the constitution to global commercial interests.

The allegations come just two months ahead of the convention of the ruling African National Congress party, where current President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is politically at odds with his predecessor, Zuma, is expected to face fierce competition to retain party leadership.
After diving into the warm sea off the coast of northern Bali, Indonesia, Made Partiana hovers above a bed of coral, holding his breath and scanning for flashes of color and movement. Hours later, exhausted, he returns to a rocky beach, towing plastic bags filled with his darting, exquisite quarry: tropical fish of all shades and shapes.

Millions of saltwater fish like these are caught in Indonesia and other countries every year to fill ever more elaborate aquariums in living rooms, waiting rooms and restaurants around the world with vivid, otherworldly life.

"It's just so much fun to just watch the antics between different varieties of fish," said Jack Siravo, a Rhode Island fish enthusiast who began building aquariums after an accident paralyzed him and now has four saltwater tanks. He calls the fish "an endless source of fascination."

But the long journey from places like Bali to places like Rhode Island is perilous for the fish and for the reefs they come from. Some are captured using squirts of cyanide to stun them. Many die along the way.

And even when they are captured carefully, by people like Partiana, experts say the global demand for these fish is contributing to the degradation of delicate coral ecosystems, especially in major export countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

There have been efforts to reduce some of the most destructive practices, such as cyanide fishing, but the trade is extraordinarily difficult to regulate and track as it stretches from small-scale fishermen in tropical seaside villages through local middlemen, export warehouses, international trade hubs and finally to pet stores in the U.S., China, Europe and elsewhere.

"There's no enforcement, no management, no data collection," said Gayatri Reksodihardjo-Lilley, founder of LINI, a Bali-based nonprofit for the conservation and management of coastal marine resources.

That leaves enthusiasts like Siravo in the dark.

"Consumers often don't know where their fish are coming from, and they don't know how they are collected," said Andrew Rhyne, a marine biology professor at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.

Stunned by cyanide

Most ornamental saltwater fish species are caught in the wild because breeding them in captivity can be expensive, difficult and often impossible. The conditions they need to reproduce are extremely particular and poorly understood, even by scientists and expert breeders who have been trying for years.

Small-scale collection and export of saltwater aquarium fish began in Sri Lanka in the 1930s and the trade has grown steadily since. Nearly 3 million homes in the U.S. keep saltwater fish as pets, according to a 2021-2022 American Pet Products Association survey. (Freshwater aquariums are far more common because freshwater fish are generally cheaper and easier to breed and care for.) About 7.6 million saltwater fish are imported into the U.S. every year.

For decades, a common fishing technique has involved cyanide, with dire consequences for fish and marine ecosystems.

Fishermen crush the blue or white pellets into a bottle filled with water. The diluted cyanide forms a poisonous mixture fishermen squirt onto coral reefs, where fish usually hide in crevices. The fish become temporarily stunned, allowing fishermen to easily pick or scoop them from the coral.

Many die in transit, weakened by the cyanide  which means even more fish need to be captured to meet demand. The chemicals damage the living coral and make it more difficult for new coral to grow.

Lax enforcement

Cyanide fishing has been banned in countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines but enforcement of the law remains difficult, and experts say the practice continues.

Part of the problem is geography, Reksodihardjo-Lilley explains. In the vast archipelago of Indonesia, there are about 34,000 miles (54,720 kilometers) of coastline across some 17,500 islands. That makes monitoring the first step of the tropical fish supply chain a task so gargantuan it is all but ignored.

"We have been working at the national level, trying to push national government to give attention to ornamental fish in Indonesia, but it's fallen on deaf ears," she said.

Indonesian officials counter that laws do exist that require exporters to meet quality, sustainability, traceability and animal welfare conditions. "We will arrest anyone who implements destructive fishing. There are punishments for it," said Machmud, an official at Indonesia's marine affairs and fisheries ministry, who uses only one name.

'No real record-keeping'

Another obstacle to monitoring and regulating of the trade is the quick pace that the fish can move from one location to another, making it difficult to trace their origins.

At a fish export warehouse in Denpasar, thousands of fish a day can be delivered to the big industrial-style facility located off a main road in Bali's largest city. Trucks and motorbikes arrive with white Styrofoam coolers crammed with plastic bags of fish from around the archipelago. The fish are swiftly unpacked, sorted into tanks or new plastic bags and given fresh sea water. Carcasses of ones that died in transit are tossed into a basket or onto the pavement, then later thrown in the trash.

Some fish will remain in small rectangular tanks in the warehouse for weeks, while others are shipped out quickly in plastic bags in cardboard boxes, fulfilling orders from the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. According to data provided to The Associated Press by Indonesian government officials, the U.S. was the largest importer of saltwater aquarium fish from the country.

Once the fish make the plane ride halfway around the world from Indonesia to the U.S., they're checked by the Fish and Wildlife Service, which cross-references the shipment with customs declaration forms.

But that's designed to ensure no protected fish, such as the endangered Banggai Cardinal, are being imported. The process cannot determine if the fish were caught legally.

A U.S. law known as the Lacey Act bans trafficking in fish, wildlife or plants that were illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold  according to the laws in the country of origin or sale. That means that any fish caught using cyanide in a country where it's prohibited would be illegal to import or sell in the U.S.

But that helps little when it's impossible to tell how the fish was caught. For example, no test exists to provide accurate results on whether a fish has been caught with cyanide, said Rhyne, the Roger Williams marine biology expert.

"The reality is that the Lacey Act isn't used often because generally there's no real record-keeping or way to enforce it," said Rhyne.

Local response

In the absence of rigorous national enforcement, conservation groups and local fishermen have long been working to reduce cyanide fishing in places like Les, a well-known saltwater aquarium fishing town tucked between the mountains and ocean in northern Bali.

Partiana started catching fish  using cyanide  shortly after elementary school, when his parents could no longer afford to pay for his education. Every catch would help provide a few dollars of income for his family.

But over the years Partiana began to notice the reef was changing. "I saw the reef dying, turning black," he said. "You could see there were less fish."

He became part of a group of local fishermen who were taught by a local conservation organization how to use nets, care for the reef and patrol the area to guard against cyanide use. He later became a lead trainer for the organization and has trained more than 200 fellow aquarium fishermen across Indonesia in use of less harmful techniques.

Reksodihardjo-Lilley says it is this type of local education and training that should be expanded to reduce harmful fishing. "People can see that they're directly benefiting from the reefs being in good health."

For Partiana, now the father of two children, it's not just for his benefit. "I hope that (healthier) coral reefs will make it possible for the next generation of children and grandchildren under me," He wants them to be able to "see what coral looks like and that there can be ornamental fish in the sea."

A world away in Rhode Island, Siravo, the fish enthusiast, shares Partiana's hopes for a less destructive saltwater aquarium industry.

"I don't want fish that are not collected sustainably," he says. "Because I won't be able to get fish tomorrow if I buy (unsustainably caught fish) today."
The Taliban said Saturday their special forces had killed nine Islamic State operatives and captured two others in overnight raids in the capital, Kabul, and elsewhere in Afghanistan.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban government, said that intelligence information had led security forces to an important hideout of Daesh in Kabul late Friday. He used a local name for the self-proclaimed Islamic States Afghan affiliate, known as Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K.

Mujahid said the ensuing gunbattles killed six militants and one Taliban security force member. The raid came shortly after security forces had captured two key ISIS-K members in a separate operation in another part of Kabul, he noted without elaborating.

Separately, the Taliban-led Afghan Interior Ministry said Saturday that on the basis of solid intelligence government forces late last night assaulted an ISIS-K hideout in northeastern Takhar province, which borders Tajikistan. The raid in the Dasht Qala district killed three Daesh members, including an important commander, the statement said.

Mujahid claimed that all the six Daesh men killed in Kabul were linked to recent suicide bombings in the city, one on an educational center and the other on a mosque.

They had plotted attacks on Kabuls Wazir Akbar Khan Mosque, the Kaaj tuition center and other civilian targets, Mujahid said.

The blast at the female section of the packed tuition center on September 30 killed 53 people, mostly girls and young women, and injured 110 people. It came just days after a bomb exploded at the main mosque in the heavily guarded Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood, which houses key government offices and foreign diplomatic missions.

No group to date has claimed responsibility for either attack.

The Taliban seized power more than a year ago when all American and allied troops left Afghanistan after 20 years of involvement in the war. The Islamist rulers maintain they have since brought peace to much of the country and claim their operations against ISIS-K have largely degraded its ability to pose a serious security challenge.

But ISIS-K, which launched its extremist activities in early 2015, has intensified attacks in the country, mostly targeting members of the minority Shiite Muslim Hazara community, raising questions about Taliban claims.

US concerns

U.S. officials see ISIS-K as a growing threat in the crisis-ridden South Asian nation.

Thomas West, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, told VOA that in his meeting with the Taliban earlier this month in Doha, Qatar, the two sides discussed the emerging threat of Daesh.

We discussed the Talibans efforts to fight Daesh. Daesh is a common enemy of the United States and all Afghans. The horrific attacks against Hazaras must stop, West told VOA.

The Taliban have made clear that this is their fight and effort, and they will fulfil their commitments outlined in the Doha agreement to ensure that terrorists do not threaten the United States or her allies, the U.S. envoy said.

He referred to the February 2020 deal Washington signed with the then-insurgent Taliban, paving the way for all U.S.-led international forces to withdraw from Afghanistan in return of the Talibans counterterrorism assurances.

West described as extremely concerning" the attacks by terrorists, ISIS-K in particular, launched from Afghan soil over the past year against neighboring Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Washington has a definite interest in ensuring that those types of attacks are contained, the U.S. envoy emphasized.

VOAs Urdu Service contributed to this story.
Thousands of Iranians were among an estimated 80,000 people who joined in a rally Saturday in Berlin, the largest of several protests in cities around the world showing solidarity with women-led protests in Iran.

Iranians traveled to Berlin for the protests and were in other demonstrations in Sweden, Italy, France, Switzerland and other European cities, photos show. Protests were also reported in London, Toronto, Washington and Los Angeles.

Music played, including the song "For Freedom," which has become a symbol of the nationwide protests of Iranians. And various groups chanted together "Death to the Islamic Republic."

"Today, thousands of people are showing their solidarity with courageous women and demonstrators in Iran," tweeted Germany's Green Party minister for family affairs, Lisa Paus. "We are by your side," she noted.

At a rally in New Zealand, Iranians held Irans lion and sun flag and chanted the slogan "women of freedom."

In Brisbane, Australia, Iranians held a demonstration despite the rain.

At the Berlin rally, some marchers brandished slogans such as "Women, Life, Freedom" and some waved Kurdish flags.

"From Zahedan to Tehran, I sacrifice my life for Iran," human rights activist Fariba Balouch said after giving a speech at the Berlin gathering, referring to Iranian cities swept up in the protests. The crowd responded with Death to Khamenei, referring to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Hamed Esmaeilion, the spokesman of the PS752 Flight Families Association, spoke at the rally.

"The Islamic Republic is not equal to Iran," he said, and he called on Western countries for a targeted boycott of the authorities of the Islamic Republic.

"Respect the most progressive revolution in the history of the Middle East and don't forget that we, the people of Iran, do not forget the collaborators with the criminals of the Islamic Republic."

The crowd completed his sentence with the phrase "We do not forgive."

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehrans Imam Khomeini International Airport on January 8, 2020, by missiles fired by Iranian anti-aircraft weapons. All its 176 passengers and crew members died.

Anti-government activists said the Berlin march was the largest ever demonstration against the Islamic Republic by Iranians abroad.

"I feel very good, because we are here to [say] 'We are with you, with all Iranian people.' I am Mahsa Amini's voice," said a protester who gave her name as Maru.

Several of the participants told VOA that they came out to the rally in solidarity with the protesters who are "losing their lives on the streets of Iran" and to support the "revolution that is now in Iran."

At the same time, Iranians held a rally in Londons Trafalgar Square, waving flags and chanting support for protesters in Iran. They also sang the song "For Freedom," which is one of the symbols of the ongoing nationwide protests in Iran, on a placard.

On the National Mall in Washington, thousands of women and men, wearing the green, white and red colors of the Iranian flag, chanted: "Be scared. Be scared. We are one in this."

As they marched to the White House, some shouted, "Say her name! Mahsa!"

In Los Angeles, home to the biggest population of Iranians outside of Iran, protesters formed a slow-moving procession along a closed downtown street.

They called for the fall of Iran's government and waved hundreds of Iranian flags that turned the horizon into an undulating wave of red, white and green.

"We want freedom," they thundered in unison.

Shooka Scharm, an attorney who was born in the U.S. after her parents fled the Iranian revolution, was wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Women, Life, Freedom" in English and Farsi. In Iran "women are like a second-class citizen and they are sick of it," Scharm said.

Iran has seen six weeks of growing women-led protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. She was arrested in mid-September by Irans morality police and died in their custody three days later. Amini, 22, was arrested for allegedly breaching the country's strict dress code for women.

In Iran Saturday, protests were reported in Tehran, where protesters chanted "Death to the dictator" around Tehran's bazaar, among several cities, and shopkeepers and factory workers went on strike as citizens continue to react angrily to Aminis death.

Protests also were reported in Karaj, a suburb of Tehran, and Mashhad.

In Mashhad, Iran's second-most populous city, protesters reportedly chanted, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, we are all together" as drivers honked their horns in support.

The protests are the biggest seen in the Islamic republic for years, harking back to 2019 rallies sparked by rocketing fuel prices.

The published images from the cities of Sanandaj, Saqqez and Marivan in Kurdistan province, as well as Bukan in the West Azerbaijan province, depict the general strike of workers.

Young women have led the charge, removing their headscarves, chanting anti-government slogans and confronting the security forces.

The Oslo-based, Iran Human Rights group says at least 122 people  including some children  have died in the unrest.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
U.N. human rights officials warn that escalating fighting in northern Syria could spread and lead to more deaths and mass displacement.

Dozens of civilians reportedly have been killed and injured in intensified fighting between the militant Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and some Turkish-affiliated armed groups in northern Syria.

Among the casualties was a prominent Syrian activist and his pregnant wife. Media report they were victims of a targeted killing on October 7, fueling anger in the northwestern city of al-Bab.

The activist, Muhammad Abdul Latif, reportedly was demonstrating against the actions of Turkish affiliated armed groups in the area, including the seizure of properties.

The U.N. human rights office calls this a worrying development. Agency spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, said her agency fears the escalating fighting might spread to other areas in northern Syria, including Aleppo and Idlib, potentially causing many civilian deaths and mass displacement.

Subsequently, over a seven-day period from the 12th to the 18th of October, our office verified the killing of at least seven civilians, including four women and three children, in northern Syria, she said. At least 11 others were injured. This includes two women, seven men, and two children. The total number of civilians killed and injured may, of course, be higher.

Shamdasani said the casualties occurred in areas in and around the cities of al-Bab, Afrin, and Kafr Janna, as well as other areas in northern Aleppo governorate. She said civilians in residential areas were hit by ground-based strikes and small arms in fighting between the warring parties.

We do have reports alleging that several airstrikes and ground-based strikes have been conducted by pro-government forces, she said. And these have hit areas in the outskirts of the city of Afrin, as well as the outskirts of villages in the western, eastern, and southern rural Idlib.

Idlib is the last remaining rebel stronghold in Syria. Efforts by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ally, Russia, to regain control of the territory so far have been elusive.

The U.N. human rights office is calling on all warring parties to spare the civilian population and non-military civilian objects. It noted strikes affecting residential areas could be a breach of the prohibition on indiscriminate attacks.

The agency reports more than 300,000 civilians have been killed during more than 10 years of civil conflict in Syria.
The World Food Program warned Friday it is only a matter of time before Somalia is hit with a full-blown famine and people start dying in droves.

The United Nations food agency said it has been able to keep famine at bay in Somalia by massively increasing food assistance to millions of acutely hungry people.

WFP Somalia Deputy Country Director Laura Turner said international donations have allowed increased aid, reaching nearly 4.2 million people with food and cash relief.

Speaking from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, she said the WFP is delivering food and nutrition support to record numbers of people. She said beneficiaries include half a million malnourished children and mothers with malnutrition treatment services.

She said the increased food aid so far has prevented Somalias hunger crisis from reaching a point of no return. However, she warned Somalia is not yet out of danger.

We are in a desperate race against time, she said. As we discussed a month ago, if the situation continues to worsen, and we are expecting that it will because we are currently in the rainy season, and we have not seen the rains materialize. Or the relief assistance does not continue to increase to meet the growing needs, then famine is projected before the end of this year.

The U.N. predicts famine is likely in the Baidoa and Burhakaba districts of the countrys Bay region. It forecasts up to 6.7 million people across the country will face crisis-level food insecurity before the end of the year.

Turner said the WFP is now reaching more than double the numbers of vulnerable people with aid that it was reaching earlier this year. She said food assistance alone will not prevent loss of life.

Disease, poor hygiene, dehydration  they are all equally concerning, she said. We work very closely on an integrated response to make sure that sanitation, water access, health services are also included in what we are doing so that we can address the drivers of mortality.

Turner said in her 20-year humanitarian career she has never experienced a looming catastrophe of such proportions. She called soaring malnutrition rates horrifying, saying severely acutely malnourished children are at particular risk of dying from hunger and disease.

The World Health Organization reports half of Somalias children, some 1.8 million, are suffering from this condition.
Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 3:32PM

by Nathaniel R

LITTLE NICHOLAS - HAPPY AS CAN BE (France/Luxembourg)

The European Film Awards announce in lots of small increments for reasons that have never been entirely clear to us. But here we are. So it is today that we learned that Italian Director Marco Bellochio has won Innovation in Storytelling for his miniseries Exterior Night (a follow up to his 2003 feature Goodmorning Night) and full nominations for three categories have been announced including Animated Feature...

European Comedy:

THE DIVIDE (France)

COP SECRET directed by Hannes or Halldorsson (Iceland)

THE GOOD BOSS directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa (Spain)

THE DIVIDE directed by Catherine Corsini (France)

The Good Boss was a finalist for the International Feature Oscar last season (though it wasn't nominated), while The Divide (La Fracture) competed in Cannes this past summer where it won the Queer Palm. It's about two middle aged lesbians (Vaeria Bruni-Tedeschi and Marina Fois) on the verge of a breakup who are stuck in an hospital in the middle of a protest against the building. Cop Secret is an action comedy.

European Animated Feature Film:





LITTLE NICHOLAS  HAPPY AS CAN BE directed by Amandine Fredon & Benjamin Massoubre

Traditional Animation. The adventures of a little boy in 1960s Paris.

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE directed by Signe Baumane

Traditional Animation. A Latvian woman struggles to conform to expectations in order to be loved.

MY NEIGHBORS' NEIGHBORS directed by Anne-Laure Daffis & Leo Marchand

Traditional Animation. The lives of an French apartment building's residents are explored

NO DOGS OR ITALIANS ALLOWED directed by Alain Ughetto

Stop motion. On an Italian family's history immigrating to France to pursue a better life.

OINK directed by Mascha Halberstad

Stop motion. A Dutch girl gets a pet pig from her grandfather.

This list is always interesting though it rarely fully aligns with the international cartoons that are submitted and deemed eligible for the Oscar in the Academy's parallel category. Still we might see two or three of these on Oscar's longlist for their category. Little Nicholas has the highest profile at this writing given that it won the top prize at the Annecy Festival where it competed against My Love Affair With Marriage and the stop motion feature No Dogs or Italians Allowed.

European Short Film:

GRANNY'S SEXUAL LIFE directed by Urska Djukic & Emilie Pigeard

5 festival prizes thus far. Slovenian animated short based on the book "Fire, Ass, and Snakes are not toys"

ICE MERCHANTS directed by Joao Gonzalez

7 festival prizes thus far including Cine Discovery at Cannes. Portuguese animated short about a parachuting family who sell ice in the village below their cliff home.

LOVE, DAD (MILY TATI) directed by Diana Cam Van Nguyen

13 festival prizes thus far including AFI last year. Czech documentary short about a girl's correspondence with her father in prison.

TECHNO, MAMA directed by Saulius Baradinskas

3 festival prizes thus far. Lithuanian live action short about a conflict between a other and son around the son's love of techno music and dreams of clubbing in Berlin.

WILL MY PARENTS COME TO SEE ME directed by Mo Harawe

2 festival prizes thus far. Live action short about a Somali policewoman helping an inmate through the bureaucracy of the justice system.

The 35th European Film Awards will be held on December 10th in Reykjavik Iceland this year.
Two resorts in central Vietnam among worlds 50 best: Conde Nast Traveler

A five-star room of InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort. Photo courtesy of the resort

Two resorts in Nha Trang and Da Nang along the central coast have been voted among worlds 50 best by readers of American magazine Conde Nast Traveler.

Located on Ninh Van Bay, around 60 kilometers from Nha Trang, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay ranked seventh on the list of this years Readers' Choice Awards.

Villas at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay in Khanh Hoa Province. Photo courtesy of the resort

It is home to 62 villas surrounded by lush greenery and is one of few resorts in Vietnam to protect troops of critically-endangered black-shanked douc langurs.

The only way to access the resort is by boat that takes around 20 minutes.

Built on the hills of Son Tra Peninsula in the central coastal city of Da Nang, InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula secured the 24th position.

The resort has 201 luxurious rooms, suites, penthouses, and villas that offer views of sandy beaches and tropical forests along Son Tra Peninsula, which is considered as "green lung" of Da Nang.

More than 240,000 Conde Nast Traveler readers submitted responses rating their travel experiences for the 2022 Readers' Choice Awards.

The awards are the longest-running recognition of excellence in the travel industry, recognizing the worlds very best hotels, resorts and destinations.
The Vatican said Saturday it and China had renewed a secret and contested agreement on the appointment of Roman Catholic bishops in the communist country.

It was the second time the accord, which is still provisional, was extended for another two years since it was first reached in 2018. The latest extension had been widely expected, with Pope Francis foreseeing it in an exclusive interview with Reuters on July 2.

The deal was a bid to ease a longstanding divide across mainland China between an underground flock loyal to the pope and a state-backed official church. For the first time since the 1950s, both sides recognized the pope as supreme leader of the Catholic Church.

Critics, including Cardinal Joseph Zen, 90, the former archbishop of Hong Kong, have denounced it as a sell-out to the communist authorities. Zen is currently on trial over the use of a charity fund for pro-democracy protesters and critics have accused the Vatican of not doing enough to defend him in public.

Zen pleaded not guilty.

The Vatican-China deal centers on cooperation over the appointment of bishops, giving the pope the final and decisive say.

Only six new bishops have been appointed since the deal was struck, which its opponents say proves it is not producing the desired effects. They also point to increasing restrictions on religious freedoms in China for Christians and other minorities.

In the July interview with Reuters, the pope acknowledged the deal "is going slowly" but that the Church needed to take the long view in China and that an imperfect dialogue was better than no contact at all.

Francis compared the deal's opponents to those who criticized Popes John XXII and Paul VI in the 1960s and 1970s over the so-called small steps policy, in which the Vatican struck sometimes uncomfortable deals with Eastern European communist nations to keep the Church alive during the Cold War and limit its persecution there.

Steps toward healing

Official Vatican media ran interviews with two cardinals defending the deal.

Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the accord's chief architect, said that while the achievements since 2018 "may seem small," in the context of a conflicted history they were "important steps toward the progressive healing of the wounds inflicted" on the Chinese Church.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a Filipino whose mother is of Chinese descent, said the challenge was to convince authorities that "belonging to the Church does not represent an obstacle to being a good Chinese citizen."

The Vatican has insisted that the deal is circumscribed to the Church structure in China and is not in itself a precursor to establishing full diplomatic relations with Beijing, which would necessitate the Holy See severing ties with Taiwan.

The Vatican is the last state in Europe to recognize Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, to be taken by force if necessary.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said it set great store by the Vatican's "solemn commitment" that the deal was about religious rather than diplomatic or political matters, adding that it hoped the accord would "help improve China's growing religious freedom problem."

The renewal of the Vatican-Beijing deal came as China's Communist Party wrapped up its twice-a-decade congress on Saturday, approving amendments cementing President Xi Jinping's iron grip on the party.

Last month, the Vatican tried to arrange a meeting between Xi, 69, and the pope, 85, while both leaders were in Kazakhstan, but China declined.
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The United Nations called for calm in Chad on Friday after a day of unprecedented protests and their repression by security forces which left dozens dead
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA  Godwin Mangudya was punched, slapped and burned with cigarettes. Assailants beat and kicked Toneo Rutsito so hard he lost a tooth. Their crime? Journalism.

The assaults on the Zimbabwean journalists came as they tried to cover political events. VOA journalist Mangudya was attacked by security personnel from the ruling ZANU-PF party, and Rutsito, an editor at a local publication, was beaten by its supporters.

They are among a growing number of journalists reporting violence in the run-up to the 2023 elections, with the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) saying around 30 journalists have been attacked, arrested or harassed this year.

During the same week in October that Mangudya was beaten, four other journalists were attacked or obstructed, MISA and the Committee to Protect Journalists reported.

In 2022, Zimbabwe dropped seven points in the global Press Freedom Index to 137th out of 180 countries, where No. 1 has the best conditions.

"The situation is worsening for journalists, said Tabani Moyo, director of MISA Zimbabwe. While this is always the case ahead of elections, this one is promising to be even more drastic and dire for the media, he told VOA.

'Dangerous trend'

We are seeing a dangerous trend of attacks, oftentimes orchestrated by the police and political parties, he said. The numbers show that covering any political story in Zimbabwe induces politically motivated attacks on the press.

In Mangudyas case, the reporter was on assignment for VOAs Studio 7 in Harare on October 8, covering the ZANU-PF central committee elections.

After showing his press credentials, Mangudya said, he was initially barred from entry to the event. Then an official agreed to an interview. At the conclusion of the interview, he was accosted by security personnel who said he should have left earlier. Mangudya explained that hed been granted an interview, whereupon the security folks took his phone, deleted the footage, sat him down on a chair and beat him.

They were slapping me in the face, on the head, and some were stabbing me with lit cigarettes, he said.

Mangudya said the assailants appeared to be ZANU-PF security.

Yolanda Lopez, VOAs acting director, appealed to officials to hold those responsible accountable.

We are deeply concerned about the unprovoked and unjustified assault on our reporter, Lopez said in a statement.

'All hell broke loose'

Rutsito, who edits the online magazine TechnoMag, was assaulted by what he described as ZANU-PF thugs August 25, while attempting to cover an event by an opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), near Gokwe.

He arrived to find ZANU-PF vehicles blocking the entrance to the rally, so he and his colleagues started filming. Thats when a mob of people in ruling-party regalia set upon them.

All hell broke loose. They dragged us out of the car, we were beaten  literally, it was more than 10 guys just beating you  with boots, just hitting you with whatsoever they can  I was screaming, trying just to cover my face, Rutsito told VOA.

He lost a front tooth, and a female colleague was knocked unconscious.

Asked for comment, ZANU-PF party representative Christopher Mutsvangwa said: As a party we encourage a congenial working environment for journalists so they can discharge their role without hindrance.

He directed specific questions about assaults to the government.

Dangers increase

One of Zimbabwes most renowned investigative journalists, Hopewell Chinono, whose multiple arrests on spurious charges have made international headlines, told VOA, The environment is certainly worse than what it was in 2020.

SEE ALSO:

Journalists are being arrested on trumped-up charges and jailed without trial. Some journalists have been beaten up by ruling-party thugs and nothing has been done, he said.

Zimbabwe has been a difficult environment for journalists for decades, but after longtime President Robert Mugabe was ousted in 2017, some hoped that might change.

Despite promises of a new dispensation under current leader Emmerson Mnangagwa, critics say things are just as bad, if not worse.

Mnangagwas regime has openly been violent against journalists. Mugabe tried to hide it, said Chinono. Mnangagwas regime targets journalists who expose corruption and those who expose misrule and the violence.

Chinono added that violence against reporters could affect coverage of the election as well as the publics access to information about the polls.

Doing their duty

But both Mangudya and Rutsito are undeterred.

Ill continue with my job. Its not something that will stop me, said Mangudya. We will continue to soldier on and fight for our rights.

Rutsito echoed this, saying, It will get risky, it will get much more dangerous  but we need to get into the field.

Nyasha Chingono, a freelance journalist who writes for international media outlets, told VOA, In the run-up to any election, things tend to heat up.

He noted there are precautions reporters can take, including informing editors and colleagues of their location, wearing press insignia and sticking with other journalists.

While the majority of incidents involved the ruling party, the opposition is not exempt from such accusations.

In September, Ruvimbo Muchenje, a journalist for local website NewsHawks, was barred entry to a CCC event and thrown to the ground by security. Another reporter was also denied entry and harassed.

The CCC apologized, saying it was an error, but the Information Ministry was quick to condemn the opposition.

When asked about the incident, CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere referred VOA to its earlier statement that said security had been beefed up after explosives were thrown at opposition leader Nelson Chamisa's convoy and petrol bombs found at a venue.

The security team was trying to manage a large crowd whose members were fleeing, she said.

"In the midst of this emergency response effort, a misunderstanding arose between journalist Ruvimbo Muchenje and one of our security officers, leading to a regrettable incident of assault," the statement said, adding it had apologized to Muchenje.

Speaking more generally, Mahere told VOA, We know that ZANU-PF is running scared as we edge closer to elections and so journalists are constantly under attack.

Mahere said the CCC is concerned that attacks will prevent access to all political parties and compromise the freeness and fairness of the elections.

Monica Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwes information minister, said in a WhatsApp message that press freedom is enshrined in the countrys constitution.

However, journalists and media personnel cannot breach security protocols in the name of freedom of expression and access to information, she told VOA. Whoever has been harassed should report to the law enforcing agents and the law will take its course.

Both Mangudya and Rutsito reported their assaults to the police but said, so far, nothing had come of it.
Vietnam one of 20 best places to visit in January: Wanderlust

Cherry blossoms bloom on O Quy Ho mountain pass in Sa Pa in Vietnam's northern highlands. Photo by Thanh Tung

British travel magazine Wanderlust has listed Vietnam among 20 best places to travel to in January, citing "sunny and pleasant weather conditions."

"The weather is similarly pleasant, dry and sunny  with only slight differences between the north and south. Crowds have yet to arrive post-Christmas," Wanderlust said, suggesting that tourists will get to experience the country in "relative peace."

This year, Vietnam's biggest and most important festival, Tet, or the Lunar New Year, begins January 22, meaning foreigners will have a great opportunity to see how it is celebrated nationwide.

In addition to Hanoi, HCMC, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and Hue, the magazine also recommended relatively lesser-known Lan Ha Bay, the world's biggest cave Son Doong, or Cat Ba National Park which is home to the rare golden-haired langur.

The list of destinations recommended for January by the travel magazine also included Norway, The Maldives, Los Angeles, Slovenia, Barbados, Laos and the Mekong River.
Meloni makes history as Italy's first woman prime minister.

Italy's new right-wing coalition government, led by the far-right Giorgia Meloni as prime minister, was formally sworn in at the Quirinal Palace in Rome on Saturday morning.

Meloni becomes the first woman in Italy's history to serve as premier in what is the country's first far-right-led government since the end of world war two.

She succeeds Mario Draghi to lead Italy's 68th government in 76 years.

At 45, Meloni becomes Italy's second youngest premier, after Matteo Renzi who was 39 when he took office in 2014.

Meloni is the leader of Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) which remained outside Draghi's national unity government and went on to win 26 per cent of the vote in Italy's recent general election, after polling just four per cent in the last election in 2018.

The FdI will share power with the right-wing Lega led by Matteo Salvini (49) and the centre-right Forza Italia of Silvio Berlusconi (86), which obtained nine and eight per cent of the vote respectively.

On Friday evening Meloni accepted the mandate from President Sergio Mattarella to form a government, after two days of cross-party talks, pledging a "high-profile executive that will work quickly to respond to the urgent needs of the nation and its citizens."

Ho accettato, dal Presidente della Repubblica Sergio Mattarella, lincarico per formare il nuovo Governo e ho presentato la lista dei Ministri.



Un Esecutivo di alto profilo che lavorera spedito per rispondere alle urgenze della Nazione e dei cittadini. pic.twitter.com/O3pnPKTMtq Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) October 21, 2022

Expressing his satisfaction over the "brief time" it took to form the new government, Matterella told reporters that this was possible due to the clarity of the vote outcome and the need to proceed swiftly, also because of the domestic and international conditions that require a government in its fullness to carry out its tasks."

After the 2018 election it took three months to establish a new ruling coalition.

Meloni's cabinet comprises 24 ministers, six of whom are women, with several ministries changing name, including the economic development ministry - now the Business and Made in Italy ministry - and the agricultural polices ministry which becomes the ministry of agriculture and food sovereignty.

Meloni will have two deputy premiers: Lega leader and former interior minister Matteo Salvini, and Antonio Tajani, FI coordinator and former president of the European Parliament.

Cinque anni insieme per cambiare lItalia pic.twitter.com/m2aFQuxoCn Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) October 21, 2022

Tajani will serve as Italy's foreign minister, despite a controversy earlier this week over leaked audio in which Berlusconi spoke of renewed ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Berlusconi's comments prompted Meloni to stress that her new government will be pro-NATO and fully a part of Europe, and that whoever disagreed with this line could not be part of the government.

The outgoing economic development minister and senior Lega figure Giancarlo Giorgetti will head the economy ministry while the justice portfolio goes to former prosecutor and FdI member Carlo Nordio.

The interior ministry will be headed by Rome prefect Matteo Piantedosi; health goes to Orazio Schillaci, rector of Rome's Tor Vergata University; and defence to FdI co-founder and close advisor to Meloni, Guido Crosetto, a former lobbyist for the defence ministry.

The swearing-in of the new government comes a week after the appointment of FdI co-founder Ignazio La Russa as senate speaker and the Lega's Lorenzo Fontana as speaker of the lower house of parliament.

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The Freedom to Walk Act adopted this month by California warms my libertarian heart. Contrary to some reports, the state hasnt legalized jaywalking. But by protecting the rights of pedestrians who cross the street illegally but safely, the legislation challenges a century of thinking about roads. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Its about time. The idea that jaywalking is bad is the result of decades of indoctrination by the victors in a century-long struggle over control of the street. As the journalist Tom Vanderbilt puts it, the word jaywalking is often used as a sort of blanket justification for the dominating presence of cars on city streets and reflects a social bias against those people not in cars.

Its a bias with a history; and a history that involves bias.

Nowadays, we tend to take it for granted that pedestrians should be kept out of traffic, but matters were not always thus. In 1915, the New York Times editorialized that requiring that walkers cross only at corners would be silly and intolerable and inappropriate for this complicated town.

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It was hardly an extreme view. At the time, streets were still contested territory. Most urbanites considered them public spaces, where anyone should be free to stroll. Ranged against this notion stood a coalition of interest groups  car dealers and auto clubs, among others  who insisted that safety required that pedestrians stay off the roads. In his excellent book on the battle, the historian Peter D. Norton summarizes the campaign this way: motordom defended motorists as a persecuted minority suffering under a majority tyranny.

These pro-regulation forces were determined to change public opinion. Because jaywalker bore the right connotation of rural backwardness, it was just the tool for the reeducation effort, Norton notes. But the main argument involved public safety. If drivers were maiming and killing pedestrians, the fault obviously lay with the victims.

The elites were soon on board. Civil engineers began designing streets with automobile traffic in mind. Governments in turn adopted new safety rules. By the late 1920s, jaywalking had been outlawed across the country. But the laws were rarely enforced.

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After World War II, the popularity of the automobile  and the rise in traffic fatalities  led cities across the country to either adopt new regulations or revive the ones they had. When New York Citys ban took effect in August 1958, the Times reported with evident glee that city police issued 479 summonses on the first day.

In the end, the streets-are-for-cars forces prevailed. But, as so often, the nation took the benefits for granted without considering the costs. Now we know a lot more.

We know, for example, that although laws against jaywalking are generally defended on safety grounds, the data are more complex than we tend to think. (Thats a fascinating topic, but one for another day.) We also know that the sparkling new jaywalking laws often provided the legal excuse for arresting peaceful civil-rights demonstrators; and for exercising ordinary racial prejudice.

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In 1962, a Black student at Ohio State University was locked up for jaywalking while two White friends who crossed the street alongside her were unaccosted. In similar vein, a 1957 letter to an Indianapolis newspaper complained about the enforcement of jaywalking laws by police officers watching Black pedestrians from the shadows.

The problem hasnt gone away. Many cash-strapped municipalities have used jaywalking laws to raise revenue, a practice that tends disproportionately to burden the marginalized.

Finally, lets not forget a fundamental libertarian caution: Every law, no matter how innocuous, carries the potential for violent enforcement, because enforcement entails an interaction between the citizen and the armed representative of state authority. In fact, in 1966, the Boston Globe reported that one George H. Calustian, the first person arrested under the citys new jaywalking law, had been fined $20 for jaywalking ... and $100 for assaulting a police officer.

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Its fantasy to imagine that we can perfect these interactions so that they never turn sour.

Thats why, on the first day of law school, I always warn my students to support only laws for which they are, in principle, willing to kill. This isnt an argument that we shouldnt have laws; its an argument that we should be realistic in our expectations.

If that sounds extreme, consider: The softening of Californias law was sparked in large part by a 2020 incident where police in San Clemente shot and killed a Black homeless man whod been stopped for jaywalking. The episode was hardly unique. In 2018, Sacramento agreed to pay $550,000 to settle a claim that one of its officers savagely beat a Black suspect whod been arrested for the same offense. Atlanta faces a lawsuit by a Black man who was tasered during a jaywalking stop. During a 2014 anti-jaywalking campaign on Manhattans Upper West Side, an 84-year-old Asian-American restaurateur was knocked unconscious by police and woke up handcuffed to a hospital bed.

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Anecdotes arent the same as data, but one neednt be anti-police  Im certainly not  to recognize that the fewer laws we have, the less chance for an interaction between police and public that could end in tragedy.

Californias reform of its jaywalking laws to favor walkers is  well  a step in the right direction.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 A Black Family Won Back Its Beach. The Law Remains Broken: Stephen L. Carter

 Are Republicans and Big Business Headed for a Breakup?: David A. Hopkins

 Police Training Is Expensive and Its Still Not Enough: Stephen L. Carter

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Stephen L. Carter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A professor of law at Yale University, he is author, most recently, of Invisible: The Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down Americas Most Powerful Mobster.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Phone hacking is the scandal the UK just cant seem to shake. Its back in the headlines more than a decade after a wave of public anger led to the closure of the countrys best-selling Sunday newspaper, a yearlong public inquiry and a regulatory overhaul. Prince Harry, Elton John and a group of other notable names are suing Associated Newspapers Ltd., owner of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, over alleged commissioning of unlawful acts including listening to telephone calls and illicitly accessing private information. The company has emphatically denied the accusations, calling them preposterous smears.

Phone hacking turned the activities of the UK newspaper industry into a major global story, providing a drip-feed of revelations and live TV drama (including the most humble day of Rupert Murdochs life) to rival any of the celebrity exclusives that are the stock-in-trade of the popular tabloid press. Those who have followed the saga from other parts of the world may wonder when it will finally be laid to rest, and why Britain seems uniquely bedeviled by a systemic problem of unethical behavior in parts of the news-gathering business.

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In reality, the scandal never went away. Lawsuits have continued to be filed since an inquiry led by retired judge Brian Leveson concluded in 2012, and have been working their way through the courts. These generally relate to activities undertaken back in the 1990s and 2000s, the heyday of phone hacking. (Who, after all, uses voicemail anymore, in the age of WhatsApp and other text-based smartphone messaging systems?) Hamlins LLP, which is representing Prince Harry and others, didnt put a timeline on the allegations in an Oct. 6 statement. In its rebuttal, Associated Newspapers said the articles concerned were up to 30 years old. Paul Dacre, the former Daily Mail editor, has denied repeatedly that phone hacking took place at the group.

Its a significant development, all the same. Along with a separate lawsuit by former member of parliament Simon Hughes, these are the first such legal claims leveled against Mail titles, threatening to draw the most successful UK newspaper group of recent years into a morass that cost Murdochs News Corp. more than $1 billion, by some estimates, and weighed on Mirror Group Newspapers. Indeed, Associated Newspapers  which is controlled by the Harmsworth family  called the action a pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone-hacking scandal.

Alongside celebrities such as Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, the presence of one litigant in particular is potentially damaging for the Mail group: Doreen Lawrence, who like the others alleges the Daily Mail misused her private information. Her teenage son Stephen was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack in 1993, and the Daily Mail campaigned for his killers to be brought to justice. The paper has frequently held up that cause celebre as an example of the power for good of its journalism, which has faced criticism for negative portrayals of migrants and other groups.

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Theres a symmetry here. Back in 2011, another murdered teenager was central to the demise of the News of the World. An outpouring of public revulsion followed reports that its journalists had hacked into Milly Dowlers voicemails. In response, Murdoch shuttered the newspaper, which at the time was the UKs market-leading Sunday title. That position is now held by the Mail on Sunday.

Besides dealing a blow to the Mail groups standing, the Lawrence allegations might give renewed public impetus to the cause of regulatory reform. Theres unfinished business left over from the Leveson investigations a decade ago. A second part of the inquiry was scheduled to probe the relationship between the press and police. It was postponed pending the conclusion of court cases (the former editor of the News of the World, Andy Coulson, was among those who went to prison), and later scrapped entirely by the Conservative government.

Theres more that needs to be investigated, Nathan Sparkes, chief executive of Hacked Off, a campaign group that is pushing for Leveson 2 to go ahead, said in an interview. The group says the Independent Press Standards Organisation, the self-regulatory body set up after the first inquiry, isnt fit for purpose. Most national newspapers have signed up to IPSO, though it fell short of the recommendations for independence and effectiveness set out by Leveson. Those that declined to join include broadsheets such as the Financial Times, the Independent and the Guardian  which broke the phone-hacking scandal in the first place.

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For all the controversy and upheaval of a decade ago, the industrys success in establishing another ineffective regulator and heading off a deeper investigation of its practices suggests that the fundamental nexus of power between press and politicians remains essentially undisturbed. This symbiotic structure has enabled mass-market newspapers to ride through periodic scandals over unethical behavior, creating a sense of impunity that arguably allowed abuses to flourish. They dont want to be fiercely regulated, says Paul Lashmar, who spent 40 years as an investigative journalist with news organizations including The Observer and now teaches in the department of journalism at City University in London. They resisted at every turn.

Why is the UK like this? The answer lies in the economic and cultural peculiarities of the British newspaper landscape. The country is small and compact enough to have a national newspaper market, and as a result outsize power accrues to those who can dominate. The Daily Mail sells more print copies than any newspaper in the US, a far larger but more fragmented market.

A vivid example of the leverage that the popular press holds over politicians came during the Leveson inquiry from Kelvin MacKenzie, former editor of The Sun, the News Corp. tabloid that for decades was Britains best-selling daily newspaper. MacKenzie described how then-Prime Minister John Major called him on the night Britain was forced out of the European Exchange-Rate Mechanism in 1992 to ask how the story would play in the next days paper. Well actually Ive got a bucket of s*** on my desk, Prime Minister, and Im going to pour it all over you, MacKenzie said he told him. (Major said he couldnt recollect that conversation.) Were the setting transposed to the US, its difficult to imagine Joe Biden putting in a similar call to the editor of the New York Post.

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Just as importantly, tabloid culture is the UK markets central driving influence, rather than being a fringe offshoot as in some countries. Unlike the sober and earnest pursuit of serious journalism, tabloid story-chasing is much more of a game. For those who like to play, it is about winning, at all costs. Tabloids are a circulation game, and what sells papers in this fiercely competitive industry are exclusive stories, particularly about prominent public figures. You dont need a McKinsey briefing note to tell you that people will behave in the way they are incentivized to behave. Games arent inherently moral. Players will do what they can to win within the rules. And if the rules arent particularly clear, or the referee is constantly looking the other way

Broadsheets compete on a more complex array of factors, so arent subject to the same market pressures. That perhaps is one reason that newspaper industries in other countries havent encountered problems with unethical or unlawful conduct on quite such an industrial scale as in Britain.

One final element in the mix needs to be considered: the internet. During the worst excesses of the phone-hacking scandal, newspapers were already losing print sales to online competitors. Advertising spending migrated to Google and other web providers, hollowing out revenues and increasing the pressure for exclusives that will keep readers coming back. In 2020, the Daily Mail said it had overtaken The Suns monthly print circulation for the first time in 42 years. But it was a pyrrhic victory. The Mail is No. 1 not because it is growing but because it is shrinking less rapidly. The newspaper sold 840,000 copies a day in August. Two decades earlier it was selling 2.4 million, while The Sun was shifting 3.7 million.

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Newspapers have had some success in building up their own online operations  particularly the Mail group, whose MailOnline was the worlds sixth-most -visited news site in September, according to Press Gazette, a trade journal. That growth hasnt been enough to compensate for the loss of print sales, at least yet. Daily Mail & General Trust Plc, which was taken private earlier this year by the trust of its founding family, said last month that it will bring news gathering in its print and online editions closer together to free up resources. For all the political influence that tabloids retain, the financial story of the past decades has been one of structural decline.

If phone hacking remains in the public eye, its possible that campaigners may get a second chance to push for a more meaningful model of self-regulation, especially as a change of government starts to look more likely. The blameless ordinary victims of such media abuses deserve more consideration. But there are already bigger things to worry about for those concerned with the health of the media landscape, particularly the increased consumption of news via social media, where misinformation and targeted influence operations can flourish. Young people are getting more of their news from TikTok. The ground is shifting under our feet, and before long phone hacking may start to seem like a historical curiosity. Generals always fight the last war, as the saying goes. It may be so again this time.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

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 Meghan and Harry Arent Much of a Money-Spinner: Alex Webb

 How the Tories Brought Endless Anarchy to the UK: John Authers

 Why Im Glad to Be Living in Crisis Britain: Matthew Brooker

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Matthew Brooker is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering finance and politics in Asia. A former editor and bureau chief for Bloomberg News and deputy business editor for the South China Morning Post, he is a CFA charterholder.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Duong Viet Anh, 37, who currently works at Nui Cam tourist area in An Giang Province, captures the greenness of rice paddies intermingled with rows of thot not (palmyra palm trees).

Besides adding a unique touch to the local scenery, palmyra palm trees provide fruits that are used to produce pandan honeycomb cake, palm sugar and refreshing beverages.
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The phone call that irrevocably changed the lives of Nanette Bentley and her family came at dinnertime. A day earlier Bentley, public relations director for a Cincinnati hospital system, and her husband, Matt, who works in financial services, had returned from parents weekend at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio, where Olivia, one of their three college-age daughters, was a sophomore.

The caller told Bentley that Olivia had just been found in full cardiac arrest and without a pulse in the stairwell of her dorm during a fire drill. A campus security officer had responded immediately, administering a defibrillator to restart her heart before she was rushed to a 25-bed hospital a half-mile away.

Olivia was alive  but unresponsive. Bentley replied that she had no idea why the healthy 18-year-old had collapsed.

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Numb and terrified, she and her husband frantically threw a few days' worth of clothes into a suitcase and hit the road, retracing the 220-mile drive they had made in the opposite direction the day before.

As they raced up the interstate, Olivia was airlifted to a bigger hospital in Lorain, 30 miles from Oberlin. Doctors were keeping her alive on a ventilator as they scrambled to figure out what had gone so wrong.

The answer, which would emerge two months later in January 2019, had implications more far-reaching than the family could have imagined. And it would explain an unusual tragedy that had marked Bentleys childhood 46 years earlier.

"Can you squeeze my hand?"

The Bentleys arrived in Lorain at midnight.

Olivia, admitted to the intensive care unit two hours earlier, had been placed in a near hypothermic state to reduce the chance of brain damage. Bentley remembers the shock of being told to prepare for the worst and queried about her teenagers end-of-life wishes.

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Because of her age and location  Ohio is an epicenter of the opioid epidemic  Olivia was given Narcan, a medication used to rapidly reverse an overdose. But the drug had no effect and toxicology tests showed no sign of drug use.

An electrocardiogram, a test that measures the hearts electrical activity, revealed nothing significant. Olivias ejection fraction, which measures the hearts pumping ability, was low, not surprising given the circumstances. There were no indications of a metabolic problem that could have triggered her dangerously irregular heartbeat.

Doctors told the Bentleys they planned to keep Olivia in a cooled state for 24 to 36 hours and then assess her brain function. Bentley shuttled between a nearby lounge where she slept fitfully and the bedside of her critically-ill daughter.

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She remembers trying to stay present and not to drift into thinking of what could be. She and her husband and Olivias twin sister, Rosie, a student at another Ohio college, had spent the previous weekend together. Wed had so much fun, she recalled. I wondered was this the universes way of sending my kid off?

At dawn on Wednesday, Olivia began to wake up. I remember asking, Can you squeeze Daddys hand?  and she did. And can you squeeze my hand? and she did, Bentley recalled, her voice breaking.

An electrophysiologist, a cardiologist who specializes in the treatment of heart rhythm disturbances, had quizzed Bentley about Olivias medical history. She reported that Olivia had fainted twice in high school, once when she encountered an ex-boyfriend at an ice cream shop and keeled over face first, cracking her front teeth before regaining consciousness in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Because Olivia had had a seizure, doctors evaluated her for epilepsy before deciding the probable cause was dehydration. A second, less dramatic episode  during which Olivia regained consciousness after several seconds  occurred soon after the first.

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Bentley told the specialist that years earlier she had once fainted while running track in high school. And Olivias older sister Daisy had passed out at a high school dance. In both cases the episodes were attributed to heat or lack of food.

But it was Bentleys family history that especially piqued the doctors interest. Her father, a physical education teacher in Los Angeles, had collapsed and died in 1972 while performing a gymnastics routine on parallel bars. He was 26.

An autopsy concluded that he had died of a heart attack and found evidence of two prior heart attacks that had never been diagnosed.

What they told [my mother] was that he had atherosclerosis and high cholesterol, recalled Bentley, an only child who was four days shy of her third birthday when her father died. As a result, she had undergone regular cholesterol checks as a child, as had Olivia and her sisters.

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The electrophysiologist, noting that the 1970s were what he dubbed the dark ages of cardiac care, was skeptical of that explanation. He wondered whether Bentleys fathers sudden death resulted from an undiagnosed arrhythmia that triggered a rapid, chaotic heartbeat.

The doctors immediate concern was how best to treat Olivia, who had rebounded quickly. Less than 48 hours after arriving by helicopter near death, she was sitting up in bed, talking and eating.

I really dont remember any of it, Olivia said of her hospitalization.

After a cardiac catheterization found no arterial blockages or abnormalities, doctors recommended that she receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, a device installed in the chest that can deliver a shock if it detects an arrhythmia. Doctors thought she might have long QT syndrome, an inherited disorder affecting the hearts electrical system, or Brugada syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that can cause an arrhythmia resulting in sudden death.

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Two days after the defibrillator was implanted, she was discharged.

I remember going to the dorm to get some clothes and getting ice cream and then driving back to Cincinnati with her parents, she said. Once home, Olivia slept for 20 hours.

Would it happen again?

Having Olivia home was both exhilarating and terrifying, Bentley remembered. I felt blind fear. It was impossible to not worry about her all the time, that this would happen again.

She contacted Rajinder Singh, a friend who was then an electrophysiologist at Mercy Hospital in Cincinnati, for advice about what to do next.

Singh, who now practices at Adventist Health in Marysville, Calif., outside Sacramento, ordered a treadmill test. The abnormal result suggested an uncommon arrhythmia, possibly catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), an abnormally fast, out-of-control heartbeat triggered by emotional stress or physical exertion that can be fatal.

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Half of CPVT cases are believed to result from a mutation in the RYR2 gene that provides instructions for proteins that help maintain a regular heartbeat. It is typically inherited in an autosomal dominant manner: a parent with the gene has a 50 percent chance of passing it on to a child. The arrhythmia is estimated to affect about 1 in 10,000 people and believed to be a major cause of sudden death in children and young adults who dont have other abnormalities, such as an enlarged heart.

Singh recommended that Bentley and all three of her daughters undergo genetic testing.

An emotional call

The second epochal phone call came in January 2019 as Bentley and her daughters were leaving their hotel in New Orleans, where they had gone to celebrate the 19th birthdays of Olivia and Rosie.

Singh had received the test results: Bentley had not only inherited the RYR2 gene, she had also passed it on to all of her children.

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Both described the conversation as very emotional.

I felt like a cat clinging to a wall by its claws, Bentley said of the feelings of dread and guilt that enveloped her. I didnt know what they were facing and I thought, Are we all just ticking time bombs? 

Her fathers sudden death at 26, she now felt certain, was no fluke heart attack caused by clogged arteries, but an expression of the gene no one knew he had.

Bentley consulted specialists at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center and Bostons Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center. She was told that none of the three needed a defibrillator unless they fainted, but that all should avoid strenuous exercise. Bentley and her daughters were prescribed beta blockers, which blunt the release of stress hormones and are used to treat arrhythmias. The Boston specialist advised everyone to be very compulsive about taking the drug and to undergo repeat stress tests to assess their heart rates.

The Cincinnati Childrens electrophysiologist helped assuage her fears.

He told me the trick to this thing is knowing that you have it, Bentley said. A genetic counselor met with her daughters to explain options in the event they choose to get pregnant.

Bentley said she informed her fathers family of the results; one of her aunts is planning to get tested soon.

Since the implantation of her defibrillator, Olivia has not experienced a shockable event. And Bentley said that although the knowledge never leaves me, my blood no longer runs cold when the phone rings at all hours.

Olivia might have saved all of our lives, she observed.

In February, Olivia moved to California to finish her last semester of college remotely and intern for an audio software company. At her mothers insistence, she saw an electrophysiologist there within days of her arrival.

Bentley said that her familys goal is to persuade people with similar symptoms to pay attention to them.

It is a message Singh echoed.

If a person has dizziness or palpitations while exercising or passes out, that shouldnt be taken lightly, he said. Before the recent advent of genetic testing, most of these patients didnt survive in part because they had no idea they were at risk.

Awareness is key, and I think schools and colleges should make people aware, he added.

Bentley said she is grateful to Oberlins campus security and to the staff at both hospitals where Olivia was treated. Her daughter survived, she said, because everyone was exactly where they should have been and did exactly what they should have done at exactly the right time.

Olivia, now 21, who has been advised to avoid stimulants, including caffeine, as well as cardio workouts, is adjusting to her new reality.

Its a slow process, to accept that this is my life now, she said. I think Im figuring out how to deal with this. Feeling unsafe in my body has been the hardest thing to deal with. The pandemic was another punch in the gut, too.

But she added that she finds it reassuring to know that Im way more taken care of than I was before the near fatal episode.

In some ways, this has made me way more spontaneous than I was, she said. When you almost die at 18, it makes you realize how much you havent experienced.

Submit your solved medical mystery to sandra.boodman@washpost.com. No unsolved cases, please. Read previous mysteries at wapo.st/medicalmysteries.

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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 Fred was very untidy, Lyn Williams says of her late husband, the great Australian landscape painter. He did etching on the table he ate from. He put a saucepan on the sink and it went into the acid bath and burnt the bottom out of it. Williams and I are meeting in a nondescript room on the third floor of the NGV with senior curator Cathy Leahy. She is talking about how Fred lived in a bedsit in Londons South Kensington in the mid-1950s. His Irish landlady would come in and stack [Freds drawings] on the floor, and throw out the dog-eared ones, she says. Lyn Williams is in her mid-70s and looks uber-chic with her salt and pepper bob, Melbourne-black clothes and an elegant gold necklace. Along the walls are a selection of framed works that feature in Fred Williams: The London Drawings, an exhibition of 160 drawings, 12 gouaches and 30 etchings at NGV Australia. The collection is a significant gift from the artists family and the exhibition is the first time it has been seen in public. Fred Williams in 1980, two years before his death at 55. Credit:Fairfax Media When the couple met in 1960 in Australia, all the London drawings were in big old cardboard boxes. Fred was not exactly meticulous, Williams says. We came to an agreement: If I didnt go back teaching I would sort things out. Lyn Williams has cared for her husbands estate ever since he died from lung cancer in 1982 at just 55. Under her management, his work has survived shifts in fashion and ultimately thrived, so much so that he is now one of a few Australian artists whose larger works fetch more than $1 million at auction.

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He arrived in London [in 1951] and worked at a picture framers and went to the Chelsea Polytechnic art school three nights a week, says Leahy, who curated London Drawings. Major British artists went [to his picture framers]. He met Francis Bacon. He saw how the art world worked, how the works got cleaned up. He was allowed to take a Renoir home overnight. Fred was always drawing away in the darkened theatre. Its really about on-the-spot recording. He has a very telling line. Lyn Williams Williams recalls visiting a gallery in Cardiff with Fred in 1964. There were a row of Renoirs and I knew he was fond of Renoirs and he walked by very quickly and I said whats the hurry? And he said casually I framed them. The three of us look at Freds in situ pencil drawings of performers in Londons music halls. Tickets were cheap then, apparently; cheaper than paying a shilling at home to put money in the gas meter, Lyn says with a wry smile. Fred would queue up outside the Chelsea Palace then race up the stairs to get the best seats in the gods and look down. Fred and his mates would do conte crayon sketches of all the performers. Williams has heard that he may have even etched directly on to a plate in the theatre. Fred Williams, The clown, 1954-1955, varnished gouache on composition board.  Estate of Fred Williams. Credit:Garry Sommerfeld/NGV At various times she and Leahy ponder aspects of Freds work, including whether a beautiful, solid portrait of a melancholic performer was the famous comedian Max Miller. Their enduing adoration and fascination with Fred Williams work is infectious. I lean in to inspect a couple of drawings of audience members. They are sketchy, hastily done, but masterful. I mention how they have a sense of urgency, like he didnt want to get caught. Nearby, rendered in fat, smeared sections of gouache, is a painting of a dancing clown. Even though it is probably a reworking of the five-second drawing of a performer next to it, it retains its loose energy. (Whenever I attempt to rework my funny little sketches they always end up feeling drained of life, wooden.) Williams mentions Fred would take things home to work on them further. Fred used the observational studies on the spot and then back in his room turned them into etchings  combined them.

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We consider a drawing of a full-faced woman, an audience member, in a fancy hat which prompts Leahy to mention that Fred loved Daumier, the great French caricaturist. Fred was always drawing away in the darkened theatre. Its really about on-the-spot recording. He has a very telling line. Williams predicts that viewers will see the drawings as just hurried sketches, but there is a real insight into Freds working method ... Drawing is the key to understanding his work. They really reveal what an extraordinary draughtsman he is, says Leahy. He said drawing is the final critical analysis of any artists work. A pencil and paper tells you a whole lot. Drawing exposes all. Fred Williams, Art student, Chelsea Polytechnic, 1952-1956, conte crayon.  Estate of Fred Williams. Credit:Garry Sommerfeld/NGV Williams work is an inspiration, and I want to run out of the room and do some sketching myself: the gallery visitors, the expensive croissants in the cafe, the elms on St Kilda Road, even that old Chinese violinist  anything! Looking at a few of Freds drawings I cant help thinking about the quirky observational cartoons by the late French illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempe. Fred had a great sense of humour, Williams says. She points out an etching of a chef in his high hat and white uniform at the dreary trade entrance of the Dorchester Hotel clocking on to work, which Fred found amusing. Fred was always looking, Leahy says. This etching [of the chef] has an echo of Whistler, Sickert and even Tom Roberts A Chinese cook shop. He has all that research and knowledge of art and he makes it his own.

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Another drawing, this time of a fellow student, a nun in fact, is swiftly rendered but perfectly arranged on the page, with just enough detail in her face and posture to convey character. You can see how he twisted his pencil about in acrobatic ways to create different lines. An installation view of Fred Williams: The London Drawings at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia. Credit:Tom Ross I wonder if Fred thought it was funny, or at least pleasingly odd, to see a nun in her wimple in a life drawing class. (Who wouldnt?) From my experience, strangers on a train or in the street know when they are being drawn: they sense your gaze then close themselves off to you (I tend to have that effect on people). Looking at Freds portraits you can tell he was flying by the seat of his pants, and this makes his canny sketches spring off the page. We walk a little further down the line to the London Zoo sketches. Fred used to go there with [Australian artist] Francis Lymburner, Williams says. Fred Williams, Elephant c.1953, conte crayon.  Estate of Fred Williams. Credit:Garry Sommerfeld/NGV A large drawing shows an elephant standing precariously on the edge of a moat in its enclosure. This one was redone in his bedsit, Leahy says as she shows us Freds original, smaller sketch in the handsome exhibition catalogue that has just come back from the printer. Its reaching out for food. Marvellous composition.

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I marvel at how Williams has conveyed its mass with just a few lines, as if by instinct. Then for a few long seconds the three of us just stare at it. This one I love too, says Williams, breaking the spell. The gibbon swinging. Hes caught that sense of the movement through the body, says Leahy. The boneless feeling, Williams agrees. Fred Williams, Gibbon swinging, c.1953, brown conte crayon.  Estate of Fred Williams Credit:Garry Sommerfeld/NGV Until recently I only really knew Fred Williams famous oil paintings: wide, earthy abstracted landscapes with pronounced, high horizons and scratches and smudges of trees and objects that shimmer and dissolve into the distance. I ask his widow what caused this seemingly abrupt change in approach when he returned from London in 1956. When the ship pulled into Fremantle he was struck by the contrast between the Australian landscape and the orderly nature of England. [He thought] theres an opportunity to do something, she says. His friends said why do you want to do the Australian landscape? and he said I think I can add something to that story. Something thats not there.

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They are young people, in the prime of their life, they are getting this surgery  and two years later the vast majority of them are not back to work in any capacity, said University of NSW epidemiologist Adriane Lewin, lead author on one of the studies. It does not feel to me like a surgery thats working. The Age and the Herald this week revealed estimates billions of dollars were being siphoned from Medicare by billing mistakes or fraud. Medicare essentially operates on an honour system with doctors paid for services they say they are providing. Dr Roy Carey reviewed about 1200 private health insurance claims for spinal fusion. In recent years, private health insurers say they have seen a dramatic increase in the amount, and an even more dramatic increase in the cost of spine surgery. That prompted Bupa, one of the nations two largest insurers, to engage Carey to review about 1200 spinal fusion insurance claims in 2018. He found more than 85 per cent of accounts included inappropriately billed Medicare item numbers. Carey believes it is one of the few in-depth reviews of item number-billing done by a medical specialist.

Carey conducted a similar review with a panel of six surgeons for WorkSafe Victoria and found the same billing problem. Loading [There were] things that were plainly impossible  like billing for services which were not possible, given the nature of the operation described, he said. For example, correction of a scoliosis when none was present, or removal of part of a vertebrae which would be contra-indicated given the operation described. It seems to be the perfect crime. Patients dont know. Hospitals may benefit  more item numbers mean a higher billing band. Private health insurers are constrained by the Private Health Insurance Act. They are not able to refuse payment on items which Medicare accepts.

The current situation is like letting those Draculas amongst us drink freely in an unpoliced blood bank. Private Healthcare Australia, the insurance industrys peak body, confirmed Careys figures and said they were concerning  but were more likely evidence of error, not fraud. Sadly, surgery now seems to have become a business, not a profession. Dr Roy Carey, spine surgeon President of Australian Spine Society, Dr Rob Kuru, said the inappropriate billing was caused by Medicares spine schedule being decades out of date and not fit for purpose. Medicare rebates have also not kept up with costs  forcing surgeons to bill for multiple items to recoup the cost of surgery. Ive certainly seen some billing over the years which you would find hard to justify in any interpretation, he said. But most of what Roys referring to, I think, is the variance that was seen under the old schedule.

Two new studies reveal for the first time just how little expensive spine surgery is really helping Australian patients. The first study, co-authored by Carey, looked at 874 injured Victorian workers who received a spinal fusion  a procedure where two or more vertebrae are joined  between 2008 and 2016. Overall, the surgery led to just an 8 per cent increase in the number of people with substantial work capacity; 77 people who were working before the operation were not working two years after the surgery. The second study, looking at injured NSW workers who had spine surgery, found even more dismal outcomes  and substantial harms. After a spinal fusion, just 19 per cent had returned to work within two years; almost one in five patients needed a second spine surgery within two years of the first operation, with some needing up to five reoperations.

If someone said well give you a surgery, and theres a one-in-five chance youll be back here in five years  thats really, really high, said Adriane Lewin. Loading In an effort to deal with the problem, WorkSafe Victoria set up panels of surgeons to review proposed spinal fusions. Over the 18 months to December 2019 the panel rejected almost half of fusions proposed by outside surgeons. Kuru  who co-authored one of the studies  said spinal fusions were not likely to help workers return to moderate or heavy-labour jobs. But if you go to them and ask has this decreased your level of pain? Then yes, its better than it appears from looking at return-to-work rates. The findings do not surprise Dr Chris Maher, founding director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney.

Studies have repeatedly shown spinal fusions do not provide good outcomes for back pain. Many surgeons seem blind to that evidence, Maher said. They believe in it. Its like going to Hillsong [Church]. They are telling us: I know in my patients this works. Loading Unfortunately, the answer seems to be: it costs a lot of money to get workers spinal surgery, and the outcomes are not particularly good. A spokesman for the Australian Orthopaedic Association, Dr Michael Johnson, said Medicare had never audited spine surgery before the 2018 review. So, not unreasonably, people thought well, what Im doing must be OK. And invariably there will be a small number of people who will take advantage of the system, Johnson said.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the October 22 edition of Good Weekend. See all 15 stories . It had been a remarkably chilly start to the 2022 winter and there was a stiff breeze on Sydney Harbour when Lachlan Murdoch and his wife, Sarah, took a few friends out for a spin in their new $30-million motor yacht, Istros  a present for her 50th birthday. On a Wednesday afternoon in early June, when most of America was fast asleep, Lachlan could afford to take time off from his day job running Fox Corporation, parent of the worlds most controversial cable television outfit, Fox News. Paparazzo Jayden Seyfarth watched through his long lens as Lachlan and Sarah helped their rugged-up guests aboard, settled in for drinks and took in the sunset. At 43-metres long, Istros is modest by todays standards, when mega-yachts and giga-yachts two or three times the size can cost upwards of $500 million. Oozing old-world charm, the ship was built in Holland in 1954 and originally owned by Greek shipping tycoons the Pappadakis family. In 2001, it won the grand prize for the best-restored vessel at Monacos Classic Yacht Show, but then fell into disrepair, sitting idle in Malta until it was bought for a song, gutted and completely refitted by Van Geest Design, the Dutch builders of super yachts for moguls, oligarchs and kleptocrats the world over. Lachlan had bought Istros in February 2022 and had it delivered Down Under, where it would entertain family and friends, a few lucky contacts from business and politics, as well as faithful toilers from across the Murdoch media empire, which had been founded in Australia by his grandfather, Keith, and turned into the first global news conglomerate by his swashbuckling father, Rupert. Nowhere did the Murdochs wield such concentrated power as in Australia, where the family had controlled two-thirds of newspaper circulation for nearly four decades and had an outright monopoly over pay TV. Lachlan was a third-generation media mogul, living it up in his adoptive hometown; his older sister, Prue, had good reason to call him the king of Sydney. Istros took months to arrive and, on Lachlan and Sarahs first outing, the Daily Mail Australia reported the couple looked as happy as ever. Loading The next week, they took their teenage daughter Aerin and her friends around the harbour to see the Vivid festival, when Sydneys world-famous Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay were bathed in lightworks by visual artists from all over the globe. Papped by Seyfarth again, Lachlan stood by the gunnels of Istros and directly faced the cameraman, throwing his arms out wide as though surprised or annoyed at the attention. After spending his entire adult life in the spotlight, the man who employed as many journalists as anyone still bristled when he was the subject of their inquiries. Beautiful as Istros might be, she was only a stop-gap runabout: Lachlan was awaiting delivery of the boat of his dreams, a 60-metre, $175-million, ultra-modern sloop under construction at another Dutch shipyard, Royal Huisman. The largest carbon fibre yacht ever built in Holland, Murdochs new purchase was known only by the code name MM597 and would accommodate 12 guests and 10 crew.

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According to the manufacturers website, distinguishing features included a huge transom opening which  will give access to an expansive, lavish beach club. Lachlan and Sarah had paid a stunning $37 million for a boatshed and jetty at Point Piper, a few minutes drive from their $100-million Bellevue Hill mansion, Le Manoir. In the meantime, Istros would have to do. Lachlan with his wife, Sarah, in California in 2020, before their return to Australia. Credit:Getty Images While the Murdochs were relaxing on Sydney Harbour that Wednesday evening, it seemed the US was going to hell. The following night, US time, in a throwback to the Watergate era, the House Select Committee investigating the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, would conduct its first televised hearings, revealing damning new evidence of an unprecedented attempt by a sitting president, Donald Trump, to stop the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election. Fox News Channel had announced earlier that week that it would not carry the hearings live at prime time, unlike every other network in the US, opting instead to broadcast commentary on the hearing, even as it was underway, from its anchors Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham. Fox went so far as to make this programming ad-free, to avoid shedding

audience to other channels during commercials. Loading Millions of Fox viewers watching that evening would not have seen the opening statements of Democratic committee chair Bennie Thompson and Republican deputy chair Liz Cheney, the testimony of former attorney-general Bill Barr and of Ivanka Trump, the fresh video footage of the Proud Boys and Oathkeepers who led the attack, or the evidence of Capitol police officer Caroline Edwards, who was knocked unconscious and pepper-sprayed. Instead, they heard Carlson, Hannity and Ingraham undermine the committee and downplay the hearings. Carlson had previously called the committee wholly illegitimate and now told his viewers, Theyre lying, and were not going to help them do it.

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The decision once again called into question whether Fox News was in the business of news or propaganda. Watching Foxs coverage that night, it was hard to imagine how Americans would ever bridge the deepening divides over guns, abortion, the pandemic response, immigration, climate change, Black Lives Matter, gender and sexuality  and even over whether or not these disagreements could be resolved through democracy and the rule of law, rather than through violence and authoritarianism. If Americans could not even agree that Trump had lost the 2020 election, much less that he had then mounted an unprecedented and dangerous attempt to overturn the result, what could they possibly agree on? Fox News Channel had announced earlier that week that it would not carry the hearings live at prime time, unlike every other network in the US. Fox News thrived on controversy and, of its prime-time anchors, none was more controversial than Tucker Carlson, one of Lachlans personal favourites and the highest-rating host in the history of cable television. Carlson had proved many times that he could make or break the careers of conservative politicians. His program, Tucker Carlson Tonight, had been described as the most racist show in the history of cable news. As Bloomberg journalist Tim OBrien told MSNBC anchor Nicole Wallace, it was important not to focus too much on the Fox anchors, who were ultimately just the hired help: Youre leaving the most important actor out: Lachlan Murdoch. Rupert Murdochs son runs that network. The family controls the company. If they wanted that network to do something other than engage in propaganda and to delude people and to serve other goals, he could put anybody he wants in that anchor seat. Tucker Carlson exists because Lachlan Murdoch wants him to exist. Reports indicated the House Committee believed it had enough evidence to indict Trump for sedition. His former campaign strategist Steve Bannon warned on his infamous War Room podcast: We. Dare. You. Following predictions of a red wave of Republican victories in Novembers midterm elections  bigger than 1994 or even 2010, former House speaker Newt Gingrich told Laura Ingraham on Fox  Trump Republicans vowed to impeach Joe Biden over the alleged chaos at the Mexican border, the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan or the influence-peddling of the presidents son, Hunter. Credible voices feared the US, lurching from crisis to crisis, was spiralling into civil war. Lachlan knew things were not getting better in the US any time soon. Raised in the US from the age of three, he felt like an Australian and had divided his adult life between the two countries. Both his parents had grown up in Australia, and Australia was where he met Sarah and founded his own successful private investment firm after falling out with his father and turning his back on a career at News Corp in 2005.

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In 2015 he returned to an executive role in the family business at Ruperts express request but, after six years in LA, and as the coronavirus ravaged the US, Lachlan and Sarah decided theyd had enough and moved back to Sydney with their three kids  perhaps for good. Lachlan might not say so publicly, but in his bones he believed Australians had a better way of life. Although Carlson reckoned Australia had turned into a COVID dictatorship, the country had come through the pandemic with a death rate one-tenth that of the US and a vaccination rate of 95 per cent. Schools were safe from gun violence. The politics of hate and polarisation had not yet split the lucky country down the middle. Murdoch on his yacht, Istros, in Sydney Harbour in June this year, seemingly annoyed at the attention of the paparazzi. Credit:Media Mode Ironically, those things that made Australia a cocoon for Lachlan and Sarah and a better place to raise their family, like tougher public health restrictions and gun control, were the very things that Fox News railed against in the US on a nightly basis. Running Fox Corporation from Australia suggested a fundamental disconnect: Lachlan was hardly practising what his networks prime-time anchors preached. At work he was a ruthless five-star general in the culture wars, overseeing the Fox News juggernaut, pumping America First and driving earnings growth in the family business  what US Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren famously called a hate-for-profit racket. At home, or on one of his many fabulous holidays, he was a laid-back Australian and all-round smooth operator: spectacularly rich, impeccably mannered, handsome, open-minded, adventurous, savvy, fun. Loading Lachlans move to Sydney also spoke of a fundamental ambivalence: he had never wanted to be CEO of the family business or, if it came down to it, the CEO of anything. As the oldest son, he was the presumptive first among equals of his siblings and had always aspired to be chairman, like his father  preferably non-executive, that ultimate position of power without day-to-day responsibility. Never your 80-hours-a-week, chained-to-the-desk kind of manager, Lachlan was happiest in the elements, mountain climbing or sailing. Now, having racked up three years service as CEO of Fox Corp, and with Rupert at 91 taking a back seat, Lachlan could look forward to ascending to the role of non-executive chairman and owner of a controlling stake in the most powerful news business in the world. What could go wrong? After years of jockeying over the succession, his brother, James, and sister, Liz, were out of contention  it seemed for good. If Carlson or any other host got too controversial, they could always be fired or redeployed; it was an iron law of the Murdoch empire that none of the talent was indispensable. If Fox or News shares slid, the family business could always be taken private or sold. Whatever happened to either company, the bulk of Lachlans fortune lay elsewhere: he owned a ton of Disney shares; his investment firm, Illyria, had made him a billionaire in his own right; there were mega-mansions in LA, Aspen and Sydney, and more yachts, cars and bikes than he knew what to do with.

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Japanese soldiers will train with Australian troops in the countrys north after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida signed a beefed-up security declaration in Perth on Saturday.

The new deal replaces a security agreement struck in 2007 by former Prime Ministers John Howard and Shinzo Abe against the backdrop of growing concerns about growing Chinese military power in the Indo-Pacific region.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio pose with Koalas during their visit to Kings Park. Credit:Getty Images AsiaPac

It includes commitments from each country to deepen links between the Australian Defence Force and the Japan Self-Defense Forces through more sophisticated joint exercises and operations as well as mutual use of defence facilities for maintenance and asset protection.

Albanese said the historic agreement would allow for Japanese troops to train with Australians in northern Australia at a time of growing uncertainty in the region.
Mordaunt came third in the MPs vote and will need to beat Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak if she is to become Britains fourth female prime minister. Ive been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest, she said on Twitter. Im running to be the leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister - to unite our country, deliver our pledges and win the next general election, she said. Conservative leadership hopeful Penny Mordaunt. Credit:Bloomberg Mordaunt will need the endorsement of 100 MPs and had less than 20 when she declared.

Both Sunak and Johnsons teams were gathering numbers, with Sunak gaining momentum. Based on public declarations made by MPs, Sunak is in the lead. But neither man had declared themselves a candidate, with three days left until the first round of voting begins. A maximum of three candidates can stand based on the number of Conservative MPs and the 100-vote threshold required to nominate. A Reuters tally of Conservative lawmakers who have made public declarations of support put Sunak on 70 backers, Johnson on 37 and Mordaunt on 20. If three candidates nominate, a first round of voting will knock out any third candidate. A further indicative vote will be held to signal to members the MPs preferred candidates, to try to avoid a rerun of the Truss scenario where members voted for the candidate who had the least support among MPs.

Its possible that just one candidate could emerge by the end of nomination and voting on Monday, and if so, would see the installation of the UKs next prime minister earlier than next Friday. But if the poll goes to an online vote of members, the result wont be known until Friday. Truss remains prime minister until she visits the King. Sunak supporters were heartened by a poll which found that the former chancellor of the exchequer would pose the strongest challenge to Labour leader Keir Starmer. Former chancellor Rishi Sunak. Credit:AP

However, a separate poll found that if an election were held today, Starmer would defeat all candidates and return Labour to power after 12 years in the political wilderness. Labour wants a general election but one is not due for another two years. Opiniums survey of 1350 British adults asked participants who they thought the Conservative Party should choose as its next prime minister. Sunak beat Mordaunt 45 per cent to 23 per cent and also outranked Johnson 44 per cent to 31 per cent. George Brandis with Liz Truss in London after she became Conservative Party leader. Just 45 days later, she announced her resignation.

YouGov found that Starmer was preferred to all three candidates and had Labour polling at 56 per cent compared with 19 per cent for the Conservatives and 10 per cent for the Liberal Democrats. Johnson remains popular with Conservative party members but a YouGov poll of 3429 adults conducted on Friday found 52 per cent of Britons would be unhappy to see him return as prime minister. Allowance questions Ratings agency Moodys on Friday lowered the United Kingdoms outlook to negative from stable. There was heightened unpredictability in policymaking amid weaker growth prospects and high inflation, the agency said. The report said there was also risks to the UKs debt affordability from likely higher borrowing and risk of a sustained weakening in policy credibility. Starmer called on Truss to decline the 115,000 annual allowance allocated to former prime ministers. She has not earned the right to that entitlement. In my view, she should turn it down, he said.
On Nov. 3, Mobil and the Nevada Mining Association will host the first ever Mining into the Future event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Winnemucca Convention Center. The free one-day symposium is designed to connect mining professionals with their peers and industry experts to network and learn how to stay ahead of the trends and challenges shaping the mining industry.

Attendees can expect to hear from industry experts covering topics including sustainability, digital transformation, upskilling the workforce, and more through panels and keynote addresses. Following the symposium, guests can stick around for dinner and networking  all free of charge to mining professionals in Nevada who register ahead of the event.

Keynote speaker Tyre Gray, President of the NVMA, will set the stage by discussing the trends and challenges shaping the industry and identify how mining companies can position themselves to adapt and thrive in this ever-evolving environment.

The symposium will touch on a variety of major topics that are impacting the mining industry.

First up on the agenda is the sustainability module, where speakers from NV Energy, Lithium Americas, and ExxonMobil will share how mines around the world are planning for a net zero future and innovating to meet stakeholder expectations around sustainability by improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

In a session on digital transformation, speakers from Kiewit will discuss automation and how mines can optimize their digital journeys while unlocking long-term value.

Finally, Dana Pray and Rhonda Zuraff, co-founders of P&C Recruiting and HR, will lead a panel session on upskilling the workforce featuring speakers from the Governors Office of Workforce Innovation, KGHM, University of Nevada, Reno and more.

During dinner, former top gun Vincent Bluto Saporito will explore leadership within the mining industry and what to look towards in the future.

Between their expertise in the mining sector, unwavering focus on evolving the future of the industry and presence in Nevada, Mobil is a strong partner for this event, Tyre Gray said. We look forward to working with them to educate and network with mining professionals during this event and beyond.

Mining professionals interested in attending must register by Oct. 28 at info.mobillubricants.com.
ELKO  The Boys & Girls of Elko and Nevada Gold Mines Early Learning Center opened a new chapter in child care this week.

This is an exciting new journey as the Boys & Girls Club commits to serving younger children and their families. Thank you Nevada Gold Mines for making this possible, said Rusty Bahr, Boys & Girls Club CEO.

Licensed by the State of Nevada, the centers welcome infants through 5 years old and follows the Clubs recently extended hours of 4 a.m. to 8 p.m., designed to accommodate mine employees work schedules.

Monday marked the first day the Center opened with 20-25 children, Bahr said.

He thanked Nevada Gold Mines for their $3,067,625 donation to the Elko and Spring Creek clubs Early Learning Centers so we could try to meet the childcare needs in this community.

The Spring Creek Club is expected to open next year.

Nevada Gold Mines Executive Managing Director Peter Richardson was on hand for the ribbon-cutting on Monday, and congratulated the Club on the first day of the Center.

We are proud to partner with the Boys and Girls Club of Elko to help alleviate childcare shortages in Elko and Spring Creek and to provide extended hours of operations that support mining schedules. It is our hope through this partnership that these centers will alleviate stressors for working parents and provide quality early learning opportunities for students, Richardson said.

Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors President Casey Gallagher also thanked NGM for their help and support to open the Center.

As an employer, as a father, as part of the Boys & Girls Club, I know the importance of childcare, early childcare being able to expand the footprint and the services we can offer the community, just makes us that stronger of a resource, he said. Its because of backing and support of Nevada Gold Mines that were able to do so.

Getting this open today is huge and having Spring Creek opening soon, hopefully this winter, will be a step forward in providing more services to the community through the Boys & Girls Club, Gallagher continued.

Jamie Sprouse, Early Learning Center director for the Elko and Spring Creek Clubs, said it was an emotional day to see the first child welcomed into the facility.

This is a really big day to provide childcare for so many families that are on waiting lists at other childcare centers, she said.

Sprouse also described the Brightwheel childcare software. It communicates with the parents directly. We send them pictures throughout the day, let them know what theyve had for lunch, if they had any accidents, anything like that. We are right there with the parents.

Parents can also send messages to the Center with additional information forgotten at drop-off, Sprouse continued. They can contact our teachers directly and we know exactly whats happening.

The Early Learning Centers not only provide top-rated childcare, but also deliver a comprehensive education and pre-school program, stated the Club. There is particular emphasis on family involvement, nutrition, outdoor play, rest, and implementation of the Pinnacle Curriculum with Learning A-Z  a top-rated education program.

Play is at the center of learning at the Early Learning Centers with a focus on investigation, curiosity, discovery by play, and social interaction, the Club stated.

The motto of the Boys & Girls Club is Great Futures Start Here.

For more information about the Nevada Gold Mines Early Learning Centers of Elko & Spring Creek 775-738-2759 or visit bgcelko.org.



Below is a gallery of pictures from the Early Learning Center at the Boys & Club of Elko.
If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

- Air Products & Chemicals Inc. plans to invest a half-billion dollars to produce environmentally friendly hydrogen in New York state.

- The Trexlertown Chick-Fil-A plans to add a second drive-thru lane as part of a plan to reduce traffic congestion.

- The Harrisburg-based Mid Penn bank has opened its first full-service branch in the Lehigh Valley in South Whitehall.

- The Allentown Planning Commission put off a decision on a new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen at the site of the former Nostos Greek restaurant.

- The former Star Crete concrete plant at the intersection of Farmersville Road and Easton Avenue has been sold for $1.58 million, and that may clear the way for a medical office building.

- The local business SuperSets Gym will open its third location in Allentown's South Mall, with no opening date set yet.

- The jewelry boutique Versant will close later this year, but the business will be consolidated at Gary Werkheiser's other location in Saucon Valley Square.

- The DSW Woodmill Commons has moved to Berkshire West, 1101 Woodland Road in Wyomissing.

- Trainer Michael Melendez has opened his new Reading Extreme Boxing Club where PacSun used to operate in the Berkshire Mall.

- Frackville NAPA Auto Parts held a grand opening with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Frackville Business & Professional Association.

- Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers in North Manheim Township held a grand opening, in conjunction with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Pottsville Business Association.

- PDC Machines, a maker of hydrogen compressors, showed off a new plant in Lower Salford.

- Maya Capital Partners has acquired Amwell Valley Self Storage, a 265-unit storage business on Route 31 in Ringoes, New Jersey.

- Norwescap is buying the former Sullivan's on the Main restaurant in Phillipsburg to renovate the building and then use it for programs to help educate and feed people.
NORTHAMPTON, Pa.  A gravesite at Our Lady of Hungary Cemetery is prepped and ready as Northampton Borough's Reiter family has been waiting nearly 73 years to fill it.

At age 17, Edward Reiter dropped out of high school and joined the U.S. Army. Less than a year later, he was part of the first U.S. ground troops deployed to Korea. Less than a week in Korea, he went MIA.

It wasn't until this past June when the military was finally able to identify Reiter's remains.

"It's all new to us," said Mark Prickler, Reiter's nephew.

"It is mind boggling, and they've been super respectful to us," he said of the military.

It's history that was kept alive with military precision. A 73-page report was given to the family, detailing how Reiter died in a foxhole with no identification and how the military cared for his unidentified body through the decades.

It also outlined how family DNA and past medical records, including a broken collar bone from when Reiter was a kid, were finally able to put a name to the mystery.

"The Army says 'No man left behind,' and that is so true," said Prickler's wife, Crystal.

"They cared enough to go back, they cared enough to move him to Korea, to Hawaii and ask for our DNA 15 years ago," she said.

On Saturday, a funeral will be held followed by a burial with full military honors.

With 546 Pennsylvanians veterans still missing from Korea and 89 from Vietnam, Reiter's family has a message for those still waiting.

"Please don't give up," Crystal Prickler said. ""Pease keep praying. Please keep hoping."
State and federal authorities are investigating a deadly skydiving incident in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

Officials said it happened in the area of the Alexandria Field Airport in Alexandria Township Friday afternoon.

State Police said the skydiver who fell to his death was 37-year-old Brandon Jackson of Troy, Michigan.

The Federal Aviation Administration is involved in the investigation.

The FAA said in a statement that investigations of skydiving incidents typically focus on the packing of the parachute and "rules of flight for the pilot and aircraft."
I want to thank you for the positive responses regarding this election. My wife, Reta, and I greatly value the friends and supporters that have assisted us during events that we have had over this election period and want to express our thanks to all of you.

In this election the candidates are bound by the Supreme Court Rules of Judicial Conduct. All of the sections related to elections are extremely important during the campaign, however, SCR 4.1(A)(11) which states: (A) Except as permitted by law, or by Rules 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4, a judge or a judicial candidate shall not: (11) knowingly, or with reckless disregard for the truth, make any false or misleading statement, I believe is one of the most important. This rule includes innuendo. I challenge my opponent to abide by this rule going forward. Due to our population level the requirements to run for the Justice of the Peace do not require a law degree. This was so that communities without attorneys could have these positions filled. Although it is not required, it would be preferred as a minimum for training for this judicial position. Training also is a necessary consideration for this choice. The following is a reminder for you as to my training which is all applicable to this position.

* Bachelor of Science - Majors: Business Administration and Economics/Behavioral Science. Minors: Accounting and Aviation.

* Juris Doctorate (Doctor of Law).

* Mandatory Continuing Legal Education since my licensure in Utah.

* Judge Pro Tem for Circuit Court in Salt Lake City.

* Arbitrator for the State Bar of Nevada resolving fee disputes between clients and their attorneys.

* Mediator appointed by the Fourth Judicial District Court, Elko to resolve Child Custody matters as well as other issues as required by the Court.

* Adjunct Professor teaching Business Law for Masters Program at Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah.

* Tested and Licensed to Practice Law in Utah (1984) and Nevada m(1989).
Officials in Sauk County were the ones to ask state officials how the state government can help lower levels in the face of higher expenses and caps on the tax levy Thursday during the Wisconsin Economic Outlook Roundtable hosted at UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County.

Roughly a dozen business owners and leaders sat in the small lecture hall. Baraboo Mayor Rob Nelson said levy limits hamper the ability of city leaders to maintain services as costs increase despite an aggressive stance toward bolstering new development.

Theres only so fast and so much you can build, Nelson said. Were really struggling having to cut a lot of services in order to balance that budget.

Three representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue spoke during the event, which was sponsored by the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce.

The officials have been meeting statewide with officials in other counties and municipalities to talk about a number of economic factors and to gain feedback on the efficiency of the state grant program for small business, said Secretary Peter Barca.

We have an amazing amount of data available at the Department of Revenue, Barca said. We thought what we really need to do is get this information out around the state so as youre making business decisions you have the benefit of this.

A question Nelson asked of Barca was whether Gov. Tony Evers was looking to alleviate the problems municipalities encounter with their budgets.

Two proposals have been shared revenue increases in the last two biennial budgets and local option sales taxes, which would require a local referendum approving a higher sales tax by voters.

Though municipalities struggle if there is no new construction, which adds to their ability to raise the levy for property owners, Baraboo is uniquely positioned in having to cut more than $826,000 from its 2023 budget after the city announced at the beginning of the year that it had been both taxing at its highest levy cap as well as collecting property taxes from within tax increment finance districts. Despite collecting the TID revenue, the city reported to the state that it needed to tax to make up for that area as well, essentially overtaxing TID property owners. Because of that, they now have to make deep cuts in addition to being limited by the net new construction law imposed by the state government.

City Administrator Casey Bradley has said that while development is on the rise in the city with notable housing projects being announced, the city will still need years to see a significant increase.

Barca presented on a number of topics relating to the statewide revenue and expenditures. He outlined tax cut plans by Gov. Evers, which include easing disability qualifications, capping insulin prices to $35, increasing the homestead credit, eliminating the gasoline markup and expanding the caregiver credit. The lottery program granted a $229 credit to homeowners in 2021 and the state has one of the winningest programs in the country, Barca said.

He also touched on Wisconsins fiscal health. The state is on track for a $5 billion surplus in 2023, Barca said, and recently saw its bond, or credit, rating increase. There was also $1 billion in direct support to business owners as part of the Badger Bounceback plan in response to the economic effects of COVID-19, he said.

Chief Economist John Koskinen also spent time focusing on the effect COVID-19 had on different portions of the economy.

You actually lived through the worst economic collapse in U.S. economic history, Koskinen said. When youre confronted with that kind of situation, you dont sit back and do nothing. You actually starting thinking, Were going to try anything.

Because of stimulus income, Wisconsin personal income did not decline, Koskinen said. Housing and construction remain strong, he said, despite it retreating from the recent boom and home prices are still high because the amount on sale is low.

Labor markets were also affected, though 342,000 jobs have been added since April 2020. There are 23,000 more people employed than in 2019. Private industry has seen a dip of 11% in employment. The two private sector industries hardest hit were hospitality and healthcare, specifically in residential healthcare facilities.

A distinguishing feature in the Wisconsin economy is the people who work here, Koskinen said. We are more likely to be engaged in the labor force than the U.S. overall, no matter how you cut it. Whether its by gender or whether its by ethnicity, we are more engaged in the workforce. If we look at the age breakdown, its also true by any age group.

Sauk County Administrator Brent Miller echoed Nelson in asking how the state will help counties as their revenue levels diverge.

Since 2016, the states revenue has increased by 32.8% and the countys in that same time frame, because of the 0% or net new construction, has increased by 3.4%, Miller said. This year, I can go up 1.29%, which was $401,000. Now in a $163 million budget, that is not very much. The state goes up 10 times what weve gone up.

The point about being capped is right on target, Barca said.

I can tell you, serving in the Legislature for as many years as I did, if the federal government proposed that for state governments, I guarantee the state legislators would go wild, Barca said. Clearly, counties, municipalities; youre closest to the customer, youre providing those vital services for people. Its just essential we look at both sides of the ledger.
Centre of Excellence in Materials, Energy and Nanotechnology workshop

When: Monday, 24 October 2022 - Tuesday, 25 October 2022 Where:

University of Nairobi Start time: 8:00 Enquiries: eng_conf@uonbi.ac.ke

Grant Proposal Writing Workshop and Publication Writing Workshop

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centre of Excellence in Materials, Energy and Nanotechnology (CoE-MEN) at Wits will host two workshops at the University of Nairobi. The workshops will be in-person or virtual and take place on 24 and 25 October. The Grant Proposal Writing Workshop takes place on 24 October. The session will include a practical exercise.

The Publication Writing Workshop takes place on 25 October, for which attendees have the option to send their planned publication at least seven days beforehand, for comment and discussion during the workshop.

Please email to eng_conf@uonbi.ac.ke to register, or more information.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has followed through a new development concept and maintained steady progress in general. Through reform on the supply side, economic restructuring and industrial transformation and upgrading, China has expanded its openness and achieved high-quality growth. Its economy is restructured, with an optimized industrial layout and consumption structure; Chinas regional development layout is reshaped, and its income distribution structure is constantly adjusted to the better, and development in general has become more synergized and sustainable.

Optimized structure with industrial transformation and upgrading

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the supply-side structural reform has been rolled out to build a modern economic system, and the industrial structure is constantly optimized.

Domestic consumption consolidated as the mainstay with a balanced demand structure

Since the 18th Party Congress, China has firmly implemented the strategy of expanding its domestic demand, and has leveraged its super-large domestic market to boost economic openness and optimize the demand structure.

A new regional development pattern is quickly taking shape

Since the 18th Party Congress, China has conscientiously followed through the major decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on coordinating regional development and has continued to promote major regional strategies. The division of labor in various regions has become more reasonable, featuring complementarity and coordination between different regions. Chinas economic potential has been further unleashed, and a new regional development pattern is quickly taking shape.

Increased household and corporate income with an optimized structure of distribution

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has continued to deepen the reform of its income distribution system, vigorously cut tax and fees, increased the income of residents and the efficiency of enterprises. Chinas macro income distribution has improved thanks to several policies in recent years.
Xi Jinping presides over the third meeting of the presidium of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 21, 2022. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua)  The presidium of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its third meeting on Friday morning. Xi Jinping presided over the meeting.

Participants at the meeting approved the draft lists of candidates for members and alternate members of the 20th CPC Central Committee, as well as for members of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

The presidium meeting decided to submit the lists to delegations for deliberation.

The lists were generated through competitive preliminary elections conducted by delegations to the congress.

The preliminary elections were conducted under the supervision of ballot scrutineers in accordance with the election methods of the congress. Over 8 percent of the nominees were voted off in the preliminary elections.

The results of the preliminary elections are valid, according to the presidium.

The formal elections for the Party's new central committee and CCDI will be held on Saturday morning.

The presidium of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) holds its third meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 21, 2022. Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng attended the meeting. [Xinhua/Yao Dawei]

(Source: Xinhua)
Xi Jinping presides over the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 22, 2022. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua)  The Communist Party of China (CPC) is fully confident and capable of creating new and even greater miracles on the new journey of the new era, Xi Jinping said as the 20th CPC National Congress came to a conclusion Saturday.

The CPC congress has realized its goals of unifying thinking, fortifying confidence, charting the course, and boosting morale, Xi told 2,338 delegates and specially invited delegates present at the closing session of the weeklong congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. "This has been a congress of holding our banner high, pooling our strength, and promoting solidarity and dedication."

At the closing session presided over by Xi, the congress elected a new CPC Central Committee, with 205 members and 171 alternate members, and a new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) consisting of 133 members.

The congress passed a resolution on the report of the 19th CPC Central Committee, a resolution on the work report of the 19th CCDI, and a resolution on an amendment to the CPC Constitution.

"We believe that all the decisions and plans set out at the congress and all its outcomes will play a significant role in guiding and underpinning our efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects, advance national rejuvenation on all fronts, and secure new victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics," Xi said.

Xi called on the delegates to firmly keep in mind the Party's original aspiration and founding mission and the country's most fundamental interests, and firmly keep in mind that "this country is its people; the people are the country."

During the congress, the central committees of other political parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce as well as public figures from all ethnic groups and all sectors in China offered their congratulations, as did members of the public through various means. Political parties and organizations in many countries around the world also sent congratulatory messages.

"The presidium of the congress wishes to express its heartfelt thanks to each and every one of them," Xi said.

Having come through a century of great endeavor, the Party is once again embarking on a new journey on which it will face new tests, Xi noted. "We are fully confident and capable of creating new and even greater miracles on the new journey of the new era  miracles that will amaze the world."

Xi urged all Party members to stay closely rallied around the CPC Central Committee and hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

"We must remain confident in our history, exhibit greater historical initiative, and have the courage to fight and the mettle to win," he said.

Xi called on the Party to stay focused, determinedly forge ahead, and unite and lead all Chinese people in striving to fulfill the goals and tasks set out at the 20th CPC National Congress.

Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng, Wang Qishan and Hu Jintao attend the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 22, 2022. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

(Source: Xinhua)
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Timbo Payne checks the water pressure in his kitchen at his home on September 3 in Jackson, Mississippi. The EPA has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the state of Mississippi over the Jackson water crisis.
Slavery is on the ballot for voters in five US states
*Over the past 40 years, China has contributed close to three-quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty, according to a joint report released in April by China's Ministry of Finance, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and the World Bank. The World Bank also estimates that the infrastructure investment in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could lift 7.6 million people worldwide out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty.

*Over the past decades, China has been not only talking about fixing the peace deficit through the pursuit of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, but also walking the talk with concrete actions.

*Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second-largest funding contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and has contributed more peacekeepers than any other permanent members of the Security Council.

*Always championing a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, China consistently maintains that all countries -- big or small, rich or poor -- are equal members of the international community.

A protracted pandemic rarely seen in a century, the rising tide of de-globalization, a wobbling global economy ... the list of unprecedented challenges tormenting humanity as a whole seems unending, and is growing.

In this dire moment for the human race, the global community must come together, and better coordinate its actions. And to tackle the root causes of those planetary conundrums, the world needs to fix global deficits in peace, development, trust, and governance. For that end, China's visions and commitment evident in the twice-in-a-decade national congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) are of global relevance.

DEVELOPMENT HOLDS THE KEY

Development is the eternal theme of human society and a master key to addressing major problems, especially poverty.

Over the past 40 years, China has contributed close to three-quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty, according to a joint report released in April by China's Ministry of Finance, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and the World Bank. The World Bank also estimates that the infrastructure investment in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could lift 7.6 million people worldwide out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty.

While reducing destitution is important, it is always a common desire for people everywhere to pursue a better life. This demands not only faster development, but more balanced and equitable development.

China will accelerate creating a new development pattern and pursue high-quality development, said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in his report to the 20th CPC National Congress.

"We must fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy, promote high-standard opening up, and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows," Xi said.

China's commitment to promoting high-standard opening up is very positive for the rest of the world, as countries are recovering from the COVID-19 recession, said Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser for Malaysia's Pacific Research Center.

In a recent joint interview with Chinese media, Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called the BRI "one of the most remarkable initiatives," since China helped build the infrastructure to boost the economy, create jobs, boost resilience in terms of natural disasters, and address poverty in terms of climate change in Latin America and Africa.

In September 2021, with the future of all humanity in mind, Xi put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.

The initiative calls for staying committed to development as a priority, to a people-centered approach, to benefits for all, to innovation-driven development, to harmony between man and nature, and to results-oriented actions.

For Skerrit, the GDI creates a favorable mechanism for developing countries that focuses on cooperation and partnerships, and is dedicated to addressing such issues as extreme poverty, food security, access to vaccines, and climate change.

The China-proposed development initiatives exemplify a correct understanding of global issues as well as a focus on collective progress, said Farhad Javanbakht Kheirabadi, a China scholar at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran.

A SAFER WORLD

While delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022 in April, Xi proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), offering a China solution to the questions posed by the times such as what security concept the world needs and how countries can achieve common security.

The initiative advocates cooperative and synergy-driven approaches to replace the zero-sum Cold War mindset of maximization of security through power contestation and arms racing, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told Xinhua.

Carrying forward the spirit of the UN Charter, the initiative provides a fundamental solution to eliminating the peace deficit, said Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

Over the past decades, China has been not only talking about fixing the peace deficit through the pursuit of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, but also walking the talk with concrete actions.

Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second-largest funding contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and has contributed more peacekeepers than any other permanent members of the Security Council.

In the eyes of Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, China has been "a strong buttress to the blue flag (of the UN)."

China has also played an active part in tackling security challenges of various forms and safeguarding regional peace within regional mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said that China-proposed initiatives including the GSI are "essential to reinforce multilateralism, international cooperation and solidarity to address global challenges and concerns for common interests."

Building a global community of security for all "addresses the issues of peace deficit and governance deficit, and seeks peace and development," which will certainly gain steam, said B. R. Deepak, chairperson of the Center of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University.

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE THAT WORKS

More than two years into the once-in-a-century pandemic, the global sustainable development is facing strong headwinds, the North-South gap keeps widening, and crises are emerging in food and energy security. Yet some countries have chosen coercion over cooperation, willfully slapped sanctions, and stoked divisions worldwide. These all cast shadow on the future of the global governance.

While this is an age where all countries should jointly rise to their common challenges, they should also respect each other's core interests and choice of development paths, treat each other as equals, and reject the practice of the strong bullying the weak or the big bullying the small.

At the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in June, Xi called on the world to "promote extensive consultation and joint contribution to deliver shared benefits" to ensure that "all countries enjoy equal rights, follow the rules as equals, and share equal opportunities."

Behind Xi's call for the equal rights, rules and opportunities is an aspiration for "a just, fair, multipolar world order," John Pang, a senior fellow at New York-based Bard College, observed.

Through South-South cooperation mechanisms like BRICS, developing countries "enhance mutual understanding and trust and make the pie of cooperation bigger," said Deepak.

Always championing a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, China consistently maintains that all countries -- big or small, rich or poor -- are equal members of the international community.

In the case of cooperation between China and African countries, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said there are always some people who like to point fingers despite the fact that China has sincerely helped Kenya solve problems and meet its needs with actions.

Having witnessed the completion of the Chinese-built Kipevu Oil Terminal project in the coastal Kenyan city of Mombasa in January, Kenyatta said he is often asked why Kenya and China cooperate so closely, and he responded that is because China and Kenya respect each other and treat each other as equals.

Still, to fix all those problems perplexing the human community, trust is a pre-condition. Without trust, there is no way to avoid conflicts or to carry out real cooperation. Therefore, bridging the trust gap requires all nations to treat each other in good faith, mean what they say and follow through their commitments.

China has over the years been a firm believer in honoring its words with actions, a promoter of dialogues and a champion of inter-cultural exchanges so as to seek common ground while shelving and narrowing differences, increase strategic trust, and reduce mutual suspicion.

"The Chinese direction has been that of multilateralism, bringing countries together, creating development and creating unity based on the principles of the United Nations Charter," said William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review.

Changes will be seen in the world that can show China's vision is successful, which will lead to global prosperity rather than conflict, said Jones.
Texas state trooper who was among the first to respond to Uvalde school massacre has been fired, official says
Eurovision a prime opportunity to promote North Wales to the world, says Clwyd South MS

The MS for Clwyd South has urged the Welsh Government to use next years Eurovision Song Contest to promote North Wales to the world.

Liverpool was selected as the host location for the 2023 contest, with the grand final of the globally watched contest taking place in the Liverpool area on Saturday 13 May.

Although Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra were crowned the winners of this years competition, it was announced last month that the 2023 competition would be held in the UK due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In its bid Liverpool said next years ceremony would reflect Ukrainian culture and music in their own unique way.

Clwyd South MS and former Economy Minister Ken Skates that the 2023 event in Liverpool is a wonderful opportunity given its close proximity to the Welsh border.

During a Business Statement in the Senedd, Mr Skates raised the issue with Trefnydd and Minister for North Wales Lesley Griffiths.

He said: Im in no doubt that youd agree that hosting Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool is fantastic news for the whole of Wales, but particularly for North Wales. Id be very grateful for a statement on how the Welsh Government plans to promote North Wales and the whole of Wales at next years event.

It is a wonderful opportunity, given how closely we work with partners on a cross-border basis, and might I suggest that the Minister for North Wales attends to promote North Wales at Eurovision 2023, along with excellent officials from the economy, major events and tourism teams?

Ms Griffiths replied: I think you make a really important point. The links between North Wales, and particularly north-east Wales, and the north-west of England are very important, and we know that people do travel to Liverpool, Manchester, and further afield, to see arts and culture events.

Clearly, the Eurovision contest coming to Liverpool is very important. I will certainly ask the Deputy Minister for economy, who has responsibility for culture and arts, to update Members. I dont think shes had the opportunity to have discussions yet, but Im sure she will be doing.

After the plenary session, Mr Skates added: I was really pleased when Eurovision was awarded to Liverpool. Obviously, it should be held in Ukraine, but I know Liverpool will do the event justice.

We share close cross-border links with the major cities of north-west England, and next years event is a prime opportunity to once again proudly showcase North Wales to the world.
North Wales youngsters set sail for yacht race as part of Chief Constables Challenge

Nine youngsters from North Wales are setting off this weekend on the trip of a lifetime in a yacht race against young people from other Northwest force areas.

The Chief Constables Challenge will set sail from Portsmouth today (22 October) and their voyage will finish at the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool on Friday 28 October.

Earlier this summer, the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Serena Kennedy, challenged all four Northwest forces to take to the seas for a yacht race.

Previously postponed due to the Covid pandemic, it will see four 72ft Challenger yachts with groups of young people onboard from North Wales, Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester taking part.

Merseyside Police Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy said: The Chief Constables Challenge, which is in its third year, is about creating an unforgettable experience for some of our most deserving young people to provide them with the confidence and skills that will help them navigate their way through life.

I wish all the officers and young people taking part the best of luck. Im sure they will embrace this fantastic opportunity and put their all into making sure they cross the line first.

North Wales Police Deputy Chief Constable, Chris Allsop, said: The Tall Ships Youth Trust Experience is an incredible opportunity for young people to realise their potential while making new friends, learning new skills, and building on their teamwork and social skills  irrespective of their home lives or previous life experiences.

But most importantly, I hope all those participating who have overcome adversity and continued to succeed have fun and make the most of this life-changing experience.

I wish the North Wales team the very best of luck in crossing the finish line first.

The young people, aged 15-17 years old, were nominated by their respective schools and selected by an independent panel.

The trip, run in partnership with Tall Ships Youth Trust, will see the young people take part in all aspects of sailing, from cooking and cleaning to setting the sails and taking the helm of an ocean-going racing yacht.

Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) CEO, Alastair Floyd, said: Were delighted to be teaming up with the four forces for these voyages, which will be a unique and challenging opportunity for the youth crews involved.

Were looking at extending our reach, specifically in areas where there is a high percentage of young people experiencing some form of disadvantage.

The challenge is a great opportunity for us to spread the word about our vital work and support young people from across the Northwest.

Working with the Oceanographic Department in Liverpool John Moores University, they will also be involved in a research project about sea pollution.

They will live on board the yacht, working in shifts to complete duties throughout the day and night.

It is hoped the experience will develop the youngsters long-term life skills including team working, confidence building and problem-solving skills.

The North Wales vessels trip received significant funding from the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) and supported by the High Sheriffs of Clwyd and Gwynedd.

Ashley Rogers, PACT chair of trustees said: I am delighted that PACT has been able to support the Chief Constables Challenge which gives these young people a fantastic opportunity which I am sure will benefit them for many years to come.
The following is the fifth entry in the series Diary of a socialist Amazon worker, a column authored by Austin Bailey, a socialist-minded worker in his twenties, who has followed the World Socialist Web Site since 2016. Bailey writes this column to reach other workers, especially at Amazon, who have burning questions about the realities of working class life. He is always open to listening to the experiences of other workers, Amazon or otherwise, from anywhere in the world. If you wish to have your story shared, Bailey can be contacted at austin.bailey.diary@gmail.com or found on Twitter as @AustinDiary.

Towards the beginning of the month, an incident at Amazons Staten Island facility propagated quite a stir. At least 100 Amazon workers staged a protest against unsafe conditions after management attempted to force them on the job while smoke from a previous fire in a trash compactor still hung thick in the air, smelling of carcinogens. One worker was hospitalized.

Baltimore Amazon warehouse [Photo: GovPics]

These concerned workers gathered in a designated management area and demanded to be sent home with pay due to the hazardous work environment. About 80 workers were suspended for daring to speak up about safetyironic considering Amazon officials constantly parrot lines about safety being a top priority for the company. Im told the latest news is that the majority of the affected workers had their suspension revoked, but that does not mean we workers should be complacent, letting the incident fade into yesterdays news.

Its abominable that workers can lose their livelihoods over the most arbitrary reasons. Or perhaps it is better to specify how reprehensible it is that corporations reign over workers like monarchs: workers are disposable subjects, meant to serve the detached, unsympathetic aristocracy that is indifferent to anything anathema to their interests, as if convinced theyre put in place by divine right.

How lawless of a society we live in wherein legitimate concerns for safety are discarded, and workers are actually punished for possessing the same instincts of self-preservation shared by virtually all of life on Earth. The danger of inhaling industrial smokeespecially in an Amazon warehouse, which are infamous and despised for being poorly ventilatedshould not even be a matter of debate, truly. Not only did the Staten Island workers inform Amazon management many of them had respiratory ailments, but someone was also sent to the hospital. Is it not criminal that Amazon can force workers into hazardous environments regardless of health risk? Every manager involved in the incident should be held liable in court!

The capitalist class should not be allowed to get away with instituting such authoritarian regimes in the workplace. For all of the pomp about American democracy, workers have little say or control in anything. It is entirely reasonable, perhaps even common sense, that the workers responsible for the factorys operation should be able to dictate matters of the workplace through democratic means.

Why the lack of democracy in the workplace; in the land of the free? On that note, what was the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) up to? The ALU won a foothold in the New York warehouse on pretenses that the union would grant workers more control and sway in the facility. But when several dozen workers walked out, the ALU made no attempt to rouse every worker to protest, even though doing so would have been protected by federal and state law as a necessary health and safety stoppage. The ALUs failure to call the entire shift out left the most courageous workers out on a limb, exposing the absence of unity or solidarity in the ranks of the ALU.

Instead, it seems the unions leadership is more interested in photo ops with President Joe Biden, whom Jeff Bezoss Washington Post endorsed for president and who was backed in the 2020 election by massive donations from Amazon and its management.

Since no one else will do it for us, the truth is that we workers can only protect our lives by stationing ourselves in the conductors seat; the ruling classes are behaving like an intoxicated driver drunk on profit and war fever, and must be removed.

Our lives and safety are at stake. In addition to the fire at Staten Island, two more fires took place that same week at Amazon warehouses in New York state. Amazon is preparing for a potential reiteration of the ghastly Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, when over 100 workers, mostly young women, were burned alive at work. They couldnt flee the burning building because the company locked them in to prevent them from walking out over safety concerns. What if the same thing happens to us?

Amazon constantly tells us safety is its top priority while demonstrating the opposite. Last year, six workers in Illinois died on the job because Amazon forced them to stay at work while a series of devastating tornadoes ripped through the state. Despite continued outbreaks and surges of COVID-19, the corporation has done everything possible to cover-up the pathogens presence in its factories.

However, it must be acknowledged that while 100 workers may seem insignificant, the rebellion of Amazonians in the United Statesthe global epicenter of world capitalismcarries serious social weight, like the slow, consequential movement of Earths tectonic plates.

Amazon workers in particular toil under a draconian security-surveillance apparatus, made fearful by the constant threat of termination for the slightest perceived infraction. Amazons private FBI, GSOC, which enjoys a budget rivaling police departments in many large cities, restlessly hunts for any and every sign of workers militancy.

The fact that the group of Amazon workers balked in the face of such a regime is no small feat, particularly given the fact that it accounts for the largest demonstration of Amazon workers in the United States to date. But they should not have been left hanging by the ALU. Nevertheless, though a small event, chemical reactions are sometimes accelerated by the most minuscule addition of a catalyst. And the courage these workers (whom I am in full solidarity with) has potential to spread like wildfire throughout Amazon and the rest of the international working class.

What we need is democratic self-organization, through committees led by the rank-and-file, to harness our strength and fight this company. It is time to stop waiting for someone else to take action for us. And although challenging the might of the powers that be seems daunting, rank-and-file organization starts with you and me.

With appreciation,

Austin Bailey
At the reception (Photo: VNA)

So said Ngo Minh Chau, Vice Chairman of the City Peoples Committee, during his reception for Minister-President of the Wallonie-Brussels Federation Pierre-Yves Jeholet, on October 20.

Sharing the city's socio-economic development, Mr. Chau thanked the Belgian Government for supporting and helping Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, in COVID-19 prevention and control. Currently, the city has successfully controlled the pandemic, stabilized and developed the economy, achieving positive results. The city has been implementing economic development policies in the fields of digital transformation, biotechnology, infrastructure development and administrative reform; and focusing on promoting investment.

Noting that the strong areas of Wallonie-Brussels are also the concern of the city in the development process, he affirmed that the city is willing to create the most favorable conditions for foreign investors, including businesses from the Wallonia-Brussels region, to come to do business and invest in the city for a long time. In addition, Ho Chi Minh City also wishes to cooperate with the Wallonia-Brussels region in particular and the Kingdom of Belgium in general to carry out cultural exchange activities to enhance understanding, solidarity and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

For his part, Mr. Pierre-Yves Jeholet said that as Vietnam and the Kingdom of Belgium are preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023, the relationship between the Wallonia-Brussels region and Vietnam is developing very well, with many specific cooperation projects in many fields.

Sharing the positive results of the cooperation relationship between the Wallonia-Brussels region and Vietnam, he added that the Wallonia-Brussels region has strong businesses in pharmaceutical research and biotechnology; therefore, it is very eager to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular in this field and expand the scope of existing projects.

In addition, the Wallonia-Brussels region is willing to cooperate with Ho Chi Minh City in areas where it has potential such as smart agriculture development, food processing technology, agricultural product production; and strengthen bilateral trade as well as cooperation between private enterprises of the two localities in developing clean energy, waste into renewable energy treatment, and water treatment./.
On October 12, an estimated 250 retired municipal workers protested against the ongoing effort by New York Citys Democratic Mayor Eric Adams and the unions that make up the citys Municipal Labor Committee (MLC) to slash retirees medical benefits. The retirees rallied outside City Hall and marched to the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) headquarters near Wall Street where a Delegate Assembly was taking place that afternoon.

The protest, organized by a group of retirees who formed the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees in August 2021, is the latest episode in a year-long struggle between retired workers on one side and the city and municipal unions on the other. In 2018, the city and the MLC agreed to substantially cut healthcare costs by 2021. Last fall, the administration of former Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to switch the citys 250,000 retired municipal workers from Medicare to a privatized Medicare Advantage plan.

New York City retirees protesting against efforts to privatize their healthcare (WSWS Photo) [Photo: WSWS]

The new plan saves the city over $600 million by shifting costs onto retirees. Medicare Advantage, according to the Daily Poster, would change the out-of-pocket costs of those impacted from a maximum of $1,053 per year to up to $7,550. It could also force retirees to find new doctors, as many doctors dont accept Medicare Advantage plans, and could require prior authorization for procedures, which tends to lead to high claim-denial rates.

After a group of retirees sued the city over its attempts to force through Medicare Advantage, a Manhattan judge ruled in March that it would be illegal for the city to impose a fee of $191 per month on retirees who opt to keep their current insurance. Under the citys Administrative Code 12-126, the judge ruled, the city must fully cover the cost of health insurance for city retirees.

The city and the MLC temporarily backed off on imposing the plan. But in September, the Adams administration, again backed by the MLC, issued a formal request to the City Council to amend Code 12-126 so that the plan can be forced through.

The Democratic Party-dominated City Council is reportedly reluctant to amend the code, particularly since the council was the object of derision as recently as last month after it voted to pass Adams massive cuts to the education budget. The cuts forced the excessing (a form of internal layoff) of hundreds of educators and the wholesale closure of critical programs. After an outcry by educators and parents, the Council made a show of opposition and sought to sponsor a re-vote. Some parents and teachers took the city to court, but the citys cuts have been allowed to go forward on appeal.

The blatant, corporatist collaboration between the city government and the MLC has thoroughly exposed the Democratic Party and the union bureaucracies for what they are: servants of Wall Street.

Since the bailout of the banks in 2008, the American ruling class has demanded that workers pay for the mountain of fictitious capital that quantitative easing pumped into the stock market. This process has vastly accelerated since the passage of the CARES Act in March 2020, an even bigger bank bailout than in 2008. The citys plan to shift healthcare costs onto retirees is one component of these broader class war efforts.

Throughout the pandemic, unions throughout the US have collaborated with the ruling elites back-to-work and back-to-school drive at every stage. The UFT played a critical role in reopening schools for in-person learning in New York City, the largest school district in the US, beginning in Fall 2020 before any educators or students were even vaccinated. More recently, the UFT has refused to take up a fight for a better contract when city educators contract expired on September 13, let alone fight Adams massive budget cuts.

World Socialist Web Site reporters attended the protest and spoke to retirees. The retirees expressed enormous anger, particularly toward the unions. One protester, Wanda Williams, said, Member-driven and member-approved is what Im saying. No top-down propositions. It is anti-democratic, anti-union action by unions. There has not been adequate communication among unions. Membership has not been engaged.

New York City retirees protesting against efforts to privatize their healthcare (WSWS Photo) [Photo: WSWS]

Paul, a retiree who had worked as a Fire Officer for 28 years, told the WSWS, In collective bargaining, weve had two years of double zeroes. The healthcare was part of the collective bargaining givebacks. There was a lack of education about that and there were things going on behind closed doors. They have problems for healthcare and the financial system because Wall Street is gambling, like betting on a horse. And when they lose, they want to change the rules, midstream. Bait and switch.

A fellow retiree who had worked 25 years as a Fire Officer added, This is happening while the New York Times writes about the miscreants in the Medicare Advantage companies that are committing fraud by pushing doctors to add to their diagnoses of patients to get more money from Medicare.

Loril Swan, who retired from her career in information technology (IT) in New York Citys Human Resources Administration, said, The attack on our healthcare is from both former Mayor de Blasio and now Mayor Adams The unions are still lying to actives [in-service workers]. People are here getting together. The politicians are being non-specific in their answers to us. They claim to have not read the bill yet.

New York City retirees protesting against efforts to privatize their healthcare (WSWS Photo) [Photo: WSWS]

A non-retired IT worker who was with Loril added, In 2014, [UFT President Michael] Mulgrew had the city take money out of the Health Care Stabilization Fund to pay for active teachers wage increase. The city wants to get out of what they are paying for our benefits The federal government is supporting Medicare Advantage plans so the corporations can make private profits with public money.

A WSWS reporter asked Jose Bribiesca, a retired high school history teacher, whether he thought the protest would succeed. He said, The protest is trying to pressure the City Council. If it works or not, I dont know. To raise the consciousness of people is what is needed. Socialism always appealed to me. This [protest] is not trying to connect the domestic and international issues, like when they give $50 billion to Ukraine but dont want to give $15 an hour pay to workers We have to say no to war, no to NATO.

Just as the protest was happening, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) with which the UFT is affiliated, was wrapping up a pro-war tour in Ukraine and deliberately covering up the role of Ukrainian fascism in the Holocaust .

There is a direct connection between Weingartens support for the goals of American imperialism in Ukraine and the unions staunch support for budget-cutting in medical costs and education programs: the interests these organizations serve are those of the wealthiest layers of American society. It is abundantly clear that the social interests of the union bureaucrats are diametrically opposed to those of municipal retirees.

In-service and retired New York City workers should form rank-and-file committees that will act independently of the union bureaucracy, in solidarity with the Northeast Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee (NE ERFSC) and as part of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), which is fighting to unite all workers across industries and national boundaries.

In its most recent statement, The crisis in education and the case for rank-and-file committees, the NE ERFSC wrote, In this explosive situation, every educator, student and parent who stands up now to build a rank-and-file committee can play a decisive role in leading the immense struggles of the working class on the immediate horizon. The NE ERFSC also seeks to organize retired workers for the coming struggles.

The NE ERFSC statement points to the significance of the campaign of Mack Trucks worker Will Lehman, who is running for president in the United Auto Workers (UAW) union based on dissolving the union bureaucracy and placing its billion-dollar assets under the democratic control of the rank-and-file.

Wills campaign has reached an audience of thousands of workers and he has urged every worker who supports his campaign to form a rank-and-file committee at their workplace or neighborhood. Will is holding an online meeting on Sunday titled, Build rank-and-file power to fight layoffs and concessions! City workers in New York, retired and active, are invited to attend.

Retired city workers who agree with this perspective should join the NE ERFSC.
A California federal judge has ordered former Trump lawyer John Eastman, whose pseudo-legalisms helped fuel the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, to turn over emails subpoenaed by the House Select Committee investigating the attempted coup. District Judge David O. Carter ruled that the emails show Trump lied in sworn court filings about supposed voter fraud in Georgia.

Trump coup lawyers John Eastman (left) and Rudy Giuliani (right) speak outside the White House prior to the attack on Congress on January 6, 2021. [Photo: C-Span.org (Screengrab WSWS)]

On Wednesday, Judge Carter ruled that the emails are sufficiently related to and in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the United States for the so-called crime-fraud exception to apply, overriding Eastmans claims of attorney-client and attorney work product privileges.

Carter reviewed hundreds of emails the former dean of Chapman College School of Law in Orange County, California, exchanged with co-conspirators seeking to block the transfer of power after Trumps defeat in the November 2020 election.

Carters decision followed a week of legal setbacks for Trump and his cronies. On October 13, the Supreme Court rejected in one sentence Trumps fatuous petition seeking its intervention in the dispute with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI over the government documents seized at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort, including 103 with top-secret classification markings and special handling instructions.

South Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee confirmed by the lame-duck Senate after his election defeat, who has no notable qualifications beyond her affiliations with the Republican Party and Federalist Society, raised legal eyebrows last month when she refused to transfer the case to Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who had issued the search warrant for the Mar-a-Lago documents, and then enjoined the DOJ from using the documents for its criminal investigation of Trump pending their review by a special master.

The DOJ immediately appealed Cannons order to the Eleventh Circuit and quickly obtained a unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel granting an emergency order that exempted the 103 documents with classification markings from Cannon injunction and the special master review.

On October 14, the day after the Supreme Court unceremoniously showed Trump the door, the DOJ filed its brief on the merits of the appeal, which, if successful, will result in the dismissal of Judge Cannons case altogether. Most objective legal commentators give the appeal a high probability of success.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) Judge and now special master Raymond Dearie is sorting through the roughly 13,000 documents (22,000 pages total) carted off from Mar-a-Lago by the FBI on August 8. During a public telephone conference Tuesday, Dearie pushed Trumps legal team over its failure to support its clients legal positions on excluding documents from DOJ review.

Its a little perplexing as I go through the log, Judge Dearie said about the list of disputes. Whats the expressionWheres the beef? I need some beef.

For example, recent filings show that Trumps lawyers listed six clemency applications and a letter from a student in a military academy as Trumps personal property, although he received them in his capacity as president and they belong to the United States under the 1978 Presidential Records Act.

Trump included two written immigration policies as both his personal property and official advice he received, supposedly protected by executive privilege. Unless Im wrong, and Ive been wrong before, theres certainly an incongruity there, Dearie said, referring to the fact that a document cannot both be official advice to the president and exempt from the Presidential Records Act as a personal record, except in the Trump universe, where: L'Etat, c'est moi.

Behind these intense and protracted legal wrangles an increasingly bitter struggle is being waged between factions of the ruling elite mobilized on the one side to maintain certain conventions of bourgeois democracy, such as nominally fair elections in the Eastman case, and to protect with iron determination the confidentiality of state secrets, as in the Mar-a-Lago case, against the win-at-all-cost fascists coalescing around aspiring dictator Donald J. Trump on the other.

In Judge Carters latest ruling, the January 6 House Select Committee subpoenaed hundreds of emails between Eastmans university account and Trump associates from election night 2020 to inauguration day 2021. Eastman filed the lawsuit, claiming that the emails are privileged from disclosure either as attorney-client communications or his attorney work product.

The case was assigned to Judge Carter, a former US Marine officer with almost 25 years of experience on the federal bench, well known and generally respected among Southern California lawyers for his no-nonsense approach to criminal and civil cases. He has presided over protracted, multi-defendant trials of Mexican Mafia and prison and street gangs, and actively involved himself in civil rights cases relating to the masses of unhoused people in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

In his first order seven months ago, Carter analyzed Trumps and Eastmans actions leading up to the attack on the Capitol, finding that each more likely than not committed obstruction of an official proceeding, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1512(c)(2), and conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  371.

In his recent ruling, Carter determined that 536 Eastman emails were privileged by attorney work product and attorney-client communications, but that eight were subject to the crime-fraud exception because they were made in furtherance of the obstruction and conspiracy crimes.

There are four documents, Carter ruled, that show Eastman conspired with Trump to file cases solely to delay or otherwise disrupt the January 6 vote, including one in the Supreme Court that might be enough to delay consideration of Georgia.

Carter determined that four more emails demonstrate an effort by President Trump and his attorneys to press false claims in federal court for the purpose of delaying the January 6 vote. The evidence confirms that this effort was undertaken in at least one lawsuit filed in Georgia.

As Carter detailed in his ruling: President Trump and his attorneys alleged in a Georgia state court action that Fulton County improperly counted a number of votes including 10,315 deceased people, 2,560 felons, and 2,423 unregistered voters. President Trump and his attorneys then decided to contest the state court proceeding in federal court, and discussed incorporating by reference the voter fraud numbers.

In the four emails, Eastman relayed concerns from President Trumps team about including specific numbers in the paragraph dealing with felons, deceased, moved, etc., because Eastman knew that Trump has since been made aware that some of the allegations (and evidence proffered by the experts) has been inaccurate, and therefore, For him to sign a new verification with that knowledge (and incorporation by reference) would not be accurate.

Judge Carter wrote that Trump and his attorneys ultimately filed the complaint with the same inaccurate numbers without rectifying, clarifying, or otherwise changing them. President Trump, moreover, signed a verification swearing under oath that the incorporated, inaccurate numbers are true and correct or believed to be true and correct to the best of his knowledge and belief.

Thus, Carter concluded, The emails show that President Trump knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and to the public. The Court finds that these emails are sufficiently related to and in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the United States for the crime-fraud exception to apply.

Trump denounced the ruling on his Truth Social website, accusing Carter of very nasty, wrong and ill informed statements about me on ruling on a case (whatever!), currently going on in California. He added, Please explain to this partisan hack that the President Election of 2020 was Rigged and Stolen.

In the DOJs opening brief in the Mar-a-Lago documents appeal filed on October 14, the Justice Department begins by attacking Cannons claim of jurisdiction to intervene, which she made on the grounds that the target is a former US president, and her brushing aside Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who had authorized the search warrant.

The DOJ has concerns that extend beyond the dispute with Trump. The federal police apparatus cannot tolerate a precedent that allows targets of search warrants to petition possibly sympathetic district judges for injunctions and special masters that would interfere with their investigators.

The exercise of equitable jurisdiction over an ongoing criminal investigation is reserved for exceptional circumstances, the DOJ wrote. The foremost consideration is whether the government displayed a callous disregard for constitutional rights in seizing the items at issue.

Quoting the recent Eleventh Circuit ruling that exempted the marked documents from Cannons order, the DOJ explained that Cannon herself acknowledged that there has been no showing that the government acted in callous disregard for Trumps rights, which by itself is reason enough to conclude that the district court abused its discretion in exercising equitable jurisdiction here.

Finally, the DOJ concluded that to the extent Cannon suggested that Plaintiffs former elected office entitles him to treatment different from that afforded to any other subject of a court-authorized search, such a notion would be contrary to the public interest and the rule of law.

The appeal has been expedited at the DOJs request. Trumps opposition brief is due November 10 and the DOJ reply one week later. Oral argument and the decision could come at any time thereafter, so the appeal could be resolved around the time that the special masters review is scheduled to conclude.
Exactly 100 years ago, on October 20, 1922, Leon Trotsky delivered one of his great political speeches before the membership of the Moscow organization of the Russian Communist Party. It was presented in anticipation of the opening of the Fourth Congress of the Communist International, which began two weeks later on November 5, 1922.

The Congress coincided with the fifth anniversary of the 1917 October Revolution, the conquest of power by the working class led by the Bolshevik Party, which transferred power to the workers councils (Soviets) and created the first workers state in history. The Bolshevik victory provided an immense impulse for the creation of the Communist (Third) International, which held its first Congress in March 1919. At that point the Bolshevik regime was under siege, fighting against counterrevolutionary armies backed by world imperialism to strangle the revolution. But by 1922, the counterrevolutionary forces had been defeated by the Red Army, whose principal commander was Leon Trotsky, whose political authority and prestige within the Soviet Union was exceeded only by Lenin.

Leon Trotsky [Photo: WSWS]

The workers state had survived, but the Bolshevik regime confronted the consequences of the economic devastation of the three years of the World War that had preceded the October Revolution and the additional three years of civil war. Moreover, the Soviet regime had been established not in an advanced capitalist countrysuch as France, Germany, Britain and the United Statesbut in economically and culturally backward Russia.

The possibility of the working class coming to power in a backward country had been foreseen by Trotsky in his elaboration of the Theory of Permanent Revolution more than a decade before the 1917 October Revolution. But neither Trotsky nor Lenin and the Bolshevik Party had believed that socialism could be constructed within the confines of a single national state, let alone one that was economically and socially backward.

Even as they organized the overthrow of capitalism in Russia, Lenin and Trotsky insisted that the fate of the socialist revolution in Russia depended on the conquest of power by the working class in one or more of the advanced capitalist countries. The centrality of world socialist revolution in the political calculations of the Bolsheviks was not an expression of utopian daydreaming. The World War of 1914-1918, which had emerged out of the contradictions of capitalism as a world system, accelerated and intensified the economic crisis and social conflicts that generated a massive wave of militant and overtly revolutionary working class struggles that swept across Western and Central Europe.

But the ruling classes of Germany, Italy and other countries fought back viciously against the revolutionary tide; and the Soviet Union remained an isolated workers state. This compelled the Bolshevik regime to adopt the New Economic Policy within the USSR, which involved accepting the limited revival of capitalist activity in order to stabilize the Soviet economy.

Trotsky at the 3rd Congress of the Communist International, 1921

At the Third Congress of the Communist International in 1921, the Russian delegationwith Lenin and Trotsky playing the leading roleshad fought to redirect the newly founded European Communist parties toward a protracted struggle to establish their authority in the working class. This process of reorientation and political education was to continue at the Fourth Congress.

Trotskys speech on October 20 was an extraordinary analysis of the challenges confronting the new Communist International. Many of the issues dealt with in this address were further developed in the monumental three-hour report that Trotsky delivered little more than three weeks later before the Fourth Congress. On that one day, November 14, 1922, Trotsky spoke for nine hours, delivering his report first in German, then French and, finally, in Russian.

Trotsky examined the contradictory development of the world socialist revolution, which had achieved its first great victory in backward Russia rather than in the advanced centers of world imperialism.

He noted a basic difference in the revolutionary process in Russia, compared to that in an advanced country such as the United States. In the former, the great problem was not the seizure of power but in holding it in the aftermath of the overthrow of the capitalist state.

In the advanced countries, attaining power would be more difficult because the bourgeoisie is far better organized and more experienced, because there the petty-bourgeoisie has graduated from the school of the big bourgeoisie and is, in consequence, also far more powerful and experienced...

Trotsky warned, prophetically, that having witnessed with horror the overthrow of the Russian ruling class, the bourgeoisie in the advanced countries were arming counterrevolutionary gangs to destroy the revolutionary socialist movement.

Explaining the significance of Mussolinis rise in Italy, Trotsky described fascism as the revenge, the vengeance exacted by the bourgeoisie for the dread it had experienced during the 1920 September days, when massive strikes swept the country.

But why did the revolutionary movement fail and lead to the upsurge of fascism? Answering the question, What was lacking? Trotsky stated: Lacking was the political premise, the subjective premise, i.e., cognizance of the situation by the proletariat.

Lacking was an organization at the head of the proletariat, capable of utilizing the situation for nothing else but the direct organizational and technical preparation of an uprising, of the overturn, the seizure of power, and so forth. This is what was lacking.

Trotsky rejected mechanical formalism that insisted on the inevitable and fully predictable outcome of great socio-economic and historical processes. In the dialectic of historical forces, the action by the working class, influenced and led by the Marxist party, is decisive.

The Fourth Congress of the Communist International (also known as the Comintern) was the last attended by Lenin, who had already suffered the first of a series of strokes that were soon to bring his political activity to an end. Only a month later, in December 1922, the political conflict within the leadership of the Russian Communist Party that was to lead to the founding of the Left Opposition in October 1923 began to emerge. The process of bureaucratization and political reaction exemplified by the rise of Stalin led to a repudiation of the strategy of permanent revolution and the perspective of world socialist revolution and to the adoption of the anti-Marxist nationalist program of socialism in one country.

This nationalist overthrow of socialist internationalism had devastating consequences for the Communist International, the international working class and the Soviet Union itself. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 was the final devastating confirmation of the counterrevolutionary essence of Stalinism and all related conceptions of a nationalist path to socialism.

Nevertheless, the heritage of the great theoretical work of Trotsky was continued by the Fourth International, which he founded in 1938, and which is represented today by the International Committee of the Fourth International.

Trotsky remains the towering figure in the history of revolutionary socialism in the 20th century. The speech of October 20, 1922 exemplifies the outstanding relevance of his political thought. This speech, delivered a century ago, has barely aged. It is hardly even necessary to consult a glossary. Trotsky is dealing with economic, political and social issues that are comprehensible in fully modern terms. The essential significance of revolutionary leadership, the dynamic of world capitalist crisis, the political significance of fascism and the relation of objective and subjective factors in the revolutionary transition from capitalism to socialism are all dealt with in Trotskys report.

And, in what might appear as a remarkable coincidence, Trotsky even calls attention to the implications of British Prime Minister David Lloyd Georges sudden fall from power on October 19, 1922, exactly a century before the precipitous collapse of Liz Truss ill-fated premiership. Of course, the six-year leadership of Lloyd George cannot be compared to the six-week farce of Liz Truss. But it is not difficult to imagine that Trotsky would have interpreted the Trussian farce as a symptom of the imminent breakdown of bourgeois rule in Britain and the development of a revolutionary crisis. Trotsky would have seen in this crisis an immense opportunity for Marxists to expand their authority within the working class and overcome the influence of the reactionary Labour Party and trade union organizations.

The careful study of Trotskys writings is essential for the elaboration of the strategy and tactics of socialist revolution in the epoch of imperialisms death agony. Trotskyism is the Marxism of the 21st century.
The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) calls upon the working class to condemn the ongoing police repression of student protests in Sri Lanka.

The latest police assault was directed against a student protest march organised by the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) in Kelaniya on the outskirts of Colombo on Tuesday. The students were demanding the release of political prisoners and for solutions to the worsening economic situation facing the Sri Lankan masses.

Sri Lankan university students march on 18 October, 2022. [Photo: WSWS]

The IUSF called the protest to mark 60 days since the detention of its convener Wasantha Mudalige and Galwewa Siridamma from the Bhikku (Monks) Federation under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Mudalige, Siridamma, and another activist, Hashan Jeewantha, along with several other students, were arrested during a protest on August 18. President Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered them to be detained for 90 days under PTA.

Last Tuesday, about 1,000 students from various universities began marching from Kelaniya University at 3 p.m., planning to reach Colombo Fort, 11 kilometres away. About 2 kms from the university, the police mobilised a force of around 1,000 officers, including riot control and special task force units, backed by two water cannons, to block the protest.

The marching students chanted slogans such as, Repeal repressive laws, including the PTA immediately, Lets get rid of the Wickremesinghe-Rajapakse junta, and Let us livelower the tax burden.

An hour after starting to march, students were confronted by police who declared that the protest was illegal and not been given police approval. Police then began breaking up the march, arresting eight students, including Kelaniya University Students Union President Kalum Mudannayake.

Police violently attack students from Kelaniya University on 18 October, 2022. [Photo: WSWS]

Police even tried to disperse chanting students who had gathered at a nearby road. After the protest, IUSF activist Janith Janajaya told the media, that one police officer had threatened them, saying We will kill you.

The arrested students were released on 50,000 rupees bail on Wednesday, amid widespread outrage over the governments repression. Students from Kelaniya, Jayawardenepura, Rajarata universities protested on Wednesday, condemning the police attacks and calling for the release all arrested student activists. Previous protests organised by the IUSF demanding the release of those detained under the PTAon August 30 and October 4have been subjected to similar police assaults.

IUSF convener Mudalige, who is being held in a detention camp, is in serious danger. Police have taken him from the camp at night on several occasions under the guise of collecting evidence. Sri Lankan police are notorious for killing political prisoners taken from remand prisons, falsely claiming they were trying to escape.

On one occasion Mudalige was taken to the burnt-out home of former finance minister Basil Rajapakse. The property was torched during riots that erupted after right-wing thugs attacked protesters occupying Galle Face Green in May.

Hashan Jeewantha, who was detained with Mudalige, was released after 50 days, after police admitted that they had no evidence to charge him, another indication of the arbitrary nature of these arrests and detentions.

The ongoing police attacks on student demonstrations and other repressive actions are a clear warning to the working class. It is another indication that the Wickremesinghe government will use its repressive powers to crush all those opposing the austerity measures being unleashed in line with International Monetary Fund (IMF) dictates.

Last Tuesday, as the students were protesting, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation workers walked out on strike to oppose the privatisation of the state-owned industry. The government responded with threats to penalise the strikers under its draconian Essential Public Services Act.

Marching Sri Lanka students demand release of all political prisoners, 18 October, 2022. [Photo: WSWS]

The SEP and the IYSSE condemn this police repression and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and the repeal of all repressive laws, including the PTA, Essential Public Services Act, Public Security Ordinance and Emergency Law. The IYSSE and SEP, however, politically oppose the IUSF and the pseudo-left Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), whose pro-capitalist policies and claims that the ruling elites can be pressured, are strengthening the hand of the government.

The intensifying attacks of the Wickremesinghe government on workers and students highlights the urgent necessity for the development of an independent movement of the working class to defeat the Wickremesinghe governments attacks on jobs, living standards and democratic rights.

The IUSF and other pseudo-left formations, along with all the trade unions, are hostile to this perspective. The IUSF, which is led by the FSP, are calling on students and workers to appeal to the international community to pressure the government to halt police repression and protect human rights.

Last month, the FSP sent Nuwan Bopage, one of its key leaders as a representative of the IUSF, to the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva to appeal for their help. The meeting was discussing a cynical resolution sponsored by the major imperialist powers, including the US and UK, for an international investigation into war crimes and violations of human rights in Sri Lanka. The real purpose of the resolution was not to defend human rights and punish war criminals but to pressure Colombo to fully integrate with Washingtons military strategic confrontation against China.

Last Monday, the IUSF released a media statement appealing to the so-called international community to monitor the anti-democratic repressive programme of the current government. As the same time, the IUSF and the FSP are seeking an alliance with capitalist parties, such as Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and the trade unions for a joint platform to oppose government repression.

These parties, however, are all committed to the IMFs austerity program and will ruthlessly implement it if they come to power. The FSP and IUSF are falsely hailing the SJB and the JVP as champions of democratic and social rights.

Student leaders who spoke at the rally after the Tuesday demonstration called on the government and the police to end the repression. Janith Janajaya, member of Kelaniya university students union, said: We are sending a message to the government of this country that if they do not stop this repression, we will make sure to send the government home.

This reference is to the mass upsurges which began in April and forced Rajapakse and his government to resign. It covers up the fact that Wickremesinghe was able to come to power because the trade unions, backed by the FSP and IUSF, blocked the independent mobilisation of the working class on a socialist program.

The IYSSE urges students to reject the IUSF and FSP perspective and their alignment with Sri Lankas capitalist parties and appeals to the imperialist powers. Students must turn to the working class and fight for the formation of action committees and the convening of a democratic and socialist congress of workers and rural masses. This will lay the basis for a workers and peasants government committed to restructuring society on socialist lines.

The fight to release all political prisoners, including those student leaders detained under the PTA, repeal of all repressive laws and the defence of public free education is inseparable from the struggle for socialism. We urge students to build the IYSSE in their respective universities and other higher education institutions and take up the fight for this perspective.
Less than 24 hours before 800 members of the International Longshoremens Association (ILA) Local 1410 at the Port of Mobile were set to go on strike against the CSA Equipment Company, The Journal of Commerce online (JOC) reported that the union and the company have agreed to return to the bargaining table for contract talks that will be overseen by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).

Given that Local 1410 members have already rejected three previous company proposals over the last four years, during which the union kept workers on the job without a contract while their benefits and pension funds remained frozen, workers need to recognize that to wage a real fight for their demands, they must take matter into their own hands.

Shipping cargo lifts at the Mobile, Alabama port. [Photo: Carol M. Highsmith]

Though, according to the JOC, the company and the union plan to offer a schedule for when talks can take place with an FMCS mediator, no schedule, let alone any official statement from the ILA or its South Atlantic and Gulf Coast District (SAGCD) about the situation at the Port has yet to be published.

ILA members should recognize this as yet another stalling tactic by the union aimed at dissipating the mounting opposition at the port to unsafe working conditions.

Local 1410 President Mark Bass, on behalf of the entire union apparatus, is seeking to facilitate the enforcement of a company and state-backed sellout before negotiations begin for a new ILA-wide master contract at the end of this year. To oppose this conspiracy, workers should instead do everything in their power to break through the unions information blackout, make the broadest appeal to their fellow working class brothers and sisters for joint action against the companies, and establish a new organizational means to carry forward the struggle.

ILA members at the Port of Mobile must see through the bureaucrats lies and maneuvers. In the lead up to the Thursday deadline, Bass stated We cant continue to kick the can down the road, so we have voted to strike. However, he also made clear the unions willingness to continue negotiations with CSA right up to the strike deadline of midnight on October 20, which has now been extended.

Fearing the impact a strike at the Porta critical facility-would have on the regional and national supply chainand the possibility that it could spark a broader movementthe union preemptively capitulated to the company with the aim of stifling workers opposition via federal intervention.

In addition, the union has enacted a divide and conquer strategy on behalf of the multinational companies that operate out of the port. Speaking out against workers demand to assert control over the tying up of vessels contracted to CSA, Bass stated, We dont want their [non-union] operations to capture the work from the ILA.

Container operations company APM Terminals, where Local 1410 members are also contracted, communicated to the JOC that its contract with Local 1410 has a no-strike clause and that it has a strong and prosperous relationship with the union.

Workers should take the bureaucrats invocation of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) as an alarm bell that the union is actively seeking to betray their struggle.

Established in 1947 as part of the Taft-Hartley Act (itself passed by both the Democrats and Republicans following the unions betrayal of the 1945-1946 strike wave), the FMCS has since been requested multiple times over the past decade alone by the AFL-CIO apparatus so as to conceal the betrayal of each struggle with the legal cover provided by the capitalist state.

The purpose has been to further isolate and atomize workers during disputes with the companies while keeping members in the dark throughout backroom pro-company negotiations that the union bureaucrats claim are mediated in good faith by the neutral state arbiter.

In 2011, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) requested FMCS intervention, green-lit by the Obama administration, so as to force through a pro-company agreement on its 45,000 members that struck the multinational telecommunications conglomerate, Verizon.

More recently, the United Auto Workers (UAW) called on the FMCS during a graduate student workers strike at New York University; the United Steelworkers (USW) requested the FMCS during a lockout of its members at the ExxonMobil refinery and packaging plant in Beaumont, Texas (which the company refused); and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700 requested the FMCS after its 8,000 members at Kroger grocery stores throughout the Indianapolis area rejected a tentative agreement.

All of these struggles were ultimately betrayed by the respective unions involved, which all oversaw the imposition of pro management agreements.

In both 2015 and 2019, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) requested the FMCS to mediate disputes with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA). Commenting in 2019, then FMCS Acting Director John Pinto stated, This is almost a text book example of following the blueprint of FMCS best practices to a successful conclusion at the bargaining table. That conclusion, has been the continuing efforts by the union, PMA, and the Biden administration to abrogate the right of ILWU members to strike and to keep them working indefinitely without a contract.

A similar process is taking place in the ongoing struggle by railroaders against the Class I carriers, five of which have terminals at the Port of Mobile.

In early September, the federal National Mediation Board (NMB) called representatives from the railroad unions to Washington, DC for three days of government-mediated talks in a bid to avert a nationwide rail strike. On the first day of talks, US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh reportedly told the unions: Dont mess with the nations fragile economy weeks ahead of mid-term congressional elections as neither Congress nor the Biden Administration will like it.

The talks broke down without any agreement being reached, but as the World Socialist Web Site made clear: These talks are not negotiations but a tripartite conspiracy between the railroads, the unions and the government to enforce the contract before it reaches the point of Congress intervening.

This same conspiracy is being carried out behind the backs of Local 1410 members. Shortly before the October 20 strike deadline in Mobile, the ILA posted on its Facebook page notice of a meeting that took place between Walsh and ILA representatives in Miami. There is every reason to believe that Walsh delivered a similar message to the ILA bureaucrats in Miami as the one he delivered to the rail unions in Washington.

As the WSWS wrote previously, Dockworkers must be on guard against any attempt to keep them on the job past the deadline without a contract which meets their demands. This means developing organizational structures organized by the rank and file to enforce democratic control of their struggle.

A strike at the Port of Mobile would unfold against a broader international movement by dockworkers. Both SSA Marine (one of the parent companies of CSA Equipment Company) and APM Terminals have branches at ports throughout South Africa, where members of the South African United National Transport Union (UNTU) and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) were recently engaged in a months-long pay dispute against the freight transport company Transnet Port Terminals (TPT).

ILWU workers on the west coast and in Canada, port workers in Germany, and dockworkers in Liverpool and Felixstowe, are all engaged in bitter struggles against the companies. The latter are taking place amidst a historic crisis of class rule in the UK, where the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Labour Party are working overtime to prevent a revolutionary situation there from accumulating into a general strike that could threaten the whole capitalist state structure.

If their struggle is not to be further isolated and betrayed by the union apparatus, dockworkers must take the fight into their own hands by following the lead of workers in rail, auto and other industries by organizing rank-and-file committees independent of the ILA apparatus. Port of Mobile workers must turn to their true allies, fellow dockworkers in the US and globally as well as to their working class brothers and sisters in rail, coal and auto, to wage a combined fight for decent pay and safe working conditions.
On Friday, the January 6 House Select Committee charged with investigating the attack on Congress formally issued a subpoena to ex-President Donald J. Trump.

The committee is requesting that Trump provide documentation by November 4, four days before the mid-term elections, and appear for testimony on November 14.

In a letter signed by the chairman of the committee, Bennie Thompson (Democrat-Mississippi), and vice chair Liz Cheney (Republican-Wyoming), the pair wrote that Trump personally orchestrated and oversaw a multi-part effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election and to obstruct the peaceful transition of power.

According to the committee, Trumps efforts to overturn the election included:

Purposely and maliciously disseminating false allegations of fraud;

Attempting to corrupt the Department of Justice, including by enlisting DoJ officials to make false statements and aid Trumps coup plot;

Illegally pressuring state officials and legislators to change the results of the election in their state;

Orchestrating and overseeing an effort to obtain and transmit false electoral certificates to Congress and the National Archives;

Illegally and corruptly pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to unilaterally refuse to count electoral votes during Congresss joint session on January 6th;

Pressuring members of Congress to object to valid slates of electors from several states;

Filing false information, under oath, in federal court;

Summoning tens of thousands of supporters to Washington D.C., including armed supporters, and sending them to the Capitol;

Telling his supporters, which included Oath Keeper and Proud Boy militia groups, that Pence did not have the courage to do what should have been done as the Capitol was under attack;

Refusing for hours to disband the mob and instruct them to leave the Capitol, while watching the attack unfold on television.

Addressing the aspiring dictator, who has yet to be charged with a crime more than 21 months after orchestrating the attack, Thompson and Cheney wrote: In short you were at the center of the first and only effort by any US President to overturn an election and obstruct the peaceful transition of power, ultimately culminating in a bloody attack on our own Capitol and on the Congress itself.

It is unlikely that Trump will ever appear before the committee or provide the documentation it has requested. The committee is set to dissolve at the end of the year and given the distinct possibility that the Democratic Party will lose control of the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections, a Republican-controlled House will make sure it is disbanded and rescind any subpoenas.

Prior to the committee issuing its subpoena of Trump, in a brief sentencing hearing Friday morning, US District Court Judge for the District of Columbia Carl J. Nichols ordered former Trump White House advisor Stephen K. Bannon to spend four months in prison.

Steve Bannon speaks outside the Washington D.C. courtroom with his lawyer David Schoen after being sentenced to four months in prison after being found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress earlier this year. [Photo: C-Span.org (Screengrab WSWS)]

Bannon was found guilty on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress this past July.

The four-month sentence handed down by Nichols is two months less than the wrist-slap US prosecutors recommended earlier this week. For refusing to provide a single document or answer one question from the January 6 House Select Committee, Bannon could have been sentenced up to one year in prison and fined $100,000 on each count of contempt, meaning he could have spent two years in prison and been fined $200,000 in total.

Instead, Nichols only fined Bannon $6,500, and it is entirely possible the host of the far-right War Room podcast will not spend a single day in a jail cell. In an extraordinary gift to Bannon and an example of class justice in the United States, Judge Nichols granted Bannons request to remain free while he files his appeal, which could take months, or even years.

Normally, after you are found guilty and sentenced you are immediately remanded by the court and sent to jail or prison intake. If for some remote, and highly implausible, reason, Bannon or his lawyers failed to file his appeal within two weeks, he would have to begin serving his sentence on November 15, 2022.

In imposing the weak sentence, Nichols said that in his view, Mr. Bannon has not taken responsibility for his actions, and that Others must be deterred from committing similar crimes. Yet Nichols also credited Bannon for communicating with the committee through his lawyer and for his previous service in the US Navy. Nichols also noted Bannons fascist podcast and his previous role in the Trump administration, which he apparently viewed in a positive light.

After Nichols ruled that Bannon, who refused to speak during the court proceedings, would be allowed to remain free pending an appeal, courtroom reporters noticed that Bannon allowed a smirk to cross his face. Once he was outside the courtroom, Bannon delivered another fascistic diatribe attacking the House Select Committee and Trumps political enemies.

Today was my judgment day by the judge, Bannon said. We will have a very vigorous appeals process On November 8, they are going to have judgment on the illegitimate Biden regime and quite frankly, [Democratic House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and the entire committee. Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence were the top two politicians targeted by Trumps right-wing mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6.

Judge Nichols, 52, was appointed to the district court by Trump in 2019. After graduating from the University of Chicago Law School in 1996, he served as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Nichols and Thomas are both members of the right-wing Federalist Society, which is led by wealthy right-wing lawyer Leonard Leo.

All three of the Supreme Court justices Trump appointed during his term, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch, are members of the Federalist Society and were on a preselected list presented to Trump by Leo prior to his becoming president in 2016.

The outcome of Bannons contempt trial has only served to strengthen the Republican right. On his War Room podcast less than an hour after the sentencing hearing, Bannon gloated with former Trump advisor Peter Navarro and neo-Nazi Jack Posobiec. Navarro is set to go to trial next month on his contempt of Congress charges.

Bannon appearing on the War Room with Peter Navarro (top left) after he was sentenced on Friday. Navarro will go to trial in November on criminal contempt of Congress charges. [Photo: WarRoom.org]

The failure of the Democratic Party and the US Department of Justice to hold Trump and his co-conspirators accountable for trying to overthrow the government and install a dictatorshipnot to mention their continued defense of the coup and ongoing plot to establish a fascistic dictatorshipunderscores the fecklessness of the Democrats and their inability to defend democratic rights.

That task falls to the working class in the struggle for socialism.
How China contributes to fixing deficits in global development, governance

Xinhua) 09:17, October 22, 2022

*Over the past 40 years, China has contributed close to three-quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty, according to a joint report released in April by China's Ministry of Finance, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and the World Bank. The World Bank also estimates that the infrastructure investment in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could lift 7.6 million people worldwide out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty.

*Over the past decades, China has been not only talking about fixing the peace deficit through the pursuit of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, but also walking the talk with concrete actions.

*Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second-largest funding contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and has contributed more peacekeepers than any other permanent members of the Security Council.

*Always championing a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, China consistently maintains that all countries -- big or small, rich or poor -- are equal members of the international community.

BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A protracted pandemic rarely seen in a century, the rising tide of de-globalization, a wobbling global economy ... the list of unprecedented challenges tormenting humanity as a whole seems unending, and is growing.

In this dire moment for the human race, the global community must come together, and better coordinate its actions. And to tackle the root causes of those planetary conundrums, the world needs to fix global deficits in peace, development, trust, and governance. For that end, China's visions and commitment evident in the twice-in-a-decade national congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) are of global relevance.

DEVELOPMENT HOLDS THE KEY

Development is the eternal theme of human society and a master key to addressing major problems, especially poverty.

Over the past 40 years, China has contributed close to three-quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty, according to a joint report released in April by China's Ministry of Finance, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and the World Bank. The World Bank also estimates that the infrastructure investment in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could lift 7.6 million people worldwide out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty.

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 16, 2022 shows the construction site of the erection of the last box girder along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Purwakarta, Indonesia. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

While reducing destitution is important, it is always a common desire for people everywhere to pursue a better life. This demands not only faster development, but more balanced and equitable development.

China will accelerate creating a new development pattern and pursue high-quality development, said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in his report to the 20th CPC National Congress.

"We must fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy, promote high-standard opening up, and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows," Xi said.

China's commitment to promoting high-standard opening up is very positive for the rest of the world, as countries are recovering from the COVID-19 recession, said Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser for Malaysia's Pacific Research Center.

In a recent joint interview with Chinese media, Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called the BRI "one of the most remarkable initiatives," since China helped build the infrastructure to boost the economy, create jobs, boost resilience in terms of natural disasters, and address poverty in terms of climate change in Latin America and Africa.

In September 2021, with the future of all humanity in mind, Xi put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.

The initiative calls for staying committed to development as a priority, to a people-centered approach, to benefits for all, to innovation-driven development, to harmony between man and nature, and to results-oriented actions.

For Skerrit, the GDI creates a favorable mechanism for developing countries that focuses on cooperation and partnerships, and is dedicated to addressing such issues as extreme poverty, food security, access to vaccines, and climate change.

The China-proposed development initiatives exemplify a correct understanding of global issues as well as a focus on collective progress, said Farhad Javanbakht Kheirabadi, a China scholar at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran.

An Egyptian driver operates a light rail train during a trial run of Egypt's first electrified light rail transit (LRT) system jointly built by Chinese and Egyptian companies, in Cairo, Egypt, July 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

A SAFER WORLD

While delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022 in April, Xi proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), offering a China solution to the questions posed by the times such as what security concept the world needs and how countries can achieve common security.

The initiative advocates cooperative and synergy-driven approaches to replace the zero-sum Cold War mindset of maximization of security through power contestation and arms racing, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told Xinhua.

Carrying forward the spirit of the UN Charter, the initiative provides a fundamental solution to eliminating the peace deficit, said Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

Over the past decades, China has been not only talking about fixing the peace deficit through the pursuit of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, but also walking the talk with concrete actions.

Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second-largest funding contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and has contributed more peacekeepers than any other permanent members of the Security Council.

In the eyes of Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, China has been "a strong buttress to the blue flag (of the UN)."

China has also played an active part in tackling security challenges of various forms and safeguarding regional peace within regional mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said that China-proposed initiatives including the GSI are "essential to reinforce multilateralism, international cooperation and solidarity to address global challenges and concerns for common interests."

Building a global community of security for all "addresses the issues of peace deficit and governance deficit, and seeks peace and development," which will certainly gain steam, said B. R. Deepak, chairperson of the Center of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University.

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE THAT WORKS

More than two years into the once-in-a-century pandemic, the global sustainable development is facing strong headwinds, the North-South gap keeps widening, and crises are emerging in food and energy security. Yet some countries have chosen coercion over cooperation, willfully slapped sanctions, and stoked divisions worldwide. These all cast shadow on the future of the global governance.

While this is an age where all countries should jointly rise to their common challenges, they should also respect each other's core interests and choice of development paths, treat each other as equals, and reject the practice of the strong bullying the weak or the big bullying the small.

At the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in June, Xi called on the world to "promote extensive consultation and joint contribution to deliver shared benefits" to ensure that "all countries enjoy equal rights, follow the rules as equals, and share equal opportunities."

Behind Xi's call for the equal rights, rules and opportunities is an aspiration for "a just, fair, multipolar world order," John Pang, a senior fellow at New York-based Bard College, observed.

Through South-South cooperation mechanisms like BRICS, developing countries "enhance mutual understanding and trust and make the pie of cooperation bigger," said Deepak.

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 15, 2019 shows a container ship of the COSCO Shipping approaching Piraeus port, Greece. (Xinhua/Wu Lu)

Always championing a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, China consistently maintains that all countries -- big or small, rich or poor -- are equal members of the international community.

In the case of cooperation between China and African countries, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said there are always some people who like to point fingers despite the fact that China has sincerely helped Kenya solve problems and meet its needs with actions.

Having witnessed the completion of the Chinese-built Kipevu Oil Terminal project in the coastal Kenyan city of Mombasa in January, Kenyatta said he is often asked why Kenya and China cooperate so closely, and he responded that is because China and Kenya respect each other and treat each other as equals.

Still, to fix all those problems perplexing the human community, trust is a pre-condition. Without trust, there is no way to avoid conflicts or to carry out real cooperation. Therefore, bridging the trust gap requires all nations to treat each other in good faith, mean what they say and follow through their commitments.

China has over the years been a firm believer in honoring its words with actions, a promoter of dialogues and a champion of inter-cultural exchanges so as to seek common ground while shelving and narrowing differences, increase strategic trust, and reduce mutual suspicion.

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 30, 2019 shows the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge in Maldives. (Photo by Wang Mingliang/Xinhua)

"The Chinese direction has been that of multilateralism, bringing countries together, creating development and creating unity based on the principles of the United Nations Charter," said William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Hongyu)
A tourism seminar about Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City was held in Singapore on October 19.

Hot air balloon festival in Ho Chi Minh City in early 2022. (Photo: VNA)

Organized by HCM Citys Department of Tourism (DoT) and the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, the event was attended by some 200 representatives from DoT, Vietnam Airlines, the Vietnamese embassy in Singapore, and leading travel companies from the two countries.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the City Department of Tourism, said that this is the first overseas tourism promotion event the southern city hosted after a hiatus of more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic..

Meanwhile, Mr. Le Cong Dung, Charge d'affaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, said the event showed the citys determination and desire in promoting business and people-to-people relations with the lion island nation. This will be a good opportunity for tourism businesses of the two countries to connect and work together to find new opportunities.

At the event, representatives of Vietnam Airlines and leading travel companies in Vietnam such as Vietravel, SaigonTourist and Saco Travel introduced and promoted new products to Singapore and international travel agencies.

Mr. Vikrant Kumar Hankare, Managing Director of Rajas Travels (India), said that Vietnam is an ideal destination and he joined the workshop with the desire to seek more information and partners.

The seminar is part of a programme aiming to promote Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in Singapore, organized by the DoT from October 17-22.

Within the framework of the event, activities included performances of ethnic musical instruments, painting of conical hats and other promotional activities held at ITB Asia Fair 2022./.
Mining and Metallurgical group Metinvest, within the framework of the military initiative Steel Front of Rinat Akhmetov continues to support the defenders of Ukraine and sent 110 technological thermal imaging sights worth UAH 11 million to the front line for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

According to the company, in order to maintain the defenders' combat capability, Metinvest is transferring body armor, tactical equipment, vehicles and equipment to the front.

Representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine received 110 thermal imaging sights from Metinvest - ultra-modern devices equipped with sensitive innovative matrices. At the same time, it is clarified that they were purchased in different countries of the world and delivered to Ukraine during about three months.

The press service recalls that Metinvest handed over 300 drones for the GUR and ground forces in mid-September.

Since the beginning of the war, Metinvest has provided assistance to Ukraine and Ukrainians for more than UAH 2 billion. In particular, UAH 1.3 billion of this amount is support for the army and the military.

Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical enterprises. The group's enterprises are located mainly in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage it.

Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of the Metinvest Group.
Several missiles flying to Kyiv were shot down in the region by air defense forces, the air alert continues, mayor of the capital Vitali Klitschko said.

"Several missiles flying to Kyiv were shot down in the area of air defense forces. Thanks to our defenders! The air alert continues. Stay in shelters, take care of your safety. Save electricity and be sympathetic to the restriction of its supply," he wrote on the Telegram channel.
Its a credit to the construction of Charlotte Wells first feature, Aftersun, that you cant accurately describe it as the story of a young girl (Frankie Corio) and her father (Paul Mescal) on vacation together in Turkey in the late 1990s. Its a story about a woman remembering the vacation she and her father took together, with both warm clarity and aching ellipses, mysteries that probably wont ever be solved. The powers, failures, and textures of memory guide us through understanding Sophie and Calum, together and apart, and the films finds as breathtaking and visual a way to dramatize how each of us becomes someone elses memory in the end.

It does this, partially, with a rave.

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Wells joined the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast to talk about creating anchor points for memory within the story of the film, the joys of working with DV camcoder footage and the liminal place it sits between objective and subjective points of view, refining perspective and sense of memory in editing Aftersun together, finding immediacy within a specific time period through the look of the film, and even more.

Listen to the entire discussion below or read on for excerpts from the conversation  and to read more about Wells and the development of Aftersun, read IndieWires profile of the filmmaker here. To hear this and more conversations with your favorite TV and film creators, subscribe to the Toolkit podcast via Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Spotify, or Overcast.

Partial Transcript Highlights Below:

Wells on How the Story Evolved Into One About Memory

As the project evolved away from something more conventional, whatever that means, in story and structure and became this other thing, this thing about memory, there were remnants of that earlier version that endured. And one of those elements that endured for a very long time was a dramatic tension derived from their relationship.

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And the conventional arc of that relationship, as it was articulated to me, was as the story begins, their relationship is somehow false and tension builds and there is a break, and at the conclusion, their relationship is suddenly true, you know? And just the second that was articulated to me, I realized that was the opposite of what I wanted this film to be about.

I wanted this to be a relationship that was true from the very first frame, that it was a relationship based on understanding and respect and love, and that doesnt mean that there is not some tension between them at points. There is, but it isnt the primary tension of the film. And sometimes, when you hear feedback that is not what youre trying to do, it is the most clarifying because in having a very strong reaction, it makes clear what is important to you, and sometimes thats the way that that needs to come about.

Aftersun - Credit: A24

A24

Wells on Shooting Digital Video Camcorder Footage

The DV was so special. I remember the first time that we hooked up on set, we did a test of it one afternoon at the end of the day, and it was just Frankie jumping into the pool, the scene where she jumps onto the [inflatable floater], which was quite specifically scripted. And we had playback on a monitor, and youre seeing through this monitor in 2021 at this Turkish hotel on the coast, this image that really looks like it could be from the late 90s, and it is so surreal and its so evocative  at least I think for people of around my age who have a relationship to that type of footage, whose own childhood may be captured to some degree on that format.

It was a really special moment and it was very freeing just to put the camera in the hands of the actors. My DP could stand back and see for the first time in those sequences what was happening on set and it was just a lot of fun. It wasnt as free as I hoped it would be. I had an image of just the actors and me, and in fact, theres still a hundred other people standing around and you still have a sun mixer and a boom operator. But still there was a lot of fun and freedom in those sequences. And there are some in the film that were instances of Paul, Frankie and I just roaming the streets of Oludeniz, the town that we were in. Big Head is the one that ended up in the film where [Calums] saying that she has a big head and she says thats a bit rude. That wasnt scripted. That was just them messing around and they were so fun to capture.

I dont know why I incorporated them into the film. Well, I do. There is a one tape of DV footage of me around that age. Im playing chess with my dad and his friend, and we were all cut off at our collarbone. So it was just everybodys body but not their heads. And its utterly surreal and totally banal. My dad and his friend are having a conversation about work. Music is playing in the background and its just voices, and its so strange to have as a record of that moment, and I found myself writing it into the film.

The opening of the script was the opening of that tape, which is this blurry morphing of white to cream to blue. I assume the cap was on the camera and different objects were passing in front of it. And I just wrote exactly as I saw, and it evolved on the page and it seemed insane. But it also was this amazing tool for point of view and allowed each character to see one another and then to see playback of the others direct point of view. And it was just a really interesting addition to that aspect of the film and also provided story or anchor points for memory. Like, these are things that happened at one point. I wondered about shooting that footage with different actors, which I think wouldve been insane, which is why I didnt do it. But those are the kind of ideas floating through my head about how you separate this record of fact, even though [its] seen through one persons eye.

Aftersun - Credit: Courtesy of A24

Courtesy of A24

Wells on Creating Texture in the Film

I think to do that well, like Edward Yang, in looking at images from, Yi Yi, those are just so perfectly captured and designed and the time that must go into setting those shots up cannot be underestimated, which I think ultimately we did, and theyre the first thing to go. They seem unimportant. People are quick to strike them from the shot list as you move through your day and arent capturing what you need. But you do need them, and it is difficult to find the time to capture images that are so important to the texture of the film. And I always saw images like that as existing kind of out of time in many cases, and are so integral to this idea of memory. You know, you lost your bag in a grassy area as you walk to a corridor to reach your hotel room, and somehow that bag is still there because where else would it be? It was interesting working out how that fit together once we got into the edit.

The Filmmaker Toolkit podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and Stitcher. The music used in this podcast is from the Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present score, courtesy of composer Nathan Halpern.

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As a result of missile strikes on Odesa region, a critical infrastructure object was hit, three people were injured, Odesa Regional State Administration reported.

"This morning, the enemy launched a massive missile strike across the country. Odesa region also suffered. As a result of rocket attacks, two cruise missiles hit an object of critical infrastructure of Odesa region. Three victims are receiving medical assistance," it said in a post on Facebook.
Connecticut Childrens saved a baby who had open heart surgery. Doctors now have a new hybrid OR and plan to improve the lives of many more.

For baby Ellis Schwartz-Mosca and his parents Alyse and Mike, it was a very special day at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center.

The hospital this week unveiled its new pediatric hybrid catheterization laboratory and operating room, which allows surgery, interventional cardiology and radiology in one place. The new space gives specialists the opportunity to give surgical care that is safer, faster, and of the highest quality, hospital officials said.

The equipment includes advanced radiology and electrophysiology technology, X-ray, a three-dimensional electro-anatomic mapping system, fluoroscopy, or live X-Ray, ultrasound and echocardiology, said Dr. Shai Upadhyay, Connecticut Childrens division head for cardiology.

The most impressive thing is that imaging can be performed in the hybrid OR just before the surgery to help plan the procedure. It can be done during the surgery to identify the important anatomy and the disease. And after the surgery to evaluate the results of the surgery or the interventions, he said.

While all the technology in medicine is impressive, we always know that the most important are the children whose future is shaped by this space, he said.

Children just like baby Ellis Schwartz-Mosca.

According to Upadhyay, Oct. 27 will mark the one year anniversary of when Ellis had the worlds first and smallest mechanical heart valve implanted in his heart at the hospital.

While he has recovered well, Ellis will eventually require two future surgeries, once his heart grows big enough. By that time, the valve will need to be replaced and he will be able to get those vital procedures done in the new hybrid OR room.

The babys father, Mike Schwartz-Mosca, said that when his wife, Alyse, was 20 weeks pregnant, they went to have their anatomy scan, where they found an abnormality with Ellis heart.

Their healthcare team referred them to Connecticut Childrens, where they discovered it was an extremely serious issue: a condition called critical aortic stenosis and that parts of the left side of Ellis heart were too small. To survive, Ellis would need intensive care from the moment he was born, and a heart procedure within a few days, hospital staff said.

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Over the next few months, they monitored the pregnancy very closely kept the parents updated on how it was progressing.

As soon as Ellis was born, hospital staff whisked him away to have his first procedure, which was a balloon valvuloplasty, which uses a long, thin catheter and placed a tiny balloon in Ellis aortic valve and inflated it, opening the valve to allow more blood to flow through it to Ellis brain and body, according to hospital staff.

After Ellis recovery for three weeks at the hospital, he was sent home. However, by the third week, the parents knew that something was not right with their son and said they took him back to the hospital.

They were told then that Ellis had heart failure and that doctors had to perform open heart surgery, which the parents had tried to avoid, although they knew it was a looming possibility that he would need, if the valvuloplasty did not work out.

We were told they were going to do a Ross-Konno procedure open heart surgery, where they moved his pulmonary valve into the spot where the aortic valve is and made a new pulmonary valve with a whole new graph, Alyse Schwartz-Mosca said.

While doctors knew that Ellis mitral valve was not healthy, his mother said that they were hoping that the procedure would be enough. However, while recovering from the procedure, three weeks later, things were still not going well for the baby, she said

He wasnt eating and gaining weight. So thats when they replaced his mitral valve. We were so glad to hear his voice. They replaced his mitral valve with the smallest mechanical valve ever, 15 millimeters, about the size of a dime. And here he is now and all of that took place in the first two months of his life, she said.

We now know that having this new hybrid OR would have made a procedure like his, if it needed to go to open heart surgerythat they would have been able to keep him in one place and just move around some other people, she said. So it sounds like having this new hybrid OR can really, really save a lot of childrens lives without having any time in between.

Connecticut Childrens COO Bob Duncan said that Ellis is one of an untold number of children who are going to have a chance and a healthier future, due to the work of their expert surgeons and now what can be done in the new hybrid OR.

Today is an amazing and exciting day in the history of Connecticut Childrens Hospital and in the history of Connecticut, he said about the facility opening. But more importantly for childrens health.

Here at Connecticut Childrens, we always strive to do whats best for kids. And to do that, we have to think big. And we have to think innovative. And in my  opinion is something we do very well here. This [hybrid OR] room does it all. More importantly, it will make a substantial impact on the lives and the health of children, he said.

Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Christine Finck said that having the new hybrid OR means that children should not be treated as little adults, but are in need of specialized care.

Here at Connecticut Childrens we are going to be able to deliver that care in this special room, she said. Were going to be able to combine state of the art imaging technology with routine procedures such as open surgical procedures or minimally invasive procedures. This is fantastic.

This means that we can improve precision and the care that we give to children  she said.

Finck said the two-in-one surgery, supported by advanced real time imaging is what defines hybrid.

Hybrid means that you can go from imaging to surgery back to imaging. And whats going to happen [is] our kids are going to get the best care ever, she said.
Christopher Deluzio's campaign; Rebecca Droke/AP Photo; Insider

Democrat Christopher Deluzio is running against Republican Jeremy Shaffer in Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District.

The 17th District is located in the Pittsburgh suburbs.

Both candidates are being heavily backed by their national parties' campaign arms.

Democrat Christopher Deluzio faces off against Republican Jeremy Shaffer in Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District.

Rep. Conor Lamb, who currently represents the district, gave up his seat to pursue the Democratic nomination for the US Senate seat soon to be vacated by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. But Lamb lost the Democratic primary to Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District candidates

Deluzio, Lamb's Democratic replacement, is an Iraq War veteran and voting rights attorney. After returning from his deployments, including a tour in Iraq, Deluzio received his law degree from Georgetown Law and clerked for a federal judge. He then went on to work at the Brennan Center for Justice on the voting rights and election security teams and later served as the policy director at Pitt Cyber.

Deluzio handily defeated his opponent Sean Meloy in the Democratic primary, bringing in nearly two-thirds of the vote. He was added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red to Blue" program, designed to bolster campaigns in attempts to flip the district from Republican to Democratic control.

Shaffer, Deluzio's challenger, is a former Ross Township commissioner and board president. He was endorsed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and named to the "On the Radar" list as part of the National Republican Congressional Committee's Young Guns program.

Voting history for Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District

Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District encompasses the Pittsburgh suburbs of Mt. Lebanon, Penn Hills, and all of Republican-leaning Beaver County.

President Joe Biden had a near 3 percentage point margin of victory under the district's previous boundaries in 2020  before it was redrawn to take in a chunk of suburban Allegheny County in redistricting following the 2020 Census, making it slightly more Democratic.

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The money race

According to OpenSecrets, Deluzio has raised $2.8 million, spent $2.7 million, and has $103,802 of cash on hand, as of October 19. His opponent, Shaffer, has raised $2.5 million, spent $1.8 million, and has $663,164 of cash still left to spend, as of October 19.

Through early November, super PACs, national party committees, and other non-candidate groups have combined to spend about $18 million to advocate for or against the candidates.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, National Republican Campaign Committee, GOP-backing super PAC Congressional Leadership Fund, and Democrat-backing hybrid PAC House Majority PAC are the top spenders in the race.

What experts say

The race between Deluzio and Shaffer is rated as a "toss-up" by Inside Elections, a "toss-up" by The Cook Political Report, and a "toss-up" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Read the original article on Business Insider
This story has been updated to reflect an updated itinerary.

First lady Jill Biden will be visiting Rhode Island on Wednesday, Oct. 26, to campaign for Gov. Dan McKee in his bid for reelection, as well as Seth Magaziner in his campaign to represent the Second Congressional District.

According to a press release from the Office of the First Lady, she will be visiting Rhode Island College with McKee and his wife that afternoon before heading to a political event for McKee and the state Democratic Party. From that event she will make an appearance at a campaign event for Magaziner.

She will then deliver a prerecorded message at the Handshake's nationwide virtual event that, according to the press release, aims to help undergraduate students find a pathway into the education field.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Jill Biden in RI: First Lady will campaign for Gov. Dan McKee
This story is part of an occasional Granite State News Collaborative series focusing on immigration issues and the experiences of immigrants settling in New Hampshire, including what it's like seeking asylum here and finding work as an immigrant  the challenges involved, as well as efforts underway to help remove barriers and create more opportunities for advancement.

In a tight labor market, employers have been proposing some novel ways to fill positions. According to Andrew Cullen, career service manager at the International Institute of New England in Manchester, one manufacturing company is considering providing a van on a temporary basis for a group of potential employees that need transportation in order to work.

We've had a lot of employers reaching out to us, looking for help filling labor shortages, Cullen said.

The Institute helps immigrants and refugees settle in the U.S.  connecting them with services and helping them to find housing and employment. They need help with transition, they need help with transportation, those are big barriers for our people, said Henry Harris, managing director at the Institute.

'I came here for freedom': New U.S. citizens welcomed in naturalization ceremony

Employers have become creative in working to remove those barriers, Harris said, helping with transportation and English lessons, in some cases. It's sort of a new conversation for employers, he said. It's always been an employers' market. Usually they're batting away people. In this case it's more like, wow, we've put a lot of ads out there and we've interviewed a lot of people and we just keep falling short.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, among the factors contributing to the widespread workforce shortage is a decline in immigration and certain longstanding issues, including limited numbers of employment-based visa options. The U.S Chamber of Commerce refers to these as antiquated, arbitrary quotas that make it incredibly difficult for companies across a host of industries to meet their workforce needs.

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Under the Trump administration, refugee admissions dropped to the lowest levels since the resettlement program was established. The program also was on pause for a time due to the pandemic. The Biden administration has revised the limit, increasing the number to 125,000 for FY 2022, up from 15,000 in FY 2021, though the projected number of arrivals is far lower, between 23,000 and 25,000. The limit for FY 2023 has been set at 125,000. For FY 2022, through August, 221 refugees were resettled in New Hampshire, according to the Refugee Processing Center.

Commentary: Strafford County jail rallies end, asylum fight goes on

As an aging state, New Hampshire is in need of workers, Harris said. So businesses are looking to fill a lot of positions, and immigrants and refugees have that ability; they're motivated to work, they need to work to survive because they're really starting over in some cases, he said. So it is nice when you've got a pipeline of motivated people, and when you have a conversation with certain employers and say, 'It's an investment, can you carve out some time to include English classes on site, so maybe an hour a day, or every other day, you can hold some English classes?'

N.H. Ball Bearings in Peterborough helped arrange carpooling for several refugees they hired in recent months, providing a weekly gas stipend to an employee who drives several co-workers to work.

I think it behooves all employers to take a look at different opportunities to try to get people through their doors, and to remove any burdens, said Thomas Johndrow, director of human resources at N.H. Ball Bearings. If we can afford to do it, we should be looking at that.

Navigating a complex system

Nneka Cullen came to the U.S. from Nigeria in 2016 to pursue a master's degree in peace and conflict studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She has since earned two master's degrees, including an MBA and, after working in a charter school with special needs students, she is now a case worker at the International Institute in Manchester.

Cullen was able to obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which allowed her to work on a temporary basis in the U.S. When she married an American citizen  Andrew Cullen  she was able to apply for a Green Card, entitling her to permanently live and work in the U.S. At one point, Cullen said, she needed the help of an immigration lawyer to navigate a process that can be all the more confusing when language is an issue. Cullen speaks English, which is the official language of Nigeria.

In addition to learning English, immigrants and refugees often need help navigating cultural differences, Cullen said. It's a lot of work trying to get accustomed to the American culture, she said. And employers can help by learning something about the journeys of their immigrant employees, she said. Having an understanding of where your employees come from and their culture, even asking questions, trying to understand, it definitely goes a long way, she said. I think that's important for a good work environment for immigrants and refugees.

More: Afghan refugee family's new home in Portsmouth prepared with love by volunteers

Philip Aguot settled in Manchester about 20 years ago after fleeing war in Sudan. Like many refugees, he did not have a car when he arrived, which made it difficult to get a job. But Aguot had some advantages  he had a high school degree and he had studied English. Still, he said, You have to struggle for a little time  for you to understand people and for people to understand you.

Aguot worked in a variety of industries, including textile and food processing, and earned an M.B.A. He now works for a high-tech defense contractor. Aguot also works for the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success (ORIS) as a bilingual case manager and employment specialist. I got help, so I have to do the same, he said. Aguot works with employers and applicants, sometimes serving as interpreter during job interviews. ORIS provides a wide range of services, Aguot said, helping with computer skills and immigration paperwork, as well as connecting people with English lessons.

We sit with them and see what their work history is, he said. Are they looking for the same industry or do they want to upgrade their skills and have special training? We connect them with all of that  what they need to upgrade their skills or write their resume if they don't have one, how to fill out your applications online.

Some people he helps must work two jobs to support a family and make car payments, he said. It can be a struggle in those circumstances to set time aside for education and even something as seemingly basic as learning English.

Learning about rights and responsibilities

In the first few weeks after immigrants and refugees arrive in Manchester, Andrew Cullen meets with them to assess their needs and skills. We also ask about their education, work history, and any career goal, he said. Sometimes, clients are coming from a traumatic experience. They're not thinking long term, they're thinking right here in the now. Other people had careers at home and they want to pick that up here.

Immigrants and refugees are eligible for services with the Institute for five years. We need to definitely empower them, and that involves resume building, building credit, building generational wealth, he said. The goal is to get everyone self-sufficient.

Cullen also informs employers on what they are required to do when it comes to the intricacies of documentation. Employers may be unaware, for instance, that refugees are allowed to work even if their work authorization is still in process, he said.

Orientation for employees includes learning about their rights and about discrimination, he said, about how people can and cannot treat them and what they should do if they encounter this. Afghanistan arrivals, for instance, needed to be informed about their rights when it comes to prayer in the workplace, Cullen said.

Institute staff also advocate for workers after they start a job, he said, in some cases addressing complaints about feeling unfairly treated.

Thankfully we haven't had this situation occur, but, if necessary, we'll get our legal team or find the right legal sources to address the concern, because we have to be the biggest advocate for our clients and that means also helping them advocate for themselves, he said.

The Institute has also been placing greater emphasis on helping people advance and improve their skills, he said, after recognizing that too often clients were still in entry-level positions after their allotted five years working with the Institute. The organization has developed partnerships that offer training for such careers as LNAs and offers programs that emphasize the vocabulary needed for particular jobs.

At N.H. Ball Bearings, advancement is also a goal but language barriers can slow progress, said Thomas Johndrow, director of human resources. Their learning curve takes a bit longer, he said. We are more than willing to bring them along and train them and give them a chance to progress through our company, but they have to learn the new job before they can move on. So it does take a little bit longer.

Translating skills and degrees

In some cases, people arrive with advanced degrees and extensive work experience but must start from the beginning for various reasons.

It's a struggle, Nneka Cullen said. The jobs you can apply to are really limited. And not all employers want to deal with the paperwork involved, she said. You have to just stay with what you can get and get whatever income you can get with your status.

Someone with a medical degree from another country, for instance, might have trouble transferring that degree to an American accreditation system. Or they learned something in a different language and they really have to learn English before they can apply the skills, said Bill Maddocks, who teaches Organizational Management and Leadership in the UNH Carsey School Master's in Community Development Program. He works as a consultant on racial justice and economic development initiatives and worked for more than 16 years in Sub-Saharan Africa on economic development initiatives.

There could be, and should be, more recognition of the existing skills people come with to this country, as opposed to pushing them to start at the bottom and work their way up, he said. And that would obviously solve problems for employers because they're looking for skilled people, for people who have the ability to make a contribution and advance within their organization.

Maddocks has seen some progress when it comes to creating welcoming work environments for immigrants and refugees in New Hampshire. That commitment within an organization really has to be more than just clicking some boxes and saying we've done implicit bias training and we're all set with that, he said. It's really about transforming the organization internally, in terms of people's own acceptance of people that are different from themselves, and being able to work alongside someone who might come from a very different culture or racial or religious background.

Businesses in need of workers, a system in need of reform

Under the U.S. employment-based immigrant visa program, employers can apply to bring foreign workers who fit certain preference immigrant categories to work permanently in the U.S. These include certain workers of extraordinary or outstanding ability and people with certain advanced degrees and bachelor's degrees.

Typically, the employer is required to advertise these job openings locally, under a set of strict criteria, to determine if any Americans qualify for the position; employers must give Americans first preference over foreign workers.

As Manchester-based immigration attorney and former U.S. Ambassador George Bruno describes it, the application with supporting evidence may be several inches thick, entail thousands of dollars in application fees, undergo extensive government database vetting, and can take up to a year for processing by USCIS. If successful, the candidate gets a "green card" and becomes a "Lawful Permanent Resident" of the United States.

Alternatively, some employers seek temporary nonimmigrant workers under the H-1B program. Since FY 2014, the H-1B annual quota has been reached within 10 days of the start of the application period, on April 1st, according to Bruno.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has argued that low annual visa caps make it "incredibly difficult for companies across a host of industries to meet their workforce needs." In FY 2021, less than one out of every three individuals seeking an employment-based visa succeeded in obtaining one.

The H-1B program also has an unrealistically low quota, said Bruno, at 85,000 visas granted annually by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with 20,000 of these set aside for workers with master's degrees. By law, 6,800 petitions are reserved for Singapore and China under a free-trade agreement. In FY 2022, there were about 308,000 petitions. That means employers have a little less than one in four chances of making it through the first step of the application process  before merits or qualifications can even be considered, Bruno said.

Bruno's law firm, Mesa Law, LLC, in Manchester, submitted five H-1B applications for an Indian restaurant chain in the Boston area seeking to hire a chef trained in south Indian cuisine. None made it through the lottery

So now the restaurant is in a position where it can't hire any Americans because American chefs are typically not familiar with south India cuisine. And the restaurant is in a position now to have to cut back its hours and reduce its staff, he said. It wanted to expand, so it creates a very difficult economic situation for this one business. It's in dire straits. A lot of other businesses find themselves in similar positions. And that can affect the local economy, he said. A Derry restaurant his firm worked with had a similar experience seeking a chef trained in Caribbean cuisine.

In addition, Bruno said, employers seeking to hire seasonal workers under the H-2B program face difficulties finding enough workers for kitchen staff, landscaping, and apple-picking, he said. "It's extremely difficult for the resort industry, which of course affects the economy of New Hampshire and all New England states.

If there's anything that typifies the system these days is that it's becoming more bureaucratic  there are more steps and hoops to jump through, Bruno said. It's becoming more expensive and it's taking much longer to get a work application through." The system needs a serious overhaul, he said.

Given the long-standing political stalemate over immigration reform, that overhaul could be a long way off. Meanwhile, immigrants and refugees who make it through the system find that the American Dream they had in mind can at times feel elusive. You get here and try to achieve that dream and it might not be as easy as you thought, Nneka Cullen said. It doesn't just happen overnight. Reality kind of hits you.

Philip Aguot encourages the immigrants and refugees he works with to have faith that things will eventually get easier. Somebody like me, we can say, 'Don't worry, you will be fine. We went through all of this' he said. And that gives them hope that they will be fine..

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative as part of our Race and Equity Initiative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Immigrants and refugees in NH help to fill labor shortages
A Milwaukee County judge on Friday denied a Republican Party of Wisconsin request to stop the city of Milwaukee from continuing a get-out-the-vote effort that the city argues it neither runs nor funds.

Judge Gwen Connolly wrote that the arguments made by the party and Milwaukee voter Elizabeth Burke were "deficient" and that issuing such an order would chill constitutionally protected free speech.

The lawsuit was one of two filed by the Republican Party of Wisconsin and other plaintiffs in the weeks after Mayor Cavalier Johnson made comments Sept. 12 about an initiative dubbed "Milwaukee Votes 2022" and referenced door-to-door canvassing funded by the "private sector." Johnson's spokesman then said the campaign conducting the canvassing is privately funded, and the city's association was "limited to the mayor voicing support for the work."

The first lawsuit, which centered on an open records request, was dismissed earlier this month after the party said it had received the requested records from the Milwaukee Election Commission and Mayors Office related to the get-out-the-vote effort.

In the second lawsuit, filed Sept. 28, Burke and Republicans argued that though Milwaukee Votes 2022 is a purportedly nonpartisan get-out-the-vote effort, the city would partner with an organization, GPS Impact, that openly works to elect Democratic candidates and advance progressive causes.

"Defendants' partnership with a private, partisan organization to get out the vote compromises the integrity of the upcoming November 2022 election, and harms the Republican Party of Wisconsin," they wrote. "It also devalues the vote of ... Burke."

They requested that Connolly issue a temporary injunction that would prevent the city in the lead-up to the Nov. 8 election "from continuing Milwaukee Votes 2022, or, alternatively, enjoining defendants from working with partisan groups such as GPS Impact in furtherance of this initiative."

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The city responded by calling the claims "frivolous" and "completely without merit."

The city argued the legal standards cited by Republicans either did not apply to Johnson, who was listed as a defendant along with the city government, or could not be enforced by the plaintiffs. The city in its response also said it was not running or funding the initiative, nor did it have the authority to stop others who were not part of the lawsuit from participating in it.

"While the plaintiffs may have 'significant concerns as to whether the City has been or will be administering the upcoming November 8, 2022, election in accordance with Wisconsin law,' such concerns do not equate to a violation of the law," Connolly wrote.

She found that the Republican Party and Burke had not identified any specific law related to government transparency that was supposedly violated, "in essence, asking this Court to make new law and retroactively impose the law on the defendants in order to ameliorate their 'significant concerns.' The Court is unwilling to do so."

The lawsuits come as hotly contested races for governor and U.S. Senate are on the ballot in November.

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: Judge denies Republican Party request in GOTV lawsuit against Milwaukee
The post Kanye West Hires Johnny Depps Lawyer Camille Vasquez Amidst Business Fallout appeared first on Consequence.

As business partners distant themselves following his latest public meltdown, Kanye West has reportedly hired Camille Vasquez, the lawyer who helped Johnny Depp win his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard, to represent his interests.

TMZ first reported that West hired Vasquez, a partner at the national law firm Brown Rudnick who became a sought-after rep for embattled celebrities after helping Depp win his case. The news comes after the rapper was dropped by Balenciaga following a slew of antisemitic comments he made on social media and in recently unearthed clips of his interview with Tucker Carlson. His comments  including a Tweet where he threatened to Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE  have also cost him a relationship with JPMorgan Chase, and his relationship with adidas is currently under review.

West is also the target of a defamation lawsuit of his own: After claiming that George Floyd died of fentanyl and was not actually murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin, Roxie Washington, the mother of Floyds daughter, Gianna, prepared a $250 million suit against West, his business partners, and his associates for harassment, misappropriation, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress.

Kanyes slide into antisemitism and general right wing insanity has prompted the rapper to announce his intention to buy the conservative social media platform Parler. Notably, Parlers CEO is George Farmer, the husband of conservative pundit Candace Owens who recently joined Ye in wearing White Lives Matter shirts at Paris Fashion Week.

So, clearly, Vasquez has her work cut out for her.

Kanye West Hires Johnny Depps Lawyer Camille Vasquez Amidst Business Fallout

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TOKYO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 26: Princess Mako (not pictured), the elder daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, and her husband Kei Komuro, a university friend of Princess Mako, deliver a speech during a press conference to announce their wedding at Grand Arc Hotel on October 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Princess Mako married Kei Komuro today at a registry office following a relationship beset with controversy following the revelation that Mr Komuros mother was embroiled in a financial dispute with a former fiance. Following the wedding, Mako will renounce her royal entitlements and move with Komuro to New York. (Photo by Nicolas Datiche - Pool/Getty Images)

Nicolas Datiche - Pool/Getty

There's officially some royal order in the court.

After three attempts, Japan's former Princess Mako's husband, Kei Komuro, passed the N.Y. State bar exam, according to results posted online.

Komuro, 31, the husband of the one-time princess who relinquished her titles for love, successfully passed his bar exam on his third try after he retook the test back in July.

According to Japanese news outlet NHK, Komuro confirmed the news on a phone call with his former employer.

RELATED: Japan's Former Princess Mako Lands New Job in N.Y.C. After Giving Up Titles to Marry for Love

The broadcaster quoted Tokyo-based attorney Okuno Yoshihiko as saying he received a call on Friday, in which Komuro expressed his gratitude to his mentor. "This time, he passed," Okuno said, adding that Komuro expressed gratitude and pride in becoming "a member of the lawyers' community" and pledged "to study harder as a lawyer."

Komuro, who currently clerks in a New York firm, was also quoted as telling his former boss: "I'm really happy. Thank you very much."

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi/AP/Shutterstock (13484511a) Japan's Princess Mako and her fiance Kei Komuro look at each other during a press conference at Akasaka East Residence in Tokyo on . Komuro has passed the New York bar exam, defying detractors back home who had criticized their romance Former Princess, Tokyo, Japan - 03 Sep 2017

Shizuo Kambayashi/AP/Shutterstock

RELATED: Japan's Former Princess Mako Steps Out with Husband After Giving up Her Titles and Moving to N.Y.C.

Approximately 9,600 candidates, including repeat applicants, sat during the July exam earlier this year.

According to the N.Y. State Board of Law Examiners, 6,350 of them passed. The success rate for first-time takers was 85 percent and 23 percent for repeat candidates.

Komuro, who attended law school at New York's Fordham University Law, has been serving as a legal assistant since his May 2021 graduation.

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Komuro and the niece of Emperor Naruhito were married last October in an unconventionally low-profile service. The couple left the country immediately following the service, relocating to Manhattan.

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The pair first met while attending a study-abroad event at a Tokyo restaurant in Shibuya, a district in the city. They were both students at the International Christian University in Tokyo at the time.

The royal household announced the couple's decision to wed in September 2017. The date was postponed, however, following a controversy involving Komuro's mother and a former fiance, who financed Komuro's education.

RELATED VIDEO: Princess Mako Officially Leaves Her Royal Status to Marry a Commoner with a 'Bright Smile'

Because Japanese law requires a princess to "leave the imperial family upon marriage to a commoner," former Princess Mako, 30, relinquished her royal titles to marry Komuro during their fall 2021 wedding.

Amid the controversy surrounding their marriage, Mako skipped the traditional rites and also refused a $1.3 million government payout traditionally paid to women losing royal status when they wed.

Following their low-profile marriage, the Emperor's niece moved to the U.S., and in April it was reported that the former princess, who holds a master's degree from England Leicester University in Gallery Arts, was working as an unpaid volunteer at a New York museum.
Kevin Spacey may have escaped the New York frying pan, but next summer hell have to contend with a London fire.

Spacey was all smiles this week when a civil jury found him not liable for battery against Rent actor Anthony Rapp, who accused him of an unwanted sexual advance in 1986. Rapp, who was 14 at the time of the alleged encounter, was seeking $40 million from the former House of Cards actor.

But the worst-case scenario for Spacey had he lost that case would have been settling up whatever award the jury may have granted Rapp, who, on Friday, said his case was never about money, but shining a light.

pic.twitter.com/JrvFBbSMjq  Anthony Rapp SAG-AFTRA National & NY Board Member (@albinokid) October 20, 2022

Now Spacey and his defense team turn their attention to accusations in the U.K., which will be tried in a criminal court. Spacey has so far made good on his pledge to appear in person when summoned to the London bar, where he pleaded not guilty and strenuously denied the allegations this summer.

One man alleges two incidents from 2005, while a second claims he was a victim in 2008; both took place in London. The fourth accusation comes from a third man claiming he was assaulted in Gloucestershire in 2013.

The incidents amount to four counts of sexual assault, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The London Metropolitan Police reviewed the evidence and delivered it to the Crown Prosecution Service, which filed the charges this summer.

A three- to four-week trial was scheduled in London for June 6, 2023. It wasnt immediately clear what kind of sentence Spacey would face if convicted  but significant detention is all but assured.

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Also Read:

Kevin Spacey Found Not Liable in Anthony Rapp Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Spacey has been granted unconditional bail, in part because he needed to be in New York to face Rapps civil action. Though his victory will surely be disallowed as evidence in U.K. court, it cant hurt to have jurors and court officers who know hes already prevailed once against sex-assault allegations.

I am confident I will prove my innocence, Spacey said in light of the London charges, long before the Rapp trial even began.

Spacey had faced a separate criminal case in Massachusetts that was abruptly dropped in 2019 because the man who accused him withdrew the charge. The man claimed Spacey touched him inappropriately in 2016 when he was 18.

Between that and the Rapp verdict, Spacey certainly goes to London with a wind at his back. Multiple prospective jurors in the several #MeToo-related cases have openly expressed that they are disinclined to believe older allegations, or to convict without physical or DNA evidence (none of the jurors who expressed those views wound up on jury panels).

If Spacey beats the U.K. charges, he will have cleared out all standing legal matters he currently faces and could even get back to acting. Though with more than a dozen accusers now having come forward  including Rapp, the U.K. accuser and others who have not pursued the allegations in court  his reputation may have to stick to playing villains.

Also Read:

5 Years After #MeToo, 4 Hollywood Men Face Trials This Month, From Harvey Weinstein to Kevin Spacey
A Venezuelan migrant said he received hundreds of dollars in payments to help coordinate flights part of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis migrant plane trip program, the Miami Herald reported on Friday.

The mans claim comes more than a month after DeSantis sent roughly 50 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, via planes from Texas to Marthas Vineyard.

The move, which Democrats criticized as a shameful political stunt, has led to multipleinvestigations into the trip along withlawsuits.

The man  who identified himself as Emmanuel  told the newspaper that Perla Huerta, the U.S. Army veteran who reportedly lured migrants onto planes for the stunt last month, recruited him to distribute her business cards to migrants in Texas.

Huerta  who worked for the DeSantis official-linked aviation company that Florida paid over $1.56 million  paid Emmanuel $700 for his work that included haircuts for migrants who were waiting for Marthas Vineyard flights, the Miami Herald reported.

Emmanuels business card distribution, the newspaper noted, was to gauge migrants interest in flights to Illinois and Delaware, a plan that was later called off following news of an investigation into the DeSantis program.

Emmanuel, who said he does not have a permit to work in the United States, turned to Huerta to see if she could help him out with a paid gig, the newspaper reported.

Huertas reported payments to Emmanuel could come in contrast with a Florida state law that requires government contractors and subcontractors to register with and use the federal E-Verify system to verify the work authorization status of all newly hired employees, the law states.

The law also states that subcontractors who enter into a contract with a contractor must provide contractors with an affidavit that states the subcontractor does not employ, contract with, or subcontract with an unauthorized alien.

NEW: A migrant unable to legally work in U.S. was paid to help coordinate Gov. Ron DeSantis migrant flights, putting the Republican governors high-profile political gambit in conflict with his push to crack down on undocumented labor.https://t.co/I3dNed4i2N w/ @Blaskey_S  Ana Ceballos (@anaceballos_) October 21, 2022

The Miami Herald pointed to comments then-gubernatorial candidate DeSantis made in 2018 where he called to require all employers to use E-Verify.

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Assuring a legal workforce through E-Verify will be good for the rule of law, protect taxpayers, and place an upward pressure on the wages of Floridians who work in blue collar jobs, DeSantis said during an address to politicians.

The Florida Legislature eventually passed a measure that would lead to the law that requires public employers, not private, and private contractors to use the system.

HuffPost has reached out to DeSantis office for further comment on the report.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Niceville officials were joined by community leaders this week for the unveiling of a new mural near the entrance to the Turkey Creek Nature Trail Park on John Sims Parkway.

The semi-circular mural, which is about 40 feet wide and stands 7 to 8 feet tall, serves as a sort of welcome sign to motorists entering the city from the west.

Niceville City Councilmember Cathy Alley, who helped shepherd the mural project from the start, said the criteria for the project was that "it had to have Niceville in the mural itself and had to depict the history of Niceville."

More from Niceville: Niceville's HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital will double ER capacity with $8.5M project

Niceville city officials, staff and community leaders gathered Monday to celebrate the improvements to Turkey Creek Nature Trail, which included new viewing platforms and a handicap-accessible kayak and canoe launch.

Local artist Janae Erickson was selected to create the mural and, as it turns out, she had a long, rich history to draw from.

The town currently known as Niceville, began as a settlement on Boggy Bayou and was originally known as "Boggy." It is one of the area's oldest settlements, with U.S. Mail service established in 1868. Niceville incorporated as a city May 25, 1939.

Erickson's mural features the city's name in large letters along with visual references to Niceville's historical timber, ship-building and fishing industries, as well as references to its modern-day connections to Eglin Air Force Base and Northwest Florida Community College.

Niceville unveiled a new mural Monday near the Turkey Creek Nature Trail Park on John Sims Parkway.

And while the mural may not last as long as the city has, Alley said it was designed to be repairable. Niceville city workers first built the monument-style wall the mural sits on and then Accent Signs printed Erickson's artwork onto vinyl, which was then adhered to the wall's surface.

That way, Alley said, "if someone came and damaged the wall, they could take a panel out and replace it."

Alley said city crews are still landscaping the mural project, which will eventually have up-lighting so it will visible at night.

A new mural unveiled Monday in Niceville features images from the city's long history.

Those gathered Monday also celebrated the completion of a new handicap-accessible kayak and canoe launch at the nearby Turkey Creek Nature Trail Park, which was also built by city workers.

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The boat launch is at the south end of Turkey Creek Nature Trail, directly behind the park's office. There is also another kayak/canoe launch slip at the creek's northern end, off of College Boulevard. There are picnic pavilions and restrooms at each end of the park and a 1-mile-long boardwalk runs along the creek connecting the two.

The Turkey Creek Nature Trail boardwalk opens at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closing times are seasonal and are posted at the facility. Niceville provides free rides for senior citizens and residents with disabilities.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Niceville mural near Turkey Creek Nature Trail draws on city's history
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the allocation of humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the amount of $100 million, the press service of the UAE Permanent Mission to the UN reports.

The international community must step up its support to alleviate the suffering of civilians and ensure that their basic needs are covered. To this end, the UAE announced $100 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine earlier this week, a message posted on Saturday reads.

As reported, on October 17, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a conversation with head of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Daniele Venturelli

Director Paul Haggis legal team sought to discredit an ex-publicist who has accused the Canadian filmmaker of raping her in 2013, arguing in court Friday that she sent him flirtatious emails.

Haleigh Breest, who alleged that Haggis forced her to perform oral sex and raped her at his SoHo loft after a movie premiere in January 2013, took the stand for the second straight day at a New York courthouse this morning.

Attorneys for Haggis opened their cross-examination by quizzing Haleigh Breest on her sex life and drinking habits, and seized on her tendency to use exclamation points and the sign-off phrase xx in her emails.

Priya Chaudhry, lead counsel for Haggis, began her direct examination by asking Breest about her first sexual encounter with a man staying at her hostel in Iceland in 2011.

At one point, Chaudhry asked Breest what her definition of flirtation wasbefore asking if shed only flirt with men with whom she had a romantic interest.

I think that, on occasion, Ive probably flirted with people where theres no romantic interest, possibly, Breest told the court Friday.

Breest testified multiple times since taking the stand Wednesday that she had no sexual feelings for Haggis.

Breest testified that she may have been a bit drunk the night she claims the 69-year-old Million Dollar Baby writer raped her following an afterparty for the premiere screening of the 2013 thriller Side Effects, an event at which shed been working.

She acknowledged Haggis wasnt aware of her alleged intoxication, but she was adamant she wasnt inebriated. Breest testified she met Haggis through the course of her work as a publicist, in which she had photographed and produced Hollywood A-lister events the screenwriter attended.

Paul Haggis, Oscar winner of Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay for Crash. Toni Anne Barson Archive

In October 2012, months prior to the alleged incident, Breest emailed Haggis, telling him we miss seeing you, referring to the events she was coordinating while employed as a publicist by New Yorks Cinema Society. She asked him how long hed be in Italy and how current projects were going.

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This is just you reaching out to say hello? Chaudhry questioned her in court.

Breest replied, stating the correspondence was a routine and purely a professional touchpoint email.

In the email thread, screenshots of which were displayed for the jury, Haggis replied telling her hed be returning to New York in December.

Awesome to hear! Looking forward to seeing you around the holidays, perfect time to get back to New York! Breest wrote in response. Good luck with the shooting!!

Later in the afternoon, Haggis defense team directed a drawn-out barrage of pointed questions to Breest about her exact movements inside Haggis apartmentat times displaying images of the screenwriters kitchen and guest bedroom where the sexual assault allegedly occurredin an apparent attempt to undermine the explosive testimony she delivered on Thursday.

I thought the cross was utterly ineffective and yet appalling, Ilann Maazel, Breests lawyer told The Daily Beast outside court on Friday. Theyre asking her to re-enact the rapeIve never seen anything like it.

On Thursday, Breest testified that Haggis looked like the devil as he forced himself on her prior to the alleged sexual assault at the filmmakers SoHo loft. Her account and testimony of the alleged rape were detailed and at times particularly graphic. She was 26 at the time.

He started jamming himself into my mouth, Breest testified, referring to the moment Haggis allegedly forced oral sex upon her. He was straddling my face and he did it continuously. I was gagging.

Film director Paul Haggis (C) arrives at New York Supreme Court for his trial. ANGELA WEISS

Breest, who described the trial proceedings as re-traumatizing and invasive, told the court how she developed body image issues, suffered recurring flashbacks of her alleged rape, and found herself unable to be alone with men without becoming anxious in the years since her encounter with Haggis.

Breest, who brought her lawsuit against Haggis in 2017, following the rise of the #MeToo movement, also told the jury how her career suffered after reporting the allegations. The 36-year-old lost her job of nearly 10 years at the Cinema Society after her bossand Haggis friend, Andrew Saffirdeclined to hire her again.

It was devastating, she testified Friday morning.

Breest is seeking unspecified damages in the civil suit.

Haggis has long denied the allegations. He maintains the sexual encounter with Breest was consensual. Seth Zuckerman, an attorney representing Haggis, declined to comment as he left court on Friday afternoon.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO

Russia has ordered civilians in Kherson, Ukraine, to evacuate, as Ukrainian forces continue to grind out battlefield gains.

According to the Associated Press, Kremlin-backed officials have told residents to use boat crossings over a major river to move deeper into Russian-held territory. Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, have raised alarms about whether civilians are being forced to take residence in areas controlled by Russiafor strategic rather than humanitarian purposes. Russia has disputed those claims.

The Ukrainian military is working to retake Kherson, which the country lost soon after the conflict began in February. At the time, Russia was expected to quickly dominate Ukraines defenses, but fighting has dragged on for eight months, and Russias military has appeared disorganized and under-supplied.

In September, Russian president Vladimir Putin was forced to order a partial mobilization to replenish his countrys troops.

In a statement to the AP, Oleh Zhdanov, a Ukrainian military expert, insisted that time is on Ukraines side. [It] just needs to wait until Kherson falls into its hands like a ripe apple, because the situation with supplies for the Russian group of forces keeps exacerbating by the day, he said.

Zhdanov added that recapturing Khersona key area for controlling water access in Crimea, the peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014would turn the Kremlins ambitions of conquering more of Ukraines south into dust.

Kherson is a key to the entire southern region, which would allow Ukraine to target key supply routes for the Russian forces. Russians will try to retain control of it using all means, he said.

Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled Kherson region of Ukraine arrive at a railway station in the town of Dzhankoi, Crimea. Alexey Pavlishak

Volodymyr Fesenko, director of the Penta Center for Political Studies in Kyiv, also told the AP that if Russia loses the city, Putin will face reputational losses not only inside the country, but also in the eyes of China, and that could be particularly dangerous for the Kremlin.

By virtue of its importance, some analysts have expressed concern that Russia may try to destroy Kherson instead of surrendering it, including by blowing up a major dam. Russian officials have sought to preemptively blame Ukrainian forces for targeting the dam as part of their counteroffensive.

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As the fighting continues, Ukraine continues to fend off Russian missiles and suicide drones, which have caused substantial damage in recent weeks. And analysts are keeping a close eye on Belarus, where Putin is amassing thousands of soldiers, raising concerns about whether the conflict will further expand.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
What It Is: A Ghost Hunters set visit inside the abandoned St. Ignatius Hospital in Colfax, Washington

Who Tried It: Julie Jordan, PEOPLE Editor at Large

I've experienced my fair share of movie and television set visits over the years but as a lover of all things paranormal, I was ecstatic when Discovery+ and Travel Channel reached out about going to an investigation site for their hit reality series Ghost Hunters.

The latest season, which reunites original team members Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves, Shari DeBenedetti and Dave Tango, includes an episode about the abandoned St. Ignatius Hospital in Colfax, Washington.

Built in 1893, the hospital served patients in Whitman County until it was turned into an assisted living facility in 1964. Unused since 2003, the building was the perfect location for me to meet up with the team and experience a night for myself.

Courtesy Ghost Moms

Courtesy Ghost Moms

After flying into Spokane, I drove about an hour to the small city of Colfax and pulled up to the hospital. The decaying structure looked eerily dark inside, despite a few production lights. Hawes met me outside and safely escorted me up to the second floor where I sat down with the crew to discuss their investigation.

"So much has happened here," says Hawes. "I mean, at one point, you had the mentally insane, then they moved them to a different building. But some of them, because of their issues, forgot where they lived, so they came back. One fell down the elevator shaft and died, another fell out the window and died because the place was abandoned and left open. So many people have come through here."

During the previous night, Gonsalves heard an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) of screams in the hospital in real-time while listening to a digital recorder.

"I'm sitting right next to him," Hawes recalls. "I didn't hear anything but then he plays it back and there are screams."

Courtesy Ghost Moms

Courtesy Ghost Moms Shari DeBenedetti, Jason Hawes, Julie Jordan, Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango

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Hawes founded T.A.P.S. (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) in 1990 after he witnessed what appeared to be a male entity walking before disappearing.

"I never really thought much of the paranormal until I saw something and from there, I was trying to understand how it could be real," he explains. "I just started looking. I started searching out the truth and shortly after, Steve and I met up and we started investigating. I mean, it was funny because we were looking for answers to our own questions. That's how T.A.P.S. became what it is."

As a fan of the show since it first aired in 2004, I appreciate the team's dedication to always try and debunk any activity as non-paranormal.

"I think you're always going to get your skeptics, but the fact of the matter is, we've always been about keeping it real," says Hawes. "You call me into your house to figure out if you have a haunting, you might not like what I tell you, but I'm not there to be your friend. I'm there because you called me in for help. And all of these guys and girls think the same way."

Courtesy Ghost Moms

Courtesy Ghost Moms

"We're on the same page," says Tango, who became intrigued with the paranormal after having an experience where he sensed an energy in a cold spot. "We know what we're doing here. We're all doing it for the same reasons, the right reasons. And that's how I look at it as well."

Adds Gonsalves: "Some of our highest rated shows, or at least most memorable for a lot of our fans, are shows when we don't even find anything paranormal."

For DeBenedetti, whose first paranormal experience involved being grabbed by an unseen force in her house, it's all about the teamwork: "We all have the same mindset of where we need to go and how we can work together," she says.

RELATED: Meat Loaf Makes One of His Final Appearances on Upcoming Ghost Hunters Episode: 'We Were Blessed'

Courtesy Ghost Moms

Courtesy Ghost Moms

While all of them are resolved to face any fear, there have been many times over the years when they've been spooked.

"Ghosts, I mean they don't scare us. It intrigues us," Hawes insists. "When a sound happens, you might get startled, but we run towards it. We're going to try figure out what it is, where the problem is."

After we finished talking, the team scattered to finish up their various production duties while I cautiously ventured into the hospital and slowly made my way from floor to decrepit floorincluding the former morgue. Even with a borrowed flashlight, I was still terrified to turn each corner.

RELATED: How To Survive Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, Even If You're Afraid of Everything (Like Me)

Courtesy Discovery+

Courtesy Discovery+ Fom left, Shari DeBenedetti, Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves, and Dave Tango

Having heard about all the complex's past paranormal activity  shadow figures, disembodied voices, people being touched  only heightened my senses. Every little noise made me jump.

But with Hawes' voice in my head, I forged ahead and didn't run out of the building, even when my instinct tried to convince me that was the smart thing to do. The evening left me with a new appreciation for the team's collective energy and their ability to face the unknown for the sake of their fans.

Just like St. Ignatius, every case they investigate "is so interesting because it's like we're putting pieces of a puzzle together to try to figure it out," says Hawes.

And he wouldn't want to take it on with anybody else. "I mean the most important thing is, we're a family," he adds. "We really are."

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New episodes of Ghost Hunters airs Saturdays at 9/8 c on Travel Channel and Discovery+.
Gen-Z and TikTok influencers have made Boston Birksthose grandpa-looking, round-toed clogs beloved by professors and crunchie typesso flipping trendy that they are literally sold out everywhere. A recent NY Times article cited fans who were willing to pay twice the normal $155 price tag for the elusive Birks. But luckily just in time for the holidays, we have found different styles of the Boston Birks that are back in stock so you, too, can finally score the "It" shoe of the season.

Here at Parade.com, we're all about sharing products we love with our audience. When you make a purchase on an item seen on this page, we may earn a commission, however, all picks are independently chosen unless otherwise mentioned.

Boston Birkenstocks Restock Guide

Why are the Boston Birkenstocks so popular?

Celebs like Kaia Gerber, Kendall Jenner, and Kristen Stewart have been rocking the casually-cool clog with jeans and leggings for a minute now and Gen Zers on TikTok have jumped in on the trend. Moms and parents of those new to the trend are undoubtedly scratching their heads wondering what's up with the hype since peeps around the globe have been sporting these classic clogs for decades. The original Boston Birkenstocks launched way back in 1979 and have long been embraced by hippie types and lovers of functional footwear. What people love most of the iconic shoe is:

ComfortThose soft, foam footbeds are what line many sneakers so wearers dig the custom and lightweight cushion and support.

StylePost pandemic, everything cozy is cool. Whether people are working from home still or not, we are still living for that life of comfort and ease.

CredibilityBirks have been around since 1973, and with a "Made in Germany stamp on their footbed, dupes be damned because consumers are willing to pay more the quality and brand authenticity.

What Styles of Boston Birkenstocks Are We Seeing Available Now?

These fuzzy slip-ons are a cooler-weather version of the originals trending just in time for winter. They are different from the original in that they have that shearling-line footbed so they look cozier and more wintry. The originals look a little sleeker (and probably feel a little lighter) but if you are wanting some Boston Birks now, we highly recommend them.

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The only difference between these and the trending ones are these are oiled leather versus suede leather giving them a smoother, less textured, look. The advantage of these is that they age nicely over time and are easier to clean.

For those who don't wear animal products, Birkenstock create a vegan version made from Birkibuc, which is "a synthetic material made up of acrylic and polyamide felt fibers" that is purportedly both comfortable and water-resistant.

This style is the one that launched a 1000 dupes. This suede leather version has a grainy texture, cushioned footbed, and signature round toe that TikTokers are constantly posting about. The color most wanted are the taupe version, though frankly at this point any will do.

Where can you buy Boston Birkenstocks now?

We found pairs on Zappos, Poshmark, Nordstrom, as well as the Birkenstock store. Here's the report!

We found this style is currently readily available in a variety of colors and styles at places like Nordstrom, Zappos, American Eagle, and the Birkenstock site itself. Shearling Boston Birkenstocks, $170 at American Eagle

We are seeing availability of these in black on the Backcountry site as well as in small and big sizes on Zappos and on the Birkenstock site. Oiled Leather Boston Birkenstocks, $140 at Backcountry

We found the vegan Boston Birks available in lots of sizes in black on the Birkenstock website as well as on the Dicks' Sporting Goods site. Vegan Boston Birkenstocks, $119.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods

Sooooo, this style is sold out EVERYWHERE, but we found some at Dillard's in decent sizing in Mocha!!! So def grab N-O-W! Women's Boston Birkenstocks in Mocha, $155 at Dillard's

How Can We Get Restock Info (i.e. Find Out When They're Back In Stock)?

People are seeming to have some luck visiting and calling brick and mortar carriers of the Birkenstocks like Nordstrom and DSW. Reddit has it's own restocking community who give up-to-the-minute-updates. And you can sign up for email notifications from many retailers, including the Birkenstock website to find out when you're preferred size and color is back in stock. And as annoying as it is... you can always just keep visiting and refreshing your favorite site until you are lucky enough to find a pair. Good luck!

If you absolutely can't wait for the real thing, check out these Birkenstock Boston Dupes
Watts celebrated 20 years since the hit horror remake's release.

Two decades ago, horror movie fans were horrified, in a good way, by the release of The Ring. Now, the film's star, Naomi Watts, is celebrating The Ring's 20th anniversary with a tribute on Instagram.

The British-born Australian actress posted a montage video of parts of the classic horror film, captioning the update, "Who knew a videotape would scare the pants off everyone?!  Where did those 20 years go #?! #TheRing."

Many people joined Watts in celebrating the film in the comments.

Actress Ali Wentworth wrote, "Even watching this scares me," while Oscar winner Octavia Spencer, who recently starred in a popular horror film called Ma, commented, "Loved you in this movie."

The comments were also filled with fans talking about how much they love the movie and how effective it is, even 20 years later, when movie-making technology has allowed films to be even more horrific.

One person wrote, "Seriously the scariest thing I ever saw. I cant even watch a glimpse now. Still freaks me out."

The Ring is a remake of the Japanese horror film Ring, or Ringu, which came out in 1998. In the American version, Watts plays a journalist named Rachel who looks into her niece's strange death.

According to an urban legend, if you watch a supposedly cursed videotape, you are destined to die seven days later. After Rachel and her ex-boyfriend Noah (Martin Henderson) watch the video, they start seeing creepy imagery that helps them unravel the mystery of the curse and how it started.

When the film was released in 2002, Watts had just earned acclaim for her performance in the David Lynch-directed film, Mulholland Drive, and The Ring only made her more popular.

The actress starred in a sequel, The Ring Two, in 2005, and in 2017, the franchise was brought back for a third film, called Rings. Watts did not return for the most recent installment.

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More News:
Some seabirds have a survival instinct that might seem unusualfaced with typhoons, they fly directly into them. A recent study explained what's behind this phenomenon and how these birds manage to survive by pushing their luck. Read on to find out more, like how many birds seem to develop this counterintuitive skill.

1

An Observed First

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that seabirds known as streaked shearwaters that nest on islands near Japan sometimes fly directly toward passing typhoons. There, they literally ride out the storm, flying near the eye for hours at a timebehavior that hasn't been observed in any other bird species. It seems to be a strategy they've developed to survive massive storms.

2

"Nowhere to Hide"

Many birds will turn tail when a huge storm approaches, making efforts to avoid its track or fly in the other direction. But certain seabirds live in areas where "there is literally nowhere to hide" from storms, said Emily Shepard, a behavior ecologist at Swansea University in Wales.

To look at the shearwater's reaction to cyclones, Shepard and a team analyzed 11 years of data from GPS trackers attached to the wings of 75 birds nesting on Awashima Island in Japan. They found that some of these birds would actually veer off their usual flight patterns and head toward the center of an approaching storm.

3

"We Couldn't Believe What We Were Seeing"

The researchers found that in the group of 75 tracked birds, 13 flew to within 37 miles of a storm's eyean area where the winds were strongestfor up to eight hours, following the cyclone as it moved north. "It was one of those moments where we couldn't believe what we were seeing," Shepard said. "We had a few predictions for how they might behave, but this was not one of them."

4

Survival Trick: Avoid Collisions, Debris

The scientists found that the shearwaters were more likely to head for the eye during stronger storms. It suggests that the birds might be following the eye to avoid being blown inland, where they might crash onto land or get hit by flying debris, Shepard said.

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5

Not a Strategy For Every Bird





"We know very little about how seabirds respond to storms, because this kind of extreme weather is, by definition, a rare event. And no two storms are the same," Shepard wrote on the Conversation. "The strategy of flying towards the eye is probably only an option for fast-flying, wind-adapted birds such as albatrosses and shearwaters. We will need more data to understand whether and how seabirds with different flight styles and energy costs respond to typhoons that are increasing in intensity, as well as potentially in size and duration."
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These days, Halloween is a time for trick-or-treating, dressing up in costumes, putting up your favorite Halloween decorations and watching scary movies. Modern Halloween traditions are all about enjoying some spooky fun (and plenty of candy)but did you know that Halloween originated from an ancient Celtic holiday with a much deeper meaning? We're taking a look at the history of Halloween, as well as the story behind some of the symbols often associated with Halloween, from jack-o'-lanterns to black cats.

What is the history of Halloween?

The modern holiday of Halloween traces its origins back to Samhain, an ancient Pagan festival that marked the end of summer and the harvest season and the beginning of the long winter, according to History.

Ancient Celts across what is now the UK, Ireland and northern France marked the day with bonfires and donned costumes to ward off ghosts of the dead, which they believed returned to Earth on that day.

By the 11th century, as Christianity spread over Celtic territory, the Roman Empire had established November 1 as All Saints Day, likely in an attempt to replace the older Celtic holiday with a Christian one, according to History. The night before All Saints Day came to be known as All-hallowmas, then All Hallows Eve, and eventually Halloween.

Related: 48+ Easy DIY Halloween Decorations to Get Your Ghoul On

How did the Halloween pumpkin start?

The tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns for Halloween began in Ireland hundreds of years ago thanks to an old folktale about a man called Stingy Jack. According to legend, Jack played a trick on the Devil by convincing him to transform into a coin that he could use to pay for his drink, according to History.

But then Jack decided to keep the coin instead, storing it in his pocket next to a silver cross that the Devil could not change back into his true form. Jack played more tricks on the Devil throughout his life and when Jack died, both God and the Devil were upset with him and he was not allowed into Heaven or Hell. Instead, the Devil gave him a burning coal and sent him away.

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As the folktale goes, Jack placed the burning coal inside a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the world with it ever since, according to History. He came to be known as Jack of the Lantern and eventually Jack-o-lantern.

People in Ireland used to place lights inside turnips or potatoes as a reference to this legend, and when Irish immigrants came to America, they began using pumpkins insteadand pumpkins have been associated with ghosts and Halloween ever since.

Related: 31 Creepy-Cute Halloween Recipes

What's the meaning of Halloween?

Today, Halloween is a light-hearted holiday devoted to dressing up in costume, carving pumpkins, watching scary movies and going trick-or-treating.

The meaning of Halloween today is far removed from its darker origins in ancient Britain, Ireland and northern Francewhen people believed it was a night when the dead literally returned to the land of the living.

View the original article to see embedded media.

Who celebrates Halloween?

In the U.S., Halloween is a holiday for all ages. Young kids celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes, watching spooky movies, trick-or-treating and enjoying plenty of Halloween candy. Many adults also get into the Halloween spirit, dressing up and attending Halloween parties and festivals.

Related: 100 Halloween Jokes

10 Halloween Facts

American consumers planned to spend about $10 billion on Halloween in 2021. In terms of spending on Halloween items, Americans spent the most on costumes in 2021, followed by candy (both categories were around $3 billion. The most commonly handed-out candies to trick-or-treaters in the U.S. are chocolate bars, chocolate candies and soft or chewy candy, according to a 2018 survey by Statista. The least common snacks handed out? Baked items and fresh fruit/ fruit cups. Americans spent around $377 million on jack-o-lanterns during the Halloween season last year. Americans shell out about $3.2 billion on Halloween costumes each year. In 2021, 65% of Americans surveyed planned to celebrate Halloween. The most popular costumes for pets recently have been pumpkins, hot dogs and superheroes. According to the NRF, the most popular kids' costumes in 2020 were princess, superhero and Spider-man. As for adults? The most popular costumes for adults in 2019 were witch, vampire and superhero. Social media is having a growing influence on what people buy during the Halloween season, from costumes to decorations. Last year, 14% of people surveyed by the NRF said that Instagram had influenced their Halloween spending, up from 7% in 2015.

Related: Halloween Trivia

Why are black cats associated with Halloween?

Black cats have been a source of superstition for centuries in Europe, and have long been associated with witchcraft. In parts of Medieval Europe, some people believed that witches could take the form of black cats. Some also thought that the Devil gave black cats to witches to act as their animal companions, or familiars, according to Bustle.

Puritan pilgrims carried these beliefs to the American colonies, and during the hysteria over witchcraft in the 1500s and 1600s, black cats were feared and vilified, believed to be witches in disguise or otherwise associated with evil.

Even after the witchcraft hysteria died down in Europe and New England, black cats retained a reputation of being unluckyand over time, they became the perfect eerie symbol to represent the spooky holiday of Halloween.

Related: History Facts

Superstitions about black cats persist even today, and some animal advocates say that black cats are less likely to be adopted than more brightly colored felines. Many animal organizations celebrate National Black Cat Day on Oct. 27, or else National Black Cat Appreciation Day on Aug. 17, to encourage people to adopt black cats.

Interestingly, not all cultures have historically viewed black cats as scary or unlucky. In ancient Egypt, in Japan, and in parts of Britain, black cats were traditionally thought to bring luck and prosperity.

Related: 75 Halloween Puns

When did Halloween start?

There is no single date when Halloween started, as the celebration has its origins in an ancient Celtic festival that dates back at least 2,000 years. In the U.S., Halloween was popularized in the second half of the 19th century thanks to European immigrants bringing over the tradition, according to History.

What countries celebrate Halloween?

Countries around the world celebrate Halloween. While the U.S. may have popularized the modern-day traditions of pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating, these practices have been gradually spreading to other countries, especially in Europewhich, after all, is where Halloween can trace back its origins.

In Ireland, for example, people in rural areas light bonfires to mark the day, and some Irish children don costumes and go trick-or-treating, according to European Language Cafe. In Austria, some people apparently leave out bread, water and a lit lamp on Halloween night to welcome back the souls of their deceased loved ones.

Meanwhile, people in Mexico celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) from October 31 to November 2. As part of this tradition, which is tied to the Christian holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, people build altars to welcome the souls of departed loved ones, who are believed to return to Earth for a brief time. Dia de Los Muertos is its own holiday and is not simply the Mexican version of Halloween, but because the two traditions overlap, they are often linked.

Halloween has also become more popular in parts of Asia, thanks partly to Western influences. Huge Halloween parades and shows take place every year in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore, according to Motion Elements.

When did kids trick-or-treating start?

Like Halloween itself, the tradition of trick-or-treating traces its origins back to the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain. On that night, people believed that the dead returned to Earth, and people sometimes dressed up in costumes made of animal skins to keep evil spirits at bay, according to History.

Trick-or-treating may also have roots in a practice called mumming from the Middle Ages, when people would dress as ghosts or demons and perform skits or tricks in exchange for food and drink.

The practice of trick-or-treating could also have been inspired by an older tradition called souling. On All Souls Daythe Christian holiday that gradually replaced the older Celtic holiday of Samhainpoor people would visit richer peoples houses and pray for the souls of their departed loved ones in exchange for treats called soul cakes, according to History.

The modern practice of neighborhood trick-or-treating has been documented in the U.S. since the 1930s. The tradition of handing out sweet treats to trick-or-treaters took a hit during World War II when sugar was rationed, but in the 1950s, the practice returned in full force in the suburbs, and it has been a beloved Halloween tradition ever since.

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Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary John Tilley speaks with reporters on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, in Frankfort, Ky. Tilley told lawmakers that without significant changes, Kentucky will run out of room for prisoners by May of 2019. (AP Photo/Adam Beam)

Two months after he was arrested and charged with first-degree rape, former Justice Cabinet Secretary John Tilley was indicted by a grand jury on the same charge.

John Tilley served in the state House for a decade as a Democrat and then as Justice secretary under former Republican Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin until he left office in Dec. 2019.

According to last week's indictment, Tilley is alleged to have committed first-degree rape in Lexington on April 15 of this year when he "engaged in sexual intercourse with (the victim), who was incapable of consent because she was physically helpless."

Tilley posted a $25,000 bond after he was arrested in August, and his arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 28 in Fayette Circuit Court.

After his arrest, Tilley's attorneys, Steve Schroering and Chris Spedding, said their client is innocent of the charge.

"John Tilley maintains his innocence of the criminal charges and has cooperated with the investigation," Schroering said. "He respects the judicial process and has no further comment at this time."

More:Former Kentucky justice secretary and lawmaker charged with rape

As Justice secretary, Tilley oversaw the Kentucky State Police and the state departments of Corrections and Juvenile Justice. He also helped implement a new rape kit law on the handling of evidence in sexual assault investigations, intended to reduce a long backlog in the testing of such evidence by the Kentucky State Police forensic laboratory.

In a 2019 Kentucky State Police press release on the agency's use of new rapid DNA tests for rape kits, Tilley stated: In Kentucky, we believe in justice. Regardless of where you live, or work or play in the state, you should expect to be safe from crimes of sexual assault."

Before serving as the cabinet secretary, Tilley was elected to five terms as a Democratic state legislator from Hopkinsville. His time in office included a stint as chairman of the legislature's House Judiciary Committee.

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Tilley, 53, was a lead sponsor of a landmark criminal justice reform bill passed in 2011 to reduce the number of Kentucky state inmates incarcerated for low-level drug convictions. He is listed as a senior fellow with the Council on Criminal Justice, a national criminal justice reform group.

In the 2022 session of the Kentucky General Assembly, Tilley served as a legislative lobbyist for Pace-O-Matic  a maker of slot-like "gray machines"  and Lifeskills Inc., a behavioral mental health provider that contracts with the state.

Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: John Tilley, former Kentucky Justice secretary, indicted on rape charge
Air defense shoot down four missiles over Odesa region  Military Administration

Over Odesa region, the air defense forces shot down four enemy missiles, said spokesperson of Odesa Regional Military Administration Serhiy Bratchuk.

"Over Odesa region, the air defense forces shot down four Caliber missiles," he wrote on the Telegram channel.
The scene of a shooting near the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (WBRZ)

Two people have been arrested in the wake of a shooting that left 11 people injured at a fraternity house near the Southern University campus in Louisiana.

Gunfire erupted off-campus at the address of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity just before 2am on Friday in Baton Rouge, police said.

A party was being held at the time, WAFB reported, as the university marks its homecoming week.

Baton Rouge Police announced the arrests of two suspects, Daryl Stansberry, 28, and Miles Moss, 24. They are being held on charges of accessory after the fact to attempted first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon.

He did not elaborate on what the two suspects are accused of doing or if any other suspects are still being sought.

We do have something we have to follow up on, Mr Daniels said.

Sources told WAFB that the actual shooter is still at large.

Deputy Chief Myron Daniels said nine people were initially found to have sustained gunshot wounds, which were not life-threatening, and two more people came forward later on.

No motive has been disclosed and police described the investigation as ongoing and very fluid.

Mr Daniels said the shooting is believed to have been an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the community.

In a statement, Southern University said: While this unfortunate incident happened off campus at a non-University sponsored event, the University strongly condemns any act of violence. We are keeping anyone affected by this incident in our thoughts.
(Bloomberg) -- Iran may be sending more attack drones to help Russias equipment-starved forces strike targets in Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the war in Ukraine with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Friday. It was the first announced call between the two since May.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he had detailed discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid about Kyivs request for defense systems to help thwart Russian missiles and Iranian-made drones. Israel has offered to assist Ukraine in developing a missile warning system, but has made it clear it wont provide weapons.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Key Developments

Blinken Says Iran May Be Sending More Drones to Russia

IMF to Advance Monitoring Program Work as Ukraine Seeks Aid

Russia Threatens Flooding With Mined Dam, Zelenskiy Tells EU

Ukraine Grain and Dollars Threat to Food Security: Supply Lines

Turkey Backs Saudi Arabia in Clash With US Over Oil Output Cuts

On the Ground

Russian missiles struck Ukraines second-biggest city of Kharkiv on Friday morning, Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor, said on Telegram, adding that five people were injured and industrial infrastructure damaged. Ukrainian troops repelled assaults near five settlements in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions over the past day, Ukraines General Staff said. Russia is likely preparing to remove military and occupation elements from the western bank of the Dnipro River in anticipation of imminent Ukrainian advances, the US-based Institute for the Study of War said. Ukraines South command spokesperson Nataliya Humeniuk said on TV that Russian troops are trying to relocate to the left bank of Dnipro.

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(All times CET)

Blinken Warns of More Iranian Drones on Battlefield (3:30 a.m.)

Blinken said more Iranian military drones may be on their way to Russian forces, as the US reiterated its condemnation of Tehran for aiding President Vladimir Putins invasion.

We believe that Russias received dozens of these UAVs so far from Iran, with more potentially in the works, Blinken told reporters at a briefing alongside French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Friday, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles.

Blinken spoke a day after the White House accused Iran of sending trainers and technicians to Crimea to help advise and support Russian attacks on Ukrainian targets. He added that the US was working to counter Irans efforts and bolster Ukraines ability to ward off attacks.

IMF, Ukraine Advance Work on Monitoring Program (4:48 p.m.)

The International Monetary Fund said it will advance work on a monitoring program with Ukraine as the government seeks to secure billions of dollars in aid after almost eight months of war.

Andriy Pyshnyi, Ukraines new central bank governor, and Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko held talks in Vienna this week with officials of the Washington-based lender.

Ukraine is seeking to borrow as much as $20 billion from the IMF to shore up its foreign reserves and budget as Russias invasion inflicts an economic contraction of more than 30% this year.

Infrastructure Aid Pouring in, Ukraine PM Tells Cabinet (4:30 p.m.)

The US has disbursed $55 million for the repair and maintenance of Ukraines gas pipelines, part of multinational aid after recent Russian attacks, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

Electrical power distribution equipment and parts are on the way from Belgium, Poland, Germany, Italy and other countries to Ukraines Ukrenergo, he said.

Separately, Shmyhal called for the UN, European Union and others to mount a monitoring mission to the occupied Kakhovska heating power plant, which Ukraine says has been mined by Russian forces ahead of a possible dam explosion on the Dnipro River above Kherson.

Russian, US Defense Chiefs Speak for First Time Since May (3:22 p.m.)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the Ukraine war and other global security issues with US counterpart Lloyd Austin, Tass said, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

The brief report provided no other details of the phone call. In a separate readout, the Pentagon said Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war. The US last announced a call between the two on May 13.

Austin also spoke on Friday with Ukraines Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, the Pentagon said.

EU Considers Naming Sanctions Envoy (3 p.m.)

The European Union may name a senior official to serve as sanctions envoy to help the bloc counter efforts to circumvent its sanctions on Russia, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Our experience is that it is very helpful to send this sanctions envoy, for example, to third countries to be very clear about what we observe, she said.

In its most recent sanctions package, the bloc added a provision that authorizes sanctions on people and entities who send EU goods to Russia via third countries, an expansion of the EUs reach that von der Leyen called a very strong deterrent.

Ukraine Restores Infrastructure, Logs Crimes in Kharkiv, Kherson (3:08 p.m.)

Ukrainian law enforcement have recorded almost 1,700 cases of military crimes by Russian occupants in 551 liberated settlements in the Kharkiv region, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the presidential staff, said in a video statement. In 88 settlements already de-occupied in the Kherson region, 165 cases have been registered so far.

Energy infrastructure and other critical services are being restored in both regions as thousands of civilian buildings and facilities were damaged by Russian attacks, especially. Liberated towns and villages in the Kharkiv region are being supplied with equipment for power generation and for heating, Tymoshenko said.

Zelenskiy Meets US Congress Delegation, EBRD Chief (2:30 p.m.)

Ukraines president met in Kyiv with three members of the US House Intelligence committee: Michael Turner of Ohio, the top-ranked Republican, and Jim Himes of Connecticut and Eric Swalwell of California, both Democrats. He repeated calls for more air defense to protect Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure from Russian attacks.

Zelenskiy said the delegation showed bipartisan support for Ukraine, days after House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy appeared to cast doubt on future aid should Republicans gain the majority in Novembers election.

Zelenskiy also met with Odile Renaud-Basso, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The pair discussed additional lending to Ukraines energy sector.

Musk Wades In on Ukraine Again (1 p.m.)

Elon Musk says hasnt spoken with Vladimir Putin since the Russian president sent his troops into Ukraine. But the billionaires warm words for a satirical tweet from a top Kremlin official about departing UK Prime Minister Liz Truss drew him into an unusual back-and-forth over the war: Tweeting Praise for Putin Ally, Musk Wades In on Ukraine Again

Ukraine Power Grid Recovering, Data Suggest (11:20 a.m.)

Ukraines electricity grid showed signs of recovery after crews repaired infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks and households reduced the amount of power consumed.

Generation was exceeding demand by just 20 megawatts, equivalent to the amount of power two US homes consume in a year, according to the latest data published by the International Energy Agency. The shift into a positive balance on Friday from a deficit the day before could reduce the length and frequency of rolling blackouts.

Grid operator Ukrenergo warned consumers on Thursday to expect power outages between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. after Russias missile barrage against infrastructure lamed power assets.

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Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

Ordinary Iranians have been putting their lives on the line to oppose theocracy and gender apartheid.

After the apparent murder of a Kurdish woman by the guidance patrol (Irans religious police force), weeks of protests have been met with bullets, metal pellets, gruesome beatings, killings, abductions, and disappearances.

Anyone who cares about basic human rights should sympathize with the brave women and men standing up against the regime in Iran. But expressions of sympathy can ring hollow. Sympathy doesnt buy groceries for Iranians whove lost their jobs for protesting the regime, and it certainly doesnt stop bullets or bust political prisoners out of their cells.

Irans Women Are (Once Again) the Vanguards of a Revolution

Soshould we (i.e. the United States government) do something?

The question is inevitably asked when a crisis involving human rights violations breaks out in a distant part of the worldor at least it does if it happens in a nation were used to thinking of as an enemy. And in mainstream political discourse, do something nearly always means bomb someone, sanction someone or send troops.

These are the blunt instruments of our imperial foreign policy and, as citizens of a country that maintains hundreds of military bases all around the globe, it can be hard to break out of thinking this way.

But in this case, theres one easy and obvious thing the U.S. can do to help Iranians struggling against their contemptible regimeand its exactly the opposite of doing something in the usual sense.

We should lift the sanctions on the Iranian government that keep ordinary Iranians on the edge of misery, limit their access to the world, and make it harder for them to take risks to oppose the regime.

Helping Iranians Without Playing World Police

I understand, the suggestion might seem ridiculous.

If you think of the U.S. as the worlds police officer, and less powerful nations as the criminals we keep in check by patrolling the streets, then suggesting that we leave Iran alone just as it openly commits grave crimes seems exactly backwards. If you think this way, we should be coming up with new ways to collectively punish that nation. But we very badly need to stop thinking that way.

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It's a mindset thats led Americans to support catastrophic wars in recent decades. When then-President George W. Bush sent troops to invade Irans neighbor, Iraq, we were told those troops would be greeted as liberators. They were greeted with many years of insurgency, chaos, and resentment as more and more working-class Americans came home in flag-draped coffins.

In another of Irans neighbors, Afghanistan, the U.S. toppled a theocratic regime even more loathsome than the one in Tehranand spectacularly failed to build a new state with enough popular support to survive even long enough for American troops to make it to the airport 20 years later.

Does anyone anywhere believe that if Joe Biden dispatched the 82nd Airborne to bring democracy to Iran, the results would be any better?

Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan had anything like Irans military capacity. The Islamic Republic has enough weapons of war to spare that Vladimir Putin has been killing Ukrainians with Iranian dronesa horror that, by the way, could likely be stopped if the U.S. was prepared to lift the sanctions on Iran and normalized relations. In such a scenario, Iran would have something to lose from giving this aidbut as things currently stand, they dont.

Fleeing Russians Arent War Criminals, Theyre Refugees

A war with Iran would make Iraq and Afghanistan look like minor skirmishes.

That is, presumably, why so few people can bring themselves to seriously advocate such a thing.

So what does that leave if you think doing something means taking aggressive action? Should we lob a few cruise missiles? Irans reaction to then-President Donald Trumps ordering the assassination of one of its senior military commanders, Qasem Soleimani, leaves little doubt that the Islamic Republic wouldnt take such action lying downthey would fight back, and it would probably lead to a wider war that would be disastrous for the U.S. and, of course, be a massive boon to the regimes domestic popularity.

Impose sweeping sanctions? Weve already done that, too. Its part of the problem.

How Sanctions Help Irans EliteAnd Hurt Ordinary Iranians

Iran was given some sanctions relief in 2015 as part of the nuclear deal negotiated by then-President Barack Obama. But when Trump followed the advice of neoconservatives and backed out of that deal, that relief went away.

And, of course, Iran didnt continue to honor its half of the bargain. Why would they? If you think the world is a safer place without an Iranian nuclear arsenal, thats yet another reason for the U.S. to offer to lift the sanctions.

Those sanctions limit many Iranians access to not just the world economy, but the internet as well. They make it extremely difficult for wealth to be amassed by anyone outside of the regime-connected elite.

When I asked Kurdish academic and podcaster Djene Bajalan about this, he pointed out that smuggling and sanctions-busting are rampantbut that high officials, their friends, people who run regime-connected religious endowments, and so on are obviously best-positioned to get away with this activity and profit from it. And such people dont have to send their children to schools where they live in fear of the guidance patrol. Irans class of aghazadeh (children of the elite, or literally children of the lords) are often sent to school in countries like Canada.

What the Cuban Missile Crisis Can Teach the U.S. About How to Deal With Russia and Ukraine

Meanwhile, the Iranians filling the streets chanting Women, Life, Freedom have to worry about how theyll feed their families. The UNs special rapporteur on the effects of the sanctions has spoken of their devastating humanitarian impact.

Anyone whos ever tried to do so much as organize a union at their workplacenever mind a mass uprising in a nationknows that people who have to worry about the basic needs of their loved ones will understandably hesitate to take personal risks for causes they might be sympathetic to in the abstract. If Irans vile regime survives whats happening right now, a major reason will be economic desperation forcing people back to life-as-usual.

If you want the emotional satisfaction of punishing someone and fulfilling the worlds-policeman fantasy, youll have to turn elsewhere for solutions. But if you want to actually help the women and men putting their lives on the line in Irans streets right now, lift the sanctions.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Oct. 22Brad Nadeau doesn't consider himself a big hockey fan, but he's certainly a fan of hockey fans.

Nadeau's restaurant, Stars & Stripes Brewing Co., opened in Portland last spring. The brewpub sits at the corner of Cross and Spring streets, within sight of and just a few hundred feet from the Cross Insurance Arena, where the Maine Mariners hockey team host their first game of the 2022-23 season on Saturday.

Nadeau, who also operates a brewpub in Freeport, said he initially received a boost of customers while the Mariners still had a few games in the 2021-22 season. Now he's hoping those fans will be back at his Portland location for the new season, which runs through mid-April and longer if the team makes the ECHL playoffs.

Like other businesses located on or near Free Street, Nadeau said there's been a dip in both foot and car traffic since construction work closed a section of the road near Congress Street last spring. However, there's good news on that front. The city's spokeswoman, Jessica Grondin, said Friday that access to Free Street could be restored by the end of next week, weather permitting.

But for now, the work is still going on and the closure remains. So Nadeau said any events that bring people downtown, especially to the area around Free Street, is a boon.

"We're expecting traffic intown" when the Mariners take on the Trois-Rivieres Lions, he said. The puck drops at 6 p.m., and the pub stays open to 11 p.m., hoping to entice hockey fans to visit before and afterward. Nadeau said the menu is tailor-made for the spectators, with beer, wings, pizza and tacos.

At Free Street, a restaurant across the same-named street from the arena, workers have been anticipating hockey's resumption for weeks, general manager Drew Finesse said.

Finesse said the restaurant opened last December and immediately noticed crowds were bigger on game nights.

The eatery struck a cross-promotion deal with the Mariners, he said. The team got some restaurant gift cards to give out to fans, while Free Street distributed game tickets to its customers.

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And for this season, he said, the restaurant has also crafted a new game night menu, with items such as burgers and corn dogs and 28 beers on tap. The regular, non-game night menu is a little more upscale, Finesse said, but Free Street hopes that less expensive options will attract hockey fans before the puck drops Saturday.

Finesse said business this summer was poor because Free Street  the roadway  was closed at the Congress Square end and people didn't realize other streets provided access to it.

So the restaurant's managers and staff decided to put a little extra emphasis on getting ready for hockey season, he said.

"We're gearing up and hope to utilize the season to pull out of the summer rut," Finesse said.

Nearby at Rivalries, a sports bar, general manager Jeff Coburn said he's expecting a boost in business as well.

"We will usually fill up the restaurant before Mariners games," Coburn said, and he doesn't think this season to be any different. "We're expecting it to be pretty much full."

Rivalries is on Cotton Street about a block away from the Cross Insurance Arena. Coburn said the business hasn't been affected by the closing of Free Street since most customers wouldn't travel down it to get to the bar. He said a pub like Rivalries can usually draw people all year long because there's typically some sport that's in high gear to draw game watchers.

But he said the Mariners bring fans downtown even in the dead of winter, so it's a benefit for the season to get underway soon.

"It can be negative five degrees and we'll still have people here" on game nights, Coburn said.

Just how big Saturday night might be for the Mariners and surrounding businesses is unknown. Mariners officials say they are a few hundred seats shy of selling out the home opener. The capacity for games is 5,500, team officials said, and the latest count showed sales of about 4,800 seats, including 1,200 season ticket-holders.

Sales for Sunday's game at 3 p.m. have been slower, but officials said they still hope to draw about 2,000 fans for that contest.

Businesses on Free Street has been disrupted most of the year. In the spring, work began on a makeover of Congress Square and cars were blocked from turning onto Free Street from Congress and High streets. Cars could still get onto Free Street from Congress Street via Oak Street, but many business owners said drivers seemed to be avoiding the area altogether.

Foot traffic was lighter this summer too, the business owners said, probably due to construction equipment and disruption at the western end of the street.
A series of questionable mailers are landing in mailboxes across Alachua County that say some prominent local Black leaders support single-member district voting.

But there is one major issue: it's misleading and appears to be part of a greater effort to confuse voters.

The mailer uses quotes from County Commissioner Charles "Chuck" Chestnut, former city and county commissioner Rodney Long and the NAACP to give the impression that they are in favor of the Republican-backed measure on the upcoming ballot.

"Our leaders agree," the mailer says. "We must protect our voice!"

Some of the quotes used in the political piece are taken out of context from other discussions, including one that references the city of Gainesville's district changes. But those pushing out the information say the ones opposing the ballot measure are being "hypocritical."

The referendum in question was created from a bill filed by state Rep. Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, and only affects the Alachua County Commission.

Long, Chestnut and the Alachua County NAACP branch have each publicly voiced their opposition to the referendum.

"It's absolutely blatantly false," Long said. "African Americans aren't going to be fooled by this false mailer."

A mailer being sent to Alachua County voters falsely claims that prominent Black leaders are supportive of a ballot measure being pushed by conservatives.

Up for a vote: Alachua County voters to have final say on single-member districts ballot initiative

More: Florida Power & Light tied to dark money used to help Sen. Keith Perry win 2018 race

Watchdog group: Nonprofits broke IRS laws, gave nearly $3 million to Republican campaigns

Currently, under the county's representation structure, five commissioners are elected by voters countywide  or at large. If passed, only those living within a specific district can vote for candidates in that race.

Advocates of the current structure say it allows for more representation across the board, while those wanting change argue it allows voters more say who is elected for their region.

The change could also help more Republicans get elected. The board's makeup now is four Democrats to one Republican.

Story continues

Out-of-context quotes

In 1984, Long, then an executive secretary with the local NAACP, helped push for single-member districts within Gainesville to help more people of color get elected after seeing them struggle to do so on a consistent basis.

A ballot measure was passed by voters, dividing the Gainesville City Commission into four districts and three at-large seats, including the mayor. The change created District 1, which has historically been held by a Black commissioner.

Long said the situation is different from the county, which hasn't had the same issues electing minorities and conservatives to office. He made clear in an interview with The Gainesville Sun that he is adamantly opposed to the latest ballot measure.

In a video published on Alachua County's YouTube page prior to the bill being approved by the Florida Legislature, local Black leaders were asked whether they supported the measure and if they were consulted prior to the bill being filed.

Each said no.

Chestnut argued that the change would be detrimental to African Americans, adding that they aren't concentrated in nearby municipalities like seen in Gainesville. Rather, people of color are more evenly spread out.

"(Clemons') bill is troubling to me because when you really look at it, it's a way of not getting African Americans elected," Chestnut said in the video.

Another video posted by the county in February shows local leaders in Tallahassee voicing their opposition to Clemons' single-member district bill.

"The NAACP opposes House Bill 1493," said Evelyn Foxx, the group's local chapter president.

But despite the local branch's take, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund has long held the position that at-large voting is discriminatory. The organization even won a lawsuit in 2019 for the cause.

Republican state Sen. Keith Perry, who is facing Long for his seat this November, had his office request an investigation from the Florida Department of State to look into the county's production of the videos.

Perry said the videos should be pulled and added that they appear to violate a state campaign finance law that forbids local governments from spending funds to discuss local referendums to be voted on. The law he cites, however, went into effect July 1 months after the videos were produced.

County Commissioner Ken Cornell argues that it's actually Perry and those closest to him that are running afoul of campaign laws.

"Senator Perry is using his office to once again threaten and intimidate Alachua County while pushing his own agenda through dark money, Tallahassee and local PACs," he said.

Making a case for the referendum

A political advertisement disclosure shows the mailers are being pushed by the Social Justice political action committee (PAC). Finance records show that the group is headed by Leiann McGinnis, of Gainesville.

McGinnis was previously linked to questionable mailers during the 2018 election.

The group's funding largely comes from organizations and PACs operated by GOP strategist Stafford Jones, who plays a key role in helping elect conservatives around the state. He also currently serves as campaign treasurer for Clemons who wrote the bill for the referendum.

The Social Justice PAC received $200,000 over the summer from a group called "Consortium of North East Florida," which doesn't appear to be a registered business or PAC in Florida.

It uses the same address and suite number as other businesses operated by Jones, according to business filings. The Alachua County Republican Executive Committee is located in the same building, as well.

Jones in a phone interview with The Sun argues the single-member campaign is based on facts, given the national NAACP and Long's positions on the issue.

"I think they're being completely dishonest and hypocritical," said Jones, who added Long and Foxx only oppose the measure because they have a "walled-off power base" of Democrats.

"The areas of the county are very diverse," he said. "I would argue that you'd probably have two African Americans on the County Commission if we had single-member districts."

Texts to trick local Democrats?

Other messaging efforts to trick Democrats into supporting the ballot measure have been sent out recently and appear to be with the use of "dark money"  funds that are often difficult if not impossible to trace.

Some county residents reported receiving random text messages sent out by a group called "Amplify Alachua." The text alert fails to include a "paid for by" political disclosure, which is required by law.

"Alachua Democrats, we can protect representation in our community with the Single-Member District Referendum," the text said.

A text alert from Amplify Alachua, which is operated by a GOP-supporting political committee targeted Democrats to support a ballot measure pushed by conservatives.

Amplify Alachua is operated by the North Central Florida Political Committee, run by Republican Ronald Sartain of Gainesville. The group previously tried to help elect Raemi Eagle-Glenn to the County Commission prior to Gov. Ron DeSantis appointing her to a vacated seat.

A different set of mailers also funded by the Leading for Our Future PAC  and also led by Jones  have arrived in mailboxes over the past week, too. Finance records show the group was given money by other Republican-led groups, including the nonprofit Economic Improvement Fund, operating out of the same address.

Filings show the improvement fund group is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) that is run by Jones, Alachua County Republican Party treasurer Ann Stone and county soil and water candidate Walter Boyer.

Boyer, the former chair of the Alachua County Tea Party, previously ran a PAC that failed to gather signatures for the single-member ballot measure prior to Clemons' bill.

Contributions records show Economic Improvement Fund has been heavily involved in political activity.

Federal law states that the majority of funds spent by tax-exempt organizations can't be spent on political activity, though the group's IRS status allows it to shield much of its activity throughout the year until taxes are filed.

In February 2021, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) claimed two nonprofits involved with Jones participated in similar activity illegally. Jones, who has a long history of navigating non-profit groups, said the complaint was a political "hit job" and "bogus," adding that 501(c)(4) organizations have greater latitude and can engage in more advocacy and lobbying.

The same can be said for those complaining about the Economic Improvement Fund, he added.

"Every C4 I have has been reviewed by the IRS," Jones said.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Republicans send misleading mailers, texts in Alachua for ballot measure
How Chinas Xi Jinping flipped the script on the world during his 10 years in power

Xi Jinping will stroll across the red-carpeted dais inside Beijings gargantuan Great Hall of the People on Sunday, having firmly secured a norm-busting third term as leader of the Chinese Communist Party, cementing his power atop a more confident -- and more defiant -- China.

PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping is applauded by senior members of the government and delegates as he walks to the podium before his speech at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Oct. 16, 2022 in Beijing. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

When he did the same walk 10 years ago, there was a brief sense of hope in the West that China was about to embark on a kinder and gentler age.

Just as China needs to learn more about the world, Xi told the gathered press with a modest smile in his first speech as party leader in November 2012, so does the world need to learn more about China.

In the lead-up, many sifted through his available biography for clues of what kind of leader he would be. He came of age during the chaotic years of Maos Cultural Revolution, rose to govern two of Chinas most prosperous coastal provinces as well as the countrys most cosmopolitan city, Shanghai. Xi oversaw the well-received 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, sent his daughter to study at Harvard and often talked about the fond memories of an Iowa homestay in the 1980s. The son of a revolutionary-turned-liberal reformer, many China-watchers had hoped that the son would be like the father.

This resume led many, like New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, to boldly predict in January 2013 that Xi Jinping will spearhead a resurgence of economic reform, and probably some political easing as well. Maos body will be hauled out of Tiananmen Square on his watch, and Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning writer, will be released from prison.

I may be wrong entirely, Kristof cautioned.

Ten years on, not only is Maos body still comfortably lying in his mausoleum, but Liu was never released from prison until the final months before his death from cancer in 2017.

Meanwhile, Xis China has become more confident, powerful and influential than ever before.

Xi brought the Communist Party back to the forefront of daily life in China, linking the party to the countrys growing strength and success, which, in return, has fostered a nationalism that has become inseparable from the party itself. Yet, at the same time, his policies -- most notably his signature zero-COVID policy -- also has also left China more isolated and xenophobic than it has been in generations.

Story continues

In ten years, Xi has reshaped China

Citing "disorderly capital," Xi has cracked down on private companies, like tech giants Alibaba and Tencent, that powered much of Chinas growth in the last 15 years and signaled a desire to return to the heavily self-reliant state-run model.

Instead of political reforms, Xi dismantled Chinas nascent civil society, shuttered NGOs and locked up human rights lawyers, stifled religious institutions from Tibetan Buddhism to Christian churches across the country -- perhaps nowhere more prominently than in the western region of Xinjiang where many mosques were dismantled and hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uyghurs have been forcibly re-educated in the name of anti-terrorism.

He muzzled the domestic media, dictating that they must "serve the party," suppressed Hong Kongs once-promised autonomy and built a high-tech surveillance state that ultimately gave the state the ability implement its zero-COVID measures throughout the pandemic.

Xi modernized the partys Peoples Liberation Army, encouraged a more strident foreign policy -- especially over territorials claims like Taiwan, the South China Sea and the Himalayas where Chinese soldiers had a deadly tussle with Indian troops in June 2020. He has sought to challenge the U.S.-backed world order by cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin whom Xi called in 2018 my best, most intimate friend.

PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin toast during a visit to the Far East Street exhibition on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 11, 2018. (Tass/Pool via Reuters, FILE)

It turns out that pre-leadership Xi was not only a cypher to the West, but also worked within the opaque operations of the Party itself.

Deng Yuwen, the former deputy of editor of the Central Party Schools journal, wrote in Foreign Policy magazine this week that, according to party insiders, Xi was selected by party elders believing his low key demeanor would lend to him being more controllable than his rivals. One can only imagine their regrets, Deng wrote.

Many should have taken heed when Chinese state media reported that one of the Xis favorite films was The Godfather. Like Michael Corleone, Xi quickly out maneuvered his rivals within the party and consolidated power through anti-corruption and loyalty campaigns and muted the influence of retired party members.

PHOTO: Xi Jinping, center, at the Great Hall of the People, Nov. 15, 2012 in Beijing, China, as the Communist Party revealed the new Politburo Standing Committee after its 18th congress. (Feng Li/Getty Images, FILE)

Redder than Red'

Much more prescient at the time was the leaked 2009 U.S. State Department cable entitled Portrait of Vice President Xi Jinping: Ambitious Survivor of the Cultural Revolution. Sourced from a private acquaintance of Xi, the summary read Xi is exceptionally ambitious confident and focused, and has had his "eye on the prize" from early adulthood.

Unlike many youth who "made up for lost time by having fun" after the Cultural Revolution, Xi "chose to survive by becoming redder than the red."

If the Party was Chinas church, Xi is the ultimate true believer and, in Xis China, there is no separation between church and state.

During the last party congress in 2017, Xi triumphantly declared, Government, the military, society and schools, north, south, east and west -- the party leads them all.

Standing between China and chaos

The exact same day as Kristofs optimistic column on Jan. 5, 2013, the true Xi revealed himself to the party elite, delivering a secret speech that was only published in its entirety in the partys magazine QiuShi - Seeking Truth in 2019.

Hostile forces at home and abroad  doing all in their power to smear and vilify, he warned. They aim to incite [the people] into overthrowing both the Communist Party of Chinas leadership and the socialist system of our country.

His internal party speeches at that time reveals Xis greatest motivating factor: for the Communist Party of China to avoid the fate of the Soviet Union.

In party study sessions, Xi would often pose the question, "why did the Soviet Union disintegrate? Why did the Communist Party of the Soviet Union fall to pieces?

In the end, no one was man enough, and no one came out to fight, he answered in one speech.

PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a photo during their meeting in Beijing, Feb. 4, 2022. (Sputnik via AFP/Getty Images)

This was the period of the Arab Spring when popular uprisings in the Middle East overthrew their authoritarian dictators, Xi saw crises everywhere and a strong Communist Party with him at the helm was the only thing standing between China and chaos.

During this time a secret document circulated within the party known as Document No. 9 which warned that western democratic ideals like universal values, civil society, free market economy and the Wests idea of journalism threatened Chinas security and needed to be eradicated. It read like roadmap for Xis eventual heavy hand.

A veteran Chinese journalist was later sentenced to seven years in prison for leaking the document deemed "a state secret" to an overseas media outlet.

There are no official polls in China but by all accounts, Xi enjoys popular support by those who have not been negatively affected by his policies. The Chinese government often points to a Harvard survey that found that 95.5% of Chinese respondents in 2016 were either relatively satisfied or highly satisfied with their government.

PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, and his premier Li Keqiang, center right, meet with representatives of model civil servants during a national award ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Aug. 30, 2022. (Li Xueren/Xinhua via AP, File)

As he is poised this weekend for even greater power, Xi once again highlighted looming external threats in his speech in front of the congress this week and doubled down on the path he has set for China and, by extension, the world.

The world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, Xi warned the delegates. External attempts to suppress and contain China may escalate at any time.

We must therefore be more mindful of potential dangers, be prepared to deal with worst-case scenarios, and be ready to withstand high winds, choppy waters, and even dangerous storms.

How Chinas Xi Jinping flipped the script on the world during his 10 years in power originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Los Angeles Clippers hope to make another productive trip to the capital of California when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.

Few teams in NBA history have dominated a rivalry on the road to the extent to which the Clippers have handled the Kings in Sacramento. Los Angeles went almost nine years between losses at Sacramento before falling 104-99 last December.

Prior to that, the Clippers had won 15 straight road games over the Kings dating back to March 2013.

Unfazed by an unsuccessful trip north 18 days earlier, the Clippers returned to Sacramento later in December last year and got back on their winning ways with a 105-89 romp.

The Clippers got the 2022-23 season off to a winning start against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, pulling out a 103-97 victory in Kawhi Leonard's return to the court.

Leonard contributed 14 points and seven rebounds to the win, coming off the bench for the first time since when he was with the San Antonio Spurs in 2013. He admitted afterward he knew it was coming.

"We did some simulations at practice," Leonard said. "For me, I felt like this was the best way. One scenario with me starting, I would have been sitting like 35 minutes real time. That's way too long. So I just thought this was the best situation."

With Leonard leading the bench crew, the Clippers' reserves accounted for 43 of the club's 103 points and three of its six double-figure scorers against the Lakers. No lineup changes are expected for the Sacramento game.

Newcomer John Wall joined Leonard off the bench to start the opener and chipped in with 15 points and three assists.

Leonard hasn't faced the Kings since a 113-110 home loss in February 2021.

The Kings opened with a 115-108 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. De'Aaron Fox was the game's leading scorer with 33 points.

Sacramento double-double machine Domantas Sabonis, fighting foul trouble, failed to double up against the Trail Blazers with just 13 points and four rebounds before fouling out. He later pointed a finger of blame at himself.

Story continues

"We definitely should have won that game ... Definitely have to be better, especially myself," Sabonis said. "At the end of the game, we started making shots and we felt better about ourselves. I think we are going to be a lot better against the Clippers."

Acquired in-season last February from the Indiana Pacers, Sabonis has never faced the Clippers as a member of the Kings. But he knows all too well the experience of losing to Los Angeles.

Despite recording a double-double in each game, his Pacers teams lost the last five times they faced the Clippers, including twice at home.

The Kings opened without prize rookie Keegan Murray, who was battling an illness. He returned to practice Thursday and likely will make his NBA debut against Los Angeles.

--Field Level Media
This article originally appeared on Velo News

Egan Bernal is pinning his hopes on a return to the Tour de France with Ineos Grenadiers in 2023.

The 2019 yellow jersey is on the fast-track back from the horror crash this January that left him riddled with broken bones and with a 95 percent chance of becoming paraplegic.

A 12-day return to racing this summer and successful recent knee surgery sees the 25-year-old aiming for the sky in 2023.

If everything goes well, I would like to return to the Tour. It would be an opportunity to try and do my best, whether that is just to finish, or maybe even do the GC and arrive in good shape, Bernal told the Colombian radio show El Vbar Caraco this week.

Also read: Bernal on recovery: 'I never thought I would get back on the bike'

Bernals harrowing high-speed training crash this winter left his career in jeopardy and saw the Colombian suffer a long and painful rehab process.

The former Tour de France and Giro dItalia champ made a beyond-belief return to racing in August and is now looking to reclaim a seat at the front of the Ineos Grenadiers team bus.

We talk about the ideal scenario. If everything goes well and I recover the strength I lost in my right leg, because I lost a lot of muscle due to the time I didnt move, I would expect to ride an ordinary 2023 season. I have faith that it can be done, Bernal said on radio Friday.

"I've got eight or nine months to try and achieve it, and mentally I feel ready for that. In fact, I think the break I had to take this year will help me. So for sure, I'd like to do a grand tour and hopefully, that'll be the Tour.

From Colombia Tour to the French Tour in 2023

Bernal has yet to clarify his program with Ineos Grenadiers team brass, and acknowledged to El Vbar Caraco a number of unknowns and what-ifs enshroud his convalescence and racing condition.

Story continues

Nonetheless, Bernal sketched out a best-case schedule for 2023 that starts on home roads at Colombia Tour in February.

Also on the wish-list are the WorldTour level Paris-Nice, Strade Bianche, and Criterium du Dauphine before a return to the Tour for the first time since he flamed out with injury in 2020.

Ineos Grenadiers faces a pivotal season restructuring around youth as grand tour stars Richard Carapaz, Richie Porte and Adam Yates all retire or switch squads this winter.

Veteran Welshman Geraint Thomas is mulling a trip to the Giro dItalia rather than the Tour for what could be his last season next year.

Bernals return in 2023 to a grand tour frame now dominated by Jumbo-Visma and UAE Emirates could come perfectly timed for his British team.

For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today.
Cornells Andrew Karolyi: Weve never felt that we were able to drive hard enough with (the Accelerated 1-year MBA program) given its mission as it was crafted to be able to meet our ambitious goals for it.

For years, Cornell University has boasted not one but two industry-leading one-year MBA programs. No longer. Cornells Johnson College of Business will shutter its one-year Accelerated MBA after the graduation of this years class in order to double down on the schools other May-to-May program, the New York City-based Tech MBA.

Andrew Karolyi, dean of Cornells SC Johnson College of Business, says it was a hard choice to close down the Accelerated MBA, which for more than two decades has been among the top-ranked one-year programs in the United States. But he adds that Cornells leadership sees more promise in the five-year-old Tech MBA, a collaborative effort with Cornell Tech.

Its an interesting decision that we made, a very strategic one, Karolyi tells Poets&Quants. One has to paint the picture of where we are. It has been a program that has been around for 20-plus years and has been doing fine. But we had grander ambitions for it.

WE NEVER FELT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MEET OUR AMBITIOUS GOALS FOR IT

The Tech MBA, launched in 2017 and was named Poets&Quants Program of the Year that year on the strength of its innovative and immediately popular Studi curriculum, in which students develop and implement new product and business ideas in collaboration with innovators and thought leaders from New Yorks tech and startup communities. The Tech MBA has grown steadily from about 50 students in that first cohort to more than 80 in the one that enrolled this summer, and Karolyi expects it to grow even more.

The one-year Accelerated MBA, meanwhile, has been shrinking for years.

Weve had some wonderful students come through the Accelerated program and have gone on to be able to leverage it for very successful careers, says Karolyi, who became Charles Field Knight dean of the College of Business in April 2021 after three years as dean of academic affairs and many more years as a finance professor at the school. Its wonderful meeting them along the way. But weve never felt that we were able to drive hard enough with that given its mission as it was crafted. We never felt we were able to meet our ambitious goals for it.

Story continues

As the Tech MBA has grown, the Accelerated MBA has declined, he notes. The Tech MBA program had an initial target number of 50, and its now blossomed to about 85. We see imminently on the horizon the fact that we can grow this one.

Cornell Techs campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City

KAROLYI: A CLEAR MESSAGE FROM THE MARKETPLACE

The new class of Cornell Tech MBAs that will graduate in May 2023 is about 31% women, down slightly from the year before, and 22% U.S. minorities. It is also 60% international, with students from 12 different countries. Most have some kind of engineering background, and the biggest group  28%  comes from the business technology industry.

It is a full-time, residential, STEM-designated MBA that takes place over Cornell Universitys two campuses: MBAs start with a 14-week immersion in the Ithaca campus in upstate New York, where they cover the basic courses, and spend the remaining two semesters on Cornells satellite campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City, immersed in the Studio curriculum.

Deciding the fate of the Accelerated program was gut check time, Karolyi says. What we made was  no doubt  a tough decision to basically close down the one-year Accelerated MBA and redeploy those resources to the growth and expansion of the Tech MBA. We see the clearer potential and differentiation of that program in the marketplace. So the marketplace is telling us that. Its successfully differentiating itself relative to its competitor peers.

Its the sleeker one-year program. So were essentially swapping a one-year for a one-year in terms of redeployment of resources.

WE ARE DEFINITELY IN GROWTH MODE

That redeployment also means changes are in store for Cornells two-year residential MBA program, including a lot of new faces at the front of the classroom. Karolyi says the schools brain trust is exploring an innovation wrinkle wherein students have the option to spend the second year of the program in the Studio curriculum at the Cornell Tech campus, calling it successfully reinvesting in our two-year residential and taking the best of both worlds towards amplifying and leveraging the Johnson Cornell Tech and that Studio curriculum.

Thats really sort of the logic behind closing down the Accelerated MBA: redeploying the resources into the Johnson Cornell Tech, but also redeploying some of those resources that are freed up toward fortifying the two-year residential MBA, but with this Johnson Cornell Tech second-year option.

We knew there always would be this ever-expanding demand in that marketplace. The challenge will be for us to grow out our assets in New York City so that we can really deliver the goods. Thats going to take a lot of work. This year, the college has authorized 24 new faculty following on a recruiting year where we successfully hired 20. So we are definitely in growth mode and were building out these assets. We need to.

DONT MISS CORNELL RELEASES TECH MBA CLASS OF 2023 PROFILE and THE TOP 1-YEAR MBA PROGRAMS IN THE U.S.

The post Gut Check Time: Why Cornell Is Shuttering Its 1-Year Accelerated MBA appeared first on Poets&Quants.
A group of MPs proposes to the Verkhovna Rada to adopt a statement condemning the occupation of the territory of the Republic of Belarus by the Russian Federation.

The corresponding draft Resolution No. 8148 has been registered in Parliament.

The text of the document is currently not available on the website of the Verkhovna Rada, but one of the co-authors, a member of the European Solidarity faction Oleksiy Honcharenko, noted on his Telegram channel that by adopting such a statement, Ukraine will be able to recognize the temporary occupation of Belarus by Russia and appeal to the international community about it.

In addition, according to Honcharenko, the draft resolution contains a proposal to deprive the government of Alexander Lukashenko of international legal personality, to terminate Belarus' participation in international organizations.

The parliamentarians also consider it necessary to synchronize sanctions against Russia and Belarus as an occupied territory and eliminate the possibility of Russia circumventing sanctions through Belarus and using this country as an offshore zone.

"Lukashenko helps Putin kill our citizens, destroy our homes and infrastructure. Russia has already implemented the de facto anschluss of Belarus, and Lukashenko is only fulfilling the whims of the Russian dictator. It is necessary to put maximum pressure on this illegal regime," Honcharenko said.
If you have made it to Season 4 of Westworld, youre familiar with executive producers Lisa Joy and Johnathan Nolans unique brand of non-linear storytelling. Mind-bending sci-fi, immersive technology, philosophy of the human condition and lots of robots. Their latest project, The Peripheral, based on the award-winning novel by William Gibson, follows a similar meandering journey. However, instead of AI gaining sentience and attempting to code themselves into humanity, The Peripheral follows a young human woman in a small town trying to navigate an uncertain world by peering through the eyes of a doppelganger droid into the future.

The Peripheral, the first two episodes of which are directed by Vincenzo Natali, begins with an eight-episode season on Prime Video that takes place in two different timelines. One, in rural Clayton, South Carolina, in 2032 where cybernetics in the military is the norm and you can 3D print a knee brace at the local store faster than you can pick up your mail. The other narrative takes place in the year 2100, where people can render an entire humanoid robot peripheral run on AI as a companion or worker. The two timelines connect through Flynne Fisher (Chloe Grace Moretz) as a time-traveling gamer who gets tangled in a future web of conspiracy.

Flynne and her brother Burton (Jack Reynor) live on the outskirts of town in a house with their mom, who has lost her vision to a brain tumor and is bedridden. Flynne works at the local 3D print shop while Burton, an honorably discharged Marine, collects unemployment and veterans benefits from his time in an unnamed war. They earn money by power leveling VR games for wealthy gamers that want to quickly up their avatars stats. Flynne is a better gamer, and her brother knows it, which is why he often subs her in to up their earnings.

Also Read:

Heres Whats New on Amazon Prime Video in October 2022

But when Burton receives a 3D printed VR headset that looks suspiciously like a SQUID from Strange Days to Beta test, the pair soon discover this is no game. With the device, Flynne transports her mind to a future where she gets to wine, dine and even kill via a robot body. After one particularly gruesome and traumatic trip through the game, Flynne soon realizes that she is not merely a player and the world sees is very real.

She has been unknowingly pulled into a conspiracy in a dystopian future in London, England, where they have the technology to create doorways to the past by hacking virtual reality tech, latching onto the human consciousness attached to it, and downloading said consciousness into a peripheral. A human from the past can pilot a body in the future.

But doors open both ways, and when an opposing faction from the future sends mercenaries to take out Flynne and her family back in her reality, Burton and his cybernetically advanced Special Forces team are surprisingly ready for them.

No one is who they seem in this series, including Wilf Netherton (Gary Carr), a man from 2100 who explains the truth to Flynne about whats truly happening. Naturally, their interests align as they are both in search of answers. But the clock is ticking in more ways than one as more assassins and future tech infiltrates Clayton, and Wilfs alliances begin to unravel.

In the six episodes provided to the press in advance, three factions are battling for control of society in the future. The klept, post-national Russian oligarchs wrestling for control; the Research Institute, responsible for all future tech worldwide; and finally, the military-style Metropolitan Police, led by Inspector Ainsley Lowbeer (Alexandra Billings), out to maintain order in this new society.

Also Read:

Westworld Co-Creator Lisa Joy Answers 7 Burning Questions About the Season 4 Finale

Moretz gives an incredible performance in triplicate as Flynne, the struggling small-town girl holding her whole family together, her future bionic self, and the bot that is essentially a computer running in safe mode when Flynnes consciousness detaches from the mainframe.

The Peripheral is bolstered by other top-tier talents as well, including TNia Miller as Cherise Neulan, the severe and sartorially stunning head of the Research Institute, and Eli Goree, who plays Connor, part of Burtons Marine Corps unit who became a triple amputee after coming face to face with the business end of an IED. Connors mental struggles with his physical loss while attempting to maintain his dignity are emotionally palpable.

The 70-minute premiere brilliantly immerses the audience in both universes, placing important details like easter eggs in the sets, scenery, and dialogue. Aside from the peripherals themselves, Burtons teams cybernetics also steal the show. As each member can hack nearby tech and drift in and out of each others consciousness.

In addition to Billings casting, there is a subtle transgender story here as well, since identity in the future appears fluid, and several characters effortlessly place their consciousness into various peripherals regardless of gender.

Despite the stunning cinematography and outstanding production and costume design, The Peripheral can be a little confusing if youre unfamiliar with time-traveling tropes, virtual reality avatars, and gaming side missions. In other words, if you didnt make it through Westworld, you will probably have difficulty understanding this series at first. But if you are a fan of cyberpunk crime drama anime like Ghost in the Shell or Psycho-Pass, or are looking for something to scratch that Westworld itch, The Peripheral is a joy to watch.

The Peripheral premiered on Prime Video on Oct. 21 with the first two episodes, with one new episode released weekly on Fridays.

Also Read:

The 47 Best Movies on Amazon Prime (October 2022)
University of Minnesota Regent Steve Sviggum apologized Tuesday for casting student diversity in a negative light during a board meeting last week.

I clearly have more to learn to better understand the strength that diversity brings to our institution, Sviggum said in a statement released by the U on Tuesday night.

During a presentation Thursday on low enrollment at the Us Morris campus, where 54 percent of students are white, Sviggum asked the schools interim chancellor whether it was possible that at Morris weve become too diverse.

Sviggum, a 71-year-old farmer from Kenyon and former Republican speaker of the state House of Representatives, also said two friends told him last year that their children wouldnt attend Morris because it is too diverse a campus; they didnt feel comfortable there.

Amid calls for his resignation Monday, Sviggum  whose six-year term ends next year  did not back down from his comments, telling WCCO Radio that he was just asking a question.

Then, on Monday night, Board of Regents chairman Ken Powell issued a statement calling diversity a strength and said he would be in contact with my colleagues on this issue.

Another regent, James Farnsworth of St. Paul, said on Twitter late Monday that Sviggums comments were hurtful and inappropriate.

Sviggum in his statement Tuesday seemed to indicate he had accepted the invitation of Morris Campus Student Association President Dylan Young to visit the campus.

I look forward to taking those who have reached out to me up on their offers to meet and to hear their perspectives and learn from them. I am willing to learn and I must do better  and I will, Sviggum said.

A member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Young is among the 32 percent of Morris students who are American Indian. Morris has a federal mandate to provide free tuition to Indians because of the western Minnesota campus boarding school history.

Young on Monday sent Sviggum a letter, signed by more than 200 supporters, describing how he and his non-white peers face several unique challenges because the college environment was not designed for us to succeed  much less feel included.

Story continues

Young also said it is the large group of American Indians at Morris that made him feel comfortable there.

While the diversity at the University of Minnesota, Morris might make some prospective students uncomfortable, I reckon that it has the exact opposite effect on a far greater number of students, he wrote.

Sviggum in his statement Tuesday apologized unequivocally  especially for the unintended hurt my questions may have caused. They were not intended to cause harm, but my intent does not matter.

The Morris campus has lost nearly half its students in the last eight years as more high school graduates have opted for work instead of college and more of those who have stayed in school have chosen large universities. The coronavirus pandemic only made things worse for Morris, partly because its international student pipeline dried up. Morris has just 1,068 students this fall, well short of its 2024 goal of 1,700.

FULL STATEMENT

This is the full statement Sviggum released through the U on Tuesday:

Last week, during University of Minnesota Morris Interim Chancellor Ericksens presentation on MPact 2025 enrollment goals at Morris, I posed a question regarding the diversity of the student body and whether that diversity was  in any way  linked to the recent enrollment challenges.

Let me unequivocally apologize for my questions, and especially for the unintended hurt my questions may have caused. They were not intended to cause harm, but my intent does not matter. For those whom I have harmed or offended, and for all of those associated with our great university, I am truly sorry. I have only respect and admiration for any individual who seeks to better themselves through higher education, whether at Morris or at any of our wonderful campuses. Minnesota benefits from our many amazing students from all walks of life who make incredible contributions to our community, and their work strengthens the great state of Minnesota. I hope that all of our graduates elect to stay in Minnesota after graduation and work, every day, for the betterment of our state.

My intent  recognizing that my words matter  was to foster discussion around the consistently declining enrollment at Morris, which is not a one-year trend or even a concern that has emerged out of the COVID pandemic. Rather, student enrollment has been declining for years (down 50% from its peak) and the future of this great campus depends on finding solutions to reverse that trend.

I have been blessed throughout my life as a farmer to work with a diversity of people across our state and our nation from all backgrounds. As a layperson in my church, I have shared the joys and heartbreaks of so many of my fellow parishioners. And as a proud Regent, I have been given the incredible opportunity to help our institution, our president, and our students, staff, and faculty who set a very high bar for the rest of us.

Again, I offer my sincerest apologies. I clearly have more to learn to better understand the strength that diversity brings to our institution, and I look forward to taking those who have reached out to me up on their offers to meet and to hear their perspectives and learn from them. I am willing to learn and I must do better  and I will.

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By striking Ukrainian critical infrastructure, Kremlin wants to provoke new refugees flee to Europe  Podoliak

The Russian leadership, striking at the critical infrastructure of Ukraine, is trying to create a humanitarian catastrophe and provoke a new wave of refugees to European countries, adviser to head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podoliak said.

By striking Ukrainian critical infrastructure, Kremlin wants to provoke new refugees flee to Europe. Whether Putin will be able to implement his plan depends on European capitals leaders. The only way to stop humanitarian catastrophe  transfer air defense and additional missiles fast, Podoliak said on Twitter Saturday.
Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.
Yes! It is not out and loud - new stringent RDE (Real Driving Emission) norms are set to kick in by April 1, next year. Therefore, carmakers will tune their cars to comply with new emission norms. However, several models will face extinction due to these norms, and one of these will be the new Hyundai i20. However, only the diesel variants of the hatchback are likely to be discontinued as per recent reports by multiple media outlets. Well, other cars of a similar order could be discontinued as well. Models like the Tata Altroz diesel could be a part of the list.

Talking of the Hyundai i20, it is currently one of the very rare diesel hatchbacks that are on sale in the country. It comes with a 1.5L, 4-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that puts out 100 PS of peak power and 250 Nm of max torque. Moreover, it comes equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. This same powertrain is also used on the Hyundai Venue, Verna, Creta and Alcazar, but in a higher state of tune. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how Hyundai will tune this oil burner to comply with new emission norms. Also, the company has recently axed the diesel variants of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and Aura.

Also read - Maruti Suzuki to launch Toyota Innova Hycross based premium MPV in India, to sit above Ertiga and XL6

Well, the Hyundai i20 is also available with 2 other engine choices - 1.2L NA petrol and 1.0L turbo-petrol. The former belts out a rated power output of 82 PS and 114 Nm of max torque, whereas the latter pushes out a rated power output of 120 PS and 172 Nm. The 1.2L kappa unit can be either paired to a 5-speed stick shift or a CVT. On the other hand, the turbo-petrol unit is available with two transmission choices - 6-speed iMT and 7-speed DCT.
Efficiency and convenience remain of utmost importance when it comes to travelling. Hence, Boeing, one of the major aircraft manufacturers, has announced the expansion of its partnership with the Indian Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) ecosystem to support Indian customers efficiently. The aircraft makers stated that the MRO to support Indian customers efficiently remains a top priority for the company. Boeing has concluded considerable work agreements and deliveries with diverse indigenous partners across the public as well as private sectors, including AI Engineering Services Ltd., Horizon Aerospace, and Air Works Group.

Boeing launched the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) program in 2021 in its effort to help develop India into a regional MRO hub, enabling engineering, maintenance, skilling, repair, and sustainment services of defense and commercial aircraft in India, for India.

Also read: Indian Army chopper crash Update: All 5 onboard ALH helicopter dead, bodies recovered

Under the initiative, Boeing has strategically collaborated with Air Works, to recently complete Phase 32 heavy maintenance checks of six P-8I maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian Navy. The company has also collaborated with AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), for the MRO of the Boeing 777 VIP aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force, and the P-8I aircraft fleet operated by the Indian Navy. Additionally, the company is exploring collaboration in the repair and overhaul of landing gear and other commercial common 737NG equipment fitted on the P-8I fleet.

It has also collaborated with Horizon Aerospace, for MRO of the three key Boeing defense platforms in India, the P-8I operated by the Indian Navy (IN), and the VIP 737 transport fleet operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF). Salil Gupte, the president, of Boeing India, said, "Over a seven-decade presence in India, Boeing knows that a strong local aerospace and defense ecosystem is an imperative for the business as much as it is for the success and mission-readiness of its customers. We have continued to invest in building indigenous MRO capabilities over the years, and with the BIRDS hub launched in 2021, are building a network of Indian suppliers that can support engineering, maintenance, skilling, repair, and sustainment services of defense and commercial aircraft comprehensively and competitively."

"An important aspect of the BIRDS hub is training programs that are helping develop sub-tier suppliers and medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) to build high-quality MRO capabilities in India," he added. The efforts and initiatives being undertaken by Boeing in India are aimed at building the capability and capacity of indigenous organizations to gain prominence on a global scale."

Our planned strategic collaboration with indigenous companies under the BIRDS hub program enables us to provide significant value-add to our customers locally by enabling faster turnaround, exceptional operational capability, and mission readiness for the Indian armed forces. This also marks an important step as part of our commitment to the Government of India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision of making India a regional MRO hub", managing director of Boeing Defence India, Surendra Ahuja said.

(With inputs from ANI)
NEW DELHI: The song 'Keti Ko' from Sooraj Barjatya's 'Uunchai' is making waves with the world grooving to it. The song is Danny Denzongpa's birthday number, and it is none other than Amitabh Bachchan who has won most love, admiration and adulation with his honesty to craft for this song.

"Bachchan sir would personally be there standing in for himself observing and rehearsing. And the other three actors were just as enthusiastic and energetic. It is this energy that made the song Keti Ko," elaborates choreographer Shabina Khan. And this energy of the titans transferred to the audiences. And how!

'Uunchai's trailer takes the viewer on a road trip from Delhi to the peaks of the Himalayas in Nepal. The 'Keti Ko' song featuring Danny Denzongpa alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher and Boman Irani is an integral part of the trailer and legends are seen dancing on screen, having the time of their life.

'Uunchai' is one of 2022s biggest release that boasts of a legendary ensemble, a seasoned director, an iconic production house and a story whose heartbeat is friendship. The film's tagline  Friendship Was Their Only Motivation is the backbone of the films trailer.

'Uunchai' is Rajshri's most ambitious film till date. Shot at 17000 plus feet above sea level, with a senior star cast, 'Uunchai' is directed by Sooraj R Barjatya, and produced by his Rajshri Productions in association with Mahaveer Jain Films and Boundless Media. 'Uunchai' will be in a theatre near you on November 11, 2022.
Diwali Bonus 2022: At a time when private firms, state governments and the central government have announced bonuses and incentives for their employees, just like every year, some sections of employees either did not receive any gift or were not happy with what they got as a Diwali bonus. While some companies have set a trend by gifting unique things to their employees, some showed less generosity. A Gujarat-based diamond export company Shree Ramkrishna Export gifted solar panels to select employees while a Chennai-based jewellery businessman gifted cars and bikes to its employees. Amid all this excitement and buildup around Diwali Bonus, exciting memes flooded Twitter where people cracked jokes ahead of the festivities. Take a look:

Online streaming platform Netflix joing the meme fest and Tweeted a picture of Dark web series' actor Louis Hofmann who played the role of Jonas Khanwald in the series. "Here's a Diwali Jonas for those who didn't get Diwali bonus," tweeted Netflix.

Here's a Diwali Jonas for those who didn't get Diwali bonus pic.twitter.com/9eqxB63a5w  Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) October 22, 2022

Another Twitter handle shared a shot from Akshay Kumar's movie with the caption 'When you receive 78 rupees water bottle as a Diwali bonus'.

When you receive 78 rupees water bottle as a Diwali bonus pic.twitter.com/uZSiDbrjGo  bollywoodhead (@bollywoodhead) October 21, 2022

Le HR, whenever I ask for my diwali bonus: pic.twitter.com/BaDUKAN0Jp  shruti (@JustShruting) October 20, 2022

Employees asking for Diwali bonus



Management pic.twitter.com/AnT1RT4nXE  Aarohi Tripathy (@aarohi_vns) October 20, 2022

Me waiting for Diwali bonus to be credited. pic.twitter.com/gslR9UoJ34 October 20, 2022

Diwali is one of the major festivals and symbolises the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Diwali provides an occasion to gather and celebrate the festivities with sweets, firecrackers, lights and diyas. To further sweeten the festive moods, companies provide gifts, hampers and cash as bonus to their employees.
Tech major Infosys has now softened its stand on moonlighting as it has allowed its staffers to take up second work but outside office hours. In a letter sent to its employees, the software giant said that staffers can take up gig work but for this, they should take prior permission from their manager and BP-HR. It also said that the gig work should be taken up in employees' personal time and for the establishments that don't compete with Infosys and its clients. It also said that gig work should not impact employees' ability to do their regular job effectively.

This simply means that employees can take up a second job outside office hours with their manager's permission and only for firms that are not a competitor to Infosys.

However, in its letter, Infosys did not elaborate on what constitutes this gig work as the company had refrained from using the term 'moonlighting' in the letter. Moonlighting is a practice of dual employment.

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Infosys, Wipro and other tech giants have vehemently opposed dual employment or moonlighting. Infosys CEO Salil Parekh had said that the company doesn't support moonlighting. Parekh even said that the company fired several employees in the last one year for moonlighting.

Rishad Premji, the Chairman of Wipro, had also opposed moonlighting. Wipro had said that it fired 300 employees for moonlighting in the past. Recently, Premji mentioned that he fired a very senior employee for an integrity violation. Several reports claimed that moonlighting was the main reason behind the integrity violation.
AP ICET Counselling 2022: The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education, APSCHE will release the AP ICET seat allotment result today, October 22, 2022. Candidates who have registered for the AP ICET Counselling 2022 process will be able check the seat allotment result on the official website cets.apsche.ap.gov.in. After the seat allotment is released, candidates will be required to appear for reporting at the respective institutes.

AP ICET Seat Allotment Result Time

According to the official website of APSCHE i.e cets.apsche.ap.gov.in, the AP ICET seat allotment result will be declared today, October 22, 2022 however the time for the release of the result is not issued and an official confirmation for the same is awaited.

Here's how to check AP ICET Seat Allotment Result 2022

Once released, candidates will be able to check the AP ICET Counselling 2022 Seat Allotment Result following the simple steps given below-

Visit the APSCHE official web official website- cets.apsche.ap.gov.in

On the home page, click on the AP ICET Seat Allotment link that will be available as soon as the result list is released

AP ICET Seat Allotment result will appear on screen, download it

Take a printout of the seat allotment list and check for your roll number and name

APSCHE conducts AP ICET through which candidates can apply for admission into various state colleges and universities in Andhra Pradesh for MBA and MCA courses.
Rewa(MP): At least 15 people died and 40 injured after a bus headed to Gorakhpur from Hyderabad collided with a trolley truck on National Highway 30 near Sohagi Ghati in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa. All people on the bus are said to be residents of Uttar Pradesh. According to eyewitnesses, "majority of the bus passengers were labourers and they were on their way home for the Diwali festival. On being alerted about the incident, police personnel from Sogahi rushed to the site and launched a rescue operation. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Teonthar town.

"It seems that the trolley truck had an accident with the truck in front of it and when the driver applied brakes, the bus behind it rammed into it," said Manoj Pushp, Rewa Collector.

Also Read: 'Chaaro marenge...' BMW overspeeding at 230 kmph crashes in UP as victims predict their death on Facebook

"Police-admn and local people are here. Rescue operations were done. Injured have been sent to hospital", Pushp said.

Madhya Pradesh | 14 dead, 40 injured in a collision between a bus and trolley near Suhagi Hills in Rewa. The bus was going from Hyderabad to Gorakhpur. All people on the bus are reportedly residents of Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/cwN2MUCB7O  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) October 22, 2022

Rewa SP, Navneet Bhasin siad that death toll in the incident of collision between a bus and trolley truck rose to 15

#UPDATE | Death toll in the incident of collision between a bus and trolley truck rises to 15: Navneet Bhasin, SP Rewa (in pic 1 - file)#MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/cbAIvqF85x  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) October 22, 2022

''Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed grief over the Rewa bus-trolley truck collision. He spoke to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on phone this morning & apprised him of the incident. Mortal remains of passengers will be brought to Prayagraj by the MP govt", MP CM office said.

                                



   



            October 22, 2022

"Injured passengers have been sent to Prayagraj in 2 buses overnight, after getting treatment. Critically injured passengers are getting treated free of cost at MP's Rewa Medical College. Rewa district administration is ensuring all necessary arrangements," MP CMO.

(With agency inputs)
Egypt's Actors Syndicate has urged the media and public against jumping to conclusions before the prosecutions ongoing investigation into well-known actress Menna Shalaby for allegedly possessing controlled narcotics is completed, calling for respect for her privacy.
Nairobi: Accumulated Chinese loans pushed Kenya near default and Beijing may seize Kenyan assets if it could not pay its debts. Since 2014, Kenya has been taking huge loans from China to fund its infrastructure projects such as roads, clean power generation plants, and its biggest project, the Standard Gauge Railway. Kenya`s external debt reached USD 36.4 billion in June 2022, according to data from the Central Bank of Kenya, reported Financial Post. China, which accounted for about one-third of Kenya`s 2021-22 external debt service costs, is the nation`s biggest foreign creditor after the World Bank. Kenya spent a total of Ksh 117.7 billion (USD 972.7 million) on Chinese debt in the period, of which about Ksh24.7 billion (USD 204.1 million) is in interest payments and almost Ksh 93 billion (USD 768.5 million) in redemptions.

Kenya`s Treasury projects debt repayments to the Exim Bank of China will raise to USD 800 million in the next financial year, a 126.61 per cent surge from the revised USD 351.7 million budgeted for 2022, reported Financial Post. Notwithstanding China`s frequent denial of pushing developing Afro-Asian countries into debt traps, Kenya is the new entrant in the list of defaulting countries. Moreover, the Chinese banks fined Kenya Ksh1.312 billion (USD 10.8 million) in the year ended June for loan defaults. Kenya defaulted on repayment of the Chinese loans taken to build the standard gauge railway (SGR).

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The deal to fund the first phase of the SGR, Kenya`s single-largest infrastructure project by cost since independence, saw China overtake Japan as Kenya`s largest bilateral lender. But the initial jubilation has turned to instability, reported Financial Post. The default came in a year when Kenya had asked for an extension of the debt repayment moratorium from bilateral lenders, including China, by another six months. But the lenders, especially the Exim Bank of China, did not entertain Kenya`s application for a debt repayment holiday, causing a standoff that delayed disbursements to projects funded by Chinese loans, reported Financial Post.

Also Read: Chinese President Xi Jinping on course for record 3rd term; Premier Li dropped in major shake-up
New Delhi: In a reference to freebie politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, October 22, 2022, said that a large section of the population has "resolved to free the country from revdi culture". The Prime Minister`s remarks came while participating in the `Griha Pravesh` of more than 4.5 lakh beneficiaries of PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) in Madhya Pradesh via video conference. PM Modi highlighted the government`s investment of the tax-payers money into the welfare schemes such as the PMAY-G scheme and said that the tax-payers would be delighted to see their money being spent on the poor.

"When I am giving 4 lakh houses, every tax-payer would think that some poor person from Madhya Pradesh is also celebrating Diwali besides me because of the new house. But when the same tax-payer sees that free revdis (freebies) are being distributed with the money collected from him, he becomes disappointed. A lot of taxpayers are writing letters to me today. I am glad that a big section of the country has resolved to free the country from revdi culture," PM Modi said.

He has highlighted the revdi culture numerous times in the past stating that it is "very dangerous" for the development of the country. The Prime Minister further stressed that the new houses that were allotted to the beneficiaries will not let the poverty increase and also remove the little poverty left.

Also Read: BJP committed to the poor, marginalized: PM Narendra Modi inaugurates grih pravesh of 4.5 lakh PMAY-G beneficiaries

"The house that you have got is not only a place to live, eat and sleep, but it is a fort that won`t let poverty penetrate and will also remove remaining poverty," he said. Underlining the difference between the previous governments and the present administration, the Prime Minister said that earlier the poor were made to visit the offices repeatedly, but now the government is reaching out to the poor.

Also Read: Historic initiative by PM Modi: Jyotiraditya Scindia hails Rozgar Mela event

"There is a difference between the earlier and present governments. The previous governments used to pester people. The poor were made to visit the offices repeatedly. Our government is reaching out to the poor. The government is carrying out a campaign so that the poor are benefited from every scheme. Today we are talking about saturation," PM Modi said.

He said that the slogan to eradicate poverty remained only the political promises, while the Centre is providing basic facilities to every citizen of the country. "Why are we in such a hurry? There is a lesson in the past. The basic facilities (gas cylinder, health facilities, toilet, internet connectivity etc) were kept in abeyance in the past decades. A large chunk of the population struggled for these basic facilities. Promises to eradicate poverty were only political promises. We decided to connect every citizen of the country with the basic facilities to overcome poverty. Today, the poor, after getting the facilities, are making efforts to reduce their poverty," PM Modi said.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, about 38 lakh houses have been sanctioned so far in Madhya Pradesh and construction of about 29 lakh houses has been completed at a cost of more than Rs 35,000 crore.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday (October 21) warned that a low-pressure system over the Andaman Sea is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and reach the West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts on October 25. "The low-pressure area formed over the north Andaman Sea is expected to move west-northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over east-central and adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal on October 22, then into a deep depression on October 23," IMD report said. Subsequently, by October 24, it is pretty likely to recurve northwards and build into a cyclonic storm over the west-central and neighbouring east-central Bay of Bengal. Following that, it is expected to move steadily north-northeastward, avoiding the Odisha coast and arriving near the West Bengal - Bangladesh coasts on October 25. The cyclonic storm is expected to be christened 'Sitrang', as suggested by Thailand.

Sanjib Bandopadhyay, the deputy director-general of Regional Met Centre in Kolkata, said that the system is likely to cause light to moderate rain in Gangetic West Bengal, with isolated heavy rain in the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur. He said that it is likely to cause light to moderate rain in Kolkata on October 24 and 25.

In Kolkata, West Bengal's Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi chaired a high-level meeting with top state officials on the prevailing situation. He directed South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur and Hooghly districts to take necessary precautions in the wake of the forecast.

Odisha's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallick said all districts and coastal region authorities were directed to be prepared to deal with the emerging situation. The system is likely to trigger heavy rainfall when it crosses parallel to the state's coast on Monday.

The Northeast, including south Assam, east Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura, will receive rainfall on October 24, 25 and 26 under the impact of the system, it said.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: The air quality of the national capital remained under the 'poor' category, while the AQI stood a 262 on Saturday morning per System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India. A thick layer of smog can be seen in Delhi skies just a couple of days ahead of Diwali. Earlier on Wednesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) held an emergency meeting to curb the deteriorating air quality in Delhi. In the meeting, the CAQM sub-committee "comprehensively reviewed the air quality scenario in the region and noted that the air quality parameters are likely to dip on October 22 in the region making it to move into the `very poor` category".

CAQM in Delhi-NCR directed the authorities to enforce Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which includes banning the use of diesel generators, coal and firewood in hotels, restaurants and open eateries.

Also Read: Delhi NCR's air quality to turn 'very poor' before Diwali, stage 2 of GRAP enforced

The GRAP, notably, is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the capital and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation and is classified under four stages of adverse air quality in Delhi.

Delhi | Air quality in the national capital deteriorates; visuals from Lodhi Road pic.twitter.com/VfwLqScz6k  ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2022

Stage one in a case of 'poor' air quality (AQI 201-300); stage two for 'very poor' air quality (AQI 301-400); stage three for 'severe' air quality (AQI 401-450); and stage four for 'severe plus' (AQI >450).
New Delhi: Officials from the Delhi government's excise department said on Saturday that they had busted a gang involved in liquor adulteration and recovered several bottles of foreign liquor. They added that five people were arrested and three separate FIRs were filed in connection with the adulteration of high-end foreign liquor. Bartenders in the gang mixed premium foreign liquor with cheap Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) for sale to customers. During the raids, officials said they found nearly 150 bottles of premium foreign liquor and 20 empty bottles. Due to the festival season, the excise department has increased enforcement in the national capital.

Also Read: 'Not AFRAID of CBI', says Manish Sisodia after 14-hour-long raid in Delhi excise policy case

A team from the excise department's intelligence branch on Friday conducted raids at several places, it said in a statement. Acting on a tip-off, the teams, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Excise Intelligence Bureau) Rajesh Meena, raided a shoe shop at Karol Bagh and two houses at Rani Bagh and Maidan Garhi, it said. One Vikram Kumar was arrested from Karol Bagh and 69 bottles of high-end liquor were seized from him. His interrogation led to the arrests of Mohit and Jaipal from Maidan Garhi. Kumar had purchased the liquor from the duo. The team also recovered 23 bottles of premium foreign liquor, eight IMFL bottles and 20 bottles of a high-end liquor brand from them. Kumar also revealed that he had stocked liquor at his friend's house in Ranibagh, leading to the recovery of another 19 bottles of foreign liquor, it said.

Also Read: 'Ye Azadi ki dusri ladai hai': Manish Sisodia ahead of appearing before CBI in excise policy scam case

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: Delhi Government announced the `Red Light On Gaadi Off` campaign on Friday in its bid to reduce vehicular pollution in the national capital. Under the campaign, public representatives and officials will motivate commuters to turn their vehicles off at Red Lights in a bid to curb vehicular pollution.

Giving details on the same, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said in a press conference, "In order to tighten a noose on pollution, CM Arvind Kejriwal announced a 15-point Winter Action Plan. Today, he took stock of progress in work done under the Action Plan. We submitted a detailed report on the functioning of the war room, running off the anti-dust campaign and spraying of bio-decomposer over stubble to the Chief Minister."

"However, the estimates according to the experts state that if there is a change in wind direction after Diwali, then there can be a rise in the pollution level of Delhi. The Government is in alert mode and we will use the GRAP system as per the direction of CAQM with the utmost strictness," he added.

He continued, "Along with this, the CM has instructed that, along with dust pollution, biomass burning, vehicle pollution also contributes significantly to the air pollution in Delhi. Accordingly, we will start a mega-campaign `Red Light On, Gaadi Off` after Diwali, from October 28, just like the previous year. The first phase of the campaign will go on for one month till November 28. We will take future decisions after reviewing its effectiveness."

Gopal Rai informed that "2,500 Civil Defence volunteers will be deployed for the running of the campaign. These volunteers will raise awareness in every part of Delhi, including 100 major four-ways. 10-10 volunteers will be deployed on each four-way in two different shifts in a day. The campaign will run for 12 hours a day. The first shift will go on from 8 AM to 2 PM and the second shift will run from 2 PM-8 PM."

He added, "Moreover, Traffic Police will run this campaign by focusing on 10 major four-ways of Delhi which face high traffic. Instead of 10, 20 Civil Defence Volunteers will be deployed in each shift in such four-ways. These Civil Defence volunteers will raise awareness in people through placards, and banners. Last year, we observed that there are a lot of drivers who do not switch off their engines at red lights. We will present them with flowers and request them through Gandhigiri to switch off their engines."

Minister said, "Paryavaran Mitra, RWAs, Market Associations, Eco-clubs, and NGOs will also be made a part of this campaign so that they can visit every doorstep and make people aware of switching-off engines at red lights."

He concluded, "A survey of the Petroleum Conservation Research Association states that vehicle pollution can be reduced by 15-20 per cent if all the engines are switched off at the red light. When someone steps out of their house with a vehicle, they cross 8-10 four-ways during their journey. If the duration of the red light is 2 minutes and we do not switch off our engine, we are burning fuel unnecessarily for 25-30 minutes. So the success of the entire campaign will depend on our mindset and attitude. I am requesting the people of Delhi to become a part of this entire campaign along with ministers, MLAs, officers, RWAs and NGOs of Delhi."
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday, October 22, 2022, said that he would celebrate Diwali at his house with children who lost their parents during Covid-19 pandemic on October 23. "Today is Dhanteras and from today onwards the Diwali festival begins. Tomorrow, on the occasion of Chaturdashi, October 23, I will celebrate the festival of Deepawali with my sons, daughters, nephew and niece who have lost their parents due to COVID," CM Chouhan told ANI.

"I feel happy to celebrate the festival with them and to share happiness with them. Those children who are from Bhopal and nearby areas will celebrate Diwali here in Bhopal. For children who are from far-flung, we are instructing the collector to organise a program, present them gifts and share happiness with them. Happy Diwali to all my sons and daughters. Don`t worry, Mama is with them," Chouhan added.

Also Read: 15 UP labourers returning home for Diwali killed in accident in Rewa, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan expresses grief

He also said, "Today is a very big day for all of us as on the day of Dhanteras, Madhya Pradesh is getting the blessings of the Prime Minister. Today 4.5 Lakh people will enter the houses built under the Prime Minister`s Housing Scheme. Rangoli is being made, lamps will be lit and the `Grih Parvesh` will be done with the breaking of coconut."

"I am moving to Satna to join the program and the Prime Minister will virtually join the program. Wherever the houses are built, the program of `Grih Pravesh` will be done in every village with joy, all the public representatives, and ministers are participating at different places. The Diwali festival begins today and on this auspicious day, people will enter their homes. Best wishes to all the people," CM Chouhan added.
New Delhi: India has said that Pakistan must continue to take "credible, verifiable, irreversible and sustained" action against terrorism and terrorist financing emanating from territories under its control. The remarks were made by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in response to media queries on Pakistan`s removal from the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Friday. "It is in global interest that the world remains clear that Pakistan must continue to take credible, verifiable, irreversible and sustained action against terrorism and terrorist financing emanating from territories under its control," Bagchi said in a statement. "As a result of FATF scrutiny, Pakistan has been forced to take some action against well-known terrorists, including those involved in attacks against the entire international community in Mumbai on 26/11," he added.

"We understand that Pakistan will continue to work with the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) to further improve its Anti Money Laundering (AML)/Counter Terror Financing (CFT) system," the spokesperson further said.

Also Read: Shehbaz Sharif's 1st statement on Pakistan's FATF exit: 'Vindication of our determined efforts...'

In a statement, the FATF announced that Pakistan is no longer subject to its increased monitoring process. The FATF reportedly welcomed Pakistan`s "significant progress in improving its AML/CFT (anti-money laundering & counter-terrorist financing) regime".

"...As a result of FATF scrutiny, Pakistan has been forced to take some action against well-known terrorists, including those involved in attacks against the entire international community in Mumbai on 26/11..," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi says. pic.twitter.com/VwWv7EobxZ  ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2022

Pakistan was included among jurisdictions under the increased monitoring list in June 2018 for deficiencies in its legal, financial, regulatory, investigation, prosecution, judicial and non-government sectors in fighting money laundering and combat terror financing, which are considered serious threats to global financial system.

Islamabad made high-level political commitments to address these deficiencies under a 27-point action plan. But later the number of action points was enhanced to 34.

The country had since been working with FATF and its affiliates to strengthen its legal and financial systems against money laundering and terror financing to meet international standards in line with the 40 recommendations of the FATF, Dawn reported.

Also Read: Pakistan exits anti-terror body FATF grey list, strategic concerns rise for India

A 15-member joint delegation of the FATF and its Sydney-based regional affiliate - Asia Pacific Group - had paid an onsite visit to Pakistan from August 29 to September 2 to verify the country`s compliance with the 34-point action plan committed with the FATF.

The authorities, which kept the countrywide visit of the delegation low profile, later termed it as "a smooth and successful visit". The delegation had detailed discussions with the relevant agencies pursuant to the authorisation of onsite visit by the FATF Plenary in June 2022.

Pakistan believed that as a result of strenuous and consistent efforts over the past four years, it has not only achieved a high degree of technical compliance with FATF standards, but also ensured high level of effectiveness through implementation of two comprehensive FATF action plans.
New Delhi: A 36-year-old woman who claimed she was raped by five men was discharged from the GTB Hospital here on Saturday, according to hospital authorities. The woman came to the hospital at 7:15 am on October 18 and her medico-legal case (MLC) was made and it was kept confidential, they said. When the woman reached the hospital, her vitals were stable, the GTB Hospital said in a statement. "She was investigated and treated as per hospital protocols and all formalities were completed. "She has been discharged on October 22 and the patient's condition was stable at the time of discharge," it said.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) said the woman told its counsellor that she was gang-raped by five men for two days in Ghaziabad and they inserted an iron rod into her private parts. She claimed that she was tied and dumped on a roadside in a sack.

Also Read: Ghaziabad gang rape case FAKE or REAL? DCW writes points out MEDICAL REPORT

However, Ghaziabad police on Friday registered a case against the woman and three others, alleging that she levelled the "fabricated" gang-rape charge in an attempt to grab property.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal on Saturday wrote to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and urged him to set up a high-level committee to probe the alleged gangrape of a 36-year-old woman in Ghaziabad.

She also said that strong action should be taken against the woman if her allegations are found to be false.
Shimla: The Shimla Citys Chaiwala and BJP candidate kickstarted his election campaign as a BJP candidate from Shimla on Saturday. Sanjay Sood, a Chaiwala, has been handed the BJP ticket for Shimla Urban constituency and has filed his nomination on Friday. The BJP's activists and leaders are overjoyed that a Chaiwala has been chosen as the party's candidate from the party's capital city. The 57-year-old graduate, a Chaiwala candidate, is becoming the source of attraction in the hill resort Shimla.

Sanjay Sood, who runs a tea shop in Shimla, filed his nomination as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Shimla Urban seat for the upcoming Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections. Sood replaced BJP minister Suresh Bhardwaj who has contested the Shimla Urban seat four times consecutively. Bhardwaj will now contest the Assembly polls from Kasumpti. "I am grateful to my party for fielding a small worker like me from Shimla urban seat. Our minister (Suresh Bhardwaj) has been given a ticket from Kasumpti. He will win his seat and will also help me in winning my seat," Sood told ANI. Sood has been running his tea shop since 1991. Earlier, he used to sell newspapers at a bus stand.

Speaking to the ANI, Sood said, "I am extremely grateful that BJP made me its candidate to contest from a hot seat like Shimla Urban, I am in seventh heaven as it is truly a big honour for a small worker like me." Speaking about his background, Sood said his education and culture came from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He said that he could manage to afford college by selling newspapers and that was the time when he got the opportunity to work in the "Vidyarthi Parishad" (student council).

Also Read: Shimla's BJP candidate 'Chaiwala' REACTS over comparison with PM Modi, says 'Mai unke PAIRO ki...'

"I worked in student council for five years but had to stop that because of financial issues I could not work for it any further. Then I later worked as a Medical Representative for 2 years, after which I founded this tea shop in 1991 and this is my workplace since then. I take care of my family and their expenses from this shop," he said.

Despite being from a poor family, Sood said a sense of service has always been there in his heart."I do not come from a political background but have a very high spirit for service, and that was the reason why I sat at the booth for Balakram Kashyap of Janata Party in 1977, while I was in school. And since the formation of BJP in 1980 I have been working for it," he said.

Sood mentioned that he was the party`s General Secretary of Shimla Mandal Urban before becoming the vice president of Shimla Division after which he was made the media in-charge of the district.

"While doing so (role of media in-charge), the party gave me a ticket and I became the councillor of Shimla Municipal Corporation twice. Then I became the president of Shimla district," he said. "Today I feel proud that the party has declared me its candidate from Shimla. I will not be able to thank my party," he added further.

On being asked if there was any resentment among party workers on his candidacy, he replied, "I have a simple point that anyone who is with lotus flower cannot be angry. It hurts only momentarily. It is natural to be disappointed if you don`t get what you want. I will meet all of them. I have full faith that eventually we all will work for lotus and win the seat for Shimla constituency."

The Election Commission of India on Friday (October 14, 2022) announced the schedule for assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. The voting for all 68 seats will take place on November 12 in a single phase. The counting will be done on December 8, according to the schedule released by the Election Commission of India.

(With ANI inputs)
The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) has reported a 90 percent reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic bags, as the 3-million-resident emirate continues to phase out the use of plastic products.
New Delhi: A first-year BBA student in Rajkot, Gujarat was brutally assaulted by a group of students as part of a horrific ragging act as per reports. The accused even filmed the victim while he was taking a bath. The students then blackmailed the 19-year-old boy and sexually assaulted him. According to several news reports, the students told him to choose between cutting off his private parts, cutting his ears, or jumping off the roof of the hostel. Then they told him if he couldn't comply with either, they will insert objects into his private parts. The students allegedly inserted a toothbrush, a pencil, and sanitizer in the victim's private parts.

The police have registered a complaint in the matter and have detained 3 of the accused.

Also Read: Jharkhand student alleges ragging, harassment by seniors at Lucknow Dental College, case filed

The boy first confided in his sister about the incident while speaking to her on the phone. Later, his father complained about the matter to the police on Oct 20. The police also conducted a medical test to confirm the victim's statement.
New Delhi: The ongoing war of words between Political strategist Prashant Kishor and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took an interesting turn on Saturday (October 22, 2022). A day after Bihar CM rubbished Prashant Kishor's claim that he was still in touch with the BJP, the political strategist dared the JD(U) leader to ask his party MP Harivansh to quit the post of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha.

Following latest political realignment in Bihar, the two former party colleagues have been targeting each other over their previous link with the BJP.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Prashant Kishor claimed that the Bihar chief minister, who is now with the Mahagathbandhan, has kept a line of communication open with the BJP through his party MP Harivansh.

"After having snapped ties with the BJP, Nitish Kumar should have asked Harivansh to step down. If he insisted on occupying the post, he could have been expelled from the JD(U). But Nitish is having this arrangement to keep options open for the future," Kishor had alleged at a public meeting in West Champaran district, as quoted by PTI.

Later same day, Nitish Kumar rubbished Prashant Kishors claim and said he makes such statements just for his publicity.

What should I say on this.he (Prashant) keeps talking rubbish. He makes such statements just for his publicity. Everybody knows that he is working for which party, Kumar remarked.

This started a word of war between the two former party colleagues, following which Kishor tweeted, Nitish Kumar ji if you have nothing to do with BJP / NDA then ask your MP to quit the post of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha. You cant have both ways all the time.

Both Nitish Kumar and Prahant Kishor have taken potshots at each other in the recent past. Prashant Kishors remarks come amid the ongoing Nitish Kumar versus Prashant Kishor tussle going on for quite some time after Kishor claimed that Bihar CM wanted PK to rejoin JD(U). Following this Nitish had dismissed the allegation and claimed Prashant Kishor when he was in JD(U) wanted Nitish Kumar to merge JD(U) with the Congress.

Nitish Kumar had broken off ties with BJP in August this year and taken oath again as Bihar Chief Minister after rejoining hands with Rashtriya Janata Dal and other parties in the Mahagathbandhan.
Chaibasa: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on Saturday to probe into the alleged gang-rape of a 26-year-old software engineer in Chaibasa, 180 km from the state capital Ranchi. The engineer was allegedly raped by around 10 men near the old aerodrome in Chaibasa on Thursday evening when she was out with her boyfriend on a two-wheeler, the police said. A group of eight-ten men stopped them, beat up her boyfriend, and allegedly raped the woman after taking her to a secluded spot, the police said. After committing the crime, the accused left her at the spot and fled. They also took away her wallet and mobile phone. The woman managed to reach home and told her family about the incident after which they filed a police complaint. Her medical check-up was conducted at the Sadar Hospital. Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) of Chaibasa Sadar, Jagganathpur, and the officer-in-charge of Mufassil police station are members of the SIT, West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar said. The incident happened at a secluded spot outside the township, the SP said. The woman's statement has been recorded, he said.

We have registered a case based on her statement and ensured her proper treatment, the SP said. Twelve people were detained for interrogation in connection with the incident, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Sadar) Dilip Khalko said. Asked whether any arrest was made in this regard, the SP replied in the negative. The BJP demanded Chief Minister Hemant Soren's resignation over the incident. "Soren's government is insensitive towards the incidents of rape that have happened in the state over the last three years", former chief minister Raghubar Das of the BJP told PTI.

Also Read: Jharkhand: Software engineer picked up from road, beaten up and GANG-RAPED in Chaibasa, 10 booked

A sense of insecurity is prevailing among the people of the state as law and order has "completely" broken down, he claimed. The ruling JMM said that those accused of the gang rape in Chaibasa will not be spared. "The state government has been taking prompt action in such cases and will do it in the Chaibasa incident as well," JMM spokesperson Mohan Karmakar said, rejecting the BJP's allegations as an attempt to tarnish Soren's image. The BJP is nervous over the overwhelming support the Soren government is getting for its welfare programmes, he claimed.
After a software engineer was picked up from the road and beaten up, allegations of gang-rape arose in Jharkhand's Chaibasa. Police have already filed an FIR against 10 people suspected to be involved in this incident. According to police sources, the victims belong to the tribal community. The incident took place on the evening of October 20. The young woman was standing on the street talking to a friend. Allegedly, at that time, 8-10 people came and surrounded the two of them. Beat the friend and force the girl into a car. She was also beaten and gang-raped after being taken to a secluded place.

Jharkhand | A case of gang rape with a software engineer has been reported in Chaibasa on October 20. Police have registered the FIR against 10 accused. SIT has been formed to probe the case. Raids are being conducted to arrest the accused: Chaibasa Police  ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2022

The police also learned from the victim that after gang-raping her, the accused left her at a secluded place and fled. While leaving, they snatched the girl's phone and money bag. After this incident, the young woman somehow reached home. Tell the family members everything. After that, they went to the police station and lodged a complaint about kidnapping and gang rape.

Victim's Statement

The victim said that she was doing work from home. She, along with her friend, had gone to the old aerodrome area of Chaibasa on Thursday evening in a two-wheeler. West Singhbhum district superintendent of police Ashutosh Shekhar said that a case has been registered in the matter at Mufassil police station. An investigation is being done to identify the people involved in the incident. After the rape, the accused fled, leaving the victim there. They also snatched her purse and mobile phone. After that, the victim somehow reached her home and told the family about the incident. After that, a complaint was lodged with the police. Her medical checkup was done at Sadar Hospital in Chaibasa.

Chaibasa police said that a search is on for the accused. SIT has been constituted for investigation. According to Chaibasa police, raids are being conducted to nab the accused.They will be arrested soon. Police have recorded the survivors statement in the case.
Chandrapur: A 70-year-old farmer was on Saturday killed in a tiger attack in Brahmapuri tehsil of Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, a forest department official said.

Sadashiv Undirwade of Kudesaoli village was at his farm near a forested patch when a tiger lurking in the thicket pounced on him, killing him on the spot, the Chandrapur Territorial Circle official said.

Also Read: Watch - 80 kg Python found on school bus in UP's Raebareli, video goes viral

"The kin of the deceased has been given initial compensation. Villagers have sought that the big cat be captured by setting up cages in the vicinity," he said.

On October 20, a 40-year-old woman identified as Rupa Ramchandra Mhaske was killed by a tiger near Halda village in Bramhapuri tehsil.
New Delhi: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra took a dig at Congress in Dharamshala on Saturday, October 22, 2022, and said that the leadership of the mother-son duo of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is not working and the Congress ultimately had to resort to electing a different working president because the leaders were not accepting the mother-son duos headship. Vigorously campaigning for the forthcoming elections in Himachal Pradesh, Patra linked the Pratibha Singh-Vikramaditya Singh mother-son duo to Rahul and Sonia Gandhis duo and said that both the duos are out on bail, the former one in Himachal Pradesh and the latter one in Delhi.

The mother-son duo (Sonia Gandhi-Rahul Gandhi) is out on bail there (in Delhi) too & here (Pratibha Singh-Vikramaditya Singh in Himachal) too. There too the leadership of mother & son isn't working, Congress is not accepting their leadership: Sambit Patra, BJP in Dharamshala(1/2) pic.twitter.com/UsotQLrTn6 October 22, 2022

Slamming the workings of Himachal Pradeshs presidents, Patra said that several presidents were appointed in the state but they turned out to be fans of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He thanked them for taking inspiration from PM Modis work and said that they have gone ahead in BJP.

Here too, several working presidents have been appointed as the leadership of the mother & son is not working. Some of these working presidents turned out to be fans of PM Modi. I thank them that taking inspiration from PM Modi's work, they have gone ahead in BJP: Sambit Patra pic.twitter.com/vtDjF6OIyo  ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2022

In a press conference, Patra hailed PM Modi's work in Himachal Pradesh and said that Rs 1,932 Cr were directly given to 9.33 lakh farmers by PM Modi "without any leakage, pilferage or corruption". He also said that a record has been made under PM Gram Sadak Yojna.

The Election Commission of India on Friday (October 14, 2022) announced the schedule for assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. The voting for all 68 seats will take place on November 12 in a single phase. The counting will be done on December 8, according to the schedule released by the Election Commission of India.

The term of the Himachal House ends on January 8, 2023. The BJP has 45 MLAs in the House, while Congress has 20 in Himachal Pradesh. In the bypolls held in the state on October 30 last year, the BJP had lost the Mandi parliamentary seat and three Assembly seats of Fatehpur, Arki, and Jubbai-Kothkai to the Congress.

Political parties are engaged in hectic campaigning across the state. The state Congress also sought a ban on Amritmahotsav functions in Himachal Pradesh. With eyes on Himachal polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently flagged off the new Vande Bharat Express at Una in Himachal Pradesh. PM Modi also laid the foundation of a Bulk Drug Park and inaugurated the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)-Una and also various development projects across the state.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the `Rojgar Mela`, a recruitment drive for 10 lakh personnel, through video conferencing today.During the ceremony, appointment letters will be handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees, a statement from Prime Minister`s Office (PMO) said.

Prime Minister will also address these appointees on the occasion. The PMO statement said this will be a significant step forward towards fulfilling the continuous commitment of the Prime Minister to providing job opportunities for the youth and ensuring the welfare of citizens.

"As per the directions of the Prime Minister, all Ministries and Departments are working towards filling up existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in Mission Mode," the statement said.

The new recruits from across the country will join 38 Ministries/Departments of the Government of India.

"The appointees will join the government at various levels viz Group - A, Group - B (Gazetted), Group - B (Non-Gazetted) and Group - C. The posts on which appointments are being made include Central Armed Force Personnel, Sub Inspector, Constable, LDC, Steno, PA, Income Tax Inspectors, MTS, among others," the PMO statement said.

These recruitments are being done in mission mode by Ministries and Departments either by themselves or through recruiting agencies such as UPSC, SSC, and Railway Recruitment Board.

"For expeditious recruitment, selection processes have been simplified and made tech-enabled," the statement concluded.
Rewa(MP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered condolences on the death of 15 people in the Rewa bus accident and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to critically injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund(PMNRF). Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed grief over the loss of lives. He announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to critically injured. At least 15 people died and 40 were injured after a bus headed to Gorakhpur from Hyderabad collided with a trolley truck on National Highway 30 near Sohagi Ghati in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa. Most people on the bus are said to be residents of Uttar Pradesh.

According to eyewitnesses, "a majority of the bus passengers were labourers and they were on their way home for the Diwali festival.

Also Read: 15 UP labourers returning home for Diwali killed in accident in Rewa, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan expresses grief

Prime Minister's office in a tweet said, "The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the tragic bus accident in Madhya Pradesh. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000."

The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the tragic bus accident in Madhya Pradesh. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000. https://t.co/24QEOITaL1 October 22, 2022

Taking to Twitter, the UP CM Yogi Adityanath tweeted in Hindi, "The loss of life in a road accident in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh is very sad. Praying to Lord Shri Ram to give place to the departed souls at his feet and speedy recovery to the injured. My condolences are with the bereaved families."

  @ChouhanShivraj                      



      02-02      50-50           Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) October 22, 2022

In a separate tweet, he said, "Talks have been held with Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan Ji for proper treatment of the injured and for transporting the mortal remains of the deceased residents of Uttar Pradesh to the state. Instructions have been given to provide  02-02 lakh to the kin of the deceased resident of the state and  50-50 thousand to the seriously injured."

"It seems that the trolley truck had an accident with the truck in front of it and when the driver applied brakes, the bus behind it rammed into it. Police-admin and local people are here. Rescue operations were done. Injured have been sent to hospital", said Manoj Pushp, Rewa Collector.

It seems that the trolley truck had an accident with the truck in front of it and when the driver applied brakes, the bus behind it rammed into it. Police-admn and local people are here. Rescue operations were done. Injured have been sent to hospital: Manoj Pushp, Rewa Collector pic.twitter.com/6BcEeeYzSb  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) October 22, 2022

(With agency inputs)
Raichur: On the last day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in poll-bound Karnataka, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that his family has a long connection with the state, as he reminded that his grandmother and mother had won crucial elections from here. Pointing out that today was the last day of the yatra in the state, covering more than 500 km, he thanked the people for their support, love, and strength. "My family has a long connection with Karnataka. I can never forget that you (people) gave victory to (former PM) Indira Gandhi from Chikkamagaluru (in 1978). I can also not forget you gave victory to Sonia Gandhi in Ballari (in 1999)," Rahul Gandhi said while concluding his speech at the end of the 45th day of the yatra here.

He then moved to the center of the stage and held the hands of both state Congress President D K Shivakumar and Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah and raised in the air, aimed at sending out a message of unity to the party cadres.

Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who are nursing chief ministerial ambitions ahead of assembly polls next year, are indulging in a game of political one-upmanship, with an intention to assert their position in the party's state unit.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra will be entering neighbouring Telangana on Sunday morning after covering a short distance within the state's borders.

The nationwide foot march entered the state on September 30 at Gundlupet in Chamarajanagara district and after covering several districts, it was in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh for three days from October 18. The yatra then re-entered Karnataka at Raichur on October 21.

Alleging that the BJP and RSS have spread hatred and violence in the country, Gandhi said, "They have created rifts between brothers, they have tried to divide India. So, we have taken up this Bharat Jodo Yatra."

He also said that according to farmers in today's India, their government is neither protecting nor helping them, and farming as a profession was not fetching adequate money.

Speaking about the tax/GST on fertilisers, tractors, pesticides and diesel, he further said: "Farmers say that the MSP (minimum support price) which they have to get, the government is not ready to give them. After walking for 20-22 days on the streets of Karnataka, I could not find a single happy farmer here."

The former AICC president also said the youth are unable to find jobs despite having degree certificates, but if one has Rs 80 lakh he or she can become a sub-inspector in Karnataka.

This remark is an oblique reference to the police sub-inspectors recruitment scam that roiled the state with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probing the case.

The government in Karnataka takes 40 per cent commission in everything, he said "there are various scams in the state like - Rs 430 crore borewell scam from the scheme which would have benefited SC/STs, Rs 150 crore Bhovi corporation scam, also scams in Ambedkar, Valmiki and Babu Jagjivan Ram development corporations. There are only scams in Karnataka."

The Wayanad MP said, on one side there is corruption and unemployment in the country, while on the other side there is price rise.

Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the increase in gas cylinder price, and giving two crore youth jobs every year, he said, "From note ban and bad GST, he (Modi) has taken away jobs from crores of youth, he doesn't utter a word on employment."

The world's second richest man is from India and he is a close friend to the Prime Minister, he further pointed out without taking any name, and added that "on one side there are the richest people in the world and on the other side there is unemployment and price rise."

Further claiming credit on behalf of Congress for implementing Article 371J of the Constitution, which grants special status to six backward districts of Hyderabad-Karnataka region, while pointing out that the then BJP government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani had refused to do it, Gandhi highlighted the education, employment and infrastructure-related benefits that the region has gained because of the provision.

"It is unfortunate that the BJP government is unable to implement it properly, with large numbers of jobs still vacant. Once we come to power, we will do it on priority," he added.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi walked with a group of ex-servicemen here.

He also met representatives from minority communities, and also had an interaction with MGNREGA workers and Dalit women from Raichur.

According to a press release from Congress, while meeting with minority community representatives, the party leader said he believed that the "definition of India is a welcoming place for everyone".

Gandhi also went on to say that he was "extremely disturbed by the way a limited number of people that control India were treating minorities, women, Dalits, and small businesses," and assured everyone that the divisiveness and hatred fostered by the BJP and RSS would not last long.
Rishi Sunak's supporters claimed on Saturday that the Indian-origin former chancellor has hit the threshold of 100 members of Parliament required to make it to the shortlist for the race to replace Liz Truss as Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister.

The 42-year-old frontrunner's tally continues to grow as former prime minister Boris Johnson flies back from his Caribbean holiday to reportedly also join the contest.

Neither Sunak nor Johnson have officially declared their intention to contest the leadership election, with Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt the only candidate to formally announce her candidacy so far.

However, the former finance minister has taken a comfortable lead with some heavyweight Tory ministers and MPs from different factions of the Tory party throwing their weight behind him and the betting odds also continuing to rise in favour.

"Rishi had the right plan in the summer and I think it is the right plan now," former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab told the BBC.

"I think he is the best placed candidate to provide some stability, to provide confidence for the millions of workers and businesses up and down the country,? he said.

Raab warned against a comeback by the partygate scandal-hit former leader, Johnson, just over three months after being forced to resign, pointing out that the UK Parliament is still conducting an inquiry into whether he misled Commons over the lockdown law-breaking parties at Downing Street.

"We cannot go backwards. We cannot have another episode of the groundhog day, of the soap opera, of partygate. We must get the country and the government moving forward," he said.

It came as Johnson was pictured by 'Sky News' on a flight back to London from the Dominican Republic with his wife and children, having indicated to allies of his intention to have another go at 10 Downing Street.

The tally of MPs publicly supporting him for the comeback stands at around 45 but his loyalists are confident that he would hit the 100-MP mark required by 2 pm local time on Monday to make the shortlist.

If only one candidate is left standing by then on Monday, then the online Tory membership vote due to happen next week for a winner announced next Friday, will not have to take place.

Meanwhile, there is widespread speculation among backers of both candidates that Sunak and Johnson may strike some kind of a deal.

According to ?The Daily Telegraph', Sunak is expected to reject any offer of a Cabinet role during the leadership race, given he is the frontrunner and had resigned from the Johnson government once already this year.

But no categorical statement of rejection has been issued, leaving open a job acceptance if Johnson does indeed emerge triumphant. Sunak is being urged to offer Johnson a Cabinet role, such as home secretary, to agree to get him to stand back ahead of any voting with Tory members.

Sunak had stormed ahead in the initial round of voting among Tory MPs and lost to Liz Truss in the leadership contest last month in the vote by the 170,000 Tory membership, who either favoured Truss' now-failed tax-cutting pledges or viewed Sunak as having hastened Boris Johnson's downfall by resigning as chancellor.
Discontent has brewed for months in China over the country's zero-Covid policy, with relentless mass testing, localised lockdowns and travel restrictions pushing many across the country to the brink.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday spoke with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and discussed several issues including bilateral relationship, and the Ukraine conflict."Received a call from FM @ABaerbock of Germany. Discussed our bilateral relationship, sustainable development and the Ukraine conflict. Agreed to continue our conversations," Jaishankar tweeted. The phone call between the two ministers comes a few weeks after Baerbock, during a joint press conference with her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Berlin, mentioned the Kashmir issues."Germany also has a role and responsibility with regard to the situation of Kashmir. Therefore, we support intensively the engagement of the United Nations to find the peaceful solution in the regions," Baerbock said. In a sharp response, India said that global community members have a crucial role to play in calling out international terrorism and stressed the fact that foreign nationals have been its victim too.

"All serious and conscientious members of the global community have a role and responsibility to call out international terrorism, especially of a cross-border nature. The Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has borne the brunt of such a terrorist campaign for decades. This continues till now. Foreign nationals have been victims there, as also in other parts of India. The UN Security Council and FATF are still pursuing Pakistan-based terrorists involved in the horrific 26/11 attacks", MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a press release. The MEA said that when states do not recognize such dangers, they do grave injustice to the victims of terrorism."When states do not recognise such dangers, either because of self-interest or indifference, they undermine the cause of peace, not promote it. They also do grave injustice to the victims of terrorism," the press release stated.
A few days ago, Riddhi Sen joined the SSC job aspirants movement. Kaushik Sen and Wriddhi was seen in black clothes next to the protesting candidates. This time, Riddhi Sen criticized the Trinamool government for the TET scandal in the state. The actor's comment, 'Shame on Mamata Banerjee! The state will have to pay for this heinous act.'

Incidentally, the non-included job aspirants who have passed TET of the state were on hunger strike for 84 hours at Salt Lake Karunamoyi. Their movement started on Tuesday. However, late on Thursday night, the protesting job seekers were dragged away by the police in police action. It is in this context that Bengal's dissidents have joined.

Actor-Director Aparna Sen, Kamleswar Mukherjee and Kaushik Sen have already sent open letters to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In that context, Riddhi Sen raised his voice in the role of the administration in the TET incident. However, the actor also faced criticism for speaking out against the Chief Minister. However, this is not the first time, Riddhi had to face criticism by questioning the role of the state government in the political and social issues of Bengal. However, the actor did not stop there. This time, Riddhi Sen protested against the TET incident.

His comment, "Shame on Mamata Banerjee and the police. To inflict such a heinous blow on a peaceful, worthy movement. The state will have to pay the cost for this heinous act."
New Delhi: Chairman of the National Minority Commission, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sanctioning a ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib, saying, "By meeting a long pending request of the Sikh community, Narendra Modi has, once again, showing his love for the community that translates into his understanding their sentiments and taking affirmative action towards meeting their religious and social aspirations. The Sikh community feels that the prime minister is one of their own Lalpura, who is also a lifetime patron of the Global Punjabi Association (GPA), stated that the approval of a ropeway between Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib was welcomed by the Sikh and Punjabi communities around the world.

According to army veteran Col. (retd.) Jaibans Singh, the ropeway sanctioned between Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib would serve a dual purpose of facilitating pilgrimage to such disciples who were unable to make the long journey on foot and providing a significant boost to the region's economy. Dr Jaswinder Singh Dhillon, a Sikh intellectual, stated, ""It will widen the opportunity for the people of India to connect with their invaluable heritage. We cannot thank the Prime Minister enough for his noble gesture.

Also Read: Global situation is dire: PM flags Covid's Side-Effects on employment at Rozgar Mela launch

Former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Paramjit Singh Sarna, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement came as a huge relief to the elderly people who wanted to pay their respects at Hemkund Sahib but couldn't make the trip. "Now the ropeway will fulfil their dreams, and they will be able to travel up to Hekmund Sahib without difficulty," Sarna said. Dr Avtar Singh, Chairman of the Amandeep Group of Hospitals, stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown his respect for the Sikh religion and love for the Sikh people by taking an active interest in community affairs, such as the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, the celebration of the birth centenaries of Sikh Gurus, and now the sanctioning of the ropeway project.

Also Read: 'Grateful to BJP': Shimla's 'Chaiwala' candidate files nomination for Himachal Pradesh polls

Currently, pilgrims to Hemkund Sahib begin their journey at Gurdwara Gobind Ghat, spend the night at Gurdwara Gobind Dham, and arrive at Hemkund Sahib the next day, resulting in a three-day arduous journey that not everyone can undertake, despite their desire. The 12.4-kilometre-long ropeway will connect Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib, cutting travel time to about 45 minutes. It will also stop at Pind Pullana, Gurdwara Gobind Dham, and Hemkund Sahib Ghangaria, which serves as the entrance to Valley of Flowers National Park.
New Delhi: The Congress party on Friday disassociated itself from the political row sparked by former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's remarks and called it "unacceptable". The veteran Congress leader said that "the concept of `jihad` finds mention not only in the Quran but in the Bhagwad Gita and in Christianity as well". Addressing the audience at a book launch event of Congress leader and former Union Minister Mohsina Kidwai on Thursday, the former Lok Sabha Speaker and Union Minister Patil stated "Lord Krishna taught jihad to Arjun and the concept of jihad is not just in Islam but also in Bhagavad Gita and in Christianity." Taking to Twitter, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday shared an excerpt from Jawaharlal Nehru`s "Discovery of India" where the former PM talks about Geeta`s `universality`.

"My senior colleague Shivraj Patil reportedly made some comments on Bhagavad Gita that`s unacceptable. Subsequently, he clarified. @INCIndia`s stand is clear. Bhagavad Gita is a key foundational pillar of Indian civilisation. Here`s an excerpt from Nehru`s Discovery of India(p110)," Jairam Ramesh said.

Also Read: Lord Krishna gave lessons on JIHAD to Arjun in Mahabharata': Congress veteran Shivraj Patil sparks row

In another tweet, the Congress leader said, "Incidentally, I learned Bhagavad Gita in my early teens and have had a life-long fascination with it as a cultural and philosophical text, with a profound influence on Indian society over the ages. I wrote about this in my book The Light of Asia: The Poem that defined the Buddha."

Incidentally, I learned Bhagavad Gita in my early teens and have had a life-long fascination with it as a cultural & philosophical text, with a profound influence on Indian society over the ages. I wrote about this in my book The Light of Asia: The Poem that defined the Buddha. https://t.co/dLV7964JPQ  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 21, 2022



The concept comes to the fore when despite having the right intentions and doing the right thing, nobody understands or reciprocates, then it is said one can use force, he said. "It is not just in Quran, but in Mahabharata also, the part in Gita, Shri Krishna also talks of jihad to Arjun and this thing is not just in Quran or Gita but also in Christianity," Patil claimed in his remarks in Hindi.

"If after explaining everything, people are not understanding, they are coming with weapons then you cannot run, you cannot call that jihad and you cannot call it wrong, this is what must be understood, there should not be this concept of making people understand with weapons in hand," the 87-year-old leader said.

Patil`s remarks have drawn flak from the BJP which has hit out at the Congress for 'Hindu hatred' and 'vote-bank politics.' Patil who was Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008 and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996 was addressing the audience at a book launch of Congress leader and former Union Minister Mohsina Kidwai.
Kolkata: Slamming the midnight police crackdown on protesting teaching job aspirants near Kolkata, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said the country was watching the misgovernance and corruption of the TMC government in West Bengal.

Just after midnight, a strong police contingent had removed the protesters, who claimed to have qualified for the 2014 TET exams but were still omitted from the merit list, following 84 hours of sit-in near the head office of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education in Salt Lake.

I have only one question, the state government led by Mamata Banerjee is taking action against those who were protesting against the teacher recruitment scam. But, why was no action taken when Partha Chatterjee perpetrated this scam? When officials of this department indulged in wrongdoings, why was no action taken against them? Irani, the Women and Child Development Minister, said.

The entire country is watching the misgovernance, corruption and torture of the TMC government in West Bengal, she added.

Irani also hit out at Banerjee over her statement that it was not her but the CPI(M) which drove away Tata Motors from Singur.

I am astonished that she is lying that she didnt drive out the Tatas. Even a class 8 kid of West Bengal knows the kind of politics Mamata Banerjee pursued to shut down the factory at Singur, she said.

The BJP leader, who was in Howrah to attend an organisational meeting of the party, said the TMC wouldnt have a free run in next years panchayat election.

All of us know what happened in the 2018 panchayat polls. BJP workers wont allow the TMC to unleash its terror, and have a free run during the polls, she said.

Countering the criticism by the opposition over the police action, Trinamool Congress state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the police were not interfering in the sit-ins as the state government did not believe in crushing democratic protests.

However, so far as the Karunamoyee incident is concerned, the protestors violated prohibitory orders and sat on a road before the board office. Police had to lift them as the movement was disrupting normal life, he said.
The Panchayat election is knocking on the door in Bengal. However, the battle had already started before that. Political leaders are heating up the air with warnings, counter-warnings and threats. The name of the North Bengal Development Minister came up again and again to threaten the opposition with harsh words. This time, also before the Panchayat polls, threats and warnings continued in North Bengal.

Threatens to Pull Out Teeth

The former Trinamool (TMC) district president of Cooch Behar Partha Pratim Roy and North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha have threatened to pull out the teeth of the opposition. Trinamool leaders visiting the party's Bijaya Sammilani in Bhetaguri, Dinhata said, "We will pull out your teeth, if you continue to do the politics of bombs and guns." This is how former President of Cooch Behar Trinamool Congress Parthapratim Roy threatened the opposition. On the other hand, North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha also threatened the opposition. The Trinamool MLA from Dinhata threatened to pull out the teeth of the opposition if they resort to the politics of terror. BJP all India vice president Dilip Ghosh responded to the attack in such language. He said, "Trinamool leaders are being tied up on charges of embezzlement, people will answer for it!"

Theory of Mamata Banerjee's Minister

Udayan Guha attacked the opposition on various issues before the 2018 panchayat polls. But a few days ago, Udayan admitted his mistake in the last panchayat election. He said, "The way I won, our workers could not accept it. As a result, the election of 2019 had to be defeated. This time, people themselves will vote, they will vote for the candidate they like."

But another Trinamool leader stood on the same platform and spoke in a completely different tone. Rabindranath Ghosh, chairman of Cooch Behar Municipal Corporation and former district president of Trinamool, rose to speak after Udayan Guha. Significantly, he targeted a section of the party leaders present on the stage for the poor results in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Rabindranath Ghosh, the former president of Trinamool Congress, said, "Some people have lost us with independent candidates in the panchayat elections. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where victory was certain, some people stabbed the party from behind, and they are on this stage today."
NEW DELHI: A Delhi Court on Saturday (October 22) extended the interim bail of Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez in connection with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case related to the Rs 200 crore money laundering matter involving conman Sukesh Chandrashekar and others. During the hearing on regular bail, Additional Sessions Judge Shailender Malik noted that the reply on Jacqueline's bail plea has been filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the matter. However, the court deferred the matter for 10 November and extended the interim bail of Jacqueline.

The court also directed ED to provide the chargesheet and other relevant documents to all parties. Actor Jacqueline Fernandez also attended the court proceedings physically on Saturday. On September 26, Jacqueline was granted interim bail in the matter.

The Additional Sessions Judge on the last date had issued notice to ED on Jacqueline's regular bail petition and granted interim bail to her on Rs 50,000 bail bond. On August 17, 2022, a supplementary chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate in the Rs 200 crore extortion case against conman Sukesh Chandrashekar in a Delhi Court mentioned the name of Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez as an accused.

The Court also directed ED to supply a copy of the chargesheet to all the accused in the present case.

Jacqueline Fernandez has also been summoned by ED several times in the matter for the purpose of investigation.Advocate Prashant Patil appeared for Jacquline and stated that she has always cooperated with the investigation agencies and attended all the summons to date.

"She has handed over all the information to the best of her ability to the ED."

According to ED`s earlier Chargesheet, Bollywood actors Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi examined and stated that they got top models of BMW cars, the most expensive gifts from the accused Sukesh.

ED chargesheet clearly stated that "During the investigation, statements of Jacqueline Fernandez were recorded on 30.08.2021 and 20.10.2021 Jacqueline Fernandez stated she received gifts viz three designer bags from Gucci, Chanel, and two Gucci outfits for gym wear. A pair of Louis Vuitton shoes, two pairs of diamond earrings and a bracelet of multi-coloured stones, two Hermes bracelets. She also received a Mini Cooper which she returned.

"According to ED, Sukesh was confronted with Jacqueline on October 20, 2021. Jacqueline Fernandez stated that Sukash Chandrasekhar had arranged private jet trips and her hotel stays on different occasions for herself. The statements of Nora Fatehi were recorded under section 50 of PMLA, 2002 on September 12, 2021, and October 14, 2021, wherein she stated that she got a booking for a charity event and during the event, she was gifted a Gucci Bag and one iPhone by Leena Paulose (wife of Chandrashekhar).

Nora further stated that Leena Paulose had called her husband and put the phone on speaker where he thanked her and said they were her fans. She then announced that they would gift her a brand new BMW car as a token of love and generosity.
New Delhi: Ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra recently hosted a grand gala Diwali bash for his industry friends. If there's one couple in tinsel town that always make heads turn, solely because of how gorgeous they look together - it's got be Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal. The lovebirds are the perfect fashionista couple and complement each other to perfection! The duo sparkled at Manish Malhotra's big Diwali party, which had many other starts in attendance.

Katrina opted for a pretty embellished saree, which had hues of sea green and turquoise and looked absolutely scintillating and drop-dead gorgeous! Vicky on the other hand went in for a dapper classic black sherwani and looked flamboyant as well.

The paparazzi love to capture the power couple of VicKat and why not! The good-looking duo always grabs eyeballs and takes the internet by storm with their charm, making them "couple goals".

On the work front Katrina Kaif will be seen in the horror-comedy Phone Bhoot with Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi, followed by the magnum opus Tiger 3 with Salman Khan. With such an interesting line up, her fans are awaiting her upcoming releases with bated breath.
NEW DELHI: Celeb-favourite designer Manish Malhotra hosted a star-studded Diwali bash at his Mumbai residence on Thursday night that was attended by a bevy of B-Town celebrities including Suhana Khan, Ananya Pandey, Kriti Sanon, Varun Dhwana, Malaika Arora, Khushi Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Raveena Tandon, Karti Aaryan, Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal among others. Karisma Kapoor, who was once engaged to be married to actor Abhishek Bachchan, was also seen attending the star-studded Diwali bash.

On Friday, Karisma took to social media and shared a rare photo of herself where she is seen posing with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan from the Diwali festivities. Karisma was seen in a red saree which she teamed with matching strappy top, was seen posing with Aishwarya, who was dressed in a pink ethnic outfit. They were joined by 'Dhak-Dhak' girl Madhuri Dixit.

Karisma Kapoor-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan pose together at Diwali bash

It is to be noted that this is the first time Karisma Kapoor has shared a photo with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. In the last few years, they have attended several events and parties together, but they rarely got photographed together. It seems like Manish Malhotra's Diwali bash brought these two gorgeous divas from the tinsle villa together and made them pose for the cameras.

It is no secret that before Abhishek Bachchan got married to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, he was in a relationship with Karisma Kapoor. The duo dated for several years before they got engaged. Abhisheks sister Shweta Bachchan is married to Karisma Kapoors cousin Nikhil Nanda. However, in 2003, they two parted their ways and reports of their broken engagement surfaced in media.

Soon after their engagement broke, Karisma Kapoor tied the knot with his friend and Delhi-based businessman Sanjay Kapur. However, their marriage could not survive for long and they headed for separation some years later. The former couple share two children together - Samaira and Kiaan.

On the other hand, Abhishek dated Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for a few years and later tied the knot with her in 2007. Together, they have a daughter Aaradhya Bachchan.
New Delhi: Ahead of the Diwali festival and on the Dhanteras, presents and bonuses are pouring down on the Central government employees. The Union Government announced non-productivity linked bonuses (also known as ad-hoc bonuses) as a huge cheer for the Central government employees.

The Centre has approved the payment of an ad hoc bonus for the fiscal year 20212022, which is equal to 30 days of payment. In a document released on October 6, 2022, the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, announced the grant of this incentive. Employees who are not covered by a productivity-linked incentive programme receive a non-productivity-linked bonus. (Also Read: EPFO announces Diwali Bonus for THESE employees; check details)

All Group B non-gazetted employees and Group C central government personnel will receive the non-productivity linked bonus. (Also Read: Want to record videos in cinematic style using your iPhone? Use THIS feature to get quality shots)

The DoE stated in the official memorandum that the monthly emoluments calculation cap for ad-hoc bonus payments will be Rs 7,000. Adjudicated incentive payments are also available to qualified members of the central paramilitary forces and the armed forces.

Additionally, it will be extended to UT administration personnel who follow the central government emoluments pattern and are not covered by any other bonus or ex-gratia programmes.

The amount of the ad-hoc bonus will be determined by average emoluments or a computation ceiling, according to the Centre's memorandum (whichever is lower). The average annual salary will be divided by 30.4, and the number of bonus days given to the employees will be multiplied to determine the amount of ad-hoc bonus for a day.

To be eligible for payment under these orders, an employee must have been employed as of March 31, 2022, and they must also have provided at least six months of continuous service throughout the year 20212022.

Additionally, eligible employees will be entitled to pro-rata remuneration for periods of continuous service during the year ranging from six months to a full year, with the qualifying period measured in terms of the number of service months (rounded off to the nearest number of months).

The DoE states that casual workers will be eligible for the ad-hoc bonus if they have worked in offices six days a week for at least 240 days annually for three years or more (206 days annually for three years or more in the case of offices following a five-day workweek).
Early-season merrymakers sipping mulled wine and shopping for holiday decorations packed the Verona Christmas market for its inaugural weekend.
New Delhi: The requirements for allocating equity have been changed by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) for Tier 1 and Tier II National Pension System (NPS) accounts. The new rule states that subscribers who turn 51 years old can allocate up to 75 per cent of their money to equities (E) under active choice in a Tier-I account without any tapering limitations.

The statutory regulating authority permits, without any limitations, at age 51, the opportunity to allocate 100 per cent of the subscriber's contribution to Asset Class E (Equity) in Tier-II accounts under active choice. (Also Read: Want to record videos in cinematic style using your iPhone? Use THIS feature to get quality shots)

The NPS-All Citizen Model currently gives NPS subscribers the choice of selecting any one of the registered Pension Funds and actively allocating their contributions across four asset classes: equity (E), corporate bonds (C), government securities (G), and alternative assets (A).

This option is known as "Active Choice." The maximum allocations to various asset classes are as follows:

The 75 per cent maximum on asset class E, however, is reduced by 2.5 per cent annually and transferred to government securities once a subscriber becomes 51. The age-based maximum equity criteria are based on the following matrix:

In a circular dated October 20, 2022, PFRDA stated that "the Authority has decided to offer option to allocate 75% of subscriber's contribution in Asset Class E (Equity) in Tier-I under active choice without any limitations of tapering from the age of 51 years."

Additionally, the regulator decided to permit the option of allocating 100% of the subscriber contribution in Asset Class E (Equity) in Tier-II (Optional Account) under Active Choice without any tapering requirements.
New Delhi: Har Har Mahadev is one of the most anticipated Diwali releases, which is just one week away from hitting the theatres, and the audience can not wait to watch the story of the brave and heroic Maratha warrior Baji Prabhu Deshpande. The actors and director are busy promoting the movie as it nears release. The cast of Har Har Mahadev, which also includes director Abhijeet Deshpande, actors Subodh Bhave and Sayli Sanjeev, recently met Dil Raju, one of the greatest producers in Telugu cinema.

During the meet, Dil Raju showed his love and adoration for the upcoming film and talked about how our history and lives are influenced by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He also urged the audience to watch the film since it is a film with a message. He said  Har Har Mahadev is the first Marathi Multilingual film which is to be released PAN India. I am excited to see the life journey of Baji Prabhu Deshpande in the film and how close his bond was with his king.

A true fight in our history, led by Bajiprabhu, in which only 300 men defeated a 12000-strong enemy army while paying a heavy price for the victory, is depicted in the film 'Har Har Mahadev.' On the other hand, it will be available to the mass audience across the nation, being Marathi cinema's first multilingual film.

Produced by ZEE Studios and directed by Abhijeet Deshpande. The film stars Subodh Bhave, Sharad Kelkar, Amruta Khanvilkar, and Sayli Sanjeev in the leads. The film is all set to hit the theatres on 25th October 2022.
New Delhi: The weekend is finally here and it's time for Bigg Boss 16 - Weekend Ka Vaar. With Salman Khan out with dengue fever, the hosting duties fell to director Karan Johar, who is a seasoned host himself.At the beginning of the episode, Bigg Boss introduces Karan as the host to the viewers and shows him a video of the incident involving Gori and Archana. As seen in the previous episode, the punished captain', Archana Gautam, had a tough time in the house with the whole house trying to sabotage her captaincy. Karan Johar questions Gori Nagori about her improper behaviour after she got into a significant altercation with Archana.

The host chastises Gori for disrespecting 'Bigg Boss' and queries the entire house as to whether Gori's provocation was done with the intention of injuring. All except Manya say Yes, and then Karan proceeds to ask Gori her decision whether she wants to stay or leave. Gori then goes on to apologise to the bigg boss and own up to her mistake. At the end of the discussion, Karan advises everyone to follow and keep the rules of the Bigg Boss house in mind.

Here are some pictures from the episode:

Switching to a celebratory mode, Karan Johar welcomes the contestants to "KJo City. Hosting the vaar for this weekend Karan Johar adds his own tadka to it. He narrates some fun situations in the songs of his films and chooses a few contestants to take over the stage and enact them. Karan calls Priyanka Chahar Choudhary and Ankit Gupta to enact the most iconic Channa Mereya song from his movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, where Priyanka acts out Ranbir's character and Ankit acts out Anushka's. Ankit surprises everyone with his romantic side as he picks Priyanka up in his arms. Shalin and Gautam dance to 'Dola Re Dola' and Sajid does a scene from KKKG as Jaya Bachchan. Next up is Archana, who is asked by Karan to rate all the boys. She rates Shalin the highest.

In India, performing "Saaf Safai" before Diwali is a tradition, and Karan Johar follows suit by doing "Mann ki Safai" in the "Bigg Boss" fashion. Everyone is asked to identify the housemate who needs "Mann ki safai" the most. They are instructed to use water to wash the candidate whose name they have taken. The show ends with MC Stan spraying Priyanka, giving the reason that he feels she unnecessarily puts herself in other people's issues.
New Delhi: Photography is more than just pressing the click button. Like science, photography also has myriad branches one of which is microphotography where the subject in the pictures taken is magnified and looks bigger than its actual size. With microphotography, such images are produced that leave the viewer wondering as it contains the smallest details of the subject. But sometimes the image may terrify the viewer as the horrific details of the subject is also magnified in it.

One such spooky image was captured by Lithuanian wildlife photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas for the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition showcases the art of microscopic photography, prompting people to capture details not seen by the human eye.

Kavaliauskas took a magnified snapshot of an ant which when seen looks like some monster from a sci-fi movie has come to life. The picture can surely give nightmares and chills.

The scary snapshot of ant is going viral all over social media and netizens are sharing their horrific feelings after viewing the image. One user wrote "Thank you for ruining ants. I thought they looked cute. Now Im terrified", Now imagine a million of these rushing you, wrote another. One of the users suggested that ant-man shoulda been a horror film after seeing the picture.
Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping is all set for an unprecedented third five-year term as he was elected to the powerful Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party on Saturday while several top leaders including Premier Li Keqiang have been left out in the major shake-up at the top. The once-in-a-five-year Congress concluded its week-long session by electing 205 regular Central Committee members and 171 alternate members. Xi, 69, was elected to the Central Committee, which will meet on Sunday to elect a 25-member Political Bureau which in turn will choose seven or more members to the Standing Committee to govern the country.

The Standing Committee in turn will elect the General Secretary, who heads the party and the country. With his election to the Central Committee, Xi is on course to become the General Secretary, observers here said.As he is all set for a record third term and perhaps for life, Xi has further consolidated his power with many of his own associates making it to the Central Committee.

Also Read: Analysis: Rare voices of dissent in China threaten Xi Jinping

Several names, especially that of Premier Li, 67; National People's Congress chairman Li Zhanshu, 72; Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference chairman Wang Yang, 67; and Vice-Premier Han Zheng, 68, were conspicuously missing from the Central Committee list.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, proponent of economic reforms, among 4 top officials removed from Communist Party leadership, reports AP  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 22, 2022

They are all part of the outgoing seven-member Standing Committee headed by Xi.

Both Li and Wang are regarded as moderates. Li, who steered the Chinese economy for the past ten years, has already announced his decision to quit as Premier though he is one year short of the official retirement age of 68 set by the party.

Among the other notables, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi was elected to the Central Committee while former foreign minister Yang Jiechi was dropped. After the election of the Standing Committee on Sunday, Xi along with the new team is due to appear before the media who are kept in a closed loop COVID quarantine in a hotel here.

Xi, who is completing a 10-year tenure this year, will be the first Chinese leader after party founder Mao Zedong to continue in power, ending three decades of the rule followed by his predecessors to retire after two five-year tenures.

Observers say the new tenure will put him on course to continue in power for life like Mao.

The Congrees during its closing session also passed several key resolutions, including an amendment to its Constitution to grant more powers to Xi.

Ahead of the 20th Congress, Beijing witnessed rare public protests with banners hung on overpasses of major thoroughfares, protesting against Xi's unpopular zero-COVID policy and authoritarian rule.
Washington: Diwali is a universal concept that transcends cultures, Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday as she opened her official residence for scores of Indian Americans to celebrate the festival of lights. The Naval Observatory - the official residence of the vice president -- was colourfully decorated with lights and diyas (earthen lamps) while the guests were served a wide variety of authentic Indian delicacies from 'pani puri' to traditional sweets, community leaders, who attended the event, said.

Diwali is a universal concept that transcends cultures. It is about being inspired by the relevance of light over darkness, and shedding light in moments of darkness, Harris told the gathering of more than a hundred Indian Americans. "As the vice president, I think a lot about it because we are not without great challenges in our own country and in the world. And these are the moments when a festival like Diwali reminds us of the importance of our power to bring light in moments of darkness," she said.

Also read: When is Dhanteras 2022? After 27 years, THIS has happened; check city-wise muhurat

To the surprise of the invited guests, who had travelled from various parts of the country, they were given sparklers which they lit along with Harris and the Second Gentleman while cheering and wishing each other 'Happy Diwali'. Earlier, a group of young dancers enthralled the guests by performing on popular Bollywood hits like 'Jai Ho' and 'Om Shanti'.



Sparks of joy at the Naval Observatory for @VPs Diwali Celebration! pic.twitter.com/zingnCuQNm  Lilian Sanchez (@LilianSanchez46) October 21, 2022

Recollecting her days of celebrating as a child with her grandparents in Chennai, Harris said Diwali is about tradition. "It is about culture. It is about an age-old concept that transcends cultures and communities. It is about a point of reflection and a moment of reflection to consider the duality of life in terms of the balance between darkness and light. And to celebrate the light. In that way, to think about what our role is and what our role should be in elevating us out of the darkness, guided by the light," she said.

"In the last few years, we have experienced a lot that has been about powerful forces trying to divide, trying to focus on what they would suggest are dissimilarities when we all know that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us," she said.

"There are moments in our country right now where there are those who fight against democratic principles. The principles upon which our nation was founded. Principles like freedom, liberty," she said.

"And in these moments where we all have a keen awareness of the unfairness and the injustice of it all, let us be guided by our knowledge that it is not new, that there will be moments like this, but that we have the power to make a difference and to elevate any moment in a way that we feel and can see the future and the possibility and all that is bright that the world allows when we have the ability to believe in it," Harris said.

Among the attendees were several Indian American members of the Biden-Harris Administration, including Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy, President's Special Advisor Neera Tanden, and Biden's Speech Writer Vinay Reddy. America's former Ambassador to India, Rich Verma was also present at the Diwali celebrations.

"The atmosphere was magical and very, very authentic Indian. She (Harris) gave a very nice speech about her Diwali celebrations in Chennai. The highlight for me was the little sparklers. I felt like a child," said philanthropist M R Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora.

"As an American, I was proud to see the inclusion of festivals of all religions as a mainstream. This is diversity. Diwali has truly become a mainstream part of American culture," Rangaswami added.

Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders said, "It was a memorable Diwali celebration, thanks to the vice president and second gentleman, with awesome food, Bollywood music and colourful decoration of the Naval Observatory with Diwali lights. Biggest surprise were the sparklers."

Awesome Diwali celebration at Vice President and second gentleman Home at naval observatory with Bollywood music, dance, fireworks, delicious food and beautiful decorations @VP Thank you ! @OpalVadhan46 pic.twitter.com/FqeXomRwpr  Ajay Bhutoria (@ajainb) October 22, 2022

"The vice president's team did an amazing job in organising the Diwali event and bringing the community together. It sends a strong message that good always wins over evil and we should spear light in the moments of darkness," said Bhutoria. As the guests left the Naval Observatory, they were given specially-crafted candles with the emblem of the office of the vice president embossed on them.
Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he will announce the date for his much-publicised mega protest next week to press for the dissolution of the National Assembly and announce snap polls in the country. Khan, 70, was disqualified on Friday by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for failing to inform it about the money he received after selling the state gifts, also known as the Toshakhana case. Khan made the comments while addressing a press conference along with Senator Azam Swati, who was granted bail by a local court in a case about his controversial tweet against Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. I will announce the date of the long march on either Thursday or Friday, he said.

Khan also confirmed that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was having parleys with the federal government, but added that he was not expecting a meaningful outcome from them. Political parties always hold backdoor channel talks but I don't think this [ongoing talks] will have any meaningful outcome, he explained. Khan said the current government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was afraid of holding general elections after suffering defeat in the recently concluded by-polls. He also warned if the federal government tried to stop his organised protest, then there would be chaos. Khan had made calls for the Haqeeqi Azadi March (real freedom march) during a meeting held at his Bani Gala residence here on October 3. This will be Khan's second major rally, after the first one, known as the "Azadi Rally," which he had called on May 25, was abruptly called off at the last minute after his party workers arrived at the federal capital.

Also Read: Pakistans EC bans former PM Imran Khan for concealing government assets worth 14 crore

During Saturday's press conference, Khan also came down heavily on the security officials for allegedly subjecting Swati to custodial torture. I will raise the matter of Azam Swati at every forum, Khan asserted. He also asked the Supreme Court to take suo moto notice of this incident. The Chief Justice must take notice of this incident. If you allow this to continue then Pakistan will be turned into a banana republic, Khan noted. Meanwhile, Khan has lambasted the ECP verdict in the Toshakhana case, contending that someone else was behind the verdict against him. One thing is sure he [CEC] cannot give this verdict on his own. Everyone knows that he is a servant of the Sharif family but this should be investigated if he was kicked from somewhere else, he added

Also Read: Violence erupts as PTI workers clash with police in Pakistan over Imran Khans disqualification
Washington: The House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol formally issued an extraordinary subpoena to Donald Trump, demanding testimony from the former president, who lawmakers say personally orchestrated a multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The nine-member panel issued a letter to Trump's lawyers saying he must testify, either at the Capitol or by videoconference, beginning on or about November 14 and continuing for multiple days if necessary. The letter also outlined a sweeping request for documents, including personal communications between Trump and members of Congress as well as extremist groups. Those are to be turned in by November 4, although the committee's deadlines are generally subject to negotiation.

We recognise that a subpoena to a former president is a significant and historic action," Chairman Bennie Thompson and Vice Chair Liz Cheney wrote in the letter to Trump. We do not take this action lightly.

Also Read: Former US president Donald Trump sues CNN for $475 million in defamation suit

The panel rooted its action in history, listing past presidents from John Quincy Adams to Gerald Ford, who testified before Congress after leaving office and noted that even sitting presidents have responded to congressional subpoenas.

It is unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond. He could comply or negotiate with the committee, announce he will defy the subpoena or ignore it altogether. He could also go to court and try to stop it.

The subpoena is the latest and most striking escalation in the House committee's 15-month investigation of the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, bringing members of the panel into direct conflict with the man they have investigated from afar through the testimony of aides, allies and associates.

In the subpoena letter, the committee wrote about the overwhelming evidence it has assembled, showing Trump personally orchestrated an effort to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election, including by spreading false allegations of widespread voter fraud, attempting to corrupt the Justice Department and pressuring state officials, members of Congress and his own vice president to change the results.

In short, you were at the center of the first and only effort by any U.S. President to overturn an election and obstruct the peaceful transition of power, ultimately culminating in a bloody attack on our own Capitol and on the Congress itself, Thompson and Cheney said.'

Lawmakers say key details about what Trump was doing and saying during the siege remain unknown. According to the committee, the only person who can fill the gaps is Trump himself.

The panel comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans approved the subpoena for Trump in a surprise vote last week. Every member voted in support.

The committee also made 19 requests for documents and communication including for any messages Trump sent on the encrypted messaging app Signal or any other means to members of Congress and others about the stunning events of the Capitol attack.

The scope of the committee's request is expansive pursuing documents from Sept. 1, 2020, two months before the election, to the present on the president's communications with the groups like the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys as the panel looks to compile a historical record of the run-up to the Capitol attack and then the aftermath.

If Trump refuses to comply with the subpoena, the panel will have to weigh the practical and political implications of holding him in contempt of Congress.
New Delhi: After tensions erupted the day before, a city in Iran that was the scene of a bloody crackdown last month awoke to new destruction on Saturday, according to state TV. Protests after Friday prayers in Zahedan, a southeastern city with a Baluch ethnic population, left the city battered. Shops had their windows smashed and gaped open to the street. The sidewalks were littered with shattered glass. ATMs were harmed. Cleaning crews arrived and began sweeping debris from vandalised stores. The protests in Zahedan came as protests across Iran continue over the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, in the custody of the country's morality police on September 16.

Protesters hurled stones at motorists and damaged banks and other private property, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Authorities said 57 demonstrators were arrested, adding to the estimated thousands who have been detained as a result of the protests. Ahmad Taheri, the provincial police commander, stated that security forces were looking for additional suspects. Although the protests began in response to the country's mandatory hijab, they have evolved into the Islamic Republic's most serious challenge since the 2009 Green Movement over disputed elections.

Also Read: US woman sues L'Oreal, claims its hair products led to uterine cancer

According to rights groups, security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds, killing over 200 people. On September 30, violence erupted in the restive city of Zahedan, which activists describe as the bloodiest day since the nationwide protests began. Outrage erupted following allegations that a Baluch teenager had been raped by a police officer, escalating tensions in the underdeveloped region home to the Shiite theocracy's minority Sunni Muslims.

Also Read: Former US president Donald Trump summoned to testify before January 6 Capitol riot panel

The rights groups said that dozens of people were killed when security forces opened fire on crowds on what residents call "Bloody Friday." Iran Human Rights, an Oslo-based organisation, puts the death toll at more than 90. The Zahedan violence was described by Iranian authorities as involving unnamed separatists, but no details or evidence were provided. Unrest in the city flared up again on Friday, according to video footage purportedly showing crowds gathering after noon prayers in Zahedan, chanting "I will kill the one who killed my brother!" The scale of the clashes was unknown, but Iranian state television aired footage of the aftermath, blaming 150 "rioters" for the devastation.

(With agencies inputs)
Kabul: Ties between Pakistan and the Taliban seem to be facing a new blow as several reports revealed that the Taliban has increased the vigil around the offices of Pakistan mission in the country to ensure the neutralization of any attempt of sabotaging the regime politically and diplomatically, media reports said. Furthermore, there were several reports of Afghan security officials curtailing the movement of suspicious persons around Pakistan`s embassy in Kabul and the consulate in Jalalabad, reported Afghan Diaspora.

Taliban is increasingly becoming more determined to counter Islamabad`s policy of violence against it. Tribals living on both sides of the Durand Line are being targeted by the Pakistan Army.

There has been increased violence against the innocent Pashtuns living in bordering areas. In a recent attack on October 2022, the Pakistan Army resorted to mortar firing across the border. It all started with a movement by some local Afghans from villages near the border to the Pakistan side.

The Afghan side registered their protest that these movements are within the ambit of a bilateral agreement. The ongoing fencing between the two countries has major consequences for closely knit Pashtun and Balochi tribal communities on both sides of the fencing, reported Afghan Diaspora.

The work on the fence started in 2016 and continued unchallenged till the Taliban recaptured power in August 2021. The border divides the traditional Pashtun areas between the two countries infringing the natural rights of locals. Even the Taliban`s stance towards Pakistan has been pretty shaky.

Afghanistan`s Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanekzai has strongly condemned Pakistan`s Prime Minister`s anti-Taliban statement at 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

It came after Pakistan had listed Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) as one of the major threats to the security of the region, reported Afghan Diaspora. The Taliban leader has expressed concerns over Pakistan`s attempts to portray Afghanistan as a sponsor of terrorism and said that this will not be tolerated.

Earlier, a woman was killed by Pakistani border forces on the Afghan side amid recent clashes with the Taliban forces in Afghanistan. The clash took place along the border in the Spin Boldak border town in Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.

In a statement, the Taliban chief of police for the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, Mawlawi Mahmood, said that the border clash was started by Pakistani forces, adding that gunfire from the Pakistani side killed a woman from the Afghan side. The border clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border come at a time when the Taliban forces and Pakistani border security forces have clashed multiple times before.

Clashes between Pakistan security forces and the Afghan Taliban have become quite frequent in recent months. Several cases of open firings and bomb attacks have been reported in Pakistan and Afghanistan and also continue to blame the neighbouring country for transmitting terrorism across the border.

The porous border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been a stronghold for the Pakistani Taliban, a banned terrorist group in Pakistan, for decades.
Egypt is developing its plans to become a global green fuel hub through a partnership with the international shipping company Maersk.

The UN COP27 Climate Change Conference that will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh in November is now just around the corner, and Egypt is continuing to position itself as a hub for green energy production and distribution.

With a renewable energy strategy aiming to increase the supply of electricity generated from renewable sources to 42 per cent by 2035, a green hydrogen strategy in the works and a massive green fuel deal, Egypt is turning to international partners in its ambitious plan to become an international hub for producing and distributing clean energy.

After signing a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) this year to increase production of green energy products and establishing a green hydrogen industry, Egypt is on the way to become an international leader in the green fuel industry through a cooperation agreement with the Danish company A.P. Moller Maersk, one of the worlds largest shipping lines.

Green fuel, also called e-methanol, is a clean fuel type used in operating vessels and can be made by combining hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This process becomes green when renewable energy is used as the source of the electricity.

A project to produce green fuel for vessels with an investment worth around $15 billion over three phases, was discussed last month between President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and Maersk CEO Soren Skou. A final framework agreement is expected to be signed during the COP27 next month in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Hany El-Nady, chief group representative of Maersk Egypt, said that Egypt has the potential to become a world leader in the green fuel industry as it has an abundance of renewable energy sources, mainly solar and wind. It also has a modern infrastructure, and the Suez Canal is one of the worlds most important maritime trade routes.

The unique geographical location of Egypt and the availability of renewable energy resources could help accelerate Egypts journey to becoming a global energy hub and achieving crucial sustainable development goals in addition to the countrys efforts to help save the environment, El-Nady told Al-Ahram Weekly.

The green fuel project between Egypt and Maersk will generate about 100,000 jobs, he added, and the massive production scale will place Egypt ahead of the curve in global e-methanol production, a new technology with a currently low production capacity.

El-Nady told the Weekly that Maersk will provide training on the new industry and technologies, which will provide added value to the project and other similar projects in Egypt. This can help provide a highly trained workforce that will benefit other projects in the future, he said.

He noted that shipping firms have already started plans to replace their fleets with new-generation cargo ships that are able to run on the carbon neutral e-methanol. This is used to power the new generation of vessels. Total world production of e-methanol currently ranges between 5,000 to 10,000 tons, barely enough to fuel one of the new generation of vessels for one day.

Maersk, which has set a net-zero emissions target for 2040, has recently ordered 19 vessels that run on green fuel that are set to be delivered and start operation by mid-2025, El-Nady stated, adding that more shipping firms are set to follow.

These vessels will require e-methanol for bunkering, and the multi-billion-dollar project with Egypt will deliver the needed quantities for Maersk and other firms vessels, he said.

What makes the project special is that the customer is already guaranteed, meaning that the quantities of green fuel to be produced already have their buyer, El-Nady noted.

Phase one of the project will start production of 200,000 tons by 2026, with one million tons expected to be produced during phase two by 2028. By 2031-32, the full capacity of the project will reach three million tons of green fuel.

Green fuel produced will help cover Maersks new vessels fuel needs, he said, adding that green fuel produced from the project can help fuel other vessels transiting through Egypt from different ports.

El-Nady said that many governments around the world have outlined plans to allow only products manufactured in green factories, transported by green vehicles, and shipped overseas by green vessels to enter their territories.

The future is going to be green, and clean fuel is an integral part of that, he stressed.

He said that vessel-refuelling stations could be established in various Egyptian ports and not only in the Suez Canal, especially with the infrastructure modernisation efforts now taking place in the network of roads and ports on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

This can give Egypt a competitive edge and make the country a leader in building bunkering and refueling stations, especially when the coming years witness a growing demand for e-methanol as more green vessels start operations on a larger scale, he said.

Egypt can benefit from such projects by attracting more trade movement through the Suez Canal, as more vessels in the future will operate on green fuel.

About 12 per cent of global trade goes through the Suez Canal, and 22 per cent of the worlds container vessels pass through it every year. A quarter of this number belongs to Maersk, El-Nady said.

More vessels will come to the Suez Canal when the project is completed because more maritime transportation companies are expected to operate green vessels in the near future, he said.

The total investments of Maersk in Egypt currently stand at $1 billion, with about $750 million more to be added in an expansion project in East Port Said, according to El-Nady. An investment of $500 million is currently in the works, with an additional $250 million earmarked for the electrification and automation of the container handling terminal in East Port Said.

Maersk is also planning to establish logistics parks, El-Nady said, in order to be able to serve industrial areas in different governorates, helping them to transport their products to the terminals and export them to outside markets.

These parks will serve as assembly, packaging, and shipping areas, and they will handle customs clearances, he added.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 20 October, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Kyiv: Russian-installed authorities ordered all residents of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson to leave immediately Saturday ahead of an expected advance by Ukrainian troops waging a counter-offensive to recapture one of the first urban areas Russia took after invading the country. In a post on the Telegram messaging service, the regional pro-Kremlin administration called on civilians to use boat crossings over a major river to move deeper into Russian-held territory, citing a tense situation on the front and the threat of shelling and alleged terror attacks by Kyiv.

Kherson has been in Russian hands since the early days of the invasion in February. The city is the capital of a region of the same name, one of four that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed last month and then put under Russian martial law. On Friday, Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions across the province, inching closer to a full assault on its capital as they targeted pro-Kremlin forces' resupply routes across the Dnieper River.

Russian-installed officials were reported desperately trying to turn the city of Kherson - a prime objective for both sides because of its key industries and major river and seaport into a fortress while attempting to relocate tens of thousands of residents. The Kremlin poured as many as 2,000 draftees into the surrounding region to replenish losses and strengthen front-line units, according to the Ukrainian army's general staff.

The Dnieper River figures prominently in the regional battle because it serves critical functions, crossings for supplies, troops and civilians; drinking water for southern Ukraine and the annexed Crimean Peninsula; and power generation from a hydroelectric station. Much of the area, including the power station and a canal feeding water to Crimea, is under Russian control.

Kherson's Kremlin-backed authorities previously announced plans to evacuate all Russian-appointed officials and as many as 60,000 civilians across the river, in what local leader Volodymyr Saldo said would be an "organized, gradual displacement."

Another Russian-installed official on Saturday estimated that around 25,000 people from across the region had made their way over the Dnieper. In a Telegram post, Kirill Stremousov claimed that civilians were relocating willingly.

"People are actively moving because, today, the priority is life. We do not drag anyone anywhere," he said, in an apparent response to Ukrainian and Western concerns about potential forced transfers by Moscow. Ukrainian officials have urged local residents to resist attempts to relocate them, with one local official alleging that Moscow wanted to take civilians hostage and use them as human shields.

Elsewhere, hundreds of thousands of people in central and western Ukraine woke up on Saturday to power outages and periodic bursts of gunfire, as Ukrainian air defense tried to shoot down drones and incoming missiles. Russia has intensified its strikes on power stations, water supply systems and other key infrastructure across the country, the latest phase of the war as it nears the eight-month mark.

Ukraine's air force said in a statement Saturday that Russia had launched "a massive missile attack" targeting "critical infrastructure", adding that it had shot down 18 out of 33 cruise missiles launched from the air and sea.

Air raid sirens blared across Ukraine twice by early afternoon, sending residents scurrying into shelters. "Several rockets" targeting the capital were shot down on Saturday morning, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging service. Similar reports were made by the governors of six western and central provinces, as well as the southern Odesa region on the Black Sea.

The presidential office said in its morning statement that five explosive-laden drones were downed in the central Cherkasy region southeast of Kyiv. Ukraine's top diplomat said on Saturday that the day's attacks were proof that Ukraine needed new Western-reinforced air defense systems "without a minute of delay." "Air defense saves lives," Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Saturday in Ukraine starts with a barrage of Russian missiles aimed at critical civilian infrastructure. We have intercepted part of them, others hit targets. Air defense saves lives. There should not be a minute of delay in capitals deciding on air defense systems for Ukraine.  Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) October 22, 2022

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, said on Telegram on Saturday that almost 1.4 million households lost power as a result of the strikes. He said some 672,000 homes in the western Khmelnytskyi region were affected, while a further 242,000 suffered outages in the central Cherkasy province.

Most of the western city of Khmelnytskyi, which straddles the Bug river and was home to some 275,000 people before the war, was left with no electricity, shortly after local media reported several loud explosions. The city council urged local residents to store water, "in case it's also gone within an hour," in a social media post on Saturday.

The mayor of Lutsk, a city of 215,000 in Ukraine's far west, made a similar appeal on Telegram on Saturday. Power in Lutsk had been partially knocked out after Russian missiles slammed into local energy facilities, Ihor Polishchuk said. He later added that a civilian had suffered burns as a shockwave from the strike hit his house, and that one power station had been damaged beyond repair.

The central city of Uman, a key pilgrimage centre for Hasidic Jews which counted some 100,000 residents before the war, was also plunged into darkness after a rocket hit a nearby power station, regional authorities said on Telegram.

Ukraine's state energy company responded to the strikes by announcing that rolling blackouts would be imposed in Kyiv and 10 Ukrainian regions in order to stabilise the situation. In a Facebook post on Saturday, Ukrenergo accused Russia of attacking "energy facilities within the principal networks of the western regions of Ukraine."

It claimed that the scale of destruction has been comparable to the fallout from Moscow's first coordinated attack on the Ukrainian energy grid, October 10-12. Both Ukrenergo and officials in Kyiv have been urging Ukrainians to conserve energy.

Earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on consumers to curb their power use between 7 AM And 11 AM. Daily, and avoid using energy-guzzling appliances such as electric heaters. Over the past two weeks, Moscow has increased its attacks on key civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. About 40% of the country's electric power system has been severely damaged, officials said. Zelenskyy said earlier in the week that 30% of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed since Russia launched the first wave of targeted strikes on October.
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was reportedly 'booed' by a few co-passengers on his flight from the Caribbean to the UK. A Sky News reporter who was on the same flight as Johnson reported the incident. While Johnson was ousted as the Prime Minister, he still hopes to win back the position after UK PM Liz Truss' resignation. Boris was vacationing in the Dominican Republic with his family and was spotted returning home on a plane in the Economy section. He cut his vacation short to return to the UK. His flight was hugely tracked by people amid the buzz about Britain's next leader. Johnson landed in Britain on Saturday morning.

Boris Johnson 'booed' on flight

Mark Stone, the Sky News reporter who was present on the flight said, "He boarded before everybody else, on his own with his wife and two children. There was a mixed reaction, he was behind a glass area, as we were waiting inside the gate, we saw him the other side of the glass, there were a few boos, a few people looking slightly bewildered."

Also Read: Rishi Sunak leads the UK PM race, former PM Boris Johnson also a contender: Reports

Stone further said, "I think there was an expectation of some of the holidaymakers here that he would be on the plane, but there was one or two boos, he wouldnt have heard them because he was on the other side of the glass." A photo of Johnson, on the plane, was also shared on Twitter.

UK PM Liz Truss' resignation

After Liz Truss' resignation, there has been political turmoil in the UK.

I recognise however that, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.



I have therefore spoken to His Majesty The King to notify him that I am resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party.  Liz Truss (@trussliz) October 20, 2022

While Rishi Sunak has reached the minimum threshold to enter the UK PM race, Boris Johson also intends to contest for the top post. Sunak and Johnson are however yet to officially declare their bids in the contest to succeed Liz Truss.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Can hair straightening products cause uterine cancer? A US woman claimed that she contracted uterine cancer after using L'Oreal's hair straightening products. Jenny Mitchell has decided to sue the company, her lawyer said as quoted by AFP. As per her claims, in the civil lawsuit, she had used the products for more than two decades, and she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. She then had to undergo a full hysterectomy.

New study links hair straightening products to uterine cancer

Incidentally, the news of the lawsuit comes at a time when the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published a study that linked the usage of chemical hair straightening products and uterine cancer. According to the study, women who used chemical hair straightening products more frequently than four times annually had a more than a two-fold increased risk of developing uterine cancer.

Also Read: Using hair straightening chemicals? STOP right now, otherwise...

How common is Uterine cancer?

Uterine cancer is very uncommon, although it is becoming more common in America, particularly among Black women. Ben Crump, a personal injury lawyer for Mitchell, stated in a statement that "Black women have long been the targets of hazardous items that are intentionally marketed to them."

In the legal claim filed on Friday, L'Oreal, a major French cosmetics company, is one of the defendants and is being sued for damages. According to Crump, "we will probably find that Ms Mitchell's terrible situation is just one of countless instances when firms actively mislead Black women to enhance their profits."

(With agency inputs)
To commemorate the Korean National Day and Armed Forces Day and to mark the 27th anniversary of Egypt-Korea diplomatic relations, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Egypt Hong Jin-wook hosted a reception party on Monday at his residence in Maadi, Cairo.

More than 650 friends of Korea, including senior Egyptian officials, businessmen, members of the diplomatic corps, an array of foreign and Arab ambassadors in Egypt, defense attaches of different countries, journalists, Egyptian citizens and Koreans in Egypt, joined the reception and witnessed how Egypt-South Korea relations have developed on all levels.

Attending the party were Egypts Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait, Minister of Health Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, together with former commander of the Egyptian Air Force General Mohamed Abbass Helmy and Minister of Civil Aviation Khalid Nosseir.

Ambassador Hong began his speech in Arabic welcoming his guests and said, I was going to use all the Arabic words I know but, at this moment, I forgot them all.

In casual, friendly remarks, Hong said, Today we are here to celebrate the Korean National Foundation Day and also the Armed Forces Day which fall on October 3 and October 1 respectively. It is a very meaningful event. Egypt is such an attractive country having beautiful nature, splendid cultural heritages and hospitable and competent people, which makes me love Egypt dearly and feel I am the happiest ambassador in the world.

However, our relations cannot continue to develop sustainably without the support from each countrys people. This is why I put more importance on public diplomacy than any other duties assigned to me to befriend the Egyptian people, for our brighter future with Egyptian friends, he explained.

The Korean ambassador expressed his gratitude to one of the attendees, Cho Chanho, president of the Korean Association, who is highly respected in the Korean community.

Korea will always stand by your side as your friend. Rest assured both countries will continue to develop hand in hand. I wish our relations will be more consolidated after tonight. Let us make our future beautiful, Hong concluded.

Instead of delivering a long speech, ambassador Hong showed a short video clip which summarised the embassys public diplomacy activities.

The video highlighted that Egypt and Korea have enjoyed their best government-to-government cooperation since the establishment of Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership in 2016 when President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi paid an official visit to Seoul.

Support from each countrys people is crucial for two countries to sustain the excellent relations, the video added.

During the event, Professor Sarah Benjamin, the first Egyptian PhD-holder in Korean Linguistics, and her student Maya Hany from the Korean language department at Ain Shams University, delivered beautiful speeches in Arabic and Korean.

Benjamin and Hany mentioned that Korean and Egyptian cultures have grown closer in the past few years with the spread of K-pop, K-drama and Korea-Arab studies. They expressed their pride that Ain Shams University has played a major role in spreading the Korean language in Egypt and underscored the importance of language in bringing people together.

In his speech, Finance Minister Maait touched on the rapidly expanding bilateral relations since President El-Sisis visit to Korea in 2016 and the Korean presidents visit to Egypt early this year.

These visits created the foundation for a strategic partnership, sustainable and future cooperation, he said, reaffirming that he would not spare any effort to attract more Korean investments in Egypt.

The cooperation on the government level has been a welcomed development, and has been making economic, political and cultural changes between Cairo and Seoul with strong and sustainable relationships.

Korean companies were among the important investors in Egypt, asserting their readiness, and interest to help Egypt in its development agenda. In return Egypt's government facilitates their work in the fields of energy, mining, technology, electronics, artificial intelligence, and investment promotion in Africa, Maait said.

The economic exchange between Egypt and Korea rose from $1.33 billion to $1.78 billion in the first six months of 2022, he added.

In addition, there is an agreement or mechanism for continuous dialogue between ministries of finance in the two countries to strengthen the bilateral relations in all fields, he concluded

South Korea opened its consulate general in Cairo in 1991, while Egypt opened its consulate general in the Korean capital Seoul in 1995.

In addition, South Korea is one of Egypt's most important trading partners in East Asia, serving an important source of industrial expertise and technologies.

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The Egypt Economic Conference 2022 is set to kick off on Sunday in Cairo, with the participation of economists and businessmen, to draw a roadmap for the future of the Egyptian economy, the Egyptian government announced on Wednesday.

The three-day event was called for by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in early September when he urged the government to organise an economic conference to discuss the present economic conditions to boost all sectors of the domestic economy.

According to cabinet spokesperson Nader Saad, the conference will include the announcement of several incentives for the industrial sector and exporters as well as a number of government initiatives to stimulate economic performance.

The spokesperson said that the agenda of the conference will focus on three main tracks: macroeconomic policies, private sector empowerment and creating a business-friendly environment, and formulating a roadmap for the priority sectors in the governments work program.

Saad said the discussion of the roadmap will witness a number of interactive sessions that will discuss the visions and ideas of experts on what policies are required to achieve national goals in several priority sectors in the Egyptian economy and the measures required to overcome the challenges facing those sectors.

The discussions on the second day of the conference will include tackling the role of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) and the State Ownership Document.

The closing session will review the prominent conclusions and recommendations reached during the conference concerning the policies required to face the current challenges in the Egyptian economy.

The conference will also have roundtable sessions with the participation of government representatives, including the prime minister, as well as intellectuals, economists and representatives of political parties.

The cabinet said that 92 officials from the government will attend the conference, including ministers, in addition to 68 MPs, 72 economy professors, 39 economists, 22 heads of commerce chambers and unions, 133 representatives of local and foreign companies, 22 representatives of NGOs, 11 party leaders, 47 ambassadors, 27 businessmens associations and 37 members of the National Dialogue.

According to the Egyptian government, the technical committee of the conference received about 300 economic suggestions to be discussed in its sessions.

The Egyptian government launched in early October a mobile app and website (www.eec2022.gov.eg) for the conference.

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Russia's troops fought Thursday to regain lost ground in areas of Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin has illegally annexed while Moscow tried to pound the invaded country into submission with more missile and drone attacks on critical infrastructure.

Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions near Bilohorivka, a village in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine. In the neighboring Donetsk region, fighting raged near the city of Bakhmut. Kremlin-backed separatists have controlled parts of both regions for 8{ years.

Putin declared martial law in Luhansk, Donetsk and southern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions on Wednesday in an attempt to assert Russian authority in the annexed areas following a string of battlefield setbacks and a troubled troop mobilization.

The unsettled status of the illegally absorbed territory was especially visible in the Kherson region's capital, where Russian military officials have replaced Kremlin-installed civilian leaders amid a mass evacuation and an ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Kherson city, with a prewar population of about 284,000, was one of the first urban areas captured by Russia when it invaded Ukraine, and it remains a prime target for both sides because of its key industries and major river port. Officials said 15,000 of a planned 60,000 residents had left the city as of Thursday in anticipation of intensified assaults.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office said Thursday that Ukrainian forces continued to engage the enemy, mounting 15 attacks on Russian military strongholds in the Kherson region.

Meanwhile, Russia continued its stepped-up attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, dispatching drones and missiles to eight regions. At least three civilians died and 14 were wounded in overnight attacks across Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian president's office.

In Kryvyi Rih, Russian strikes damaged a power plant and another energy facility, cutting electricity to the central Ukraine city of about 600,000 residents. Apart from being Zelenskyy's hometown, Kryvyi Rih is home to several large metallurgical factories that are key to Ukraine's economy. Regional governor Valentin Reznichenko said the city sustained serious damage.

Ukrainian authorities said missile and drone strikes ignited several fires in the southern city of Mykolaiv, with four drones hitting a school. Another school in Komyshuvakha, a village in the Zaporizhzhia region, also took four drone strikes and sustained damage. Authorities reported no casualties.

Russia's sustained attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure prompted authorities to ask residents to reduce their energy consumption from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. starting Thursday and to dim city street lights. They warned of rolling blackouts.

``Now, every illuminated business sign, billboard or washing machine can lead to serious emergency shutdowns,'' Reznichenko said.

Despite the Kremlin's claims to the contrary, a leading Russian military expert unwittingly acknowledged that Iran has supplied Russia with drones it uses in Ukraine.

Ruslan Pukhov, head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, a Moscow-based think tank, asked journalists before a television interview not to ask him where the drones came from, unaware that he was live on air.

``We all know that they are Iranian-made, but authorities haven't acknowledged that,'' Pukhov said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday dismissed reports that Moscow is using Iranian-made Shahed drones in Ukraine as ``rumors'' and ``far-fetched assumptions.''

Asked Tuesday whether Russia was employing drones from Iran to hit targets in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized Tuesday that ``Russian equipment with Russian names is being used.''

The Iranian drones have reportedly been rebranded Geran-2 by Russia.

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amirabdollahian tweeted that he told the European Union's foreign affairs chief that ``the claim of sending Iranian missiles to Russia to use in the war with Ukraine is a baseless claim.``

``We have defensive cooperation with Russia, but without a doubt, sending weapons and drones against Ukraine is not our policy,'' Amirabdollahian said.

The EU on Thursday imposed sanctions on Iran's Shahed Aviation Industries as well as three Iranian armed forces generals for undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity by helping to supply Russia with drones.

In another sign of Russia's wavering mobilization, Ukrainian authorities said more than 3,000 Russians have so far called a dedicated hotline for soldiers who don't want to take part in the war and want to surrender.

Hotline spokesman Vitalii Matvienko said more Russians were calling after Putin ordered a call-up of army reservists last month, with some reaching out in tears from the fear of possibly getting drafted.

``When the Ukrainian counteroffensive is advancing, the number of calls is rising,'' Matvienko told The Associated Press in an interview.

Ukraine says it guarantees the safety of anyone who surrenders in line with international law and that they can either return to Russia or apply to live in some European Union countries or in Ukraine.

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As protests rage at home, Iran's theocratic government is flexing its military muscle abroad: Tehran has supplied drones to Russia that killed Ukrainian civilians, ran drills in a border region with Azerbaijan and bombed Kurdish positions in Iraq.

Those moves show Iran's leaders trying to rally hard-line support within the country as weekslong demonstrations continue over the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in the custody of the country's morality police.

They also serve as a reminder to the wider Middle East and the West that Iran's government remains willing to use force both abroad and at home to stay in power.

Further raising the risk of destabilization is Iran's nuclear program. Tehran now has enough highly enriched uranium to build an atomic bomb if it chooses _ and continues to make more as negotiations over its tattered deal with world powers have collapsed.

Online videos from Iran show people from all walks of life, from school-age children to the elderly, taking part in the protests that activists say have swept across over 100 cities since Amini's death. Women have removed their hijabs in demonstrations and in the course of the daily life in Tehran.

Even the threat of arrest, beatings and even deadly violence by security forces haven't quelled the anger as Iran faces worsening economic woes. Activist groups say thousands already have been detained and over 200 people killed.

Iran's government, meanwhile, has tried to provide counter-programming, rallying flag-waving men and women in the all-encompassing black chador for events in Tehran and elsewhere. Late Thursday, the semiofficial ISNA news agency quoted Iran's deputy judiciary chief, Kazem Gharibabadi, as saying 30 members of the security forces were killed and more than 5,000 were injured in the protests.

Rallying its supporters remains crucial for Iran's government as it faces its worst crisis since the 2009 Green Movement protests. As part of that effort, Iran has tried to show in recent weeks that it is able to strike back at its enemies, whether real or perceived.

Its first strikes came in late September, as Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard unleashed drone and missile attacks on areas that are home to Kurdish separatists living across the border in Iraq. Kurdish officials say those attacks killed at least 16 people, including one American citizen, and wounded dozens more.

At the time, Iran alleged _ without providing evidence _ that Kurdish separatists sparked the demonstrations over the death of Amini, a Kurd. Rumors persist of a heavy military presence in western Iran as security forces clashed repeatedly with demonstrators in Kurdish areas.

There has also been military activity on Iran's northern border with Azerbaijan, where the Revolutionary Guard, answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has run military drills over several days.

On Wednesday, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency published video of Guard troops installing pontoon bridges across the Aras River on the border, then driving tanks and trucks across it.

Azerbaijan has been locked in cyclical fighting with Armenia, with the latest round killing 176 soldiers in September.

Azerbaijan's ties to Israel have angered Tehran, particularly as 69% of all its major arms imports came from Israel in the period between 2016 to 2020, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Iran also wants to maintain its 44-kilometer (27-mile) border with landlocked Armenia _ something that could be threatened if Azerbaijan seizes new territory through warfare.

Then there's Russia's war on Ukraine. As Moscow chewed through its stockpile of precision-guided munitions in the monthslong war, it turned to Iran to supply it with low-cost ``suicide'' drones. They function like a slow-moving cruise missile, buzzing by close to the ground before diving in and exploding against a target on impact.

In Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, Iran's Shahed-136 drones _ known for their distinctive triangle-shaped design _ have blown up apartment buildings and other targets. Iran and Russia have denied Tehran has supplied the drones _ but Khamenei in a speech on Wednesday telegraphed his approval of their deadly capabilities on the battlefield.

``A few years ago, when photographs of our advanced missile and drones were released, some said that they were Photoshopped,`` Khamenei said, according to a transcript on his official website. ``But now they're saying: `Iranian drones are very dangerous, why are you selling it to so and so? Why are you giving it to so and so?'''

Meanwhile, Iran's nuclear program continues to accumulate more highly enriched uranium.

Amid the continuing demonstrations, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price recently described efforts to create a road map to restore Iran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers as ``not our focus right now.``

While critics of Iran's crackdown on protesters applaud Washington's shift in language, a prolonged failure to restore the nuclear deal also raises the nuclear proliferation risks posed by Tehran _ potentially another trigger point for regional tensions.

Iran now enriches uranium up to 60% purity _ a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iranian officials evenly have openly discussed pursuing a bomb in recent months, something once considered taboo.

Israel has warned it will never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon _ and the country has carried out airstrikes in the past to destroy atomic programs in Iraq and Syria. That opens the risk for a wider conflict even as tensions over Iran's program have set the region at a low boil of violent incidents since 2019.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to signal it remains ready to use force in the region if needed. Flyovers by nuclear-capable B-52 bombers begun under President Donald Trump's administration have continued under President Joe Biden.

And early Thursday, the U.S. military's Central Command acknowledged its top commander boarded a nuclear-armed U.S. ballistic missile submarine in the Arabian Sea _ an unusual visit to one of America's top weapons in its atomic arsenal near Iran.

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Kremlin proxy officials said Friday they were building up defences and turning Ukraine's southern city of Kherson into a "fortress" as Kyiv's forces advance and Russia pulls residents from the region.

The claim came as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian troops were preparing to destroy a hydroelectric dam in the southern Kherson region in what would amount to a "catastrophe on a grand scale".

Ukrainian forces in recent weeks -- aided by Western weapons -- have been advancing along the west bank of the Dnieper river towards the region's main city, also called Kherson.

Kherson was the first major city to fall to Moscow's troops since the February invasion began and retaking it would be a crucial prize in Ukraine's counter-offensive.

Moscow-installed authorities in Kherson said Friday that Kyiv forces killed four people when they shelled the Antonivskiy bridge over the Dnipro river that civilians have been urged to cross in advance of an anticipated Ukraine assault.

"Four people were killed," pro-Moscow official Kirill Stremousov said on Telegram. "The city of Kherson, like a fortress, is preparing for its defence."

A Ukrainian military spokeswoman Nataliya Gumenyuk denied Kyiv's forces were responsible, saying its forces do not target local populations.

Russian state-run media in recent days had aired footage showing civilians with bags taking ferries across the river from Kherson.

Risks of disasters

Kyiv has branded the organised movement of Kherson residents to Russia and other Moscow-controlled regions as "deportations" of Ukrainian citizens.

Zelensky said late Thursday that Russian forces had mined the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant with the intent of blowing it up.

Hundreds of thousands of people around the lower Dnipro River would be in danger of flash flooding if the dam was destroyed, Zelensky warned in a speech Thursday to European leaders.

He said cutting water supplies to the south could also impact the cooling systems of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest.

The nuclear facility is a key concern of Russia's eight-month invasion with both sides regularly accusing the other of shelling near it and endangering operations.

Ukraine's push in the south comes after a sweeping counter-offensive in the northeast Kharkiv region that has badly impaired Russia's supply routes and logistics corridors in the eastern Donbas region.

But Russian forces have continued shelling the region's largest city, Kharkiv, and the presidency said Friday that "industrial infrastructure" was hit in the city, wounding six.

The attack is the latest in a weeks-long barrage that has targeted infrastructure and particularly energy facilities.

Energy-saving measures were put in place across the country after Russian missile and drone strike destroyed what Zelensky said was more than 30 percent of the country's power stations in a week.

- Resilient Ukraine -

A 64-year-old Ukrainian, Vyacheslav, told AFP in Kyiv that the nation would make do, despite the restrictions.

"There are books to read. There are battery-powered lights. I think we can hold out for a few hours. There are gas stoves so it will still be possible to cook," he said but declined to give his last name.

Kyrylo, a 27-year-old shop salesman, said that there had been a rush on power banks after Russian attacks began on the energy facilities in the capital.

"We don't sell flashlights but regarding power banks, I can say that on the 10th, when the attack on Kyiv began, almost all available power banks were sold, and in general, the demand for power banks increased by 70 or 80 percent.

The Ukraine presidency said Friday that Russian forces were continuing to shell sections along the entire frontline of Donbas in east Ukraine and that two people were killed in the Donetsk region.

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The Egyptian government has agreed to send a draft bill to parliament that grants new investment incentives for certain industrial projects in designated zones for a period of up to 10 years, a cabinet statement said on Thursday.





The incentives include exemptions of up to 55 percent on income tax for projects in certain industries and areas determined by the Egyptian cabinet, according to the statement.

The step is part of amendments to the country's investment law 72/2017 to promote industrial investments, according to experts.

As per the draft bill, the necessary certificate to receive these income tax incentives will be issued by the country's General Authority for Investment.

These certificates will be disbursed within 45 days ahead of the deadline for submitting the annual tax return.

These incentives will be disbursed on condition that the investment project  or its expansions  depends for its financing on foreign exchange from abroad for at least 50 percent of its cost, and that the production process begins within six years after the draft law comes into force.

The grace period for production can also be extended for one time based on a decision by the cabinet, according to the statement.

The draft bill also stipulates that the cabinet will decide  based on a joint proposal from ministers of finance and industry  which industries and regions receive these proposed incentives.

This decision will also set conditions and rules for qualifications to receive the incentives, according to the statement.

The income tax incentives will be granted for a period no longer than 10 years, it said.

The draft bill also sets a three-year period for the establishment of the company after the law's regulations come into force, with the cabinet allowed to extend the period for no more than nine years.

The proposed draft allows the cabinet to determine which industries and areas to apply the incentives in order to target investment to areas that are most in need of development, Mohammed Abu Saree, an expert in economic policies, said.

These areas include Upper Egypt governorates, Giza and the Suez Canal region, he added in remarks to ETC satellite TV channel on Thursday evening.

The amendments are still pending the approval of the country's parliament.

Egypt will launch on Sunday a three-day economic conference in Cairo, with the participation of economists and businessmen, to draw a roadmap for the future of the Egyptian economy.

According to Cabinet Spokesperson Nader Saad, the conference will include an announcement of several incentives for the industrial sector and exporters as well as a number of government initiatives to stimulate economic performance.

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Tehran on Saturday warned European countries against 'provocative approaches' after they urged a UN probe into Iranian drones the West says Russia is using in Ukraine.

In a letter to the United Nations a day earlier, France, Britain and Germany called for an "impartial" investigation into the matter, after the EU and Britain slapped new sanctions on Tehran this week.

Iran has denied supplying Russia with weapons for use in Ukraine, and Moscow has accused the West of seeking to put "pressure" on Tehran with the allegations.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the current provocative approaches of the European Union and the United Kingdom to be part of a targeted political scenario," foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani said in a statement.

He "roundly rejected and strongly condemned" the "destructive" measures taken by the EU and Britain, adding that Tehran "reserves the right to answer to any irresponsible actions and will not hesitate to defend the interests of the Iranian nation".

Kanani repeated Iran's rejection of "baseless claims about the transfer of drones for use in the Ukraine conflict".

"We support peace and an immediate end to the war in Ukraine through a political process," he added.

The EU and Britain imposed sanctions Thursday against three Iranian generals and an arms firm they accused of being responsible for supplying Iranian drones to Russia that have been used to bomb Ukraine.

France, Germany and Britain on Friday urged the United Nations to investigate Iran's possible breach of UN Security Council resolution 2231.

The resolution endorsed a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers that granted sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.

The deal has been in tatters since then-president Donald Trump withdrew the United States from it in 2018.

Issues surrounding the Ukraine conflict "are completely unrelated to Resolution 2231 in terms of subject and content", Kanani said.

European countries "are trying to present a misleading interpretation" and "establish a connection between their baseless claims and the resolution", he added.

Last month, Kyiv decided to significantly reduce its diplomatic relations with Tehran over alleged arms deliveries to Moscow.

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By Sabina Mammadli

A number of foreign ombudspersons visited Azerbaijan's Aghdam on October 21, Azernews reports.

The trip was organized by the Office of the Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner. The members of the delegation came from European, Asian, and African nations.

The purpose of the visit was to acquaint foreign commissioners with the mass destruction committed in Aghdam during the Armenian occupation.

The trip was attended by the Azerbaijani Ombudswoman Sabina Aliyeva, heads of national human rights institutions, and media representatives.

During the visits, the guests got acquainted with the atrocities committed by the Armenian Armed Forces in Aghdam as well as the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage and monuments.

Aliyeva said that the participants witnessed the consequences of the crimes committed on Azerbaijani lands during the period of occupation.

As a result of the past two-day conference, the Baku Declaration was adopted. The conference was devoted to human rights issues. The main problem that today delays the return of Azerbaijani former internally displaced persons to their native lands is mines. At the same time, Armenian subversive groups continue to mine the country's lands," she noted.

The Commissioner stressed that Azerbaijan has repeatedly appealed to international organizations, urging them to immediately respond to this issue. She added that this is the first time that these territories were visited by representatives of countries, such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.

During the conference, the representative of the Azerbaijani National Mine Action Agency made a presentation, and the evidence he provided shocked the participants.

He said that sometimes eight mines are found on one square meter. Azerbaijan has raised these questions many times. Planting mines is a crime, as is failure to provide accurate maps of minefields," she noted.

Currently, work is underway to restore Azerbaijan's liberated lands. Azerbaijan will rebuild its recently liberated areas in four stages. The initial stage includes the solution of the issues of governance and security, and infrastructure, while the subsequent stages include the solution of the issues of social services activities, reconstruction, and development of the economy.

In 2021, Azerbaijan allocated $1.5 billion for the reconstruction of liberated territories, followed by AZN 2.2 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2022. These funds will be used primarily to restore infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roads, education, health, and so on) as well as cultural and historical monuments.
At least 200 people were killed in two days of ethnic clashes in Sudan's southern Blue Nile state, official media said Saturday, up from an earlier toll of 150.

Clashes in Blue Nile, which borders Ethiopia and South Sudan, broke out last week after reported disputes over land between members of the Hausa people and rival groups, with residents reporting hundreds fleeing intense gunfire and homes and shops set ablaze.

Fighting peaked on Wednesday and Thursday to some of the worst in recent months, prompting the provincial governor to declare a state of emergency on Friday.

"Two hundred people were killed" in three villages in the Wad al-Mahi area, some 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of the capital Khartoum, said local assembly chief Abdel Aziz al-Amin.

"Some of the bodies have not been buried yet," he told state television, calling on "humanitarian groups to help" local authorities bury the dead.

Governor Ahmed al-Omda Badi had ordered a "state of emergency... in the whole Blue Nile state for 30 days", according to a Friday provincial decree seen by AFP.

Abbas Moussa, the head of the Wad al-Mahi hospital, told AFP on Thursday that "women, children and elderly" people were among the dead.

Several hundred people had demonstrated in the Blue Nile capital, Damazin, earlier that day, shouting: "No to violence". Some demanded Governor Badi be sacked, accusing him of not protecting them.

From July to early October, at least 149 people were killed and 65,000 displaced in Blue Nile, according to the United Nations.

The Hausa have mobilised across Sudan, claiming they are discriminated against by tribal law which forbids them to own land in Blue Nile because they were the last group to arrive there.

The issue of access to land is highly sensitive in impoverished Sudan, where agriculture and livestock account for 43 percent of employment and 30 percent of GDP, according to UN and World Bank statistics.

Sudan has been grappling with deepening political unrest and a spiralling economic crisis since last year's military takeover led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

A surge in ethnic violence in recent months has highlighted the security breakdown in Sudan since the military takeover.

A total of 546 people were killed and at least 211,000 forced to flee their homes in inter-communal conflicts across the country from January to September, according to the UN.

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High-level delegates from Egypt, Germany, Britain, and Greece participated on Saturday in an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of El-Alamein, which marked the beginning of the end for the Axis in North Africa during WWII.

According to the German Embassy in Cairo, Secretary of State for the German Minister of Defense Thomas Hitschler, UK Defense Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa Air Marshal Martin Elliot Sampson, Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff Gen. Konstantinos Floros, and Deputy Chief of the Italian Defense General Staff Lt. Gen. Carmine Masiello, took part in this year's ceremony.

The event is intended to serve as a reminder of the horrors of WWII, and reiterate the call for preserving peace and safety.

The battle of El-Alamein, which began on October 23, 1942, was a major turning point in the war, halting the advance of the Axis in North Africa before the final victory a year later.

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The foreign ministry holds the Houthi group accountable for this current escalation in Yemen that hinders efforts to renew a truce in the country, according to the statement.

Egypt asserted that the Houthis must immediately respond to international and regional efforts to renew the truce in Yemen in order to reach a lasting ceasefire and promote a political settlement.

The statement warned of exploiting current international conditions by any party to escalate conflict in Yemen and threaten security and stability in the country.

The statement reiterated Egypt's strong support for the unity and sovereignty of Yemen and its full solidarity with it to face all threats.

Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they targeted a cargo ship Friday off an oil terminal in the war-wrecked Arab countrys south to prevent pro-government forces from using it for oil exports. A Greek company owning the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker said it sustained no damage in the attack by explosive-laden drones, according to AP.

The attack apparently targetting the Nissos Kea marks the first announced military action since a truce between the countrys warring sides expired earlier this month. It also again signals potential danger for commercial ships that pass by or stop in Yemen.

The Houthis said the attack was a warning strike. The territory is controlled by the countrys internationally recognised government.

Yemen's brutal civil war erupted in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and forced the government into exile. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power.

Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed in the violence and three million have been displaced. Two-thirds of the population receives food assistance.

The initial two-month truce agreed to in April by the government and the Houthis was extended twice, until 2 October. Since then, both the United States and the United Nations have blamed the Houthis for a breakdown in efforts to extend the cease-fire yet again.

One of the main obstacles to a truce is the use of Yemens resources. The Houthis maintain that oil produced in Yemen should not be allowed to be exported by the cash-strapped government side.
Yemen's Iran-backed rebels said they targeted a cargo ship Friday off an oil terminal in the war-wrecked Arab country's south to prevent pro-government forces from using it for oil exports.

A Greek company owning the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker said it sustained no damage in the attack by explosive-laden drones.

The attack apparently targeting the Nissos Kea marks the first announced military action since a truce between the country's warring sides expired earlier this month. It also again signals potential danger for commercial ships that pass by or stop in Yemen.

The attack happened in Ash Shihr, Yemen, near the city of Mukalla, some 585 kilometers (360 miles) east of the rebel-held capital of Sanaa in territory held by pro-government forces for years.

The Nissos Kea's owner, Athens-based Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp., said there were ``two drone-driven explosions in close proximity`` as it tried to load at the port. Ash Shihr's port has a crude oil pipeline at it that has a capacity of 300,000 barrels a day.

``Neither explosion impacted the vessel. All crew is safe and unharmed,'' the company said. ``There was no damage to the vessel and no pollution.''

Satellite data analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Nissos Kea far off Yemen's coast in the Gulf of Aden in international water and sailing away toward Oman on Saturday.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors Mideast sea traffic, acknowledged ``an incident'' off Ash Shihr on Friday, but only said the ship and its crew were safe. The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet said it was aware of the attack, but declined to comment further.

The Houthis called the attack a ``warning strike.''

The government denounced the attack and said ``all options are open in dealing with this terrorist action,'' and warned it could negatively affect any further peace talks.

It also said Friday's strike was the third in recent days by Houthi drones on shipping in their territory, after another ship was targeted on Tuesday and Wednesday night in the port of Radoum, in the central part of Yemen's coast on the Gulf of Aden. International authorities have not previously acknowledged those strikes.

War has raged since 2014 in Yemen between the Houthi rebels and pro-government forces, backed by a coalition of Sunni Gulf Arab states.

The Iran-backed Houthis swept down from the mountains in 2014, occupied northern Yemen and the country's capital and forced the internationally recognized government to flee into exile to Saudi Arabia.

Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed in the violence and 3 million have been displaced. Two-thirds of the population receives food assistance.

The initial, two-month truce agreed to on April 2 by the government and the Houthis was extended twice, until Oct. 2. Since then, both the United States and the United Nations have blamed the Houthis for a breakdown in efforts to extend the cease-fire yet again.

One of the main obstacles to a truce is the use of Yemen's resources. The Houthis maintain that oil produced in Yemen should not be allowed to be exported by the cash-strapped government side.

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A city in Iran that was the scene of a bloody crackdown last month awoke to new destruction on Saturday, state TV showed, after tensions erupted the day before.

In Zahedan, a southeastern city with an ethnic Baluch population, protests after Friday prayers left the city battered. Shops gaped open to the street, their windows smashed. Sidewalks were littered with broken glass. ATMs were damaged. Cleaning crews came out, sweeping debris from vandalized stores.

The outburst of protests in Zahedan came as demonstrations across Iran continue over the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country's morality police.

Although the protests first focused on the country's mandatory hijab, they have transformed into the greatest challenge to the Islamic Republic since the 2009 Green Movement over disputed elections.

Security forces have dispersed gatherings with live ammunition and tear gas, leaving over 200 people dead, according to rights groups.

Violence first broke out in the restive city of Zahedan on Sept. 30 _ a day that activists describe as the deadliest since the nationwide protests began. Outrage spread after allegations that a Baluch teenager had been raped by a police officer, fueling deep tensions in the underdeveloped region home to minority Sunni Muslims in the Shiite theocracy.

Rights groups say dozens of people were killed in what residents refer to as ``Bloody Friday,'' as security forces opened fire on the crowds. The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights puts the death toll at more than 90.

Iranian authorities have described the Zahedan violence as involving unnamed separatists, without providing details or evidence.

With anger simmering over the deadly crackdown, unrest in the city flared again on Friday, according to video footage that purportedly showed crowds gathering after noon prayers in Zahedan chanting ``I will kill the one who killed my brother!``

The scale of the clashes remained unclear, but Iranian state TV aired footage of the aftermath, blaming 150 ``rioters'' for the trail of destruction.

The state-run IRNA news agency said protesters shouted slogans, hurled stones at motorists and damaged banks and other private property. Authorities said they arrested 57 demonstrators, among the estimated thousands who have landed in jail over the protests. The provincial police commander, Ahmad Taheri, said security forces were searching for more culprits.

More unrest loomed five weeks after the protests first erupted. Security was exceptionally tight on the streets of Tehran on Saturday ahead of another call for protests. Riot police and members of the Basij militia, armed with batons, were out in force near Tehran University and at major intersections in the capital.

A teachers' union in Iran also called for a nationwide strike on Sunday and Monday in protest over the deaths and detention of students in the country, according to the association's statement on Telegram.

``We know very well that the military and security forces are invading the sanctity of schools and educational spaces,'' the association said. ``They have taken the lives of a number of students and children in the cruelest way.''

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Giorgia Meloni, whose political party with neo-fascist roots emerged victorious in recent elections, was sworn in on Saturday as Italy's first far-right premier since the end of World War II. She is also the first woman to be premier.

Meloni, 45, recited the oath of office before President Sergio Mattarella, who formally asked her to form a government a day earlier.

Her Brothers of Italy party, which she co-founded in 2012, will rule in coalition with the right-wing League of Matteo Salvini and the conservative Forza Italia party headed by former Premier Silvio Berlusconi. Those two parties' popularity has sagged with voters in recent years.

Meloni recited the ritual oath of office, pledging to be faithful to Italy's post-war republic and to act ``in the exclusive interests of the nation.'' The pledge was signed by her and counter-signed by Mattarella, who, in his role as head of state, serves as a guarantor of the Constitution, drafted in the years immediately after the end of the war, which saw the demise of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

Meloni's 24 ministers followed, similarly swearing-in. Five of the ministers are technocrats, not representing any party. Six of them are women.

In her campaign for the Sept. 25 election, Meloni insisted that national interests prevail over European Union policies should there be conflict. She often railed against EU bureaucracy.

Salvini's right-wing League party has at times leaned Euroskeptic. An admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Salvini has also questioned the wisdom of EU sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, arguing that they hurt Italian business interests more than Russian ones.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sounded an upbeat note in her congratulations tweet to Meloni right after she was sworn in and noted that the Italian was the first woman to hold the premiership.

``I count on and look forward to constructive cooperation with the new government on the challenges we face together,'' the EU chief said.

One immediate challenge for Meloni will be ensuring that her country stays solidly aligned with other major nations in the West in helping that country fight off the Russian invaders.

In the days before she became premier, Meloni resorted to giving an ultimatum to her other main coalition partner, Berlusconi, over his professed sympathy for Putin.

Berlusconi in remarks to his centre-right Forza Italia party lawmakers delivered what was tantamount to a justification for the Russian invasion in February to install what he called a ``decent'' government in the Ukrainian capital.

After making clear she'd rather not govern than lead a coalition with any partner wavering over continued Italian support for Ukraine, aligned with Europe and NATO, ``Italy with us in government will never be the weak link of the West'', Meloni tapped as her foreign minister a longtime Berlusconi stalwart with solid pro-Europe credentials. Antonio Tajani formerly was president of the European Parliament.

With potential wavering in Parliament by her Russian-sympathizing allies, as well as from former Premier Giuseppe Conte, a populist opposition leader, over continued arms supplies to Ukraine, Meloni appointed one of her party co-founders, Guido Crosetto, as defense minister.

While Meloni has pitched herself as crucial to combating leftist ideology, Crosetto sounded a more conciliatory note.

``Whoever governs represents the entire nation, sheds partisan attire and takes on that of collective responsibility,'' the new defense minister told reporters.

Europe's political right, eager to dominate on the continent, exulted in Meloni's coming to power.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, referring to Meloni and Salvini, wrote on Twitter: ``Throughout Europe, patriots are coming to power and with them, this Europe of nations.''

Jadresse a @GiorgiaMeloni, nouvelle presidente du Conseil des ministres italien et a @matteosalvinimi, vice-president, tous mes vux de reussite. Partout en Europe, les patriotes arrivent au pouvoir et avec eux, cette Europe des nations que nous appelons de nos vux.  Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) October 22, 2022

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also hailed the birth of her new government as a ``big day for the European Right.''

Meloni will lay out her priorities when she pitches for support in Parliament ahead of confidence votes required of new governments. Voting is expected within a few days.

While her government holds a comfortable majority in the legislature, the vote could indicate any cracks in her coalition if any of her partners' lawmakers, perhaps disgruntled by not getting the ministries they wanted for their parties, don't rally behind her.

Meloni's government replaces that led by Mario Draghi, a former European Central Bank chief who was appointed by Mattarella in 2021 to lead a pandemic national unity coalition. Meloni was the only major party leader to refuse to join that coalition, insisting governments must be decided by the voters.

In any unusual touch for a country used to male-dominated politics and power, attending the swearing-in ceremony in a sumptuous room of the Quirinal Palace was Meloni's companion, who is a journalist in Berlusconi's media empire, and their 6-year-old daughter, Ginevra.

While Meloni didn't campaign openly to be Italy's first woman premier, she has said there would be no doubt that her victory would be clearly breaking through the ``glass ceiling'' that discourages women's progress.

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The European Commission warned Germany months ago against Chinese investment in Hamburg's port, a source close to the matter told AFP on Saturday, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced criticism for reportedly backing the transaction.

The source confirmed information in a report by the Handelsblatt daily that the EU executive had in spring given Berlin a thumbs-down to Chinese shipping giant Cosco taking a 35-percent stake in the port under a deal agreed last year but not yet authorised.

The commission was worried that sensitive information about activity in the port -- the third busiest in Europe -- could be relayed to China's government.

Its recommendation was non-binding, with Germany having the final say on the deal.

German broadcasters NDR and WDR on Thursday reported that Scholz's office is planning to approve the deal despite opposition from six different ministries in Germany's coalition government.

According to the report by NDR and WDR, the deal would effectively be approved automatically if the government does not intervene by the end of this month.

Scholz, who was mayor of Hamburg between 2011 and 2018 before becoming vice chancellor and then chancellor, announced after attending an EU summit on Friday that he would visit China in November.

He said that "nothing is decided" about the Chinese investment, but noted there were Chinese stakes in other European ports.

The EU's stance against China, however, has hardened since those other stakes were made.

At the EU summit, leaders agreed they did not seek confrontation with China, wanting its cooperation on climate change and other issues.

But they also expressed discomfort at China's increasing assertiveness in many areas, including in trade, and its bond with Russia, which is waging war in Ukraine.

European Council President Charles Michel said after Friday's summit that there must be "more reciprocity and rebalancing in particular in the economic relations between China and the EU".

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday gathered support from his Communist Party that will enable him to sail through to a third term. Xi previously abolished the presidential two-term limit, paving the way for him to rule indefinitely.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping locked-in support for a historic third term in power at the Communist Party's Congress on Saturday, but the dramatic removal of his predecessor from the event stole the headlines.

At the end of the week-long gathering in Beijing, China's ruling party approved a sweeping reshuffle that saw a number of top officials -- including Premier Li Keqiang -- step down, allowing Xi to appoint new allies.

The largely rubber-stamp meeting of around 2,300 party delegates was meticulously choreographed, with Xi determined to avoid any surprises as he enshrined his leadership for the next five years.

However, in an unexpected move that punctured the proceedings at the Great Hall of the People, former leader Hu Jintao was led out of the closing ceremony.

The frail-looking 79-year-old seemed reluctant to leave the front row where he was sitting next to Xi.

No official explanation was given and AFP did not receive any response from Chinese authorities on the incident.

Delegates then approved a call obliging all party members to "uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole", according to a unanimously passed resolution on changes to the party charter.

Xi is now all but certain to be unveiled as general secretary on Sunday, shortly after the first meeting of the new Central Committee.

This will allow Xi to sail through to a third term as China's president, due to be announced during the government's annual legislative sessions in March.

The Central Committee of around 200 senior party officials was elected shortly before the closing ceremony.

A list of officials in the group revealed that four out of seven members of the party's Standing Committee -- the apex of power -- would retire.

Among them is Premier Li Keqiang, as well as fellow Politburo Standing Committee members Wang Yang -- who was touted as a possible successor to Li -- Han Zheng, and Li Zhanshu.

Han and Li Zhanshu were widely expected to step down, having surpassed the informal age limit of 68 for Politburo-level officials -- a requirement not extended to 69-year-old Xi.

Wang and Li Keqiang, both 67, could still have continued in the Standing Committee or 25-member Politburo for another five-year term.

Other high-profile Communist Party top brass absent from the new Central Committee include high-ranking diplomat Yang Jiechi and economic tsar Liu He.

Rubber stamp

Analysts were closely watching for whether the party charter would be amended to enshrine "Xi Jinping Thought" as a guiding philosophy, a move that would put Xi on a par with Mao Zedong.

That did not take place, though the resolution did call the creed "the Marxism of contemporary China and of the 21st century", adding that it "embodies the best Chinese culture and ethos of this era".

Xi previously abolished the presidential two-term limit in 2018, paving the way for him to rule indefinitely.

The Congress has effectively cemented Xi's position as China's most powerful leader since Mao.

"Xi's power will be akin to that of the dictator of China, and there will be next to no scope for anyone to advise him to attempt course correction," said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London.

One of the key questions outstanding is if Xi will appoint a potential successor to the Politburo Standing Committee. This could be answered on Sunday when the Standing Committee is unveiled.

Delegates also on Saturday enshrined in the party's constitution opposition to Taiwanese independence. Beijing has always pledged to re-take the self-ruled democratic island, by force if necessary.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council accused China late Saturday of harbouring an "old mindset of invasion and confrontation" and called on Beijing to "resolve differences through peaceful, equitable and realistic means."

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Many foreign fans of K-pop juggernaut Bangtan Boys, also known as BTS, were dressed in hanbok at their concert in Busan last weekend, or at least in modern takes on traditional Korean dress. Some were even sporting the traditional tassel known as norigae. BTS often perform in hanbok overseas, and members Suga and Jin have been known to don the traditional dress in everyday life, which prompted fans to follow suit.

Fans pose in hanbok or traditional Korean dress at a concert in Los Angeles in April.

Hanbok is gaining ground among young people not only in Korea but abroad. A search for hanbok on Instagram yields more than a million postings, and many of the selfies are taken by tourists in London or Paris. Hanbok got an added boost by Netflix stars Jung Ho-yeon and Park Eun-bin wearing it in music videos and magazine spreads. For many young Koreans, hanbok is no longer a cumbersome costume. Selfies of joggers in hanbok garner millions of likes. Shinsegae International's Jaju brand launched a modernized hanbok that sold out almost instantly, while Lotte's duty-free shop staff have been wearing uniforms modeled after hanbok since this month. The uniform was made with elastic fabric that does not wrinkle easily. "Employees in their 20s and 30s proposed the idea of using hanbok as a theme for their uniform and it was adopted," a company spokesman said.

Models pose in Lotte's new hanbok-style uniform for its duty-free shop staff in Seoul on Monday.

A Korean-style bar called Oul that opened recently at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seoul chose a modern version of hanbok as the uniform of its servers. A staffer at the hotel said, "We've had a positive response not just from foreigners but Koreans as well." Even schools are adopting modernized hanbok as uniforms because they allow students to vote on the design. Modern variations are loose enough to keep students cool in summer and are gender neutral, gaining popularity among teens. According to the Ministry of Education, 16 junior and senior high schools across the country chose hanbok as their uniforms last year alone and 19 more have decided to do so this year.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 22, 2022 - 22:42 | All, Japan

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Saturday paid tribute to the war dead at local memorial sites in Okinawa, marking their first visit to the island prefecture since his enthronement in 2019.

At the National War Dead Peace Mausoleum in the city of Itoman, where the remains of some 180,000 war dead are kept, the imperial couple offered flowers and met with around 20 people, including surviving family members, observing the scene.

Okinawa was the site of the biggest ground battle on Japanese soil during World War II that cost an estimated 200,000 lives, half of them civilians.

The southern island prefecture was occupied by the United States after the war until 1972, with this year marking 50 years since its reversion to Japan.

"When I think about the tragedy of the Battle of Okinawa, and the gratitude for the peace we enjoy today, I am once again reminded of the importance of peace," the imperial couple said through their aide.

At a commemorative ceremony held in May, the emperor, who attended virtually, expressed sympathy for the people of Okinawa over the devastation they suffered during the war.

The imperial couple on Saturday also visited the Cornerstone of Peace, where the names of the war dead are inscribed, and took in an exhibit on the Battle of Okinawa at the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum.

The emperor reportedly commented that Okinawa "truly had a tragic history."

In the evening, the couple met with officials involved in the ceremony commemorating Okinawa's reversion to Japan.

During their two-day visit to the island prefecture with the empress, the emperor is also scheduled to give a speech at the opening ceremony of art and culture festivals in Ginowan on Sunday.

The emperor had previously visited Okinawa five times, first in 1987 and last in 2010, before he ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne more than three years ago. The empress last visited the prefecture with him in 1997.

His father, former Emperor Akihito, has long felt sympathy for Okinawa. Since visiting in 1975 for the first time as the crown prince with his wife, now former Empress Michiko, he made 11 trips to the island prefecture up till 2018.

The former emperor and empress offer a silent prayer every year on June 23, a date marking the end of the Battle of Okinawa, as do the current emperor and empress.

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By Trend

Azerbaijani First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva was interviewed by Trend News Agency on October 22, 2020.

Question: First of all, on our behalf and on behalf of our readers, we would like to congratulate you on the liberation of a number of Azerbaijani cities and settlements from occupation.

Answer: I congratulate all our people on the occasion of these significant events. It is possible to say that good news is coming from the front every day. Our soldiers and officers carry out combat missions with honor. While carrying out successful operations, they, one after another, liberate cities and other settlements from occupation, take strategic heights. After a long break, almost 30 years later, we all are proud to see how an Azerbaijani soldier is hoisting our flag in our native lands. This is not just military success. This is the restoration of historical justice because these are our ancestral, historical lands.

It is possible to say that today the Azerbaijani people, headed by President Ilham Aliyev, are writing a new history. This is the history of our common victories!

I see how the people rallied around their president, determination and courage of our young people when they accepted the presidents appeal to unite for a common goal, for the sake of liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the occupation.

Q.: Each word voiced by you is consonant with the will of our people and entails unprecedented activity in actions and deeds. The efforts of our compatriots aimed at exposing the Armenian lies and slander immediately after your appeal vividly testify to this.

A.: I would like to thank everyone who responded to my appeal to be active in the information field. We must always remember that confrontation covers not only the line of direct hostilities, but also the information field. I see how our youth, our fellow citizens expose the fakes of the Armenian propaganda, bring the truth about the Armenian aggression to the international community on all available platforms. Their voice of truth helps to identify historical falsification and prevent the spread of absolutely baseless, deliberately false, provocative materials.

I thank the media representatives. It is possible to convey to the world today's Azerbaijani realities thanks to their objectivity and high professionalism.

It is impossible not to mention our compatriots living abroad, who, holding flags in their hands, protest against the invaders and show Armenias aggressive nature to the international community. I express gratitude to our friends around the world who empathize and express their principled and fair position in support of the Azerbaijani people.

Today we all think about the situation at the front. The Azerbaijani people trust their president and are sure that the president knows what to do. Therefore, we are more than ever in solidarity in all our activities. And, of course, our soldiers feel this support. They know that the Azerbaijani people are behind them.

Q.: As you have repeatedly stressed in your statements, our people demonstrate incredible strength of spirit and courage even despite the Armenian armed forces resort to monstrous provocations against the civilian population.

A.: Unfortunately, the Armenian side deliberately violates not only the requirements of international conventions, but also oversteps the norms of morality. The attack on the civilians of Ganja, Mingachevir, Tartar, Barda, Aghdam, Aghjabadi, Goranboy, Naftalan and other settlements openly exposes Armenias insidious policy against Azerbaijan. How could a cemetery be shelled during a funeral procession? How could Ganja city be subjected to missile strike at night? Innocent civilians, children, women were killed. This is a crime against humanity, this is terrorism. All this clearly shows that Yerevan is not interested in peace, but only wants to escalate the conflict, transform it into a regional confrontation.

However, no foul actions of Armenia, no dirty provocations on a political platform, no insidious adventures in the information field, no monstrous attacks on civilians - nothing can break the will of the Azerbaijani people. The demonstration of unity, solidarity, compassion and mutual support is a kind of message of the Azerbaijani people that no one will ever break our spirit and desire to liberate our Motherland from occupation.

I call on the world community not to remain indifferent to what is happening and to firmly condemn the barbaric cruelty towards the Azerbaijani civilians. Yerevan must stop ignoring international conventions, as well as UN Security Councils resolutions calling on the Armenian occupying forces to end their aggression against Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has never laid claim to other countrys lands. We do not attack civilians. Our cause is right. Our army liberates the Azerbaijani lands from occupation. Showing heroism and courage, our soldiers fight with honor for the Motherland and write their names in the Azerbaijani history. I wish speedy recovery to all the wounded. I express my deep condolences to the families and relatives of the killed servicemen. May the Almighty rest the souls of our brave sons, who became martyrs in the name of the Motherland. Their death will not remain and will not go unpunished. A worthy response is being given to the Armenian Armed Forces.

On my instructions, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation renders the necessary support to the families of the victims. Everything possible is also being done for the wounded soldiers to recover and return to normal life. Today, all our wounded soldiers and officers want to recover as soon as possible and go back to the zones of hostilities to continue their just struggle for the Motherland. This is the strength of spirit and patriotism of the Azerbaijani people.

Q.: You have stressed the extraordinary unity of people these days. We all remember the phrase "We are strong together", which has become a kind of slogan in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Can we say that it has acquired a special meaning?

A.: Of course. Only by maintaining unity and supporting the president we will be able to overcome all the challenges and difficulties that will be remembered for this year.

You mentioned the coronavirus pandemic and I would like to touch on this issue in details. Thanks to the timely and thoughtful measures, we have so far managed to avoid a catastrophic scenario that, unfortunately, many countries have faced. According to the experts, our country is among those that survived the first and very dangerous stage of the epidemic with the least losses. We managed to create a professional team coordinating all aspects of the fight against the epidemic, consolidate the necessary technical and human resources. Quarantine measures that helped to reduce the rate of spread of the coronavirus were applied. Together we were able to save our homeland from the destructive spread of the disease.

Unfortunately, the virus, which has brought so much misery and suffering to many countries and peoples, has not been defeated yet. It still poses a big threat - deteriorating statistics around the world testifies to this. The war against the pandemic is still being waged. Numerous restrictions are re-entering into force in many European countries.

Our country, unfortunately, is no exception. There has been an increase in the number of infected people, some restrictions have been reintroduced in educational institutions, public transport recently.

I urge each of you not to forget about the danger of coronavirus, to follow the elementary rules that have been adhered to for so many months - to wear masks, keep distance, not to visit crowded places without urgent need. All of these well-known rules will help reduce the risk of infection, and therefore protect us and our loved ones. We always treat the older generation with special care and respect. And during the first stage of the pandemic, we thoroughly protected them. I am sure that we will be even more attentive in the current situation.

Today, when our army continues its historic mission, it is necessary to reduce the burden on the state, as well as on the healthcare system, as much as possible. It is important now that all resources are concentrated on liberation of our lands from occupation.

Taking care of our health, being vigilant and disciplined, we at the same time help and protect our soldiers on the front line. I am sure that we will cope with this task and once again prove that our strength is in unity.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 22, 2022 - 14:44 | Sports, All

Japanese teenager Kao Miura won the men's short program at the Skate America figure skating competition Friday.

The 17-year-old scored 94.96 points, 0.52 ahead of second-placed South Korean Cha Jun Hwan, in the ISU Grand Prix season-opening event at the Tenley E. Albright Performance Center near Boston.

Miura, who sprained his right ankle just before traveling to the United States, pumped his fist wildly after a performance that included a clean quadruple salchow-triple toeloop combination early in the program.

"It's a good start," Miura said. "I heard many cheers in Japanese. It was fun because for the first time in a while I skated in a competition where spectators could raise their voices."

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Most Japanese sporting events require spectators to remain masked and ask that they refrain from cheering to reduce the risk of infection spread during the pandemic.

"This year I've grown confident, and I'm starting to feel I want to win," said Miura, who is looking for his first victory in the Grand Prix series.

Italy's Daniel Grassl was third with 88.43.

American Ilia Malinin, last season's world junior champion and the first skater to successfully land a quad axel in competition, was fourth with 86.08.

Japan's Sena Miyake was sixth, while compatriot Koshiro Shimada was last in the 12-man field.

The men's free skate and the women's short program are scheduled for Saturday.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 22, 2022 - 18:24 | All, World, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese pledged Saturday to join hands to tackle contingencies that may affect the sovereignty of their countries, amid China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.

In a joint declaration on security cooperation, signed by the two nations for the first time in 15 years, Japan and Australia also agreed to deepen trilateral security relations with the United States, while promising to boost their practical defense engagement.

Their agreement came with concern mounting that China might step up military provocations against Taiwan after President Xi Jinping secures an unprecedented third term as leader at the ruling Communist Party's weeklong, twice-a-decade congress that runs through Saturday.

After summit talks in Perth, Kishida and Albanese signed the joint declaration in which Japan and Australia agreed to work together to deter "aggression and behavior that undermines international rules and norms."

In the latest declaration, Kishida, who began a three-day visit to Australia on Friday, and Albanese confirmed the significance of a "free and open Indo-Pacific," a vision advocated by slain former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The two leaders did not single out China in the declaration as they are apparently eager to monitor how Beijing's diplomatic policy may change after Xi's re-election.

But in a separate statement, Kishida and Albanese reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, while expressing caution about China's bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact.

"Economic coercion and unjustified restrictive trade practices are contrary to the objectives and high standards" of the agreement, the statement said.

At their joint announcement in front of the press in the state capital of Western Australia, Albanese said the "landmark" declaration "sends a strong signal to the region of our strategic alignment."

Kishida said the declaration will become a "compass" to guide security and defense cooperation between Japan and Australia "over the next decade."

In 2007, Abe and then Australian Prime Minister John Howard signed a document on security cooperation that recognized "common strategic interests and security benefits embodied in their respective alliance relationships with the United States."

Kishida and Albanese also emphasized the necessity of stability in Australia's supply of resources to Japan, which relies on imports for more than 90 percent of its energy needs.

Albanese said Australia has played "a special role in supporting Japan's energy security" at a time when materials prices have been skyrocketing in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

Kishida said he agreed with Albanese that Japan and Australia will promote cooperation in the energy security field. Japan imports natural gas, iron ore and other vital resources from Australia, making it a key partner.

Australia is Japan's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, but it temporarily considered limiting shipments of the resource, saying external demand for the energy surged after Russia's war in Ukraine, causing a shortage of LNG for the domestic market.

Japan regards Australia as a semi-ally as both countries in the Asia-Pacific region are part of the "Quad," or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, involving India and the United States. The framework was also proposed by Abe, who was fatally shot in July.

Tokyo and Canberra have been mapping out steps to implement a bilateral reciprocal access agreement signed in January, aimed at facilitating the deployment of troops in each other's nation for joint drills and relief operations.

Japan currently only has such a deal with the United States. The enforcement of the pact would serve as a foothold for the integration of security operations between Japan, Australia and the United States with an eye on a potential emergency in Taiwan.

China, meanwhile, has been attempting to bolster its security and economic clout in the region to challenge the Quad and the free and open Indo-Pacific blueprint, with Xi repeatedly describing self-ruled Taiwan as a "core interest."

Beijing and Taipei have been governed separately since they split in 1949 as a result of a civil war. China sees democratic Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland.

In his opening speech last Sunday at the Communist Party congress, Xi said China will "never promise to renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary" to reunify Taiwan with the mainland.

China also has been trying to increase its influence with Pacific island nations. It signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands earlier this year, an arrangement that would allow the deployment of Chinese police, military and other armed personnel to the country.

Kishida's visit to Australia is the first by a Japanese prime minister since 2018. He had planned to visit Australia in January, but the trip was canceled against a backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kishida became premier in October 2021.

Albanese visited Japan in May for the Quad summit that was held immediately after he took office. In late September, he also made a trip to Tokyo to attend Abe's state funeral.

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A symposium was held on Thursday in Christchurch, New Zealand to commemorate the spirit of Rewi Alley, an old friend of the Chinese people who had spent 60 years living and working in China, and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and New Zealand.

"We need more Rewi Alleys," said Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong, calling for drawing inspiration from his legacy, passing on the spirit from generation to generation, and making the China-New Zealand friendship thrive.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong (L) and David Carter (R), former speaker of the New Zealand Parliament, visit a photo exhibition of Rewi Alley during a symposium to commemorate Alley's spirit and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and New Zealand, in Christchurch, New Zealand, Oct. 20, 2022.

An old friend of the Chinese people, Rewi Alley, a New Zealand-born writer, social reformer and educator, had spent 60 years living and working in China before he died in 1987 in Beijing. He was the one who opened the door for New Zealand-China diplomatic ties. (Photo by Kevin Zeng/Xinhua)

by Li Huizi, Lu Huaiqian

WELLINGTON, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Recalling her second trip to China in 2017, Jocelyn Alley-Watkin was bubbling with excitement.

"I remember the day when we were in Shandan, Gansu Province, almost the whole people of Shandan came out to support us. It was very emotional. People were so friendly," said Watkin, cousin of Rewi Alley, a New Zealand-born writer, social reformer and educator.

An old friend of the Chinese people, Alley had spent 60 years living and working in China before he died in 1987 in Beijing. He was the one who opened the door for New Zealand-China diplomatic ties.

Watkin told Xinhua she could feel the strong love and support the Chinese people showed towards Alley.

"As a family member, it was overwhelming. He would have hated all the fuss. He was the kind of guy who just want to get things done," Watkin said.

In 2017, the Alley family visited Gansu's Shandan County where Alley spent 10 years between 1942 and 1951. As an internationalist fighter and a socialist, he built a school there and worked with local people to grow crops and sustain a community.

Watkin had very fond memories of her trip to Gansu Province and was excited to meet young people from Gansu at Thursday's symposium in Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and Alley's hometown, to commemorate Alley's spirit and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and New Zealand.

Through Alley's help, local farmers in Gansu learned industrial skills such as driving and maintaining trucks in the 1940s, a critical time for the liberation of China. Alley also trained early oil workers for Gansu's Yumen Oilfield, the earliest oilfield exploited in China.

When he died in 1987 in Beijing, his ashes were, under his will, brought back to Gansu and scattered over the Shandan countryside.

The Christchurch-Gansu link was initiated in 1984 by Alley, who likened the landscape of the northwestern Chinese county to his hometown.

RICH LEGACY

This year marks the 50th anniversary of China-New Zealand diplomatic relations and the 125th anniversary of Rewi Alley's birth, which is "a golden opportunity" to celebrate the rich legacy he left behind and to uphold his spirit and promote the growth of bilateral ties, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong told Thursday's Rewi Alley symposium.

"Alley has lived a noble and selfless life. His decades of dedication won him not only love and acclamation from Chinese people but also respect worldwide," Wang said, adding Alley opened a window, through his writings and speeches, for Kiwis to understand China.

"We need more Rewi Alleys," Wang said, calling for drawing inspiration from his legacy, passing on the spirit from generation to generation, and making the China-New Zealand friendship thrive.

John McKinnon, chair of the New Zealand China Council, said Alley made important contributions to the Chinese people's fight against the fascist invasion, the economic development of the new China, and the friendship between China and New Zealand.

"As we all know, relationships take time to build. He was doing his work in China and building that relationship," Michelle MacWilliam, chair of the Christchurch China Sister Cities Committee, told Xinhua.

Alley worked in some Chinese provinces and cities including Shanghai, Wuhan, Gansu and Hong Kong on humanitarian work, MacWilliam said, adding he also provided the initiative of the Gung Ho ("work together") Movement, where people worked together, and that actually provided a micro economy for local villagers who were being displaced by war.

SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP

"The 50 years of relationship between New Zealand and China is very successful," said David Carter, former speaker of the New Zealand Parliament, who also expressed optimism for the next 50 years.

Applauding people-to-people exchanges, Carter said, "Many people from China have made New Zealand their home." His own daughter Laura Carter went to China many times and even refused to come back to New Zealand during her first six-month stay in China. Laura Carter used to be an English teacher in a high school in China's coastal city of Xiamen.

"Having respect for different points of view, we will keep it in mind that (difference) will help the relationship," said David Carter.

"I should say the rest of the world should wake up to this -- China has been so successful during my lifetime ... that deserves recognition by the world," said Carter, who commended China's "remarkable achievement" of poverty reduction.

Tony Browne, former New Zealand Ambassador to China, has encouraged more young Kiwis to learn the Chinese language and culture and promote people-to-people exchanges so that future generations could carry forward the successful relationship.

Dave Bromwich, former national president of the New Zealand China Friendship Society, has made more than 50 visits to China and witnessed China's economic and social development over the past decades.

The Rewi Alley spirit should be passed on to the younger generation of both countries, Bromwich said.

Sylvia Yang, a young Chinese living in Auckland, proposed creating a virtual Rewi Alley in the metaverse.

"That was kind of cool. What a great idea! It is so inspiring and gives us hope for the future," Watkin said. "The future is in the youth, whether to China or Aotearoa (New Zealand). We need younger people working out the best ways to talk to each other."

"Alley's life was a meeting of edges, a bridge between East and West. In that sense, what he embodied, his legacy and his spirit, has never been more relevant today," said the Chinese ambassador, citing the remarks of a commentator on Alley's achievements and spiritual legacy. 

Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong addresses a symposium to commemorate Rewi Alley's spirit and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and New Zealand, in Christchurch, New Zealand, Oct. 20, 2022.

An old friend of the Chinese people, Rewi Alley, a New Zealand-born writer, social reformer and educator, had spent 60 years living and working in China before he died in 1987 in Beijing. He was the one who opened the door for New Zealand-China diplomatic ties. (Photo by Kevin Zeng/Xinhua)
Amid energy woes, the European Commission has proposed a new package of measures aimed at improving stability in European gas markets. #GLOBALink





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Photo taken on Oct. 21, 2022 shows a general view of a session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan, Armenia. The five member states of the Eurasian Economic Union vowed to enhance their economic cooperation in various fields on Friday in Yerevan. The two-day meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council kicked off on Thursday. (Photo by Asatur Yesayants/Xinhua)

YEREVAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The five member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) vowed to enhance their economic cooperation in various fields on Friday in Armenia's capital of Yerevan.

During the two-day meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council kicked off Thursday, which brought together the prime ministers of the five post-Soviet states, including Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the participants reached several agreements in the fields of agriculture, energy and e-commerce, local Armenpress reported.

During the session, issues concerning the formation of a common natural gas market, further lowering customs and the promotion of closer economic integration were discussed among the prime ministers.

According to the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin at the meeting, the volume of trade between the union's countries surpassed 73 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, up 33 percent from the previous year.

The next session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council will take place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in early 2023. 
People perform at an event marking the 15th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at University College Cork at the Cork City Hall in Cork, Ireland, Oct. 21, 2022.

With a panel meeting and Chinese and Irish performances, the Confucius Institute at University College Cork celebrated its 15th anniversary on Friday evening. (Photo by Liu Xiaoming/Xinhua)

CORK, Ireland, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- With a panel meeting and Chinese and Irish performances, the Confucious Institute at University College Cork celebrated its 15th anniversary on Friday evening.

On behalf of the Lord Mayor of Cork City, Councillor John Sheehan in a welcome speech highly praised the institute's contribution to promoting the people-to-people exchanges between Ireland and China, especially between Cork and Shanghai, which formed a sister city relationship in 2005.

"The Office of the Lord Mayor of Cork and Cork City Council fully support the aims and objectives of the Confucius Institute at University College Cork and have done so since its inception in 2007," he said.

Over the last 15 years, the institute has provided Chinese language education to more than 43,000 primary and secondary school students, and nearly 2,500 university students, said Huang Junyi, Chinese co-director of the institute.

It has also arranged trips to Shanghai for nearly 100 primary and secondary school principals and sent 820 secondary school students to China for summer camps, Huang said.

"Apart from teaching Chinese language, we have also teamed up with local governments and other partners in launching over 400 cultural events such as Spring Festival Evening Gala and Culture Night," which have been warmly received by locals, he added.

At the Cork City Hall, the headquarters of the Cork City Council, eight representatives from various walks of life shared their experiences with the institute at a panel meeting called "CI (Confucius Institute) and Me."

Then an audience of around 800 people watched a two-hour performance of Chinese and Irish music, dances, songs and martial arts at the concert hall of the Cork City Hall.

The other two Confucius Institutes in Ireland are in Dublin and Galway. 

A performer plays guzheng, a traditional Chinese musical instrument, at an event marking the 15th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at University College Cork at the Cork City Hall in Cork, Ireland, Oct. 21, 2022.

With a panel meeting and Chinese and Irish performances, the Confucius Institute at University College Cork celebrated its 15th anniversary on Friday evening. (Photo by Liu Xiaoming/Xinhua)

Performers play musical instruments at an event marking the 15th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at University College Cork at the Cork City Hall in Cork, Ireland, Oct. 21, 2022.

With a panel meeting and Chinese and Irish performances, the Confucius Institute at University College Cork celebrated its 15th anniversary on Friday evening. (Photo by Liu Xiaoming/Xinhua)
CARACAS, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Legislative delegations from Venezuela's National Assembly and Colombia's Congress met on Friday to set up working commissions for normalizing bilateral ties, said Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez.

Speaking from the Simon Bolivar International Bridge that links the two countries across their shared border, the president of Venezuela's National Assembly described it as "a historic meeting after so many years of difficulties."

The commissions will address "the common agenda on the border" and promote the new bilateral relations policies agreed to by the leaders of the two countries, he said.

Among the issues the commissions will address are trade, transportation and security, and the need to fully reopen border crossings as soon as possible, said Rodriguez.

Colombian Senator Gloria Florez, president of the Colombian Senate's Second Commission, said the two sides have "a deep commitment to the full reestablishment of diplomatic relations," following years of severed ties.

State-owned Venezolana de Television reported that 36 Colombian and 32 Venezuelan lawmakers participated in the meeting. 
ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's economic facilities, particularly oil ports controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, are facing a heightened threat of Houthi rebel militia's missile attacks just 20 days after the expiration of a UN-brokered truce in the war-ravaged Arab country.

In a new military escalation, two loud explosions ripped through a key government-controlled oil port of Dhabah in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout on Friday following a Houthi attack with two explosive-laden drones.

The drone attack occurred as local authorities were preparing a new shipment of oil exports to the global markets, Yemeni security officials told Xinhua.

The Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack just hours after the incident, prompting a local public outcry and strong condemnation from the Yemeni government.

"In a clear military warning message to stop the stealing of Yemeni oil, the strikes were aimed at targeting the area between the oil ship and the port buoy," said the Houthi spokesman.

"The ship had breached the orders issued previously by the ruling authorities in Sanaa to prohibit the transfer and export of Yemen's sovereign oil derivatives," he said, adding that "the warning strike was intended to stop any further attempts to exploit and loot Yemen's oil wealth."

Additionally, Saree urged "all domestic and foreign oil corporations to strictly abide by Sanaa's rulings and refrain from the plundering of Yemen's wealth."

The Houthi drone attack was strongly condemned by the internationally-recognized Yemeni government, which vowed in a statement on Friday that "all options remained open" as a result of the military escalation.

After the attack, Yemen's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak spoke on the phone with UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg to discuss "the repercussions of Iran-backed Houthi militias' attacks on the oil facilities in the country and threats of international navigation."

The Houthi militias' attacks "constitute direct aggression on the Yemeni people and Yemen's infrastructure and economic capacities," the foreign minister said, adding they have also seriously undermined the ongoing efforts aimed at ending the war, extending the truce, and achieving peace in Yemen.

Bin Mubarak called on the UN to take a firmer and stronger stance against the Houthis' threats, punish the perpetrators, and protect regional and international peace and security, according to the state-run Saba news agency.

In a separate press statement, the oil ministry of the internationally-recognized government said that the Houthis had carried out similar attacks on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20 on oil ships anchoring at the ports of Dhabah and Radhom in the oil-rich province of Shabwa.

Saudi Arabia, which is backing the Yemeni government forces in fighting the Houthis, condemned the rebels' attack on Dhabah oil port, saying that it was a violation of international law, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.

Earlier this month, Hans Grundberg announced that no agreement had been reached to renew the expired truce between Yemen's warring parties, which went into force on April 2, and then was renewed twice through Oct. 2.

Officials from the Yemeni government have accused the Houthis of creating nationwide panic and negatively impacting the nation's faltering economy by threatening to strike foreign oil companies in Yemen.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia stormed several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital, Sanaa.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced four million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. 
MACAO, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), also known as Forum Macao, has co-hosted events in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) to facilitate cooperation between Chinese mainland provinces and PSCs.

Delegations of the coastal and economically strong provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Fujian on Thursday discussed deepening cooperation with PSCs on the economic, trade and cultural fronts, and promoting the application and industrialization of innovations, and scientific and technological projects.

Ji Xianzheng, secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum Macao, said the forum would continue serving as a platform for mainland provinces and municipalities to carry out economic and cultural cooperation with PSCs, so as to combine the advantages of rich natural resources in PSCs and huge market potentials on the Chinese mainland.

Lu Shan, vice governor of Zhejiang, said the eastern province is willing to continue facilitating trade and investments with PSCs, promoting infrastructure connectivity, and cooperating with PSCs on green trade and energy conservation to foster new growth points.

On behalf of PSCs, Paulo Jorge Rodrigues do Espirito Santo, deputy secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum Macao, encouraged mainland and Macao enterprises to invest in PSCs and seek better solutions on boosting the economic development of all parties concerned, calling for support to small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Founded in Macao in 2003, the forum is aimed at enhancing economic and trade exchanges between China and PSCs, giving full play to Macao's role of an economic and trade platform linking China and PSCs, and promoting the common development of the Chinese mainland, PSCs and the Macao SAR. 
By Sabina Mammadli

The Armenian Apostolic Church stands at the forefront of Armenian revanchism, Chairman of the Board of Muslims of the Caucasus Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazada said.

He made the comment at a meeting of the Muslim religious leaders of the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States in Shusha, Azerbaijan.

The spiritual leader noted that the Armenian religious circles call for hatred.

"The Armenian Apostolic Church promotes revenge and conducts a smear international campaign against Azerbaijan. The revanchist statements of the Armenian Church leadership, which for many years justified the criminal actions of Armenian political leaders in Khankandi, are regrettable, Pashazada emphasized.

He stressed that with a Bible and a gun in their hands, they blessed death, occupation, oppression, and violence, ignoring religious values and bringing new tragedies to the Armenian people instead of the promised happiness.

Further, Pashazada added that the Armenian Church must show wisdom, and preach ideas that will save the people, and bring them prosperity and progress.

From the liberated Shusha city, I call on the Armenian Church, Echmiadzin to put an end to the hatred, sabotage, and revanchism. Fulfilling your spiritual duty to the Almighty, you should call for life instead of death, new disasters, and tragedies! Telling the truth instead of false promises will be your greatest historical service to the Armenian people," the religious leader called.

Additionally, Pashazada noted that at the cost of the blood of martyrs, the Azerbaijani people liberated their ancestral lands from Armenian occupation and restored justice.

"Azan sounds in our mosques, and we are carrying out construction work on our lands. The whole world witnessed Armenian vandalism, war crimes, the genocide committed in Khojaly, the deliberate destruction of our cities and villages, the arson of our lands, the poisoning of our reservoirs, the destruction of cemeteries, mosques, and temples, and the mines set by Armenia still continue to kill hundreds of civilians," the official said.
MONDULKIRI, Cambodia, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Officials and conservationists in Cambodia on Saturday called for an end to wildlife consumption, saying that the wildlife consumption demand was a major driver for poaching, snaring crisis and illegal trade.

Ministry of Environment's Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra said wildlife consumption also increased the risk of disease transmission from wild animals to humans, posing a grave threat to the environment and human health.

"The people who consume bushmeat with the hope for health benefits or a treatment to illnesses and a supplement that brings them strength or social status are wrong. In contrast, wild meat consumption not only potentially affects their health but also motivates poaching, snaring and trafficking of wildlife species that are of global importance," he said during the launch of the Zero Wild Meat campaign in the northeastern Mondulkiri province.

"It is time for all wild meat lovers and traders to make a positive change to stop wildlife consumption or trade, and in return to protect wildlife and natural resources as a way of contributing to economic and tourism development, as well as for the benefit of local and global ecosystems," he added.

Pheaktra said law enforcement reports from Mondulkiri's Mobile Law Enforcement Unit showed a confiscation of 1,353 kilograms of wild meat that were illegally traded within the last 18 months from 2021.

Also, the law enforcement authorities of Stung Treng and Ratanakiri provinces in the last six months seized over 200 kilograms of bushmeat during their wildlife trafficking crackdowns and wet market raids in these provinces, he added.

The wild animal species that fall victim to consumption demand and illegal trade commonly include ungulate species such as muntjac, wild pig, banteng, sambar as well as lizard, civet, loris among others, according to a joint press statement.

A study series on ungulate populations in the eastern plains by the Ministry of Environment and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) showed between 2010 and 2022 banteng, muntjac and wild pig populations have declined by 89 percent, 65 percent and 15 percent, respectively, the statement said, adding that the study also showed very low encounter rates of eld's deer, gaur and sambar.

Globally significant wild animal species already became extinct due to snaring, illegal hunting and trade that continued the killing, leading to drastic declines of other species populations in the country's protected areas," said Seng Teak, WWF-Cambodia country director.

"It is important that all buyers, sellers, traders and consumers understand about the health risks associated with consumption and trade activities, and adopt the zero wild meat commitment," he added.

Wildlife consumption and trade also bring humans into close contact with wildlife, for example at marketplaces and restaurants, and increase the risk of zoonotic transmission, the statement said, adding that eating wild meat not only exposes people to serious health risks, but also creates conditions for possible zoonotic spillover through hunting, poaching, transporting, storing, trading, processing and selling wild meat.

The Zero Wild Meat campaign will pilot for six weeks in October and November 2022 and will engage with all 32 restaurants and food selling outlets in Mondulkiri to pledge their commitment to the Zero Wild Meat and spread the awareness.

"On behalf of the Mondulkiri Administration, I would like to urge people in Cambodia to say no to wild meat and join hands in safeguarding Cambodia's natural resources," Chan Ratana, deputy governor of Mondulkiri, said.

Yi Sengdoeurn, deputy director of Communicable Disease Control Department of the Ministry of Health, said the Zero Wild Meat campaign was important to protect public health from current and future zoonotic risks.

"We must work together to prevent the purchase, sale, transport and consumption of wildlife species which are of high risk for zoonotic disease transmission," he said. 
TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A top Iranian military commander on Friday urged the United States to comply with international shipping law wherever it conducts maritime activities, official news agency IRNA reported.

Iranian Navy Commander Shahram Irani made the remark at a ceremony held in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas to welcome back the navy's 84th Flotilla from its 86-day mission in international waters.

Irani noted that the flotilla seized two American unmanned surface vehicles during its mission of escorting Iranian ships on the high seas, particularly in the Red Sea.

"Iran will respond decisively and crushingly to any action that would compromise shipping security in regional waters," he warned.

In early September, the Iranian Navy said it briefly seized two American maritime drones in the Red Sea for the purpose of "preventing naval accidents in the international shipping lane" before releasing them in a "safe area." 
MACAO, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Experts from China and overseas have gathered online and offline at the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) to discuss the quality control and digital credit of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

At the two-day forum from Friday to Saturday, the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines under the Macao University of Science and Technology established a digital center in partnership with an institute involving experiencing the treatment of traditional Chinese medicine.

The institute had signed agreements with plantations and local governments in several Chinese provinces on digital credit services of natural resources, aiming to use digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve TCM quality control during the manufacturing process.

Wang Xijun, director of the Specialty Committee of TCM Pharmacognosy under the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, said he expected this event will boost the development of TCM pharmacognosy and help solve key issues concerning TCM development. 
SANAA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Houthi rebels in Yemen said they attacked on Friday a ship trying to "loot oil" in a key government-controlled port in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout.

"The (Houthi) armed forces announced the implementation of a simple warning strike in order to prevent an oil ship that was trying to loot crude oil in the port of Dhabah in Hadramout Province," Houthi Military Spokesman Yehya Sarea said in a statement broadcast by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

"The attack was carried out after we sent a warning message to the ship to leave," Sarea said.

"the attack is also a warning message to all other foreign oil ships to keep away from Yemen's regional seas," he added.

However, a local security officer of the Dhabah port said the attack occurred when local authorities were preparing the shipment of crude exports to the global markets.

"Hours before the arrival of an exporting oil tanker to receive the shipment, two simultaneous explosions rocked the vicinity of Dhabah port," the officer said on the condition of anonymity.

Muammar al-Eryani, the information minister of the internationally-recognized Yemeni government, strongly condemned the Houthi attack as an act of "terrorism."

The minister said in a statement that the Houthi group sent two explosive-laden drones to attack the oil ship.

"The attack is part of Houthi systematic targeting of infrastructure and attempts to destroy the national economy and expand attacks to include vital facilities that have been outside war for eight years," the minister added.

So far, there is no report on the casualties of the attack, which came after the government and the Houthi group failed to extend a national truce that expired on Oct. 2, raising concerns about the return of violent conflicts to the Arab country.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia stormed several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. 
KIGALI, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- As a mother who got pregnant at 16, a Rwandan teen identified only as Yvonne to conceal her identity, was eager that her peers can easily access contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Yvonne learned she was pregnant, more than one month after she missed her periods during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and schools shutdown in 2020.

On learning she was pregnant, her stepmother expelled her from home, saying she was spoiled and could spoil her children.

With her predicament, Yvonne ran away with the help of her boyfriend who later denied the pregnancy and abandoned her. Like hundreds of thousands of young girls nationwide, Yvonne was not able to complete her secondary education.

While her story is shared by many and draws ire among activists, the solution to addressing teenage pregnancies in Rwanda seems to be complex.

The majority of Rwandan legislators during a plenary session this week voted against a private members' bill that sought to amend the 2016 law on human reproductive health, which would have given girls aged 15 and above the green light to access contraceptives.

The rejection of the bill has become a talking point because of the growing problem of teenage pregnancy in the East African country.

Some legislators cited cultural considerations and faith while others said contraceptives would corrupt the moral values of young girls.

Such claims, however, only served to further muddy the waters around the controversial bill.

"Allowing access to contraceptives as the first-line choice for young girls wishing to engage in sexual activities would seem prudent," Yvonne told Xinhua, asking "so what solutions are the MPs providing?"

"I'm troubled about this."

Reports indicate that teens as young as 14 years of age are sexually active, hence the need to equip them with knowledge about contraception in case they choose to engage in sexual activities.

Rwandan gender activist Donatha Gihana, however, said that even if the bill had been passed it would not address the problem of teenage pregnancy. "But before we rush into girls' access to contraceptives, where are the men who impregnate these girls," she asked.

Gihana has come across cases, where teenage girls after producing do not disclose the fathers of their babies, which she described as strange. "I don't think access to contraceptives can alone address the problem of teenage pregnancy. I think it's important to look at a comprehensive approach rather than narrowing down the solution to one."

"Access to contraceptives to me is not the problem. We need to address the issue of teenage pregnancy in a more comprehensive way. To me, with or without contraceptives the problem of teenage pregnancy will continue unless the root causes are addressed," said Gihana.

Gihana believes there is even a lack of awareness around contraceptives, whereby in villages many girls are not aware of the different birth control methods.

"Access to contraceptives would perhaps provide a solution to only a small percentage of girls in Kigali who have the means to buy, yet rural girls bear the big problem of teenage pregnancy. We are talking about the majority of girls in rural areas who don't even have easy access to pharmacies. We need a national approach that speaks to all teenagers," she added.

Child pregnancies in Rwanda are linked partly to growing gaps in parent-child communication, limited access to sexual reproductive health information, and poverty.

At least 23,544 children were born to teen mothers in 2019, according to official statistics.

On average 20,000 teens are impregnated annually, with 23,000 having been impregnated last year.

Other Rwandans, though, praised parliament for rejecting the bill, arguing that contraceptives are not suitable for teens.

Among those is Sheila Mugisha, a nurse and mother of two teenage girls, who said it would be wrong to give teenagers contraceptives. "It would be worrying for a 15-year-old to think of which kind of contraception is best for them since there are many different contraceptive methods on the market," she said.

In Rwanda, the consent age is 18, but the legal age for marriage is 21.

The bill had been tabled before the Chamber of Deputies by a group of five legislators.

Gamariel Mbonimana, one of the lawmakers, said they drafted the bill thinking it would address the challenge of the high number of teenage pregnancies in the country and their research found out that in some countries children as old as 13 years or 12 years of age have access to contraceptives.

While underlining that addressing the problem of teenage pregnancies requires the role of fathers, mothers, guardians, and the community, Gihana believed that citing culture and faith to deny girls access to contraceptives is a lame excuse because "some aspects of culture have been overridden by modernity or technology."

"Even with amazing policies and programs the household and family, where girls live, need to have discussions on sexual reproductive health. We cannot stop teenage pregnancy without the roles of the families and community." 
DAMASCUS, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel launched on Friday night a missile attack against military sites around Syria's capital Damascus, a statement from the Syrian military said.

The Syrian air defenses were triggered by the attack and intercepted many of the missiles, said the statement, adding the attack only caused property damage.

Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the Israeli attack hit military sites in the vicinity of the Damascus International Airport and in the southwestern countryside of the capital.

So far in 2022, Israel has carried out 26 missile strikes against military sites in Syria. The last Israeli attack was carried out on Sept. 17.

The SOHR says Israel usually strikes military facilities where pro-Iran militias are present or targets weapon shipments of the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters. 
by Xinhua writers Yang Shilong, Zhang Mocheng

NEW YORK, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has made great achievements in building a modern socialist country under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), offering "a new path for modernization for other countries," a leading U.S. expert on China has said.

Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, has closely followed China's development over the past 30 years. He told Xinhua that he had watched the live broadcast of the opening session of the 20th CPC National Congress, where General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a report.

The description of Chinese modernization "to me is a very significant part of the report," Kuhn said.

Xi's report said that building a human community with a shared future is one of the essential requirements of Chinese modernization, which shows China's readiness to share its global responsibility, said Kuhn.

The U.S. scholar has visited more than 100 cities and villages in China and witnessed tremendous changes across the country.

"The concept of people-centered philosophy is indeed the foundation of how the CPC sees its mission," he said, adding that to build a human community with a shared future is to bring China's people-centered concept to the world.

The world has been fragmented and the fragmentation has caused many different problems that no country can tackle on its own, said Kuhn.

The "overarching concept" of the vision is "an international community with a common future," and it is a shared future for the people and for humanity, he said.

The vision of building a human community with a shared future is a great vision of improving global governance, "bringing a Chinese way of thinking, and bringing peace and prosperity to the world," Kuhn said.

Kuhn noted that building a human community with a shared future is "not just another political phrase," because China has initiated three great programs to help make the vision a reality -- the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI).

Kuhn and his team have spent three years to complete a documentary titled "Voices From the Frontline: China's War on Poverty," which documents the poverty alleviation plan in China.

The documentary provides a textured and intimate portrayal of China's poverty alleviation by following six cases that highlight China's strategy and the systems as well as the organization needed to implement it.

Kuhn has conducted an in-depth study on how China shares its poverty alleviation experience with other countries.

"The poverty alleviation campaign is a very important part of that because most of the countries have poor people and I've spent a lot of time looking at how you transfer China's experience to other countries," said Kuhn.

"It's not simple ... It's a whole approach. Not only does the GDI have to bring people out of poverty and provide health-care, education, but it also needs to help local industry develop as well," said Kuhn.

In addition to the international system with the United Nations at the core, Kuhn said, diverse multinational organizations like BRICS (the acronym for an emerging-market bloc that groups together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have contributed to global security, and their role is now broadening.

"China's view is to have these multilateral organizations, so that different nations can work together and have a very specific objective of having real dialogue," said Kuhn. 
The file photo shows firefighters battling to contain a fire on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Oct. 12, 2020. (Str/Xinhua)

A fire broke out on Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, Friday night, officials have confirmed.

DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- A fire has broken out on Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, officials confirmed Saturday.

William Mwakilema, the commissioner for Conservation of the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), said it is true that fire has broken out on some parts of the mountain, also dubbed as Africa's rooftop.

"Firefighters have already been deployed on the mountain to contain the fire," Mwakilema told Xinhua when reached over the phone.

TANAPA released a terse statement in the afternoon saying the fire broke out Friday night.

"TANAPA in collaboration with the government is working hard to put out the fire," said Mwakilema who was in Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania, attending the official opening of the 6th edition of the Swahili International Tourism Expo.

The file photo shows volunteers battling to contain a fire on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Oct. 12, 2020. (Str/Xinhua)

Nurdin Babu, the Kilimanjaro regional commissioner, told Xinhua over the phone that he was flying with experts over the mountain for an aerial survey to establish areas affected by the fire and the extent of damage caused.

"The cause of the fire is still not yet established," said the statement signed by Catherine Mbena, TANAPA's senior conservation officer for communications.

The statement said firefighters from the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force have teamed up with TANAPA game rangers, police and the College of African Wildlife Management in the Kilimanjaro region to contain the fire.

In October 2020, a fire broke out on the mountain and destroyed 95.5 square kilometers of vegetation and 12 huts, two toilets and solar equipment used by tourists climbing the mountain.

Mount Kilimanjaro, one of Tanzania's leading tourist destinations, is about 5,895 meters above sea level. Roughly 50,000 trekkers from across the world attempt to reach the summit of the mountain annually. 
FRANKFURT, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- For people who are eager to get a better understanding of China, the Chinese booths at the ongoing Frankfurt Book Fair presented opportunities for them.

"I visit the Chinese booths at the Fair every time, and plentiful of selected Chinese books never fail to help me to know better about different aspects of China," Charlottes, who works in the culture industry in Belgium, told Xinhua.

In order to meet the needs of visitors like Charlottes, the China International Publishing Group and China National Publications Import and Export Co., Ltd. have brought together over 100 publishing companies in China to attend the event, regarded as the largest of its kind, this year.

More than 1,000 different kinds of publications were exhibited on the shelves of the Chinese booths, covering topics of politics, economics, culture, history, technology and the Chinese language, for adults and children as well.

Rosenmarie Stefan, whose curiosity about China has been built up since she took a few courses about China in a community school, is looking for something about China that would be different from the reports of the local press.

The local media's coverage of China is far from enough for people to know a big country, she said.

As a consultant in Frankfurt, Dirk Schneider has been cooperating with Chinese companies for over 20 years, and he prefers books about Chinese politics and economics. "I am keen to know more about the New Silkroad and would like to find some publications about it."

Ralf Glitza, who is teaching philosophy and education at Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, said he hopes to find books about Chinese political philosophy and education. "I want to deepen my understanding about the possibility of China for now and in the future."

An increasing number of Chinese books have been published abroad in the past few years, said Ren Lei, chief representative of the German representative office of China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Col, Ltd.

Books about children's education, novels authored by well-known Chinese writers, Chinese philosophy and Chinese medicines are especially popular among readers in Europe, according to Ren.

The Frankfurt Book Fair, scheduled for Oct. 18-23, involved more than 4,000 publishing companies from 95 countries and regions. 
Xi Jinping presides over the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) is fully confident and capable of creating new and even greater miracles on the new journey of the new era, Xi Jinping said as the 20th CPC National Congress came to a conclusion Saturday.

The CPC congress has realized its goals of unifying thinking, fortifying confidence, charting the course and boosting morale, Xi told 2,338 delegates and specially invited delegates present at the closing session of the weeklong congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. "This has been a congress of holding our banner high, pooling our strength, and promoting solidarity and dedication."

At the closing session presided over by Xi, the congress elected a new CPC Central Committee, with 205 members and 171 alternate members, and a new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) consisting of 133 members.

The congress passed a resolution on the report of the 19th CPC Central Committee, a resolution on the work report of the 19th CCDI, and a resolution on an amendment to the CPC Constitution.

The congress noted that the establishment of Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has set the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on "an irreversible historical course."

The report of the 19th CPC Central Committee charts the course and establishes a guide to action for the new journey for advancing the cause of the Party and the country in the new era and for realizing the Second Centenary Goal, Xi said.

Hailing the report "a guiding Marxist document," Xi said it is a political declaration and a program of action for the CPC to rally and lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in securing new victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The CCDI work report underscores the significance of using the Party's own transformation to steer social transformation, and declares the Party's firm resolve to keep improving conduct, promoting integrity and fighting corruption with sober-minded determination to make this an unceasing endeavor, Xi said.

On the revised CPC Constitution, which came into effect as of the date of adoption, Xi said it encapsulates the theoretical, practical and institutional innovations made by the Party.

The revised CPC Constitution sets out clear requirements for upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership, promoting the Party's full and rigorous self-governance, continuing and improving Party building, and advancing the Party's self-reform, he said.

The new developments in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era since the 19th CPC National Congress have been incorporated into the Party Constitution.

Advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization has been designated as the central task of the Party on the new journey of the new era at the 20th CPC National Congress. This central task has been included in the revised Party Constitution.

Also added to the Party Constitution are statements on gradually realizing the goal of common prosperity for all, pursuing high-quality development, developing a broader, fuller and more robust whole-process people's democracy, elevating the people's armed forces to world-class standards, resolutely implementing the policy of One Country, Two Systems, and resolutely opposing and deterring separatists seeking "Taiwan independence."

Holding dear humanity's shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom was also included in the Party Constitution.

On the newly elected CPC Central Committee, Xi said it is a broadly representative and well-structured body with highly qualified members who meet the standards for Central Committee membership, match the expectations of ordinary officials and the general public, and reflect the realities of the Party's leadership teams and contingent of officials.

The new CPC Central Committee will definitely be capable of shouldering the historic mission of rallying and leading the whole Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and in advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts, he said.

"We believe that all the decisions and plans set out at the congress and all its outcomes will play a significant role in guiding and underpinning our efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects, advance national rejuvenation on all fronts, and secure new victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics," Xi said.

Xi called on the delegates to firmly keep in mind the Party's original aspiration and founding mission and the country's most fundamental interests, and firmly keep in mind that "this country is its people; the people are the country."

During the congress, the central committees of other political parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce as well as public figures from all ethnic groups and all sectors in China offered their congratulations, as did members of the public through various means. Political parties and organizations in many countries around the world also sent congratulatory messages.

"The presidium of the congress wishes to express its heartfelt thanks to each and every one of them," Xi said.

Having come through a century of great endeavor, the Party is once again embarking on a new journey on which it will face new tests, Xi noted. "We are fully confident and capable of creating new and even greater miracles on the new journey of the new era -- miracles that will amaze the world."

Xi urged all Party members to stay closely rallied around the CPC Central Committee and hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

"We must remain confident in our history, exhibit greater historical initiative, and have the courage to fight and the mettle to win," he said.

Xi called on the Party to stay focused, determinedly forge ahead, and unite and lead all Chinese people in striving to fulfill the goals and tasks set out at the 20th CPC National Congress. 

Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng, Wang Qishan and Hu Jintao attend the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
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 the liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation and the restoration of territorial integrity.

Chronicle of the 26-th day of the second Karabakh war:

- On the official Twitter page of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, a publication was posted on ensuring full control over the state border (bordering with Iran).

- A publication was posted on the official Twitter page of President Ilham Aliyev, due to the liberation from the occupation of 3 villages of Fuzuli district, 4 villages of Jabrayil district.

- President Ilham Aliyev received the Ombudsman of Turkey.

- First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva gave an interview to Trend New Agency.

- The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has disseminated information about the latest situation at the front. Volunteers in the Armenian Armed Forces fled, leaving their combat positions. Information was disseminated about the wounding of the commander of the Armenian Armed Forces regiment, the killing of his deputy and the battalion commander.

- The Armenian Armed Forces fired 3 ballistic missiles at Siyazan, 2 at Gabala and 1 at Kurdamir. A 17-year-old civilian was wounded as a result of a missile attack by the Armenians on Gabala.

- Armenian servicemen refused to fight. Video footage of another captured military equipment of the Armenian Armed Forces was distributed.

- Another tactical UAV of the Armenian Armed Forces, which attempted to fly in the direction of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, was destroyed. The Azerbaijani artillerymen continued to deliver precise strikes at the firing points of the Armenian Armed Forces.

- The Azerbaijani flag was hoisted in the village of Aghband, Zangilan district.

- The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan presented video footage of the destruction of a significant number of personnel and equipment of the Armenian Armed Forces.
RAMALLAH, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian authorities on Saturday accused Israel of replacing the political solution to the conflict with the Palestinians with a military solution that serves its interests.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement that Israel's goal of "escalation against the Palestinians in the West Bank is to neglect political solutions to the conflict and replace them with military ones that serve its interests."

The Palestinians' steadfastness will fail the Israeli plans to exclude the strategic necessities to resolve the conflict, it said, holding Israel "fully and directly responsible for the repercussions of the continued escalation on the ground."

The statement called on the UN Security Council "to assume its legal and moral responsibilities towards the Israeli violations practiced against the Palestinians, mainly the military occupation, settlements, and extrajudicial killings."

It also called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "to quickly activate the international protection system for the Palestinians and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to begin its investigations into the Israeli violations."

Earlier, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that Sallah Breiki, 19, was killed on Friday after he was shot by Israeli soldiers in the chest, with four others injured, including two in serious condition.

The tension has been mounting between Israel and the Palestinians since March after the Israeli army intensified its military actions and operations against Palestinian militants and activists by storming Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank.

Since early January, more than 174 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including women and children, according to official Palestinian figures. Meanwhile, more than 20 Israelis have been killed since March.

On Friday, fierce clashes broke out between dozens of Palestinians and Israeli soldiers in various West Bank areas, mainly in the villages near the city of Nablus, which has been under an Israeli siege for more than 10 days, Palestinian medics said.

They added that six people were shot by live ammunition and six others by rubber bullets, while dozens inhaled teargas fired by the soldiers. The Palestinian protesters burned tires and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, according to the eyewitnesses.

In the June 1967 Middle East war, Israel occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, which are claimed by the Palestinians, and has controlled the areas ever since. The Palestinians aspire to establish a Palestinian state on these territories. 
BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The following is the full text of a resolution on an amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China (CPC) adopted Saturday at the closing session of the 20th CPC National Congress.

Resolution of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on the Revised Constitution of the Communist Party of China

Adopted on October 22, 2022

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has deliberated and unanimously adopted the revised Constitution of the Communist Party of China proposed by the 19th Party Central Committee and has decided that it shall come into effect as of the date of adoption.

The Congress notes that adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times is a process of seeking, revealing, and applying truth. Since the Party's 19th National Congress, the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continued to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and fine traditional culture, put forward a series of new ideas, new thinking, and new strategies on national governance, and made continuous progress in enriching and developing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thereby opening a new frontier in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the Marxism of contemporary China and of the 21st century and embodies the best Chinese culture and ethos of this era.

The Congress unanimously agrees that the new developments in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era since the Party's 19th National Congress should be incorporated into the Party Constitution, so as to better reflect the major contributions made by the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to advancing the Party's theoretical, practical, and institutional innovations. The Congress calls on all Party members to acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and to fully implement this Thought in all areas and stages of the work of the Party and the country.

The Congress affirms that, over the past century, the Party has always stayed true to its original aspiration and founding mission, and it has united and led the Chinese people in writing the most magnificent chapter in the millennia-long history of the Chinese nation. In doing so, it has made great achievements and accumulated valuable experience. The Congress approves the incorporation of the Party's original aspiration and founding mission and its major achievements and historical experience over the past century into the Party Constitution. Having the courage to fight and the mettle to win gives the Party and the people unassailable strength. All the achievements were made through persistent hard work of the Party and the people. The Congress agrees to add to the Party Constitution a statement on carrying forward our fighting spirit and building up our fighting ability.

These additions are of great importance for inspiring all Party members to remain confident in our history, exhibit greater historical initiative, stay committed to the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, pass on the traditions of revolution, fully appreciate the contemporary features of the great new struggle, and unite and lead Chinese people of all ethnic groups in achieving new successes in building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

The Congress notes that, at the ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China, Comrade Xi Jinping solemnly announced on behalf of the Party and the people that we have realized the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and that we are now marching in confident strides toward the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. The Party Constitution is revised to reflect this.

These revisions will help all Party members fully and faithfully grasp the new requirements for advancing the cause of the Party and the country on the new journey of the new era. They will enable us to rally the will and strength of the whole Party and the entire nation for realizing the Second Centenary Goal and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

The Congress notes that advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization has been proposed and designated as the central task of the Party on the new journey of the new era. Basic socialist economic systems, including the system under which public ownership is the mainstay and diverse forms of ownership develop together, the system under which distribution according to work is the mainstay while multiple forms of distribution exist alongside it, and the socialist market economy, are important pillars of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Congress agrees to incorporate statements to that effect into the Party Constitution.

Also added to the Party Constitution are statements on gradually realizing the goal of common prosperity for all; having an accurate understanding of the new stage of development; applying a new philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared development; accelerating efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows; pursuing high-quality development; giving full play to the role of talent as the primary resource; and ensuring higher-quality and more efficient, equitable, sustainable, and secure development of the economy.

These revisions will help all Party members align their thinking and action with the Central Committee's accurate assessment of the domestic and international environments and with the strategic plans for Party and state initiatives, act on the Party's basic line with a stronger sense of purpose, and continue writing the great history of China's development in the new era with new achievements.

The Congress recognizes that building a modern socialist country in all respects is a great and arduous endeavor; the future is bright, but we still have a long way to go. To build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, a two-step strategic plan has been adopted: basically realizing socialist modernization from 2020 through 2035; and building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful from 2035 through the middle of this century. The Party Constitution is revised accordingly. This will inspire all Party members to maintain firm confidence, forge ahead with enterprise and fortitude, and keep on working to accomplish the Party's set goals.

The Congress notes that since the 19th National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has developed new ideas, new thinking, and new strategies for advancing the coordinated implementation of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy. The Congress agrees to add to the Party Constitution statements on following the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics; developing a broader, fuller, and more robust whole-process people's democracy; establishing sound systems and procedures for democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight; and both pursuing development and safeguarding security.

These additions will play an important role in helping all Party members act with a stronger sense of purpose and greater resolve in implementing the Party's basic theory, line, and policy, so as to comprehensively advance the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Congress also notes that since the 19th National Congress, Comrade Xi Jinping has put forward a series of new ideas, new thinking, and new strategies on national defense, the armed forces, the united front, and foreign affairs. It agrees to include in the Party Constitution statements on enhancing political loyalty in the military, strengthening the military through reform, science and technology, and personnel training, and running the military in accordance with the law; elevating the people's armed forces to world-class standards; fully, faithfully, and resolutely implementing the policy of One Country, Two Systems; resolutely opposing and deterring separatists seeking "Taiwan independence"; holding dear humanity's shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom; and advancing the building of an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

These revisions reaffirm the Party's commitment to building a strong military with Chinese characteristics, making sustained and steady progress with the One Country, Two Systems policy, advancing national reunification, promoting the building of a human community with a shared future, and leading the tide of human progress.

The Congress affirms that, guided by the belief that it takes a good blacksmith to forge good steel and based on a commitment to strengthening itself politically as the overarching principle, the Party has made significant advances in exercising full and rigorous self-governance. The major new achievements made and successful experience gained in Party building should be duly reflected in the Party Constitution to translate them into the common will of the entire Party and general rules followed by all Party members. The Congress thus agrees to add to the Party Constitution statements on carrying forward the Party's great founding spirit, which comprises the principles of upholding truth and ideals, staying true to the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, fighting bravely without fear of sacrifice, and remaining loyal to the Party and faithful to the people, and on using the Party's own transformation to steer social transformation. It also agrees to add statements on improving the capacity for political judgment, thinking, and implementation and becoming more self-motivated and resolute in implementing the Party's theories, lines, principles, and policies; on advancing the adaption of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times; on the Party's self-reform being a journey to which there is no end; on constantly improving the system of Party regulations; on strengthening the principal and oversight responsibilities for full and rigorous Party self-governance; on making integrated efforts to ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to become corrupt; and on adhering to the Party's organizational line for the new era as a new fundamental requirement for Party building.

These additions will help all Party members maintain a spirit of self-reform, implement the Party's strategic policy of full and rigorous self-governance, and further advance the great new project of Party building in the new era, thus ensuring that the Party grows stronger through revolutionary tempering and remains the strong leadership core in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Congress notes that the Communist Party of China is the leadership core in advancing our cause and that the leadership of the Communist Party of China offers a fundamental guarantee for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The Congress agrees to add to the Party Constitution statements on the Party being the highest force for political leadership and on upholding and strengthening the overall leadership of the Party. These additions will help the Party fulfill its core role of exercising overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all sides and will help ensure that Party leadership is exercised in all aspects and every stage of the endeavors of the Party and the country.

The Congress notes that in view of the successful experience gained in Party work and Party building since the 19th Party Congress and in compliance with the revisions to the General Program, appropriate revisions to some articles of the Party Constitution are necessary.

The following are now included into the obligations of all Party members: study the history of the Party; strengthen consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership; stay confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership.

To see that primary-level Party organizations play a key role in ensuring the exercise of the Party's leadership, revisions are made in order to help strengthen Party building in hospitals, clearly define the status and functions of Party organizations in subdistricts, townships, towns, villages, and communities, and refine the responsibilities of Party committees and leading Party members groups in state-owned enterprises with regard to strengthening their own organizational development.

To fully reflect the achievements in Party work and Party building since the 19th National Congress, revisions are made in order to regularize and institutionalize activities to study Party history; require Party officials at all levels to oppose privilege-seeking mindsets and practices; amend provisions related to Party discipline; clearly define the coverage of dispatched discipline inspection teams; define major new tasks for commissions for discipline inspection; and adjust and enhance the functions and responsibilities of leading Party members groups.

These revisions will help all Party members uphold and strengthen the Central Committee's centralized, unified leadership and enhance cohesion and forge the Party's soul with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They will also help enhance the political and organizational functions of Party organizations, take strict steps to improve Party conduct and tighten Party discipline, and ensure full and rigorous self-governance of the Party.

The Congress notes that since entering the new era, the Party and the country have faced a situation of unparalleled complexity, a fight of unparalleled graveness, and tasks of unparalleled difficulty in promoting reform, development, and stability. Establishing Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has enabled the Party to successfully resolve the acute problems and challenges undermining its long-term governance, the security and stability of the country, and the wellbeing of the people, to remove serious hidden dangers in the Party, the country, and the military, and to ultimately set the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on an irreversible historical course. The establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era represents a major political achievement for the Party in the new era and a decisive factor in the historic successes and changes in the cause of the Party and the country. All Party members must acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of this major achievement, more conscientiously uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and closely follow the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core in thinking, political stance, and action.

The Congress calls on Party organizations at all levels and all Party members to follow the firm leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and carry forward the great founding spirit of the Party. They should become more conscious of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership; have firm confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership; and more purposefully study, observe, apply, and uphold the Party Constitution. This will ensure that the entire Party strives in unity to build a modern socialist country in all respects and advance national rejuvenation on all fronts. 
People visit the 74th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)

The China International Publishing Group and China National Publications Import and Export Co., Ltd. have brought together over 100 publishing companies in China to attend the fair.

More than 1,000 different kinds of publications were exhibited on the shelves of the Chinese booths, covering topics of politics, economics, culture, history, technology and the Chinese language, for adults and children as well.

FRANKFURT, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- For people who are eager to get a better understanding of China, the Chinese booths at the ongoing Frankfurt Book Fair presented opportunities for them.

"I visit the Chinese booths at the Fair every time, and plentiful of selected Chinese books never fail to help me to know better about different aspects of China," Charlottes, who works in the culture industry in Belgium, told Xinhua.

In order to meet the needs of visitors like Charlottes, the China International Publishing Group and China National Publications Import and Export Co., Ltd. have brought together over 100 publishing companies in China to attend the event, regarded as the largest of its kind, this year.

People visit the 74th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)

More than 1,000 different kinds of publications were exhibited on the shelves of the Chinese booths, covering topics of politics, economics, culture, history, technology and the Chinese language, for adults and children as well.

Rosenmarie Stefan, whose curiosity about China has been built up since she took a few courses about China in a community school, is looking for something about China that would be different from the reports of the local press.

The local media's coverage of China is far from enough for people to know a big country, she said.

As a consultant in Frankfurt, Dirk Schneider has been cooperating with Chinese companies for over 20 years, and he prefers books about Chinese politics and economics. "I am keen to know more about the New Silkroad and would like to find some publications about it."

People visit the 74th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)

Ralf Glitza, who is teaching philosophy and education at Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, said he hopes to find books about Chinese political philosophy and education. "I want to deepen my understanding about the possibility of China for now and in the future."

An increasing number of Chinese books have been published abroad in the past few years, said Ren Lei, chief representative of the German representative office of China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Co., Ltd.

Books about children's education, novels authored by well-known Chinese writers, Chinese philosophy and Chinese medicines are especially popular among readers in Europe, according to Ren.

The Frankfurt Book Fair, scheduled for Oct. 18-23, drew more than 4,000 publishing companies from 95 countries and regions. 
KAMPALA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has announced that it would distribute emergency relief to communities that have been affected by the Ebola containment measures starting next week.

Minister of State for Information, Communication, Technology and National Guidance Godfrey Kabbyanga in a statement issued in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, Friday said the beneficiary communities are those in the epicenter of the outbreak, Mubende and Kassanda districts. The two districts were last weekend put under total lockdown in an effort to contain the spread of the deadly disease.

Kabbyanga said the Office of the Prime Minister will distribute relief food to vulnerable groups including market vendors, taxi drivers, and saloon operators.

The minister said some containment measures have been relaxed as the infection rate drops. He said boda boda riders in the districts under lockdown have been allowed to move but carrying only luggage and not passengers.

The country had so far registered 65 positive cases and 27 deaths by Thursday since the outbreak was reported on Sept. 20, according to the data given by the Ministry of Health.

The minister urged the public to remain vigilant to ensure that the epidemic is eliminated in the shortest time possible. 
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Inter-communal violence in Sudan following a land ownership dispute has claimed at least 19 lives, a UN spokesman said on Friday.

UN Interim Humanitarian Coordinator Eddie Rowe is deeply concerned about the recent violence in West Kordofan and Blue Nile State, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"In Al Lagowa, in West Kordofan, violence escalated following a land ownership dispute and authorities report that at least 19 people were killed and 34 injured," Dujarric said.

Citing the International Organization for Migration, he added that more than 36,000 people fled the town. In Wad Al Mahi, in Blue Nile State, inter-communal violence has spread to several localities, and at least 1,200 people were displaced.

"As fighting continues, unconfirmed reports refer to many people killed," the spokesman said. "Two days ago, the governor of Blue Nile State issued a decree prohibiting the movement of civilians using trucks within Wad Al Mahi."

He said that restricting their freedom of movement prevents people from seeking safety and accessing life-saving services.

Dujarric said that interim humanitarian coordinator Rowe reminds all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, schools and water systems.

The spokesman said Rowe also urges the parties to allow the free movement of people looking for safety and assistance. 
KHARTOUM, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Local authorities in Sudan's southern Blue Nile State on Friday declared a one-month state of emergency after many were killed in a tribal conflict that broke out on Wednesday.

"I declare the state of emergency in all parts of the Blue Nile region for 30 days," Blue Nile State Governor Ahmed El Omda said in a decree.

The governor also stated that he has directed military, police, and intelligence officers in the Blue Nile to use all available means to end the tribal fighting, which was reportedly caused by differences over land ownership among local tribes.

"They have full constitutional and legal powers to take the appropriate measures according to the nature of the situation," El Omda added.

Informed sources said the conflict was dying away after government intervention.

While local authorities have not disclosed the number of casualties, medical sources said on Friday that the number of victims of the armed conflicts between Hausa and Berta tribes had risen to 200. 
KAMPALA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Three people among the 60 under quarantine at a Ugandan national referral hospital in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, have tested positive for Ebola virus disease, a top official said here Saturday.

Minister of Health Ruth Aceng in a tweet said the three who were at an isolation facility at Mulago National Referral Hospital tested positive Friday.

She said they were contacts to a confirmed case that had earlier passed on at the hospital.

The minister said the three will be transferred to Entebbe Isolation Unit, 40 km south of Kampala, since the Mulago unit still has contacts under quarantine.

"Let's remain vigilant and report anybody with symptoms similar to Ebola. Together we can end this epidemic," Aceng said.

The government has already put Kampala under a high response alert in case cases start increasing.

The ministry on Thursday gave envoys accredited to the country a guided tour of the Ebola treatment units, in a show of preparedness that the country is ready to combat and win the battle against the disease.

The Ministry of Health figures on Thursday showed that the country has so far registered 65 positive cases and 27 deaths since the outbreak was reported on Sept. 20. 
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Four terrorists were killed during a military operation in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan army, said late Friday that a fire exchange took place between security forces and terrorists in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan, a district bordering Afghanistan.

Weapons and ammunition were seized from the killed terrorists, said the ISPR statement.

It added that the killed militants had remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces. 
YANGON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar confirmed 262 new COVID-19 infections and two more deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health on Saturday.

The number of COVID-19 infections in the country rose to 630,445, while the death toll reached 19,475, the ministry's release said.

It said that the health authorities tested 11,217 people for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, and the daily positivity rate was 2.34 percent.

A total of 604,067 recovered patients, including 303 new recoveries on Saturday, have been discharged from hospitals so far, it said.

The Southeast Asian country detected its first COVID-19 cases in March 2020. 
KABUL, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan forces have stormed a hideout of the rival Daesh, or Islamic State (IS), outfit in the country's capital Kabul and killed six militants, chief spokesman of the Afghan caretaker government Zabihullah Mujahid said on Saturday.

"Forces of Special Units of Islamic Emirate spotted a hideout of Daesh militants yesterday and arrested two operatives and after that stormed their hideout in Police District 8 as a result six insurgents were killed early today," Mujahid tweeted.

Numerous arms and ammunition including assault rifles, hand grenades, explosive materials and a car have also been seized from the hideout, the official added.

Some of the killed insurgents were involved in deadly terrorist attacks on a mosque in Wazir Akbar Khan and a college in Dasht-e-Barchi districts that left scores of people dead and injured weeks ago.

Mujahid also confirmed that a security personnel had been killed and another injured during the operation.

This is the second operation against the Daesh group in Afghanistan as the Afghan forces in similar operations killed five IS militants in the northern Kunduz province couple of days ago. 
By Trend





The OSCE, which was supposed to ensure security and cooperation in Europe, failed to live up to its mission in the 49 years of its existence, Azerbaijani political observer Elchin Mirzabayli told Trend.





The fact that the OSCE didn't contribute to the resolution of any wars or conflicts in Europe and neighboring continents is a perfect example of the mentioned organization's uselessness.





According to him, the sudden decision of sending a mission to the South Caucasus, without agreement with Azerbaijan, testifies to the OSCE's hidden intentions. The relevant step not only does not serve to normalize Azerbaijan-Armenia relations but seems to be another attempt to exacerbate contradictions.





"The OSCE participating states have reached no consensus on the mentioned mission. Neither the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office nor the relevant institutions of the organization have the power to send the assessment mission to a particular territory without the approval of member states. The establishment of an "OSCE needs assessment mission" is not legitimate and cannot have any political implications. Therefore, the OSCE has once again departed from its mission, thus becoming an instrument of geopolitical pressure in the hands of several states and losing de facto a collective organization status," Mirzabayli said.





As he stressed, during the Armenian occupation period of Azerbaijani lands, the OSCE didn't express its attitude toward the failure of member states, including Armenia, to fulfill the documents adopted by the organization. Armenia has infringed upon the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe for many years, and the OSCE did not send any mission to record these violations.





"Despite the adoption of a Statement on aggressive nationalism (separatism) by the OSCE at foreign ministers' meeting in 1993, as well as the establishment of a Standing Committee in this regard, the provisions of the relevant Statement were not applied to Armenian nationalism. The OSCE did not attach importance to the failure of implementing its mandate and was content with assigning business trips to three Co-Chairs and tourist trips to personal representatives of the Chairperson. It still remains unclear on what grounds the OSCE Secretariat created the "OSCE Needs Assessment Mission". Perhaps, they intend to re-evaluate their own needs and provide the pretext for organizing new tourist trips," the political observer said.








NEW DELHI, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people died and nearly 43 others were injured in a road accident in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh early Saturday morning, a local police officer said.

The accident occurred when a passenger bus collided with a truck-trolley in the state's Rewa district. Those injured were admitted to a hospital.

The bus was traveling from Jabalpur city in Madhya Pradesh to the Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh state. Most of the victims were returning home to celebrate the Diwali festival, which falls on Oct. 24, with their family members, the police officer told Xinhua.

Four bodies of the dead were trapped inside the badly mangled bus, the cop said. 
NEW DELHI, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- India could draw lessons from the success story of China's poverty alleviation in the Southern Asian country's bid to alleviate poverty, the Indian Express suggested in a recent report entitled "How China beat extreme poverty; and what lessons it holds for India."

In 2021 China declared that it has eradicated extreme poverty according to the national poverty threshold, lifting some 770 million people since 1978 and that it has built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the article cited a World Bank report as reporting.

It means, on average, every year China pulled 19 million poor people out of extreme poverty for the past 40 years, the article said on Oct. 10.

"China's poverty reduction success relied on two pillars," the report explained. The first pillar was rapid economic growth supported by broad based economic transformation. And the second was government policies to alleviate poverty, which initially targeted areas disadvantaged by geography and a lack of economic opportunities, but subsequently focused on poor households irrespective of location.

China's success benefited from effective governance "which was key to the successful implementation of the growth strategy as well as the evolving set of targeted poverty reduction policies," the article quoted the World Bank report as saying.

Quoting the data from a recent World Bank report on global poverty, the article said that India has the most number of poor people.

The World Bank report found that the number of Indians living in extreme poverty, surviving on less than 46 Indian rupees (around 0.55 U.S. dollars) a day, increased by 56 million in 2020. And nearly 600 million Indians survive on less than 84 Indian rupees (around 1.02 dollars) a day, said the report. 
KIEV, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday met with visiting President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Odile Renaud-Basso to discuss Ukraine's post-conflict recovery, Zelensky's press service said.

Noting the significance of Renaud-Basso's visit to Ukraine, Zelensky said that the cooperation between Kiev and the EBRD is now "more relevant than ever."

"Now due to the large amount of destruction caused by missile strikes and kamikaze drone attacks, we need to work on the rapid recovery of our country," Zelensky said.

He underscored the importance of holding international events for Ukraine's reconstruction and working on a Fast Recovery Plan, which requires the urgent attraction of financial resources.

Kiev wants to attract money from international partners in the energy, infrastructural, and educational spheres, as well as the restoration of housing for Ukrainians, Zelensky said.

For her part, Renaud-Basso emphasized that the EBRD will do everything possible to support Ukraine.

The EBRD will invest up to 3 billion euros (about 2.93 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022-2023 to support the economy, the private sector and the urgent reconstruction of vital infrastructure in Ukraine, Renaud-Basso tweeted after the talks with Zelensky. 
SAN JOSE, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A small plane with five German nationals on board went missing near the Caribbean coast off Costa Rica on Friday afternoon, Public Security Minister Jorge Torres confirmed Friday night.

The minister said the plane was heading for the airport in Costa Rica's eastern province of Limon when it disappeared from the radar.

"Around 6:00 in the afternoon we received an alert about a private flight from Mexico to the Limon airport, this aircraft was traveling with five passengers of German nationality," Torres said in a video announcement.

The plane lost communication with the control tower near the Barra de Parismina area in the northeastern part of the country, a region that is difficult to access due to its natural channels and mangroves, the minister said.

Emergency protocol with the Coast Guard and Air Surveillance Service was activated after the incident, said the official, adding that searching operation had to be suspended due to late hours and bad weather and would be resumed at 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

So far the official has not disclosed identities of the pilot and passengers of the plane. 
Two paintings by visual artist Jesus Shrestha exhibited in his solo exhibition in Helsinki, Finland recently. Photo: Shesthas FB

In the 90s, NTV, Nepals first and only television channel then, used to broadcast Mahabharata and Ramayan serials in the Hindi language. Scores from oldies to kids would watch the series enthusiastically. Those were the times when children got influenced by the stories they saw on TV or the folktales told by their elders. And, those were the times when Jesus Shrestha unconsciously nourished his dream of becoming a visual artist and designer.

Shrestha, who is based in Helsinki of Finland since 2011, says his paintings and other artworks still reflect those roots. Through painting, installation, illustration, music and more that he learned in a European environment, he is expanding the horizon of perspectives, which used to be transmitted orally and rarely documented during his childhood and before that.

A graduate of the master of contemporary arts from Aalto University in Finland, Shrestha says art is a part of the process of living life, and he wants to go through that process at different places at different times. Till now, Jesus Shrestha has done several solo art exhibitions in Finland and this time, he is all set for his solo art exhibition in Nepal at the Museum of Nepali Art (MoNA), Thamel. The exhibition is beginning Sunday, October 22.

Growing as an artist

Jesus Shrestha grew up in the close vicinity of Makhan Tole, that part of Kathmandu that has majestic architecture as one of the focal points of major festivities with interesting narratives associated with them.

Since his childhood days, he got drawn to those stories and the epics of Ramayan and Mahabharata. Then, reading comics became his hobby, and he began to imagine what if the greatest epics were all comics.

Yet, he was reluctant to ask for comics from his parents and used to read them borrowing from friends. In these stories, he used to encounter interesting characters that he wanted to look at again and again.

But, as he did not have money and was afraid to ask his parents, the economical solution was to draw those characters himself. This way, Jesus Shrestha perfected drawing portraits in his school days. His exercise books would be stolen from his place as he used to draw and doodle on them in such a way that everybody liked them.

His love for art began when he was in school. He thanks his teachers and friends who supported his art when he was a kid. Their support helped him envision his hobby as the form of a career in his adult life.

I received Rs 3,000 for the first time when I created a portrait of the guest, who was the wife of the then police chief. I was given so much pressure to complete the portrait in a short time and it took me half an hour, Shrestha recalls, The guest became so happy seeing her portrait. That time I was even more confident that I am going to be an artist.

Connecting the east to the west

Jesus Shrestha

Jesus Shrestha studied at Dipendra Police School in Sanga, some 25 km east of Kathmandu, staying at the school hostel. While his friends and teachers were supportive of his interest in art, his parents would ask him to think of other professions rather than an artist as the goal of life.

As the result, he studied at two institutions at his high school and undergraduate levels simultaneously. Later, he completed his BFA (2010) as well as his BA in sociology (2009) in Nepal. In 2014, he also completed a bachelors in social science (BASoc) at Diaconia University of Applied Sciences in Finland. He studied visual culture and contemporary art, which he completed in 2019, in Finland.

He did not get support from his family to continue art as his profession so he had to study two different courses. However, his elder sister was (and is) supportive of his artistic journey.

When I got introduced to western masters, I was influenced heavily by Picasso, Van Gogh and other impressionist artists. There was one time in my life that everything I draw or painted shadowed Picasso, Jesus Shrestha shares.

When I arrived in Finland, the world of the internet provided me with information that I did not have in Nepal, as at that time internet was not much accessible as today. Then, gradually, I got to see the original works of the masters too through museums in the Scandinavian region, which helped me build my perspectives and thoughts.

Even then, Ramayana, Mahabharata and other folktales from Kathmandu were inside his head. He then decided to find his niche. Today, he says his artworks are a blend of east and west. Looking at his artworks, it seems he has become the catalyst as an artist who can blend these two cultures into one giving a unique form of modern art.

And that is what Jesus Shrestha aims for. He says he realised the value of artworks placed openly in Nepal when he saw how Finish people preserved their age-old art and artefacts. I felt ashamed and heartbroken to see this as the government has not given the effort it should have given to protect and conserve equally old and even older art and artefacts of Nepal.

His hunger to promote Nepal

As an artist, Jesus Shresthas aim now is to get Nepal into the world scenario and do something to let Nepal be known to the world, not only for being the country of Mt Everest or the birthplace of Lord Buddha. He says, Hence, through my art, I am depicting the unique quality of being a Nepali and showcasing the same. My roots are Nepali and it is reflected in my art. I am still working on the project of Dashavatar and it has been 14 years now.

His aim became even stronger when he did his first solo painting exhibition in Helsinki where he was introduced as the first Nepali artist to exhibit in Finland. This made him feel proud and he says, I now want to make Nepal proud.

Another point that made his desire to make Nepal known to the world was when someone in the exhibition asked him about the difference between Nepali and Indian art and culture.

Jesus Shrestha points out that Nepali and Indian art traditions seem identical in the eyes of the west. I was stunned by the question. But, I answered him that Nepali art is unique in its own term and Nepals existence is older than Indias.

According to him, he wanted to show the world Nepali culture but in a different way as per the contemporary time. Through my paintings, I am still in the process to do so.

Exhibition in Nepal and more

Jesus Shrestha working in his studio in Finland. Photo: Shresthas FB

Coming to Nepal time and again, Jesus Shrestha recently got fascinated by the Museum of Nepali Art (MONA). When he met and shared his experience with Rajan Sakya, the museum founder, his wish of holding an exhibition in Nepal materialised as Sakya was interested to exhibit his artworks from his initial stage.

In this exhibition beginning Sunday, October 22, he is showcasing his paintings from 2008 to 2011, which he calls the introduction of himself to Nepal.

It has been more than a decade that Jesus Shrestha has been working in the field of art. In the coming days, he wants to document the folklore of Nepal in the form of an illustrative book focusing on the positive aspects of the characters. He believes history is generally written from the perspectives of the winners, which might not be necessarily positive.

His book Gurumapa is also being launched soon, which has been funded by the Finnish Cultural Ministry.

His awards
Representational image. Photo: Pexels/ Alex Green

The chief objective of most business corporations is to lead the industry segment of their operation. But, can some companies achieve massive success by implementing proven psychological principles in their day-to-day operation? The answer is, yes. A company can undergo incredible transformation just by focusing on the behaviour and thought processes of its customers.

As Nepal also holds a lot of industrial potentials now, it is even more relevant to build an exemplary business in Nepal today.

Psychology in business

It is generally presumed that people are rational and predictable. But, people are impulsive, short-sighted, and irrational in many instances. Thus, here comes the application of behavioural science techniques based on psychology in the business world. Through the careful evaluation of human decision-making and their surroundings, it is possible to predict their next actions with much accuracy.

Human behaviour is an outcome guided by life experiences, beliefs, culture, and other supplementary elements. Consequently, the complexity rises while unrolling the daily actions of people.

For instance, if a particular variety of ice cream costs less, consumers may think that it is cheaper because it tastes bad compared to other varieties. Here, the perception of the price of ice cream has come into play. But, the ice cream might have cost less because of readily available local ingredients in its production. It is apparent that people make decisions using limited information and draw inferences through those finite details. Perception and passion distinctly influence our actions.

File

Netflix, one of the most famous companies in the world with a market capitalisation of USD 102.28 billion as of October 15, 2022, uses the psychological principle called Idleness Aversion. This principle states that people are happier when they are busier. Since Netflix is a video streaming platform, there is a high probability that users get bored on this platform. So, they must have the option to keep their users occupied. Thus, Netflix auto-plays the trailers when somebody dwells on the title of the video.

This can be frustrating at times but outweighs the costs of boredom. The same principle is also used by YouTube to engage users. Termed Play on Mouse Hover, this technique is very successful in killing the boredom of waiting. This principle also explains why passengers walk to the next bus stop when the bus is late. Staying idle is much more annoying than being active. Therefore, businesses shall also focus on creating constructive busyness for their customers.

Playing with fear

Scientifically, humans are 96 per cent animals; 96 per cent of our genes are common to the animal kingdom. Since the evolutionary ages, we have been far more familiar with fear than other emotions. The sole reason behind the survival of the human species for three billion years is fear. Fear is our age-old animal instinct of aggression.

Consequently, fear is widely used by marketers. Fear motivates people to take action. The global cyber security business readily uses fear in marketing. Get complete peace of mind online, a pitch from Kasperskys website in September 2022 uses fear as the motivator to promote their products and services.

The fear of cyber threats and unpredictability of events on the internet such as hacking of credit card information, ransomware attacks, cyberextortion, and many others directly enter into the fear centres of consumers brains. Consumers believe that they need those products and services to prevent those risks. Thus, here comes the scientific principle of Loss Aversion.

Loss Aversion states that the fear of losing something motivates people more than the desire to gain something. Also, a scary headline grabs a persons attention like nothing else. That is why it is more common to see negative news compared to positive ones on news sites.

Representational image. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Currently, we all share this principle regarding dengue news. We are using mosquito-repellent creams, coils, and liquid throughout this season. Some of us even combine the use of mosquito netting and repellents due to the fear of dengue. Thus, it is common to see a rise in sales of those accessories in dengue-prone areas. However, this has also resulted in an increase in sales in the areas of the country that are unsusceptible to dengue.

Include exclusivity

Business is always about people: it is run by, for, and on behalf of people. People invariably have a sense of curiosity and a deep sense of envy as well. Thus, here comes the principle of Exclusivity Scarcity. Exclusive products appeal to people and they become valuable due to their rarity. The scarcity principle says that the rarer something is the more valuable it is. An exclusive line of products from Adidas and Tommy Hilfiger fall under this category. Likewise, hotels provide Limited rooms left booking offers. Exclusivity scarcity is a technique for more effective marketing as it builds value.

This idea is successfully applied by Nepali internet service providers as well. To name a few, the WorldLink fesTVty offer, Dashain-Tihar offerings from Vianet, DishHome, and Classic Tech fall under this category. People purchase those internet packages before the discount goes away.

Humour is humane

The advertising industry frequently uses humour appeal as well. People recall hilarious information better as humour heightens interest in the business and increases peoples attentiveness. The advertising of Hattiichhap chappal is an excellent example of this humour effect. Hatti baliyo ki hattichhap chappal? (Which is stronger: an elephant or the elephant-marked flip-flops) and the answer Ustai-ustai ho (almost the same). Because of the dialogues humorous appeal, Hattichhap chappals brand recognition has increased. Additionally, it rhymes a little bit and is simple to remember.

Nepali advertisements frequently remind their audience of traditional gender roles.

Another well-liked tactic in marketing is rhyme. Rhymes help the message sink deeper into the customers head. They are persuasive and people are more likely to remember them. Rhyming information is simple for our brains to store and recall. Dabur Nepal has created a rhyme for its chyawanprash advertisement, which is quite popular in the country. The rhyme is: Gharmai dui chamchako tayari, rakchha tadha bimari (The preparation worth two spoons at home keeps your sickness away).

This rhyme has certainly increased the recall value of Dabur Chyawanprash.

Psychology plays a crucial role in business. Marketing strategies that incorporate psychology can change a products standing in the market. Psychology impacts a persons physical, verbal, and expressive behaviours, which in turn impacts customers and their choices. The creation of precise models of consumer behaviour has the potential to alter the business world.

Psychology is necessary at all organisational levels. It aids in staff selection, training and motivating people, workplace design, and eventually for the construction of an enterprise itself. Peoples thoughts can shed light on their behaviour. This aids in making expert decisions and creating long-term company plans. As a result, psychology has a significant impact on business.

To better understand how psychology might be applied in business more precisely, further research is required in this field.
Open House will Highlight Zero Percent Financing for 48 Months

COLONIA, N.J., Oct. 21, 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.

"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 29, and Sunday, October 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Saint Gertrude Cemetery and Mausoleum in Colonia, N.J., in Middlesex County, just 10 miles from Staten Island, New York. 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.

Saint Gertrude Cemetery is proud to be recognized as a runner-up recipient of the 2021 American Cemetery Excellence (ACE) award and was recently nominated for the 2022 award. The ACE award, presented by American Cemetery & Cremation magazine, a funeral and cemetery industry publication, recognizes the most outstanding cemeteries worldwide. Saint Gertrude offers a suburban, park-like setting, exquisite artwork, modern technology, and a faith-inspired atmosphere.

To learn more, watch the new drone video at www.saintgertrudecemetery.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.

Story continues

The Catholic Cemeteries' fall open houses are as follows:

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 of the Archdiocese of Newark exists to meet the needs of individuals and families before, at the time of death and burial, and throughout bereavement. Just as in life, they believe the human body deserves to be treated with respect and dignity in death. They also offer Monthly Masses of Remembrance celebrated at archdiocesan Catholic cemeteries throughout the year, typically during the first week of each month and on special days such as Memorial Day. Contact a caring and professional Memorial Planning Advisor at cemetery@rcan.org or learn more at www.CatholicJourney.org. Hablamos espanol. Para mas informacion, visite www.rcancem.org/en-espanol

###

Caring and professional Memorial Planning Advisors will answer questions and share information without obligation. Several financing options, including zero-percent interest for 48 months, will only be available during the open house event.

To assist families in learning more about preplanning and memorialization, Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark is hosting an open house event at Saint Gertrude Cemetery & Mausoleum in Middlesex County on Oct 29, and Oct 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 53 Inman Avenue, in Colonia, NJ.

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 cemetery@rcan.org or learn more at www.CatholicJourney.org. (PRNewsfoto/Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/award-winning-saint-gertrude-cemetery-to-host-open-house-october-29-30-301656481.html

SOURCE Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark
HOUSTON/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Oil output at the giant Exxon-led Sakhalin-1 Russian Pacific project collapsed following the U.S. major's refusal to accept local insurance for tankers after Western insurers pulled out due to sanctions, several industry sources told Reuters.

Western insurers withdrew cover from tankers operated by state-run Sovcomflot, Russia's biggest shipping group, which was sanctioned following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

"Exxon has refused to take Sovcomflot's tankers," one industry source said. Some cargoes meant for supplies to Indian refiners were also hit as Exxon did not recognise the alternative cover Sovcomflot had arranged from Russian insurers, according to the sources.

Sovcomflot and Exxon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The developments have unfolded as the European Union is due to impose a ban on Russian oil tanker insurance and shows the major impact ship insurance and re-insurance guarantees can have on operations.

Russia's state oil champion Rosneft, a partner in the Sakhalin-1 project, has blamed Exxon for falling output, saying that since mid-May the project produced hardly any oil.

Exxon's Russian unit, Exxon Neftegas Ltd, has cited difficulty chartering tankers due to sanctions. Russian newspaper Kommersant was first to report on Monday that production at Sakhalin-1 collapsed following Exxon's refusal to work with Sovcomflot. Oil output at the Sakhalin-1 project fell to just 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) earlier this year from 220,000 bpd before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree earlier this month establishing a new operator for Sakhalin-1 that will be managed by Rosneft subsidiary Sakhalinmorneftegaz-Shelf. The decision gives the Russian government authority to decide whether foreign shareholders can retain stakes in the project, giving them one month to express interest or else losing their stakes. Rosneft holds a 20% stake in Sakhalin-1, ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of India's state-run ONGC, has a 20% stake in the project, and Japan's state-backed oil producer SODECO the remaining 30%. In August, Exxon said it was in the process of transferring its 30% stake in the oil and gas project "to another party", without naming it.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma and Sabrina Valle; Editing by Alex Richardson)
When the US first banned sales of certain tech products to Chinese tech firm Huawei three years ago, it crippled a once-proud national champion and sent ripples across the US semiconductor industry. In the quarters following that export ban in May 2019, top American chipmakers reported a median revenue decline of 4% to 9%.

The Biden administrations latest tech controls threaten to accelerate those losses, throwing the global semiconductor sector into disarray. And Chinese companies targeted by the new regulations wont be the only ones feeling the pain.

If China really wants to be as aggressive as the US and retaliate, there could be a lot of impact for other companies in the US, said Edith Yeung, Race Capital General Partner, in an interview with Yahoo Finance Live (video above). This is beyond impact on revenue for Intel (INTC) or Qualcomm (QCOM) or NVIDIA (NVDA).

The US has long been a global leader in semiconductors, commanding roughly 45% to 50% market share. However, that leadership has been built on global demand for its products, with China consuming roughly 75% of semiconductors sold globally.

Chinese device makers alone accounted for roughly a quarter of global semiconductor demand in 2018, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

'More than just a preventative tool'

That innovation cycle is at risk of being picked apart, with the Biden administrations sweeping tech controls, aimed at freezing Chinas semiconductor development and dramatically limiting critical technology exports from the US

Technology export controls can be more than just a preventative tool, said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, ahead of the administrations announcements. If implemented in a way that is robust, durable, and comprehensive, they can be a new strategic asset in the US and allied toolkit to impose costs on adversaries, and even over time degrade their battlefield capabilities.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is seen on a monitor while speaking during a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden, CEOs, and labor leaders, not pictured, regarding the Chips Act, in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, in Washington, DC, on July 25, 2022. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

'A sea change' in policy

Specifically, the new measures block sales of semiconductors critical to the development of artificial intelligence, supercomputers, and other advanced technologies, unless companies receive exemptions. It also expands an existing ban to sell advanced chip-making equipment to Chinese firms.

Story continues

In a broad escalation, the Biden administrations actions also restrict US firms and citizens, including permanent residents, from supporting Chinas development of advanced chips.

The restrictions announced earlier this month have already created a chilling effect.

At least 43 senior executives are American citizens working with 16 publicly listed Chinese semiconductor companies, according to the Wall Street Journal. Western firms like Dutch equipment maker ASML Holding NV have suspended American employees from working as a precaution, while they seek further clarity. What's more, Apple temporarily halted plans to use memory chips from Chinas Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. in products, according to Nikkei Asia.

This is really a sea change in policy the U.S. is imposing a freeze-in-place strategy toward China's indigenous chip development, said Reva Goujon, Rhodium Group Director. [The semiconductor sector] is an interdependent, interlocking ecosystem where all the parts kind of have to be in place for things to work to be able to upgrade to more and more advanced levels. So, if you cut the legs out from under that production cycle, you can really cause a lot of disruption, which is exactly what the US intent is.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken views products near Applied Materials CEO Gary Dickerson at Applied Materials, in Santa Clara, California, U.S. October 17, 2022. Josh Edelson/Pool via REUTERS

Impact on US chipmakers

The disruption may not be limited to Chinese firms. A 2020 study by BCG estimated that US companies could lose 18% of their global market share and 37% of their revenues over the same period if the US completely bans semiconductor companies from selling to Chinese customers.

The measures have already prompted chip equipment maker Applied Materials to cut fourth-quarter estimates for net sales by approximately $400 million. Q4 non-GAAP adjusted diluted EPS is expected to range from $1.54 to $1.78, compared to the prior range of $1.82 to $2.18.

While the restrictions are limited to next-generation chips now, NVIDIA, the largest US chipmaker by market value, warned in August that new licensing requirement on advanced chip shipments to China could cost the firm as much as $400 million in quarterly sales.

Theres certainly a chance this could have a much bigger waterfall effect but I think these companies have already looked at the situation, theyre assessing it, said Daniel Newman, Founding Partner and Principal Analyst at Futurum Research. Im not overly alarmed that its going to be the whole portfolio [of chips]... I think this is about leading the arms race for the next generation of technology in areas like supercomputing, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence.

An employee works on the production line of semiconductor wafer at a factory of Jiangsu Azure Corporation Cuoda Group Co., Ltd. on September 27, 2022 in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Containing technology 'where they need to be'

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has reiterated as much, highlighting in a recent address at Stanford University, that only a small number of countries are manufacturing or making tools to manufacture the highest-end semiconductors.

We want to make sure that we keep those where they need to be, Blinken said, without singling out China.

But Goujon argues that US firms, particularly equipment makers, face the risk of losing market share and revenue to competitors in countries that have historically had friendlier relations with the US, including Japan and South Korea. If companies there find a workaround for the Biden administrations measures, Goujon said the new controls could end up backfiring on the US

Foreign competitors to US [equipment makers] have an opportunity here, of course, to try to capture more market share in China if they can displace US persons and US linkages, which is possible in some areas, she said.

The US is applying heavy bilateral and plurilateral pressure for partners to follow its lead, and it's sending the signal that look, This package contains extraterritorial measures and we will add more if needed. But here's the window to try to basically align with our controls. So that's really going to be an important question now.

Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @AkikoFujita

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By Trend

The Azerbaijani Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva has appealed to the international community to stop Armenias mine terror, the ombudsman's office told Trend on October 22.

According to the ombudsman's office, in the appeal, Aliyeva said that an explosion of an anti-personnel mine in the liberated Lachin district of Azerbaijan led to the injury of two more Azerbaijani citizens.

"Unfortunately, Elsevar Hamidov, who was engaged in repair and construction work in the village of Suarasi, Lachin district, died from severe injuries, received as a result of a mine explosion, and Sabuhi Hasanov was also seriously wounded," the appeal noted.

This tragic event once again proves that the anti-personnel mines randomly placed by Armenia in the civilian settlements of Azerbaijan pose a serious threat to the life and health of people, lead to a violation of their fundamental rights," the appeal also said.
Elected to his current position as Congressional District 1 representative earlier this year, Mike Flood is seeking to continue his time in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Flood, formerly a state senator for District 19, became the CD1 representative following a special election held over the summer to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Jeff Fortenberry.

Floods campaign focuses on the following issues: fighting socialist agenda, protecting life (pro-life), building the wall and enforcing the laws, defending our freedoms and securing our elections, among others.

As state senator, Flood has put several notable pieces of legislation before the unicameral.

Flood previously said that in his career, he has done several things that were impactful for not just Nebraska but the United States.

I passed the first late-term abortion ban in the nation in the Nebraska Legislature in 2010, prohibiting abortions at 20 weeks, Flood said.

He added that he has been involved with many large tax cuts, such as the $900 million cut earlier this year, using his experience on the revenue committee for these kind of actions.

Flood was also part of the Keystone XL pipeline debate and helped with the compromise on that.

Ive got 10 years of practice in the legislature and six as speaker of the legislature, so you know I bring a lot of experience, Flood said.

Flood had also spoken at a Federal Legislative Summit held by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce in August.

When asked about his views on immigration, Flood said he was concerned about drugs and guns coming over the border when it came to immigration. Part of his visit to the border will involve inquiries about the technology needed for optimum security there.

China is sending fentanyl to Mexico, Flood said. Fentanyl is coming up through our southern border and its causing first responders to respond to scenes where we have overdoses everyday in rural and urban communities across the congressional district.

Flood noted that the immigration system has made minor progress in the way of visa applications in the last year, but he wants to see it be better.

There is a lot of rigidity, we need a system that works, Flood said. One of the things Im going to focus on is lets process the applications that are going through the process legally.

Flood also voiced his opposition to some of the economic decisions being made by the current administration, including the recent student loan ruling and some of the proposed banking and tax regulations.

I think our current banking system left to its own devices is very good at discerning the risks and the opportunities and the security necessary to keep our banking system sound and we should let the market and bankers do that listening to reasonable regulation, Flood said.

As for his experiences being in the U.S. House of Representatives, Flood said hes excited to represent his district and the state.

The breadth and the depth of the federal government is huge, theres foreign policy, theres armed services, theres national security and having the opportunity to represent Nebraskas first congressional district on those topics and those issues has been an incredible privilege, Flood said.

Flood added that while being in the U.S. House of Representatives is different from the unicameral, his experience at the state level has allowed for a smooth transition.

Using my 10 years in the Nebraska legislature is really helping me to do that (represent the first congressional district) but just the issues are different and its new and exciting and fun to learn the new issues, Flood said.
Dodge County Attorney candidates talked about the integrity theyd bring to the office and the importance of moving cases more efficiently through the court.

Candidates for the Dodge County supervisors District 7 seat spoke about projects, including communications and drainage control.

Fremont City Council candidates talked about controlling spending, transparency and working with city staff.

All spoke Thursday night during the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum at Fremont High School. Approximately 60 people attended to hear candidates tell how theyd serve the public if elected or re-elected.

Today, the Fremont Tribune is concentrating on comments made by candidates for county attorney and county supervisor.

Next week, the Tribune will focus on comments made by seven city council candidates who participated.

County Attorneys race

In light of problems with a past county attorney, candidates shared their credentials and talked about the honesty and guidance theyd bring to the position.

A federal grand jury has charged former Dodge County Attorney Oliver Glass with cyberstalking. Glass, who also faces a lawsuit related to the matter, has denied the charges.

Pam Hopkins, whos had a law office in Fremont for 25 years and one in Blair for 11, talked about honest, accountable leadership and rebuilding the reputation of the county attorneys office, referring to previous unfortunate lapses in judgement.

Hopkins talked about providing ethical leadership and running the office efficiently, and addressing concerns from law enforcement, whove perceived at times theyve made arrests or made referrals to prosecution that werent acted upon.

In her current practice, Hopkins serves as legal counsel for various governmental entities, and as corporate counsel for several businesses and nonprofits.

Besides her vocational responsibilities, Hopkins has been involved in volunteer work to assist the homeless and prevent homelessness. Shes served on the board of directors for the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program. She has volunteered for the Nebraska Mediation Center and Volunteer Lawyers Program.

County attorney candidate Richard Register, whos had a Fremont law practice for 37 years and is a master mediator, stressed the importance of mediation, mentoring and maturity.

Because of that lack of mentoring, we have had some significant issues, Register noted.

Register said hes spent more than 30 years mentoring attorneys. He spoke of the value of guiding young associate attorneys, just out of law school, to help them understand their purpose in providing public safety.

He also said he has spent more than 20 years teaching law classes at Metropolitan Community College and provided mediation at the Nebraska Justice Center. Register has been involved in many volunteer efforts.

Candidate Justin Bignell, a 2001 Archbishop Bergan High School graduate, is the Dodge County deputy attorney.

In his remarks, Bignell talked about learning to deal with stress during his two U.S. Army combat deployments. He noted values emphasized in the military, such as loyalty, honesty and integrity.

Our office did go through a pretty rough time, but were back on track, Bignell said. The previous county attorney, Paul Vaughan, did an amazing job restoring that honor and transparency that was missing. The current county attorney, Sara Sopinski, has done an amazing job.

Bignell said he believes the office has the potential to be one of the better ones in the state.

County attorney candidates discussed the current length of time it takes to get a case through the court.

There is a lot of time between arrest, first appearance that the defendant may have until the time of trial or the entrance of a plea bargain, Bignell said. What that is doing is costing our taxpayers thousands of dollars every year.

Bignell stressed the importance of resolving cases and moving them through the court system more efficiently and faster.

Hopkins talked about delayed prosecutions, sharing the story of a young woman who was a violent crime victim.

The time between when she was the victim and the person was arrested, until he was sentenced, was four years, Hopkins said. From her perspective, she believed that was acceptable due to the pandemic.

Hopkins finds that unacceptable.

Theres nothing about the pandemic that says it should take four years to prosecute anybody, other than an extremely complex murder case for example, Hopkins said.

Register gave an example of a person who was let out on bond and committed three more felonies. This happened three times.

He (the defendant) hadnt been held accountable for the very first time, Register said, stressing the critical need to connect the bad act to a consequence.

Register talked about when he was a public defender in Butler County.

We streamlined the process to such an extent that the offenders arrested over the weekend were sometimes sentenced that very week, eliminating delays, repeat court appearances and expense, Register said.

Bignell talked about the revolving door of incarceration and release of people who abuse methamphetamine in Dodge County.

This is costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, said Bignell, also mentioning the petty crime that accompanies this abuse.

Bignell emphasized the value of problem-solving courts, like the current drug court, which involves intense therapy and supervision, focusing on people whod benefit from treatment rather than incarceration, treating the root cause of addiction. He said these types of programs have a 90% success rate.

Supervisors race

Incumbent Doug Backens and challenger Susan Jacobus are vying for the seat in the District 7 Dodge County Board of Supervisors race.

Backens, a businessman who retired after 25 years as a lieutenant of the Fremont Fire Department, talked about the importance of staying within the countys budget and completing priority projects.

He spoke of the boards work during the last four years on a radio system.

Dodge County has built four new towers as part of a radio system that allows the countys first-responders to communicate with other agencies in the Omaha Interoperable Network (ORION). The system will connect local first responders with other agencies in the network, which includes Douglas, Pottawattamie, Sarpy and Washington counties.

Work is continuing.

Were still trying to get that completed, Backens said. Thats going to be a big asset to all the volunteer fire departments in the smaller communities, police services, everybodys going to be on board along with the City of Fremont.

Backens talked about having infrastructure in place and getting grants to continue growth in Dodge County, which includes Fremont.

Jacobus, a former Fremont City Council member and current certified flood plain manager, said a priority is addressing flooding and draining issues throughout the county.

She reminded listeners of flooding that impacted Fremont in 2019, which she said involved improper conveyance of the water and had a detrimental financial impact.

I think if we dont address that other things are going to be a moot point, Jacobus said. The overgrown ditches and creek beds have increased. The lack of drainage has guaranteed that well have future flooding.

Jacobus talked about the board addressing the issue of having so many empty seats on several township boards in the county. She said township boards, which monitor roads, are important.

They monitor intermittent waterway systems, which is more than just an empty creek bed. Its also the road ditches themselves, which are intended to convey water off those roads, she said.

Clogged ditches and waterways send water into Fremont and also damages crops, farmland and roads.

Both Backens and Jacobus talked about the importance of streamlining technology in the county courthouse.

Next week: Seven Fremont City Council candidates share their views.
Colorado Politics and the Colorado Springs and Denver Gazettes will cohost a debate Oct. 28 between U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Joe ODea in a race that could very well decide the balance of the U.S. Senate.

The debate will be held live at Colorado State Universitys Lory Student Center Ballrooms from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. and will be livestreamed on coloradopolitics.com, denvergazette.com, and gazette.com.

The debate will also be televised across the state, airing on four broadcast stations: KRDO (ABC), KUSA (NBC) in Denver, KKCO (NBC) Grand Junction and KOBF (NBC) in the Four Corners area (Farmington, N.M.). It's also airing on the 9News+ digital video platform.

The forum will be moderated by Luige del Puerto, editor of The Denver Gazette and Colorado Politics; Kyle Clark and Marshall Zellinger of 9News; and Heather Skold of KRDO in Colorado Springs.

All tickets to attend the event in-person have been distributed.

With the Senate locked in at 50-50, Republicans need to gain just one seat to tip the chambers balance in their favor and both parties are making Colorado a priority.

Senate Republicans top super-PAC recently moved $1.25 million into the state. Outside Democratic groups have injected more than $9 million into the Colorado race.

Polls have consistently shown Bennet leading ODea in his bid to win a third full Senate term. A Data for Progress poll put Bennet up by 9 points, Marist College gave the Democrat a 7-point edge, Global Strategies Group found Bennet leading by 10 points, and Civiqs reported that it's a 13-point race.

But late in September, a poll sponsored by the Republican Attorney Generals Association showed ODea narrowing the gap to just 1 percentage point.

A recent story in D.C.-based Politico on the Colorado race bore the headline: "The sleeper state Republicans are targeting to win the Senate."

Politico reported Steven Law, president of the GOPs Senate Leadership Fund super-PAC, placed Colorado in the category of tough-but-possible pickup opportunities this year.

Theres some potential in places like New Hampshire, Colorado, maybe Arizona, Law said on an Oct. 4 episode of the conservative political podcast Ruthless.

Top Republican operatives say there's a chance O'Dea could pull it out if enough state voters decide to register their disapproval with the party that occupies the White House, holds the majorities in Congress and runs both elected branches of government in Colorado by voting against Bennet. That's the gist of O'Dea's campaign and the message delivered in a flood of attack ads that lay blame for the country's woes at Bennet's feet and argue that it's time to send him home.

A planned gubernatorial debate in Fort Collins hosted by the same raft of sponsors in the same venue was canceled after Republican Heidi Ganahl declined the invitation. Incumbent Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, had accepted the invitation.

The Heidi Ganahl for Governor campaign is declining a debate proposed by Denvers 9News because of biased reporting by one of the networks 'nonnegotiable moderators,'" according to a news release from the campaign.

The cancellation marks the first time since 1994 that 9News will not host a gubernatorial debate.
Paramedic Scott Essigmann checks on a woman who was passed out in Dorchester Park on July 28, 2021. Essigmann and Steve Gold, a behavioral health clinical navigator, are members of the Colorado Springs Fire Departments Homeless Outreach Program and were at the park to meet another homeless man who was ready to get off the streets and enter a treatment program for substance abuse. Some Colorado Springs city councilmembers would like to sustain the program once grant funding for it runs out in June.
Denver officials have rolled out a rough blueprint for the near future of an iconic, historic destination undergoing major changes.
Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country

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By Trend

It has recently become known that following the invitation by the government of the Republic of Armenia, the OSCE will send a needs assessment team to the country on October 21-27, Trend reports.

According to the press release, the technical team comprised of international experts and representatives of the OSCE Secretariat will visit areas along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

The news on sending this mission came out of nowhere  no discussions regarding the matter were reported before in the frame of the OSCE.

As the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry emphasized in its October 20 statement, the deployment of such a mission has never been addressed by any OSCE decision-making body, and no decisions have been taken in this regard.

Thus, no group referred to as the "OSCE Armenian needs assessment mission" has an OSCE mandate and no results of its operations can be regarded as OSCE documents.

Moreover, the expediency of sending the relevant mission to Armenia is also questionable. Following the Prague meeting of October 6, an agreement was reached on sending a civilian EU mission to the Armenian side of the border with Azerbaijan. So what is the point of sending two missions of foreign organizations?

The OSCE which has been involved in the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict for 30 years, acts once again as an organization seeking to prolong regional conflicts. Since the end of the second Karabakh War, which erupted particularly due to the failure of the OSCE Minsk Group to mediate the peace negotiations between the two countries, Azerbaijan and Armenia have taken slow but confident steps to normalize interstate relations. Now the OSCE is wedging itself into this process, inciting the unilateral initiative of Armenia, which cant but delay the peace process in the region.

Thus, the OSCE once again proved itself to be an annex to the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

As US expert Peter Tase told Trend, these actions of OSCE are coming immediately after the inflammatory remarks made by President Emmanuel Macron only a few days ago.

"There are certainly back channels of communication between the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the OSCE leadership and looking at the circumstances this organization is not upholding the very principles for which it was created. Its abhorrent to see how OSCE is operating and maneuvering in a way that doesnt contribute to the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said.

Thus, the role of the OSCE with respect to Azerbaijan-Armenia relations should have been terminated in 2020 due to the end of the conflict, said the expert.

"The OSCE Minsk Group was the worst investment to solve the Karabakh conflict. The OSCE owes a statement of apology to the people of Azerbaijan for its feckless negotiation process and for being an obstacle to the normalization of bilateral relations instead of serving as a catalyst. At a time when the EU is increasing its presence in Armenia, there is no need for European taxpayers to finance activities of another useless multilateral organization such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe," Tase added.

As he emphasized, the OSCE, just like UNESCO, has never sent an assessment mission to the recently liberated territories of Azerbaijan.

The matter is also reinforced by the fact that the OSCE missions were not always sent so easily, as is now. At a time when the OSCE was still considered a mediator in the Karabakh conflict, it cost a lot of effort to request the deployment of an assessment mission to the region. It was a long process, accompanied by the resistance of Armenia.

This is what happened in 2005 and 2010. Azerbaijan failed to achieve the arrival of European appraisers to the occupied territories. The last time the country got the refusal was shortly before the second Karabakh War, as Armenia did not give its consent. In fact, it was not a huge loss, because previous missions had led nowhere, like the entire thirty-year history of OSCE mediation.

Therefore, such unilateral actions by the OSCE Chairmanship and Secretariat run counter to the basic principles of any responsible and credible mediation and confidence-building, which require the consent of the parties, the impartiality of the mediators, and respect for the obligations of states under international law. This is very sad that such an international organization as the OSCE decided to obstruct the post-conflict normalization of relations.
By Trend

The Austrian Dasfazit.at online newspaper published an article on "Azerbaijan is reviving Karabakh, while the West is still considering the conflict resolution", devoted to the establishment of the Zangilan International Airport and its role in expanding the transport and communication routes of the region, Trend reports.

The article said the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the opening ceremony of the Zangilan International Airport on October 20.

Azerbaijani and Turkish presidents cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the airport and were presented with the symbolic keys of the Zangilan International Airport, the article noted.

Following the article, the runway of the airport is 3,000 meters in length and 60 meters in width with an apron area of 60,000 square meters. The airport will be capable of accommodating all types of aircraft, including heavy cargo aircraft. The flights will be carried out according to ICAO and IATA standards. Built-in accordance with international standards, the airport terminal will be able to serve 200 passengers per hour.

Furthermore, the article added that the Zangilan International Airport is the second airport of international importance, after the airport in Fuzuli, to be put into operation in the liberated territories. The third airport in the list of grandiose projects will be built in the Lachin district.

The publication focuses on the significance of the Zangilan Airport in enhancing and strengthening the transport and communication infrastructure of the region. The mentioned project makes Karabakh a major transport hub and has tremendous strategic importance for the Zangazur corridor.

As the article emphasized, the airport is located at the center of a crucial transport corridor that will connect Asia and Europe as part of the Great Silk Road project from China to Europe, and thereby strengthening the role of Azerbaijan as one of the essential hubs within the project.

Moreover, the inauguration of the Zangilan airport on the day of Zangilan's liberation from occupation is a sign of peace and justice and the realization of similar mega-projects in the region said the article.

"It's safe to say that the logical outcome of such a major project in East Zangazur should be the opening of the Zangazur corridor," the article said.
A federal judge has rejected GOP efforts by six states to block the Biden administrations plan to forgive up to $20,000 in individual, federal student loans for more than 40 million people.

Six states led by Republicans took the administration to federal court last month, arguing that the president had no authority by creating a loan-forgiveness program without the approval of Congress.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey of the Eastern District of Missouri issued a 19-page ruling that declared the states dont have legal standing to sue the administration over the program, despite the important and significant challenges they have raised in the case.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and by the attorneys general in Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Kansas. They have indicated they intend to appeal Autreys ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.

The lawsuit is one of several legal challenges faced by the loan-forgiveness plan. Another of those challenges, mounted by a conservative taxpayer-advocacy group, suffered a setback Thursday when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett refused to put the program on hold pending the resolution of related legal issues.

Under the Biden administrations plan, student-loan borrowers can qualify for up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness, while the recipients of Pell Grants can apply for an additional $10,000 in debt relief. The program is intended to assist borrowers who earn no more than $125,000 per year, and couples who earn up to $250,000 per year.

For the past seven days, the U.S. Department of Education has been accepting applications for student-loan forgiveness. More than 12 million applications have been filed so far, according to the White House.

In the wake of Autreys ruling, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, Republican members of Congress and Republican governors are doing everything they can to deny student debt relief even to their own constituents. The president wont stop fighting these suits and working to help families as they recover from the pandemic.

The Biden administrations defense of the program is grounded in a 19-year-old federal law that gives the secretary of education the power to alleviate the hardship that federal student loan recipients may suffer as a result of national emergencies. The administration argued in court that this is the same law the Trump administration used to pause student-loan payments at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The states argued the financial implications of Bidens $300 million plan are so significant that congressional approval is required. They also argued that the plan would deny the states revenue that would otherwise flow to state-based student loan companies that now own the debt.

They pointed out that some states dont consider discharged student-loan debt to be income that can be taxed, further depriving the states of revenue.

During oral arguments, according to the Missouri Independent, lawyers for the Biden administration said the potential loss of tax revenue isnt enough to give the states standing in the case, especially since the states are free to expand their definition of taxable income to include the canceled student-loan debt.

In his decision, Judge Autrey appeared to agree, saying the tenuous nature of future income tax revenue wasnt sufficient to establish injury to support the states claim that they had standing to file their lawsuit.

Autrey had previously signaled that the states standing to bring the case forward was likely to be a factor in his decision.

It is hard to make a cake if you dont have a pan to put that cake in, Autrey said during oral arguments. That pan is standing. It doesnt matter if you have all the ingredients.
Authorities investigating the fatal shootings of six people at a Walmart said that the shooter bought the gun just hours before and left a note with grievances against coworkers on his phone.
A crash program by state officials has slashed the number of foster care children who were sleeping in offices because they had no other safe place to go.

From a monthly average this winter and spring of 27 children, this summer's average was just three, said Janet Kelly, special adviser for childrens issues in the office of the governor.

"We were talking about what are called high-acuity kids, with challenging needs," Kelly said.

"And we have a bed shortage ... but what we did was set it up so we were ready to move the instant a bed was open," she said.

At the same time, working with residential treatment center for children, her team of 10 experts from the Office of Children's Services and departments of social services, behavioral health and Medicaid, focused on stepping up the pace of finding the services that allow children in those treatment centers to return to life with their families or foster parents.

Now, what had in January been a three-week process to find a safe place for a troubled child stuck sleeping in a social worker's office can be done in 24 hours, she said.

The key has been intensive coordination and collaboration between state officials, local social workers, community mental health services and residential facilities, fueled by daily meetings of the 10-person team.

"We thought we'd start by focusing on two kids a day, but we started working half-day sessions to get the backlog down," Kelly said.

Now, though the team no longer needs to meet daily, the structure is there when a child has no place to go, she said.

"We can't control who comes in, what we can control is where they go and the care they get," she said.

The problem came to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's attention when he learned from the state Department of Social Services that over one six-month period last year, 163 children were displaced for at least one night in unsuitable sleeping arrangements.

The children ranged in age from 7-17.

Social workers or law enforcement personnel stayed overnight with them in social services offices, hotels or hospital emergency rooms.

Those were places "that just simply aren't meant for kids," Youngkin said, calling the practice unacceptable.

"We knew we had to act swiftly to ensure that every child has a safe place to belong," he said.

The underlying problem is a chronic severe shortage of foster homes and beds in group homes and residential treatment centers. On top of that, Virginia has long lagged other states in arranging placements of vulnerable children with relatives such as grandparents or adult siblings.

Kelly said the task force is now turning its attention to tackle longstanding systemic challenges in the foster care system.

"Virginia with its care for vulnerable children needs to do a better job for its children and its taxpayers; right now we are doing neither ... for the amount of money we spend we should be seeing better results for kids," Kelly said.

Key goals now include reducing the unnecessary use of institutions to care for foster kids, she said. These residential facilities are meant to treat children with serious mental health and behavioral issues.

Kelly's task force also wants to try to keep families of at-risk children intact if possible and to boost public and private partnerships for community supports for vulnerable children and families.

"Everybody knows it is better for children if a family can stay together safely," she said.

To get there, the task force has set three key targets.

The first is to reduce the average length of stay for children who have been in institutions by 30%, by finding family based placement for the 100 who have been in congregate care the longest.

The second is to cut the number of removals of kids from birth families, or agreements for care by relatives or foster families or adoptive families, by 20%.

The third is to find 1,000 Virginia volunteers trained and equipped to provide wraparound support for vulnerable children and families.

"Beyond the immediate need," Youngkin said, "we hope Virginians from all walks of life will step up to help children in foster care."
The Duke volleyball team is primed to take on North Carolina Sunday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Opening serve is set for 1 p.m., on ACCNX with Evan Budrovich and Hailey Brooke Weiss on the call.Duke tallied a 3-1 victory (25-23, 22-25, 25-17, 25-18) over NC State Wednesday evening at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The stat sheet was filled and balanced across all categories as three Blue Devils tallied double-digit kills and double-digit digs. Senioronce again led the Blue Devils with 22 kills, her ninth career match with 20 or more kills and the third consecutive. She added two aces, seven digs and four blocks in her all-around performance. Johnson was joined byandwith 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Setterdished 49 assists whilecollected 20 digs.and Johnson each added four blocks at the net.North Carolina leads the all-time series 55-66 dating back to 1971. The Tar Heels have won seven of the last eight meetings and Duke last won at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2017.North Carolina is 12-8 overall and 4-5 in conference play after recently collecting a 3-0 win at NC State Friday evening. The Tar Heels are led by Mabrey Shaffmaster and Charley Niego with 280 and 218 kills, respectively. Setter Anita Babic owns 627 assists while four players have tallied 100 or more digs this season. At the net, Kaya Merkler spearheads the blocking contingent with 76 total blocks. As a team, North Carolina ranks fifth in the ACC in total kills (980) and is eighth in hitting percentage (.218). Sunday's contest will be a battle of the serve between the top two serving teams in the ACC. The Tar Heels hold a slight advantage (146) at the service line and are led by Austin Parker who is second in the conference behindwith 38 aces.Duke will travel to No. 2 Louisville and Notre Dame next weekend.For more information on Duke volleyball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeVB".
As North Carolinas chief medical examiner, Michelle Aurelius says she has trouble sleeping at night.

Its not just because of the nature of her work  seeing that violent, suspicious and overdose-related deaths are adequately investigated from a medical perspective.

What troubles her is that medical examiner system cases in North Carolina have increased by almost 25% in just four fiscal years. In her office alone, which deals with some of the more complex cases, the autopsy workload has gone up by 49.9% since 2019.

Her workforce has not increased in years. Instead, it has shrunk over time as some pathologists retire and others burn out and leave.

Recruiting has its own obstacles and hurdles. Some pathologists just fresh out of medical fellowships head for other states that offer starting salaries tens of thousands of dollars higher than the $180,000 per year that North Carolina offers. Aurelius said she saw a flier recently for a $300,000 starting salary.

Because of the shortage in North Carolina, autopsy reports are not being completed as quickly as Aurelius would like. That leaves grieving families, law enforcement agencies and others awaiting answers. It can also mean a longer-than-expected wait for a death certificate, making it difficult for families trying to arrange funerals or meet insurance demands.

All of this troubles Aurelius. Those in her morgue and labs are not simply victims of gun violence, homicide, drug overdoses or sudden unexplained death.

Every single one, every single patient I have means something to me, Aurelius said during a phone interview with NC Health News. They are somebodys loved one.

Too few new forensic pathologists

Lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services were briefed earlier this month about the mounting workload and the workforce shortages plaguing all of the Department of Health and Human Services.

ClarLynda Williams-DeVane, a deputy secretary in the DHHS Division of Public Health, told lawmakers that North Carolina forensic pathologists in the medical examiners office have a workload nearly double the national standard.

A forensic pathologist, according to the national standard, should do about 250 autopsies per year, or no more than 326 at maximum peak caseload, Williams-DeVane said. At the office of the chief medical examiner each forensic pathologist, on average, does 557 autopsies per year, Williams-DeVane added.

This issue is not new to lawmakers. In 2014, Deborah Radisch, chief medical examiner at the time, spoke about trouble on the horizon.

The fix, as Aurelius sees it, needs to be a multi-pronged strategy.

The state could use more forensic pathologists in regional offices that used to take more cases, but the state reimbursement for those autopsies  which can cost nearly $5,800  is only $2,800. Thats the rate set in statute by lawmakers in 2015, and it hasnt increased since.

Currently, about 40 new forensic pathologists are coming out of medical fellowships and onto the job market in North Carolina each year, according to Williams-DeVane. The state has about 500 practicing board-certified forensic pathologists in a given year, but could use more than twice that number to help with the increasing workload.

In addition to the supply-side problems, the states hiring process and regulations for how they can reward employees are rigid. Once they are hired, supervisors have few options to reward loyal workers.

Because of workforce shortages across the board at DHHS during the pandemic, state of emergency orders allowed health care systems to use contract workers.

Not only do those workers demand a higher pay rate than state-salaried workers get, the state was able to offer signing bonuses to new workers.

There was no mechanism, though, for offering retention bonuses to state workers who had been loyal employees for years and stayed around to weather it out during the pandemic.

Seeking bureaucratic flexibility

Kody Kinsley, DHHS secretary, told lawmakers at the Oct. 11 meeting that in July the across-the-board job vacancy rate was 23.2%, nearly double the 12.7% vacancies in the department in March 2020.

The rates are even higher when you break it down for state-operated facilities and job categories. Most of those care facilities serve people with psychiatric issues, such as Central Regional Hospital and the states network of long-term care facilities for people with severe developmental disabilities.

The overall DHHS vacancy rate for registered nurses and social workers is 44%.

Pam Kuhno is the director of the Murdoch Developmental Center, one of those state-run facilities in Butner for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In a telephone interview this month, she talked about the staffing difficulties at the center that she leads. Thirty-four percent of the registered and licensed nursing posts are vacant.

The state pays $6,000 to $10,000 per year less for such jobs than nurses can demand in the Triangle, a region with many health care facilities.

The staff who are here are putting the needs of the people who live here above themselves and their families, Kuhno said.

They often work overtime, though she limits the number of hours they can work consecutively. She worries now about what might happen around the holidays, when the hours have to be covered and the residents have to be cared for but she cant grant time off for workers who are giving their all.

All these workforce issues mean that 2,341 fewer patients received care at state-run facilities in 2022 than in 2019.

Sen. Jim Perry, a Republican from Lenoir on the joint legislative committee as well as a chair of the Senate Health Care Committee, said hes open to changes that could provide DHHS flexibility in hiring and retention of its workforce.

Were in the most unique situation weve ever faced in the history of our state, Perry said. I dont believe health care wages are going to go down in January of next year or the following January. So I do see, in my opinion, that you would benefit from some temporary flexibility still to move things around, to invest in our abilities. Just like wages arent going to go down, were also not going to create 20,000 new health care workers in the next day.

Staffing crisis

Emery Milliken, deputy director of the DHHS Division of Health Service Regulation, calls the worker shortages a staffing crisis.

Im just going to call it what it is, Milliken told NC Health News.

Her division has a sweeping range of responsibilities. Its involved with the licensure of acute care services, home care and mental health care. The division provides regulatory oversight, receives and investigates complaints about health care personnel, and inspects facilities. It reviews architectural and engineering plans of health care and jail construction projects and more.

There are so many vacancies in her division that inspections and investigations are not occurring as frequently or as quickly as they should. Construction projects are being delayed, adding unnecessary costs, and workforce turnover in some of the positions is like a revolving door.

Milliken said she understood that a staffing problem at DHHS might not seem like a big deal to many residents in the state.

The public wants to know, but how does this affect us? Milliken said.

What she would like them to understand is that its a safety issue. It not only has an impact on anyone being treated in those health care facilities, it also could erode the overall ability of the department to tend to the public health of the state.

Sen. Donny Lambeth, a Winston-Salem Republican, put something on Kinsleys to-do list at the Oct. 11 meeting that takes into account the workforce shortage woes. He asked for an action plan.

Kinsley agreed to take on that task.
Toy store opens just in time for the holidays

Tony Stewart calls his new business Central Illinois Toys, because it's all toys  with a large collection of action figures and collectables.

I do have a lot of older toys, or vintage toys, he said. But I am also going to have new toys.

The business is located at 150 Lewis Park Dr. Ste. H in Mount Zion.

Many of the items for sale are toys only recently removed from box store shelves. A new toy turns into an old toy pretty quickly, Stewart said.

Opening the business on Sept. 17, the owner wanted to start out in a smaller location to test the market. The business is currently housed in a suite. Its a room inside of a room, Stewart said.

The inventory began with Stewarts 30-year-old Star Wars collection. So theres a lot of that, he said. But there are other things in there.

Items also include second-hand toys, as well as other collections such as Marvel pieces. I want it to be not just for adults. I want it to be for kids too, Stewart said. I have a dollar bin with McDonalds toys in it.

Stewart has already run out of room in the stores space, therefore, he is not accepting donations.

Plans include the addition of comic books and other collectable items.

Store hours are 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, noon and 5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, email Centraliltoys@gmail.com.

Paula Childs Realtors gets new name

Beck Realtors, Inc. has grown to include the former Paula Childs Realtors.

I bought the company in 2019, said owner and managing broker Trisha Beck. And a couple of months ago I decided to change the name.

Beck worked for Paula Childs Realtors for six years before she was given the opportunity to purchase the business. She has four employees, including Childs, working for the business. And Im looking for new brokers, Beck said.

According to Beck, the business has changed little since she took over. I feel like Im still the same company, family and small, Beck said. We havent changed much. I just took over ownership.

In addition to the name change, both operations are now under one roof at 3757 E. U.S. Route 36, Decatur. Beck has maintained an office at that location for the past two years, while the Paula Childs Realtors office was in another location.

Using the name Paula Cooley, the previous owner continues to sell real estate with the company. We kind of flipped roles, Beck said. She has not retired. She just stepped down a little bit.

For more information, visit www.beckrealtorsinc.com.
Highlights of foreign congratulatory messages on 20th CPC National Congress (12)

Xinhua) 09:28, October 22, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of foreign political parties worldwide have congratulated the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and General Secretary Xi Jinping of the committee on the opening of the 20th CPC National Congress.

In their congratulatory messages, they spoke highly of the CPC's remarkable achievements and its important contributions to improving the well-being of the Chinese people and people in the rest of the world.

The CPC has led the Chinese people to continuous progress, setting a fine example of working for the well-being of the country and its people, said Azat Peruashev, chairman of the Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan.

The CPC pursues an independent policy concerning its external affairs, which promotes global development and safeguards world peace, playing a big role in advancing the cause of human progress, said Saparmyrat Ovganov, chairman of the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan.

The 20th CPC National Congress is a major event in China's political life, which will open a new journey for China's development and further enhance China's important status in the international arena, said President of the Brazilian Socialist Party Carlos Siqueira.

China has made tremendous achievements in development and demonstrated to the world the advantage of the CPC's leadership and the socialist system, said Chairman of the German Communist Party Patrik Kobele.

Kobele voiced strong confidence that the 20th CPC National Congress will lay a solid foundation for China to realize socialist modernization.

With the unremitting efforts of the CPC, China has made extraordinary achievements in the fields including economy, politics, society, culture and national defense, said Sergey Mironov, chairman of A Just Russia-Patriots-For Truth party.

The 20th CPC National Congress will provide a good opportunity for the new development of Iran-China relations and bring more opportunities for the two ancient Asian civilizations to expand cooperation in various fields, said Asadollah Badamchian, secretary-general of Iran's Islamic Coalition Party.

The unity, selfless dedication and strong leadership of the CPC have made itself outstanding among the world's political parties, said Peter Lam Both, interim secretary general of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in South Sudan, expressing confidence that with the successful convening of the 20th CPC National Congress, the friendship between the two parties will move to a higher level.

Under the leadership of the CPC, China has made great achievements in various fields of development, said Francois Ngarambe, secretary general of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), adding that the RPF has full confidence in the leadership of the CPC and believes that the 20th CPC National Congress will surely be a complete success.

Batuke Imenda, secretary general of Zambia's United Party for National Development (UPND), said that the CPC has been committed to serving the people and has provided a useful reference for the UPND.

Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and Xi, China has made remarkable achievements, said Veronica Maina, secretary general of Kenya's United Democratic Alliance.

She expressed confidence that the exchanges between the two parties will continue to promote the healthy and stable development of Kenya-China relations and contribute to building a high-level Africa-China community with a shared future.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Du Mingming)
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to President of Hungary Katalin Novak on the occasion of the country's national holiday.

Dear Madame President,

I cordially congratulate and convey my best wishes to you and your people on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of your countrys National Holiday.

It is pleasant to see the current level of the dynamically developing Azerbaijani-Hungarian relations. Our high level political ties are accompanied by effective and mutually beneficial collaboration in economic, trade, energy, humanitarian and other fields.

I believe that we will continue successfully to put our efforts in line with interests of our peoples to foster our bilateral relations of strategic partnership, and broaden our cooperation within international institutions and the European Union in particular.

On this remarkable day, I wish you strong health, happiness, success in your activities, and everlasting peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Hungary.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 20 October 2022
ELWIN  Prohibition on the sale of alcohol is alive and well outside the cities and towns of Macon County.

Paul Butler wants the citizens of the South Wheatland Township to bring that to an end after the upcoming election. To assure his preferred outcome, Butler wants to make sure voters understand what they are voting for.

Its very tricky, he said.

The ballot will say:

Shall the prohibition of the sale at retail of alcoholic liquor be continued in South Wheatland Township, County of Macon, State of Illinois?

Butler has plans to open a winery on his Macon County farm. So we want people to vote no, he said. We want to stop the prohibition.

The wording on the ballot was required by the Illinois State Liquor Control Act, according to Macon County Clerk Josh Tanner. Its a state statute, the way the prohibition referendum is to be worded, he said.

Tanner agrees the wording can be confusing. If they answer 'no,' that means that they will allow the sale of alcohol, he said.

With 16 townships in Macon County, South Wheatland Township would be the first to allow alcohol sales in its unincorporated areas if the no votes prevail.

You can sell alcohol inside the city limits, but not outside the city limits, he said. So thats what we are changing.

In addition to Butler's winery, other businesses like wedding venues with their own alcohol sales, bars and other wineries could be a possibility.

South Wheatland Township Supervisor John Drayton is not aware of a similar referendum in the past. But forever is a long time, he said.

Drayton is aware of Butlers plans to open a winery. Theyre isolated, all by themselves, with very few neighbors, he said. So the township agreed to do that.

If voters approve alcohol sales in the township, Butler said his Macon Mead and Winery could be ready for guests in approximately four years.

Were actually wanting to open a meadery, which is honey wine, he said. Wed have other wine and beer as well.

An orchard on the farm will provide some of the various flavors for the mead.

Butler and a crew canvassed the area during the summer to collect nearly 1,000 signatures, allowing the request to be on the general election ballot. It was very well received. The biggest concern I have is that people will be confused about the wording on the ballot, he said. Now we just need a majority of the vote to allow us to do this.

Drayton said he is not aware of anyone against the referendum. We have heard nothing negative about it, he said. But well just have to see if it will pass.

If the election results do not go as he hopes, Butler said he will change his plans.

I guess were just going to retire, he said. Well spend our time going to other peoples wineries.
DECATUR  Hundreds of area residents visited Decatur's Rock Springs Nature Center on Saturday for its annual Fall Harvest Festival.

The event is a chance for kids and families to celebrate conservation and celebrate fall, said Beth Lane, a naturalist with the Macon County Conservation District.

We get to come out here and we get to see the actual colors of the leaves, Lane said. Especially with the farm, we get to see historically how people used to celebrate fall. And it's a good way to get the public involved in things out here.

In addition to the centers regular offerings, like the Ecocenter museum exhibit, the harvest fest saw canoeing, pumpkin painting, archery, arts and crafts and a number of historical displays and tours at the Homestead Prairie Farm.

The festivities were a welcome break from regular weekday hustling and bustling, said Nicky Besser of Decatur, who brought her family to the event.

I think it's important that they have the opportunity to spend time outside in nature, unplugged, and learning to discover, to ask questions to spark their wonder and creativity, Besser said of her three children. So to be able to come out here and kind of slow down, I think that's really special.

Olive Besser, 4, and Wyatt Besser, 2, both named pumpkin painting as their favorite activity for the day.

I love all the playground toys, Wyatt Besser added.

A short walk from the Walk Springs Ecocenter, at the Homestead Prairie Farm house, visitors observed displays on old-fashioned toys, yarn spinning and historical farming practices. Built around 1850, the home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Understanding history is important for appreciating and understanding conservation, said Brent Wielt, historic sites manager for the Macon County Conservation District.

This is part of Decaturs heritage and history, and we hope people will come and learn a little bit about their past, Wielt said.

Wielt encouraged residents to visit the farm again for its candlelight tour at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12.

The harvest festival was also a chance for the Macon County Conservation Foundation to fundraise for its continued conservation efforts.

The foundation helps fund the restoration of the districts properties, said foundation board member Dave Rathje. Restoration practices, like removing invasive species and replanting native species, are significant investments, he said.

Most of the restoration happens by hand. They don't use a lot of pesticides or insecticides or anything like that, Rathje said. A lot of it's just actually going out and hand cutting, hand pulling by a lot of volunteers. And then buying the different native grasses and trees and going back in and restoring them. So it's very labor intensive and very expensive.

Rathje said residents can find out how to support the foundation on its website.

According to Lane, working with the conservation district is rewarding for many reasons. Her favorite part, though, is seeing what kids discover about themselves through their exploration.

They might find something they actually love out here, she said.
DECATUR  The cause of a Friday afternoon fire in Decatur is under investigation.

Decatur Fire Department crews were called to 1246 N. Woodford St. at 4:02 p.m. They arrived to find heavy fire and smoke conditions coming from the front porch, a department news release said.

The fire, which officials said started on the front porch, had spread to the attic, but was quickly brought under control.

There were no injuries reported. The Red Cross was contacted to assist with finding housing for the homes occupant.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal was brought in to assist with the investigation.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Abundant sunshine. High near 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving overnight. Low near 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
The U.S. is being punished for pressuring Israel

Pray for those affected by Hurricane Ian.

The website nowtheendbegins.com said, seven days after Israel and President Biden agreed to the two-state solution and dividing the land God gave Israel, Hurricane Ian smashes Florida causing catastrophic destruction.

The Bible says God would judge countries dividing his land and God will treat nations the same way they treat Israel. (Genesis 12 and Obadiah 1) America could become several countries if America keeps pressuring Israel to become two countries. Many wrongly say climate change causes hurricanes. The sun controls climate more than anything and God controls the sun.

Dr. John McTernan wrote the book, As America has done to Israel, listing the judgments America has received for pressuring Israel to divide the land. See defendproclaimthefaith.org.

The book reveals the direct correlation between America pressuring Israel to give up land and the most costly disasters hitting America. Starting with George Bush Sr. in 1991 and continuing until 2022 with Joe Biden.

As America pressures Israel to divide and take away the land God gave Israel, America is hit with its greatest disasters costing lives and hundreds of billions of dollars.

In 1991, The Perfect Storm destroyed the home of President George Bush Sr. who was pressuring Israel to give up land God gave them. Also Hurricane Andrew in 1992 a Category 5, the Northridge Earthquakes in 1994, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 a Category 5, the stock market crash of 2008 and the Joplin Tornado outbreaks in 2011 all happened when America was pressuring Israel to give up the land God gave them.

The book provides proof of the existence and great power of the God of the Bible.

D.D. Nave Elizabethton, Tennessee
From Hickory Community Theatre to the lights of Broadway, actor Gregg Mozgala has an impressive resume of performances under his belt. His most recent role is in the Manhattan Theatre Clubs production of Martyna Majoks Pulitzer Prize winning play, Cost of Living.

Greggs family moved to Hickory during his first year of high school. He lived in Hickory until moving to New York City after spending his senior year at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

The Hickory Community Theatre was one of the first connections he made in Catawba County, and Gregg spoke fondly of the area. He asked that a warm hello be extended to the community.

Currently, Gregg is one of the lead actors in the play that runs through Nov. 6 on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

Cost of Living opened earlier this month, and the audience response has been incredible, Gregg said. He added that it was one of the greatest pleasant surprises of his life when the cast received a standing ovation at the first preview.

When he was cast for the Broadway production, Gregg said he kept his excitement in check until he actually stepped into the rehearsal room. As an actor, its like the World Series or Super Bowl, he said, referring to landing a role on Broadway.

His mother, Pam Mozgala, was delighted and described herself as oozing with pride.

Pam said when he called to share the news, Gregg told her, It only took me 24 years.

Gregg keeps it all in perspective. I get paid to play make-believe. I do it well, and at a high level, Mozgala said. But I am not a doctor or a scientist looking for the cure to cancer. I believe in arts ability to change lives and culture, and I take that responsibility seriously, but I also realize Im a person in the daily struggle for their lives just like everyone else.

Gregg was born with mild cerebral palsy, and acting is an uphill struggle for anyone with a disability, Pam said. Gregg has worked hard for this achievement, she said.

She compares her son to Morgan Freeman, whose breakout role was in Driving Miss Daisy, when the renowned actor was in his 40s. Cost of Living is Greggs Driving Miss Daisy, she said.

The actor has performed in a number of productions, but has largely been cast as characters with disabilities. Pam said she believes his work today will start to melt away biases in the theater world. I think young kids all across the county might find this play, and find theres a part they can play, Gregg said. Theres a play for them in this field.

In his experience, Gregg said, Artistry has always driven progress, and this show is no exception. I think the hypervisibility of Broadway can hopefully only help that.
Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry provided a full-day training, Mental Health First Aid USA, for their employees. By taking the class, employees will receive certification in mental health first aid.

The class was provided by Partners Behavioral Health Management. The instructors were Stephanie Funderburk and Amber Mathews. Those attending from GHCCM are representatives from the Medical Clinic, Pharmacy and Neighbor Engagement who have direct contact with neighbors (clients) seeking assistance from the ministry.

As stated by Molly Sain, director of the GHCCM Medical Clinic, At first glance, first aid is generally viewed as the first aid kit someone has in a car or providing first aid when an accident of some type occurs. We inherently want to be ready in case of an emergency. Early intervention can prevent an emergency. Mental health first aid aims to teach members of the public (GHCCM staff) how to respond in a mental health emergency and offer support to someone who appears to be in emotional stress.

In 2021, the Medical Clinic had 6,121 patient visits, serving 719 patients. The Pharmacy filled 19,442 prescriptions and had 9,580 patient encounters. The Neighbor Engagement Team served 2,766 households, provided 1,792 services for those experiencing homelessness and issued 2,137 food cards.

The terms mental illness, mental health and mental disorders are used by society, although there isnt always a clear understanding of their meaning and relevance to day-to-day living. Statistics show that mental health problems are more common than heart disease, lung disease and cancer combined. It is estimated that about one in five people will experience a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year.

Within the GHCCM Medical Clinic, over 75% of the patients have a diagnosis of mental illness. Therefore, with the neighbors (clients) being served at GHCCM, it is critical that staff has a clear understanding of how mental illness impacts overall health.

The goal of GHCCM is to meet each client where they are in lifes journey, stabilize any immediate situations and assist with moving forward out of the crisis and ultimately providing life lessons for moving out of poverty. GHCCM provides tools and education to offer resources for neighbors. The GHCM Medical Clinic offers an onsite Peers Support Specialist and a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. The Neighbor Engagement Team, located at the John and Carol de Perczel Whole Life Center, provides referral services, job search assistance, computer and financial literacy and more.

As quoted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), Recovery is defined as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential with goals of hope, empowerment, and independence.

The World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of well-being in which the induvial realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. The mission of GHCCM to provide hope, help and healing for all in most need summarizes the overall purpose of the ministry.

GHCCM is dependent on grants and financial contributions to continue offering the wide range of support to the communitys most vulnerable neighbors. It is the goal of GHCCM to work together to offer stability to those in crisis and a pathway out of the poverty cycle. For hours of operation, ministry offerings, or to donate, visit GHCCMs website at www.ccmhickory.org. For additional information email info@ccmhickory.org. To volunteer, send your request to outreach@ccmhickory.org.
MADISON  Built in 1908, one of this 2,200-resident hamlet's most storied historical buildings is once again the talk of the town, and now the world, courtesy of the Netflix series, "28 Days Haunted."

Home to Madison Dry Goods and Country Store for the past nearly 30 years, the building at 104 W. Murphy St. in the heart of downtown Madison has been home to a variety of businesses over the decades.

And the structure is attached to one of the most gruesome mass murders in North Carolina history  the 1929 Lawson family murders.

Charlie Lawson, a 43-year-old Stokes County farmer, shot and bludgeoned his wife and six of his seven children in Germanton before taking his own life on that Christmas afternoon, the same year the nation plunged into the Great Depression.

In 1929, the upstairs of the Murphy Street building in Madison housed T.B. Knight Funeral Parlor, where the victims, including a newborn, were embalmed.

Proprietors of Madison Dry Goods, Richard and Kathy Miller, bought the building in 1998. And while they were aware of the buildings history, which included housing the former Penn Hardware Store, the Millers were not prepared for the stories of unexplainable activity that have garnered the attention of national paranormal investigators over the past decade.

Numerous visitors to the store, as well as employees, have reported seeing a little girl wearing a white dress in the building.

And pictures and objects have been moved about inexplicably, the Millers said.

Add to that, the Millers and some visitors to the upstairs museum, where the funeral home once operated, have described being overcome with an eerie feeling as if they were not alone.

Locals and various ghost busters who have investigated the site and the odd sightings speculate that the unexplained activities are connected to the Lawson family deaths.

Word of the bizarre happenings reached Netflix producers, and in 2021 a production team contacted the Millers and invited them to participate in the show.

The Netflix production team subscribes to a theory popularized by famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, authors associated with prominent cases of alleged hauntings, including the Amityville house on which the "The Amityville Horror" books and films were based.

The Warrens held that it takes 28 days to pierce the veil between the human and spirit worlds. So, Netflix show makers asked the Millers for carte blanche access to their building for 28 days between Aug. 12 and Sept. 15, 2021.

The Millers obliged and closed their popular store for the month. They were not allowed access to the store during the experiment and were not told of the paranormal team's findings.

But today, Oct. 21, the findings are revealed when episode 3 of "28 Days Haunting" airs on Netflix.

Madison embalmer chosen as nation focused on family slayings

The Madison embalmer was selected in 1929 because Knight operated the only funeral home in the region large enough to accommodate eight bodies, plus he had elevator access, historians say.

The murders drew national attention, and old newspaper clips show that some 5,000 people gathered in Madison to see a line of hearses carry the bodies away to Germanton in Stokes County for burial.

Anyone who's still curious may visit the old funeral parlor, part of the Madison Dry Goods Museum during business hours from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
SALISBURY  Charles Day of Rowan County and Kayleon Dortch-Elliott of Cabarrus County created the winning I Voted stickers in Rowan-Cabarrus Community Colleges Voter Sticker Design Contest and will have their designs distributed by each countys board of elections during early voting, which began Thursday, Oct. 20.

Carolina Vergason created the winning I Registered design for Rowan County, and Manuel Antonio Ceuvas Nunez designed the I Registered winner for Cabarrus County. Both are advertising and graphic design students at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

To increase engagement in the electoral process, the Rowan-Cabarrus Department of Art & Design hosted the nonpartisan contest in conjunction with a voter registration drive on the Colleges North Campus. Open to all residents of Rowan and Cabarrus counties, the contest invited participants to create I Voted and I Registered sticker designs. The winning designs were selected anonymously by board of elections representatives in each county.

We are honored to have had such a high caliber of entries from across two counties, and we are thrilled with the designers support of the electoral process, said Jenn Gardner Selby, chair of the Rowan-Cabarrus Department of Art & Design. Stickers are limited edition, so we encourage voters to get to the polls early!

Day, an eighth-grade student at West Rowan Middle School, created the winning I Voted sticker design for Rowan County after his teacher, Kimberly Nance, encouraged her students to participate in the contest. Dortch-Elliott is a local author and speaker in Cabarrus County.

Designs by winners and finalists will be on display at Rowan-Cabarrus Community Colleges Bridge Gallery as part of the Designs of Democracy exhibition, which opens Oct. 21. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the gallery is in Building N107 on the Colleges North Campus in Salisbury.

A reception will be held in the gallery on Friday, Nov. 4 from 5-7 p.m. to celebrate the contest winners and finalists. The reception is free and open to the public. The public also is invited to attend as the Department of Art & Design hosts a film screening of Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is your Voice on Friday, Oct. 28, at noon.

Finalists were Jeffrey Chase Raines, Khettie Chanthaheuang, Dorothy Brady, Ryan Branham, Meredith Mozingo, Kevin Leichman, Elizabeth Avalos, Carolina Vergason, MC Dunbar, Brianna Richer, Richard Barbee, Matt Landes, Kaylee Whitley, Sarah Sanchez Aguilar and Naomi Hall-Bruce.

At Rowan-Cabarrus, we encourage every citizen to exercise their right to vote, and we hope this contest and the distribution of the winning stickers will add to the excitement this voting season, said Dr. Carol S. Spalding, president of Rowan-Cabarrus.

For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, visit www.rccc.edu or call 704-216-RCCC (7222).
President Ilham Aliyev awards group of energy workers

22 October 2022 [16:52] -

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on awarding a group of energy workers of Azerbaijan, Trend reports on October 22.



Views: 842
ASHMORE  A paranormal investigation is scheduled to be held the night of Saturday, Oct. 22, at Ashmore Estates following the Shadow & Light Market metaphysical marketplace during the day.

The Ashmore Estates building, located north of Illinois Route 16 west of Ashmore, was constructed in 1916 when the property was still in use as the county poor farm/almshouse. The building subsequently served as a psychiatric hospital from 1959 to 1986. The building then stood vacant for some time and gained a reputation for being haunted.

Property owners Robbin and Norman Terry purchased Ashmore Estates in 2014 and have made improvements to the building. They regularly host paranormal investigations, tours and other special events there.

The Midnight Paranormal Society and Shadow & Light Market event coordinator Becky Castillo, in her role as a psychic/medium, will lead the paranormal investigation planned for 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday. Tickets for the investigation are $50 each.

Admission will be free to the Shadow & Light Market, open noon to 6 p.m. It will feature jewelry, crafts, crystals, art and metaphysical item vendors, including Chrysalis Metaphysical, Lunar Creations & More, Embrace Healing & Spirituality, Charlie Rainbow Wolf, Midnight Paranormal Society, and Xeno Scribbles. Psychics, mediums, and tarot readers will be on hand, as will energy and chakra healers.

Our goal for this event is to provide a family friendly, informational and informative experience for those who are interested in the metaphysical realm, Castillo said in a press release.

More details about the market and advance ticket purchases for the investigation are available via www.embracehealing.net/shadow or zitaheals@gmail.com.
SKOKIE - Hollywood actress Sharon Stone is again boosting the work of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie on social media.

Stone, famous for playing glamorous, strong female leads in movies such as Basic Instinct, Total Recall, Catwoman and Casino, posted on her Twitter and Instagram accounts a photo of herself on the museums grounds with the caption Be a kind neighbor; Stand up. The tweet contains a link to the museums website page that accepts donations; that page also contains a photo of Stone.

The museums Vice President of Marketing & Business Development Noah Cruickshank said the support is meaningful to the museum in a moment when anti-Semitic rhetoric is widespread.

Its always nice to know that there are folks who are supporters of ours across the country and across the world, he said. Were always very grateful for support from people who have large bullhorns that can speak to the work that we do in our mission to remember the past and transform the future.

Cruickshank added that Stone has a personal relationship to one of the museums board members, Holocaust survivor Sam Harris, and stays connected to the museum through Harris.

Cruickshank also noted that much of the response to Stones social media came from people outside Illinois and invited those people to get to know the museum online.

We are always welcoming folks to interact with us whether that is online or in person, he said.

Stone stars in the movie, What About Love, set to be released next year.

Stones tweet comes at a time of recent antisemitic remarks by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and former President Donald Trump, who supported Wests remarks. Republican gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia has also been criticized for his remarks about Jews.
SPRINGFIELD  Local veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces were guests of a free one-day tour of Washington D.C. compliments of the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight program on Aug. 30.

Ninety-three veterans attended, with one having served in WW II, two having served in Korea, and the other ninety having served during Vietnam.

This was the 62nd flight sponsored by the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight program.

Local veterans attending included:

Alan Clodfelter, Navy, Neoga; Sidney Eggers, Army, Mattoon; William Harrison, Army, Charleston; Edward Motley, Army, Paris; Jerry Stewart, Army, Mattoon; and Carl Wellbaum, Army, Jewett.

Veterans departed the Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport and arrived at Reagan National Airport where they boarded four tour buses to begin the tour. They visited the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the Lincoln Memorial, the Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial ("Iwo Jima"), the U.S. Air Force Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns where they watched the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

Attending veteran William Harrison of Charleston, said, "My personal highs while in the Washington D.C. area were visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, where I was able to locate and obtain a pencil rubbing of the name of one of my high school classmates who had been killed in action in 1968, the Air & Space Museum, and the Changing of the Guard Ceremony."

After arriving back at the airport in Springfield, the group was greeted by an estimated 200 people.

At this time, organizers are working on honoring any remaining WW II , Korea, and Vietnam era veterans before moving on to veterans of more recent military service.

Supported by donations, Honor Flight tours are free to all eligible veterans.
The deal to put Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts on a McDonalds menu could go beyond a test market to a symbiotic national relationship, according to a Wake Forest marketing professor.

Partnering with McDonalds offers Krispy Kreme a new go-to-market strategy that seems to offer strong upside potential, said Roger Beahm, executive director of the Center for Retail Innovation at Wake Forest University School of Business.

The companies said the test market begins Wednesday at nine McDonalds locations in Louisville, Ky., in what McDonalds describes as a small operations test.

Three doughnut varieties  original glazed, chocolate iced with rainbow sprinkles and raspberry-filled will be delivered fresh daily from one of Krispy Kremes three restaurant locations in the Louisville market.

The companies said the doughnuts will be available all day, in-restaurant and drive-thru only, while supplies last. They will be sold individually or in a six-pack of either original glazed or mixed flavors.

We constantly look for new ways to increase access to fresh doughnuts through our delivered fresh daily network  a key element of our omni-channel strategy to attain 50,000 points of access globally, Krispy Kreme said in its news release.

McDonalds will be the first quick-service restaurant to feature Krispy Kreme doughnuts on its menu. Krispy Kreme said the test market is its first partnership with McDonalds in the U.S.

Bank of America Corp. analysts said the partnership could generate $350 million in annual sales, with Krispy Kreme likely getting 75% and McDonald's 25%.

Doughnuts would need to account for about 1% of McDonalds sales, or 4% of breakfast sales, to be considered a success, they said.

However, there already has been some wishful global thinking about how to put the glazed doughnuts to additional use  not unlike some food treats at the Carolina Classic Fair.

One website  King of Cheat Meals.com  has urged the restaurants to create a McDonalds + Krispy Kreme New Zealand doughnut burger, but nicknamed it the McKrispy burger.

The recommendation is for double meat patties, double cheese and crispy bacon between two original glazed doughnuts. There was even a Change.org petition to bring the McKrispy to Australian markets at the time.

However, McDonalds said there has been no McKrispy created to date.

The right flavors

Beahm said the three flavors represent some of Krispy Kremes best-selling products.

Assuming the 80-20 rule is even closely approximated (where 80% of their doughnut sales may be done by 20% of their offerings), then its a great way to generate incremental volume in a very efficient manner.

Beahm said the biggest positive factor for Krispy Kreme is the significantly greater number of McDonalds restaurants than Krispy Kreme factory stores where the doughnuts are made and sold to consumers, as well as the potential for trial by new customers.

In the Louisville market, there are 30 McDonalds locations, compared with three for Krispy Kreme.

This creates much greater access to the market virtually overnight, Beahm said. Consumers wont need to go so far out of their way to reach a Krispy Kreme sales outlet.

While the added convenience could cannibalize some of the Krispy Kreme factory store business, it will likely be more than offset by the incremental gains from the sale of products through McDonalds restaurants.

Bank of America analysts also said that Krispy Kreme could be the bigger benefactor from the test market.

While a successful run of the test, and subsequent broader rollout, could boost McDonald's sales, the impact would be more material for Krispy Kreme," according to the analysts' note to investors.

They pointed out that McDonald's has 13,400 domestic locations, more than twice as many as Krispy Kreme's existing access point count of 6,600.

McDonalds only recent brand partnership in the U.S. is the McPlant burger with Beyond Meat," the analysts said. "We believe plant-based meat remains a more niche product in the U.S., while doughnuts have widespread appeal.

Beahm said that being able to get customers to buy Krispy Kreme doughnuts on occasions when they might not otherwise make a special trip to a Krispy Kreme store translates directly to greater on-going consumption.

The fact that McDonalds is promoting Krispy Kremes availability in their own restaurants is valuable in helping Krispy Kreme build top-of-mind awareness, as well as a strong brand association.

What McDonalds gains

McDonalds said it is always looking for ways to give our fans more of what they crave, and we often conduct tests to inform future menu decisions.

This small-scale test will help us understand how offering new bakery items, like Krispy Kreme, could impact operations in our restaurants.

Beahm said McDonalds willingness to sell a nationally non-beverage branded product is clearly a unique strategic move for the fast-food restaurant chain as well.

McDonalds would certainly like to see this as a potential traffic-builder for them.

Testing the idea that people will stop at McDonalds for individual or a six-pack of Krispy Kremes  either as a primary purchase or as a supplement to their regular order  is clearly something McDonalds will be measuring.

The fact that McDonalds is promoting Krispy Kremes availability in their own restaurants is valuable in helping Krispy Kreme build top-of-mind awareness, as well as a strong brand association. This can be especially valuable when people are looking for a snack option, and Krispy Kreme may not have previously been one of those they would have considered.

Beahm also said McDonalds will be testing Krispy Kremes supply-chain operations to keep their doughnuts in-stock in the restaurants throughout the day.

You have to remember this is still just a test. It may take revisions to the product offerings, as well as the way the availability is promoted, before the strategy is fully vetted by both companies.

In the meantime, when it comes to pairing coffee with those Krispy Kreme doughnut purchases, its probably unlikely youll be seeing McDonalds test a replacement of their McCafe brand with Krispy Kreme any time in the foreseeable future.

Other reactions

Anders Bylund, a contributing analyst with The Motley Food, said McDonalds may be testing Krispy Kremes doughnuts as a new idea to overcome the sluggish sales and falling profits of recent quarters.

The company has occasionally offered its own doughnut-style pastries in the past, though. Glazed pull-apart donuts have made the rounds more than once, and I grew up with access to chocolate-glazed McDonuts (yes, thats the actual product name) at Swedish restaurants in the 1990s.

Bylund said that he imagines that the launch will bring long lines to participating McDonalds locations at first.

But, the menu expansion will be successful only if that increased traffic hangs around for a long time. The only way to really know how sticky this boost might be among fickle consumer tastes is to run the trial.

Bylund said the key for both restaurant chains is all in the delivery.

Im intrigued by the details of this market experiment, which seems to strike an effective balance between the needs of each partner, Bylund said.

This limited scope gives McDonalds a natural control group of doughnut-less locations serving roughly the same target market. Its a win for the scientific method.

Even though Krispy Kreme has just three Louisville locations, its brand likely is known in the market from distributing its delicacies to grocery and convenience stores.

Nine more delivery points to McDonalds locations wont stress this battle-tested system, but its a different story if this experiment uncovers a profitable partnership opportunity, Bylund said.

A nationwide rollout could add 13,000 delivery-fresh-daily doors overnight, more than tripling Krispy Kremes market reach in a hurry.

Hooking up with a much larger distribution partner like McDonalds on a massive scale would be a real stress test, and also a big win for Krispy Kreme.

Aaron Bry, an analyst with Benzinga, said adding Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the McDonalds menu seems counter to McDonalds on- and off-again strategy at healthier fast food options.

What the McDonalds, Krispy Kreme partnership does not help with is making McDonalds menu healthier, Bry said.

Look, no one is going to mistake a McDonalds for a Whole Foods, but the fast-food chain has taken measures to make its menu healthier throughout the past 20 years, including eliminating super-size portions and expanding fruit and vegetable choices.

The Krispy Kreme doughnuts will certainly not add to McDonalds nutritious offerings.
Winston-Salems Stuart Municipal Building was struck twice by bullets when someone fired several gunshots at a 17-year-old boy during a confrontation Friday afternoon, authorities said. No injuries were reported.

Winston-Salem police responded at 5:24 p.m. to 115 S. Main St., police said. Officers found several shell casings in the alley between Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse and Fairfield Inn and Suites. The restaurant is in the lower level of the municipal building, which is also sometimes called City Hall South.

The teen told police that he was leaving the restaurant when he became involved in a confrontation with a man whom he knows on South Church Street, police said.

The suspect then revealed a handgun and fired several bullets at the teen, who then ran from the scene, police said. The teen later returned to scene and reported the shooting to police.

Investigators found several witnesses who saw the incident, police said.

The City Hall South building was struck twice by bullets on its concrete siding, but it wasnt specifically targeted, police said.

No city employees were injured or involved in the incident, police said.

Investigators gathered evidence that shows that the shooting was an isolated incident, police said.

Anyone with information about this shooting can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904.

Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County is on Facebook.

The Text-A-Tip program at 336-276-1717 allows people to text tips, photos and videos to the police.
Piedmont Natural Gas projected Friday that its average residential customers monthly natural gas bill will be $30-$35 higher this winter compared with last year.

PNG cited the Energy Information Administration, which recently warned in its Winter Fuels Outlook of higher expected fuel costs and higher energy consumption due to colder temperatures.

The utility said it closely monitors the cost of natural gas and requests adjustments to its rates throughout the year based on changing market conditions and other factors.

PNG shared a series of tips, tools and programs that can help lower their natural gas bills at www.piedmontng.com/home.

They include:

Identify and prioritize energy-saving improvements through a certified auditor or by performing your own energy audit;

Seal air ducts involving furnace and central air conditioner;

Seal your home by caulking and weather-stripping all seams, cracks and openings to the outside;

Install smart thermostats; manage water heating by setting water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, or consider installing an on-demand or tankless water heater that only heats water when you need it; and

Add insulation to your ceilings, floors and walls.

PNG also suggested that customers consider its equal payment plan program to help manage their budgets. The program allows customers to pay a predictable, equal monthly amount to help avoid billing surprises.

Piedmont determines this payment by adding up a customers annual natural gas usage and then dividing it into the same payment amount each month.

We remain committed to helping our most vulnerable customers keep the heat on, whether thats being a resource for steps to take to lower their natural gas bill, or taking advantage of available assistance options, Susan Weintraub, PNGs president, said in a statement.

Piedmont is reaching out to customers whose bills are past due through email and/or text with information about utility assistance administered by agencies in their state and local communities.

Other programs include: Share the Warmth, which provides funds to local agencies to assist families with their utility bills, no matter the source of energy they use; and Low Income Energy Assistance Program, which provides winter heating assistance to pay for natural gas, electric and other methods customers use to heat their homes.

For more information, go to https://www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/low-income-services.

For more information on federal and state-specific information, go to piedmontng.com/WinterBills and click on your state.
North Carolina is a deeply purple state. That is to say its one where statewide elections between Republicans and Democrats tend to be very close.

A classic example: The 2020 contest for state Supreme Court chief justice in which the incumbent Cheri Beasley (the current Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate) lost to Republican challenger Paul Newby (then an associate justice on the court) by 0.00007%  just 401 votes out of the almost 5.4 million cast.

Interestingly, Beasleys Senate race seems as if it could be headed for a similar, razor-thin outcome as polls continue to show her and GOP nominee Rep. Ted Budd locked in a virtual tie.

Voter registration numbers also reflect this narrow divide. As of Oct. 8, the state had just 2,494,652 registered Democrats, 2,218,884 registered Republicans and 2,625,441 who were unaffiliated.

In such a evenly divided state, it would seem safe to assume that the partisan composition of the groups of lawmakers elected to the states General Assembly and congressional delegation might largely reflect that close split.

There are 120 members of the state House, 50 in the state Senate and, thanks to an addition courtesy of the most recent census, there will soon be 14 in the states delegation in the U.S. House.

So, assuming the presence of reasonably fair electoral maps, common sense would predict something close to a 60-60 divide in the state House, 25-25 in the Senate and 7-7 in the newly expanded congressional delegation.

As you are probably aware, however, such an outcome is, and has long been, virtually impossible. Thanks to aggressive partisan gerrymandering by the Republicans who control the configuration of electoral districts (North Carolina is a state in which the governor has no role in map drawing) each of these three groups has leaned heavily Republican for years and will almost assuredly continue to do after this years election.

At present, the GOP controls 69 out of 120 state House seats (58%), 28 out of 50 Senate seats (56%) and eight out of 13 U.S. House seats (62%).

And at least at the state legislative level, the gerrymandering has a massive impact. Instead of what one might expect in such a 50-50 state (i.e., a legislature prone to compromise, or at the least, frequent stalemate) Republicans dominate.

Republican leaders commonly draft the most important bills the legislature considers  like the state budget  behind closed doors and then frequently limit debate and prevent the consideration of amendments. For the most part, Democratic members cant get the bills they propose even considered.

Given this backdrop, and the massive impact that gerrymandering has on state policy, its hard to overstate the potential impact of this falls legislative elections.

Because of partisan gerrymandering, the question this fall is not whether the ebbs and flows of politics, voter turnout and the news cycle will cause the state legislature to swing slightly Republican or slightly Democratic; it is whether those factors will lead to massive Republican supermajorities or merely ones akin to those they currently enjoy.

If the GOP somehow manages to add just two seats in the Senate and three in the House, its members will be able to override any vetoes issued by Gov. Roy Cooper and thereby completely control state lawmaking.

This means that North Carolina could quickly shift from being a state in which abortion care remains safe, legal and pretty widely available to one in which it is punishable as a crime.

It means that modest remaining state controls over firearms will likely be repealed.

It means that efforts to further micromanage public school teachers over issues like race and U.S. history will likely become law.

It means that new efforts to limit the rights of transgender people will likely find their way into state law.

It means that efforts to limit carbon pollution will likely be stymied.

It means there will likely be even less oversight over the already opaque state budget writing process.

And if the state Supreme Court shifts from the current narrow 4-3 Democratic majority to GOP control, it means that all manner of new and dramatic changes subject to constitutional review will soon be wending their way through the judiciary in search of approval from a new and conservative high court majority. And this will almost certainly include a new round of even more gerrymandered legislative and congressional maps.

The bottom line: Almost all elections are important, but thanks to years of gerrymandering, the stakes in this falls legislative contests in North Carolina are enormous and, for better or worse, a lot bigger than they ought to be.
OMAHA  The former Sarpy County CASA director charged with two counts of theft in state court now has been indicted on five charges of mail fraud in federal court.

The charges against Paula Creps, 51, pertain to her alleged scheme to defraud the county CASA chapter and its nonprofit arm, Lift Up Sarpy County. (CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates; the group helps abused and neglected children.) Documents filed this week in U.S. District Court of Nebraska allege that Creps fraudulently obtained at least $44,884.95 from Lift Up Sarpy over a period of at least three years, from about March 2019 to July 2022.

The indictment states that Creps used a credit card provided by Lift Up Sarpy for CASA expenses to pay for personal expenses such as utility bills and taxes and to register or repair vehicles and obtain concert tickets. The indictment also states that Creps used the credit card to purchase gift cards. She then allegedly used the gift cards to pay for personal expenses such as a luau and shuttle service in Hawaii.

The indictment states that Creps completed payment record forms that falsely stated she had used the credit card and gift cards for the benefit of children, their families or both. Creps allegedly claimed she had used her own money to pay for goods and services as well as advertising and other expenses covered by grant funds. She then requested reimbursement.

But the indictment states that those transactions did not occur and Creps knew it, yet created fraudulent receipts and attached them to check request forms.

At the state level, Creps is facing felony charges of theft by deception of at least $1,500 but less than $5,000 and unauthorized use of financial transaction device of at least $1,500 but less than $5,000. Tom Strigenz, the Sarpy County public defender who is representing Creps in her state case, said Creps has pleaded not guilty in that case.

The county fired Creps in July.

No attorney representing Creps at the federal level is listed. She could not be reached for comment. She is due in court next month.
A second Lincoln man has received jail time in connection to the sexual assault of an Omaha woman here in 2020.

Magera Santino, 24, was sentenced to 30 days in jail starting Oct. 25 for false reporting in the case.

Last month, the same judge who sentenced Santino  Lancaster County District Court Judge Kevin McManaman  gave 27-year-old Innocent Magaya 22 to 26 years in prison for attempted first-degree sexual assault and assault by strangulation.

Both men pleaded no contest.

In 2020, a 28-year-old woman went to an Omaha hospital saying she had been raped by a man she didn't know in an apartment in Lincoln after a night out with friends.

She contacted family members, saying she needed help and sent them her location from her phone.

Lincoln police developed Magaya as a suspect and collected his DNA, which matched evidence collected from his accuser at a hospital. Prosecutors said Santino gave false information during the investigation.
Over the last 20 years, the city and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District looked at the lay of the land  its streams and tributaries, its creeks and their banks, the houses and businesses developing around them  and made plans.

They made 14 of them, master plans for different watersheds in and around the city: Deadmans Run and Beal Slough. South Salt Creek and Haines Branch and Stevens Creek and more.

They took all those different plans and the 209 projects identified in them  covering more than 200,000 acres  and created a capital improvement program to guide their work. By 2020, the experts in watershed management had decided they needed something more comprehensive.

Over time, city and NRD officials said, the objectives of watershed management changed, many of the cost projections were based on old data and outdated prioritization plans.

When the city and NRD created the first watershed management plan for Beal Slough Basin and channel in southeast Lincoln in 2000, the focus was on flood risk reduction, according to the report. By 2012, that focus had changed to stream stabilization and water quality.

In 2020, the city and NRD officials started the process of combining the master plans, tallying up the projects theyd done, the ones that still needed to be done, the ones that were no longer needed, putting up-to-date cost projections alongside the projects and creating a new method of analyzing and prioritizing them.

I think its just long overdue to take all those master plans and update them and get them into one document so we can move forward with implementing additional projects needed out there in the community, said Paul Zillig, general manager of the Lower Platte NRD.

The result is a 165-page plan approved last week by the Lincoln City Council and the Lancaster County Board that will guide work on the watersheds in and around the city.

The plan is not directly related to other work the city is doing, including a Salt Creek floodplain resiliency study and much-debated work to update floodplain maps and regulations.

Since 2000, 60 projects totaling $23 million have been completed, 106 projects that will cost $47.2 million remain. The other 43 projects identified in the original plans were no longer feasible, had been combined with other projects or a different solution was found, the report said.

Of the proposed projects, 90 of them will improve stream stability.

Theres a lot more focus on stream stability issues, Zillig said. Trying to come up with things we can do on streams that will keep them in more of a natural state.

The project doesnt prioritize individual projects, but creates a new tool to help the city and NRD select them.

Tim Zach, superintendent for Lincoln Transportation and Utilities watershed management division, said the scoring tool looks at the benefits provided by the project but also considers cost, land rights and coordination with other projects. Where a project lands on the to-do list also depends on funding, the timing of which is often related to the passage of stormwater bonds and state and federal grants.

And if often takes a lot of time.

Take Deadmans Run, a nearly $26 million project thats been in the works for years. In 2019, Lincoln voters approved a $10 million bond issue, $6.6 million of which was earmarked for the Deadmans Run project.

But the federal government, the Lower Platte NRD and University of Nebraska are also chipping in to widen the channel that runs roughly from Seng Park at 49th and Garland streets northwest through UNLs East Campus toward Cornhusker Highway. The project includes replacing bridges at 33rd, 38th and 48th streets.

Nearly three years after voters passed the bond issue, the design portion of the channel-widening efforts are still happening. Once thats done, land rights issues will have to be settled. The work to widen the channel isn't likely to start until the end of next year or the first part of 2024, Zillig said.

Replacing the bridges will likely start sooner, perhaps early next year.

The Deadmans Run project is included in the comprehensive plan and is the largest project there, but has its own section because its neither finished or proposed, but in process, Zach said.

Part of what the city and NRD looked at was the citys growth and how development will change run-off and how to address those issues proactively.

That's one of the goals of the new comprehensive plan, Zach told the City Council: to be proactive rather than reactive.
By Trend

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return from holiday this coming weekend following the resignation of his successor Liz Truss amid speculation that he will reassume his position as the ruling Conservative Partys leader and the head of government, the Daily Telegraph wrote, citing Johnsons friends, Trend reports citing TASS.

The paper published a list of the most likely contenders to replace Truss. Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak tops the list as the newspaper believes that his chance of winning the race is 62%. Sunak is followed by Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt (33.3%) and Johnson is third with 5.3%.

A new leader of the Conservative Party is expected to be elected via a fast-track procedure, which will make it possible to appoint someone by October 28.
History Nebraska will name its new digitization lab in Lincoln for Donald R. Swanson, following a $50,000 gift to the History Nebraska Foundation from the Swanson Biggs Adams Family Foundation. The lab will be named the Donald R. Swanson Digitization Laboratory and will be located within History Nebraska headquarters in Lincoln.

Swanson, who retired from Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph Co. as secretary-treasurer in 1987, died in 2017.

He long supported History Nebraska, its reference room and the addition of historical technology. The Swanson Biggs Adams Family Foundation continued Swansons legacy of support with a gift in 2021 to aid History Nebraska in its efforts to make its collections available online.

Recently, History Nebraska renovated the basement at its Lincoln headquarters and turned it into a full-time digitization lab, which will now bear Swansons name.

The Swanson Biggs Adams Family Foundation has long supported the archiving efforts that many Nebraskans rely upon for genealogical research, said Libby Jacobs, president. We are pleased to improve access to historical data that the digitization lab provides while, at the same time, honoring the passion that Donald Swanson had for Nebraska history.

Tyler Vacha, executive director of the History Nebraska Foundation, said the lab allows for a more efficient digitization process, provides space for larger equipment to digitize the oversized items in its archives, and increased staffing.

In the last 18 months, History Nebraska digitized more than 100,000 records in-house, and 13 million records have been digitized through History Nebraskas collaborations with outside partners. Yet, Vacha said, there are many millions more remaining to digitize.

With the new lab, History Nebraska has the space to add necessary equipment and allow staff to better coordinate and collaborate, leading to increased efficiency and faster digitization, he said. This generous gift from the Swanson Biggs Adams Foundation aids History Nebraska in providing access to our archives, and enables History Nebraska to truly make Nebraskas history open to all.

The History Nebraska Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is dedicated to supporting and promoting the mission and work of History Nebraska. History Nebraska Foundations mission is to spread awareness of History Nebraskas efforts and seek financial support from those with a passion for Nebraskas rich and diverse history. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. For more information, contact Vacha at tyler@historynebraskafoundation.org or 402-853-4282.
Anastasis Theatre Company is touring its production of More than a Number, a play inspired by and created in collaboration with residents of the Nebraska Prison System.

Last year, Anastasis Theatre Co. conducted story circles and workshops with residents of the Nebraska State Penitentiary. Residents were actively involved in creating More than a Number. In June, two performances of the play took place inside NSP.

Now, ATC will tour the production in Lincoln and Omaha with a cast including people impacted by incarceration and professional actors. The tour kicked off in Omaha Friday and runs for two weekends in three locations.

Working on this play has transformed the way I see our correctional system, said Haley Haas, artistic director, Anastasis Theatre Co. Helping to share these stories is a privilege, and I hope everyone who sees the play will have a deeper understanding of the impact incarceration has on individuals and families in this state.

Im new to acting, and so far, its been amazing, said cast member James Eagle Feather. Im so grateful Im given the opportunity to prove my worth.

More Than a Number continues in Lincoln at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 1200 S. 40th St. Tickets are free and can be reserved at www.eventbrite.com/o/anastasis-theatre-co-34171563175.
For more than 35 years, Rotary members around the world have worked to eradicate polio from the face of the earth. Beginning in 1979 with a vaccination effort in the Philippines and continuing until today with the final push in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the effort to free the children of the world from the disease continues.

World Polio Day on Monday, Oct. 24, is designed to unite and ignite people across the world to make the final push to wipe out a disease that is paralyzing and potentially dangerous.

In addition to the worldwide emphasis, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Secretary of State Robert Evnen have issued a proclamation recognizing the work that the nearly 4,000 Rotary members across Nebraska have done to contribute to the cause. The proclamation encourages all citizens to join Rotary Clubs across Nebraska to be vaccinated and donate to help with the fight for a polio-free world.

Rotary members from across Nebraska have not only contributed to the more than $2 billion raised to vaccinate against polio, they have personally traveled to other countries to participate in mass vaccination campaigns.

It is inspiring to hear stories from members of our clubs after theyve helped inoculate children in remote villages, said Barbara Bartle, district governor of the nearly 40 clubs in eastern Nebraska.

Not only that, our members have undertaken all sorts of campaigns and activities to raise money in their hometowns, added Deb McCaslin, district governor of the more than 30 clubs in western Nebraska.

On World Polio Day, hundreds of events are being coordinated on every continent. The head of the World Health Organization and Rotary International President Jennifer Jones will address the status of the polio eradication effort and outline the final steps to reach that last .01% of the worlds population with vaccinations.

Across Nebraska, Rotary members have participated in bike rides, races, pancake breakfasts and a variety of other efforts to raise awareness and money. Funds raised locally are matched by the Rotary International Foundation as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

It is inspiring to participate in an effort that formally began in 1985 as Polio Plus and continues even today, said Gretchen Bren, a member of Rotary of Omaha Night Club and chair of the District 5650 effort to eradicate polio. For example, my husband Gary is riding his bicycle on an endurance ride of 101 miles and raising $30,000 from Rotarians and their friends to be used for polio eradication. In 2017, Gretchen Bren traveled to Nigeria to help inoculate children.

Rotary started more than 100 years ago as a way for businessmen to get to know one another, and over the years members have worked to serve their local communities, states, regions, countries and the rest of the world. There are well over 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries. Clubs now include both men and women, they meet at all hours of the day and evening in person and online, and their focus is on seven major initiatives. These include fighting disease, promoting peace, providing clean water and sanitation, saving mothers and children, supporting education, growing local economies and protecting our environment.

Clubs in Nebraska are organized into two districts: Western Nebraska, https://rotary5630.org/ and Eastern Nebraska (including a portion of Western Iowa), https://rotarydistrict5650.org/.
RACINE The man who admitted to ordering absentee ballots of Mayor Cory Mason and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday in Racine County Circuit Court.

Harry Wait is charged with two felonies for misappropriating identification information and two misdemeanors for election fraud for using the identifying information of Mason, a Democrat, and Vos, a Republican, to order their absentee ballots via the Wisconsin Elections Commissions MyVote website.

Wait has claimed he did not use the information for criminal purposes, but to expose a flaw in the system, and thus asserts he is innocent of having committed a crime.

Preliminary hearing

Before the arraignment, the court held a preliminary hearing, a step in the process to determine if there was sufficient evidence to proceed.

Andrew Schoeneck, a special agent with the Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation, testified for the prosecution about the investigation into allegations Wait used personal identifying information to request ballots.

The investigation was initiated on a complaint from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, who provided records showing the absentee ballots were ordered on July 26, 2022 to be sent to the home of Wait.

Wait did not try to hide the fact he was ordering absentee ballots. He made videos that he posted to the internet showing what he was doing and, Schoeneck said, Wait posted them to multiple social media sites.

In ordering the ballots, Wait had to enter the personal information of both Vos and Mason and then checked a box that indicated, the above address and name are mine and are correct  which was not true.

The video also showed Wait check a box indicating the requester was indefinitely confined due to age/disability/illness and requested ballots be sent every election, according to the evidence presented.

Wait also checked the box that said, I certify that all statements on this form are true and correct, Schoeneck said.

The investigator had the opportunity to interview Wait during the course of the investigation, he said.

According to Schoeneck, Wait claimed to have used the personal information of the victims to order their absentee ballots from a booth at the Racine County Fair. A group that Wait leads, HOT (Honest, Open, Transparent) Government had a booth at the fair.

During the conversation with Mr. Wait, he said he did not have the permission of (Robin Vos) and (Cory Mason) to request their ballots, Schoeneck said, adding that Wait did not appear to have a high opinion of either man.

Wait allegedly described the two men as scofflaws, which is a person who flouts the law. He also allegedly described them as being above the law.

Daniel Hartman, representing the defendant, asked Schoeneck if he was aware the defendant turned the ballots over to the Racine County Sheriffs Office, attempting to show his client did not intend to use the ballots.

Schoeneck responded in the affirmative.

Hartman attempted to question the investigator about whether Wait represented himself as either Mason or Vos to benefit himself; that is, if Waits purpose for requesting the ballot was for Waits personal gain.

However, Repischak repeatedly reminded Hartman the purpose of the preliminary hearing was not to try the case but to establish whether a felony had been committed. The other issues, he said, were for the jury.

According to Hartman, he was connected with Wait by a mutual friend: former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who led a monthslong investigation of the 2020 election at taxpayer expense ordered by Vos.

Argument

David Maas, from the Wisconsin Attorney Generals Office, argued the defendant committed identification theft and his purpose was to harm the reputation of both Vos and Mason.

Hartman told The Journal Times last week that he plans to raise a defense that since Wait did not use Masons or Vos information for personal gain, he cannot be convicted of misappropriating identification information.

The statute regarding ID theft requires the state to show the defendant got something from the identification theft. Maas said the benefit did not have to have a commercial or market value.

In this case the defendant used the personal identifying information to obtain a ballot, Maas said. What he did with that ballot is irrelevant. Whether he intended to vote with that ballot is irrelevant ... The purpose is that he used the information to obtain the ballot. Surrendering the ballot after the fact is irrelevant.

Hartman countered by saying that the statutes do not require a signature to obtain the ballot. The signature is only relevant with the returned ballot and that is when the representation is made, he said.

The statutory scheme does not require that you represent that you are the individual to obtain the ballot, Hartman said. Thats the point Mr. Wait was trying to make. It is only when voting, he continued, when a person represents they are the person with the authority to vote.

He added the statutes do not require a representation in order to obtain the ballot electronically. To get the ballot at the clerks office, voters do make representations, he continued, but electronically a person can get the ballot without it, as Wait has shown; a ballot addressed to Mason was delivered to Waits home, but a ballot addressed to Vos was not delivered.

Hartman also signaled that in the future he intended to argue Waits actions were protected political speech to expose you could obtain a ballot without sufficient security.

Repischak ruled there was sufficient evidence to bind the case over for trial.
RACINE  A 28-year-old man was arrested Thursday in Racine, hours after he was publicly named as a suspect in the March shooting death of a Racine teenager, the Racine Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service announced Friday.

The suspect, Crishawn Shawn Clemons, is accused of fatally shooting 14-year-old Eugene J.R. Henderson on March 13; Henderson died two days later.

The RPD said in a release Friday that officers and federal marshals captured and arrested Crishawn Clemons at his home in Racine. Online court records indicate Clemons address is in the 1900 block of Green Street. The Racine Police Department asked for the publics help Thursday morning in finding Clemons and released his mugshot.

Online court records indicate a felony charge of first-degree intentional homicide with use of a dangerous weapon was filed Sept. 29 against Clemons; an arrest warrant was also issued that day. If convicted, Clemons could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Clemons made an initial court appearance while in custody Friday and was given a $500,000 cash bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.

The Racine Police Department said Friday that Clemons had been developed as a suspect during this long, diligent investigation.

A criminal complaint states that a number of suspects lied to police about what happened the night of March 13.

One of the suspects, identified only by his initials in the criminal complaint, was recorded saying Shawn was driving and Im not telling on my brother after an officer left the room he was interviewing the individual in.

When that individual was interviewed again, after police reviewed the prior recording and heard what was said without an officer in the room, the individual admitted he was in a car that Clemons was driving when Clemons shot Henderson, according to the criminal complaint. The complaint states that the individual said Clemons attempted to catch up to another vehicle while driving and that, after they caught up, Clemons reached over (the passenger) and fired two shot(s) through the passenger window ... and into the other vehicle.

The individual also said he lied during the first interview because he was scared, according to police. Upon interviewing three others, police said that they confirmed the individuals new story was accurate and that Clemons was the shooter.

Two teenagers in June had been arrested and charged in connection with Hendersons death, but charges against the teens were dropped less than a month later.

Other allegations

In addition to the homicide, Clemons is facing charges related to drug dealing earlier this year and a misdemeanor for operating a motor vehicle without a license in 2020.

Four times in the winter and spring of 2022, the Racine County Sheriffs Office reported that a confidential informant purchased ecstasy pills from Clemons, for which he has been charged with two counts of felony delivery of designer drugs as a repeat offense and two counts of felony delivery of designer drugs as a repeat offense near a school.

Clemons has a criminal history dating back to 2011, with convictions for felony defacing ID marks on a firearm, possession of marijuana, battery, and hit-and-run.

He was most recently incarcerated from Oct. 22, 2019-Nov. 11, 2019, according to criminal complaints.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul received endorsements from Kenosha County Democrats and union leaders Thursday afternoon.

Kaul, the Democrat running against Republican Eric Toney, highlighted the endorsements in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse flanked by supporters.

The attorney general leads the Wisconsin Department of Justice and chief legal officer of the state. Kaul first took office in 2019 as the states 45th attorney general.

Kaul, who grew up in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac, had previously served as a federal prosecutor in Baltimore, Md., where he prosecuted violent criminals and drug traffickers. In 2014, Kaul moved back to Wisconsin and in 2018 defeated Republican incumbent Republican Brad Schimel.

Kaul was endorsed Thursday by Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley, State Rep. Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha, State Rep. Tod Ohnstad, D-Kenosha, and leadership of the Kenosha Professional Firefighters Local 414.

Its a privilege to be back in Kenosha, Kaul said. My top priority as attorney general always has been and always will be public safety. At the Wisconsin Department of Justice we investigate and prosecute some of the most serious offenses in the State of Wisconsin, everything from homicides to serial rape cases to drug-trafficking and other serious crimes. Were going to keep doing that as long as Im attorney general.

Kaul said its crucial to invest in the criminal justice system because its been underfunded in Wisconsin for decades.

We need to get our local law enforcement and other first responders and other people in the justice system the resources they need to fight crime and keep our communities safe as effectively as possible, Kaul said. We want to invest in officer recruitment, retention and wellness, community policing, violence prevention efforts, victim services and mental health crisis response, among other things. I also have called for an increase in shared revenue, so that more money is going from state government to local governments so that our local leaders can make critical investments in key public services including local law enforcement.

Antaramian said he strongly supports Kauls leadership and decision-making.

Kenosha went through a number of difficult times and when we were in need Josh came through, Antaramian said. He did the things he needed to do to give us support. That is so very, very important.

Antaramian said Kaul has integrity and will be there if elected to make sure the people in the State of Wisconsin are protected.

Graveley said he believes Kaul wont play politics in office. Graveley said he is endorsing from a nonpartisan place.

I say that comfortably because four years ago I endorsed Brad Schimel for re-election even though Im a Democratic elected official. I endorsed the Republican candidate, I believed him to be a professional prosecutor and Josh Kaul was brand new to me and my experience, Graveley said. Ive now had an opportunity to work with Attorney General Josh Kaul for four years. In working with him for four years I want to state it as simply as I can: Josh Kaul has been results-oriented in battling all the things that make our community less safe. His opponent is politics first. Josh Kaul is results first.

Ricardo Lebron, president of the firefighters union, said the they stand and endorse Josh Kaul as attorney general.

We trust Josh Kaul, and we trust him being on the front lines to know that hes always got out back and that he keeps public safety at the forefront to protect us so that we can do our jobs, Lebron said. He had our back in real life when we needed him the most.

The organizations vice-president, Joseph Sielski, expressed similar sentiments.

Josh Kaul is fighting to keep Wisconsin communities safe by investing in public safety, Sielski said. Attorney General Kaul has fought to hold big pharma accountable for the opioid crisis. Thanks to him, Wisconsin will see more than $400 million in settlement funds from companies like Purdue Pharma. These settlement funds will help first responders across the state respond to the opioid epidemic and save lives.

Sielski said Kaul is the only candidate running who will stand with the firefighters.
RACINE  The City of Racines plan to hire City Council President John Tate II as the citys first-ever violence prevention manager may not have been carried out legally, two former aldermen are alleging. The city attorneys office says it is now reviewing whether state law was followed.

It is not uncommon for a municipal government to hire an elected official, but there are state laws and codes that aim to limit and in some cases outright ban such hires. Two former Racine aldermen are referencing those laws amid questions about the way in which Tate was hired.

Should a sitting official take a position working for the municipality that they voted to create? David Maack, who was a city alderman from 2001-2011, said in a phone interview Thursday night. From an appearance standpoint, it raises questions  Those questions I think need to be answered.

In a statement Friday, City Clerk Tara McMenamin said: The City Attorneys Office is reviewing the process followed to create and fill the grant-funded violence interruption coordinator function. The hiring of an elected official by their municipality is not unique.

Asked for comment Friday, Tate, a career social worker who previously led the state Parole Commission, said in a text to a reporter: In my experience, it (the hiring process) was no different than any other civil service panel that Ive participated in or run. Apply, pass the initial screening, conduct an interview with a panel of subject matter experts, they evaluate and score, and a hiring decision is made.

Legality questioned

Two former aldermen  Maack and CJ Rouse  have been among those questioning the hiring process, citing two state statutes and the state code of ethics.

There are questions of whether its ethical or legal for an alderman to take a position you created and voted on, Rouse, who resigned in August for health reasons 16 months after being elected, said in a phone interview Thursday night.

Maack and Rouse both pointed to a briefing, which appears on the nonpartisan League of Wisconsin Municipalities website, that says, A governing body member should resign prior to applying for any paid employment position with his or her municipality, citing the state code of ethics for elected officials.

Tate said he plans to resign from the City Council, but has not resigned yet and does not plan to for several weeks.

I will resign as council president and alder before my start date as violence prevention manager on Nov. 14, 2022, he said in a statement Thursday. The Third District deserves representation and council deserves steady leadership, which is why I will not be stepping down prior to the passage of the 2023 budget.

According to the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, To avoid committing a Class I felony, a governing body member should resign before applying  informally or formally  for a position with their municipality that pays more than $15,000 in a calendar year. This is because, according to LWM, submission of an application for such employment may constitute negotiating or bidding for a contract in a way that could violate a state law that bans elected officials from entering into a private contract when the official is involved in the making of that same contract.

Asked if her office was looking at the situation, Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson said in an email Friday morning, Nothing has been referred to me yet by any police agency.

Another state law says that local elected officials are not eligible for any office or position that was created during the term the elected official is currently serving. Tate was most recently re-elected to the City Council in April 2020, and the job he is being hired for was approved by vote of the City Council on July 19, 2022.

When Rouse heard about Tate being hired as violence prevention manager, Rouse said, It immediately made me think of how, when an alderman has to vote on a salary raise for aldermen, it (the raise) cant take effect until the next term  How can you vote on something and then benefit from it?

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities declined to comment or to make one of its subject-matter experts available for an interview. A spokesperson said it is the leagues policy to not comment directly on situations involving member municipalities. The spokesperson did point to the briefing on its website (lwm-info.org/1048) referenced by Rouse and Maack.

Questions

HIRING PROCESS: The position was posted publicly. Applications opened on Sept. 8 and closed at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 22, according to GovernmentJobs.com and a job description provided to The Journal Times by the city.

It was advertised like (other) city positions we recruit for, McMenamin said in an email Friday.

Mayor Cory Mason said that Tate was hired after being interviewed by a panel that included Racines police chief, the public health director, a national expert on violence prevention and the city administrator, WISN-TV reported.

There ended up being 20 applicants for the position, three of whom were interviewed by the panel, McMenamin said. The other two interviewed were Cynthia S. Vargas of Zion, Illinois, a University of Wisconsin-Parkside graduate who currently works as the victim specialist for the Lake County States Attorneys Office; and Ramon Candelaria, the current associate executive director of the Racine-based nonprofit Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin.

PAY: That job posting listed a salary range of $78,520-$101,004.80 (equal to $37.75-$48.56 per hour).

Median household income in the City of Racine was $44,346 in 2020, according to the U.S. Census.

Funding for the position is not coming directly out of local taxpayer funds but rather from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Biden administrations $1.9 trillion spending package through which the City of Racine received approximately $47 million. In July, the City Council approved allocating nearly $800,000 in ARPA funds to a variety of violence prevention projects.

Among the projects listed was the allocation of $150,000 for a limited-time employment violence interruption coordinator who would help facilitate the process of creating a Racine version of a Blueprint for Peace. Also in the allocation was another $100,000 for a Racine version Blueprint for Peace initiative modeled after a program of the same name already in place in Milwaukee.

The first years budget for the Office of Violence Prevention is $250,000, McMenamin said.

The 2023 budget makes no mention of the Office of Violence Prevention or violence prevention manager, although the total budget for salaries within the Public Health Department is due to increase from $1,270,894 in 2022 to $1,449,536 in 2023.

BOSS: The director of the City of Racines Public Health Department, a role currently filled by Dottie-Kay Bowersox, would oversee the Office of Violence Prevention.

Acceptance Here is (part of) what John Tate II said in a lengthy statement Thursday regarding his acceptance of the offer to become the City of Racines first violence prevention manager: For the past six years, I have served the Third district of the City of Racine as alder, and for the past three years I have led the Common Council as president. During that time, I have navigated challenges big and small, ranging from assisting residents with garbage collection and alley repairs to governing through a once-in-a-century pandemic and the subsequent recovery. Now, we face a crisis of violence, specifically gun violence, in the City of Racine. As Alder, I have called for comprehensive responses to all of the challenges we have faced, which require both proactive and preventative efforts as well as reactive and mitigating efforts. Our response to the rising violence should be no different. That is why I am excited to accept the position of Violence Prevention Manager with the City of Racine. This announcement is bittersweet as it has been an honor and privilege to represent the people of the Third District and lead the Common Council. However, Racine is my home and when our community is suffering as it has been with the violence seen this past year, I am called to serve in a different, necessary capacity.

From elected to hired

This is the second instance in less than two years of a Racine City Council member not resigning before accepting a job to work for the city. In August 2021, then-Alderman Trevor Jung was hired to become the citys transit manager; Michael Maierle, who had been transit manager since 2015, was in the process of retiring at the time.

Questions regarding the ethics and legality of hiring a current elected official to work for the city were not raised nearly as loudly when Jung was hired as they are now being raised regarding Tate. Jung declined to comment on the record for this story.

These kinds of hires, of elected officials joining the staff of their municipality, are not uncommon. In Milwaukee, two high-level officials  the leader of Milwaukees Office of Violence Prevention, Ashanti Hamilton, and Budget Director Nik Kovac  were both aldermen when they were hired by Mayor Cavalier Johnson in April and August, respectively, to work for the city.

Maack noted that his concerns have nothing to do with whether Jung or Tate would be good fits for their positions.

Its not whether theyre qualified for the job, Maack said. Its about transparency, and its about making sure everything was done above board.

From one to another

On Monday, near the conclusion of a City Council meeting, Mason asked Tate if he had any announcements to make. Tate said he did not.

It was not clear to the public what Mason was alluding to for almost another 48 hours.

The week prior, it had been reported that Tate was being hired by the City of Madison to be its first-ever police monitor. But on Tuesday, after Masons and Tates announcement-less exchange, a City of Madison official said that Tate was actually not going to take the position in the state capital and instead was going to be hired by Racine. It was not disclosed what that position would be.

On Wednesday, the city announced that Tate was being hired to be the citys first-ever violence prevention manager. The announcement came just two days after Mason said in his 2023 budget address that he would be creating an Office of Violence Prevention with the intent of bringing a public health perspective to crime response.
Burlington Area School District records obtained by The Journal Times show that now-former teacher's aide Daniel Powers started out as a welcome addition to the staff, but that concerns about him surfaced as early as 2017 when he had a prohibited relationship on Facebook with a former student. Other concerns were raised years later, but were not immediately acted on until allegations raised by parents of alleged victims started becoming public.
1. Yes. Using marijuana odor to determine probable cause is vital to police investigations.

2. Yes. As the ordinance is written, it targets police; that shouldnt be allowed to stand.

3. No. The council should leave the ordinance alone and respect the will of the voters.

4. No. The council should repeal the ordinance altogether. It conflicts with state law.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the council should proceed on addressing the ordinance.

Vote

View Results
The Microsoft Cloud will generate about $39 billion over four years and create close to 100,000 jobs in the UAE, according to an International Data Corporation (IDC) study released at Gitex Global 2022 in Dubai World Trade Centre.

The IDC Infosnapshot, sponsored by Microsoft, Microsoft Cloud Dividend Snapshot for the UAE shows that between now and 2026, the four-year accumulated total for new revenue from the Microsoft Cloud will be $39 billion, with 16.6% accumulated benefit emanating from its cloud data centre regions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This revenue will be generated by the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem, made up of Microsoft, its partners, and its cloud customers.

IDCs findings are confirmation that Microsofts efforts to support the government, business community, citizens, and residents of the UAE are bearing fruit, said Naim Yazbeck, General Manager, Microsoft UAE. Since we opened our Abu Dhabi and Dubai data centres in 2019, the trusted, versatile, flexible Microsoft Cloud has been driving investment in economies, the creation of jobs, a reduction in carbon emissions, and progress in sustainability. IDCs snapshot is a projection of how our continued efforts will bring further successes for the communities we serve.

Large cross section

Customers and partners benefitting from the Microsoft Cloud in the UAE and beyond come from a large cross section of industry and government and include Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA), the Ministry of Education and leading banks such as First Abu Dhabi National Bank and Mashreq Bank, transport hubs such as DP World and DXB Airport and retail conglomerates including Majid Al Futtaim Retail among others.

Microsoft and its partner ecosystem, in support of growing local businesses, will spend about $3.4 billion in the UAE data centre regions for services and products in local economies. And the new regions will also help eliminate some of the barriers to cloud adoption within the region. The snapshot report also shows how benefits accruing to partners will continue to rise. Microsoft partners in 2023 can expect to make $6.40 for every dollar generated by Microsoft through its UAE cloud locations. By 2026, this figure is expected to be $8.49.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, its partners, and its customers will add over 97,000 jobs to the UAE economy, either through direct employment or through the indirect generation of jobs in other organisations. This will include an estimated over 29,000 new skilled IT jobs, highlighting the ongoing need for collaboration between public and private entities on skilling programmes to ensure that qualified professionals are on hand to assume these roles.

Microsoft has long been a trusted partner in the UAEs growth journey, Yazbeck added. We guide individuals, enterprises, and governments to leverage our products, platforms, and data-driven services to thrive in a connected world. We pledge to continue investing in infrastructure, research, and people to ensure a future that is prosperous and sustainable for everyone in the UAE.-- TradeArabia News Service
HOLDREGE  It isnt often when a principal doesnt know about an assembly at the school.

But for Holdrege High School Principal Captain Jeremy Ham, that was the case when he walked into the schools gym last week. The entire school gathered to see Staff Sergeant Jerromy Cissell present Ham with the Army Commendation Medal. The medal is presented to soldiers who have contributed acts of heroism or meritorious service.

Typically, military awards are presented in front of military people. ... We thought it would be pretty cool for you guys  the faculty, the staff, the students  to see just the wonderful man of Mr. Principal Captain Jeremy Ham being presented with this award because he is one of the most amazing men I have ever met in my life, said Cissell during the presentation.

This is Hams fourth time receiving the award, and later this year he will receive the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, a national military award only bestowed to 28 people each year. Ham will be presented the award at a ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

For Ham, receiving recognition for his years in the service is a humbling experience, but its not something he flaunts. He didnt even expect anyone to know about his latest military achievements until the school gathered together to honor him.

He doesnt do anything for his own recognition. He just loves people. He wants to help them, and he wants to make this world a better place and he is going to do everything in his power to make that happen, Cissell said.

Hams career in the service began when he joined the Army Reserves in 1995 as a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Originally, I joined because my current stress was paying for college and that was one of the great benefits to joining. So, it helped pay for my education, he explained. And then once I got into it, I enjoyed it, and I was doing well with it. I was enlisted, and then I made the transition to becoming an officer when I was in the Reserves.

He began teaching in Gretna in 1999 and was deployed to Iraq in 2004 for one year. Ham served as a platoon leader for his company, and they were responsible for convoy security across Iraq. When he left, his oldest child was only a week and a half old.

That was a little adjustment. My wife was initially a single mom for the first year and a half or so. That was the biggest thing, Ham said.

Ham worried his daughter wouldnt know him when he returned home, so he recorded himself reading childrens books for her to watch.

She played those all the time while I was gone, so it wasnt that big of a deal, Ham said.

Ham took a break from the service after his deployment and continued teaching in Gretna until 2009. He then returned to his hometown of Holdrege to teach industrial technology at HHS. After a 10-year hiatus from the military, a friend encouraged Ham to finish his 20 years of service to be eligible for retirement. He decided to join the National Guard in 2016, and he became active duty in 2018. Ham was the commander for Bravo Company for the Recruiting and Retention Battalion for the National Guard from June 2018 until September 2020.

Within that time period, it was the most successful company the Nebraska Army National Guard had ever seen under Mr. Principal Cpt. Jeremy Hams leadership, Cissell said. Because he was so amazing of a commander for Bravo company they were like, Hey, Alpha Company is struggling. We need him, and he needs to come back and be the Alpha Company commander. So, they pull him out of his other job because he is so awesome at it, and they make him Alpha Company commander.

Ham led the Alpha Company for nine months and then decided to take on the role of principal at HHS in June. It wasnt an easy decision for Ham to choose between a career in the military or education. He is still in the National Guard, but he is focused on giving his time and attention to his school.

Captain Jeremy Ham's military awards General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster Army Reserve Component Achievements Medal with two oak leaf clusters National Defense Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon II Army Service Ribbon Nebraska National Guard Commendation Medal Combat Action Badge National Guard Recruiting and Retention Badge

I think the experiences Ive gained as a leader in the military definitely shaped in a good way the way I can be a leader in the schools, Ham said. I just want to do what I can to improve the culture, make it a good place for students to learn and staff to want to work and to be an asset to the community.

Cissell has seen firsthand the positive impact Ham has on others and what an asset he is for Holdrege schools and the community.

The National Guard suffered a huge loss when Cpt. Ham decided to come be the principal here in Holdrege. Our loss is your guys gain, Cissell said. I have been in the military for 13 years. Both military and civilian leader, he is the best leader hands down I have had in my entire life.
Please write a short introduction about yourself.

"My name is Ken Fritz. I am the former Winona County Administrator. I have over forty years serving the public in a variety of management roles. I retired in 2021 from Winona County and want to use my experience and expertise to give back to Winona County.

"I grew up in Rock Falls, Illinois, a small steel mill town surrounded by farms. My father was an electrician and my mother worked at the high school library.

"I have Master's degrees in both Public Administration and Business Administration. Im married to my lovely wife Karen Fritz. We have three grown children and four grandchildren."

Why are you the best candidate for this seat?

"The current dynamic between Board members is not productive. The Board needs to work harder to find common ground to mold decisions.

"My education and extensive experience coupled with my knowledge of the County gives me a unique perspective from which to help the Broad reach reasonable decisions."

What would be your top priority to act on if elected?

"My top priority is to bring back civil and productive discussions. For too long the County Board has been split and decisions made by the same majority. This dynamic needs to change. A house divided cannot stand."

What are you hearing from citizens as their top one or two concerns? How do you plan on addressing them?

"The top concerns Ive heard center around business, mandates, and voting integrity. Businesses see the County not as a partner but a hurdle to development. We need to better understand the needs of business and let them guide the actions of the County's economic development efforts and regulations if appropriate.

"People are also concerned that certain members of the Board supported government overreach during the pandemic. The County Board is also the Community Health Board (CHB). While the CHB sought insight from County staff they do not have a formal mechanism to get input from local health professionals. I would like to see the County create an advisory board made up of doctors with differing views. Further, the County should avoid mandates and foster voluntary compliance which retains personal medical liberty.
UAE-based Azizi Developments has signed an agreement with global technology major Honeywell for the supply of wiring accessories as well as sockets and switches for its waterfront-lifestyle destination, Riviera, located in MBR City, Dubai.

Honeywell, the American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is globally renowned for its sustainable and advanced technologies.

It primarily operates in the business realms of aerospace, building technologies, performance materials and technologies, and safety and productivity solutions.

Honeywell has successfully implemented several sustainable and energy-efficient technology solutions and accessories across a wide range of high-profile projects in the GCC and around the world.

On the deal, CEO Farhad Azizi said: "Honeywell is undoubtedly a global leader in wiring accessories. The US-based manufacturers innovative, sustainable, and high-quality solutions offer the most value to our investors and end-users, making this our most recent step in enhancing the lives of those who will reside in our communities."

"We are delighted to make them a part of our list of chosen best-in-class suppliers and look forward to their products being installed in our world-class projects," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Why are you the best candidate for this seat?

"My thirty-six years of experience in Winona County working with many departments within the County and other support agencies gives me an advantage as to how operations, communications, and budgets function. At this time law enforcement is experiencing a shortage of qualified individuals seeking positions in that career field. Winona County has a new Detention Center which will be completed and operational within a year. Having a retired law enforcement officer on the board should assist with recruitment. I have held leadership positions and have had as many as thirty-three personnel, that I was responsible for training and management. The position of County Commissioner is non-partisan, I'm a Constitutionalist and believe no one should be cancelled, all voices, concerns and opinions need to be heard."

What would be your top priority to act on if elected?

"Public safety along with clean drinking water is very important to all citizens. My experience with the programs used to reduce recidivism such as treatment court and Veterans Court will have my full support. I believe there is room for business growth in our County as long as all environmental pre-cautions have been met."

What are you hearing from citizens as their top one or two concerns? How do you plan on addressing them?

"Citizens are very concerned about how our elections are handled.
Oscar winner Tom McCarthy created Alaska Daily to shine a light on journalists and the work they do.

Viewers, he says, need to understand not only the work journalists do but who they are and what drives them. Weve seen recurring violence against reporters thats come after years and years of targeted and systemic demonization and dehumanization of these people in an attempt for a power grab.

His film, Spotlight, showed how much work it takes to ferret out a story. But Alaska Daily goes deeper. I thought, Lets try to open this up and really understand these peopleand how they see everything in their lives through the lens of their craft and their passion.

His tour guide into the world is Eileen Fitzgerald, an investigative journalist who leaves her New York life behind and joins the staff of the Daily Alaskan in Anchorage. There, she gets immersed in a story about missing and murdered Indigenous women and shows how one source leads to another and, ultimately, a story.

Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank plays Fitzgerald. Shes a truth seeker, Swank says. She wants to make sure that justice is done and that people see the truth in situations and people who are corrupt. People dont want to be lied to anymore.

When I learned about the missing Indigenous women about six months before I spoke to (McCarthy), I was so angry and so horrified. We had a day player last week who said, My mom went missing. Its not just something that were telling.

Alaska Daily, she adds, should be able to inform as well as entertain. When you learn something while you watch, thats the best of all worlds.

McCarthy says he was inspired by a series of stories written by the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica that took a hard look at the missing and murdered crisis.

To set a journalism show in Alaska and not take some time to examine that would almost be negligent, he says. It was a terrific opportunity to put such an important topic onto mainstream TV and maybe start a conversation with the lower 48, as Alaskans like to refer to us. Maybe with this show we could make some that was not only compelling but could raise some interesting questions.

To help her find a connection with Alaskans, Swanks character is paired with a native reporter. Their approaches are different, but their strengths complement one another, Swank says. In the beginning, they definitely butt heads. It takes both of their strengths to get the job done.

Grace Dove, who plays the Alaska native, says its not uncommon to see reporters come to the state and do stories like this for the wrong reasons. They bring up these stories for the attention. They dont put in the work that its going to take to support Indigenous peoples. To see this go on to network television, its incredible.

McCarthy says the heart of Alaska Daily is local reporting. Thats something I wanted to drill down on and why its important, why it matters.

News deserts, he says, pop up because there are no local journalists or newspapers in small towns that can identify the personalities of their community. Were losing the ability to have these conversations locally. Thats something I really wanted to focus on.

Alaska Daily airs on ABC.
Please write a short introduction about yourself.

"My name is Dan Wilson, and Im the DFL candidate for State Senate here in the 26th District. I grew up in southwest Minnesota and graduated from Winona State University with a BS in biology and a minor in philosophy. After college, I lived in the Winona Catholic Worker house for years, where I helped people find housing, treatment, access to food, and helped provide emergency shelter when needed. I also spent two years in Arizona doing humanitarian relief work. Now I live with my spouse and young daughter on our farm north of Rushford, where I custom graze dairy cows."

Why are you the best candidate for this seat?

"Here in southeastern Minnesota, we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. But too many of our neighbors are struggling to get by. We need public officials who know what our families are going through, and who are fighting to make our lives better, not just advancing their own political careers. That means expanding access and lowering costs for healthcare, including mental health and addiction treatment. It means quality public schools with small class sizes and well-resourced classrooms. And it means investment in rural communitiesbroadband in every home and farmhouse, equipped Emergency Medical Services, grants and low-cost loans to help farm businesses weather storms, and support for farmers to invest in their soil so that farming can be sustainable for generations. All this is possible with our current state budget. We just need a Senator who shares our values and priorities to make it happen."

What would be your top priority to act on if elected?

"I know firsthand that its too hard for farmers to get by. Just last year, we had an extreme drought that crushed crop and livestock farmers like me and my neighbors. Instead of helping us out, my opponent and his allies in the Senate blocked $16 million in relief that we needed. Thats what happens when you dont have any farmers in the Minnesota Senate  no one is looking out for our agricultural communities. My top priority would be more support for farmers and for rural Minnesotans. That means help when extreme weather hits, but also investment in farm businesses and rural Main Street economies to help our towns grow and thrive."

What are you hearing from citizens as their top one or two concerns? How do you plan on addressing them?
ROCHESTER  Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling has endorsed Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and recorded a radio advertisement supporting Vos reelection campaign for the state Assembly.

Vos race is an odd one, with two write-in candidates seeking to unseat the Republican incumbent  one a Democrat and the other another Republican.

While the district Vos has represented since 2005 consistently votes for Republicans, theres a chance the alternative GOP write-in candidate could receive enough votes that Vos would be unable to earn a majority, creating a competitive three-way race.

In 2020, Vos received 19,919 votes in District 63, handily defeating Democrat Joel Jacobsen, who received 14,132 votes. But that year, there was no write-in.

In this years August primary, Vos won by a margin of only 260 votes over Republican challenger Adam Steen.

Steen had received an endorsement from former Republican President Donald Trump. The final ballot count in the primary was 5,084 votes for Vos and 4,824 for Steen.

With Steen continuing to run as a write-in, he is likely to again receive thousands of votes in the current election that ends Nov. 8. Even if Steen is unable to garner enough support to upset and unseat Vos, he could siphon enough votes from the incumbent to give Jacobsen an outsiders chance at flipping District 63 blue.

Without naming Vos challengers, Schmaling referenced this possibility in a radio advertisement that has received airplay on WISN (AM 1130).

He (Vos) has fought to increase funding for law enforcement, and he has a plan to fix the broken justice system, Schmaling says in the radio advertisement. As sheriff, Ive seen Robin lead the fight for election reforms, and he worked so hard against Tony Evers COVID lockdowns that extra (law enforcement) patrols around his familys home were added due to liberal protests and even death threats.

Liberals hope that a write-in candidate will steal enough conservative votes from Robin to let a Democrat win. We cannot allow that to happen.

Those who question the validity of President Joe Bidens election victory two years ago have made Vos one of their primary targets in Wisconsin, even though multiple recounts and reviews  including from nonpartisan and conservative groups  have found no evidence of widespread foul play.

Steen, Vos and Schmaling all supported Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections. However, Trump began attacking Vos and endorsed Steen in the primary because Vos continuously refused to support recalling Wisconsins electoral votes from the 2020 election.

On Monday, the conservative website WisconsinRightNow.com reported that it had received leaked recordings of phone calls from Steens campaign. In one phone call, according to WisconsinRightNow, Steen also disparaged Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, who is highly regarded by conservatives. He was a d***head, (Steen) said in a recording.

A consensus of election experts, constitutional lawyers and the Wisconsin Legislatures own attorneys agree that overturning Bidens election victory would be illegal and unconstitutional, despite Trumps claims to the contrary, as he has unsuccessfully fought to return to the White House and mulls a 2024 presidential campaign.
WATERFORD  Talks aimed at combining fire departments among several communities are getting started with pleas for negotiators to keep their egos in check and remain focused on common objectives.

Village of Waterford officials were joined Thursday by representatives from the Town of Waterford and the Village of Rochester in the first meeting of a new effort at creating a regional fire department.

Participants discussed studying service initially in the two Waterfords plus Rochester and Wind Lake. But they also agreed to approach other neighboring communities to gauge support for a bigger consolidation movement.

They also plan to approach Racine County officials about helping to persuade municipalities west of Interstate 94 to embrace the idea of significant change in how fire protection is delivered.

Waterford Village President Don Houston said it will be important to involve the county or some other outside facilitator rather than simply bring multiple cities, towns and villages to the negotiating table.

The new department should have a regional name not associated with any one community, Houston said, and talks should be aimed at future goals rather than past decisions.

That would save a lot of monkeying around, he said.

Rochester Village Administrator Betty Novy and Waterford Town Board member Doug Schwartz both agreed, saying that municipalities must be ready to give up a sense of local identity for the sake of regional efficiency.

Novy suggested leaving fire departments alone and creating only a consolidated ambulance service. But then she acknowledged the difficulty of separating fire protection from ambulance service.

Therell be some winners and losers, she said. But we all have to be open to change.

Also participating in the hour-long discussion inside Waterford Union High School were Waterford Village Board member Adam Jaskie and Town Board members Dale Gauerke and Teri Nicolai.

Rochester Village President Ed Chart and Norway Town Administrator Tom Kramer both were invited, but were unable to attend.

The ad hoc group plans next month to approach the Racine County Intergovernmental Cooperation Council, a regional partnership created by County Executive Jonathan Delagrave with municipal representatives countywide.

Consolidation of fire departments is not a new topic in Racine County, as several communities have wrestled with the expense of maintaining their own operations, often depending on volunteer firefighters rather than full-time professionals.

The neighboring village and town of Waterford decided to consider combined fire protection after recently forging a new agreement for village ambulances to handle emergency medical services in part of the town.

The village has its own fire department, while the town is served by the Tichigan Volunteer Fire Company.

All told, there are four fire departments with a combined 10 ambulances and six fire engines serving the two Waterfords, plus Rochester and Wind Lake.

Houston said some past equipment purchases have gone through simply to keep pace with neighboring departments. He questioned whether so many fire engines and ambulances are needed to serve a regional population of about 10,000 people.

He also said he hopes the new regional department can be assembled without any cuts in manpower, even among volunteer firefighters.

Nobodys going to lose their jobs, he said. Theyre all needed.

Participants noted, however, that consolidating fire departments is a new endeavor, and that they are embarking on the process with a degree of uncertainty about what lies ahead.

Where to start, I really dont know, Schwartz said.

Added Nicolai, Theres a lot of things to learn yet.
The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation has kicked off an art contest that challenges all 4-H members to explore their creativity.

The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation will sponsor the art contest, which is open to any current Wisconsin 4-H member, with cash prizes totaling nearly $1,000. The contest will be held virtually, with photos of all entries submitted electronically. Entries will be accepted from Tuesday, Nov. 1 until midnight on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

The contest is broken into nine categories:

Drawing using any medium.

Painting (acrylic, watercolor or oil).

Pottery, ceramics or clay.

Photography.

Paper.

Fabric, yarn or fiber.

Wood.

Any other media (digital, metalcraft, jewelry, leatherwork, wax, eggshells, taxidermy, etc.)

4-H art.

A winner will be chosen in each category, with a Best of Show award given to one entry chosen by the judging committee. Category winners will receive a $100 cash award. The Best of Show entry will receive an additional $150 cash award. Other art may be recognized but will not receive a cash award. Winners will be notified by email in February. A complete winners list, as well as photos of the winning entries, will be on the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation website by late February.

To be eligible for the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Art Contest, youth must be a 4-H member enrolled in 4H Online for the 2022-2023 4-H Program Year. Entrants do not need to be enrolled in any specific project to participate.

Entry Information

Entries will be accepted from Tuesday, Nov, 1 until midnight on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

A photo of the entry and the completed entry form must be submitted through the contest website: https://forms.gle/KPyDR4KPo2w8e8iF6 or

A tip sheet for entrants is available on the entry page. Contest entrants should review this information to learn how best to present and share their art.

Each artist may submit one entry in one or more category, but may submit only one entry in any one category.

For official contest rules and requirements and how to submit photos of artwork, visit Wis4HFoundation.org/events/celebrate-the-arts/.

Winning entries become the property of the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation. Proceeds from the Celebrate the Arts auction will be split, with half invested in the Talen Endowment for 4-H Arts Programming for future program needs, and half used for general arts programming.
Advanced Construction Technology Services (ACTS) has begun offering testing and certification of building products such as fire doors, walls, glazed partitions, and ceilings at its new laboratory in Dammam.

A leading third-party engineering firm based in Saudi Arabia, ACTS is a specialist in testing, inspection, certification, engineering services and knowledge and education covering the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia region.

The new facility will also conduct tests to evaluate the fire performance of load-bearing elements, skylights and roof assemblies in vertical and horizontal loading.

Dr Charbel R. Aoun, the Head of ACTS Fire Division, said: "This project was launched after years of planning and study, and is currently led by a team of international experts in fire resistance testing."

The ACTS lab has been accredited by the International Accreditation Services (IAS), the Saudi Accreditation Center (SAC), and the Gulf Accreditation Center (GAC) in addition to the Saudi Civil Defence.

"It gives us great pride to set this milestone for ACTS and to be uniquely associated with the Saudi Civil Defense, SAC, GAC, as well as the world-renowned certification firms, for their fire certification services in Saudi Arabia," he stated.

According to him, ACTS has also been selected by global certification agencies to conduct fire testing for product certification in Saudi Arabia

Dr Aoun said: "We look forward to increasing the awareness in Saudi Arabia on the importance of fire testing and on the use of testing as an effective prevention strategy from fire hazards. The Saudi market was underserved in this space, and we hope to contribute to higher levels of fire safety in the Kingdom."

ACTS, which is one of the few firms in the Middle East and the premier in KSA, provides fire safety testing and inspection services through its state-of-art fire testing laboratory.

This provides opportunity for companies to test their building products as per Saudi Building Code 201 (General Requirements), Code 801 (Saudi Fire Code), GCC Code, the International Building Code (IBC) and International Fire Code (IFC), he stated.

The fire testing and inspection services provided by ACTS cover a wide range of global standards such as ASTM, ISO, BS-EN, UL and NFPA standards, under its scope of accreditation, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A device floating in waters off the coast of southern Chile aims to collect data on nearby whales to protect them from passing ships.

The first electronic buoy was recently placed in the sea in the Gulf of Corcovado, about 1,100 kilometers from the capital, Santiago.

The device is designed to listen to the sounds whales make when they communicate with each other. The animals use sound to map their movements and to hunt.

The sounds are processed by artificial intelligence (AI)-powered computer systems in an effort to identify where the animals are. This information is then sent to shipping operators to help them avoid crashing into whales.

A non-profit organization called the Blue Boat Initiative put the buoy in place. The group seeks to develop and deploy technology tools to provide a warning system for shipping companies. In addition to helping protect whales, the smart buoy also collects data on the health of the ocean and the effects of climate change.

The group plans to place a series of buoys along the path whales take on trips from Antarctica to the equator. The Gulf of Corcovado is rich in sea life, including a large number of blue whales, as well as sei and Southern right whales. All these whales are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The areas whale population is largest during the summer season in the Southern Hemisphere.

In 2008, Chile banned whaling activities, including whaling for scientific purposes. The country has established a number of protected areas for whales and other endangered species.

"This is the beginning of a longer road," said Sonia Espanol, director of the Blue Boat Initiative. She noted that her team plans to cover the gulf with at least six buoys. "The idea is to be able to cover the entire migratory route of the whales from Antarctica to the equator," Espanol said.

The buoy works by using software called Listening to the Deep Ocean Environment (LIDO). The device continuously monitors ocean sounds. It uses AI to identify the kind of whales and where they are in real time. It then sends messages to nearby ships so they can reduce noise levels and try to avoid crashes.

The buoys also contain sensors to measure water temperatures, oxygen levels and more to predict ocean health and the effects of climate change. That information is expected to be used to help guide public environmental policies.

In the United States, scientists recently deployed a similar whale warning system off Americas west coast. That system, called Whale Safe, also uses buoys to identify the presence of whales.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

buoy  n. a floating object used in water to mark dangerous areas for boats

artificial intelligence  n. the development of computer systems with the ability to perform work that normally requires human intelligence

species  n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

route n. the way that something or someone regularly travels along

monitor  v. watch something carefully and record the results

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The late movie star Anna May Wong has become the first Asian American pictured on United States money.

Wong worked in Hollywood during a time of open racism and stereotyping of actors. During her career, Wong also became the first Asian American woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California.

Wongs face and hand are shown on a new version of the American quarter, a coin worth 25 cents. The United States Mint recently announced Wong is part of a five-part series of quarters released as part of its American Women Quarter Program.

Wong was born in 1905 in Los Angeles as Wong Liu Tsong. She was cast in her first part, or role, as an extra in the film The Red Lantern in 1919. At the time, she was just 14 years old. She got her first leading role in 1922 in the movie The Toll of the Sea.

She went on to appear in more than 60 films, including one of the first movies Hollywood released in color. Wong became the first Asian American lead actor in an American television show for her role in The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong in 1951.

Even with her success, Wong faced anti-Asian discrimination and racism in Hollywood where she was typecast and underpaid. She was repeatedly passed up for leading roles, forcing her to go to Europe to act in films. Wong also moved to London and New York to perform in theater. She died in 1961.

Ventris Gibson is director of the U.S. Mint. She called Wong a courageous supporter of increased representation and more multidimensional roles for Asian American actors.

Others chosen for the American Women Quarter Program include writer and civil rights champion Maya Angelou and astronaut Sally Ride. Ride became the first American woman to fly in space.

Anna May Wongs niece, who shares the name Anna Wong, told The Associated Press she was surprised, but pleased, when she learned how her aunt was being honored.

Wong was able to cooperate with the U.S. Mint on the coins design. She noted that many excellent artists came up with different versions of the coin during the creative process. I actually pulled out a quarter to look at the size to try and imagine how the images would transfer over to real life, Wong said.

The choice of Wong has excited many Asian Americans inside and outside of Hollywood.

Arthur Dong wrote the book Hollywood Chinese. He said the quarter feels like a confirmation of the contributions made to America not only by Wong, but other Asian Americans as well.

What it means is that people all across the nation  and my guess is around the world  will see her face and see her name, Dong said. If they dont know anything about her, they will ... be curious and want to learn something about her.

Wongs niece and others will take part in an event with the U.S. Mint on November 4 at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. One of Wong's movies, Shanghai Express, will be shown.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press and Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

stereotype  n. a fixed idea that people have about what a particular kind of person is like, especially an idea that is wrong

typecast  v. always giving an auto the same kind of character to play, usually because he or she is physically suited to that kind of part

courageous  adj. having of showing courage: the ability to control your fear in dangerous or difficult situations

multidimensional  adj. having many different features

transfer  v. to move someone or something from one place to another

contribution  n. something given to a cause of effort together with other people

curious  adj. interested in learning about people or things around you

________________________________________________________________________

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The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is preparing to deploy experimental Ebola vaccines to Uganda.

The WHOs representative in Uganda, Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, said Wednesday the deployment would happen in about two weeks.

The two vaccines being sent to the East African nation are still undergoing development. But they aim to target the Ebola version currently spreading in Uganda.

One vaccine was developed by a U.S.-based nonprofit, the Sabin Vaccine Institute. The other was developed by Britains Oxford University and the Serum Institute in India.

We are getting closer and closer to deploying vaccines, Woldemariam told The Associated Press. This is just another tool that we are going to try.

Officials said health workers in Uganda were making final preparations to receive and give out the experimental vaccines.

Ebola is a virus that can cause severe bleeding and organ failure. In serious cases, it can lead to death. A version of Ebola that came from Sudan is currently spreading in Uganda.

So far, the virus has infected at least 60 people and killed 44 in Uganda, WHO officials said. Those numbers do not include people who likely died of Ebola before the latest outbreak was confirmed.

Uganda declared the outbreak on September 20. It happened in a rural farming community about 150 kilometers west of the capital, Kampala. Officials in the area have issued stay-at-home orders and other restrictions in an effort to contain virus spread.

Ebola is passed through contact with bodily fluids of a sick person or by infected materials. Symptoms can include high temperature, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and bleeding.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that scientists do not know where the Ebola virus came from. But based on similar viruses, they believe it likely starts in bats or non-human primates. Ugandan officials are still investigating the start of the current outbreak.

Uganda has already had several Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed more than 200 people. An outbreak of Ebola that started in West Africa in 2014 killed more than 11,000 people.

Ebola was discovered in 1976 during two different outbreaks that happened at the same time in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The virus was first identified in a village in the Congo near the Ebola River and that is where it got its name.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press, Reuters and Agency France-Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

primate  n. a member of the group of animals that includes monkeys and people

symptom - a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present

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Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) has signed an agreement with King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) to collaborate on the research and development of mining technology.

The largest multi-commodity mining and metals company in the Middle East, Maaden said the agreement will facilitate collaboration on scientific and technical research, establish joint research programs to develop technology solutions and harness research and development expertise within a governed framework.

KFUPM has 16 research centers based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and spanning multiple disciplines such as research in engineering, hydrogen, renewable energy, intelligent manufacturing and robotics.

Maaden said through this deal it will leverage KFUPMs research capacity to produce viable technology solutions that can be rapidly adopted by the market. The two parties have also agreed to work together to facilitate the development of entrepreneurial businesses.

R&D, technology and digital transformation are essential for the advancement of the mining industry and are critical to deliver Maadens long-term growth strategy, said its Deputy CEO Abdulaziz Al Harbi after signing the deal with President of KFUPM Dr Muhammad Al Saggaf in the presence of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of KFUPM.

Through its partnership with leading local and international entities and institutions, Ma'aden will pursue to enhance its capabilities to advance the mining industry in the Kingdom, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The upcoming Nov. 8 general election will decide who represents Angelina County, and other parts of Deep East Texas, heading into the 88th legislative session.

Key issues the state will consider include: immigration, education reform, infrastructure and more. And these issues will be decided on with an expected budget surplus in mind.

For years, the county has been represented by two men, state Sen. Robert Nichols and state Rep. Trent Ashby, both Republicans. Both have faced opposition from candidates in other parties in the past and do so again this year.

Nichols is being challenged by Democrat Steve Russell and Libertarian Desarae Lindsey for the Senate District 3 seat.

Democrat Jason Rogers is challenging Ashby for what will be the new House District 9 in the Texas Legislature.

Nichols, Ashby and Russell all responded to the written questionnaire. Rogers and Lindsey were asked multiple times to do so but did not.

Each candidate was given 600 words to answer the four questions.

State representative

Q: In a brief statement, tell us about yourself.

Ashby: I was born and raised on a dairy farm in East Texas, where I learned the value of hard work at a young age. Im a proud product of our public school system, where I received an invaluable education from teachers who challenged me to seek success both in the classroom and through extracurricular activities like 4-H and FFA. I attended Texas A&M University where I met my wife, Nickie. After a few years, we returned to East Texas to raise our two boys. After finding a home, joining a church, and starting a family, I was fortunate to serve on the Lufkin ISD Board of Trustees to help ensure that my boys could receive the same invaluable education that we received from public schools. Years later, Im blessed to represent the folks of House District 57  soon to be House District 9  in the Texas House.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this position?

Ashby: As a born and bred East Texan, I have a deep desire to ensure that our region continues to thrive and prosper. To ensure that our future generations enjoy the many blessings our community has provided me and my family, we must protect and promote the industries that helped build our local economies, while also developing a local workforce to take advantage of future opportunities in technology and innovation. As State Representative, my number one priority will always be to serve as an advocate for East Texas.

Q: What is the biggest issue facing the state?

Ashby: I believe there are several issues facing our state. Here are a few that come to mind: addressing the teacher shortage, securing the border, lowering property taxes and working to create meaningful jobs.

Q: And how do you propose to fix it?

Ashby: I believe the Legislature should consider a variety of proposals aimed at addressing the teacher shortage. Whether through pay raises, signing bonuses or incentives, improvements to health and retirement benefits, or partnering with institutions of higher education to bolster our educator workforce, the Legislature should carefully consider all possible options to provide a solution to the current teacher shortage.

Because the federal government continues to ignore the ongoing border crisis, the Texas Legislature will once again step up to provide our state and local law enforcement officers at the border with the resources they need to better secure the border.

The recent revenue estimate issued by the Comptroller is an extraordinary testament to the strength and resiliency of the Texas economy. While any budget surplus is welcome news, I believe we should be mindful of the financial challenges many Texans are facing and make a conscious effort to craft fiscal policies that prioritize the taxpayer. Perhaps the heaviest burden Texas taxpayers carry is the payment of property taxes. In my opinion, the Legislature has the unique opportunity to dedicate billions of dollars to provide meaningful property tax relief, and I believe this should be a top priority next session.

Regarding job creation, I believe greater economic activity can be achieved through collaborative partnerships between our local workforce development boards, educational institutions, and industry. Through enhanced collaboration, we can demonstrate that our communities possess the resources and the talent to support greater economic development opportunities that will allow our region to grow and prosper for decades to come.

State senator

Q: In a brief statement, tell us about yourself.

Nichols: I have represented East Texas in the State Senate since I was first elected in 2006. I currently serve as the Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee and the Senate Special Committee to Protect All Texans. I also serve on the Finance, Business and Commerce, Criminal Justice and Local Government Committees.

Ive worked to reduce property taxes, protect landowners rights, expand broadband access, increase educational opportunities and reform state transportation policy. Before running for the Senate, I served as a Transportation Commissioner for eight years, during which I worked to improve the state highway system. I also served as a city council member and mayor of my hometown of Jacksonville, Texas. As a businessman, I built and ran several manufacturing businesses, employed over 900 employees, and earned 32 US patents and 128 foreign patents.

I married my high school sweetheart, Donna, and we have three wonderful children: Brittney, Joshua, and Collynnrae. We still live in Jacksonville and attend First United Methodist Church.

Russell: I am a native East Texan, the son of two public school educators. I earned a BA degree from SFASU in 1975 and a masters degree in pastoral ministries in 1980. I am a church pastor who also spent forty years in the insurance business, and I am a certified secondary education teacher. I turned my knowledge of insurance into a business, teaching continuing professional education courses for a diversified group of professionals.

My hobbies revolve around racquetball and hunting that began with my father when I was 12. I was inducted into the Texas Parks & Wildlife Volunteer Hunter Education Hall of Fame in 2014, having instructed several thousand Texans in hunter education courses. I am strongly committed to youth hunting and shooting sports. I am married to Lou Ann, and our blended family includes four adult children and six grands.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this position?

Nichols: I decided to run for the Senate because I am a problem solver. Helping others and connecting Texans with the services they need is the most rewarding part of my job, serving as your State Senator. I believe my experiences allow me to bring a unique perspective to the Senate. Rural Texas faces different challenges than the rest of the state and its important that our representatives champion our needs. I am and will always be a strong voice for rural Texas.

Russell: Believing Texas Can Do Better, I oppose extreme positions of the far right and the far left that continue to polarize and cripple positive ways forward.

Radical voices get all the attention and media coverage, but they offer nothing toward addressing our real challenges. Its time for leadership in Texas state government to find the common ground that can unite even those who disagree and build on the values and goals we all share. I am a passionate conservative candidate who will seek to build consensus and coalitions that will help all Texans toward better lives and communities.

Also, my opponent has served well and has held this office for sixteen years. As in a relay race, its time to pass the baton. Its time for a fresh perspective, fresh ideas and fresh energy. The voters have the power of term limits that they say they desire if they will only vote to end the same old thing and people. The theme of my campaign is simply Texas Can Do Better.

Q: What is the biggest issue facing the state?

Nichols: Education has been and will always be the number one issue facing the state. Its imperative that we invest in our children, their teachers, and our public education system so that Texas remains competitive in a global marketplace. Texas is adding over one million new people every two years, and to keep up with that growth means more electricity, water, roads, schools, doctors, nurses and jobs. Those things dont just happen overnight, so we need to make sure our laws and economy reflect how we all strive to make Texas the best place to raise a family, live, work, and worship.

Russell: I feel the biggest issue is illegal immigration by the sheer volume of the problem.

Q: And how do you propose to fix it?

Nichols: We must ensure that we are preparing our next generation to succeed. That means Texas must continue to make education an attractive and rewarding career. We should also look to expand paid internships, fellowships and loan repayment programs to instill the value of work in our future leaders. Texas should also increase its share of public education funding to help reduce local property taxes. Serving as your Senator is the greatest honor of my life, and I ask you again for the privilege of being your voice in the Texas Senate.

Russell: I would begin to address the challenge in three ways: First, the Texas Attorney General must litigate against the federal government to establish that illegal immigration is a national problem. Texas just happens to be on the border.

Second, the US Congress must urgently revise a comprehensive legal immigration plan that permits entry into this country in a balanced, systematic, orderly manner.

Third, Texas has always had a porous southern border. So how do we deal with the illegal immigrants who are discovered in Texas and possibly permit them to remain in residence? They should have to prove accurate and current evidence of the following: 1) a place of residence; 2) a place of employment or educational enrollment; 3) health insurance including Medicaid (if eligible) or private insurance or insurance provided by their employer so that our healthcare system is not overburdened or uncompensated; 4) a Social Security number to be accountable to pay taxes; and 5) a drivers license and auto insurance if they drive in Texas.

I would also consider a reasonable minimum wage for illegal immigrants that their employers would be forced to pay. Its time for the rich to cease to exploit the poor no matter how they arrived in our state. One way to stop illegal immigration is to remove the incentives on both sides of the border.

I totally support Gov. Greg Abbotts transfer of illegal immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities who should be more than able and willing to share their resources. Again, illegal immigration is a national problem. Texas just happens to be on the border.
Investigators continued to sift through debris Saturday, finding little to salvage a day after an explosion destroyed a duplex under construction in the village of Oregon and severely damaged a neighboring duplex.

The explosion at 846 Oregon Parks Ave. occurred about 8:35 a.m. Friday, some 30 minutes after the last of the affected residents had left their homes. No one was injured in the blast and subsequent fire that displaced two families living in the duplex next door.

A dog was rescued from the fire by a builder in the area, but a pet cat was missing, according to Oregon Fire Chief Glenn Linzmeier.

The explosion occurred at an empty duplex under construction. The property, along with many others in the area, is owned by a Brooklyn, Wisconsin, family that did not want to comment on the incident Saturday.

Neighbors continued to be bewildered by the explosion, with many stopping to stare or take pictures as they passed the site.

Jon Mountford, a builder on a neighboring project who witnessed the incident, told the Wisconsin State Journal the duplexs builder turned the units gas on just days earlier, wanting to warm up the place before doing interior finishing work. While the fire department hadnt determined an official cause for the explosion, Linzmeier said Friday it was a pretty fair assumption that a gas buildup had something to do with the explosion.

Linzmeier has said the majority of the damage is irreparable, with only the unit in the neighboring duplex farthest from the blast still habitable.
A sea of pink flamingos returned to Bascom Hill Friday, as UW-Madison raised more than $421,000 during its annual fundraiser that pays homage to one of its most famous student pranks.

The Wisconsin Alumni Association fundraiser, dubbed Fill the Hill, encourages alumni and other university benefactors to donate to an educational program, student assistance fund or scholarship chapter of their choice for 24 hours, which started at 5 p.m. Thursday. For each donation received, the Alumni Association plans to stick a pink plastic flamingo in the ground in front of Bascom Hall facing Library Mall.

Donations were still coming in Friday night, with 2,763 gifts totaling $421,057 as of 5:45 p.m. Nearly a tenth of those donations, $37,632, will go to the financial aid office to provide students assistance.

The business and engineering schools earned the next highest amounts, about $25,000.

Nearly a third of donations came from people currently living in Wisconsin, with California and Illinois residents second and third. A handful of gifts came from international residents.

Since its inception, more than 11,000 people have donated to Fill the Hill, netting more than $2 million for UW-Madison, Wisconsin Alumni Association executive director Sarah Schutt said.

Volunteers started putting the plastic flamingos out on the Bascom Hill lawn at 7 a.m. While organizers knew they wouldnt be able to get every donation represented as they rolled in throughout the day, they said they wanted to at least get as many on the hill as there were the first time the flamingos took up residence there in 1979.

On the first day of classes in 1979, students were greeted by 1,008 plastic flamingos on the law. The prank was led by Leon Varjian and Jim Mallon, members of a mock political party, the Pail and Shovel Party, that had seized control of UW-Madisons student government. They chose to use a budget of $80,000 to pull a series of pranks that year, which included the installation of a papier-mache replica of the Statue of Liberty on Lake Mendota.

We took that great, whimsical tradition from 1979 and brought it back 10 years ago to use it as a fundraiser for UW-Madison, Schutt said.
A Place for Fear

Fear is not a virtue, however understandable it may be to feel fear sometimes. Yet if we spend all our time at odds with fear as a despicable state to be avoided, we miss some clear chances to learn. How are our fears played against us, keeping us at odds with our neighbors? How are fears healthy and protective? Rev. Jenny Peek shares her reflection, A Place For Fear, Sunday, October 23.

Our service Sunday will be both in person at our location 160 Ninth Ave. E. in Twin Falls and on Zoom. To access Zoom, please email mvuuf83301@yahoo.com for sign-in information. In the subject line write Zoom Service October 23rd.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. Unitarian Universalists believe in the dignity of every person regardless of race, creed or none at all, immigrant status or sexual orientation.

Everyone is welcome, no exceptions. We believe in justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another. We are handicapped accessible in rear.

Please park in the rear of the building or on the street in front or the side of the building. Child care is available.

Join us at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

For further information, please call 208-613-3852, email us at mvuuf83301@yahoo.com or visit magicvalleyUU.org. When calling, please state your name in order to be connected.

Episcopal Worship: Djembe Drumming

The Episcopal Church of the Ascension will celebrate Morning Prayer at 9 a.m. Sunday. A fellowship coffee hour will follow the service. The service will be online as well as in person. To view, click on the link at episcopaltwinfalls.org or go to Ascensions YouTube channel The Episcopal Church of the AscensionTwin Falls.

Djembe Drumming will be held at the church at 6 p.m., Monday Oct. 22nd. Learn easy rhythmic patterns, pound on a drumhead, reduce stress and laugh, a lot. Contact Paula, 208-961-1349 if you have questions. No charge for this event.

Ascension Episcopal Church is handicapped accessible and is located at 371 Eastland Drive N. More information about Ascension can be found at ascension.episcopalidaho.org or 208-733-1248.
DECLO  No injuries were reported Friday afternoon after a fire engulfed a large slide at the Burley Straw Maze south of town.

The Declo, Burley, Albion and Heyburn fire departments responded to the blaze, reported at 5:46 p.m.

Winn Osterhout, Declo Fire Department chief, said he was impressed with the quick response of straw maze employees to make sure everyone was safe.

They had a good evacuation plan, Osterhout said.

Fire extinguisher-wielding employees almost controlled the blaze but werent able to put it out by themselves, he said.

Brandi Scott of Twin Falls was in the large maze at the time the fire broke out.

I noticed some smoke that looked really close, she said. Employees found out the location of people in the maze and helped them get out, and lowered a ladder.

We climbed out on top of the maze, Scott said. The owners and employees did an amazing job at getting everyone to safety and away from the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Osterhout said.

The slide, comprised of large straw bales and metal, was destroyed. A small kids maze was also damaged but the larger maze for adults was unscathed. Dollar loss could be tens of thousands of dollars, Osterhout said.

Employees at the straw maze were cleaning up after the fire and were set to open at 6 p.m. Saturday. Besides the maze, the location also offers activities including ziplines, swings, jump pad and corn cannons.


The order from the apex court of the country came only two days after United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized Indias rising incidents of hate speeches.

Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net

Support TwoCircles



NEW DELHI  The Supreme Court on Friday called for action against people delivering hate speeches irrespective of religion and directed the governments and police authorities to take immediate action in such cases without waiting for formal complaints.

The Governments of the NCT of Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh were instructed to submit a report to the Court outlining the steps taken in response to the crimes associated with hate speech that occurred within their respective jurisdictions.

The order came only two days after United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized the countrys rising incidents of hate speeches. The top Court issued the order in response to a petition from journalist Shaheen Abdullah, who documented incidents of hate speech directed at Muslims at various assemblages in the three states.

The petition asking for immediate action to address the growing menace of targeting and terrorizing the Muslim Community in India was being heard by a bench comprising Justices KM Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy. What have we reduced God to, asked the Court while hearing the plea.

Calling the trend of hate speeches very unfortunate, the Court said, The Constitution talks about developing scientific temper, but hate speeches are being made in the name of religion and this is tragic. The Court also warned that respondents failure to comply with the order would be considered contempt. The respondents (police chiefs of the three states) will pass suitable orders to ensure action is taken against individuals, regardless of any religion they may belong, so that the secular character of the country is preserved.

In response to a statement made by a member of parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who had called for a social boycott of Muslims, the bench said, These statements are certainly very strong for a country that professes to be a democracy and religion-neutral. You are saying that anything said to be offensive, regardless of the guarantee of freedom of free speech, there should be some action.

The bench clarified that its directions were not restricted to hate speeches against a particular religion, and hate speeches were also made against Hindus. We think both sides are indulging in such talk. Courts should come down upon all who engage in such speech.

The order observed that the Constitution of India envisages Bharat as a secular nation and fraternity, assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the country are guiding principles enshrined in the Preamble. There cannot be fraternity unless members of the community drawn from different religions or castes are able to live in harmony.

Directions issued by the SC:

1: Respondents 2 to 4 (Govts of Delhi, UP & Uttarakhand) will file a report as to what action has been taken in regards to acts as are the subject matter of this writ petition within their jurisdiction.

2: Respondents 2 to 4 shall ensure that immediately, as and when any speech or any action takes place which attracts offenses such as Section 153A, 153B, 295A, and 506 of IPC etc, without any complaint being filed suo motu action be taken to register cases and proceed against the offenders in accordance with law. We make it clear that any hesitation to act in accordance with these direction will be viewed as contempt of Court and appropriate action shall be taken against the erring officers.

3: Respondents 2 to 4 will issue directions to the subordinates so that appropriate action can be taken at the earliest. We further make it clear that such action be taken irrespective of the religion of the maker of the speech, so that the secular character of Bharat as envisaged by the Preamble is preserved.

Afnan Habib is a freelance journalist based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. He tweets at @afnanhabib_
Idahos largest business lobbying group is coming out strongly against a constitutional amendment that would give Idaho legislators the power to call themselves back into session.

If passed by voters on Nov. 8, it would lead to bigger, more expensive and less predictable state government, according to the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry.

I think the pragmatic folks of Idaho will reject it because they know that they dont want a full-time legislature, IACIs president, Alex LaBeau, told me in a phone interview. They know that they dont want the (Idaho) Legislature involved in executive decision making  thats why they elected a governor  and they want to keep the Constitution intact. Its expensive to do it the alternative way, and its just not a conservative approach.

IACI is a business lobbying organization representing about 300 Idaho employers in a wide range of fields, including agriculture and food service, technology, accounting firms and banks, utilities, manufacturing and construction.

Currently, only the governor can call the Legislature into a special, or extraordinary, session. The amendment, SJR102, if passed by a simple majority of voters, would allow legislators to call themselves into a special session if they achieve at least 60% agreement.

It really, we think, oversteps the bounds of what the Legislature should be doing, in that they should be the policy-making body, LaBeau said. But when it comes to the actual executive function of the delivering of services from the state or making executive decisions, that should be exclusively within the governors office.

Idahos part-time citizen Legislature typically meets from January to March or April and then adjourns for the year (or is at least supposed to). Idaho is one of 12 states that doesnt allow the Legislature to call itself back into session, relying instead on the governor to call for a special gathering.

As a cautionary tale, LaBeau pointed to the state of Utah, which recently gave its Legislature the ability to call itself back into session. The Utah Legislature did just that six times last year, LaBeau said.

And the result of one of the special sessions was to write a letter to Congress telling it the Utah lawmakers didnt like something.

I think theres a lot of reasons why we would be not interested in that, LaBeau said. Its not a stable form of government at that point, and its a very quick path to a full-time legislature.

As well, it adds expense. It costs about $30,000 per day when the legislators are back in session. Further, if legislators return to Boise often enough, that could lead to full-time staff members, another added expense.

Doesnt sound like smaller government.

We dont think that the public needs this, we dont think that the Legislature needs this, LaBeau said, and we think it oversteps their bounds of the policy-making body.

LaBeau said the process works just fine as it is now.

Look at the most recent special session on Sept. 1 to pass a tax cut, rebate and education funding package that won wide bipartisan support.

The constitutional process that we have in the state of Idaho is working, and theres no need to break it, LaBeau said.

In addition to just the added cost and expansion of state government, LaBeau said having the Legislature call itself back into session for whatever reason promises to prove disruptive, when legislation can change anytime after policy already has been set in the regular session.

When you have a legislature that keeps calling itself back for whatever the issue du jour is, I dont think that that is something that the people want, he said.

Special sessions or extraordinary sessions should be just that  special or extraordinary.

The conservative argument would be to take a very deliberate and thoughtful approach to legislating, LaBeau said. I think that this is introducing a tremendous amount of chaos in the governing process of the state, and it introduces instability. Thats not a conservative principle.
A Spotsylvania County grand jury has indicted a woman in the death of her 4-year-old son. Investigators believe the child ingested cannabis-infused gummies.

Dorothy Annette Clements, 30, of Spotsylvania, was taken into custody on Thursday, the Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. She is charged with felony murder and felony child neglect.

The child died on May 8 after having a medical emergency two days earlier at a home in the 5400 block of Jamie Court, police said. Child Victim Unit investigators were by told by doctors that the child had a high level of tetrahydrocannabinol, a substance found in cannabis, the statement said.

"Detectives believe the child ingested a large amount of THC gummies. The attending doctor told detectives that had medical intervention occurred shortly after the ingestion, it could have been prevented the death," the sheriff's office statement said.

Statements by Clements also did not match evidence found at the home, investigators said.

She is being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail under no bond.
A bighorn sheeps rack of curled horns can weigh 30 pounds. A mountain goats slender black horns might weigh a pound apiece. Guess who wins the fight?

More than nine times out of 10, though, the slightly smaller goats chase the sheep away when a mineral lick is at stake. That came as a surprise to wildlife biologists Joel Berger, Mark Biel and Forest Hayes when they spotted the two high-altitude ungulates warring for turf high in Glacier National Park.

We were looking for grizzly bears, just scanning the slopes about a mile and a half away above treeline, recalled Berger, senior scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society at Colorado State University. But we kept seeing goats, and then wed see bighorns coming from different directions. It was clear they were going for minerals. And they were clearly avoiding each other.

But when proximity got tense, the bright white mountain goats got the dun-colored bighorns to back away. A few times, the goats would aim their horns (which despite curling gently backwards can point dangerously forward when needed) and chase the sheep as much as 100 meters away.

Almost as surprising as the inter-species smackdowns was the presence of what they were fighting over, Berger said. Glacier Park has made a roadside attraction of Goat Lick  the big gray cliff jutting out of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River along Highway 2 where lucky observers can watch mountain goats maneuver like spiders to get at the natural salts. These new sites had never been documented as a mineral resource, as far as his team could tell.

We wondered if it was something newly emerged, because of all the melting and ice changes and warming temperatures, Berger said. Glaciers snow cover has been shrinking steadily as the climate has warmed. High-altitude regions and the more northern and southern latitudes of the planet have warmed two to five times faster than the globe in general. In Glacier Park, about 85% of the namesake ice fields have melted away during the past century.

In other words, those mineral licks might have been covered by year-round snow until recently. That could be a good thing, as human activities like road construction and other habitat destruction have eliminated other supplies. But the appearance of the new sites might also be drawing goats and sheep into conflict.

Mountain goats, bighorn sheep and other ungulates seek out mineral licks for trace amounts of phosphorus, sodium and other micro-nutrients needed for milk production and general health. Mountain goats arent typically wide-ranging creatures. But theyve been known to travel 18 miles or more from their home ranges to visit a mineral lick.

In places where theyve evolved together, like Glacier Park, the two species can probably negotiate necessary access to the salt resources. However, both species have been subject to frequent translocation to new places. For example, mountain goats were transplanted to Grand Teton National Park, where 60 of them were recently killed by the National Park Service due to the disruption they created in the rest of the ecosystem.

Those struggles may happen elsewhere with unfortunate results. Multiple species compete for water and shade in deserts. Berger has observed elephants and black rhinos contest over water holes in Namibia (the elephants usually win).

Were not sure if what were seeing is a novel result of climate change, or if something like this has been occurring regularly, and weve looked in the wrong place, Berger said. Maybe weve just never seen it. When we play with nature with these manipulations, it almost always appears there are interactions we havent considered.
Missoula County has seen a historic explosion in commercial and residential development since the start of 2021. Much of the housing development has been in the new construction of single-family homes, and there's also been a surge in storage unit projects.

This has really been the greatest development activity that weve tracked since the previous housing boom, which ended in the late 2000s, maybe about 2008, Tim Worley, a senior planner with the county, told the County Planning Board recently.

For example, a subdivision near the Wye between Missoula and Frenchtown called the Riverside Industrial Major Subdivision got 11 residential lots approved and each lot can have a density of eight dwelling units.

Brady Potts, a member of the planning board, asked why theres been such an uptick recently.

I think its just demand, I dont know about market and pricing, Worley responded. I think after the crash in 2008 there was just a complete lack of demand for residential product, and I dont know that I can speak to the economics of that.

The pandemic brought a huge surge in demand for housing and commercial space.

What really heated things up is whats happened since COVID, he said. Its just been something like Ive never seen. Weve had entire two- or three-year spans where we never saw a major subdivision post-2008, and then like this summer we saw three major subdivisions in a month.

"So its just a completely different dynamic and I think its just kind of this super-heated housing situation that we find ourselves in.

At the beginning of this summer, Worley said, his staff was just kind of panicking and just hanging on with the influx, but things have stabilized recently.

Interestingly, many developers are reviving subdivisions that were stalled out after the economic crash of 2008.

As you can imagine, theres been a significant uptick of filed subdivisions with our current housing boom, Worley said. And what weve noticed is that developers have filed subdivisions that have essentially been sitting on the shelf for, in many cases, a decade plus. And what weve found over the past couple years is nearly three quarters of the lots are from subdivisions that were approved at least a decade ago from the county commissioners."

Many were approved between 1998 and 2005.

Almost three-quarters of approved subdivisions have access to municipal sewer, he noted.

So this isnt random filings of very rural subdivisions, this is mostly happening in the Missoula valley and in Lolo, Worley explained.

There have been 324 lots filed since January of 2021, and 235 of those were approved over a decade ago.

The boom went bust in 2008 and a lot of those lots just sat on the shelf, he said. And those subdivisions, we didnt even know if they would come to fruition but they are definitely coming to fruition now.

Under state law, the county cant allow developers to tweak their plans much unless they want to go before the county commissioners for approval again. Theres a law now that means approved subdivisions have a 20-year sunset date, but that law wasnt in effect when many of these were approved.

Just talking about the two dimensions of a lot, we were a little worried as (old projects) come online that they might not be the product thats needed for 2022, but there seems to be demand, Worley said.

Since January of 2021, the countys Community and Planning Services staff have reviewed a total of 1,055 land use and zoning compliance permits. The number of permits reviewed through the first three quarters of 2022 is up 5.5% over 2021.

Looking at these permits by project type, by far our most reviewed project is the single-family home new construction, explained Nicholas Zanetos, a county planner.

Single-family homes accounted for 34% of those permits. That was followed by accessory structures like shops and garages at 18%, single-family remodels at 16%, new commercial construction at 4% and commercial additions and remodels at 4%.

Dwelling units approved in Missoula County A graph showing the number of dwelling units approved in Missoula County over the last two years.

However, the number of new single-family home construction permits has fallen 26% in 2022 compared to 2021.

Just anecdotally, this kind of jives with what weve been hearing about the cost of labor and materials, Zanetos said. Especially when were talking about single-family homes, its much harder to bear those costs compared to someone getting a commercial loan or a larger multifamily loan, in many cases. Thats the one thing weve heard from applicants constantly.

He said theres been growth in other areas.

While its not great to be a little bit further behind on the new home construction, weve made up for it in other areas, he said. Commercial permits  this is an area weve seen a lot of growth in. Were up 45% compared to 2021. That includes new tenants moving into a new space.

Since the start of 2021, the county has approved 534 dwelling units, of which single-family home construction accounts for 69% and multi-family development projects accounts for 18%. A total of 4.6% were mobile homes not on a permanent foundation. The citys numbers arent included in this data, and theyll present their numbers soon.

Even though we are down on the new home construction of single-family homes, we are up 18% in total units approved through three quarters in 2022 versus 2021, Zanetos said. That's driven by multi-family development projects that weve seen that have helped put a lot of units on the ground or going to put those units on the ground.

Since 2005, there have been 141 land use and zoning projects approved, with a high of 15 in 2008. Of those, 65% have been for storage units, 35% have been for residential projects and none have been for commercial projects.

We have a lot of storage units in Missoula County, Worley said. That seems to be something we keep seeing high demand for.

In 2019, there were zero storage units approved through land use and zoning permits. That climbed to 485 in 2020, 788 in 2021 and 933 so far in 2022.
A 22-year-old Michigan man who complained of being unfairly persecuted for his sexual attraction to teenage girls was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for taking a 14-year-old Lubbock girl across state lines to sexually abuse her two years ago.

U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix handed down the life sentence to Thomas Boukamp four months after he represented himself in a jury trial that resulted in his conviction for felonies of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, enticement and attempted enticement of a minor, two counts of receipt of child pornography, cyber stalking and 11 counts of production and attempted production of child pornography.

Jury finds Michigan man guilty of sexually exploiting Lubbock teen

After the trial, Lubbock attorney Michael King was appointed to represent Boukamp for the punishment phase of the case.

Boukamp

There is no parole in the federal justice system, which means Boukamp will spend the rest of his life in prison. However, in the event he is released from prison, Hendrix ordered he be placed on community supervision for life.

Hendrix also told Boukamp that he was denying his motion for a new trial.

Boukamp's conviction came after a three-day trial during which prosecutors presented evidence that showed how he preyed on a Lubbock middle schooler by exploiting her emotional and mental health issues to send him explicit videos and ultimately run away with him to Michigan in November 2020, where he raped her.

In order to hide her appearance, Boukamp pulled the girl's braces off with a pair of pliers.

The girl's Nov. 13, 2020 disappearance was initially investigated as a missing person's case. However, the nature of the investigation shifted when police believed she was in danger after they discovered messages between her and Boukamp.

Federal judges are usually provided a sentencing guideline range that helps them formulate a sentence. In Boukamp's case a pre-sentencing report, which factors in a defendant's criminal history, the nature of the offenses and other bad acts, recommended a life sentence for Boukamp.

Story continues

Hendrix told Boukamp that he typically sees signs of remorse, however slightly, from defendants before him after they've pleaded guilty or were convicted by a jury. He said he saw none in Boukamp at Thursday's hearing.

"Because there is no sign of acceptance, I have to consider the dangerousness you pose to other people," he said. "And it's a significant one. It's a very, very significant one."

Boukamp addressed the court saying he was full of hatred for his conviction. He wept as he said he never meant to hurt the girl and was still in love with her despite everyone telling him that it was wrong. He said he believed she loved and accepted him despite being "filled with violent sexual fantasies all the time."

Prosecutors also provided additional evidence that showed Boukamp unsuccessfully tried to send his elder brother a letter with a detailed plan to help him escape from the Bailey County Detention Center, where he was being held after his trial.

Prosecutor Callie Woolam argued to the court that the letter further demonstrates Boukamp's willful disregard for the law.

Boukamp's father and elder siblings addressed the court and offered their sympathy toward the victim and her family, who were not at the hearing.

Boukamp's family told the court they understood he needed to be punished for his actions but asked the court for leniency.

They described him as a loving and kind brother and son, who struggled to fit in because of undiagnosed autism. That struggle, they said, drove him to isolation and ultimately to the Internet, where he secretly developed a darkness that resulted in him seeking violent sexual relationships with teenage girls online.

They said they believed Boukamp will improve with proper treatment in federal prison and if he's released will have their support to become a productive member of society.

King asked the court to consider his client's age and minimal criminal history. Evidence at the trial showed Boukamp was 19 when he first encountered the victim, who was 13 at the time.

However, King said psychological experts showed that his client had the emotional maturity of a 7-year-old. He said his client's undiagnosed autism didn't excuse his actions and the damage he caused, but it did play a role in why his client was before the court.

King asked the court for a 30-year sentence, saying it would allow his client a chance of getting out prison, at which time he believed Boukamp would become a productive member of society.

"We ask that the court provide an opportunity for redemption," he said.

Woolam said Boukamp's unapologetic and continuing attraction to teenage girls and disdain for the law poses a risk to the community.

She said autism didn't compel Boukamp's attraction to teenage girls, the psychological torment he inflicted on the girl, or the sexual and physical abuse she suffered at his hands.

Woolam said the evidence showed that Boukamp preyed on multiple girls until he found the Lubbock girl, who lived in a dysfunctional home and was suffering from emotional distress.

"He targeted vulnerable children until he finally hooked on who didn't flee on him," she said.

She read a letter the victim's father wrote about Boukamp's impact on their family.

He wrote that his daughter, now 16, continues to struggle with the abuse she suffered from Boukamp, and will not open up to them about it.

"We still don't fully know what happened to her and what she went through," he wrote. "She was hurt, we know that but more than physically. Her childhood was ended too soon. He took that from her. She struggles with her self-esteem. I dont know if shell ever be able to truly love herself again."

He said his daughter still has trouble trusting people, including her parents.

"We know she will never be the same ... She'll never get her innocence back," he said. "She can't be a child after this."

His younger children also struggle with the guilt when their sister disappeared for nine days.

Prosecutors also played to the court a jail phone conversation between Boukamp and his mother that was peppered with expletives as Boukamp complained about the laws that criminalized sexual relationships between adults and minors, comparing it to the prejudice against Black people and gay people.

"I like teenage girls! They dont like that I like that, he said. I frankly dont care what the morality of this current time and place says. Its not wrong. Theres nothing wrong about it. And theyre not going to ever convince me of its wrongness. So up theirs. I hate this nation.

Hendrix told Boukamp that the sentencing factors of protecting the community and promoting respect for the law weighed heavily on the life sentence he handed down.

He said the statements that blamed Boukamp's actions on autism was incredibly offensive to the autism community.

"It absolutely does not explain what you did to [the girl]," he said.

Hendrix said the evidence also disputed Boukamp's statement that his relationship with the girl was based on love.

"You like teenage girls - you said it out of your own mouth," he said. "You don't care what the law says. You are a dangerous pedophile who preys on others."

King said after the hearing that he was disappointed with the judge's sentence and plans to file an appeal within two weeks.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Man sentenced to life in prison for sexually exploiting Lubbock teen
Journal Star

Editor's note: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of Terrence Dunigan.

PEORIA  A third teen has been arrested in a botched robbery that ended in murder last month.

Last month, an arrest warrant for first-degree murder was issued for a 17-year-old male, said Amy Dotson, spokeswoman for the Peoria Police Department. The warrant, which carried a $1 million bond, was issued in connection with the Sept. 5 death of Terrence Dunigan.

Friday, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force located the 17-year-old in Atlanta, Ga. He was taken into custody without incident and will await extradition to Peoria, Dotson said.

Due to the suspects age and juvenile status, no further information will be released regarding his identity, Dotson said.

In late September, however, Mikeal Reed, 17, of 5417 N. Renwood Ave. was indicted for first-degree murder in the case, though he was not in custody at the time but wanted on a $1million murder warrant. Also indicted on the same charge in that case were Tayla T. Zolicoffer Jr., 19, of 5812 N. Frostwood Parkway, and Keon M. Patterson, 16, 910 Elanor Place.

Dunigan, 21, was shot to death shot to death in the 3300 block of West Woodhill Lane. According to information revealed at court hearings, several people had gathered that evening for a dice game at a Peoria apartment. Dunigan, who had been doing well at the dice game, was targeted for robbery.

Prosecutors have not given specifics about the shooting. But all three teens are charged under the states felony murder provision, alleging they were committing a forcible felony  in this case, robbery  when Dunigan died and thus they committed murder.

As a legal adult, Zolicoffer faces up to 75 years behind bars, if convicted. Pattersons case was transferred from juvenile to adult court, where a conviction could put him in prison for up to 40 years.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Teen arrested in Georgia in Peoria murder
If you tune into the Travel Channel or have a subscription to discovery+, you might just see Butte take center stage in Ghosts of Devils Perch, an eight-episode paranormal program that aired its finale episode Oct. 9.

Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester makes a few appearances in the show and is the first to say hes probably not going to win an Academy Award any time soon.

For Lester, the driving factor behind his decision to participate in the show was the potential for economic development and an increase in tourism.

He said the prospect of doing the show came up before COVID-19 hit, and he was interested in it because he was told that the last couple of towns the show had been in, Morgan City, Louisiana, and Shepherdstown, West Virginia, saw an uptick in tourism after the shows aired. In one case, Lester said he was told a business on the brink of closing its doors was able to stay open.

He said he spoke with folks at the Chamber of Commerce, the Butte Local Development Corp. and other business leaders in the community who all supported the idea of doing the show.

But then COVID happened, and Lester didnt hear much more about it for more than a year.

Host of Spooks and Spirits Haunted Trolley Tours and local historian Chris Fisk, on the other hand, said he stayed in touch with the shows crew during the pandemic. Theyd been in contact with him before it started because of his experience as an historian and his involvement in other local film productions in years past, he said.

Unlike Lester though, whos a self-proclaimed skeptic when it comes to the paranormal, Fisks a believer.

Buttes probably one of the most haunted towns in the country, Fisk said. And if not, the state, by far.

When COVID restrictions loosened, Lester still thought welcoming the show to Butte was a good idea.

All of those folks, the business leaders I talked to, said, Yeah, its a good thing for us, Lester said. Now, I didnt think I was going to look real good because I look like the dumbass sheriff who called because he cant catch any ghosts.

Lester said he had fun during filming, the cast and crew were great to work with and he believes the show will help Buttes economy.

I really think the show will lead to an increase in tourism, he said. If we can get people to stay here for a few nights, eat a few meals, and have a few highballs, itll be good for business.

Fisk said and the crew came up and filmed for about three months and that the ghost hunting process was genuine and organic.

On set, we were under no circumstances allowed to talk about history or hauntings of Butte, he said, adding the crew was protective of accuracy and reality.

After watching the show, he said hes happy with how it turned out.

Its a great delivery system for history and  lets face facts  its popular, way popular, Fisk said. The fact that the Travel Channel and discovery+ would come to Butte I think is a blessing for us.

J.P. Gallagher, Butte-Silver Bow chief executive, also makes an appearance on the show and is one of the people Lester conferred with when the idea was first brought up.

Unlike Lester and Fisk, whove both been a part of film and TV productions in the past, Gallagher said this was his first time being part of a production.

He said that aside from his and Lesters on-screen participation, Butte-Silver Bows role was to make sure the crew went through the correct permitting when it wanted to film on public property. He said that all in all, they were easy to work with.

Gallagher is referred to as mayor in the show, which he said was used because thats what most people are more familiar with. However, he said this didnt really bother him, and that being on the show was an overall good experience.
Halloween is not too far off. The same can be said about southwest Montanas bazaar season, which kicks off tomorrow with the Hillcrest Bazaar at the Butte Plaza Mall.

There are numerous bazaars on this list, and each promises an abundance of gift ideas. So, if you are one of those people who like to plan ahead, then this list is perfect for you.

It will be updated throughout the holidays, and is free. To include your bazaar, email the details to editor@mtstandard.com or call 406-496-5544. Be sure to include a phone number, in case there are any questions.

To get even more coverage, people are encouraged to go to eventsinbutte.com to add their bazaar or holiday fair.

The Hillcrest Harvest Bazaar starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Butte Plaza Mall, 3100 Harrison Ave. Several vendors will be featuring a variety of handmade crafts, arts, woodworking, repurposed goods, decorative signs, jewelry, and much more. Come support your local artisans while supporting Hillcrest Elementary School. For details, call 406-494-3362.

Serbian Mothers Club Bazaar and Bake Sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Parish Center, 2100 Continental Drive. Booth fee is $40 and includes one table and chairs. To pre-order sarma, call or text Denise at 406-498-3931.

The Metcalf Senior Citizen Center at 115 E. Pennsylvania in Anaconda will host a craft and food fair beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5.

The 10th annual Sheridan Craft and Gift Show will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Sheridan Elementary School gym, 211 Madison St., Sheridan. Lunch is available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and is a fundraiser for the local Relay for Life team. For details, call Robin Bieroth at 406-596-1201.

The Boulder Holiday Bazaar, offering over 30 vendors to get in the holiday spirit, is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Jefferson High School gym, 312 Main St. The event is sponsored by the Boulder Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Daughters of Norway will host its annual lefse sale and bazaar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Race Track Fire Hall, corner of Farragut and Grand avenues. Several vendors will be on hand. Again this year, the club will be selling the popular Vikings on a Stick, a Swedish meatball dipped in batter and deep fried. For details, call Danette at 406-782-3938.

The Anaconda Catholic Community will be hosting a chili cook-off, bazaar and silent auction from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Hunthausen Center at 217 W. Pennsylvania, Anaconda. For details, call 406-563-8406.

More than 90 vendors will be on hand for the annual Winter Bazaar and Tradeshow Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 19-20, at the Butte Plaza Mall. Local businesses, crafters, bakers, and artists will be on hand for your holiday shopping. New this year will be natural stone jewelry, western decor, handmade pottery and glass, nail polish strips, and much more. Saturdays hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Ennis Holiday Bazaar will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Ennis Elementary School, 223 Charles Ave., Ennis. Several vendors will be on hand, along with an available lunch to sit down and enjoy.

Its a Butte-iful Christmas craft show will be Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 26-27, at the Front Street Station, 800 E. Front St. The two-day event includes vendors with handmade goods, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, food and beverages, and much more. Admission is free.

Butte Vendor and Craft Fair will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Butte Elks Lodge, 206 W. Galena St. Come shop unique or handmade, special Christmas gifts from local crafters and vendors.

Montana Techs Society of Petroleum Engineers will host their 34th annual Christmas Bazaar and Trade Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Maroon Activities Center. All are welcome. For details, call Jacob Lehmann at 970-590-5490.

Powell County High Schools Close Up Holiday Bazaar is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at the Pen Convention Center, 925 Main St., Deer Lodge. Vendors and concessions will be available.
In April, the National Science Foundation awarded $4.5 million in collaborative grants to Salish Kootenai College, University of Montana, and Montana Technological University. These awards will fund scholarships for high achieving, low-income students pursuing degrees in Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Researchers plan to use project data to better serve Native American and rural STEM students.

The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. The project aims to increase the first-year retention and graduation rates for each student cohort, improve transition after graduation to either a STEM career or further higher education, and advance knowledge about issues and factors impacting advancement along the academic pathway.

"At Salish Kootenai College, our students predominantly represent low socio-economic populations who are often required to simultaneously seek employment while attending classes to afford their education and support their families, said Dr. Antony Berthelote, vice president of enrollment management and student affairs at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo. Opportunities like this help students succeed without compromising their potential. The direct financial support to those with unmet need also enhances equity and socio-economic justice by reducing the debt burden often encumbered by our student population."

Over its six-year duration, this project will fund 260 scholarships of up to $10,000 a year to 105 unique full-time STEM students who are pursuing associate and/or bachelors degrees in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Physical Sciences, Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences and Support, and/or Natural Resources and Conservation. There will be four-year scholarships available to bachelors degree students and 2-year scholarships available for transfer students and associates degree students.

"Montana Tech has a long history of supporting student success and engaging students in hands on learning, said Dr. Hilary Risser of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Montana Tech. The STARS grant will build on that history and allow Montana Tech to provide financial support and mentoring for students that may be historically underrepresented in STEM fields. The partnership with the University of Montana and Salish Kootenai College will create unique opportunities for Montana Tech students to engage with peers across the state."

The project will be part of the effort to create an inclusive, equitable environment for students. "This project will promote institutional change by providing professional development for faculty and staff on research-based and culturally appropriate teaching, advising and mentoring practices, said Dr. Ke Wu, a Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and Associate Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Montana.

Berthelote emphasized that these unique partnerships between our states academic institutions have the potential to provide relevant, local, un-paralleled opportunities for students from our underserved communities and we collectively hope that this collaboration will be a huge success for our Montana Students.


The eleven convicts live a few meters away from Bilkis Banos house, where hoardings have been put up.

Staff Reporter | TwoCircles.net

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AHMEDABAD (GUJARAT): Gujarat Polices hoardings, assuring womens safety, have been put up on the roof railing of Bilkis Banos old house at Randhikpur village in Dahod district. The house, which has been turned into a shop and rented to a Hindu woman, is abandoned.

As the men convicted of raping her settled back into a normal life, she is on the move, fearing for her life, since 11 people gang-raped her and killed seven members of her family during the 2002 communal pogrom of Gujarat.

Just a few meters away from Bilkiss house live the 11 convicts who have begun living a normal life, visiting their shops and chit-chatting with the locals.

After spending 15 years in prison, the life-term convicts were released on August 15  citing good behavior  under the Gujarat governments remission policy.

This is not the first occasion when the culprits have stepped out of the prison. Even before their contentious release, which was approved by the Centre, they were out of jail for around and more than 1,000 days each either on temporary bail or parole and furlough.

And when they were out, contrary to the justification of good behavior, they harassed, intimidated, and attempted to outrage the modesty of the witnesses of the Bilkis Bano case.

TwoCircles.net has accessed two police complaints and one first information report (FIR) that alleged the convicts threatened and harassed the witnesses while they were out on parole.

In one of the complaints filed on July 28, 2017, by two witnesses  Ghanchi Imtiaz Bhai Yusuf Bhai and Ghanchi Adam Bhai Ismail Bhai  against one of the convicts, Govind Nai, it was alleged that the accused while on parole threatened to kill the complainants if they did not compromise and withdraw their statements.

The complaint was never turned into an FIR.

When asked about the same, Nai claimed that, as a Hindu, he could do no wrong.

Do you think I am that kind of person? Have you ever seen Hindus, raping anyone? Can an uncle and a nephew together rape someone? he said.

An FIR was lodged against Mitesh Bhai Bhatt, Radheshyam (the other two of the 11 convicts), and his brother at Radhikapur police station on July 6, 2020, on a complaint of Saberaben Patel, Pintu Bhai, and Ayyub (a witness in the Bilkis Bano case).

The three men, according to the FIR, threatened Saberaben and her daughter Arfa for briefing the media about the Bilkiss case and Pintu Bhai for implicating them with his statements while they were out on parole.

The trio had been booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty), 504 (intimidation), 506 (2) (threat to kill), and 114 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Sitting at his firecrackers shop, Radheshyams brother Ashish denied the charges and said the FIR against them is baseless.

But the three complainants still stand by their charges. They too live in fear since the men who threatened them are out of jail.

Sabra had spoken to the media regarding the Bilkis Banos incident (which had occurred on March 3, 2002). It enraged them so much that Mitesh, Radheshyam, and his brother followed Sabra and her daughter Arfa when they were going out for some work. They forcibly took the mother-daughter duo to a room, grabbed their hands, and assaulted and intimidated them. They were released hours after at around 9 pm, alleged Pintu Bhai while talking to TwoCircles.net.

A charge sheet has been filed in the case, which is currently pending in court.

Another witness Mansuri Abdul Razzaq Abdul Majid filed a complaint with Dahod police against Sailesh Chimmanlal Bhatt on January 1 last year, alleging that the convict while on parole threatened him.

This complaint too was never turned into an FIR.

TwoCircles.net tried to speak to the officials who had cleared the early release of the 11 men despite them facing grave charges. But none of them were available for comments.

The entire police and district administration are evading questions. Dahod District Magistrate Dr. Sujal Jayantibhai Mayatra, who had headed the panel that recommended the premature release of the convicts, was not responsive, while Superintendent of Police Hitesh Joysar, who also approved the release, hung up the call after hearing the questions.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (headed by Amit Shah who was Gujarats home minister when the state had witnessed the pogrom) had approved the premature release of 11 convicts, the Supreme Court was told October 17.

The revelation came to the fore after the Gujarat government submitted an over-400-page affidavit in the apex court in response to public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Subhashini Ali, professor Rekha Verma and journalist Revati Laul against the early release of the convicts.

The affidavit further revealed that the superintendent of police, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had investigated the case, had in March last year opposed the premature release application filed by the convicts. A sessions judge in Mumbai who had tried the case and convicted the 11 men too had objected to the application.

But the objections were raised before the Supreme Courts ruling in May this year, which directed the Gujarat government to initiate the process of remission according to its 1992 policy under which the opinion of the concerned district police officer, district magistrate, and chairman of the Jail and Advisory Board Committee is required to decide a remission application.

Following the Supreme Courts May order, the concerned authorities  the district magistrate, the superintendent of police, the superintendent of Godhra sub-jail, the additional director general of police, prisons and correctional administration, and two BJP MLAs  recommended premature release of the 10 of the 11 convicts.

However, about one  Radheyshyam Shah  there were objections from all except for the Jail Advisory Committee. In his case, the central government went by the jail advisory committees opinion and sanctioned the premature release.
Calistoga was the first. In August 2021, the Calistoga City Council passed a Climate Emergency Resolution committing to a goal of net zero climate pollutant emissions by 2030. The other cities and town in Napa County followed suit, and in June 2022, the Napa County Board of Supervisors passed its own resolution with a target of 2030.

Global temperature is rapidly rising, approaching 1.5 degrees centigrade (2.7 degrees Farenheit) above normal, a level international scientists have urged us not to exceed. The Climate Center in Santa Rosa points out that this could happen as early as 2027, with impacts, such as hot summers, short rain seasons and more wildfires, increasing in intensity by nearly 50% without more aggressive action. Its Climate-Safe California plan emphasizes the importance of achieving net-negative emissions  sequestering more climate pollutants than are emitted  by 2030.

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.

Heres a quick look at what three of our local jurisdictions are doing.

Acting on the recommendations of its Green Committee, Calistoga is banning new gas stations, prohibiting gasoline-powered leaf blowers (an outsized source of greenhouse gases) and requesting that the county increase protections for old-growth trees. City staff is working on regulations to eliminate polystyrene (Styrofoam) and single-use plastic foodware items.

Antoinette Mailliard, Green Committee chairwoman, noted, Wed like to eliminate as much Styrofoam as possible because it breaks down the fastest, goes quickly into the soil, and never goes away.

After the American Canyon Resolution was passed, an Ad Hoc Climate Action Committee was formed, chaired by Councilmember Mark Joseph. The committee came back with 32 specific climate action recommendations, some of which the city is already working on.

For instance, its Citywide Energy Efficiency, Resiliency & Sustainability Project has added solar panels to the public safety building, water treatment plant, and wastewater treatment facility (which also now has a Tesla battery to store solar power) as part of a proposed microgrid system.

We are moving towards increasing the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant to treat higher-strength waste, and use methane from this waste to help power the plant, said Felix Hernandez III, maintenance and utilities director.

Much of this waste comes from local wineries who have had to haul waste to the East Bay. When the project is complete, they wont have to drive to Oakland, reducing those emissions. Weve also added EV charging stations at City Hall and plan on expanding the citys charging infrastructure. Our city fleet includes a Ford E-Transit all Electric Cargo Van, and weve placed an order for several Ford 150 Lightning E-Trucks.

The citys next step will be to seek public input. Joseph said, We now want to hear from residents, including our youth, about which actions the community should prioritize.

The Napa City Council made climate change one of their priorities for 2022. The draft 2040 General Plan contains a climate change and sustainability element that outlines policies to help the city reach the 2030 net-zero emissions goal.

In addition, Napa has dedicated funding to increase staff focus on climate concerns. Molly Rattigan, named deputy city manager, is taking the lead, supported by a new staff analyst.

We no longer have the luxury of time, said Councilmember Liz Alessio. We need to put action behind our Climate Emergency Resolution, and that requires a dedicated staff person. And we need to update our policies so that they address climate pollutant emissions.

Rattigan sees her role as a convener to bring together city departments to coordinate actions to reduce Napas climate emissions. The analyst will work with city departments to determine what weve been doing, where the opportunities are, and where we can bring in funding to help with our climate change goals, she said. Were always interested in hearing from the community with creative ideas and potential solutions.

Actions you can take

 Attend the Octoberfest Event at Napa Power Equipment, 3145 Jefferson St., Saturday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. See the latest in battery-powered landscaping equipment and learn how to use a chain saw to safely reduce wildfire risk.

Contributor Chris Benz is a retired winemaker and co-founder of Napa Climate NOW!

Napa Climate NOW! is a local non-profit citizens group advocating for smart climate solutions based on the latest climate science, part of 350 Bay Area. Like, comment, and share our daily Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts @napaclimatenow or visit us at: http://napa.350bayarea.org.
Napa County is deciding what revised state Minimum Fire Safe Regulations mean for winery and home construction in local hills, sparking debates over property rights and the need for evacuation routes.

The state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has adopted new standards for designated high fire danger areas. Thats 73% of the county, much of the land outside of the Napa Valley floor and flat Carneros areas.

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.

For more than a year, Napa County commented on developing standards. The county in 2021 warned that early versions could in some cases require expensive road improvements for even small projects  a person building a home or a winery adding even one employee.

With the dust settling, the state is making less-drastic changes that could take effect as soon as January. County officials are interpreting existing county rural road standards as meeting revised state rules.

The important message for today is nothing is changing from the way it is now, Supervisor Diane Dillon said.

But, as Dillon noted, the state looked at more than roads. For example, the county and Cal Fire in coming months must designate strategic ridgelines for wildfire fighting and prevention that will be off-limits to building beyond such things as a barn.

The Napa County Board of Supervisors at its Sept. 13 and Oct. 18 meetings was peppered with comments from the public.

I am shocked you are sitting there trying to find ways to weasel around finding ways to implement these new policies that are clearly designed to keep people from dying, Angwin resident Kellie Anderson said.

Vintner Lee Hudson owns land in the Carneros. He lost two structures and thousands of trees in the 2017 Partrick/Nuns fire. There are ways to protect against fire besides simply keeping people from building, he said.

Its just an unnecessary taking of property, he said.

St. Helena resident Jeffrey Warren brought up the strategic ridgeline issue.

Thats a big bugaboo, he said. Nobody knows thats going to beall the hills have ridgelines. So thats extremely scaryI wish you would err on the side of the landowners and the people who grew up in the hills.

Robert Pursell said a focus needs to be on how to harden properties against wildfires. But it takes about $20,000 to clear underbrush on one acre. The county should find ways to help rural residents who cant afford this.

We have a number of low-income and retired people out in the hillsides, he said.

A key issue is how Napa County defines access to a property proposed for development. The county says its existing definition of being from the nearest public right-of-way to building construction  essentially the driveway  meets state standards.

Napa Vision 2050 disagrees. California regulations require access from a fire station to a structure to be on roads at least 20 feet wide, co-president Eve Kahn wrote to the county.

Its a big difference. The countys interpretation might require someone to improve a driveway, while the Napa Vision 2050 interpretation could also require improvements to public roads or, if thats too expensive, to avoid building.

The countys interpretation threatens the safety of the buildings, the surrounding area, the safety of first responders and everyone around in the event of an emergency, Kahn wrote.

Interpretation of the Board of Forestry regulations has been a thorny issue. County officials said that the Board will no longer do so itself, leaving each county to make the call in a way it hopes can survive a legal challenge.

It will be a patchwork quilt across the state, county Planning, Building and Environmental Services Director David Morrison said on Sept. 13. And all the local jurisdictions will have been thrown on their own, as the Board of Forestry sits back and watches the chaos from afar as a bystander.

Morrison has since been named interim County Executive Officer.

Yet county officials noted that Napa County has kind of a retro-approval for its definition of access, even if the state will no longer make the call. The Board of Forestry certified county road standards in 2019 that included the countys interpretation.

They also noted that some projects are subject to the California Environmental Quality Act, which triggers a separate review of fire safety. In those cases, county officials would look at whether both public and private roads are adequate for emergency evacuations.

Development on dead-end roads a mile long or longer has caused confusion. The countys existing rules will remain in place. They apply to private roads, not public roads.

Properties reached by taking a private, dead-end road a mile or longer serving five or more homes or commercial use cant be built on, under county rules. However, the rules allow owners to seek an exception.

The path is a little bit more than it was previously, but there is still a path to yes, Morrison said.

Would-be builders could show the road will achieve the same overall practical effect as the road regulations, perhaps through such means as adding turnouts, county officials said.

Are there going to be parcels out there we wont be able to support the exception of a mile? Potentially. Well have to look at that on a case-by-case basis, said Patrick Ryan, deputy director of Planning, Building and Environmental Services.

Napa County will allow homes destroyed in wildfires to be rebuilt without facing road upgrades. Conditions include keeping the same square footage and having the county determine that access didnt delay emergency response or evacuation during the disaster.

In addition, the county will consider expanding this fire rebuild relief to commercial structures.

Napa County since 2016 has lost about 1,300 homes to wildfires, with about 200 rebuilt and another 150 approved. It lost 363 commercial structures, county officials said.
Political analyst: Cooperation with Yerevan becomes more important amid contradictions between powers

New Ecuador ambassador presents copy of credentials to Armenia deputy FM

Erdogan: Realization of the grain deal showed the possibility of diplomacy in Ukraine

Armenia parliament speaker to head for Qatar, to watch World Cup match from stadium

Toivo Klaar: Many challenges remain; restraint, strong political will be needed by Azerbaijan, Armenia

Armen Baibourtian: Armenia-India cooperation on North-South road corridor started back in 2000s

Armenian envoy: India becoming more sensitive about Azerbaijan ambitions towards Armenia

India MFA: Cooperation with Armenia should be further deepened

Deputy FM: Armenia can make use of progress with India to increase its security level

Armenia Kurdish community staging protest outside UN office

Pashinyan: Armenia attaches importance to development of cooperation with Albania

Azerbaijan president receives Philip Reeker

MP: Tourists visiting Armenia have difficulty making purchases over 300,000 drams at duty free shops

Marukyan: 2 years ago Azerbaijan president signed ceasefire agreement where Nagorno-Karabakh is mentioned 5 times

US diplomatic mission reveals details of CIA head with Naryshkin

Karabakh army did not open fire at Azerbaijani positions in occupied territories

UK intends to maintain military assistance to Ukraine in 2023

Copper prices falling

World oil prices falling

Gold falls in price

Armenia PM, wife attend charity concert in support of soldiers undergoing treatment

Azerbaijan army fires towards Armenia positions

Eurasianet: Azerbaijan's Russian natural gas deal raises uncomfortable questions for Europe

The Hill: Will a strong dollar trigger a global recession?

Stanislav Zas: CSTO proposed several measures to help Armenia

MOD: Artsakh Defense Army did not fire at Azerbaijani positions

Princess Diana was 'murdered' because she was pregnant with Dodi Al Fayed's baby, claims his father

Israel will fall apart, says Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps chief

Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan leaders summit to be held in Ashgabat

Elon Musk announces he will support Ron DeSantis if Florida governor runs for US president

Armenia MOD dismisses Azerbaijan disinformation

Baghdad ready to help Tehran-Riyadh negotiations resume, Iraq FM says

Russia presidential spokesman: Attempts to interfere with CSTO work will continue

Protests staged in Shanghai over China COVID curbs

Iran parliament approves law on country's membership in Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Worlds biggest nuclear-fusion project faces delays due to component cracks

Erdogan announces Turkeys Bayraktar UAV fighter manufacture by end of 2023

Venezuela authorities and opposition resume talks, eyeing US sanctions relief

Azerbaijan's Armenophobia policy to be presented in Australia (PHOTOS)

Armenia FM: I am deeply shocked by news of Vladimir Makei's death

The New York Times: Artillery breaking in Ukraine, becoming problem for Pentagon

Karabakh MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement

Americans spend record $9.12bn on online shopping on Black Friday

North Korea aims to have world's strongest nuclear force, Kim Jong Un says

What is best age to seek jobs?

Scholz says Germany will allocate another 10 million to ensure grain supplies from Ukraine

Azerbaijan opens fire on Armenian border positions

Parapolitika: U.S. drone base is being set up near the Greek city of Larissa

Belgium to send to Ukraine 100 instructors who fought in Afghanistan

U.S. household spending up $433 for the year

Authorities of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine signs Declaration of Lublin Triangle PMs

CIS Executive Committee says they agreed with CSTO, SCO on combining anti-terrorist exercises

Over 10 people are missing in Italy after landslide

Finns saving on alcohol

Kyodo: Japan ready for joint counterstrikes with U.S. in case of attack

OSCE PA session in Warsaw kicks off in darkness as sign of solidarity with Ukraine

Times: Britain may triple its nuclear energy production by 2050

IAEA tells what blow to spent fuel at Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant will lead to

AFP: Macron wants to dissuade Biden from unequal competition with EU

ARF Dashnaktsutyun delegation meets with Spanish PM

India launches vehicle with 9 satellites on board

Bloomberg says cost of chartering oil tankers exceed $100,000

Belgium to provide Ukraine with underwater unmanned drones and mobile laboratories

Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan has phone talks

22 people injured in Turkish minibus accident

Xi Jinping says he wants to develop relations with North Korea amid global changes

Inauguration ceremony of Tokayev takes place in Astana

Greta Thunberg and 600 more eco-activists sue Sweden

Secretary of Armenian Security Council to visit France and Germany

US starts transferring 80 power generators to Ukraine

Another disinformation: Armenian soldiers did not shell Azerbaijani positions

New York builds world's thinnest skyscraper

Armenian Defense Ministry: Azerbaijan shells Armenian border positions

Ford Motor Co. recalls 634,000 SUVs worldwide due to risk of fire

Chinese man becomes famous for looking after 320 wolves at once

Taliban bans women from visiting doctors without men in Nangarhar province

Norway to provide almost $14 million for the EU mission of training AFU

World economy predicts to roll back to the level of the 2008 financial crisis

UN: Every hour more than five women are killed by their families around the world

Drone use bans in Tatarstan

Russian MOD advises Azerbaijani MOD not to question activities of Russian peacekeeping contingent

Dutch ambassador summoned to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry

French MFA: Paris is committed to supporting negotiations between Pashinyan and Aliyev

Sweden says it will not wait for Turkish elections to join NATO

Germany's economy grew slightly more than expected in third quarter

Putin says there is no need to recruit more people through partial mobilization

Spiegel: Bundestag will vote on recognizing the holodomor as genocide

Putin informs participants of Security Council about trip to Yerevan

Hungary to receive exception to EU's planned price cap on Russian oil imports

Uruguay's first resident ambassador presents his credentials to Armenian president

Scholz surprised by companies' dependence on China

Armenian PM receives Managing Director of European External Action Service of EU

Doctors suspect poisoning of former Georgian President Saakashvili

British Foreign Secretary announces millions of pounds in additional support for Ukraine

Turkey and Qatar finalize talks on providing Ankara with up to $10 billion

Armenian Deputy Defense Minister briefs EU representatives on situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Switzerland approves CHF 960,000 in aid for resilience, economic recovery of Armenia border communities

Xavier Villar: Tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan through the prism of Ummatic identity

Over $11M pledged during 25th Hayastan All Armenian Fund annual Telethon

Forbes: Armenia's purchase of Iranian drones could be a potential deterrent
At the end of February, it was reported that the current authorities want to restore the diplomatic relations with Hungary, which were suspended back on August 31, 2012, after Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, sentenced to life imprisonment by a Hungarian court for axing Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan in Budapest, was extradited to Azerbaijan and immediately pardoned by Ilham Aliyev, Past writes.

"For clarification, we applied to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, from where we were told that the requested information could not be provided, according to paragraph 2 of the annex to the order of the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs No. 1002-N of June 16, 2017. "On Approval of the Extended List of Information Subject to Encryption System of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia".

And now, the newspaper has learned new details related to this topic. In particular, according to our source, the other day, in addition to the meetings that took place in Prague and were covered, there was another meeting about which there was no official report or any mention.

According to our source in the Foreign Ministry, in Prague Nikol Pashinyan had a separate short meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as well (incidentally, not even the RA Foreign Minister took part in it).

According to our information, Pashinyan and Orban reached a preliminary agreement on restoring diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary in the coming months," the newspaper said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States sees no evidence that Russia is interested in ending its aggression against Ukraine and that Moscow is instead moving in the opposite direction. Blinken said during a joint press conference with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, the Voice of America reports.

"When it comes to diplomacy to end the war, it depends entirely on whether Russia gets to a place where its actually interested in stopping the aggression that it started, and weve seen no evidence of that in this moment," Blinken said. "On the contrary, we see Russia doubling and tripling down on its aggression: in the last month, the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Russians; horrifically, cannon fodder that Putin is trying to throw into the war."

According to Blinken, during talks with the French foreign minister, the West's response to Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine was discussed.

"In recent days, weve witnessed Moscows widespread strikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine  many carried out using drones supplied by Iran," Blinken said. "These strikes have a clear goal: to make the Ukrainian people suffer. And the damage theyre inflicting will make it harder for Ukrainians to heat their homes, find safe water to drink, access the electricity that they need to run everything from stores to hospitals to public transportation."

The secretary of state said Vladimir Putin is wrong to believe that these attacks will break the Ukrainians' will to win.

"Instead, he is only deepening their resolve to defend their country. Moscow can knock out the lights across Ukraine, but it cannot, it will not, extinguish the Ukrainian spirit. President Putin thought he could divide the transatlantic alliance. Instead, hes brought us even closer together. The United States is working closely with France and other European allies to help make the decisive shift away from dependence on Russian energy," Blinken said.

The head of the State Department promised that the U.S. would help the allies in the run-up to the coming winter. He told Colonna he assured the French foreign minister that the United States will not ignore any of our friends.
Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan received a delegation led by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Saturday.

Simonyan noted that he warmly recalled the effective talks held in Tehran in June, the press service of the parliament informed NEWS.am. He stressed the importance of relations with friendly Iran, noting at the same time that the efforts aimed at their development are bearing fruit. "The opening, under your leadership, of the main consulate in Kapan, the regional center of Syunik, is a fact. I congratulate all of us on this important event," Simonian said, adding that Armenia will strive to open a consulate of our country in Tabriz in the near future.

In his turn, Iranian Foreign Minister thanked for the congratulations and underlined that the opening of the consulate general in Kapan carries an important message according to which IRI opposes obstacles on the border or transit route with friendly Armenia and supports the development of the region. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also added that they are interested in opening an Armenian consulate general in Tabriz.

Both sides noted that the Iranian consulate general will contribute to a more effective realization of the Syunik potential in trade-economic, transport, energy and a number of other spheres. The interlocutors discussed issues related to security and long-term peace in the region.

The Armenian-Iranian strategic dialogue in all directions, as well as the prospect of increasing the turnover between the two countries to $1 billion was among the key issues discussed. The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs mentioned that $1bn may be reached at the first stage and he considers realistic to reach a turnover of $3bn in the second, more perspective stage.

At the end of the meeting RA NA Speaker Alen Simonyan greeted the Speaker of the Iranian Majlis Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, noting that he was waiting for his colleague in Armenia.
Representatives of the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs hosted Armen Grigoryan, secretary of the Armenian Security Council, on Friday.

The AIISA press service told NEWS.am the topic of discussion was the security environment and challenges facing Armenia in September-October and discussed the possible impact of military and security factors, events and trends on Armenia's security environment.

During the discussion with the participation of associated experts and partners of the Institute the current challenges facing Armenia and Armenia's ability to respond to potential new threats in case of changes in international relations were discussed.

During the discussion Grigoryan presented information on the current negotiation processes as well as details on the activities aimed at deepening the bilateral relations of Armenia's partner states.

The meeting was held in a businesslike and warm atmosphere, and the importance of agreeing to hold such meetings on a regular basis was emphasized.
Russia and Turkey are working on the assessment and design of the gas hub, RIA Novosti reported citing a source in Ankara.

According to the source, the work requires assessments on the design, construction and marketing. The source said that the relevant agencies are doing this work within the orders of the presidents, the process is under the control of the presidents of Turkey and Russia.

On October 12 Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia could move gas transit from Nord Stream to the Black Sea region and Turkey.

On October 19, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he had agreed with Putin to create a gas hub to supply Europe with fuel.

According to Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kaln, the country has all the necessary infrastructure to create an international gas hub on its territory.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian invited Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Tehran on behalf of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

The Armenian prime minister's press office recalled the meeting between Raisi and Pashinyan in New York, noting that it was productive in terms of agreements.

"Mr. Raisi asked me to convey to you and underline once again his invitation to visit Tehran," Abdollahian said.

He noted that Iran attaches importance to relations with its neighbors, particularly Armenia.

The Iranian delegation visited Armenia to define joint roadmaps with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

In turn, the Armenian prime minister congratulated the opening of the consulate in Kapan. This step, in his opinion, confirms the intentions of Armenia and Iran to develop relations.

"Of course, our agenda of bilateral relations is very full, but I also think that we should place that agenda in the logic of longer-term planning. It is clear that now we are very focused and unfortunately we have to focus on solving daily operational problems, but on the other hand, I am sure that our attitude towards these problems will be more practical if we have a long term view on everything," Pashinyan said.

The Armenian Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that the dialogue with Raisi has been developing consistently in line with that logic.

The sides discussed bilateral issues, and touched upon economic cooperation. They also exchanged views on the regional situation and the security situation.

The prime minister noted the importance of clear assessments by the Iranian side and close cooperation in the current situation.
Environmental headway set to take global lead

By HOU LIQIANG (China Daily) 09:33, October 22, 2022

Tourists feed black-headed gulls returning for winter at Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Yunnan province, on Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Nation's green solutions reap rewards, offer key to modern harmony with nature

China has come up with a series of climate and ecological solutions that are instructive to the world as it strives to promote the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, with unprecedented green achievements made so far, a senior environment official said.

Zhai Qing, vice-minister of ecology and environment, said that under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, the country has made great contributions to safeguarding multilateralism in global environmental governance and it is determined to do more toward the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

China's environmental protection endeavors have seen sweeping, historic and transformative changes, thanks to greater efforts from the central authorities to promote an ecological civilization, Zhai said at a news conference on Friday, which was held on the sidelines of the ongoing 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

He highlighted the significant decrease of the density of PM2.5 particulate matter as one example of the changes, saying major cities across the country saw their average density of PM2.5 particulate matter reach 30 micrograms per cubic meter last year, compared with 46 mcg per cubic meter in 2015.

"China has been the nation with the fastest progress in air quality improvement," he said.

About 18 percent of the country's land territory has been transformed into various types of protected areas, as China strives to improve a nature reserve system composed mainly of national parks, he said. Following a series of major biodiversity conservation projects, the populations of over 300 types of rare and endangered wild animals and plants have recovered.

"In the past 10 years, China has on average managed to support an annual economic growth of 6.6 percent, with a yearly increase of 3 percent in energy consumption," he said, indicating an accelerated low-carbon transition in the country.

When asked by a Brazilian reporter if China has any approaches to share with others in maintaining harmony between humanity and nature when planning its development, the vice-minister provided several facts and figures.

China has bolstered efforts to accelerate the development and application of low-carbon technologies and foster energy conservation and environmental protection industries, Zhai said. In 2021, the revenue of the country's environmental protection industry reached almost 2.2 trillion yuan ($303.6 billion), up by 11.8 percent from the previous year.

The official also underscored the roles of innovative policy instruments in boosting the green transition.

Since 2018, Chinese authorities have exempted more than 10 billion yuan in taxes for companies with emission levels below national standards, he said. The country also launched a national carbon trading program last year to tap the potential of market mechanisms in motivating emissions reduction.

China has contributed to global environmental governance not only with its wisdom. Adhering to multilateralism, it has proactively joined hands with other nations and will step up efforts for more multilateral and bilateral environmental and climate cooperation, Zhai said.

There has been significant progress, for example, in making the Belt and Road Initiative greener, he said. The BRI International Green Development Coalition, which China initiated in 2019 to enhance policy dialogue, joint research and capacity building, has now had more than 150 partners from over 40 countries.

Reaching 43 climate agreements with 38 developing nations under the South-South cooperation mechanism, Zhai said China has aided these nations with meteorological satellites, photovoltaic power generation systems and new energy vehicles to help improve their capabilities in tackling climate change.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming)
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is honoring Emory ethnobotanist Cassandra Quave for her commitment to public science outreach, presenting her with an inaugural Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communication by a Research Scientist.

Quave will receive $20,000 in an awards ceremony Nov. 11 in Washington D.C. as one of 24 winners from the different categories, including leading scientists, journalists and authors.

The exemplary work that these award winners are doing to accurately and engagingly communicate about science to the public has never been more important, says Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences. In an often complicated, murky and distorted communications environment, these superb communicators are shining a light on critical truths, facts and evidence that people need to make informed decisions about their lives.

In 2021, Viking published Quaves memoir, The Plant Hunter: A Scientists Quest for Natures Best Medicines. The book celebrates Quaves life in science, starting with her roots in rural Florida, where she thrived as an active, curious child despite major physical disabilities. It chronicles how she found her passion for research as an Emory undergraduate and later returned to the university to establish one of the worlds top laboratories for ethnobotany  the study of how traditional people use plants for survival.

Science is meant to be shared, says Quave, associate professor in Emorys Center for the Study of Human Health and the School of Medicines Department of Dermatology. Im passionate about translating my research on the role of plants in medicine and the importance of food to our health to a broad audience. Its also relevant to planetary health and to understanding our place in the world.

In addition to authoring more than 100 scientific publications, Quave has written articles on ethnobotany for broader audiences that have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and the Conversation. She also gives frequent interviews to journalists seeking her scientific expertise. Quaves research has been featured by the New York Times Magazine, the BBC, NPR, PBS and the National Geographic Channel, among many others. In addition to TV and film appearances, shes been a guest on 32 podcasts and radio shows and given more than 100 public talks to general audiences during the past five years.

The awards committee cited the range of Quaves science communications outreach. She co-created and hosts a podcast, Foodie Pharmacology, which has accumulated 70,000 downloads in its fourth year. Her YouTube channel, Teach Ethnobotany, has 6,400 subscribers and 660,000 views.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, non-profit society of distinguished scholars, established by an act of Congress in 1863, charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. It partnered with the philanthropic initiative Schmidt Futures to launch the communication awards this year.

The gathering of the 24 winners in Washington in November will include a science communications workshop.

Im looking forward to meeting the other award recipients to get additional science communications training and to trade tips, Quave says. Its another great learning opportunity.

Quave is currently working on a new popular science book proposal based on an undergraduate course she teaches called Food, Health and Society.
She grew up wanting to create a robot named Usher that would serve her hot cocoa.

But much later, after working diligently in the oil and gas industry, Angle Bush was at a technology conference when she looked around and saw very few faces that looked like her own. Since these are the people developing the technology to automate decisions in the future, Bush saw that as a problem.

I did not see a full reflection of myself or what was needed to represent access and opportunity to people of color, Bush told a group of students and faculty and staff members on Tuesday afternoon at an event hosted by the University of Miamis Institute for Data Science and Computing and the Universitys Ethics Programs. People often say that artificial intelligence is the fourth industrial revolution and in that moment, I said, Surely you cant have a revolution without Black women.

Bush left her job at Shell in Houston, Texas, and later founded Black Women in Artificial Intelligence (AI), an organization that hopes to educate, engage, embrace, and empower this segment of the female population into artificial intelligence careers. Today it has members on five continents, and Bush is hoping to open smaller chapters at colleges to combat the meager number of Black women in the industry. She also has relationships with large corporations like Amazon, CapitalOne, Nvidia, and others who want to attract more Black women to their companies.

Bush spoke to a group of more than two dozen at the Otto G. Richter Library and explained that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are only meaningful if leaders are willing to confront the harsh realities of the small percentage of all minorities among their companies ranks.

People need to ask things like Where are you as a company or organization? Do you have 1 percent or 12 percent minorities in your organization? Where would you like to be? Whats your capacity for becoming what you say you want to be? And why do you want to do it?  she pointed out. Before you can get to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, that self-reflection needs to take place.

Once these conversations happen, realistic goals are set, and new hires are made. Leaders then need to be open to giving these new employees shared power, authority, and influence, Bush added. Oftentimes theres a discussion about letting people [of color] have a seat at the table, she said. A seat at the table without power and authority is just taking up space.

Lastly, Bush said companies need to build trust among their existing employees, so that new workers know their leaders are committed to a mission of inclusion and to helping their new employees succeed. Bush said she often reminds business leaders about the importance of retention and how happy employees will tell their friends and colleagues about a positive experience.

Throughout her talk, Bush asked audience members about their own experiences; what motivated them to attend; and why diversity, equity, and inclusion is important to them. Miller School of Medicine graduate students Alex Sanchez Covarrubias and Ayodele Omotoso attended the talk with their advisor, Sophia George, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences, and both said that Bushs message resonated with them.

In my experience in computational biology, there are few minorities doing data science and I think institutions should encourage minorities to join this field in general, so that it is more representative, said Covarrubias, a doctoral candidate in cancer biology. Sometimes when Im troubleshooting code, if I ask someone else for help, theres other things they notice that I dont. So, as you increase the diversity in the field, you have different backgrounds that can help you to use new methods to reach your goal.
The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, detained Sept. 13 by Iranian Guidance Patrols because her hijab failed to appropriately cover her head, neck, and hair as required by Islamic law, ignited a wave of uprisings and violence that has increasingly engulfed the Middle East country in recent weeks.

Claire Oueslati-Porter, senior anthropology lecturer in the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences and director of the gender and sexuality studies program, and several Iranian students with the Graduate Students Association (GSA) insist that a conflation of factorspolitical and economic grievances that have been building for decadeshas opened a new phase of resistance against the hardline Islamic government that is attracting support from a wider girth of Iranian society than ever before.

Were seeing multiple movements that are flowing together at this particular moment in time, said Oueslati-Porter. These protests mark the next phase of a youth and feminist movement, a legacy of protests that have been going on for several decades.

Oueslati-Porter, who teaches a course on gender in the Middle East and North Africa and recently authored a book on Tunisian women, highlighted that while segments of the populace participating in the movement may have different motivations, they all aim for greater freedom and rights.

Their motivations have to do with ideas and notions about freedom and orientation toward much of the world and society that is much more influenced by cosmopolitan ideas rather than the version or Islam that is presented by their leadership, she said. Which isnt to say that theyre not interested in being Muslim. Its that the version of Islam thats being presented and enforced by Iranian leadership is viewed as oppressive.

Last week, members of the GSA tabled an event near the Shalala Student Center to raise awareness about the protests in Iran.

Padideh Lovan, born and raised in Tehran and now conducting post-doctoral research at the Miller School of Medicine, initiated the event. She and other students in the group emphasized that the protests are part of a longstanding movement for more freedom and rights.

This has been building for the last 40 to 50 years, said Lovan, who first came to the United States in 2015 to study on a student visa. This is not just one problem that people are protestingits very multifaceted. People are unhappy about a lot of things economically and politically in terms of their freedom, their religious views, and how they want to practice.

Lovan was herself accosted and taken away by the morality policeor Guidance Patrol who make sure that women are properly wearing the hijabwhen she was 18 and living in Tehran. Every single woman in Iran has been affected directly or indirectly by the morality police, she said.

On its website, the U.S. State Department describes Iran as an anti-Western religious theocracy, a dangerous regime that is the largest exporter of state terrorism in the world. Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, the countrys supreme leader, is the longest serving head of state in the Middle East. In office since 1989, he served in the Iran-Iraq war and developed close ties with the Revolutionary Guard, a powerful base of support for the regime.

Women face a range of restrictions in many areas of their lifemarriage, divorce, employment, and culture. Islamic law affords no legal protection against domestic violence or sexual harassment and the constitution has no nondiscrimination clause for gender. Women are prohibited from leaving the country without their husbands consent.

To better understand the roots of the uprising in Iran, Oueslati-Porter highlighted the insights of anthropologists such as Shahram Khosravi, a professor at Stockholm University and author of Young and Defiant in Tehran, who emphasizes the importance of class.

People with more class privilege have more of a desire for the kinds of freedoms associated with middle classgoing to the malls, to cafes, and other cosmopolitan pleasures associated with the West, she said. Whats happening now in Iran is impacted by that. Along with serious concerns among protesters about the mistreatment of women in public life, education, and public institutions, it seems there is a conflation of more than one strain of thought and movement.

She noted that the current spate of protests was indeed sparked by the death of Amini, yet also pointed to recent government policies that have further fueled the fires of discontent.

Theres a reactionary sense that new figures in government want to take the country back to the good ole days, the stricter versioninstead of the liberalizing trendsof Islamic law for womens clothing and their comportment in public, Oueslati-Porter said.

That certainly irks many people, but its also important to note that women and girls get picked up by the morality police and brutalizedsometimes killedregularly, she added. So, the fact that this one young woman becomes a symbol also seems to highlight that the moment had to be really right for this inflection of the ongoing protest.

Lovan and other GSA students are concerned for the regimes response to the protests, that instead of relaxing policies and addressing economic hardship, it will again unleash security forces to brutally repress the protests as it did in 2019.

Still, she believes the resistance movement is stronger and broader than ever before.

This movement is unique. Its led by women, but men have joined, she said. Theres no leader, and people are getting together and rising from everywhere. They shut down one group at a university, and another one rises. Shut down one school and protests arise at others.

At the tabling event on the Coral Gables Campus, Lovan and other students were motivated to meet other Iranian students, but also to raise awareness about whats happening in their country of origin.

Its so important that more people understand that this is about basic human rights and its not just one countrys fightthis is the worlds fight, said Lovan.
Hong Kong reports 5,953 new Covid cases

Most Covid cases in the past week involve Omicron BA.4 and BA.5. Image: Shutterstock

Hong Kong on Saturday reported 5,953 new coronavirus infections, including 364 imported cases.



Seven more patients with Covid have died.



The Centre for Health Protection said over 90 percent of the infections recorded in the past week involve the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 mutant strains.



The centre added that it is closely monitoring cases involving other new variants.



A spokesman appealed to those who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, especially the elderly, chronic patients and children, to receive the shots as early as possible.
In the preceding week, the country's foreign exchange reserves were at USD 532.868 billion, RBI data showed.

According to RBI's data, India's foreign currency assets, which are the biggest component of the forex reserves, declined by USD 2.828 billion to USD 468.668 billion during the week.

The value of gold reserves dropped by USD 1.5 billion to USD 37.453 billion during the week.

The value of India's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund declined by USD 149 million to USD 17.433 billion during the week under review, the RBI data showed.

The reserves have been falling for months now because of RBI's likely intervention in the market to defend the depreciating rupee against a surging US dollar.

For the record, the Indian rupee has been weakening over the past few weeks to hit fresh new all-time lows as the US dollar strengthened against major global currencies.

On Wednesday, the rupee breached the 83 mark for the first time in its history.

So far this year, the rupee has depreciated around 11-12 per cent, market data showed.

Typically, the RBI intervenes in the market through liquidity management, including through the selling of dollars, with a view to preventing a steep depreciation in the rupee.

India's forex reserves have declined by around USD 100 billion ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February when imports of energy and other commodities got costlier globally. (ANI)
Payments solution provider Razorpay, which was raided by the Enforcement Directorate recently, in a statement said that it has cooperated with the agency and its funds have not been frozen. "This recent visit by the ED is part of the ongoing investigation against a few suspicious entities who conducted illegal business through multiple payment gateways/banks," the company said in a statement on Friday. "We proactively blocked all those suspicious entities and funds associated with them about 1.5 years ago, and have shared their details with the ED multiple times," a Razorpay spokesperson said. "All our operations and onboarding processes adhere to the highest standards of governance and regulatory guidelines. No funds of Razorpay were frozen," the spokesperson said. The fintech company stated that being a regulated financial institution it routinely cooperates with law enforcement agencies and provide necessary merchant information to assist in the investigation process. The Enforcement Directorate had in mid-September said it has detected and frozen Rs 46.67 crore kept in various bank accounts and virtual accounts of Razorpay, and three others -- Easebuzz, Cashfree and Paytm -- after raids in connection with a Chinese loan app case. The agency had then said a total of Rs 33.36 crore was found with Easebuzz Private Limited, Pune, Rs 8.21 crore with Razorpay Software Private Limited, Bangalore, Rs 1.28 crore with Cashfree Payments India Private Limited, Bangalore and Rs 1.11 crore with Paytm Payments Services Limited, New Delhi. The ED carried out search operations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 at six business and residential premises in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Mumbai, Lucknow, Gaya and 16 other premises of banks and payment gateways branches and offices in Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Bangalore in respect of an investigation related to the app-based token named HPZ and related entities. The agency initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered on October 8, 2021, filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by Cyber Crime Police Station, Kohima, Nagaland. The HPZ Token was an App-Based Token which promised users of significant gains against investment by investing in mining machines for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, said the ED. "The modus-operandi of the fraudsters was to first lure the victims to invest in the company on the pretext of doubling their investment through the app HPZ Token," the agency had said then. (ANI)
Reliance Jio 5G is here. As announced two months back, the telecom operator on Saturday has finally launched the new-age high-speed services in the country. Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani has launched the services in Rajasthan from the famous Shrinathji temple in Rajsamand. This year, it aims to launch 5G services in major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. The telecom operator intends to expand its 5G network to each and every town, tehsil and talukas across the country by December of 2023, Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani said on August 29 while announcing the 5G launch in India. Earlier this year, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani resigned from the board of Reliance Jio, thereby handing over reigns to his elder son Akash Ambani. Meanwhile, Jio will deploy the latest version of 5G called standalone 5G. It is estimated to invest Rs 2 lakh crore in 5G infrastructure. Launched six years ago, Jio has created multiple world records during its rollout of the largest 4G network in the shortest period of time. Jio's 4G network provides the highest quality, most affordable digital services to over 400 million loyal and delighted customers. Jio is expected to now raise the bar even further with its 5G services. Reliance Jio Infocomm has acquired spectrum in 700MHz, 800MHz, 1800MHz, 3300MHz and 26GHz bands in the recently-concluded 5G auctions conducted by the Department of Telecommunications, where the government received around Rs 1.5 lakh worth of bids. Reliance Jio, Adani group, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea were the four major participants in the spectrum auction. Following the spectrum auction, the government issued spectrum allocation letters to telecom service providers in mid-August while asking them to prepare for the rollout of 5G services. The Department of Telecom and the Ministry of Information Technology have been pushing the mobile phone makers and telecom operators for the updation of 5G-related software in the devices and putting in place the requisite infrastructure for faster rollout of the new-age telecom services. About 5G: 5G is the fifth-generation mobile network capable of transmitting a large set of data at a very rapid speed. In comparison to 3G and 4G, 5G has a very low latency which will enhance user experiences in various sectors. Low latency describes the efficiency of processing a very high volume of data messages with a minimal delay. The large-scale 5G rollout is also expected to bring more development in remote data monitoring sectors such as mining, warehousing, telemedicine, and manufacturing, among others. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI/PNN): Airline and hotel booking website 'onlineSavaari.Com' is about to be launched on the auspicious occasion of Diwali on 24th October, 2022. Through this website you can book your air tickets for national and international flights and book hotels on discounted rates and avail many other benefits too. Customers can find cheap air tickets to any of their favourite destinations. The website will also provide cancellation protection on domestic flights. Apart from this there are other benefits like fare drop protection, same day cancellation protection and other benefits related to international bookings will also be passed on to the customers. Talking about 'onlineSavaari.Com', the founder and CEO of the website Kushal Chakraborty said, "onlineSavaari.Com has 3 kind of business models - One is B2B through which any travel agent from his or her account can do bulk booking on discounted rates on offer. Another business model is for corporates who can book air tickets with all kind of corporate benefits provided by the company at the time of the booking. There is one more air ticket model which is called as B2C model which is also known as business to customer model. Under this model the normal customers can directly login and book their tickets and get available facilities on the given day." Any One can also book hotels from budget, mid-range, five star to boutique properties all across India. With efficient and easy payment method options available, one can opt for flexi stay, pay directly at the hotel with guaranteed luxurious amenities. Notably, for now the customers will only be able to book air tickets and hotel booking services will be available later once the app is launched next month. The company is soon going to launch the app with the same name which will then easily allow all the customers to book air tickets as well as hotel rooms through the said app. Vishal Bharatkar, partner of 'onlineSavaari.Com' informs that on the onset of every festive season, an upcoming long weekend or a gazetted holiday, customers will get attractive deals on flights and hotels which can be in the form of cash back offers to promo code discounts. Talking about the customer service provided by 'onlineSavaari.Com, one of the director of the company, SharmisthaBiswas said that the customer service team of 'onlineSavaari.Com' will take care of all the need of the customers and support them before, during and after the booking of air tickets and hotel rooms. This story has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PNN)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 22 (ANI/NewsVoir): This Diwali, Imagine gives Apple fans a reason to cheer. With great offers ranging from 5 per cent OFF on iPhone 13 to up to Rs 2,500 FLAT OFF on the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, Apple fans have a reason to rejoice. MacBook lovers too can buy their desired device at a discount of FLAT 7 per cent OFF (10 per cent OFF if they are students). Imagine offers customers the triple advantage of a great shopping experience, top-notch service and helpful in-store staff. Customers can purchase the best quality Apple and third-party accessories as well as get expert care from the iCare service team all under one roof. The well trained and patient store teams will help customers choose the right product for their needs as customer satisfaction is more important for Imagine than hard selling. With an NPS score of 85 per cent, a Google rating of close to 4.6 and Repeat Customer business of 50 per cent+, this is the testimony to Imagine's commitment to customer satisfaction. Everyone is welcome at the Imagine stores, so it's no surprise that they wow the window shoppers too! The experts at iCare, the Apple Authorized Service Centre attached to most of the Imagine Stores are equipped to solve all problems related to the customers' device. Imagine is present across 25+ locations in major Indian cities and will expand its chain by 3 more locations in November; 2 in Bangalore and 1 in Trivandrum in order to increase the selection for Apple fans in those cities. Partha Sarathi Bhattacharya, Head of Retail, Imagine - Ample, says, "Imagine's Diwali offers is bigger, better and the best in town. Backed by the great customer experience that we deliver, this Diwali, we are the natural destination for all Apple fans." Imagine is operated by Ample, one of India's leading technology distribution companies. The company has a strong presence in both the enterprise and retail segments. While the retail stores cater to retail customers, the corporate team caters to the tech needs of large enterprises. Apart from Apple, Ample also partners with other global brands such as Bose, Under Armour and Asics to bring the best of global and premium retail brands to consumers in India. For more information, visit: www.imagineonline.store. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
New Delhi (India), October 22 (ANI/PNN): In order to decrease the rising burden of oil imports, India recently opened up bidding for 26 blocks for oil exploration in India. India currently imports 85 per cent of country's oil requirements, and plans to reduce its dependence on imported crude oil by at least 10 per cent in the coming years. Under the HELP policy, the government has re-modeled the hydrocarbon licensing policies to make E&P investment commercially attractive with incentives like no category- basis revenue sharing. India recently launched a sizable offering for oil and gas exploration, with most of the blocks on offer lying offshore and in deeper waters. The government awarded another 31 contracts for oil and gas developments last month through the DSF-3 competitive bidding round, in what was the country's largest-ever offering of areas with known oil and gas accumulations. India has tried to carry out several biddings for oil exploration in the past decade, however, it has failed to attract the big international energy companies, despite lucrative incentives. India wants to attract companies from Western nations who can bring in technical capabilities to get the most out of domestic offshore assets. Global oil exploration companies are also eager to gain a foothold in India, where fuel demand is expected to keep rising with the country's economic growth. India's oil consumption or demand is expected to rise to almost 3.3 billion barrels annually by 2040 from about 1.6 billion barrels this year 2022. Recently, in its largest offshore rig exploration exercise in recent years, ONGC has floated a tender for 12 jack-up rigs with some relaxations in liquidity damages clauses. But, as per some experts, these kind of relaxations may provide an edge to international players in comparison to local offshore players. This story has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PNN)
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) posted the proceedings of its Q2 FY 2022-23 earnings call on the metaverse late on Friday. This is the first time in the history of corporate India that a company has used metaverse to engage with its stakeholders. The RIL metaverse was produced in partnership with GMetri, a no-code metaverse creation platform. One doesn't need to wear an AR/VR headgear to access it. The metaverse contains nearly an hour of results commentary, featuring Group Joint CFO V. Srikanth (covering consolidated financials and business summary); Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (RJIL) President Kiran Thomas (covering Jio Platforms and digital services); RJIL Head of Strategy Anshuman Thakur (covering Jio digital services - financials); Strategy and Business Development head, Reliance Retail Limited, Gaurav Jain (covering Reliance Retail); and Senior Vice President, E&P, Sanjay Roy (covering Hydrocarbons - Exploration & Production). Using it, analysts across the world tracking the company can toggle with slides and graphics placed on different screens as per the multiple buckets in the results presentation. They can also download the RIL Q2 22-23 media release and the transcript of the media and analyst call in PDF formats. The RIL metaverse also has a special section comprising quotations from RIL Chairman and Managing Director, Mukesh Ambani. The metaverse is a virtual space that is built with the idea to immerse users within the online experience, mainly via virtual and augmented reality, while enabling them to interact with each other virtually. Due to its ongoing evolution, the term 'metaverse' currently has no single definition. There are many types of metaverses, and one can engage in any of them, depending on their preferences - metaverse being the broad term for a virtual experience or virtual environment one typically enters as an avatar. --IANS san/arm ( 305 Words) 2022-10-22-22:58:02 (IANS)
A source informed ANI that Salman has not been keeping well and has taken a brief break from hosting 'Bigg Boss'. However, the source did not confirm his dengue diagnosis.

After learning about Salman's ill health, fans flooded social media with "get well soon" messages.

"Get well soon bhai. Take care," a netizen wrote on Twitter.

"Get well soon bhai, our prayers are with you," a fan tweeted.

"Wishing you a speedy recovery. Hope you come back fitter," another one wrote.

Filmmaker Karan Johar has stepped in to host the 16th season of 'Bigg Boss' for a while. Besides Bigg Boss, Salman was also busy shooting for his film 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan'.

'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan' is scheduled to release on Eid 2023. It is billed as an action-packed entertainer directed by Farhad Samji and also features Pooja Hegde, and Venkatesh Daggubati in lead roles. Shehnaaz Gill and Palak Tiwari are also a part of the project.

The film is produced by Salman Khan Films and promises to have all the elements that one expects of a Salman Khan Film - action, comedy, drama, romance and emotions.

Recently, Salman also announced that his film 'Tiger 3' with Katrina Kaif will be out on Diwali 2023. (ANI)
True Maharashtrian at heart, actor Sharvari is looking forward to celebrating Marathi Diwali ritual 'pahili pahat' with her whole family. 'Pahili pahat' is a Maharashtrian ritual where the whole family sits together to have the first meal of the day before sunrise. Speaking about the same, Sharvari said, "I love Diwali and the ritual of pahili pahat in which as a family we all wake-up before sunrise, use Utna (which is actually Multani mitti) as a scrub for one's skin, get ready in new Indian clothes, listen to some happy marathi songs about Diwali and have breakfast together." She added, "This breakfast is called faral which includes dishes like chiwda, chakli, shankarpale, karanji and many more savouries like that which are all cooked at home. I really look forward to this meal as we come together on a table as a family and the mood is very festive and celebratory. It feels like a new beginning. I also relish the wide spread of food and my favourite thing is chakli and shankarpale.As a kid I have always enjoyed faral and I appreciate it more so now, because everyone is busy in their own hectic schedules but on Diwali, we all come together and after faral take blessings from our elders." Meanwhile, on the work front, Sharvari, who made her Bollywood debut 'Bunty aur Babli 2' in 2021, is all set to announce her new projects very soon. (ANI)
Hollywood actor Matthew Perry has credited his 'Friends' co-star Jennifer Aniston for trying to help him with his drinking problem. According to Deadline, in a trailer for a sit down with ABC News journalist Diane Sawyer, Perry recalled the time Aniston, whom he calls "Jenny", confronted him on his problem. "We know you're drinking," she said, Sawyer reminded Perry. Confirming the incident, Perry said, "Imagine how scary a moment that was. She was the one who reached out the most, you know. I'm really grateful to her for that." Recently, Perry has been opening up about his struggles with addiction. The actor tells all in a new book, 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir', which is set to come out November 1. Earlier, Perry told People magazine when 'Friends' started, he was in the early stages of alcoholism. In the ensuing years, that problem grew worse to the point where four years ago, his colon burst from using opioids, reported Deadline. For two weeks the actor was in a coma along with being hospitalized for five and wore a colostomy bag for nine months. In the trailer, Perry also told Sawyer that he also was once taking "55 Vicodin a day," as well as Methadone, Xanax and a full quart of vodka. "At the time, I should have been the toast of the town. Instead, I was in a dark room meeting nothing but drug dealers, and completely alone," said Perry, who claims he's sober now, as per Deadline. (ANI)
A recent study has discovered that a large number of chimps in Europe have low vitamin D levels, which might have a severe impact on their health. The study, which is the largest of its kind, is published in the journal Scientific Reports. The authors say this research will help improve care and nutrition practices in these endangered animals. Vitamin D deficiency is described by some as a pandemic, thought to affect up to 1 billion people worldwide. Vitamin D is well-known for its importance in maintaining calcium levels in the body, which is essential to the functioning of bones and muscles. However, vitamin D has a much wider range of biological functions, and prolonged vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a variety of disorders in humans such as heart diseases, cancers, autoimmune diseases, and respiratory infections. Comparatively little is known about vitamin D in non-human primates. An international team of experts, including academics at the Universities of Nottingham, Birmingham, St George's and Hong Kong, as well as zoo veterinarians from Twycross and Perth zoos, have set up a Europe-wide research project to investigate this in our closest animal relatives. The international study found that inadequate vitamin D levels are widespread in chimpanzees living in Europe. This in turn could be a risk factor for the development of a mysterious heart disease that commonly affects them: IMF, or Idiopathic Myocardial Fibrosis. The same research group previously investigated IMF in detail and found that a majority of chimpanzees from Europe showed the characteristic changes of this disease, but animals from Africa were not affected. Dr Melissa Grant at the University of Birmingham said "This is essential research to further understand the factors contributing to maintaining a healthy in-human-care chimpanzee population for the future of the species. Such a wide range of individuals and locations has not been explored before and this reveals potential new ways to care for these animals." During the study, the team analysed samples from around 20% of all chimpanzees living in Europe. The samples came from 32 European zoos and sanctuaries, and were collected opportunistically when the animals were anaesthetised for health checks or minor veterinary procedures. The researchers analysed the samples along with detailed information about the individual animals and their care practices, as well as their geographical location, to understand which factors could be important for their vitamin D supply. Sophie Moittie, who led the study originally at Twycross Zoo and is now an assistant professor at the University of St George's, said: "There is clear correlation between vitamin D status and several diseases in humans. We share 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees, therefore we need to assume that they might be at risk as well. It is our responsibility to ensure they get the best care possible, so we can preserve them into the future." Their findings show that unlimited outdoor access resulted in higher vitamin D levels, even for those animals living in Northern Europe, where sunny days are rare compared with their natural African habitat. Like in humans, there were also clear differences in vitamin D between seasons, and for many chimpanzees their end-of-summer concentrations may not be high enough to avoid a winter deficiency. Even chimpanzees living in Southern Europe are at risk of becoming vitamin D deficient, similarly to the humans living there. These findings will now inform how these animals are cared for in zoos and sanctuaries, contributing to continuous improvements in welfare standards. Professor Kate White from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham said: "This is a really good example of clinical research informing best practice: unlimited outdoor access for these captive animals is likely to be more important than we previously thought." Professor Kerstin Baiker, the lead pathologist of this study from City University of Hong Kong said: "Vitamin D plays an important role in the transcriptional control of pro-fibrogenic and pro-inflammatory factors in the body, so adequate Vitamin D levels are vital for the health of chimpanzees in our care." Though vitamin D was long thought to be important only for bone health, its relevance nowadays is considered very profound. Hundreds, if not thousands of biological processes rely on its presence in humans and other animals, and a lack of this vitamin might be an important contributing factor to many modern human diseases. Understanding these in other great apes can both provide significant benefits to their conservation, and we also might learn important lessons for humans too. (ANI)
In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday stressed on the need to achieve a consensus among countries across the world to tackle cross-border propagation of terrorist ideologies through online radicalisation. Shah's remarks came while addressing the closing session of Interpol's 90th General Assembly, organized in the national capital. The Home Minister said he firmly believes that "terrorism is the biggest violation of human rights". In order to fight cross-border terrorism, the minister also emphasized that "across-border cooperation is very important, and for this Interpol is the best platform". "First of all, all countries must agree on the definition of terrorism and terrorist. The commitment to fight terrorism together, and narratives such as good terrorism, bad terrorism and small and big terrorist attacks, do not go together," Shah said. "We also need to achieve a consensus on the cross-border propagation of terrorist ideologies through online radicalization." The Home Minister further pointed "we cannot consider this to be a political problem". "We must all be committed to ensuring that an effective fight against terrorism should be long-term, comprehensive and sustainable," Shah said. The Home Minister ensured that India is committed to working with Interpol to "fight all forms of terrorism and to provide technical assistance and human resources". Noting that the Interpol nodal agency and the counter-terror agencies are different in many countries, Shah said we will have to "bring together all the counter-terrorism agencies of the world in order to fight terrorism". In this regard, Shah said, "I request Interpol to launch an initiative to set up a permanent mechanism for a 'real-time information exchange line' between counter-terror agencies of all member countries." Shah said over the last 100 years, Interpol has become a very large and effective platform comprising 195 countries, playing a very important role in controlling crime across the world. "Today, terrorism is a global problem and it is very appropriate that it is the first and most important of the seven global policing goals of Interpol for the period 2020-2025." Given challenges such as the emerging trends of global trade in narcotics, and narco terror, Shah said close cooperation is needed between all countries. The minister sought cooperation on platforms for the exchange of information and intelligence; intelligence-based joint campaigns; regional maritime security cooperation; Mutual Legal Assistance; and an effective mechanism to fight money laundering. He also mentioned how India's Narcotics Control Bureau has achieved many successes in seizing narcotics, destroying them, and taking cases to their logical conclusion. Shah mentioned Interpol's 'Operation Lionfish' and India's 'Operation Garuda', saying "I would like to tell you that under 'Operation Lionfish', the biggest seizure has been made in India". Shah requested Interpol to take the initiative towards setting up a "real-time information exchange network" between the anti-narcotic agencies of all member countries, as well as create an "extensive narco database". (ANI)
Hundreds of Congress workers, led by Punjab unit President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of the Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Friday staged a protest dharna in front of the memorial of revolutionary Bhagat Singh in Kharak Kalan, demanding dismissal and arrest of Minister Fauja Singh Sarari on corruption charges. Addressing the dharna, Warring said that if the government did not take any action against Sarari, the party would intensify its agitation across the state. He said Friday's dharna was only symbolic to serve an ultimatum to the government that it cannot have double standards. "On one hand, Congress leaders are booked and jailed without any evidence, on the other hand the minister against whom there is case was roaming scot-free," he said. He also announced that the Congress will stage a protest demonstration at Mohali on November 1 to protest against the intimidation and victimisation of the Congress workers at the grassroots level. Warring exhorted the Congress workers to remain strong, united and firm in their resolve to fight against the excesses and high handedness of the Aam Aadmi Party government. "Nothing is permanent here and it is matter of some time more," he said, while expressing confidence that the Congress will bounce back stronger. Bajwa criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's double standards on Sarari, alleging that he was deliberately protecting him. He said the Sarari incident had completely exposed Mann and warned that the Congress party will not rest till the minister was not removed. Condemning AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal for "shamefully" equating Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh with "tainted" ministers like Satyender Jain and Manish Sisodia, he said while Bhagat Singh had sacrificed his life for the freedom of the country at such a young age, "the two tainted ministers with whom Kejriwal was trying to compare the great martyr were neck deep in corruption". Bajwa said that Jain and Sisodia were facing serious charges and investigations by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation with offshore accounts and assets worth crores of rupees. --IANS vg/vd ( 355 Words) 2022-10-21-20:32:02 (IANS)
In a big jolt to the BJP in Telangana ahead of the by-election to Munugode Assembly seat, two leaders on Friday quit the party and rejoined the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Senior leader Dasoju Sravan and former chairman of Telangana Legislative Council, K. Swamy Goud joined the TRS. It was a homecoming for both the leaders as they were associated with the TRS earlier. Sravan had quit the TRS in 2014 to join Congress while Swamy Goud had resigned from the TRS in 2020 to join the BJP. This came a day after former MLA Bhishmaiah Goud also quit the saffron party to return to the TRS fold. Their return is likely to give a boost to the TRS in its campaign for the November 3 by-election. The development is seen as a counter-attack by the TRS after it list former MP B. Narsaiah Goud to BJP three days ago. After joining the TRS, Sravan called on Chief Minister and TRS President K. Chandrasekhar Rao. He and Swamy Goud were earlier welcomed into the TRS by party's Working President K.T. Rama Rao. Sravan resigned from the BJP in protest against what he called the distribution of money, meat and liquor by the party among voters in Munugode. His resignation came less than three months after he quit the Congress and joined the saffron party. Sravan, a former national spokesman of Congress, wrote a letter to BJP's Telangana unit President Bandi Sanjay Kumar explaining the reasons for his decision to resign from primary membership of the party. He alleged that the BJP is distributing money, meat and liquor among voters in Munugode Assembly constituency. Sravan wrote that he had joined the BJP with many expectations but was disappointed over the directionless politics pursued by the party. He said BJP promised to do alternative politics but its approach in the Munugode by-election was disgusting. He alleged that the BJP with no social responsibility was resorting to distribution of money bags, encouraging big contractors, and pursuing investment politics. "In such a situation it has become evident that there is no room for a leader like me coming from a weaker section of the society," he said It was on August 5 that Sravan had resigned from the Congress. Alleging that there is total disorder in the party under the leadership of state unit President A. Revanth Reddy, he had said that he was not ready to live like a slave in the organisation and hence decided to resign. --IANS ms/vd A ( 434 Words) 2022-10-21-20:38:05 (IANS)
An Advanced Light Combat helicopter of the Indian Army crashed in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district on Friday, and bodies of four of the five people on board have been recovered so far, officials. A search is on to locate the remaining missing soldier. A defence spokesman said that the cause of the crash at this stage is not known, and details are being ascertained. "A joint search and rescue operation of Army and Air Force was launched immediately. One MI-17, two Advanced Light Helicopters and three columns of the Indian Army were deployed in the search operations," the spokesman said. "There were five people on board. There is very little chance of survival of the missing soldier," a senior district official told IANS over phone from district headquarters Yingkiong. The crash took place on Friday morning in Migging village, around 25 km from the district headquarters. The helicopter, which took off from Lekabali, was on a regular sortie. Since the site of the crash is not connected by road, more details are still awaited. Upper Siang's Superintendent of Police, Jummar Basar, said the crash site is a mountainous region, and it would take time to complete the search operation. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu tweeted: "Shocked to hear about the news of Advanced Light Combat Helicopter crash near Tuting area in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The State Government has rushed the rescue team to the accident site and providing all assistance." "Received very disturbing news about Indian Army's Advanced Light Helicopter crash in Upper Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh. My deepest prayers," tweeted Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh. This was the second incident of an Army chopper accident in the state this month. On October 5, a pilot was killed after a Cheetah helicopter crashed during a routine sortie in the forward areas near Tawang. --IANS sc/vd ( 333 Words) 2022-10-21-20:58:03 (IANS)
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly V D Satheesan on Friday alleged that the Vice Chancellors of Universities in the state were being used as "puppets" in the appointments of teachers in colleges. This comes after the Supreme Court cancelled the order of appointment of MS Rajasree as Vice-Chancellor of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University in the state. "The Supreme Court's verdict quashing the appointment of the Technical University Vice Chancellor is a setback for the state government. The government is making Vice Chancellors as puppets in the appointments of teachers in the universities," said Satheesan. He also slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government and claimed that the current party's approach was having dire effects on education. "Technical university appointments were made in violation of procedures. The reappointment of the Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University was also done similarly. There was a heavy backlash from the Supreme Court. The state government's approach is to destroy higher education," he added. He also cleared his stance on the alleged involvement of a Congress MLA in a sexual assault incident and said, " The party will take action immediately. We will not interfere in the liberty of the complainant. I did not say that the allegation was politically motivated." The LoP also accused CM Pinarayi Vijayan of neutralizing police in the state and said, "It is the Chief Minister who neutralizes the police in Kerala. The SHO is controlled by the Area Secretary of CPIM. CPIM is even conniving with drug cartels. CPIM has given the district secretary the power to control the commissioner." Earlier on September 17, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said that all the appointments in the universities will be made on the basis of merit and he will not give the authority to appoint vice-chancellors to the state government as it amounts to "executive interference". "Everything will be considered on merit. The government cannot be given the power to appoint the Vice Chancellors. I am saying it clearly, this will amount to executive interference," said Khan said on the matter of the University Laws Amendment Bill. (ANI)
In a joint operation with Delhi Police, Punjab Police and Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) have busted a terror module and arrested three people, the police said on Thursday. The police said that the module is being jointly handled by Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda. Those arrested people have been identified as Balraj Singh, a resident of Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran, Aatish Kumar and Avinash Kumar, both residents of village Sarhali Kalan in Tarn Taran. All three accused persons were working as security guards at a Tile Factory in Gujarat. Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Arun Pal Singh said that the police have procured seven days' remand of the arrested persons after producing them in the Court. Meanwhile, a case was registered under section 25(8)/54/59 of the Arms Act at Police Station E Division Amritsar. The development came days after the Delhi Police had arrested Harminder Singh of Kot Isse Khan in Moga, who revealed that he had picked a consignment of one AK-47 and three pistols on the directions of Lakhbir Landa and handed over to Balraj, Aatish and Avinash. "Following the inputs from Delhi Police, a manhunt operation was launched in the Amritsar and Police teams led by DCP Detective Amritsar Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar have arrested the trio accused from a Hotel at Ghee Mandi area on Thursday after recovering three pistols including one 9mm along with 22 live cartridges and two .30 bore with 9 live cartridges from their possession," Director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said. "On the disclosures of accused Balraj, the Police teams have also recovered an AK-47 assault rifle along with 23 live cartridges from a location pinpointed by him at village Thathe in Tarn Taran," he added. Further investigations are on to identify their other associates and more recoveries of arms and ammunition are expected from this module. (ANI)
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday described "quality, quantity and continuity" as the core principles for the success of the Jal Jeevan Mission and called for ensuring a strong and credible accountability mechanism in implementation of this people-centric program. Speaking after launching Jal Jeevan Survekshan (JJS) Toolkit - 2023 and JJS-2023 Dashboard at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas today, he hoped that these initiatives by the Ministry of Jal Shakti will prove to be an important medium to ensure transparency and accountability in the scheme. The toolkit has been developed by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to help the States/ UTs understand the assessment criteria and the overarching purpose of the Survekshan is to incentivize the States/ District functionaries to strive for better performance and improve water service delivery in rural households. On this occasion, the Vice President appreciated the progress made by Jal Jeevan Mission over the last three years and expressed confidence that every rural household will have a tap water connection soon. Terming access to safe drinking water and sanitation as critical to inclusive growth, Dhankhar said that programs like Swachh Bharat Mission and Jal Jeevan Mission are fulfilling the Gandhian dreams of 'Antyodaya' i.e. uplift of the last man. Stressing the need to focus on our Fundamental Duties, Dhankhar asked all public representatives at the local, regional and national level to ensure the success of this program through community participation and by providing constructive feedback on the scheme. The Vice President also urged the media to focus more on such people-centric programs by highlighting the achievements of better-performing districts, NGOs and officials. "Such recognition will go a long way in motivating all stakeholders," he added. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Sunil Kumar Gupta, Secretary to the Vice President, Vini Mahajan Secretary, DDWS, Vikas Sheel Additional Secretary and Mission Director (NJJM), DDWS, Manoj Kumar Sahoo, Joint Secretary, Pradeep Singh, Director, Jal Jeevan Mission and others attended the event. (ANI)
Sehgal Hossain -- the bodyguard of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal -- arrested in connection with the cattle smuggling scam was taken to Delhi from West Bengal on Friday. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), probing the matter, had sought Hossain's custody which was approved by the court. Hossain, escorted by a police team led by a Sub Inspector, was brought out at around 3 p.m. from the Asansol Special Correctional Home in West Burdwan district of West Bengal. All the six constables escorting him were armed with sophisticated weapons like AK-47 and Insas Rifles. ED sources said even as the agency got the approval from the Supreme Court to take Hossain into custody in Delhi, a lower court in the national capital will decide the number of days that the agency can keep him in its custody. "So, he will be presented at the court after he reaches Delhi. Our plan is to seek an initial seven-day custody for Hossain and if necessary, a further appeal can be made at a later stage for extension," an ED source said. Getting the court permission to take Sehgal Hossain to Delhi was not that easy for ED. After failing to get permission from the Calcutta High Court, the central agency approached a special court of PMLA at Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi, which on October 17 approved the plea. However, Hossain's counsel challenged that order of the special court of PMLA at Delhi High Court which too cleared the ED approval. Finally, the matter reached the Supreme Court that also gave a go ahead to ED on this count. --IANS src/pgh ( 277 Words) 2022-10-21-22:16:03 (IANS)
Launching a manhunt with multiple teams, the Thane police said late in the evening that they had nabbed two shooters - Bipin Mishra and Surav Shinde, and detained another associate.

The police have also recovered one pistol used in the shooting that left Thane is shudders this morning.

In the first incident, property dealer Ashwin Gamle was shot and injured at Ghantali Road around 5.30 a.m.

Heavily bleeding with at least one bullet piercing through his body, Gamle was rushed to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa while the Naupada police began probing the matter.

The second shootout took place near the Mama Bhanja hills locality of Vartak Nagar around dawn, in which local ruffian Kala Ganya was injured.

At least one bullet found its mark on Ganya's chest and he was rushed to the Vedanta Hospital where his condition is described as "critical" as the Vartak Nagar police launched a probe.

The Thane police and Crime Branch set up multiple teams to investigate and track the shooters who were traced to Mulund in Mumbai and attested.

The motives behind the gunfiring spree is said to be extortion and business rivalries culminating in the firing incidents in open public places in the Thane city.

CM Shinde's private residence is located in the city adjacent to Mumbai and it is also his political stronghold.

--IANS qn/vd

( 275 Words)

2022-10-21-22:32:03 (IANS)
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh on Friday filed his nomination as the party's candidate from Shimla rural Constituency and expressed confidence to win the election. The youngest Congress legislator Singh is hopeful to win the elections and wants to fulfil his father's dream to make Shimla Rural the best Assembly segment in the state. "I have filled the nomination from Shimla Rural for the second time with the blessings of the people. I would like to tell you that being in opposition, I was able to do the development works of 100 Crore rupees," he said. "I would like to fulfill the dream of my father late Raja Virbhadra Singh Ji who wanted to make Shimla rural the best assembly segment in the state. Under his leadership we were able to do the development of 1500 Crore rupees here," said Vikramaditya Singh. He said the Congress party had assured ten guarantees including providing employment, implanting Old Pension Schemes to employees and many other issues. He said people are not happy with the policies of the BJP government and they want to change the government and elect Congress in power. "As unemployment is the major issue, I have assured people in my constituency of 5000 jobs. People of the state will elect Congress government in the state. We will implement our ten assurances which include giving 1500 rupees to women as security of a job," Singh said. Meanwhile, the BJP candidate Ravi Mehta said that he would contest against the Congress party and would win the assembly seat for the party to contribute to the formation of a government for the second consecutive time. "I am happy today to file a nomination from Shimla rural constituency. This battle will be a battle between the state Congress leadership and me as a small party worker because the Congress candidate is an MLA and son of the state Congress Chief here. This assembly seat is important as BJP will win this constituency after 20 years, because people want to repeat the BJP government in the state. People want to vote for BJP under the leadership of Jai ram Thakur for the development done during the five years of government in the state," Ravi Mehta said after filing his nomination. Earlier on Wednesday, Himachal CM Jairam Thakur filed a nomination from his traditional seat of Seraj in Mandi district for the assembly polls in the state. After filing his nomination, Jai Ram Thakur sought the support of the people and said the residents of Seraj will again create history. The Chief Minister has expressed confidence that BJP will emerge victorious in the next month's assembly polls and said that the state has seen development in every sector over the past five years. The BJP released the first list of 62 candidates on Wednesday. The state has 68 assembly seats. The BJP won 44 seats in the previous assembly polls while Congress won 21 seatsHimachal Pradesh will go to the polls on November 12, while the counting of the votes will be done on December 8. (ANI)
A day after the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta issued notice to 15 officials, including three IAS officers, for alleged corruption in the construction of the Mahakal Lok corridor, the extended part of Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple, former Chief Minister and state Congress chief Kamal Nath on Friday slammed the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government over the charges. Kamal Nath termed the allegations as serious, and demanded an impartial and high-level inquiry into the matter. Attacking Chouhan over rampant 'corruption' in the state, Kamal Nath accused the BJP government of making false promises and investing public money in its image making events. "News of corruption in the construction work of Mahakal Lok is worrying. The sentiments of crores of people have been hurt by this news. There should be an impartial, high-level inquiry. Whoever is guilty should not be spared," Kamal Nath tweeted. The notices were issued to the 15 officials, including the Ujjain district collector, based on a complaint filed by Mahesh Parmar, the Congress MLA from Tarana Assembly constituency in Ujjain district. The Congress legislator claimed to have filed the complaint in May this year. The other two IAS officers are the director of the Ujjain smart city project, Kshij Singh, and Ujjain Municipal Commissioner Anshul Gupta. Notably, Anshul Gupta was transferred from Ujjain five days before the Mahakal Lok was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 11. "A tender was floated for the development of a parking lot, but it was cancelled without any information and a new tender was floated with five times increased money. The tendering process was completely biased as rules were not followed. And it was done by a nexus of senior officials and contractors. I had lodged a complaint in this regard with the Lokayukta department in Bhopal in May this year. I am thankful to the department for taking action in this serious matter," Parmar told IANS on Friday. The Congress MLA also claimed that murals and statues of Lord Shiva, which have been installed in the newly-constructed Mahakal Lok corridor, were purchased for more than eight times the actual market price. "The BJP government claimed it has invested over Rs 300 crore in the project, but around 30 per cent of that amount was spent for marketing and advertising," Parmar added. Sources privy to the development told IANS that the Lokayukta has asked all the 15 officials to submit their reply October 28. --IANS pd/arm ( 418 Words) 2022-10-21-23:28:02 (IANS)
Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Syed Shahnawaz Hussain hit out at former Union Minister Shivraj Patil for drawing a link between jihad and the Bhagwad Gita and termed it as "extremely unfortunate". Hussain said, "Shivraj Patil linked Jihad to the Gita. We know that the Congress party remains angry with the Hindu society, but linking the Hindu religion with jihad will neither make Muslims happy nor Hindus." Earlier on Thursday, Patil claimed that the concept of 'jihad' finds mention not only in the Quran but in the Bhagwad Gita and in Christianity as well. Hussain further said that Congressmen should know the meaning of Jihad. "Jihad is an Arabic word. In today's era, some terrorist organization has changed the meaning of jihad. Linking Shri Krishna with jihad and calling his 'words' jihad is unfortunate. It is also an insult to society and no one is going to be happy with this," he said. The BJP leader also accused Congress of hurting the religious sentiments of the people to give such statements. "Every time, Congress wants to hurt the people of the society by giving such statements. People from different religions have preached to fight against evil in society and it is very unfortunate to call it Jihad," Hussain added. At a book launch event in the national capital, Patil said that Lord Krishna also taught lessons of jihad to Arjun in a part of the Gita in the Mahabharat. "It's said there is a lot of discussion on Jihad in Islam religion... Even after all efforts, if someone doesn't understand clean ideas, then power can be used. It is not just in the Quran Sharif, but also in the Mahabharata of which Gita is a part," Patil said. "Shri Krishna also spoke to Arjuna about jihad. It is not like this is only in the Quran Sharif or the Gita but in Christianity also it is written...Christ has said that I have not come here to establish peace but I have come here with a sword," Patil said. Speaking in Hindi, the Congress leader said that "if even after explaining everything, people do not understand and they are arriving with weapons then you cannot run, you cannot call that jihad and you cannot call it wrong, this is what must be understood, there should not be this concept of making people understand with weapons in hand." Patil who was Union home minister from 2004 to 2008 and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996 was addressing the audience at a book launch of Congress leader and former Union Minister Mohsina Kidwai. (ANI)
Kerala High Court has dismissed the plea of all three accused persons in the Kerala human sacrifice case challenging the order of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court of Ernakulam granting 12 days of police custody. But the Court granted them to meet their lawyer on every alternative day for 15 minutes, but not at the time of interrogation. While dismissing the petition, Court observed that "the gruesome murder of two women purportedly for human sacrifice, has shocked the people of Kerala." Court also observed that the lower court has passed the order granting custody with great care and caution and read the 22 points which were mentioned by the lower court in the order. In the petition, they sought to set aside the order granting police custody. They also sought permission to meet their lawyer during the time of interrogation and also sought to not allow to release the details of the confession statement of the accused through the media. Muhammed Shafi, Bhagaval Singh and Laila approached the High Court. On October 13, the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court sent all three accused to police custody till October 24. Earlier on October 19, Kerala Police launched an extensive search operation to recover the anklet of one of the two deceased women, Padma in the human sacrifice case, according to the police. The police conducted the search at the place shown by prime accused Muhammed Shafi at the Alappuzha-Changanssery canal in the Alappuzha district. The anklets were made of silver which was allegedly thrown away by Shafi in the canal at Ramankari in the Alappuzha district. The police conducted a search following the statement given by Shafi. The Kochi Police Commissioner had confirmed that they are interrogating the main accused, Muhammed Shafi, in the Kerala human sacrifice case where two women were brutally killed in the name of a ritual after being lured for money. "Prime accused Muhammed Shafi's behaviour was extremely mysterious. The investigation is proceeding with a major focus on Shafi. We are also interrogating his co-prisoners during the time when he was behind the bars in some other cases. We are also probing his financial transactions as his finances significantly rose after he was out of prison," said Kochi City Police Commissioner CH Nagaraju. He said the process of evidence collection in Kochi is "almost completed" adding that they rely on cyber evidence which is important in this case. The police remand report of the accused mentions the shocking "human sacrifices" were suspected to have been committed as part of a ritual to obtain financial benefits. The remains of the two deceased women--identified as Padma and Roslin-- were exhumed later from pits near the residence of Singh and Laila in the Pathanamthitta district. On September 26, Shafi approached the 52-year-old Padma, who used to sell lottery tickets in Kochi and lured her by offering Rs 15,000 for sex work, the police remand report read. "Then she agreed and went with Shafi to the home of Bhagaval Singh and Laila in the Pathanamthitta district. There, the accused strangled her with a plastic cord around her neck to make her unconscious. After that, Shafi mutilated Padma's private parts using a knife and slit her throat. After that, they chopped her into 56 pieces and put the mutilated body parts into buckets and buried them in a pit," the report detailed. (ANI)
After a political row erupted over the former Union Home Minister and Congress veteran Shivraj Patil's controversial remark that the concept of 'jihad' finds mention not only in the Quran but in the Bhagwad Gita and in Christianity as well, the Congress on Friday disassociated itself from the latter's remarks and called it "unacceptable". At a book launch event in the national capital on Thursday, Shivraj Patil said that Lord Krishna also taught lessons of jihad to Arjun in a part of Gita in the Mahabharat inviting controversy. He also claimed that the concept of 'jihad' finds mention not only in the Quran but in the Bhagwad Gita and in Christianity as well. Taking to Twitter, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday shared an excerpt from Jawaharlal Nehru's "Discovery of India" where the former PM talks about Geeta's 'universality'. "My senior colleague Shivraj Patil reportedly made some comments on Bhagavad Gita that's unacceptable. Subsequently, he clarified. @INCIndia's stand is clear. Bhagavad Gita is a key foundational pillar of Indian civilisation. Here's an excerpt from Nehru's Discovery of India(p110)," Jairam Ramesh said. In another tweet, the Congress leader said, "Incidentally, I learned Bhagavad Gita in my early teens and have had a life-long fascination with it as a cultural and philosophical text, with a profound influence on Indian society over the ages. I wrote about this in my book The Light of Asia: The Poem that defined the Buddha." "It's said there is a lot of discussion on Jihad in Islam religion... Even after all efforts, if someone doesn't understand clean ideas, then power can be used. It is not just in the Quran Sharif, but also in the Mahabharata of which Gita is a part," Patil said. "Shri Krishna also talks to Arjuna about jihad. It is not like this is only in the Quran Sharif or the Gita but in Christianity also it is written...Christ has said that I have not come here to establish peace but I have come here with sword," Patil said. Speaking in Hindi, the Congress leader said that "if even after explaining everything, people do not understand and they are arriving with weapons then you cannot run, you cannot call that jihad and you cannot call it wrong, this is what must be understood, there should not be this concept of making people understand with weapons in hand." Patil's remarks have drawn flak from the BJP which has hit out at the Congress for "Hindu hatred" and "vote-bank politics." Patil who was Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008 and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996 was addressing the audience at a book launch of Congress leader and former Union Minister Mohsina Kidwai. Among the other dignitaries present at the launch were Shashi Tharoor, Digvijaya Singh, Farooq Abdullah and Sushil Kumar Shinde. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the authorities to pay Rs 10 lakh of compensation within four weeks to a minor girl who is a victim of child sexual abuse. The High court noted the victim was seven years old at the time of the incident. The trial court had awarded a 12-year jail term to the convict in the matter but the victim was given Rs 50000 as compensation. This order of awarding compensation was challenged at the High court. Justice Jasmeet Singh directed the respondents in the matter to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the minor victim within four weeks. Justice Singh said, "I am of the view that this is the case where the child is to be rehabilitated. She is in need of maximum compensation under the scheme and the act and it is therefore directed that the respondent shall pay Rs 10 lakhs (10.5 lakhs less Rs. 50,000 if already paid), in terms of schedule II within four weeks of the passing of this order." "In the present case, the impugned order does not disclose that judicial parameters which have been applied or give any reasons while awarding the compensation," the bench observed. The learned Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) in the said order, has come to the categorical finding that the child is a victim of penetrative sexual assault. The child victim, on the date of the assault, was a 7-year-old girl, the bench noted. For the aforesaid reasons the award of compensation of Rs 50,000 for mental trauma and bodily injury is highly insufficient and cannot be sustained and is set aside, the bench ordered on October 20, 2022. Justice Singh opined, "I am of the opinion that the Ld. ASJ (POCSO) has failed to provide any reasoning for awarding the amount of Rs 50,000 as compensation. Even after finding the accused person guilty of the offences under sections 342 IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO." The final compensation to survivors of child sexual abuse should be the maximum amount mentioned in the schedule. For instance, for "rape" maximum compensation mentioned is 7 lakhs. Since the cases are under POCSO, the Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) survivor is also entitled to 7 lakhs plus 50 per cent of 7 lakhs i.e., 10.5 lakhs. This is to be awarded by the Special Court and to be disbursed by DSLSA/DLSA, the bench said in the judgement. It is also said that 25 per cent of the maximum compensation should be released to the victim within 8 weeks of the filing of the charge sheet. If the Special Court is of the opinion that 25 per cent will not meet the rehabilitative needs of the survivor, it can award more than 25 per cent. However, it will give reasons for awarding more than 25 per cent, the judgement read. The high court passed the above direction including others while disposing of an appeal filed by the appellant, being aggrieved of the compensation of Rs 50,000 awarded to the victim, the appellant's daughter. The ASJ on June 22, 2019 convicted the accused and in its order of sentence dated August 30 2019, besides sentencing the accused to 12 years of Rigorous Imprisonment and a 20,000 fine, granted Rs 50,000 as compensation to the child in lieu of the mental trauma and bodily injury experienced by her. (ANI)
During the ceremony, appointment letters will be handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees, a statement from Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

Prime Minister will also address these appointees on the occasion.

The PMO statement said this will be a significant step forward towards fulfilling the continuous commitment of the Prime Minister to providing job opportunities for the youth and ensuring the welfare of citizens.

"As per the directions of the Prime Minister, all Ministries and Departments are working towards filling up existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in Mission Mode," the statement said. The new recruits from across the country will join 38 Ministries/Departments of the Government of India.

"The appointees will join the government at various levels viz Group - A, Group - B (Gazetted), Group - B (Non-Gazetted) and Group - C. The posts on which appointments are being made include Central Armed Force Personnel, Sub Inspector, Constable, LDC, Steno, PA, Income Tax Inspectors, MTS, among others," the PMO statement said.

These recruitments are being done in mission mode by Ministries and Departments either by themselves or through recruiting agencies such as UPSC, SSC, and Railway Recruitment Board.

"For expeditious recruitment, selection processes have been simplified and made tech-enabled," the statement concluded. (ANI)
"The woman is the daughter of a Delhi police officer," Police said.

A parking staff (35), working as a parking assistant in Saket Mall, filed a complaint against a woman after allegedly being hit by a rashly driven car in the Saket Police Station area.

As per reports, the incident pertains to October 16. The parking staff was handing over a car to the customer, and suddenly, a car came out of the parking and rammed over him, leaving him injured at around 9.35 PM. The injured person was rushed to the Max hospital, where he is under treatment.

"The injured person on Thursday filed a complaint against the woman for driving rashly and leaving him injured," officials said. Adding that later it was revealed the woman is the daughter of a Delhi Police officer.

After receiving a complaint, Delhi Police lodged an FIR against the woman.

The matter is under police investigation and further details are awaited. (ANI)
The encounter took place around 2 am on Saturday on Service Road towards Ambedkar College near Loni Goal Chakkar under Jyoti Nagar police station.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North East District Sanjay Sain said one of the criminals sustained a bullet injury on his leg during the encounter.

The DCP said the injured criminal is wanted in a case registered under section 308 of IPC at Jyoti Nagar police station.

Police recovered a semi-automatic pistol with two live rounds, a CMP with a live round, two empty cartridges and a motorcycle without a number plate.

According to Delhi Police, the apprehended criminals were identified as Shakti alias Sonu (36), a resident of Jawala Nagar, Delhi and Sachin (24), a resident of Ashok Nagar.

Police said Shakti has 18 previous criminal involvements while Sachin has four criminal involvements. (ANI)
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi resumed the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Yeragera village, Raichur in Karnataka on Saturday. The Congress leader is likely to address a gathering around 5.30 pm at Basaveshwara Circle Ground today. "On this day in 1963, then PM, Jawaharlal Nehru dedicated the Bhakra Nangal Dam to the nation. A pioneering development project aimed at boosting India's industrial prowess, this engineering marvel was one of the 'temples of modern India' commissioned by Nehru ji," Congress tweeted. The Yatra which began on September 7 from Kanniyakumari will cover a further distance of 2355 km in its 3570 km long march. The party also said, "On this day in 2008, India launched its first Moon Mission, Chandrayaan-1 under the leadership of then PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, the launch of which marked the first step of a historic milestone in India's space programme." The Andhra Pradesh leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra concluded on October 21. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday thanked the people for their overwhelming support and promised to fulfil the commitments made by him to the people the State. In a letter to the people of Andhra Pradesh, the Wayanad MP said, "This morning, as the Bharat Jodo Yatra completes its journey through Andhra Pradesh, we thank the people for their overwhelming support and encouragement. It has truly been a memorable experience." He said that the interactions with diverse groups during the Yatra in Andhra Pradesh have brought to light several significant issues impacting the people. "The Congress party stands committed to granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh and develop a single capital at Amaravati. We support the continued public sector status of the Visakhapatnam steel plant as an asset of the Indian people. We noted that the state government has systematically undermined the Panchayati Raj system in Andhra Pradesh, and are strongly opposed to this assault on democratic institutions. We will also continue to amplify the voice of farmers, youth, women, workers and many other stakeholders whom we interacted with over the last three days," the Congress leader said. Recalling the commitments made in 2014 to the people of Andhra Pradesh, the former Congress president said that his party is determined to ensure that the commitments made by them are fulfilled. The Andhra Pradesh leg of Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra concluded on Friday as the march once again crossed into Karnataka. Rahul Gandhi resumed the padayatra at Mantralayam Temple Circle in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh on Friday morning. He crossed the Andhra border at Panchmukhi Arch, Gillesugur, Raichur in Karnataka.Rahul Gandhi had earlier said that the Yatra drew a tremendous response in Andhra Pradesh and pointed out that his party leaders were also quite surprised at the enthusiasm and response that the Bharat Jodo Yatra had. The Yatra entered Andhra Pradesh on October 18. The Bharat Jodo Yatra launched on September 7, 2022, will cover as many as 12 states. The Yatra started from Kanyakumari and will end in Kashmir the following year by covering 25 km every day. The 3500 kilometres yatra will be a historic event for the Congress and the entire country. It is the longest march on foot by any Indian politician in the history of India, the Congress said earlier in a statement. (ANI)
Days ahead of Diwali, the air quality in the national capital remained in the 'poor' category on Saturday with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 262, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). On Friday, Delhi's AQI was in the poor category. The levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were recorded at 109 in the 'very poor' and 228 in the 'moderate' category respectively. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe. The air quality in Noida was recorded as 'very poor' with AQI 306 while in Gurugram it is in the 'moderate' category with AQI at 156. The air quality in Delhi-NCR is likely to worsen to "very poor" by Saturday. Earlier on Wednesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had said that Delhi-NCR's Air Quality Index (AQI) is likely to be 300 plus on October 22. The CAQM in its tweet said that air quality will move towards "Very Poor" and further actions under Stage I will be intensified. "All actions as envisaged under Stage II of the GRAP - 'Very POOR' Air Quality to be implemented in the right earnest and further actions under Stage I to be intensified by all the agencies concerned," read the tweet from CAQM. Meanwhile, the Delhi government has banned the production, storage, sale, and bursting of crackers this year as well as fines and jail terms in case of violation. In a bid to reduce vehicular pollution, the Delhi Government also announced the 'Red Light On Gaadi Off' campaign. Under the campaign, public representatives and officials will motivate commuters to turn their vehicles off at red lights in a bid to curb vehicular pollution. The air quality in the national capital is also affected because of stubble burning in surrounding Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan in the winter. (ANI)
Kerala High Court granted bail to a Youth Congress worker, Jithin V Kulathoor who was an accused in a case related to the attack on the state headquarters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM). The Crime Branch arrested Kulathoor on September 22 for allegedly attacking the AKG Centre. Kulathoor approached the High Court after Thiruvananthapuram Judicial Magistrate Court denied him bail in the matter. The bail was granted on Friday. A bomb was hurled at the AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, on June 30 and the incident was caught on CCTV camera, where a bike-borne man was seen hurling a bomb at CPI (M) headquarters in the city. In the aforesaid case, originally registered at Cantonment police station at Thiruvananthapuram and then handed over to the crime branch, accused Kulathoor was booked under the Explosive Substances Act for causing an explosion likely to endanger life or property and for making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances. The petitioner (Kulathoor) in the Kerala HC had contended, "prosecution version is a concocted story created by police due to the instigation and influence of the ruling party. No consistent case has been presented in remand applications. In order to attract offences under the Explosive Substances Act, the explosive substance alleged to be used should be of a nature that would endanger life or cause serious injury to property. The investigation has progressed considerably and there is no need for continued detention." According to the initial investigation, the man, who threw the bomb came from the Kunnukuzhy side of the road and fled the spot. The then CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had alleged the involvement of Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the attack stating that they were "trying to provoke". While Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, K Sudhakaran, had slammed the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, saying that the AKG Centre attack was orchestrated to vandalise Congress offices in the state. According to the Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's statement, the attack had targeted the most important office of the state's largest political party with the intention to "provoke and disturb the peace" here. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday expressed grief over the death of 15 people in the Rewa bus accident and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to critically injured. Navneet Bhasin, Rewa Superintendent of Police, said most of the passengers on the bus were residents of Uttar Pradesh. As many as 15 people died in the road mishap in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district on Friday night in which a passenger bus collided with a truck. At least 40 people have been injured in the accident. "The loss of life in a road accident in Rewa is very sad incident. Praying to Lord Shri Ram to give place to the departed souls at his feet and speedy recovery to the injured. My condolences are with the bereaved families," the UP Chief Minister's Office said in a tweet. UP Chief Minister further said that he had held talks with his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan for treatment of the injured and for the transportation of mortal remains of the deceased. "Talks held with Chief Minister Chouhan Shivraj for proper treatment of injured and transporting mortal remains of deceased Uttar Pradesh residents to the state. Instructions have been given to provide assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each deceased and Rs 50 thousand to the seriously injured," CMO added. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also expressed grief over the loss of lives. Chouhan assured the UP Chief Minister that the mortal remains of passengers would be brought to Prayagraj by the Madhya Pradesh government. "Injured passengers have been sent to Prayagraj in two buses overnight, after getting treatment. Critically injured passengers are getting treated free of cost at MP's Rewa Medical College. Rewa district administration is ensuring all necessary arrangements," said MP CMO in a statement. The accident took place between 10:30 pm to 11 pm on Friday when the bus with about 100 people on board, headed to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, collided with a truck trolley in the Suhagi Pahari area. Rewa District Collector Manoj Pushp said: "It seems that the trolley truck had an accident with a truck in front of it and when the driver applied brakes, the bus behind it rammed into it. Rescue operations were conducted and the injured have been sent to the hospital." According to the Collector rescue operations were completed last night and police, administration and local people are present at the site. (ANI)
The mishap occurred during the refilling of a Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited depot on Friday night.

The police team rushed to the spot after getting information about the tragic incident.

"All the injured persons have been admitted at a nearby private hospital out of which four persons are in critical condition," said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bhopal, Vijay Khatri.

As per reports, the preliminary investigations revealed that the fire broke out due to air or a short circuit during refilling.

"The police team were investigating the matter at every angle," he added.

The injured persons have been identified as Salman (30), Shanu (35), Vinod (37), Raja Miyan (40) and Siraj (18), residents of Bhopal while two others Antram (40) and Chhotelal (28), residents of Hoshangabad.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took note of the incident and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

"Sad news was received that the employees were injured due to the explosion of a diesel tank at a petroleum depot in Bakania, Bhopal. I pray to God for a speedy and full recovery of all the injured," tweeted CM Chouhan. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will attend the mega celebrations at 'Deepotsava', scheduled on the eve of Diwali ie October 23. PM Modi will mark his presence for the first time on the occasion in Ayodhya. This is the sixth edition of the 'Deepotsava'. The streets were all geared up for the grand welcome of the duo, and the roads of Ayodhya can be seen with cut-out hoarding pictures of both, PM Modi and CM Yogi. Lord Ram's kingdom Ayodhya is all set to celebrate another grand, illuminated Diwali under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who started 'Deepotsav' in the first year of his assuming office in 2017. The banks of river Sarayu await to be lit up with lakhs of 'Diyas' (earthen lamps) on the occasion of 'Deepotsava'. The culture of Uttar Pradesh and several other states through various forms of folk dance such as 'Dhobia', 'Faruwahi', 'Rai', and 'Chhau' will be showcased during the event. The Yogi Adityanath government through the organisation of 'Deepotsava' will promote not only the state's spiritual and religious significance but also the 'Dhobia', and 'Faruwahi' dance artists. "The artistes of 'Braj' in Awadh will mesmerise the audience with the culture, language and unique characteristics of the land of Rama-Krishna," an official statement said. According to the statement, the confluence of language and culture of many states of India will also be seen on the sixth Deepotsava in Ayodhya. "From October 21 to 23, artists from Uttar Pradesh and many states will perform here. Local artists Vijay Yadav and Mukesh Kumar will perform the Faruwahi dance while Munnalal Yadav of Azamgarh will perform 'Dhobia'. Ghazipur artist Parasnath Yadav will perform folk singing. The people of Ayodhya will also get the opportunity to hear Sheshmani Saroj of Bhadohi who will enthral the audience with 'Birha'," the statement said. (ANI)
The decision was taken in the state Cabinet Committee meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday.

Earlier, the state government had acquired the land from farmers to build an industrial park in Ganjam district of the state.

However, there was no construction on the land and it remained unutilized for almost two decades.

There were also protests by villagers against the non-utilization of the resources. Now, the state government has decided to return the land to the farmers.

The State Cabinet Committee meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The State cabinet approved the return of unutilized land of around 206 acres acquired by IDCO in village Kalipalli of Ganjam district to the original landowners, informed Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra.

Mahapatra also said six important decisions pertaining to the departments of Fisheries & and animal resource, Law, Revenue and disaster management, Water resources, and Works department were taken in the Cabinet Committee meeting.

In order to increase the participation of women, the top official said the government has approved a proposal to amend the Odisha Pani Panchayat Act for mega lift irrigation projects and the inclusion of spouses of members of such panchayats.

The policy is aimed at the collective participation of farmers in the management of irrigation systems by forming Pani Panchayats. (ANI)
Ahead of the launch of the 'Rojgar Mela', Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said 10 lakh youth will be appointed in different departments of the central governmnet in the coming months through the recruitment drive. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hand over 75,000 appointment letters to youth at 50 locations across the country. Combining all Ministries of Centre, 75,000 appointment letters will be given today and 10 lakh appointment letters in coming months," Vaishnaw told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the 'Rojgar Mela', a recruitment drive for 10 lakh personnel, through video conferencing today. During the ceremony, appointment letters will be handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees, a statement from Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. Prime Minister will also address these appointees on the occasion. The PMO statement said this will be a significant step forward towards fulfilling the continuous commitment of the Prime Minister to providing job opportunities for the youth and ensuring the welfare of citizens. "As per the directions of the Prime Minister, all Ministries and Departments are working towards filling up existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in Mission Mode," the statement said. The new recruits from across the country will join 38 Ministries/Departments of the Government of India. "The appointees will join the government at various levels viz Group - A, Group - B (Gazetted), Group - B (Non-Gazetted) and Group - C. The posts on which appointments are being made include Central Armed Force Personnel, Sub Inspector, Constable, LDC, Steno, PA, Income Tax Inspectors, MTS, among others," the PMO statement said. These recruitments are being done in mission mode by Ministries and Departments either by themselves or through recruiting agencies such as UPSC, SSC, and Railway Recruitment Board. "For expeditious recruitment, selection processes have been simplified and made tech-enabled," the statement added. (ANI)
Youth in Assam who got appointments in different departments through Rozgar Mela thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the initiative. Atal Mandal, who got a job through the recruitment drive said, "I thank PM Modi not just on behalf of me but my village and the state. It is a great step to empower the youth. The selection was a free and fair process. This kind of initiative will give exposure to youth even in the remotest place." Another beneficiary Mrinmay Dutta said, "I am grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing the opportunity. This is a great opportunity." Puja Burman who has been selected in the postal department said, "It is a good opportunity. He said the initiative will encourage the youth." "We thank PM Modi for the Rozgar Mela for the youth. It is a good initiative that over 75,000 people got appointments, Shravan Kumar Ravidas, a beneficiary told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the 'Rojgar Mela', a recruitment drive for 10 lakh personnel, through video conferencing today. During the ceremony, appointment letters will be handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees, a statement from Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.Prime Minister will also address these appointees on the occasion. The PMO statement said this will be a significant step forward towards fulfilling the continuous commitment of the Prime Minister to providing job opportunities for the youth and ensuring the welfare of citizens. "As per the directions of the Prime Minister, all Ministries and Departments are working towards filling up existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in Mission Mode," the statement said. The new recruits from across the country will join 38 Ministries/Departments of the Government of India. "The appointees will join the government at various levels viz Group - A, Group - B (Gazetted), Group - B (Non-Gazetted) and Group - C. The posts on which appointments are being made include Central Armed Force Personnel, Sub Inspector, Constable, LDC, Steno, PA, Income Tax Inspectors, MTS, among others," the PMO statement said. These recruitments are being done in mission mode by Ministries and Departments either by themselves or through recruiting agencies such as UPSC, SSC, and Railway Recruitment Board. "For expeditious recruitment, selection processes have been simplified and made tech-enabled," the statement concluded. (ANI)
The deceased has been identified as Sanjay Kumar Yadav a native of Bihar, currently residing in the Ghorpadi area of Pune.

Sanjay Kumar Yadav had gone for delivery on October 17 and his family filed a missing person's complaint on October 19.

On Friday morning, the Pune fire brigade recovered the dead body from nallah after some local people gave information about it.

"Sanjay was a food delivery boy wearing the uniform of an online food delivery aggregator. His missing complaint was registered on October 19 by his brother that Sanjay was missing since October 17. Sanjay Kumar had made the last delivery on October 17 around 10.30 pm," the police said.

Police suspect that Sanjay has fallen into a flooded nallah near the Mohammadi area and would have washed away. Pune city has received very heavy rainfall in the past few days which led to a flood-like situation in various parts of the city.

The body of the deceased has been sent for post-mortem.

Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed anguish over the death of 15 people in a road accident in the Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). PM Modi said that the local administration is providing all possible help to the victims under the supervision of the State government. "The accident on the National Highway in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh is heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this. With this, I wish a speedy recovery to all the injured. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is engaged in all possible help to the victims," the Prime Minister's Office said in a tweet quoting the PM. "The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the tragic bus accident in Madhya Pradesh. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the PMO added. As many as 15 people died in the road mishap in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district on Friday night in which a passenger bus collided with a truck. At least 40 people have been injured in the accident. The injured have been admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Medical College in Rewa and the bodies of the deceased are at Teonthar Civil Hospital. Also, 20 injured have been referred to Prayagraj for treatment. "Total of 19 critically injured people are being treated, of the 50 injured who were recovered. About 6-7 feet of the bus rammed into the trolley and people in the cabin died on the spot. Our focus is on the identification of the deceased," said Rewa District Magistrate Manoj Pushp. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also announced Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the deceased on behalf of the Madhya Pradesh government. Navneet Bhasin, Rewa Superintendent of Police, said most of the passengers on the bus were residents of Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to critically injured. The accident took place between 10:30 pm to 11 pm on Friday when the bus with about 100 people on board, headed to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, collided with a truck trolley in the Suhagi Pahari area. The accident happened on NH 30 under the Sohagi police station area of Teonthar tehsil Rewa district. Rewa District Collector Manoj Pushp said: "It seems that the trolley truck had an accident with a truck in front of it and when the driver applied brakes, the bus behind it rammed into it. Rescue operations were conducted and the injured have been sent to the hospital." According to the Collector rescue operations were completed last night and police, administration and local people are present at the site. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday left for the national capital from Jolly Grant airport in Uttarakhand after his two-day long visit to the state. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami gifted PM Modi famous sweets from Almora and a cap with Brahma kamal flower embossed on it. https://twitter.com/pushkardhami/status/1583671415353794560?s=20&t=IM7Zms5pLIZvVm7gPRmE4A During his visit to the state, PM Modi pitched for the Vocal for Local initiative and appealed to people, especially tourists to spend their money on locally-made products. In his address at a public event in Badrinath's Mana, the last village bordering China, PM Modi had said that every village located in the border areas will be now considered as the first village of India. PM Modi also attended the 'Saras Mela' in Mana village and interacted with the local artisans and visited the stalls in the Mela. On the occasion, Prime Minister Modi also laid the foundation stone for road widening projects worth around Rs 1,000 crore. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the two road widening projects - from Mana to Mana Pass (NH07) and from Joshimath to Malari (NH107B) - shall be another step towards providing last-mile all-weather road connectivity to our border areas. Apart from boosting connectivity, these projects will also prove beneficial from a strategic point of view as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after offering prayers to Lord Shiva in Badrinath, reviewed the progress of development work of the riverfront here. Before arriving in Badrinath, PM Modi visited Kedarnath Dham in Rudraprayag and offered prayers donning a traditional pahadi outfit, Chola Dora, that was gifted to him by Himachali women during his tour to the state. PM Modi arrived at Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun earlier in the day and was received by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmeet Singh. He later laid the foundation stone of the Kedarnath ropeway project and after that visited the Adi Guru Shankaracharya Samadhi Sthal and also reviewed the progress of development works along Mandakini Asthapath and Saraswati Asthapath. PM Modi then interacted with the construction workers engaged in the Kedarnath Dham development project. In Kedarnath, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for a ropeway project, which will be around 9.7 km long and will connect Gaurikund to Kedarnath, thus reducing the travel time between the two places from 6-7 hours at present to only about 30 minutes. This ropeway is estimated to cost Rs 2,430 crore. The Hemkund ropeway will connect Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib. It will be around 12.4 km long and will reduce the travel time from more than a day to only about 45 mins. This ropeway will also connect Ghangaria, which is the gateway to Valley of Flowers National Park, said the PMO statement. The ropeways, which will be developed at a cumulative cost of around Rs 2,430 crore, are an environmentally friendly mode of transport that will provide a safe, secure and stable mode of transport. This major infrastructure development will give a boost to religious tourism, which will give a fillip to the economic development in the region and lead to the creation of multiple employment opportunities as well. PM Modi will now visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on the eve of Diwali to celebrate the Deepotsav festival here. (ANI)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday has written to the Gujarat Secretary and DGP, over why it has not received compliance reports regarding the transfer and posting of officials directly connected with the conduct of Assembly Elections that is schedule to be held soon in the state. According to sources, the ECI had written to the Gujarat Chief Secretary and DGP on August 1, 2022 directing them to carry out transfer postings of all the officers under the conditions laid down in the letter and asked for a compliance report by September 30. Despite the direction, no report was received by Chief Secretary Gujarat and DGP till the due date. A reminder was again issued seeking for the urgent furnishing of the compliance report by October 19. The ECI letter sent out on August 1, stated that no officer connected directly with elections can be allowed to continue in their present revenue district of posting if they happen to be posted in their home district and have completed three years in that district during the last four years or would be completing three years on or before February 28, 2023. Assembly polls are due in Gujarat. The tenure of the Gujarat Assembly will end on February 23, 2023, and the poll authority can hold elections anytime within six months of the expiry of the five-year term of any House. Earlier, the ECI team along with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gujarat P Bharathi held a review meeting on election preparedness with District Election Officers, District Superintendents of Police and Commissioner of Police on September 17 and 18. (ANI)
A 39-year-old alleged contraband drug dealer who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) with a considerable amount of drugs in his possession allegedly jumped off the third floor of the office of the NCB agency in Chennai. The incident took place on Friday night. The deceased Rayappa Raju Anthony a resident of Hyderabad allegedly jumped off the building while an NCB team was preparing to take him to the government hospital for a medical check up. "At around 9.30 pm on October 21, the NCB Chennai team was ready to take Rayappa Raju Anthony for a medical checkup at Avadi Government Hospital before producing him before the honourable court at Ponneri, Rayappa Raju Anthony jumped from the third floor of NCB, Chennai office in an attempt to commit suicide," the statement from NCB said. The statement added that the doctors at the Avadi Government Hospital performed emergency treatment on him and declared him dead. "Based on the complaint a case in T10 Thirumullaivoyal Police Station was registered and taken for investigation. In this connection, a requisition was sent to Judicial magistrate Ambattur for conducting an inquest and enquiry," it added. According to NCB officials, Raju Anthony was intercepted by NCB near Karanodai Toll Plaza in Chennai on Friday and 48,300 kg of white crystalline stick substance were seized from his passion. (ANI)
The incident occured at the Trichy-Pudukottai highway when the lorry which was enroute from Hosur to Aranthangi, while attempting to overtake a truck in front of it lost control and rammed into the airport compound wall.

The incident took place at around 3.45 am today.

The police has identified the driver of the truck as Senthilkumar from Pudukottai.

The Central Industrial Security Personnel who were on security duty immediately informed Police and a crane was called to remove the lorry.

The Southern Traffic Investigation Police is investigating the matter.

Airport authorities put up a temporary enclosure at the damaged portion of the wall.

The compound wall of this airport had previously been damaged when an Air India flight from Trichy airport crashed into its air conditioning equipment on October 18, 2018. (ANI)
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday called 'Rojgar Mela' a historic initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Scindia handed over appointment letters to appointees at the Rojgar Mela event, in Bhopal today. "Today a historic initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in terms of employment. Appointment letters were handed over to eligible beneficiaries. 75,000 youth across the country were provided jobs in various departments and ministries of the central government. 10 lakh people will be provided jobs within a year. The country will be led by the youth," Scindia told reporters. Raunak Tyagi, who has been appointed as Assistant Commandant in Sashastra Seema Bal, said, "I am feeling proud. As PM Modi said there is a greater responsibility on the youth, I will give my best to perform my duty and serve the nation. I had the dream to join the uniform service. In this batch, I am the only woman in SSB. My selection, I believe will give a message of women's empowerment. More girls should join the uniform service to serve the nation." Another appointee Ayush said, "We had been waiting for a very long time. It is a Diwali gift from PM Modi." "We have our offer letter before Diwali, it feels great," Chancha, an appointee told ANI. Prime Minister Modi launched the 'Rojgar Mela', a recruitment drive for 10 lakh personnel, through video conferencing today. During the Rojgar Mela, appointment letters are handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees. According to a statement from Prime Minister's Office (PMO), this is a significant step forward towards fulfilling the continuous commitment of the Prime Minister to providing job opportunities for the youth and ensuring the welfare of citizens. As per the directions of the Prime Minister, all Ministries and Departments are working towards filling up existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in Mission Mode," the statement said. The new recruits from across the country will join 38 Ministries/Departments of the Government of India. "The appointees will join the government at various levels viz Group - A, Group - B (Gazetted), Group - B (Non-Gazetted) and Group - C. The posts on which appointments are being made include Central Armed Force Personnel, Sub Inspector, Constable, LDC, Steno, PA, Income Tax Inspectors, MTS, among others," the PMO statement said. These recruitments are being done in mission mode by Ministries and Departments either by themselves or through recruiting agencies such as UPSC, SSC, and Railway Recruitment Board. "For expeditious recruitment, selection processes have been simplified and made tech-enabled," the statement concluded. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said that he would celebrate Diwali at his house with children who lost their parents during Covid-19 pandemic on October 23. "Today is Dhanteras and from today onwards the Diwali festival begins. Tomorrow, on the occasion of Chaturdashi, October 23, I will celebrate the festival of Deepawali with my sons, daughters, nephew and niece who have lost their parents due to COVID," CM Chouhan told ANI. "I feel happy to celebrate the festival with them and to share happiness with them. Those children who are from Bhopal and nearby areas will celebrate Diwali here in Bhopal. For children who are from far-flung, we are instructing the collector to organise a program, present them gifts and share happiness with them. Happy Diwali to all my sons and daughters. Don't worry, Mama is with them," Chouhan added. He also said, "Today is a very big day for all of us as on the day of Dhanteras, Madhya Pradesh is getting the blessings of the Prime Minister. Today 4.5 Lakh people will enter the houses built under the Prime Minister's Housing Scheme. Rangoli is being made, lamps will be lit and the 'Grih Parvesh' will be done with breaking of coconut." "I am moving to Satna to join the program and the Prime Minister will virtually join the program. Wherever the houses are built, the program of 'Grih Pravesh' will be done in every village with joy, all the public representatives, ministers are participating at different places. The Diwali festival begins today and on this auspicious day people will enter their homes. Best wishes to all the people," CM Chouhan added. (ANI)
The Customs Officers at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) have seized more than 3,000 grams of pure gold from the possession of five men in the last 13 days, it informed. The Customs officers seized 3124.540 grams of 24-carat pure gold worth Rs 1,59,66,883 from October 8 to October 21 via different modus operandi of concealments, including the ones in the form of paste or powder mixed with solid gum inside the outfit of these people, customs officials said in a statement. "The Customs Officers at MIA seized 3124.540 grams of 24 carat pure gold valued at Rs. 1,59,66,883/- during 08.10.2022 to 21.10.2022 from five male passengers arriving from Dubai. The gold was smuggled through different modus operandi such as concealment in the paste/powder form mixed with solid gum inside Jeans trousers/underwears worn by the pax, in Rectum and through towels dipped. into some solution containing gold," it said. The Customs officials on Thursday informed that they have apprehended a man identified as Fahad, 26, a native of Thrissur for smuggling gold by dipping bath towels in liquid gold and then packing them well from the Kochi airport. The accused had arrived at kochi airport from Dubai on October 10. Previously, they had seized gold worth Rs 43 lakh from a passenger coming from Abu Dhabi at the Kochi airport by acting on an input of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU). During the examination of the said passenger, 1,162 gm of foreign-origin gold (compound) (Exp quantity- 987 grams) was found concealed in his rectum. Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) on October 12 intercepted a passenger identified as Abdul Jaleel, a native of Koduvally, Kozhikode and recovered 1066.75 grams of gold concealed in his rectum. (ANI)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh on Saturday took stock of the preparations of 'Deepotsav' in Ayodhya. After the inspection, Singh said, "Deepotsav will be celebrated in a grand manner, for which preparations have been completed. No stone will be left unturned in the celebrations. Tomorrow PM Modi is arriving in Ayodhya. He will participate in the Deepotsav." "Many cultural programmes will be organised in Deepotsav. Artists from 8 countries have come to Ayodhya for Ramlila. Along with this, artists from 10 states will also come and stage different cultural tableaux," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will attend the mega celebrations at 'Deepotsav', scheduled on the eve of Diwali ie October 23. PM Modi will mark his presence for the first time on the occasion in Ayodhya. This is the sixth edition of the 'Deepotsav'. The streets were all geared up for the grand welcome of the duo, and the roads of Ayodhya can be seen with cut-out hoarding pictures of both, PM Modi and CM Yogi. Ayodhya is all set to celebrate another grand, illuminated Diwali under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who started 'Deepotsav' in the first year of his assuming office in 2017. The banks of river Sarayu await to be lit up with lakhs of 'Diyas' (earthen lamps) on the occasion of 'Deepotsav'. The culture of Uttar Pradesh and several other states through various forms of folk dance such as 'Dhobia', 'Faruwahi', 'Rai', and 'Chhau' will be showcased during the event. The Yogi Adityanath government through the organisation of 'Deepotsav' will promote not only the state's spiritual and religious significance but also the 'Dhobia', and 'Faruwahi' dance artists. "The artistes of 'Braj' in Awadh will mesmerize the audience with the culture, language and unique characteristics of the land of Rama-Krishna," an official statement said. According to the statement, the confluence of language and culture of many states of India will also be seen on the sixth Deepotsav in Ayodhya. "From October 21 to 23, artists from Uttar Pradesh and many states will perform here. Local artists Vijay Yadav and Mukesh Kumar will perform the Faruwahi dance while Munnalal Yadav of Azamgarh will perform 'Dhobia'. Ghazipur artist Parasnath Yadav will perform folk singing. The people of Ayodhya will also get the opportunity to hear Sheshmani Saroj of Bhadohi who will enthrall the audience with 'Birha'," the statement said. (ANI)
The incident occurred on Tuesday but it came to the fore after the arrest of the accused Pappu Ahirwar on Friday.

Bhopal Dehat Superintendent of Police (SP) Kiran Lata Karketa said the couple fought over cooking chicken at home on Tuesday. The woman refused to cook chicken at home on Tuesday. Following that, her husband Pappu Ahirwar assaulted the woman. Some people living in the neighbourhood reached there and resolved the dispute between the couple.

But later, Pappu reached the house of one of his neighbours, Bablu Ahirwar and attacked him with a stick. Due to this he sustained severe injuries and was admitted to Hamidia Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

The accused Pappu Ahirwar has been arrested and further investigation is going on, SP Karketa added. (ANI)
"The car has been seized," officials said.

The Delhi Police on Thursday registered a case against the woman at the Saket Police Station for driving rashly and leaving one person injured.

"The woman is the daughter of a Delhi police officer," Police said.

A parking staff (35) member, working as a parking assistant in Saket Mall, filed a complaint against the woman after being allegedly hit by a rashly driven car in the Saket Police Station area.

As per reports, the incident pertains to October 16.

The parking staff member was handing over a car to a customer when another car exiting the parking ran over his legs, leaving him injured. The incident took place at around 9.35 PM. The injured person was rushed to hospital, where he was under treatment.

"The injured person on Thursday filed a complaint against the woman for driving rashly and leaving him injured," officials said. (ANI)
Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar said that the incident against the 26-year-old software engineer took place on October 20 at around 7 pm when she was out with one of her friends. The SIT is probing some suspects in the case and is also investigating every aspect to nab the perpetrators.

The official said that nearly 9 to 10 persons had dragged the victim to a darker area where she was gang-raped.

The official stated, "She was dragged from that place to an isolated area when they gang-raped her".

To probe the case SIT has been formed. And, raids are being conducted to arrest the accused. She was also admitted to Sadar Hospital where certain medical tests were conducted.

Earlier, a case of molesting minor girl students surfaced in June 2022. In the case, Jharkhand Police arrested the principal of a private school on charges of molesting minor girl students. (ANI)
A 23-year-old woman was hacked to death in Panoor by some unknown assailant, the police informed on Saturday. The Panoor Police Inspector MP Azad informed ANI that the investigation has been started in the case, but the assailant is still unidentified. "A 23-year-old woman was hacked to death in her bedroom in Panoor, Kannur, the assailant is still unidentified. The investigation is going on into the incident," he said. Further investigation by local police is underway. Earlier in Kerala, a shocking case of human sacrifice came up where two women were brutally murdered as a human sacrifice in black magic rituals. The case came to the fore, when three persons, identified as one Shafi, and the police arrested the husband-wife pair of Bhagaval Singh and Laila. The Ernakulam magistrate court remanded all three accused on judicial custody for a 14-day duration which will end on October 26. Kerala Police chief Anil Kant has ordered the formation of a special investigation team to investigate the cases registered in connection with the murder of two women in the brutal human sacrifice case. Kochi City Deputy Commissioner of Police S Sasidharan will be the head of the special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case. Perumbavoor ASP Anuj Paliwal will be the chief investigating officer. According to the report, one of the victim women was cut into 56 pieces by the accused in the 'human sacrifice' case. The remand report further revealed that the accused Muhammad Shafi and the woman accused Laila inserted a knife into the vagina of the victims. As per the remand report, "For getting economic prosperity, the two accused, Bhagaval Singh and Laila conspired for the crime with the help of prime accused Muhammed Shafi." A day after the alleged human sacrifice case in Kerala came to the fore, Kerala police revealed that the alleged accused of the case possibly ate the flesh of the victims. In a press meeting, Kochi commissioner CH Nagraju said that Shafi, the main accused, is a pervert and has a criminal past. Police are also investigating if any sexual exploitation has been done by the prime accused. (ANI)
The Assyrian Genocide Should Be Recognized

Members of Syria's Assyrian minority attend a ceremony to mark the mass killing of the Assyrian civilian population more than a century ago. In the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, evangelicals laid down their lives for their Lord. Living in Nusaybin, once home to the ancient theological school of Nisibis, they were among the firstfruits of the Sayfo ("sword") martyrs.

Overall, modern estimates posit half a million deaths of Syriac-Aramean Christians at the hands of Turkish and Kurdish soldiers, concurrent with the Armenian genocide that claimed 1.5 million lives. Today this Christian community, still speaking the language of Jesus, seeks its own recognition.

In June 1915, the Muslim-majority city--now located on Turkey's southeastern border with Syria--had about 100 Syrian Orthodox families, and an equal number belonging to other Christian sects. The Protestants were rounded up with Armenians and Chaldeans, marched to the front of town, and shot dead.

The Orthodox families were promised peace by the local leader, but 30 men fled and sought refuge in the rugged mountains. A monk, trusting authorities, led soldiers to their hideout seeking to reassure the frightened band.

According to reports, along the way they turned on the monk, demanding he convert to Islam. Upon his refusal, they cut off his hands, then feet, then head. Returning to Nusaybin, the soldiers assembled the remaining Christians, leading them out of town. In joyful procession the believers sang hymns of encouragement: Soon we will be with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Refusing conversion, one by one they were shot, and then dumped in a well.

In 1919, then-Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Aphrem Barsaum filed a report to the prime minister of Britain, after the Allied powers displaced the Ottomans. Similar massacres had been repeated in 335 other villages in the archbishop's jurisdiction, killing 90,313 Christians and destroying 162 churches. Collecting other reports, delegates to the Paris Peace Conference following World War II tallied 250,000 deaths.

"It is unjust when they speak only of the Armenian Genocide," said Archbishop Joseph Bali, secretary to Syriac Orthodox patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II. "We also need to be vocal about our people."

Fueled by a substantial diaspora, the Armenian tragedy has been recognized as a genocide by 33 nations. The US resolution, passed by Congress in 2019, listed additionally Greek, Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac, Aramean, Maronite, and other Christian victims.

Greeks are also among those seeking individual recognition.

The situation with the others is complicated by name. Divided into three sects--Syriac Orthodox, Chaldean Catholic, and the Assyrian Church of the East--portions of the community prioritize different terminology.

https://hegetsuspartners.com/ecs-episode-1?utm_source=CT

Chaldean patriarch Louis Sako has stated the theological differences are not substantial, but each body represents a distinct tradition. His church, based in Baghdad, is aligned with the Vatican, while the Syriacs, based in Damascus and most populous in India, are within the non-Chalcedonian Oriental Orthodox family. The independent Assyrians are heir to the ancient Nestorian church.

"I see nothing to prevent [our] union," said Sako last month. "What unites us is much greater than what divides us."

This would include the genocide--but advocacy was slow to develop. Scattered across remote mountain villages, Syriac-Aramaic farmers were less cosmopolitan than the integrated Armenians. Violence began in the 1840s, killing thousands. Another massacre followed in 1895, and the Young Turk revolution of 1908 led to further displacement.

As the Ottomans lost territory in the Balkans in 1913, Muslim refugees streamed to the empire, which resettled them in Christian areas. And following the empire's dissolution after the Great War, the 1923 Lausanne Conference established the current borders of Turkey and Greece, leading to further transfer of Muslim and Christian populations.

But by then, local Christians, indigenous for centuries, had been subjected to death marches, with survivors fleeing to Syria. The Armenians were awarded a nation-state in the Caucasus, but the Syriac-Aramaic people had no country of their own.

Both communities integrated into the religious diversity of the Levant. But Habib Ephrem, president of the Syriac League in Lebanon, said that the traumatized families hardly wanted to speak of Sayfo among themselves, let alone to the outside world.

"Our people were late to begin a political effort to recognize what happened to them," he said. "We had no PR or international relations."

Ephrem's grandfather came to Lebanon in 1917, but eventually many compatriots relocated to Europe, particularly to Sweden. He has been advocating for genocide recognition the past 15 years, rewarded in 2007 when the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) judged that both the Assyrians and Greeks deserved separate status.

It called on the Turkish government to issue a formal apology.

As with the Armenian Genocide, Ankara denies any formal policy to exterminate a people. Seeking an audience, Ephrem traveled to Istanbul University in 2006 and quoted a Turkish poet: Separating a person from his land is like ripping his heart out of his chest.

"My grandfather did not come for tourism," he said. "We were uprooted, just because we were there."

Despite failures in Turkey, since the IAGS decision genocide advocacy has gained steam. Sweden (2010), Armenia (2013), the Netherlands (2015), Germany (2016), and Syria (2020) have all officially recognized the Syriac-Aramaic plight.

Ephrem has lobbied in the US as a regular attendee of the National Prayer Breakfast. But his primary concern lies elsewhere--in the stability of Middle East Christian communities. In 2015, ISIS overran 33 villages in Syria's Khabour River valley, and today less than 400 people remain, he said. The economic crisis is driving emigration from Lebanon, and he fears his people will eventually dissolve into the European mosaic.

It is right to recognize the genocide, but the stakes are greater than memory.

"Is it better to forget and live as a citizen in Sweden, or to weep and cry?" Ephrem asked. "If you don't have a future in your homeland, who are you?"

That question, said Theodora Issa, must be answered by faith and forgiveness.

"The responsibility falls to the church and the faithful," said the Australian academic and daughter of an archpriest in the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, originally from Iraq's Nineveh Plains region. "Speaking about Sayfo will help our people cling to their identity."

Issa bears a double burden--her mother's family fled the Turks; a century later, her father's family fled from ISIS. Her activism includes publishing books, participating in conferences, and representing her denomination in the central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Last month, the general assembly voted to not only recognize the Syriac-Aramaic genocide as "distinct and separate" from the Armenian tragedy--recognized by the WCC nine years earlier--but also to work for its greater awareness among all member churches.

"We acknowledge that these tragic events occurred," read the official WCC resolution, "and that they must be named by their right name."

If it was simply called the "Christian Genocide" from the beginning, said Issa, things might have been different. As it is, the standard designation has overshadowed the suffering of Sayfo's diverse Syriac-speaking communities.

https://hegetsuspartners.com/ecs-episode-1?utm_source=CT

This religious label, said Craig Simonian, fits the history.

"Turkic-Ottoman leadership was not concerned whether a Christian was of Armenian, Greek, or Assyrian descent," said the regional director for the World Evangelical Alliance's Peace and Reconciliation Network, an ethnic Armenian. "And in the face of outright genocide denial on the part of the Turkish government today, it is vital that the atrocities perpetrated against the Syriac-Aramaic people be recognized in its own right, rather than a footnote in the broader Armenian Genocide."

Without denying the massacres, other Armenians say that Sayfo lacked the clear political agenda that marked the eradication of Armenians. As such, it does not meet the standard of official "genocide."

Armenians commemorate April 24 as the beginning of the 1915 genocide. To distinguish, Bali stated that his church's Holy Synod designated June 15 instead. It marks the approximate date two bishops were killed in the monastery-laden region of Tur Abdin, which translates to "mountain of the servants of God."

And since their capture in Syria in 2013, two Syrian-born Orthodox bishops remain missing today. Sayfo, its denial, and continued atrocities against the community can lead many to animosity.

"For me, as a Christian, it is an outrage to hear how members of my community, especially the elder among them, indiscriminately curse Kurds and Turks as people that one just cannot trust," wrote Amill Gorgis, publisher of The Persecution and Extermination in Tur Abdin, 1915, which relates the evangelical story from Nusaybin above. "Why are we like this? Are we not used to learning and hearing the texts from the gospel where it says: Love your enemies, and pray for those that persecute you?"

The compendium, he wrote, is an effort to understand the source of this pain.

Many sources emphasized that Sayfo is not about revenge. Tens of thousands of Syriac-Aramaic people live in Turkey today in relative peace, while the Assyrian Church of the East is returning its patriarchal headquarters to Iraqi Kurdistan.

Sayfo can never bring our ancestors back, said Bali. And it is not about reconciliation, for the original killers cannot be identified. At stake is the truth, and a gaping wound.

Jesus healed the bleeding woman, he said. But before the miracle, he asked for her story, and let her speak about her pain. The same is necessary for Syriac-Aramaic peoples today--in recognition of their genocide.

"We as Christians have to forgive, for the sake of our healing," said Bali. "It is not true forgiveness, if we just keep it inside."
In a reference to freebie politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that a large section of the population has "resolved to free the country from revdi culture". The Prime Minister's remarks came while participating in the 'Griha Pravesh' of more than 4.5 lakh beneficiaries of PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) in Madhya Pradesh via video conference. PM Modi highlighted the government's investment of the tax-payers money into the welfare schemes such as the PMAY-G scheme and said that the tax-payers would be delighted to see their money being spent on the poor. "When I am giving 4 lakh houses, every tax-payer would think that some poor person from Madhya Pradesh is also celebrating Diwali besides me because of the new house. But when the same tax-payer sees that free revdis (freebies) are being distributed with the money collected from him, he becomes disappointed. A lot of taxpayers are writing letters to me today. I am glad that a big section of the country has resolved to free the country from revdi culture," PM Modi said. He has highlighted the revdi culture numerous times in the past stating that it is "very dangerous" for the development of the country. The Prime Minister further stressed that the new houses that were allotted to the beneficiaries will not let the poverty increase and also remove the little poverty left. "The house that you have got is not only a place to live, eat and sleep, but it is a fort that won't let poverty penetrate and will also remove remaining poverty," he said. Underlining the difference between the previous governments and the present administration, the Prime Minister said that earlier the poor were made to visit the offices repeatedly, but now the government is reaching out to the poor. "There is a difference between the earlier and present governments. The previous governments used to pester people. The poor were made to visit the offices repeatedly. Our government is reaching out to the poor. The government is carrying out a campaign so that the poor are benefited from every scheme. Today we are talking about saturation," PM Modi said. He said that the slogan to eradicate poverty remained only the political promises, while the Centre is providing basic facilities to every citizen of the country. "Why are we in such a hurry? There is a lesson in the past. The basic facilities (gas cylinder, health facilities, toilet, internet connectivity etc) were kept in abeyance in the past decades. A large chunk of the population struggled for these basic facilities. Promises to eradicate poverty were only political promises. We decided to connect every citizen of the country with the basic facilities to overcome poverty. Today, the poor, after getting the facilities, are making efforts to reduce their poverty," PM Modi said. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, about 38 lakh houses have been sanctioned so far in Madhya Pradesh and construction of about 29 lakh houses has been completed at a cost of more than Rs 35,000 crore. (ANI)
The arrested accused were mastermind Sultan Ahmed (39) and his associates Faiz Alam (55), and Md. Kalim (30).

The godown was situated on the first floor of G25/148, Gulshan colony, West Choubaga, Kolkata.

The approximate value of the seized items is Rs 30 crores in the international market.

All three are being produced before court today. (ANI)
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal visited the Government Ayurveda College in Jalukbari, Guwahati on Saturday. The visit was planned for interaction with the experts and researchers on the 'Ayurveda@2047 - Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal' theme. The interaction resulted in many fruitful suggestions from the experts as the Union Minister called upon the Ayush experts to take the lead to make 'Har Din, Har Ghar Ayurveda' a way of life and bring about a health movement towards Jan Arogya of the nation during the Amrit Kaal. The Union Minister highlighted the four boosters from the Ayurveda sector that have tremendous potential to generate employment in the country. The Minister also stressed the idea of the government to handhold the students community in order to propel the Ayush sector in the country and acknowledged the College for taking steps towards evolution of Ayurveda in the region. The Union Minister also highlighted the rich floral diversity of the Northeast to help drive sustainable economic development in the Ayush sector. Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal, said, "Our rich legacy of Ayurveda has helped and enriched the quality of human lives for thousands of years. Our rich texts in Ayurveda must be popularised for the betterment of the common people's health and to help them live a healthy life. Your research in Ayurveda has given our rich healing practices modern validation which makes it easier to reach more and more people." "With this vision, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have been giving laser-sharp focus on emboldening our traditional medicinal practices from across the country. This year, we wanted to celebrate Ayurveda Day in order to create mass awareness of how this ancient knowledge of our own can be found within our own homes and how their application can bring relief & enhance the quality of our lives. I urge all of you to take an active lead in this effort to make Ayurveda a popular mode to enrich the quality of life and make it a Jan Andolan which can eventually deliver us a Jan Arogya Bharat at the end of the Amrit Kaal," he added. Highlighting the role of Ayurveda in the creation of wealth in society, Union Minister Sonowal identified four areas that have the potential to boost employment generation in the country. With Ayurveda recognised as a traditional medicinal practice in more than 30 countries, the economic sustenance from Ayurveda is growing day by day as the Ayurveda products are exported to more than 100 countries with an annual turnover of USD 18.2 billion in the Ayush sector. The Ministry has also set up Ayush Export Promotion Council to further amp up exports of Ayush products from India, generating economic growth and employment. The Union Minister further added, "Ayush Aahar, Ayush Medical Tourism, Vocation training courses in Ayush education and Scientific Cultivation of Medicinal plants are the FOUR key amplifiers of Ayush sector which can be optimised to boost employment generation in the country. With the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among people, the relevance of healthy food is growing. Ayush Aahar brings forth a solution to this gigantic problem that people of modern day are facing." (ANI)
Rajasthan Minister Pratap Khachariyawas has said that the government will probe the alleged assault on a Dalit family in a village of Baran district of the state as reports emerged that some people from the community had converted to Buddhism following the incident. "If any poor, backward or Dalit faces any kind of crime, our responsibility is to raise our voice against that. We'll get the matter investigated," Rajasthan Minister Pratap Khachariyawas said on reports that 250 people of the Dalit community in Baran allegedly converted to Buddhism. Another Minister Mamata Bhupesh said that FIR has been registered in the matter. "FIR has been registered, have faith on police, Chief Minister monitors everything himself. Probe will be conducted and justice will be delivered. Action to be taken against accused," she said. A press release by Zila Berwa Mahasabha Yuva Morcha said that a Dalit family was assaulted for worshiping Goddess during a religious procession on Friday and the Dalit organisations carried out a protest in Bhoolon village. It said that "they immersed the idols of Gods and Goddesses kept in their homes in water". The organisation said "250 people including women adopted Buddhism" sought action against the accused belonging "to the upper caste". A senior police official of Chhabra in Baran district said that a case has been registered following a compliant. The official said the matter is being investigated but the cause of scuffle apparently was not assault but "consumption of intoxicants". "Two hundred fifty people were not even present in the protest that they took out. They were around fifty. No case has been registered for religious conversion," the official said. BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena alleged that such incidents of atrocities against Dalits have taken place frequently under the Ashok Gehlot government. He also demanded action against the culprit. "Such incidents have taken place frequently under the Gehlot government. The incident is a blot on Gehlot government and Rajasthan. The government should conduct a special probe, take steps towards reconversion and act against the culprits," he said. (ANI)
The Chief Minister was seen in a local shop which sold crackers and other materials for performing puja.

He extended greetings on the festive season and said that the markets witnessed crowds with the return of normalcy after the COVID pandemic.

Speaking to ANI, Baghel said, "With the return of normalcy after COVID, markets are witnessing crowds. Best wishes to the people on the occasion of Dhanteras and Diwali. I purchased diyas, idols, sweets and firecrackers for Diwali. I extend Diwali wishes to all."

"Our government transferred funds to farmers, and labourers and gave Dearness Allowance to government employees," he added.

Dhanteras is a significant Hindu festival that ushers in Diwali celebrations. The festival of wealth and prosperity known as Dhanteras will be celebrated on October 23 this year. Dhan represents riches, and Teras denotes the thirteenth day.

Dhan represents riches, and Teras denotes the thirteenth day. The five-day Diwali festival officially starts on this day, also known as Dhanatrayodashi. It is believed that the Goddess Lakshmi emerged from the ocean of milk on this day, during Samundra Manthan, or the churning of the sea.

One of the luckiest and best days to buy expensive items is today. On this day, people purchase items made of brass, silver, and gold since it is believed that doing so will bring good fortune, success, and protection from the evil eye. Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are worshipped together with Lord Kubera. (ANI)
A unique protest march was witnessed in Kolkata on Saturday against the late-night police action to remove protesters agitating outside the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) office against the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers in the state. The protest march convened under the banner of Nagarik Mancha (Citizens' Forum) had intellectuals, educationists, writers and celebrities from the Bengali silver screen in the forefront leading the rally. Senior political leaders from Left Front and Congress were seen following them, but without their respective party flags. Reputed educationist Pabitra Sarkar, who chose to walk a mile ignoring his age and related ailments, said that this is not a political rally. "This is a protest of the citizens against the barbaric late-night attack by the police on the protesters agitating in a peaceful and democratic manner," he said. The other popular faces leading the march included celebrity writer Mandakranta Sen and film personalities like Srilekha Mitra, Badshah Moitra and Debojyoti Mishra, among others. Following them were two veteran faces of CPI(M) and Congress -- Left Front chairman in West Bengal Biman Bose and senior Congress leader and former leader of opposition, Abdul Mannan. Biman Bose had his own explanation as to why they chose to remain in the back row. "This protest call was given by the civil society. We are just supporting the cause of the protest. So, it is natural that those who have given the protest call will be in the front row," Bose said. Maintaining that the rally had nothing to do with politics, actor Badshah Moitra said, "We felt that it was our moral duty to stand by the protesters. The common people are also with us. The more the state government resorts to such oppressive measures, the stronger will be the protests." Actress Srilekha Mitra said the approach of the state government towards the protesters was as if they had committed some crime by raising voice for their legitimate rights. "The Chief Minister does not want a voice of protest. The situation has reached such a stage now. We do not want this present regime to continue in the future," she said. Another unique feature of the protest was, instead of raising slogans, those who were part of the march kept on singing protest songs. --IANS src/arm ( 396 Words) 2022-10-22-20:26:01 (IANS)
Biomedical engineers have demonstrated the most effective treatment for pancreatic cancer in mouse models ever recorded. While most mouse trials consider simply halting growth a success, the new treatment completely eliminated tumors in 80% of mice across several model types, including those considered the most difficult to treat. The approach combines traditional chemotherapy drugs with a new method for irradiating the tumor. The approach combines traditional chemotherapy drugs with a new method for irradiating the tumor. Rather than delivering radiation from an external beam that travels through healthy tissue, the treatment implants radioactive iodine-131 directly into the tumor within a gel-like depot that protects healthy tissue and is absorbed by the body after the radiation fades away. The results appear online on October 19 in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. "We did a deep dive through over 1100 treatments across preclinical models and never found results where the tumors shrank away and disappeared like ours did," said Jeff Schaal, who conducted the research during his Ph.D. in the laboratory of Ashutosh Chilkoti, the Alan L. Kaganov Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke. "When the rest of the literature is saying that what we're seeing doesn't happen, that's when we knew we had something extremely interesting." Despite accounting for only 3.2% of all cancer cases, pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death. It is very difficult to treat because its tumors tend to develop aggressive genetic mutations that make it resistant to many drugs, and it is typically diagnosed very late, when it has already spread to other sites in the body. The current leading treatment combines chemotherapy, which keeps cells in a stage of reproduction vulnerable to radiation for longer periods of time, with a beam of radiation targeted at the tumor. This approach, however, is ineffective unless a certain threshold of radiation reaches the tumor. And despite recent advances in shaping and targeting radiation beams, that threshold is very difficult to reach without risking severe side effects. Another method researchers have tried involves implanting a radioactive sample encased in titanium directly within the tumor. But because titanium blocks all radiation other than gamma rays, which travel far outside the tumor, it can only remain within the body for a short period of time before damage to surrounding tissue begins to defeat the purpose. "There's just no good way to treat pancreatic cancer right now," said Schaal, who is now director of research at Cereius, Inc., a Durham, North Carolina biotechnology startup working to commercialize a targeted radionuclide therapy through a different technology scheme. To skirt these issues, Schaal decided to try a similar implantation method using a substance made of elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), which are synthetic chains of amino acids bonded together to form a gel-like substance with tailored properties. Because ELPs are a focus of the Chilkoti lab, he was able to work with colleagues to design a delivery system well-suited for the task. The ELPs exist in a liquid state at room temperature but form a stable gel-like substance within the warmer human body. When injected into a tumor along with a radioactive element, the ELPs form a small depot encasing radioactive atoms. In this case, the researchers decided to use iodine-131, a radioactive isotope of iodine, because doctors have used it widely in medical treatments for decades and its biological effects are well understood. The ELP depot encases the iodine-131 and prevents it from leaking out into the body. The iodine-131 emits beta radiation, which penetrates the biogel and deposits almost all its energy into the tumor without reaching the surrounding tissue. Over time, the ELP depot degrades into its constituent amino acids and is absorbed by the body -- but not before the iodine-131 has decayed into a harmless form of xenon. "The beta radiation also improves the stability of the ELP biogel," Schaal said. "That helps the depot last longer and only break down after the radiation is spent." In the new paper, Schaal and his collaborators in the Chilkoti laboratory tested the new treatment in concert with paclitaxel, a commonly used chemotherapy drug, to treat various mouse models of pancreatic cancer. They chose pancreatic cancer because of its infamy for being difficult to treat, hoping to show that their radioactive tumor implant creates synergistic effects with chemotherapy that relatively short-lived radiation beam therapy does not. The researchers tested their approach on mice with cancers just under their skin created by several different mutations known to occur in pancreatic cancer. They also tested it on mice that had tumors within the pancreas, which is much more difficult to treat. Overall, the tests saw a 100% response rate across all models, with the tumors being completely eliminated in three-quarters of the models about 80% of the time. The tests also revealed no immediately obvious side effects beyond what is caused by chemotherapy alone. "We think the constant radiation allows the drugs to interact with its effects more strongly than external beam therapy allows," Schaal said. "That makes us think that this approach might actually work better than external beam therapy for many other cancers, too." The approach, however, is still in its early preclinical stages and will not be available for human use anytime soon. The researchers say their next step is large animal trials, where they will need to show that the technique can be accurately done with the existing clinical tools and endoscopy techniques that doctors are already trained on. If successful, they look toward a Phase 1 clinical trial in humans. "My lab has been working on developing new cancer treatments for close to 20 years, and this work is perhaps the most exciting we have done in terms of its potential impact, as late-stage pancreatic cancer is impossible to treat and is invariably fatal," Chilkoti said. "Pancreatic cancer patients deserve better treatment options than are currently available, and I am deeply committed to taking this all the way into the clinic." (ANI)
Promoting Indo-Australian bilateral trade and investments, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari emphasized the great investment opportunities in India including the transport infrastructure sector. Among various meetings in New South Wales, Sydney Gadkari had a fruitful interaction with Australian Senator Ayres, Assistant Minister for Trade and Manufacturing. Gadkari and Ayres discussed the excellent investment opportunities for Australian Investors in the Roads and Transport sector in India, a government press release read. The Minister said the trade relations between the two nations are upbeat and win-win for both countries with technology and innovation being the key drivers for future growth. Gadkari visited the Research Center for Integrated Transportation Innovation (rCITI) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. rCITI in collaboration with Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE) and Indian Mobility Industries will work together to build the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology and Systems (CATTS) in India. A testimony of Indo-Australian Partnership, CATTS will serve as Centre of Excellence to build capacities in the fields of smart transport systems. The Minister had a meeting with the Team of Australia-India Infrastructure Forum (AIIF) in Sydney, hosted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC). Gadkari had a meeting with John Hopkins, CEO of Export Finance Australia. Discussions pertained to the effects of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) on trade and bilateral investments between the two countries. The Minister said India's export of goods and services to Australia will increase in the coming years with the fostering of a strong India-Australia Partnership under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the press release added. Gadkari also visited Australia's largest Motorway Control Centre (MCC), managed by Transurban at St. Peters NSW in Sydney. This facility streamlines the coordination of critical incidents and maintenance and network-wide traffic monitoring, including the Tunnels. Later addressing a program organised by the University of NSW Gadkari talked about the crucial role of Infrastructure in the growth and prosperity of countries. He highlighted the seamless opportunities to expand the infrastructure partnership between India and Australia. (ANI)
Approved by a two-thirds majority in Parliament, Sri Lanka passed the 22nd Amendment to the constitution curtailing a few powers of the Executive President, media reports said. About 174 members voted in favour of it while no one voted against it. One member abstained from voting, reported Sri Lankan media outlet Daily Mirror. One of the demands that Sri Lankans have been making is the rollback of the 20th amendment. The 20th amendment brought back most of the constitutional powers to the President which was previously abolished in the 19th amendment. The 19th Amendment (19A) to the Constitution of Sri Lanka was passed and it envisaged the dilution of powers of the Executive Presidency, which had been in force since 1978. However, the 20th amendment brought back most of the constitutional powers to the President which was previously abolished in the 19th amendment. The 22nd Amendment was originally named 21A and was meant to replace the 20A. This comes at a time when Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic and political crisis since it was liberated from British rule in 1948. A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas and other essentials while power cuts and soaring food prices heaped misery on the people. Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress and severely undermining the country's ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (ANI)
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's agenda for his maiden visit to China in November is to seek new investments worth billions of dollars and urge Beijing for rescheduling its debt, media reports said. In a further expansion of CPEC, Pakistan will seek a multibillion-dollar financing window from China to fund 10,000 megawatts solar-powered electricity generation projects, media reports said. This comes as Sharif chaired a meeting on Wednesday to review and finalise the agenda for his Beijing visit which is expected to be scheduled for November 1st. Pakistan is eyeing to get China onboard to finance many projects and new schemes worth billions of dollars. This also includes a tripartite agreement between China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to set up an oil refinery in Gwadar, reported The Express Tribune. The Pakistani government has plans to set up 10,000 MW solar power plants. The cost of the plants is an estimated USD 5 billion. "We are keen to get up to USD 2 billion Chinese financing and will pitch a generalised framework agreement for signing during the PM's visit," said an official of the energy ministry. However, whether these Chinese financing be approved will depend on the international competitive bidding for the plants. It will also depend on the endorsement by the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the CPEC meeting. It is pertinent to note that the 11th session of the JCC is also tentatively scheduled for October 27, reported The Express Tribune quoting officials. According to officials privy to these discussions, Saudi's Aramco has shown an interest in giving the contracts to Chinese companies for the refinery deal. Moreover, China's East Sea Group has also offered to establish a five million tonnes capacity oil refinery in Gwadar's Free Zone with an investment of USD 3.6 billion. Another point of discussion will be the non-payments of dues by the Chinese Independent Power Plants (IPP). These dues are around Rs 240 billion. In this matter, the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet is expected to approve a bank account for CPEC with around Rs100 billion before the PM's visit in an attempt to remove the bottleneck. (ANI)
Gujarat ATS exposed this bogus international racket and in this case, four persons have been arrested from the new Naroda area of Ahmedabad city.

At the same time, the ATS team seized five passports and took action. According to the details obtained, the Gujarat ATS had received the right information that the scam was going on in Ahmedabad on fake visas.

After receiving the information an investigation was launched by Gujarat ATS. The name of Nilesh Pandya was revealed in this investigation. Nilesh Pandya has also registered several offences before.

Gujarat ATS has arrested four persons on the basis of proper information from the new Naroda area of the city. Five passports have been seized from the accused. These individuals made fake visas to send people to Canada.

Among the arrested accused, Nilesh Pandya has also registered a fake visa offence in Rajasthan. The accused was arrested in a fake currency note case in 2005 at Kalupur Post Station. Many people have made fake visas from the new Naroda area and have gone abroad. At the same time, these people have either returned or settled there.

In this direction, Gujarat ATS has launched an investigation. (ANI)
Soon after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a nationwide freeze on the sales, purchase, and transfer of handguns with immediate effect, gunshots were heard in Toronto. Taking to Twitter," Toronto Police Operations said, "SHOOTING: Ellesmere Rd + Dolly Varden Blvd 3:10 pm." "Gunshots heard in the area - Police are on scene - Evidence of gunfire located - Vehicle located with bullet holes," police added. Earlier today, the Canadian Prime Minister announced the freeze on handgun sales. Addressing the presser, Trudeau said, "We have frozen the market for handguns in this country," according to Toronto Sun "Canadians have the right to feel safe in their homes, in their schools, and in their places of worship," Fox news quoted Trudeau as saying in a statement on the freeze. "With handgun violence increasing across Canada, it is our duty to take urgent action to remove these deadly weapons from our communities. Today, we're keeping more guns out of our communities, and keeping our kids safe," Trudeau added. Canadian Prime Minister's Office released a statement that stated that fewer guns mean safer communities. Handguns are the weapon of choice in most firearm-related crimes, and this is the reason the Canadian government is limiting it. Limiting handguns is a critical part of a plan to protect Canadians from gun violence." "We've implemented a historical national handgun freeze that bans the purchase, sale and transfer of handguns," Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino tweeted. Earlier, in May, the Liberal Party of Canada announced a plan to implement a freeze on importing, buying, selling or otherwise transferring handguns in order to help stem firearm-related violence, Toronto Sun reported. "I've seen all too well the tragic cost that gun violence has in our communities across the country. Today, we're proposing some of the strongest measures in Canadian history to keep guns out of our communities and build a safer future for everyone," he said. To ensure the national freeze on handguns can be implemented swiftly, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety has already tabled regulatory amendments in both the House of Commons and the Senate. "These regulations will help stop the growth of personally owned handguns in Canada and are expected to come into force in Fall 2022," the government said. At the time, the government tabled regulatory amendments in both the House of Commons and the Senate. (ANI)
A special court of the Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday granted post-arrest bail to Senator Azam Swati, who was arrested in a case registered against him over an anti-establishment tweet. According to Dawn, special Judge Central Raja Asif Mehmood granted bail to Swati against surety bonds of PKR 1 million. The court, however, directed him to surrender his passport. On October 13, senator Azam Swati was taken into custody for accusing Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa of legitimising corruption in the high echelon of the country. Speaking to media persons before the hearing, Swati said that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the FIA's director-general are his complainants. He said that he will bring the DG to the court and file a case against the cybercrime wing and its staff, reported Geo News. "They registered an FIR against me and then handed me over to the agencies that inflicted violence upon me," alleged the PTI leader. He said that he is being questioned why he defended Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, replying that he is Imran Khan's right hand and is an innocent man. "I would still defend Senator Saifullah if he was an ordinary worker," he added. Upon being asked if he stands by his tweet, Swati said that he will do anything for the "Haqiqi Azadi" and will sacrifice everything, reported Geo News. At the outset of the hearing headed by Duty Magistrate Shoaib Akhtar, prosecution counsel read Swati's controversial tweet. Meanwhile, the prosecutor requested for a 14-day extension in the arrested PTI leader's physical remand. He said that Swati is a political figure who has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media accounts. Recovering Swati's mobile phone is necessary, he asserted. "Swati tweeted from his verified account and mentioned the army chief in the tweet," he added while requesting the court to give more time to the investigation officer for interrogation, reported Geo News. Later, the court reserved the verdict and extended the remand of the PTI leader by a day. (ANI)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese agreed to boost practical defense cooperation between the two nations amid growing assertiveness by China in the Asia-Pacific region. Kishida, who is on a three-day visit to Australia, signed a joint declaration with Albanese in which Japan and Australia agreed to take action against countries violating international rules and norms, Kyodo News Agency reported. Their agreement came with the concern mounting that may be China intensify its military provocations against Taiwan after Chinese President Xi secured an unprecedented third term. In the latest declaration, Kishida and Albanese confirmed the significance of a "free and open Indo-Pacific," a vision advocated by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two leaders did not single out China in the declaration as they may be eager to monitor how Beijing's diplomatic policy may shift following Xi's reelection, reported Kyodo News Agency. In 2007, Abe and then Australian Prime Minister John Howard signed a document that recognized "common strategic interests and security benefits embodied in their respective alliance relationships with the United States." Ahead of the trip to Australia, Kishida told reporters in Tokyo on Friday, "For Japan, Australia is an important nation with which we share universal values such as freedom and democracy as well as strategic interests." Japan imports natural gas, iron ore and other vital resources from Australia, making it a key partner, according to Kyodo News Agency. Earlier, Singapore Post reported that Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore are all increasing their military budgets and spending as a response to the aggression they have experienced from China. Japan's relations with China are deteriorating over geopolitical tensions amid strong undercurrents of anti-China sentiments and security threats. People in Japan have already expressed their displeasure over China making claims on Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands in Chinese). Meanwhile, Kishida's visit to Australia is the first by a Japanese prime minister since 2018. He had planned to visit Australia in January, but his trip was cancelled after the COVID-19 pandemic. Kishida became Prime Minister in October 2021, according to Kyodo News Agency. Albanese visited Japan in May for the Quad summit that was held immediately after he took office. In late September, he also made a trip to Tokyo to attend Abe's state funeral. (ANI)
Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will go on an official visit to the Republic of Senegal from October 24-25 to participate in the 8th edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security. During the visit, MoS will address the 8th edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security. Being held annually since 2014, the Dakar Forum has become a key event for decision-makers involved in Africa. This is the first time that India is participating in the Forum at a Ministerial level, according to the statement released by Ministry of External Affairs. The participation of MoS in the Dakar Forum underscores the importance that India attaches to the peace, security and developmental issues concerning Africa. The visit is also in line with India's policy to intensify and deepen its engagement with Africa. India and Senegal enjoy warm and friendly relations, sharing common values of democracy and secularism, with a strong economic engagement and development cooperation. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established at Ambassadorial level in 1962, with a resident Indian Mission in Dakar. As per DGCIS, Government of India, statistics, Indian exports to Senegal in 2018-19 touched $ 639 mn and imports from Senegal USD 658 million. As to bilateral trade basket, major items of export from India include textiles, food items, automobiles and pharmaceuticals. Major items of import from Senegal are phosphoric acid and raw cashew. India's investment is mainly in construction, tourism, retail, trading, phosphates, pharmaceuticals etc. The largest investment from India in Senegal is in Industries Chimique du Senegal (ICS). ICS is the flagship company in Senegal which is in the business of manufacturing phosphoric acid from the rock phosphate available in plenty in Senegal. Indian companies viz. Tata Group (Tata Motors, Tata Unitech), Ashok Leyland, Kirloskar Bros, Ajanta Pharma, Sun Pharma, ShapoorjiPallonji, Kalpataru Power Transmission, KEC Ltd., Promac, SenegIndia etc are present in Senegal. In order to increase awareness about business opportunities between India and Senegal and to inform about the opportunities available under our LoCs, this mission has organized four business events in Senegal (two in Dakar, one in Kaolack and one in Kedougou) since January 2018.Embassy of India also put up a KVIC Stall in the 27th edition of annual trade event Dakar International Trade Fair (FIDAK) from November 29, 2018 to December 16, 2018. Recently, former Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu also made his visit to Senegal during his three-nation visit. During his visit to Senegal, Naidu signed three MoUs with the West African country to further deepen bilateral partnership in various areas. (ANI)
Japan's coffee culture is very popular throughout the world. To promote the same, the "SCAJ World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition 2022" was held in Tokyo. It is Asia's largest coffee trade fair. The theme of the conference was "Come Join the Specialty Coffee Community." Different high-quality coffee beans along with state-of-the-art machines from around the world were displayed there. "I make coffee to bring out the sweetness and make the cup clean," said an official from Barista. "I think coffee is an important thing to take time for and relax with. The professional barista's coffee had a deep taste, and it was fun and enjoyable," said a visitor. "I think coffee is very creative in everything from roasting to extraction. In addition, when I drink coffee, I can enjoy it with five senses," said another visitor. In Japanese history, many immigrants immigrated to Brazil, a coffee-producing country in the world. Japanese-Brazilians have contributed to and created the deep coffee culture of Japan today. "I want the Japanese to drink coffee grown in Brazil. Japanese immigrants in Brazil have a history of more than 100 years. Most of the first immigrants to Brazil worked at coffee farms. We wanted to introduce coffee grown in Brazil to Japanese, so we started with the coffee project 35 years ago," said Carlos Akio Yamaguchi, President, Cerrad Coffee & Company. "Our coffee beans have a good taste after drinking coffee, for example, they have a strong sense of chocolate and sourness. After extracting coffee properly, I would like you to drink it without milk and sugar to feel our coffee taste," added Yamaguchi. "It is a trading company of Myanmar coffee. Myanmar's coffee beans have attracted the attention of the world's coffee industry for their recent advances in cultivation technology and high quality through careful work," said Yamaguchi. "Myanmar has a very close relationship with Japan. So we are now penetrating the Japanese market. So I hope Myanmar coffee is of premium quality and especially quality, which may be the reason why coffee is not only the quality but also the hot beverage of the people," said Myo Aye, Chairman, Myanmar Coffee. Japan's coffee market has exponentially grown and is gaining attention from across the globe. (ANI)
A group of Pashtun and Baloch students, popularly known as the Pashtun Students Council, are currently holding a sit-in at Punjab University in Lahore against the arrest of Pashtun Educational Development Movement President Riaz Khan, according to vernacular media reports. Hundreds of students who participated in the protest are demanding the release of Riaz Khan and action against Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) activists who had opened fire on students. Vernacular media reports said protesting students are demanding that the police should not be allowed to enter the campus and action against the IJT activists who did firing in the presence of police must be taken. Protestors also demanded that the process of harassing Pashtun and Baloch students as well as their profiling must be stopped. The local police on October 17 registered a case against Asad, Naushad, Dawood, Saqib, Wali, Ziarat, Riaz Khan, Nisar, Arif and three unidentified persons. But only Riaz Khan was arrested. Pashtun and Baloch students alleged that police aren't maintaining the sanctity of the educational institution and are conducting raids to arrest students, according to Vernacular media reports. Police on the intervening night of October 16 and 17 arrested Riaz Khan, president of the Pashtun Talaba Council and registered a case against him in the morning of October 17. Pashtun and Baloch students were harassed repeatedly by the administration and police, but no action was taken against them, students from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan complained. Students further alleged that police arrested students without registering any case and are keeping them in custody for two days. They pledged that they would continue to protest till the release of their colleague. Protests by human rights workers and interventions by the judiciary have not been able to shake the conscience of Pakistan's government and its deep state on the issue of rights abuses and enforced disappearance. Successive reports from international organisations have documented the practice of enforced disappearances in Pakistan and urged Pakistani authorities to end its use as a tool of state policy. (ANI)
Merely three months after he was ousted from power, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson landed in Britain on Saturday from a Caribbean holiday to launch a formal bid for the Conservative Party leadership, following Liz Truss's resignation this week, according to UK media reports. Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Johnson now expressed his willingness to enter the PM race, saying he is "up for it." Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak in the Johnson cabinet was also quick to mark his bid for the Tory and the British Prime Ministership having secured more than a hundred nominations - which is the minimum requirement to contest for the post. Sunak late Friday became the first Tory leadership contender to reach the 100-nomination threshold to run for party leader following the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss, reported Independent citing campaign sources. Sunak, who fell to Truss in the last leadership contest, got the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the UK PM race. This is a key development after Liz Truss' resignation as UK Prime Minister on Thursday which threw the country into political turmoil and left it scrambling for a stable government, as the opposition reiterated its demand for a general election. On Friday, Penny Mordaunt, the Tory leader in the House of Commons too threw her hat in the ring. "I've been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest," Mordaunt tweeted. Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out. The result will be announced on Friday, October 28. It is pertinent to note that Truss became the shortest-serving British PM after she stepped down, stating that she recognises she "cannot deliver the mandate" on which she was elected. Truss said she would step aside for a new leader to be chosen within the next week. In view of Truss's resignation, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer issued a scathing statement that ripped into the Conservative Party and called for a general election. After 12 years of "Tory failure," he said the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos. "We need a general election now," he said. Truss stepping down was preceded by the sacking of UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng and the resignation of Home Secretary Suella Braverman tendered her resignation. Liz only remained in power for 45 days after succeeding Boris Johnson last month. (ANI)
Tibetans called on China to stop human rights violations as they are suffering under the authoritarian rule of Beijing. During the 3rd Europe-Tibetan Communities General Meeting (ETCGM) (October 1-2) held in Milan, the representatives of the Tibetan Communities and Associations from over nine European countries discussed and deliberated on various issues related to Tibetans' human rights and culture, reported Tibet Press. The agenda of ETCGM included discussion about coordinated efforts for the protection of Tibetan culture, language and identity; advancing Tibet advocacy, and raising voices against the suppression of human rights in Tibet by China. They discussed various issues concerning Tibet and a resolution was passed at the meeting expressing concern about the colonial-style boarding school system being implemented by the Chinese government in Tibet, reported Tibet Press. In view of the deplorable situation in Tibet under the occupation of China, the attendees adopted a declaration titled "Milano Declaration", whereby the attendees committed to creating increased awareness about the worsening situation in Tibet and strengthening the mobilization and advocacy for Tibet within their respective countries. Almost a million Tibetan children including some as young as four years old are forcibly separated from their parents and sent to "boarding schools" where they are taught in Chinese language and are subjected to "patriotic education" aimed at total Sinicization of Tibetan language, culture as well as identity leading to the annihilation of the centuries-old Tibetan civilization, reported Tibet Press. Tibetans based in Europe said that they are appalled by the recent videos and reports emerging from Tibet where the Chinese government in the garb of Zero-Covid Policy is forcefully detaining Tibetans in "quarantine centers" irrespective of their testing Covid-positive/negative, providing rotten food and depriving them of basic amenities which have even forced a few Tibetans to commit suicide. All these videos confirm the total repression of Tibetans. They also raised alarm at the reports of mass DNA collection of over 1 million Tibetans including men, women, and children. The Chinese officials have specially targeted Buddhist monks between June 2016 and July 2022 as part of the Chinese government's high-tech surveillance mechanism. The blatant violation of human rights is not limited to the adult population but has been extended to even kindergarten children, reported Tibet Press. Reportedly, the DNA collection drive began in 2019 as part of a policing campaign and involved inspection, investigation, and mediation. According to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), DNA was collected from residents in at least 7 villages, 2 townships, 2 towns, 2 counties, and one prefecture of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). Besides, two government tenders were floated to create local DNA databases. While the People's Republic of China (PRC) claims that Tibet is an integral part of China, the Tibetan government-in-exile maintains that Tibet is an independent state under unlawful occupation. Similar to the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China, Xi Jinping's communist government is using force to collect DNA samples from residents of Tibet, without their consent, under the pretext of crime detection. The representatives called upon the Chinese Government to respect and implement its own constitutional provisions and international obligations guaranteeing social, cultural and economic rights including the right to language, religious freedom, and autonomy to the Tibetan people, reported Tibet Press. They also called the international community including the national governments of the European countries, parliamentarians, the European Union as well as the United Nations to press the Chinese government to stop the acts of crimes against humanity. (ANI)
Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday accused Moscow of "genocide of Ukrainians", hours after Russian strikes reportedly targeted the country's critical civilian infrastructure. Russia on Saturday had launched a missile attack targeting critical infrastructure after air raid sirens blared across Ukraine, according to media reports. "Deliberate strikes on Ukraine's critical civilian infrastructure are part of Russia's genocide of Ukrainians. Article 2(c) of the Genocide Convention: Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part," Kuleba tweeted. Ukraine's foreign minister said Russian missiles aimed at critical civilian infrastructure on Saturday, some of which were intercepted by Ukraine's air defence. "We have intercepted part of them, others hit targets. Air defence saves lives. There should not be a minute of delay in capitals deciding on air defence systems for Ukraine," he said in an earlier tweet. Russia has reportedly intensified its attacks on infrastructure across Ukraine since October 10, damaging the country's power stations in an apparent response to an attack on the Crimea bridge. On Friday, the UN's political affairs chief said Russia's military escalation in Ukraine will lead to more suffering worldwide and must be reversed. Rosemary DiCarlo was briefing the Security Council alongside the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, who said that with each passing day, UN teams on the ground were facing "new dimensions to the emergency." "We are on a path of further escalation, which can only cause more suffering to the people of Ukraine, Russia, and the rest of the world," DiCarlo told ambassadors, as quoted by UN News. Warning against further talk of any nonconventional weapons use on the battlefield, she singled out the risk posed by military activity around the Russian-held Zaphorizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. As of October 18, official UN figures show 15,956 civilian casualties so far: 6,322 killed and 9,634 injured since Russia's invasion of 24 February. At least 397 children have been killed in the war since 24 February. The actual figures are likely much higher, she said. The Political Affairs chief said Russia's new missile offensive targeting civilian infrastructure in towns and cities, since the explosion on the bridge to Crimea, was a concerning development. These attacks threaten to expose millions of civilians to extreme hardship and even life-endangering conditions over the freezing winter, she said, reminding that under international humanitarian law, attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited. (ANI)
China is projecting that it is seriously promoting global energy transitions and low carbon development and is focussed on renewable energy projects but this is not factually correct. Linn Maung, writing in Mekong News said that China has changed its strategy and is focussed now on harvesting renewable energy abroad. This extends from building dams to the extraction of rare earth elements used in the manufacturing of hybrid vehicles. Why China is not extracting Rare Earth from its own reserves but rather exploiting Myanmar's reserves in Kachin and Shan States? The simple reason is that extracting "rare earth" causes enough damage to the environment, said Linn. The rare earth Kingdom "Guanxi" in Guanzhaou province imports tonnes of rare earth extracts from Myanmar illegally and exports further. China is only concerned about its interest and its exploitative policy abroad remains unchanged. In Sept 2021, Xi Jinping conveyed UN that China will extend support for green and low-carbon energy projects in developing countries and stop financing or building coal-based power projects globally to check carbon emissions. China claims that steps have been taken in this regard as a result lot of domestic projects have been shelved. But there are instances of many "captive" coal-based power plants which are catering needs of BRI projects abroad, reported Mekong News. So the strategy is to control carbon emissions on the domestic front rather than abroad. The largest coal-based Tigyit Power Plant in the southern Shan state, Myanmar, built and operated by China had a devastating impact on the locals. China claims that environmental protection remains a priority but ground realities are different, said Linn. In a classical case, the Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar, Chen Hai, inaugurated (Oct 12, 2022) a 136MW gas-based combined power plant at Kyaukphyu in Rakhine despite ecological and environmental concerns. The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report was manipulated as they have contacts in the Army regime. The project is vital for China as it will supply electricity to Kyaukphyu Deep Sea Port and Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ), the most important project under Chin-Myanmar Co-operation(CMEC). Green BRI Centre at the International Institute of Finance, Beijing is running a narrative that the proportion of fossil fuel projects in China's Belt and Road Energy sector has bottomed out in 2020 and now 58 per cent of investment is in renewables like hydro, solar, wind and biofuel but it is misleading. If the projects abroad have actually been shelved, in these cases, compensation for breach of contract could be due if a China party unilaterally withdraws making cancellation more complete. China needs to clarify this. Only the projects which were in the pre-financial closure and pre-construction stage have been shelved rest all are continuing, reported Mekong News. China wants to dam the Irrawaddy and Mekong, two large rivers in south Asia which serve as lifelines of millions of people mainly in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. Daming would result in submerging of land mass being used for subsistence agriculture. Secondly, China plans to connect power grids so that transmission of power gets consolidated at their end and they control distribution, said Linn. (ANI)
United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) organised protests in PoK and other parts of the world to mark Oct 22 as "Black Day." The day is observed as Pak Army-backed Tribal invasion in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. The intervening night of October 21-22, 1947 is considered the "Black Day" in the history of JK, which left a grim mark on the fate of the region. The tribal invasion of October 22, known as Operation Gulmarg, resulted in the death of thousands of innocent people and changed the course of Jammu and Kashmir's history. The United Kashmir People's National Party is protesting all over the world against the tribal invasion, looting, and massacre of state residents on October 22, 1947, which is the basis for the partition of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Demonstrations are being held worldwide, including the capital Muzaffarabad, in Europe, Britain, the United States and North America. The UK leg of the United Kashmir People's National Party held a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission in London on Saturday. In a letter to the Pakistan embassy in London, UKPNP said this demonstration is organised by United Kashmir Peoples National Party, (United Kingdom), zone to register its protest against Pakistan's obsession to capture Jammu and Kashmir which started in October 1947. "It is sad to note that despite the Standstill Agreement and against the principles of international law and norms, attacked the small neighbour with the intention to occupy the State of Jammu and Kashmir and punish its legitimate Ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh for refusing to accede to Pakistan. This unprovoked and imperialist attack was carried out in name of religion, and the invaders did everything during the military campaign which was against the teaching of any religion, and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. These invaders were at liberty to kill unarmed citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, raped women, burnt houses, looted and plundered people," it read. The United Kashmir People's National Party said it wants to: "Declare that the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir is one political entity; and its unification, stability, prosperity and autonomy is our ultimate goal." "Affirm that people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir have been victims of aggression, extremism and violence since 1947. They are forcibly divided and continue to suffer under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. This forced division and suffering must come to an end, as people of Pakistani Occupied regions i.e. so-called Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan deserve to enjoy their fundamental human rights including the right to rule in their territory," the party said. It also recommended "the government of Pakistan to take effective measures to control activities of those who promote extremism, violence and intolerance in various parts of the Pakistani Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK), and in Occupied Gilgit and Baltistan. Also, they must ensure that religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan must not become victims of intolerance and hate." (ANI)
Tibet and the Xinjiang region have become prime targets of Sinicization and two assertions of Chinese President Xi Jinping about the regions would elicit a horselaugh. According to a Xinhua report, on August 29, 2020 he said: "Tibetan Buddhism should be guided in adapting to the socialist society and should be developed in the Chinese context." Xi was addressing in Beijing the seventh Central Symposium on Tibet Work, reported Tibet Press. The other was made on July 16, 2022, when Xi Jinping was on a visit to the Xinjiang region of China. He asked officials to step up efforts to uphold the principle that Islam in China must be Chinese in orientation and religions in China must adapt to the socialist society being pursued by the Communist Party of China. Analysts say the CPC mandarins, with repressive measures, could make the Buddhists and Muslims of China fall in line but would certainly not succeed in winning over their hearts and minds, reported Tibet Press. On September 21 in Beijing top leader of the CPC Wang Yang in a meeting with leaders of China Islamic Association asked the over 25 million Muslims of China to reorient Islam to Chinese conditions and implement fully the basic policy on religion of the CPC, maintaining the "correct political direction" and upholding the "banner of socialism;" really a rhetoric to clamp down of the freedom of religious practices. The weight of facts is too heavy to make the hope of the leaders of the CPC to mould Buddhism and Islam, two of the largest faiths in the world, to suit the frame of the Communist Party of China a bit too ambitious. Both Buddhism and Islam have survived and grown for far too many years, are spread in far too many countries and have far too many followers to be overwhelmed by the heresy of the CPC. With about 400 million followers, Buddhism is today one of the largest religions in the world. Islam is the second largest religious community globally, with an estimated 1.8 billion followers. By contrast, in 2022, CPC had a membership of 96 million. China itself has a population of 1.4 billion. Thus, not even 10 per cent of the Chinese people are members of the CPC, reported Tibet Press. The odds are, therefore, too heavily stacked against the possibility of the Communist Party of China overwhelming either Buddhism or Islam even in the distant future. It is anybody's guess what CPC leaders mean by Buddhism moulding itself to the Chinese context, but it is nowhere near the basic principles of the faith as propounded by Buddha, reported Tibet Press. To make Tibetan Buddhism fall in line, the Chinese authorities have destroyed monasteries, institutes of Buddhism and statues of Buddha in recent times. The most notorious of these was the destruction in July 2016 of Larung Gar, the largest Tibetan Buddhism institute in the world, reported Tibet Press. In December 2021, a 99-foot statue of Maitreya Buddha at Gaden Namgyal Ling Monastery at Kham Drago along with 44 prayer wheels and thousands of prayer flags were destroyed. Another three-storey, 40-foot high, statue of Padmasambhava at a different monastery in Drago was destroyed in early January 2022. The recent attacks on Buddhist culture in Tibet have been described as the revival of the notorious Cultural Revolution in an effort at Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism. All these are a mockery of the assertion of the Panchen Lama appointed by Beijing, Gyaltsen Norbu, at a speech at Lhoka city, in Shannan prefecture, in September 2022: "Tibetans are the happiest people in the world. Without the Communist Party of China, there would be no achievements made today, and without the Communist Party of China there would be no bright future. Therefore, we must be grateful to the party, listen to the party and follow the party." A main aim of this Sinicization is evident. With the advancing age of the 14th Dalai Lama, the Chinese are anxious to ensure that they foist on the Tibetans a Dalai Lama of their own choice after the demise of the 14th, reported Tibet Press. The repression unleashed on the Uyghur of the Xinjiang region, adherents of the Islamic faith, is a sordid story that has been exposed in a report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that has described it as a crime against humanity. More than one million people belonging to the ethnic Uyghur community have been imprisoned since 2017, and those not detained have been subjected to intense surveillance, religious restrictions, forced labour and forced sterilization. Significantly, the birth rate in the Xinjiang region has fallen below the national average in China since 2017. (ANI)
The World Bank said that economic distortions hold back the economic growth of Pakistan. The World Bank report identified many distortions in the Pak growth model, either introduced by policy decisions or ignored by it, reported Asian Lite International. It stated that distortions in various taxes, subsidies, size-dependent industrial policies, trade restrictions or gender norms are leading to resource allocation that is suboptimal and which is discouraging innovation and productivity in the country. The World Bank's Country Economic Memorandum on Pakistan titled, 'From Swimming in Sand to High and Sustainable Growth', has reiterated the precarious conditions due to such distortions that are holding back the Pak economy's growth. Pakistan's development partners also pointed out these fundamental rigidities as responsible for the poor prospects of the Pak economy in near future, reported Asian Lite International. The World Bank report stated that despite brief periods of relatively fast growth of per capita GDP, growth has been low over the past two decades. The growth of the country has been interrupted in the past and even today by the accumulation of external vulnerabilities that tend to result in a balance of payments crises, reported Asian Lite International. It attributed these phenomena to Islamabad's model of growth which is driven primarily by consumption and government expenditure rather than by investment and exports. Structural changes in the growth model that give thrust on investment is the core challenge facing Islamabad for taking the economy on a sustained growth trajectory, reported Asian Lite International. The country has become less productive over time. Aggregate productivity in Pakistan has been stagnant or declining during the past decade. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the decline in productivity with a contraction of 23 per cent in 2020. Policies are hurting the innovative spirit of exporting firms. If firms want to innovate, they miss out on export subsidies. Because export subsidy schemes target mostly well-established, unsophisticated export products and can provide up to a 30 - 35 per cent boost in profits, neglecting innovative manufacturers. It is hurting trade diversification also, reported Asian Lite International. Industrial sickness is a continuous phenomenon in the country. Pakistan exhibits a relatively large share of firms known as 'zombies', i.e., firms that are loss-making for at least three consecutive years. In 2016, Pakistan had the highest share of zombie firms among comparator countries. State-owned enterprises (SoEs) and family-owned domestic firms are more likely to be zombie firms, reported Asian Lite International. The agriculture sector of Pakistan is also marked by several distortions. Though yields have grown over the past decades in agriculture, it has been due to more intensive use of inputs. The report noted that total factor productivity has been falling for most crops, reported Asian Lite International. (ANI)
Pakistan election commission's decision to disqualify Imran Khan from the country's national assembly in the Toshakhana case has sparked a debate among the who's who of the country. On Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced its verdict in the Toshakhana case against former Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan, disqualifying him under the 63-1(p) of the Constitution. On the one hand, the coalition government including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have expectedly lauded the decisions. On the other hand, several Pakistani journalists, lawyers and analysts disagree with the verdict. Imran Khan was proven to be a "certified thief and a liar" by Pakistan Election Commission, Pak PM was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune. In contrast with Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistani Lawyer Asad Rahim Khan said while it was too soon to comment on the verdict, given the ECP's reasoning was yet to be revealed, it was "nonetheless a silly verdict". "It would be premature to comment without reading the order, given the current ambiguity around what provision Mr Khan was disqualified under," Asad was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper. "It is nonetheless a silly verdict -- it would have been rendered meaningless under Article 62(1)(f), as the ECP isn't a court of law. Left to the even more limited parameters of Article 63, the ECP's decision can only be justified as part of the absurd sequence of events this country has seen since March, rather than any concrete reasoning of law." In a Twitter post, Pakistani Journalist Cyril Almeida, in a witty remark said, "If you can't beat him, disqualify him..." Imran's disqualification is "a joke", according to Pakistan Political analyst Mosharraf Zaidi. "Imran Khan's disqualification is a joke. Just like the 2017 disqualification of Nawaz Sharif. Insafis & Noonies will protest saying they aren't alike. I agree. They aren't. Except ONE commonality. Both disqualifications took place during Gen Bajwa's tenure as COAS," Zaidi tweeted. (ANI)
A woman was shot in her shoulder at a Frayser apartment complex.

On Sep. 25 at approximately 4:20 PM, Memphis Police responded to an aggravated assault on Vayu Drive at Breezy Point Apartments.

A woman told police that when she looked out the window of her apartment, she saw two men walking towards the apartment holding guns.

One of the men pulled out a large gun and pointed it at the apartment, police said.

The woman ran to hide, which is when shots were fired and she was struck in the right shoulder.

MPD later identified the suspects as Jerrisac Morgan and Jamall Mason, who were both arrested, court documents showed.

Jerrisac Morgan has been charged with 3 counts of attempted first-degree murder, 3 counts of employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and 3 counts of convicted felon in possession of a handgun.

Jamall Mason has been charged with 3 counts of attempted first-degree murder and 3 counts of employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony

Mason has a scheduled court date on Nov. 4, and Morgan has a court date on Oct. 24.

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An 18-year-old man and two boys were charged in connection with a Friday attempted carjacking of an off-duty police officer that left one of the suspects shot, Chicago police said.

The man was arrested Friday night in the 2300 block of East 93rd Street for trying to carjack an officer in 8800 block of South Constance Avenue. The juveniles were arrested shortly after 7:40 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Vernon Avenue.

The youth, 15 and 16, were charged with receive/possess/sell a stolen vehicle and criminal trespass to vehicle. The man, Kendrick Anderson, 18, was charged with attempt vehicular hijacking with a firearm, police said.

He was scheduled to appear Saturday afternoon at a bail hearing.
Atlanta police have announced the arrest of a third suspect in a wild gun battle involving two rival gangs.

Andre Krisshawn Hill, 22, was arrested Thursday and faces charges of aggravated assault, possession of firearm by convicted felon, possession of firearm during of a felony, and participation in criminal street gang activity.

Earlier this year, police arrested Terrance Taylor, 20, and Tanquevious Cetuan Lucas, 22, on the same charges. All three suspects are documented gang members and remain in jail without bond.

The charges stem from a May 14 incident in northwest Atlanta.

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In exclusive surveillance video obtained by Channel 2s Michael Seiden, the three suspects can be seen getting out of an SUV at the Pic-N-Pay convenience store on Joseph E Boone Boulevard.

When the three suspects enter the store, another camera angle shows an unidentified suspect hiding behind an apartment building located across the street from the convenience store.

As soon as the three suspects leave the store, surveillance video shows the suspects pull their guns and begin firing in the direction of the apartment complex. As the gunfire erupts, a little child is seated in the back of the SUV, according to police.

At one point, a woman can be seen exiting the backseat of the SUV and running for cover, but the child remains inside the vehicle.

As the bullets continue to fly, the SUV rolls into the street. One of the shooters continues to fire shots into the apartment before speeding away in the SUV.

TRENDING STORIES:

When investigators arrived at the scene, they found dozens of shell casings. They also interviewed tenants at the apartment complex who told police how a bullet shattered their front window and a shell was found inside a unit, where teen was sleeping.

Story continues

Andre Hill is a bad apple, said Captain Ralph Woolfolk. Hes someone who has been on our radar for quite some time.

Woolfolk says the arrest of Hill is part of the citys ongoing effort to combat gang violence.

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Our gang experts, our detectives and our officers do a phenomenal job in their enforcement, he added. Just last night we were able to make 19 additional arrests in a gang operation that we conducted here in the city. Whenever we can take a person, like Andre Hill, into custody, then thats a great day for the city of Atlanta. Well continue those types of initiatives to ensure that our city is safe.




















KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 16:17

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that since the night of 22 October, Russians have fired 36 missiles at Ukraine; most of these were shot down.

Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram

Quote: "At night, the enemy [Russians] launched a massive attack: 36 rockets, most of which were shot down."

Details: Zelenskyy published a photo of the consequences of the Russian attack on one of the energy facilities.

"The photo is just one of the examples of how the enemy tries to break us! These are vile strikes on critical objects. Typical tactics of terrorists. The world can and must stop this terror", he wrote.

Previously: Prior to that, the Air Force of Ukraine reported that on the morning of 22 October, Russia attacked Ukraine using X-101 and Kalibr cruise missiles; 18 of these were shot down by air defence systems.

Background:

On 22 October, a long-standing air-raid siren sounded twice throughout Ukraine (except temporarily occupied Crimea). The Russian forces struck energy facilities in many regions of Ukraine.

According to information from the Office of the President of Ukraine, Russian missile attacks left 1,451,603 Ukrainians without electricity throughout the country.

Following Russian missile attacks on infrastructure facilities, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraines Foreign Minister, called on Western countries not to delay the provision of air defence systems to his country.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The Rowan County Sheriffs Office confirmed an 86-year-old man who was reported missing has been found.

Police said Ellis Ray Sisk was last seen on video leaving Aldi on Avalon Drive around 2 p.m. on Friday.

ALSO READ: Body of 74-year-old woman reported missing in Iredell County found, troopers say

He was driving a red Kia Soul with a North Carolina Disabled Veteran tag that reads 819-TDV, according to police.

On Monday morning, deputies confirmed Sisk had been found and was no longer missing.

No further information was released.

(WATCH BELOW: Body of 74-year-old woman reported missing in Iredell County found, troopers say)




Josh Radnor on "How I Met Your Mother." CBS

Ted Mosby was the main character on "How I Met Your Mother," but fans may not know these secrets.

He was probably an untrustworthy narrator, and the character was based on a real person.

Warning: This story contains major spoilers for "How I Met Your Mother."

Josh Radnor almost didn't play Ted.

Jason Biggs turned down the role. Amira Dughri/Halfway Crooks Entertainment

Before Radnor landed the role of Ted Mosby on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother," it was reportedly turned down by at least two other actors.

On a 2021 episode of SiriusXM's "The Covino and Rich Show," "American Pie" actor Jason Biggs said turning down the role is his "biggest regret."

According to E News, "Scandal" actor Scott Foley was also offered the role before Radnor.

The voice of Future Ted changes on the last episode.

Bob Saget narrated "How I Met Your Mother." Rich Fury/Getty Images

Bob Saget was the voice of Future Ted (the narrator of the show) throughout almost all of "HIMYM."

But on the series finale, "Last Forever, Part 2," Radnor did double duty as Ted and Future Ted.

Some of Ted's storytelling may be untrustworthy.

Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor on "How I Met Your Mother." Richard Cartwright/Fox

Since Ted is telling the story, viewers are learning about events and characters through his eyes.

But that also means Ted could be considered an unreliable narrator. It's even written into some episodes where Future Ted is confused or forgetful about certain events or people's names.

Neil Patrick Harris told DigitalSpy in 2018 that he thought the unreliable-narrator theory was probably true, especially when it came to Ted's exaggerations about his character, Barney.

The character is actually based on a real person.

Carter Bays was one of the showrunners of "How I Met Your Mother." Phil McCarten/Reuters

Craig Thomas and Carter Bays were the creators and writers of "HIMYM," but they didn't construct the storyline out of nothing.

In a 2008 interview with Cleveland Magazine, Bays made it clear that he based Ted on his own life.

Additionally, like Ted and Marshall, Thomas and Bays also met and became friends during their freshman year at Wesleyan University.

Ted and Radnor also have something in common.

Josh Radnor on "How I Met Your Mother." CBS

On the show, it's stated that Ted is from Shaker Heights, Ohio, the same hometown as Bays.

Story continues

Radnor also shares a home state with the character as he grew up outside of Columbus, Ohio.

When asked about his similarities to the character, the actor also told The New Potato, "We look a lot alike. We're both optimists. We both place a premium on friendship."

But, in terms of differences, Radnor added, "I don't say 'I love you' on first dates. I'm allergic to 'Love Actually.' I don't have red cowboy boots."

One of Barney's frequent lines involving Ted is based on true events.

"Have you met Ted?" is a recurring gag on "How I Met Your Mother." CBS

Bays and Thomas didn't come up with Barney's infamous "Have you met Ted?" line.

During a 2014 Reddit "Ask Us Anything," Bays said it was based on something Justin Stangel, their old boss from "The Late Show With David Letterman," used to say.

"You'd just be hanging out in a bar with him, having a conversation, and a girl would go by, and he'd stop her and say, 'Have you met Carter?'" he wrote.

Ted's catchphrase "vomit-free since 93" may be an homage to another popular sitcom.

Jerry Seinfeld on "Seinfeld." Sony Pictures Television

One of Ted's many quirks is the fact that he's been "vomit free since 93"  even though that's later proven false.

Interestingly enough, on a 1993 episode of "Seinfeld," Jerry says he hasn't vomited in 13 years.

It could be a coincidence, but Bays and Thomas may also have written the line as a nod to the popular sitcom.

He knows a little sign language.

Barney didn't know Ted knew sign language. CBS

On two separate episodes, Ted communicates with another character using a bit of American Sign Language (ASL).

On season three, episode five, "How I Met Everyone Else," Ted recounts the first time he met Barney. He was at the bar when he got dragged into Barney's ploy to pick up women and wound up pretending to be his brother, who Barney announced is deaf.

But Barney didn't know Ted actually knew some ASL, and Ted told the woman to give Barney a fake number.

Soon after, on season three, episode eight, "Spoiler Alert," Ted communicates in ASL with his ex-girlfriend Cathy's new fiance.

Ted could've ended up with Victoria.

Ashley Williams as Victoria on "How I Met Your Mother." CBS

Although the show's creators planned out the ending on season one, they also had a backup plan in case the show got canceled early.

According to E News, during the same 2014 AUA Reddit thread, Bays said that Victoria would've been the mother if the show was forced to end early.

Stream "How I Met Your Mother" with a Hulu subscription to watch all your favorite Ted Mosby moments:

Read the original article on Insider
(This Oct 22 story has been corrected to remove reference to Tiffanie Harrison being the first Black woman elected to the Round Rock school board.)

By James Oliphant

ROUND ROCK, Texas - At traffic-choked intersections in this Texas town, a blunt campaign slogan stands out from clusters of candidate signs: Teach ABCs + 123s, Not CRTs & LGBTs."

Blood-sport politics have come to school board elections in Round Rock, a rapidly growing and diversifying suburb of Austin. Parents are forming political action committees, canvassing door-to-door and sparring on social media. National interest groups, political parties and unions are weighing in on what have historically been nonpartisan contests.

The slogan belongs to Don Zimmerman, one of five conservative school board candidates who bill themselves as the "One Family" slate. The group rails against what it calls "political correctness" in schools, "leftist" teachers' unions, "pornography" in school libraries and LGBTQ-friendly policies.

Among their top targets is critical race theory (CRT), which argues that racism and prejudice are embedded within U.S. laws and institutions. Public schools across the nation have said they aren't teaching the college-level theory, but it has become a catch-all term for critics of policies that promote equity and inclusion.

Zimmerman is running against incumbent Tiffanie Harrison, a progressive Black woman. Harrison and her supporters call the challengers the "hate slate," accusing them of fomenting division. In response, Zimmerman regularly labels his critics "bigots" and "trolls" on social media and says his slate is trying to elevate the district's academic standards.

The battle in Round Rock - which has echoes around the country - is an outgrowth of a surge of activism during the COVID-19 pandemic, when parents angry over mask and vaccine mandates disrupted school board meetings from Florida to Alaska.

Story continues

Now that discontent is being harnessed by conservatives nationally. Republicans such as Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida have put "parental rights" at the center of their November re-election bids. Grassroots groups such as Moms for Liberty have lobbied legislatures, and outside PACs such as the 1776 Project have raised money nationwide to back hand-picked school board candidates.

The efforts show how Republicans, who have gained control of the majority of state legislatures and governors' offices in the country - and appear on the verge of seizing at least one chamber of Congress in the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 8 - are now looking to consolidate power on the community level.

Ryan Girdusky, who founded the 1776 Project, estimated about 70% of his school board candidates have won in elections held so far this year. Victories in Democratic-leaning enclaves such as Miami, he said, speak to how their concerns cross party lines.

"People reorganize and reorient their entire lives around their children," Girdusky said. "They don't like their children being messed with."

SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS

The Round Rock school district is ripe for political tension. Tech companies such as Apple and Dell have brought an influx of skilled workers, many of them Asians and other diverse groups. New residents have moved from nearby liberal Austin.

Williamson County, home to much of the school district and traditionally Republican-leaning, narrowly voted for President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in 2020.

The district sprawls across 110 square miles, with 56 campuses that house 48,000 pupils. White students make up about a third of the student population, down from 44% in 2012. Hispanic students make up nearly another third, while the percentage of Asian students has grown to 20% from 12%.

Like school districts across the country, Round Rock was upended by the pandemic. While its lockdown phase was shorter than most, a decision by the board to reinstate a mask mandate last fall as the Omicron variant spread proved divisive.

"We had to make tough choices," Harrison said. "That's when we really began to see the divide in our community."

Zimmerman, speaking for the conservative slate, said the current board's COVID policies led to extensive learning loss.

But it is Zimmerman's rhetoric around race and gender that has Chuy Zarate, a local parent who is running for the school board, convinced the conservative slate is more concerned about the district's changing demographics than the children.

Under the auspices of combatting critical race theory, Zimmerman has pledged to abolish the district's Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, which works to improve student outcomes for nonwhite students. While the district insists it does not teach CRT, conservatives view programs that promote diversity as examples of its spread.

Zarate fears the slate would also do away with texts aimed at Black and Hispanic students, and social and emotional teaching tools, which encourage children to develop empathy and healthy relationships.

"These guys don't want success for all kids," he said. "They want success for their kids."

On Facebook, Zimmerman has mocked Zarate for painting his fingernails and said he is running to the extreme left to promote "rainbow" and "degenerate" LGBTQ values. Zimmerman has called Harrison "the queen" of Black Lives Matter and a "cultural marxist." In one post, he included their pictures under the title "Child Porn Lovers Guide to Board Elections."

Zarate said he and his wife have considered leaving the state with their children, some of whom identify as LGBTQ, if the conservatives take control.

"I've never seen it as terrifying as it is right now," he said.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

In school board races where name recognition may be the largest factor, a few thousand dollars can make a difference.

Earlier this year, the 1776 Project received a $900,000 contribution from another conservative group, Restoration, a PAC backed by billionaire Richard Uihlein of Illinois, whose website says its mission is to "defeat leftists and the woke agenda."

Girdusky said he'll spend "thousands" in Round Rock to support the conservative One Family slate. To receive a 1776 Project endorsement, a candidate had to be opposed to mask mandates, school closures and the teaching of critical race theory.

Locally, the One Family slate is backed by a PAC of the same name that has helped stage events and purchase newspaper ads and road signs. The PAC reported raising about $40,000 as of Oct. 11 and still had $16,000 left to spend in the final weeks before the election, according to campaign finance records.

Jeremy Story, a local pastor and a founder of the PAC, said the slate aims to assume full control of the seven-member board and craft policy that reflects their views.

"We want to see change happen if we get elected. One person getting elected doesn't make change," Story said.

Story said there were materials in the school libraries that cross the line into "outright pornography." On Facebook, the slate has identified several books with the word "queer" in their titles as objectionable.

But, Story added, "our opponents want to turn this into book bannings or not trusting librarians. This is not the case. We need safeguards."

The Texas Republican Party endorsed the conservative slate last month, saying in a resolution that it was concerned about "political indoctrination in the classroom."

A group of alarmed liberal-leaning parents in Round Rock have formed their own PAC, Access Education, which had raised almost $30,000 as of Oct. 11.

The local teachers' union has also endorsed a slate of more liberal candidates, as has the county Democratic Party.

Meenal McNary, a member of Access Education, hosts meetings at her house every Sunday, bringing in about a dozen local women to discuss the school board race.

"We have to talk to our neighbors," McNary said. "This is about including everyone in our community, about lifting up every member of our community."

Harrison, the current board member, said she has been barraged during the campaign with threats online and over the phone. Earlier this year, she said, she and two supporters received packages containing bloody tampons in what she viewed as an attempt to intimidate her.

She said losing to Zimmerman would be devastating.

"School board elections are supposed to be nonpartisan," Harrison said. "Children are not red or blue."

(Reporting by James Oliphant; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Claudia Parsons)
Oct. 22election, election day, vote, voting

The Alaska Supreme Court issued a full opinion Friday explaining why it upheld the state's new ranked choice voting and open primary system as constitutional in January.

The five justices issued a brief order at the time in favor of the new system that was narrowly approved by voters in a 2020 ballot measure. It was issued quickly to confirm to the Alaska Division of Elections that the new voting system would be used this year.

Alaska is the second state after Maine to implement ranked choice voting, in which voters are asked to rank four candidates  and a write-in option  in order of preference. And it is the first state to couple that with an open primary system.

Republican Kenneth Jacobus, a longtime Alaska attorney, appeared on behalf of himself, Libertarian legislative candidate Scott Kohlhaas and Bob Bird, head of the Alaskan Independence Party, to challenge the new system.

Former Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and former state Rep. Dick Randolph each submitted documents in support of Jacobus. They argued ranked choice voting violated a constitutional provision that "the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes shall be governor," partly because after multiple rounds of counting, the winner may not have gotten the most first-choice votes.

The justices rejected their arguments. The ranked-choice tabulation process is used if no candidate gets more than half the first-choice votes. In that situation, the last-place candidate is then eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the other candidates based on their supporters' second-choice votes. That process is repeated until one candidate has a clear majority.

In their 57-page opinion, the justices said that the tabulation process would still result in a gubernatorial candidate winning with the greatest number of votes  unless in the unlikely result of a tie  and that "there is no question that a ranked-choice vote is a single vote."

Story continues

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They also rejected arguments that an open primary burdens political parties' right to choose their own candidates. Instead, it merely narrows the field of candidates by allowing the top four vote-getters, regardless of party, to advance to the general election, they said.

Candidates for lieutenant governor and governor now run as a joint ticket. The plaintiffs argued that violates the constitution's requirement that the lieutenant governor be elected in "the same manner" as the governor, meaning voters should get to cast a ballot for them separately in the primary. But that was also rejected, with the justices writing that voters would still have their say on candidates for lieutenant governor through the nonpartisan primary process.

Jacobus argued political parties would be weakened because candidates can appear on the ballot with their party registration, which could imply they had been endorsed by the party. The court said instructions on the ballot made clear that a candidate's affiliation does not necessarily equal an endorsement, and Alaskans would have enough common sense to tell the difference.

Political observers have noted that moderate candidates seem to have benefited from the new open primary system used in August, which allowed voters of any political persuasion to cast a ballot for any candidate they wanted. U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, a moderate Democrat, also won the special U.S. House race  Alaska's first election to use ranked choice voting  defeating two Republicans, former Gov. Sarah Palin and businessman Nick Begich III.

Since then, several Republican legislative candidates have spoken publicly in opposition to the new ranked choice voting system during the lead-up to this year's election. They've pledged to try to repeal it if they are elected.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in Outside money has been donated to independent expenditure groups, Alaska's version of super PACs, to boost legislative candidates who are seen as supportive of the new voting system, open primaries and automatic voter registration. Independent former Gov. Bill Walker has received funding from the same sources.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy indicated his personal opposition to ranked choice voting at a gubernatorial forum earlier in the month. He sidestepped that question during a televised debate Wednesday, but said voters had supported the system and that needed to be respected.

"And we'll do an evaluation after that," he said about the Nov. 8 general election. "And we'll see how this new voting process works."

Former Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce, a second Republican candidate for governor, spoke in opposition to the new voting system during Wednesday's debate, while Walker and Democratic former state legislator Les Gara spoke in support of it.
Mrs. Mildred Shannon's class at Blackwell School is seen in 1959.

When Mario Rivera attended the Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas, in the 1950s, he didn't think much about it.

"It was just a normal school," the 79-year-old said. "The students were, of course, Hispanic, being that it was a segregated school."

He didn't realize it was segregated at age 7 because everyone around him was in the same boat.

"We were never told that there was another school for the white students across the tracks," Rivera said.

As an adult, he and fellow alumni in the nonprofit Blackwell School Alliance have worked to not only save the school from demolition but preserve its history. After years of lobbying Congress in partnership with the National Parks Conservation Association, President Joe Biden this month authorized the Blackwell School as a national historic site, and the whole country will soon be able to learn from it as America's newest National Park Service site.

As a nation, we must face the wrongs of our past in order to build a more just and equitable future. The ugliness of the segregation era had many impacts that we have failed as a nation to adequately acknowledge, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. This new designation will help us tell a truer American story, and ensure this important and painful chapter in our nations history is preserved and remembered for the generations to come.

'Mr. Spanish' was buried at this Texas s: What the Blackwell School's past can teach us today

Living in a different country, losing family: How Latinos keep a cultural connections

The original Blackwell School building still stands to this day, but had been threatened with demolition before former students stepped in to save it.

What is the Blackwell School?

From 1909 until 1965, the Blackwell School was a segregated school for first through eighth-grade students of Mexican descent in Marfa, Texas.

"If you're a historian, you'll remember the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which brought this great, great territory of the Southwest into the United States. Well, that treaty ensured that people of Mexican descent would be given the full rights of American citizenship," said Gretel Enck, president of the Blackwell School Alliance. "The way that played out was not true. Traditionally, folks have been denied many, many rights, and education is just one of them."

Story continues

Enck said students got hand-me-down books, sports equipment and musical instruments. They were also forbidden from speaking Spanish. At one point, a mock funeral for the language was held at the school, and students were punished with a paddle if they spoke it, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

"A lot of us forgot our language and didnt want our children to speak Spanish," former student Jessi Silva said in a statement. "But also today, we are in danger of forgetting our history. The Blackwell School is part of our history, in Marfa and beyond."

Miss Mary Shannon's class at Blackwell School is seen circa 1910.

That history is complicated and not all bad, according to Enck. While some former students recall feeling humiliated and discriminated against in school and the larger community, others had "wonderful" memories, according to the Blackwell School Alliance.

"We also had a core group of really dedicated teachers at Blackwell who were sort of overcoming this systemic problem of discrimination against these children," Enck said. "And one interesting thing about a lot of our alumni is they went on to careers in education."

'It makes you question your identity': What it means for Latinos to lose Spanish fluency

Why is the Blackwell School becoming a national historic site?

Not only is the Blackwell School one of the last remaining Mexican Schools of its kind in good standing condition, but it will also be "one of the first national park sites dedicated to telling modern Latino history," according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

"Everywhere you read about other races, but the Hispanic portion of American history is very limited," Rivera said. "The preservation of the Blackwell School here allows for a little bit of Hispanic history to be exposed."

Former students in the Blackwell School Alliance helped save the school from demolition and preserve its history.

There are a number of spaces within the National Park Service's existing 423 sites, where visitors can learn about Latin American history, but the Park Service is continually working on increasing representation and inclusion across its system.

It is our solemn responsibility as caretakers of Americas national treasures to tell the whole story of our nations heritage for the benefit of present and future generations, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in a statement.

'Canciones de Mi Padre': How Linda Ronstadt fought  and won  a battle to release a Mexican folk album

When can I visit?

The Blackwell School is currently open to the public on weekends afternoons and by appointment on weeknights. Details can be found on the Blackwell School Alliance website. It's currently being managed by the Alliance.

It's expected to take more than a year for the National Park Service to formally acquire the land and establish it as a national historic site.

The Blackwell School will now be preserved as part of the National Park Service as a national historic site.

The National Park Service will continue working closely with key stakeholders dedicated to the preservation of Blackwell School, and those directly impacted by the de facto segregation of Mexican Americans during the early 1900s, to preserve and interpret this significant historic site to the public," Sams said.

Enck is excited about the resources that come with the new designation.

I don't just need money. I mean all of the expertise that the Park Service brings in telling challenging stories and complicated stories of American history," she said. "We really hope that this opens up doors for other stories of Hispanic, Latino history to be told.

How to travel better: What national parks can do to make the outdoors more accessible to every body

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blackwell School becomes America's newest National Park Service site
Associated Press

The extended Senate campaign in Georgia between the Democratic incumbent, Raphael Warnock, and his Republican challenger, football legend Herschel Walker, has grown increasingly bitter as their Dec. 6 runoff nears. With Democrats already assured a Senate majority, its a striking contrast from two years ago, when the state's twin runoffs were mostly about which party would control the chamber in Washington. Herschel Walker aint serious, Warnock told supporters recently in central Georgia, saying that Walker majors in lying and fumbles the basics of public policy.
OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 07:42

The Ukrainian military has repelled occupiers attacks in the areas of 10 settlements in Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk Oblasts.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Quote: "The enemy is trying to hold the temporarily occupied territories, concentrating efforts on restraining the actions of the defence forces [of Ukraine] in certain directions; at the same time, it is not abandoning its attempts to conduct offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka fronts.

Over the past 24 hours, units of the defence forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the area of the Ternova settlement in Kharkiv Oblast, Bilohorivka and Zolotarivka in Luhansk Oblast and Lyman, Ivanhrad, Soledar, Novokalynove, Ozarianivka, Odradivka and Pervomaiske in Donetsk Oblast".

Details: The invaders fire at the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine along the line of contact and conduct air reconnaissance. Russians continue to strike critical infrastructure and civilian buildings in violation of International Humanitarian Law and the laws and customs of war.

During the day, the Russians carried out 5 missile attacks and 19 air strikes, as well as more than 94 attacks from multiple rocket launchers.

About 20 settlements were hit by the occupiers attacks. These are Kharkiv, Kupiansk (Kharkiv Oblast); Bakhmut, Odradivka, Mariinka, Zelenopillia (Donetsk Oblast); Zaporizhzhia and Novovoskresenske (Kherson Oblast).

The invaders used air-launched and surface-to-air missiles, as well as Shahed-136 attack UAVs.

The situation in the Volyn and Polissia fronts has not changed significantly. The deployment of the joint regional grouping of the troops of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus continues. During the day, Russian aircraft carried out training flights in the airspace of the Republic of Belarus.

"According to the information available, there have been occasional conflicts between the Russian and Belarusian military based on nationality and the dismissive attitude of the Russians towards the Belarusians," the General Staff noted.

Story continues

The occupiers carried out attacks on other fronts:

on the Sivershchyna front, they opened fire from mortars and tubed artillery, from the areas of Ukrainske, Mykolaivka, Krasnyi Khutir and Hai settlements of Chernihiv Oblast, as well as Pokrovka in Sumy Oblast;

on the Slobozhanshchyna front, Russians used from tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Vovchansk, Hatyshche, Hlyboke, Milove, Ohirtseve, Neskuchne, Starytsa, Ternova, Strilecha and Chuhunivka;

on the Kupiansk front  from mortars and jet artillery, in the areas of the settlements of Kolodiazne, Dvorichna, Bohdanivka, Berestov and Kyslivka;

on the Lyman front  from tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery, in the areas of Karmazynivka, Zarichne, Shyikivka and Terny settlements;

on the Bakhmut front  from tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery, in the areas of Andriivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Bilohorivka, Verkhniokamianske, Spirne, Ivanhrad, Rozdolivka, Zelenopillia, Klishchiivka and Opytne settlements;

on the Avdiivka front  from tanks and artillery, in the Avdiivka, Vesele, Krasnohorivka, Mariinka, Novomykhailivka, Vodiane and Pervomaiske districts;

the occupiers did not conduct active offensive actions on the Novopavlivsk and Zaporizhzhia fronts . It carried out shelling in the areas of Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Vremivka, Velyka Novosilka, Bilohirya, Zelenyi Hai, and Mala Tokmachka;

on the Pivdennyi Buh front, more than 20 settlements near the line of contact suffered fire damage. Among them are Novovoskresenske, Myrne, Davydiv Brid and Novohrednieve.

According to the data available, a large part of the population has left the city of Kherson. The Russian occupiers remaining in the city have changed into civilian clothes and moved into the abandoned houses. The occupiers are preparing Kherson for street battles.

As of 21 October, the Russian occupiers are conducting measures to free the premises of the Kakhovka Hospital from patients and personnel.

In the city of Enerhodar, Russian soldiers are looting abandoned apartments and hotels.

Along with the search for weapons, the Russian military leadership has not stopped trying to attract foreign mercenaries to the war in Ukraine. According to the information available, recruitment of fighters continues in one of the countries of the Middle East.

Also, according to the General Staff, the level of dissatisfaction with the actions of the military leadership on the part of the civilian population of the Russian Federation is growing. Especially because of the military call-up that is still going on in remote regions, despite the official announcement that it has ended.

On 20 October this year, the defence forces fired on one of the occupiers repair bases and their equipment near Nova Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast.

Defence Forces aircraft carried out 16 strikes over the past 24 hours. Three strong points and ten areas where weapons and military equipment were concentrated, as well as three positions of the occupiers anti-aircraft missile systems, were confirmed to have been hit. In addition, Ukrainian air defence units shot down a Russian Su-25 aircraft and one Orlan-10 UAV on various fronts.

Over the past day, soldiers from Rocket Forces and Artillery hit 2 command posts, 14 areas where manpower, weapons and military equipment were concentrated, an ammunition storage point, a Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, Russian artillery at their firing emplacements and 5 more important targets.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A voter places a ballot in a drop box outside of the Maricopa County Elections Department on August 02, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Police investigated armed and masked individuals parked near a ballot drop box in Mesa, Arizona.

Local reporters said there were two individuals "dressed in tactical gear, fully disguised" by a drop box.

The DOJ is reviewing a report of voter intimidation from Mesa after a voter said he was accused of being a "mule."

Arizona police were called to investigate armed and masked individuals parked near a ballot drop box Friday night, according to local reports.

On Friday night, deputies were "looking into several individuals watching a voter drop box in Mesa," ABC 15 Arizona reporter Nicole Grigg tweeted, adding that the individuals were "dressed in tactical gear, fully disguised" and armed.

A video shared by Grigg showed two individuals sitting in a parking lot, one perched on the tailgate of a truck while the other sat in a camp chair nearby. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office confirmed that two individuals were armed, Grigg tweeted.

According to ABC 15's Jordan Bontke, deputies "responded" but the individuals had left the area.

"The men in tactical gear had already left but deputies measured to make sure ballot watchers weren't too close," Bontke tweeted.

A spokesperson for MCSO told Insider that deputies were dispatched to the voter ballot box at the Maricopa County Juvenile Court at about 7:45 pm on Friday night.

"Deputies responded and were able to determine that the individuals were not breaking any laws and were more than 75 feet away from the ballot box as required by law. MCSO will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to ensure a safe and just election process for everyone," Sgt. Calbert Gillett said in an email to Insider.

The report comes days after an incident of voter harassment was reported in Mesa in which a voter said several people were "hanging out near the ballot dropbox filming and photographing my wife and I as we approached the dropbox and accusing us of being a mule," according to The Washington Post.

Story continues

The voter  who said the group took pictures "of our license plate and of us and then followed us out the parking lot in one of their cars continuing to film"  reported the incident to the Arizona secretary of state's office, who referred it to the state attorney general and the US Department of Justice, per the Post.

In a statement to 12 News KPNX, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office confirmed they were reviewing the report.

"Everyone should feel safe exercising their voting rights. If someone feels threatened, please contact local law enforcement right away," the spokesperson told 12 News.

Read the original article on Business Insider
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday said their countries had agreed to deepen and expand their cooperation to respond to pressing security challenges in their region.

Kishida also said he wanted to reinforce the Japan's defence capabilities within five years, and would examine all options for national defence, including "counterstrike capabilities".

The two countries announced a critical minerals partnership to build secure supply chains for the materials needed in Japan's advanced manufacturing industry.

The two leaders met in Perth, the capital of Western Australia.

(Reporting by John Mair in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida agreed on Saturday to strengthen security ties between the two U.S. allies amid China's push for greater influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

At the annual Australia-Japan Leaders' Meeting, held in the Western Australia capital Perth, the two signed a security cooperation agreement updating a 2007 pact, to respond to a changed regional security environment.

As part of the bolstered security partnership, Albanese said Japan's military would train and exercise in northern Australia alongside Australian Defence Force personnel.

In their fourth summit since Albanese took office in May, they said the agreement would serve "as a compass" for security cooperation for the next decade. They agreed to consult and study responses to emergencies that could affect regional security.

Albanese and Kishida also discussed climate change, expressing support for a regional transition to net zero carbon emissions and boosting investment in clean energy tech.

"Both our countries are committed to net zero by 2050," Albanese told reporters after a signing ceremony.

Among those efforts, the leaders agreed to help build secure supply chains between the two nations for "critical minerals, including those that are required for building the green technologies of the future," Albanese said.

"This partnership will mean we build secure supply chains, promote investment, develop Australia's domestic sector and make sure Japan's advanced manufacturers have the critical minerals they need."

As well as building a framework for secure supply chains, the partnership would promote information sharing and collaboration, including research, investment and commercial arrangements between Japanese and Australian critical minerals projects, the Australian government said in a statement.

'PILLAR OF COOPERATION'

Story continues

Kishida told reporters signing the updated joint security declaration was one of the largest achievements of his visit.

"I expressed my determination that all necessary options for the defence of our country, including the so-called counterstrike capability, would become contemplated and Japan's defence capability will be fundamentally reinforced in the next five years, which is supported by Anthony," he said.

The Japanese leader said the two nations had been working to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific under "an increasingly severe strategic environment".

"Through this experience, the bonds that tie Japan and Australia together have become much stronger. And our two countries have become the central pillar of cooperation among like-minded countries," he said.

Australia is a major supplier of iron ore, coal and gas to Japan. Locating the meeting in Perth, 3,700 km (2,300 miles) from the national capital Canberra, was meant to showcase Western Australia's importance in supplying Japan's energy needs, including renewable energy. The state is also a key source of beef and wheat to Japan.

"Prime Minister Albanese told me Australia intends to remain as a reliable partner and a safe investment destination. We agreed to further bolster our cooperation in the areas of energy and natural resources," Kishida told reporters.

Stable energy supply is increasingly critical for resource-poor countries such as Japan, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised the risk of supply disruption.

Canberra and Tokyo recently bolstered security ties in response to China's growing military strength in the region. In May, Kishida and Albanese pledged to work toward a new bilateral declaration on security cooperation.

A previous joint declaration outlined security cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism and North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programmes. The two countries in 2014 elevated their relationship to a "Special Strategic Partnership".

(Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by William Mallard)
The Badgers return home on Saturday afternoon as Purdue enters Camp Randall.

Wisconsin is looking to get back to winning ways after a crushing overtime loss at Michigan State dropped their overall record to 3-4 (1-3 BIG).

Purdue rolls in at 5-2 (3-1 BIG) and are currently tied with Illinois for the top spot in the Big Ten West.

Saturday is the first of two home games for Wisconsin before they travel to Iowa. Can the Badgers return to the win column against a Boilermakers squad that has looked as formidable as any in the Big Ten West? Here is what our BadgersWire staff thinks about Saturdays matchup:

Dillon's Prediction

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS  OCTOBER 08: Graham Mertz #5 of the Wisconsin Badgers throws a pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Ryan Field on October 08, 2022 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Wisconsin Badgers return home to host the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday  desperately needing to win if theyre going to become bowl eligible.

UWs offense has a ton to prove after last weekend. The offensive line, which has been disappointing, needs to out-physical Purdue in the trenches to give Graham Mertz and company a chance to move the ball.

Purdue is looking to end a 15-game losing streak to Wisconsin, the longest skid vs. one opponent in school history.

Despite what my heart tells me, my head thinks Purdue walks into Madison and ends their losing streak behind their passing attack.

Final Score Prediction: Purdue 24, Wisconsin 21

Wade's Prediction

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN  OCTOBER 15: Keontez Lewis #3 and Jack Eschenbach #82 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrate Lewis touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans during the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium on October 15, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

The Purdue Boilermakers are arguably the best team in the Big Ten West this season, and their explosive offense has been very hard to stop. Their quarterback, Aiden OConnell, is ranked in the top three in the Big Ten in nearly every passing statistic, while the Boilermakers top receiver, Charlie Jones, leads the conference in touchdowns.

Story continues

I think that this offense will be too much for a struggling Wisconsin defense to overcome, and they will have a difficult time limiting Purdues big plays on Saturday.

Similarly, the Wisconsin offense has been inconsistent this season and has been plagued by injuries over the last few weeks. I think it will be extremely difficult for them to keep pace with the Boilermakers.

I hope that the Badgers can prove me wrong this week, but I believe this will become a high-scoring contest that Wisconsin will fall behind in quickly.

Final Score Prediction: Purdue 38, Wisconsin 21

Asher's Prediction

Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen (0) celebrates a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette.

Purdue Vs Wisconsin

While there have been improvements over the past two weeks, Wisconsins defense is still in for one of the toughest tasks on their remaining schedule with Purdues visit.

Quarterback Aiden OConnell has been near the top of the conference, and his chemistry with Iowa transfer Charlie Jones has led to many a big play.

Can Wisconsins offense do enough to keep the Badger defense off the field? This feels like a game where the Badgers have to win time of possession by a significant margin if they want to come away victorious.

Ill say Wisconsins run game and offensive line comes to play on Saturday and be the optimist of the group.

Final Score Prediction: Wisconsin 24, Purdue 21

Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire
China's support for Pakistani flood-hit people important in relief activities: Pakistani minister

Xinhua) 09:42, October 22, 2022

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong (2nd R) and Pakistan's Minister of IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque (2nd L) attend a donation ceremony for flood-hit Sindh province, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Oct. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Minister of IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque said that his country is going through an unprecedented flood disaster, and China's support to the flood-hit people is playing an important role in relief activities.

Speaking at an event organized by the Chinese cellular network in Pakistan, Zong 4G, on Thursday, Haque said that whenever his country is in crisis, China always extends support and both the Chinese government and people stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistanis.

The event was aimed at donating cash to the country's south Sindh province where some districts had been worst hit in recent floods, and at appreciating efforts of local employees who worked hard to restore the cellular network after it was hampered by the rains.

Haque said that the devastating floods have affected over 33 million Pakistan people, adding that Chinese companies in Pakistan have shown great support during the tough times.

Speaking at the event, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong said that China was the leading country to send donations to Pakistan in its hour of need amid the flood disaster and helped the country meet the challenges in rescue and relief operations.

"A lot of people were affected and their houses damaged. The Chinese government expressed concerns and sympathy and responded quickly to the serious situation. Currently, several batches of tents, blankets, and food donated by the Chinese side have been delivered to the people in need," he said.

Floods in Pakistan disrupted over 12 percent of the Chinese cellular network in Pakistan. As a result, the company spent most of the last few months working fervently to restore it and maintain good services.

Lauding the hard work of local employees when the catastrophe hit the country, Zong's CEO Wang Hua said that technical employees remained on their toes day and night to restore networks in areas that were completely submerged in flood water.

"Our teams recovered 99 percent of the network in three weeks, which is a commendable effort," he said.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Hongyu)
President Joe Biden took off the gloves Friday in a speech pummeling Republican lawmakers who backed massive federal subsidies for business owners, including themselves, during COVID-19 but are now complaining about his student debt forgiveness program.

Who in the hell do they think they are? Biden asked to applause during an appearance at Delaware State University, where 75% of students are recipients of Pell Grants geared toward lower-income college applicants.

I dont want to hear it from MAGA Republicans who had hundreds of thousands of dollars of debts, even millions of dollars, in pandemic relief loans forgiven, who are now attacking me for helping working-class and middle-class Americans, he railed.

Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and her husband got over $180,000 in business loans forgiven, Biden noted.

He also bashed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) amid loud boos from the audience. Cruz had criticized the student debt program for helping people he dismissed as slackers.

Republican governors wrote me a letter saying this relief only helps the elite few. Yall know youre the elite few? I knew you were really special, but no, youre the elite few, Biden added in a dig at the politicians.

The application process for student debt relief thats expected to aid some 40 million Americans was launched this week after surviving a court challenge. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected a challenge to Bidens program by a Wisconsin taxpayers group.

But late on Friday, a federal appeals court issued an administrative stay temporarily blocking the program. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the stay while it considers a motion from six Republican-led states to stop the loan forgiveness program and ordered the Biden administration not to act on the program while it considers the appeal.

Biden: I don't want to hear it from Maga Republicans who had hundreds of thousands of dollars of debts, even millions of dollars in pandemic relief loans forgiven. Marjorie Taylor Greene, she and her husband got over $180,000 in business loans pic.twitter.com/WS9TPXIB2x  Acyn (@Acyn) October 21, 2022

Biden has previously skewered critics of student debt relief for eagerly supporting the federal Paycheck Protection Program that forgave $742 billion dollars of $792 billion in loans handed out to business owners to help them weather the pandemic business downturn. The handouts werent restricted by a recipients wealth or income.

Story continues

Many of the same lawmakers attacking student debt relief also helped pass former President Donald Trumps massive 40% tax cut for corporations in 2017.

Bidens program would provide up to $10,000 in standard debt cancellation for borrowers who earn less than $125,000 a year. Couples who file taxes jointly and earn less than $250,000 annually will also be eligible.

Pell Grant recipients, who make up the majority of borrowers, would be eligible for an additional $10,000 in debt relief. The plan is expected to cost as much as hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 10 years.

Twitter users weighed in approvingly after Biden took aim at Republicans like Cruz and Greene.

The crowd cheering his dig at Cruz was the best part  John C MD (@JohnMC_MD) October 21, 2022

Thats right Marjorie, we have the receipts.  Rose Benson (@NotoriousRBF) October 21, 2022

Naming names is a Dark Brandon special move.  PWtham11  (@pwtham11) October 21, 2022

Zing.  Robert Ellingsworth (@BY1959) October 21, 2022

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
A federal appeals court has put President Joe Bidens plans for student loan debt relief on hold, temporarily blocking the administration from cancelling debt balances for millions of Americans.

The ruling on 21 October follows a lawsuit filed by six Republican-led states and a conservative legal group seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the effort.

A federal judge dismissed that challenge, teeing up the appeal.

In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre urged borrowers to continue to apply for relief, adding that the administration would continue to move full speed ahead in our preparations in compliance with this order and combat GOP-backed legal efforts to stop them.

The appeals court order does not prevent borrowers from applying for student debt relief at studentaid.gov  and we encourage eligible borrowers to join the nearly 22 million Americans whose information the Department of Education already has.

It also does not prevent us from reviewing these applications and preparing them for transmission to loan servicers, she added.

On Thursday, conservative US Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected a separate legal challenge to the Biden administrations student debt plan, hours before a federal judge in Missouri dismissed a suit filed by attorneys general from GOP-led states Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina and on behalf of Iowas Republican governor.

Both cases were rejected for lack of legal standing to sue the administration.

It is hard to make a cake if you dont have a pan to put that cake in, US District Judge Henry Autrey said during oral arguments in the Missouri case, appearing to doubt the plaintiffs legal footing. That pan is standing. It doesnt matter if you have all the ingredients.

Under the Biden plan, federal student loan borrowers who earn up to $125,000 a year are eligible for up to $10,000 in canceled higher education debts, or up to $20,000 for borrowers that relied on Pell grants.

Story continues

More than 22 million Americans have already applied for relief within the first days of the launch of the administrations debt application website.

The administration is also facing separate challenges from Arizonas Republican attorney general Mark Brnovich as well as right-wing groups the Job Creators Network Foundation and the Cato Institute, among a wave of legal efforts to stop the administration from striking out debt balances for millions of Americans.

In remarks to announce the launch of a website for debt relief applications on 17 October, Mr Biden called Republican outrage against the plan wrong and hypocritical.

Republican members of Congress and Republican governors are trying to do everything they can to deny this relief, even to their own constituents, he said.

I will never apologize for helping working Americans and middle-class people as they recover from the pandemic  especially to the same Republicans who voted for a $2 trillion tax cut, the president added, referencing cuts approved by congressional Republicans and Donald Trump in 2017.

Republicans didnt pay for a penny of it and racked up the deficit, Mr Biden said.

In remarks on 21 October, he specifically called out far-right US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene and Republican Senator Ted Cruz for criticising the plan while receiving forgivable government loans.

Who in the hell do they think they are? the president said.

The student loan debt crisis has exploded to a total balance of nearly $2 trillion, mostly wrapped up in federal loans. Millions of Americans also continue to tackle accrued interest without chipping away at their principal balances years after graduating, or have been forced to leave their colleges or universities without obtaining a degree at all while still facing loan repayments.

A pandemic-era pause on student loan repayment and interest will expire on 31 December, with payments to resume on 1 January.
Action News Jax gets real about Black voter turnout as the general election gets closer. A national tour called the Arc of voter justice is pushing to get 10 million Black voters to the polls. To do so, the tour has visited 14 states and 25 cities.

Action News Jax followed the group on its last stop, which was right here in Jacksonville.

With the general elections less than three weeks away, the Arc of voter justice tour made multiple stops throughout Jax. Those included one of the citys most historic Black colleges, Edward Waters University.

I found out how serious voting is by losing my son through three racial white men and a corrupt DA, said Marcus Arbery Sr.

Read: NAS JAX Air show is finally here

The father of Ahmaud Arbery was one of many advocating for African Americans to vote. He says the justice system doesnt work the same for black people after his son was murdered during a racially motivated hate crime in February of 2020.

If they want changes and to make it better for our children in the future they had better think about voting, added Arbery.

According to data from The Florida Division of Elections, voter turnout among African Americans and other minorities has been low. Duval county has over 1 million residents but only 656,406 voted during the August primary. Of that, only 183,659 were Black voters.

Read: Student accidentally brings drugs to St. Johns County elementary school

Black residents make up 31.1% of Duvals population.

Daryl Jones is the board chair and co-leader of the Transformative Justice Coalition. He explained why he thinks Black voters arent heading to the polls.

Youre not seeing the results that you want when youre using the electoral process and theres a frustration, an anger that exists, said Jones.

If you would like to make your voice heard you can do so by voting early this coming Monday or on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, when the polls open.

Story continues

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Read: Nemours Childrens Health receives $2M donation for cancer center renovations

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
By Andrew MacAskill and Muvija M

LONDON (Reuters) -Boris Johnson returned to Britain from holiday on Saturday to consider an audacious bid for a second term as prime minister in a race that could pit him against his former finance minister whose resignation in July helped drive him out of office.

Potential candidates to replace Prime Minister Liz Truss, who quit on Thursday after six weeks in office, were embarking on a frantic weekend of lobbying to secure enough nominations to enter the leadership contest before Monday's deadline.

Johnson, who was on holiday in the Caribbean when Truss resigned, has not commented publicly about a bid for his old job. He has received the support of dozens of Conservative lawmakers, but needs 100 nominations to be considered.

Trade department minister James Duddridge said on Friday Johnson told him he was "up for it". He said on Saturday Johnson had secured 100 nominations, although a Reuters tally put him at just above 40 and Rishi Sunak, a former finance minister whose decision to resign helped bring Johnson down, at more than 110.

The new prime minister, a post that will have changed hands three times in four years, faces a huge inbox after Truss's economic plans caused turmoil in bond markets, raised government borrowing costs and added further strains to households and businesses already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.

The Sunday Times reported Sunak, for now the bookmakers' favourite, and Johnson could meet late on Saturday. It did not give details on any planned discussions.

Only former defence minister Penny Mordaunt has formally declared she will run, although a Reuters tally showed she only had 22 nominations so far before Monday's 1300 GMT deadline.

Johnson was booed by some passengers on the plane to Britain, a Sky News reporter on the flight reported. Wearing a dark jacket and backpack, Johnson waved to photographers after landing at London's Gatwick Airport and before driving away.

Story continues

POLARISING

It would be a stunning comeback for the former journalist and ex-mayor of London, who left Downing Street shrouded in scandal, saying fellow party lawmakers "changed the rules halfway through" to prevent him serving a full term.

In a boost to Sunak, another potential contender, trade minister Kemi Badenoch who ran in an leadership race earlier this year, backed the former finance minister and so ruled herself out from another bid for the top job.

The prospect of another Johnson premiership is a polarising issue for many in the Conservative Party, which is deeply divided after seeing off four prime ministers in six years.

For some Conservative lawmakers, Johnson is a vote-winner, able to appeal across the country with his celebrity image and brand of energetic optimism. For others he is a toxic figure who would struggle to unite the party and so might undermine efforts to build a stable leadership to calm rattled financial markets.

Former interior minister Priti Patel said her old boss had "the mandate to deliver our elected manifesto and a proven track record getting the big decisions right".

Andrew Bridgen, another Conservative lawmaker, said he might resign from the parliamentary group if Johnson returned and told Conservatives not to create a Johnson "personality cult".

Former Conservative party leader William Hague said Johnson's return would lead to a "death spiral" for the party.

Johnson is currently under investigation by parliament's Privileges Committee to establish whether he lied to the House of Commons over lockdown-breaking parties. Ministers found to have knowingly misled parliament are expected to resign.

The contest has been accelerated to take only a week. Under the rules, just three candidates will be able to reach the first ballot of lawmakers on Monday afternoon, with the final two put to a vote on Friday that is limited to about 170,000 signed-up members of the Conservative Party.

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Additional reporting by Henry Nicholls; Editing by Edmund Blair and Jason Neely)
Madison Cervantes showed off her wedding dress on TikTok. Madison Cervantes/TikTok

Madison "Madi" Cervantes showed off her multi-colored vintage wedding dress on TikTok.

The first TikTok and several accompanying videos went viral, garnering a combined 51 million views.

Cervantes found the $200 dress online after striking out while looking for traditional white gowns.

A bride-to-be in Texas delighted the internet when she revealed her multi-colored vintage wedding dress only cost $200.

Madison "Madi" Cervantes' wedding dress arrived at her Dallas home in August when she posted the first of several viral videos about the gown. Cervantes' wedding to college sweetheart Thomas Davis, 31, will take place on November 11 in Trammell Crow Park. The location is close to where Davis proposed to Cervantes two years ago on November 11 after dating for seven years.

The first video, shared on August 18, showed the 28-year-old attempting to open the aggressively taped package before she cut it with a Swiss Army Knife.

Eventually, Cervantes unfurled a partially pink dress with white and blue lace accents whimsically sewn around the dress.

"I thought how cool would it be if I added some color to the dress and was as non-traditional as possible," Cervantes told Insider.

The unveiling video gained 37 million views, and the following five videos about the dress amassed more than 14 million views. The videos also brought on a plethora of opinions from TikTok users.

Cervantes told Insider her inspiration for choosing a non-traditional wedding dress and how she responded to online trolls.

Story continues

Cervantes initially tried on white gowns but decided she didn't want a traditional wedding dress for her big day

The first and only time Cervantes went wedding dress shopping was with her mom on Mother's Day this year. However, she already had an image in her head of the wedding dress she wanted and kept a reference photo on her phone.

"Most of my wedding dress pictures that I have saved on my phone are all white except for that one pink dress," she told Insider. "I was trying to base the style of other dresses around that one."

Although Cervantes found one white dress she liked, it was out of her budget and ultimately wasn't what she envisioned for her sunset-themed wedding ceremony.

Cervantes told Insider her wedding palette will consist of every color in the rainbow, "except for green."

"I'm praying that the weather doesn't rain, but if it is, all my guests are supposed to dress in sunset colors," she continued. "That way, if I can't have an actual sunset during the day, all my guests will be my sunset for me."

She found her viral vintage dress on Luulla, and afterward, verified the online retailer's credibility and sent in her correct measurements. She officially purchased her wedding dress on her birthday, July 18, which arrived one month later.

"I was so relieved that it was exactly what I wanted. I was beyond ecstatic to try it on," Cervantes said. "It was a very awesome moment for me. It was a moment to myself."

Cervantes shared six videos about her wedding dress, garnering both praise and questions from TikTok users

Madison Cervantes wedding dress reveal on TikTok

Madison Cervantes' videos about her wedding dress gained more than 51 million views.Madison Cervantes/TikTok

Cervantes told Insider that she was initially hesitant to share her wedding dress online, where her first video gained a million views after it was posted. While most comments applauded the dress  with one user calling it "gorgeous"  others weren't as taken by it.

Cervantes saw all the comments, but she's hoping her videos will remind others to be kind on the internet. She also hopes her non-traditional wedding dress and viral videos will encourage others to follow their instincts.

"I think people should trust their gut and not worry about what other people think," Cervantes said. "I want people to know they can be who they are and love themselves for that."

Read the original article on Insider
In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Genesis Energy Limited (NZSE:GNE) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example!

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for Genesis Energy

Is Genesis Energy Fairly Valued?

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, 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 (NZ$, Millions) NZ$339.0m NZ$130.4m NZ$126.7m NZ$125.0m NZ$124.7m NZ$125.2m NZ$126.3m NZ$127.9m NZ$129.8m NZ$132.0m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -2.81% Est @ -1.34% Est @ -0.31% Est @ 0.41% Est @ 0.91% Est @ 1.27% Est @ 1.51% Est @ 1.69% Present Value (NZ$, Millions) Discounted @ 5.8% NZ$320 NZ$116 NZ$107 NZ$99.7 NZ$93.9 NZ$89.1 NZ$84.9 NZ$81.3 NZ$77.9 NZ$74.9

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = NZ$1.1b

Story continues

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. 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 2.1%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.8%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = NZ$132m (1 + 2.1%)  (5.8% 2.1%) = NZ$3.6b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= NZ$3.6b ( 1 + 5.8%)10= NZ$2.0b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is NZ$3.2b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of NZ$2.7, the company appears about fair value at a 10% 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

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Genesis Energy 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 5.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Moving On:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Genesis Energy, we've put together three relevant factors you should look at:

Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Genesis Energy (at least 2 which can't be ignored) , and understanding these should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does GNE'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 New Zealander stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Cardi B is seen departing the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on October 21, 2022 in Santa Ana, California. A jury ruled in Cardi B's favor after she was sued for copyright infringement for allegedly using an image of a man's tattoo on a mixtape cover. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Cardi B won a lawsuit on Friday after being accused of copyright infringement.

The man suing said Cardi B misappropriated his likeness by using his tattoo on a suggestive mixtape cover.

"It felt like my Michelangelo was stolen off the wall," Kevin Michael Brophy said during the trial.

A federal jury took Cardi B's side Friday afternoon in a lawsuit that saw the rapper fighting to defend her mixtape cover art from the man who allegedly inspired it.

Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, appeared at a Santa Ana, California, courthouse to stand trial against Kevin Michael Brophy, who accused her of misappropriating his likeness, the Associated Press reported.

Brophy sued the Grammy-winning rapper for copyright infringement in 2017 after a tattoo of a tiger snapping at a snake surrounded by roses, which covers Brophy's back, was edited onto the back of a model on the cover of her debut mixtape, Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1. On the cover, the tattooed model can be seen giving the rapper oral sex in a limousine.

After winning the trial, Cardi B shared her gratitude on Twitter: "IM BEYOND GRATEFUL," she wrote.

Brophy, who sought $5 million in damages, argued the image of his tattoo used on the album  which was pulled from the internet  "devalued" the art, which took months to complete, Courthouse News reported. Brophy designed the artwork with tattoo artist Tim Hendricks.

"This was my Michelangelo," Brophy said during his testimony. "People would come up to me: 'I can't believe you own that piece, can I see it?' When you get one little tattoo, that's one thing. This was a journey. It took a lot of pride. I want to protect this as much as I can."

He continued: "It just felt devalued. It felt like my Michelangelo was stolen off the wall."

Brophy also argued he was "humiliated" as a family man with young children.

Story continues

Cardi B argued that she had nothing to do with the album art and that Brophy's life and career have not suffered as a result of her using a piece of his tattoo for her work. She also previously argued the album art was transformative and fell under fair use, the AP reported.

At one point in the three-day trial, Cardi B and Brophy's lawyer, A. Barry Cappello, got into a heated exchange during cross-examination.

"He hasn't gotten fired, he hasn't gotten divorced. How has he suffered? Please, tell me how he has suffered?" Cardi B asked on the stand.

Cardi B's lawyers also argued Brophy's tattoo concept was fairly commonplace and that the public had not associated Brophy's tattoo with Cardi B's artwork until he filed his lawsuit.

"No one looked at that artwork and thought, 'Oh my God, Mike Brophy, what is he doing with Cardi B?'" Cardi B's lawyer, Peter Anderson, said during his closing argument.



After the trial, Brophy and Cardi B spoke and shook hands.



"They were gracious winners," Cappello said in a statement to Insider. "Mr. Brophy is a stand up human being. If this chapter can close it may be best for the Brophy family's ability to put this behind them. That's all that is important."

A lawyer for Cardi B did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
By Kevin Yao and Xie Yu

BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's central bank chief Yi Gang is likely to step down after he was dropped from an elite body of the ruling Communist Party, with a former central banker a leading contender to succeed him, sources close to the central bank said.

The potential retirement in early 2023 of Yi, 64, has been the subject of intense speculation as he nears the official retirement age of 65 for minister-level officials. Some policy insiders and advisers had suggested Yi's tenure might be extended, as was the case with his predecessor, Zhou Xiaochuan.

Yi is among pro-reform policymakers not named on Saturday as full or alternate members of the party's new Central Committee. Also excluded were outgoing Premier Li Keqiang, 67, economic czar Liu He, 70, and central bank party chief Guo Shuqing, 66.

The changes at the end of the twice-a-decade party congress, were among moves that cemented Xi Jinping's iron grip on power and appeared to be consolidating control among people close to Xi.

"Yi's departure looks inevitable," said a policy insider. "The pro-reform camp is almost out at the party congress."

Yi was an alternate on the previous Central Committee. His exclusion from the new Central Committee lists means he is almost certain to step down at the annual parliament meeting in March, sources said.

The People's Bank of China did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The looming reshuffle comes as the PBOC seeks to bolster the COVID-ravaged economy while avoiding aggressive loosening that could fuel capital flight, as the Federal Reserve and other central banks raise interest rates to fight soaring inflation.

Yin Yong, deputy party chief in the capital Beijing who worked as a deputy central bank governor from 2016 to 2018, is a leading candidate to replace Yi, sources close to the central bank said.

Yin, 53, who holds a doctorate in engineering from Tsinghua University and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University, was elected as a full member of the Central Committee during the party congress.

Story continues

"Yin Yong is likely to replace Yi Gang," said a source close to the PBOC who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Other sources described Yin as well-positioned to replace Yi, given his status as a rising star and his previous experience at the central bank, the foreign exchange regulator and Beijing government.

Yi has been PBOC governor since 2018 and is one of China's highest-ranking "sea turtles" - a term for Chinese returning from overseas. He has a doctorate in economics from the University of Illinois.

The PBOC has been overhauling its top management team in recent weeks. Xuan Changneng was named deputy central bank governor on Thursday.

China faces the biggest overhaul of its economic leadership in a decade, with a generation of reform-minded policymakers expected to step down amid worsening growth prospects.

(Reporting by Kevin Yao and Xie Yu; Editing by William Mallard)
(Bloomberg) -- The Communist Partys new list of Central Committee members saw a number of officials from local governments being promoted or added to the partys leadership, underlining the importance their experience could play in future policymaking, economists said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Some financial regulator-turned local government officials, like Yin Yong, a deputy party chief of Beijing, and Liu Guiping, a vice mayor of Tianjin, were promoted to be full or alternate members of the committee on Saturday. Both Yin and Liu used to be deputy governors of the PBOC.

Heres a look at what analysts said about the changes to the Central Committee lists.

Xing Zhaopeng, senior strategist with Australia & New Zealand Banking Group

The new lists probably showed that comprehensive abilities rather than professional skills are more valued, he said. He noted a few names in the lists are local government officials who previously worked in the financial system. Thats probably because the handling of financial risks may involve more dealings with local governments in the future.

Local government debt and the real estate woes will probably be the focuses of the next National Financial Work Conference, Xing said. I think thats why there are so many comprehensive officials in the lists. The direction of what they need to deal with is quite clear, he said, referring to the officials versatile working experience.

The National Financial Work Conference is Chinas highest-level financial meeting and is held every five years.

Bruce Pang, head of research for Greater China at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.

Chinese leaders are going to have a more flexible and pragmatic attitude toward the GDP target, given the partys priorities as revealed at the congress suggest they are still seeking to strike a balance between growth and security/stability, Pang said. So the shake-up will not lead to dramatic changes of Chinas macro policies, he said.

Story continues

Officials like Yin Yong, Wu Qing and Liu Guiping have experience in both the financial sector and local governments, which prepared them for better understanding of the economy in the context of reality and local politics, he added.

Wu Qing, 57, a current vice mayor of Shanghai and former chairman of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, became an alternate member of the central committee for the first time. He spent years working at Chinas securities regulatory body in his early career.

Ding Shuang, chief economist for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered Plc.

Serving the real economy is a focus of the financial policy making and so the experience of implementing the measures in practice has become more important now, Ding said as he noted the financial and local government background of many officials.

The general direction of reform should be decided at a higher level and agencies like the PBOC are mainly responsible for executing the decisions made by the partys leadership, he said.

Adam Wolfe, emerging markets economist at Absolute Strategy Research Ltd.

This looks like a big overhaul of the leadership, and thats going to include the financial institutions, he said. Neither Yi or Guo Shuqing, current PBOC party chief, may retain their positions at the central bank after being dropped off the Central Committee lists, he said.

Yi Huiman, now head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission who was promoted to a full member of the committee, seems to be the most likely candidate for PBoC governor, or at least hes the candidate whose career trajectory most closely matches that of Yi Gang and Zhou Xiaochuan, he said, referring to Yi Gangs predecessor.

Given the leadership shakeup weve seen so far, it seems like China is moving further toward a personalist system of governance, which will increase the risk of grave policy mistakes. Much will depend on who becomes the premier, he said.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer has filed more than a dozen misdemeanor charges against two protesters who disrupted an Aug. 9 meeting of the City Council.

Ricci Sergienko, 31, was charged with committing battery on a police officer, attempting to rescue a prisoner and four counts of resisting arrest or delaying or obstructing a police officer, according to the city attorney's office.

A 46-year-old audience member was charged with trespassing, vandalism, disturbing a public meeting and five counts of resisting arrest or delaying or obstructing a police officer, Feuer's office said. An attorney with the National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles identified that defendant as Ms. Italy.

Feuer, in a statement on the case, said the right to peaceful protest is a "long-cherished American freedom."

"But when protest stops being peaceful, and threatens our most basic democratic systems, we must act," he said.

Colleen Flynn, who represents Sergienko, said her client was at the council meeting to participate peacefully  and was documenting what was happening with his cell phone camera at the time he was detained.

"From the videos and the evidence that we have seen, there is nothing to substantiate any of these charges," she said.

National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles attorney Rebecca Brown, speaking on behalf of Ms. Italy, called the charges "absolutely ridiculous" and characterized Feuer's case as politically motivated. The city has declined to prosecute many other alleged minor violations of the law, she said.

Feuer's case focuses on a council meeting where scores of people showed up to oppose an ordinance prohibiting homeless encampments from going up within 500 feet of schools and day-care centers.

During her public testimony, Ms. Italy climbed over a bench and entered the council floor to confront then-council President Nury Martinez. Several officers then attempted to remove her from the floor, according to video of the meeting reviewed by The Times.

Story continues

Sergienko moved from the lectern to the side of the chamber where police were grappling with Ms. Italy.

Brown, the guild lawyer, said police tased Ms. Italy, causing her to fall to the floor.

While audience members shouted at police, officers grabbed Sergienko. During the skirmish, both Sergienko and an officer fell to the ground, according to the video.

Martinez called a recess, leaving dozens of activists in the room chanting, "We won't go. The Los Angeles Police Department eventually declared an unlawful assembly and the protesters exited the chamber.

On Aug. 29, L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascon declined to file charges, referring the matter to Feuer's office.

Sergienko is a co-founder of the People's City Council, which has taken part in numerous demonstrations on such issues as police misconduct and the city's responses to homelessness.

The group participated in a protest Friday outside the San Fernando Valley home of council President Paul Krekorian, arguing that the council should not conduct any meetings until two of its members  Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon  resign over their involvement in a secretly recorded conversation in which racist and derogatory language was used.

An LAPD spokesman said no one was arrested during that protest.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Despite a 5.5% gain in ConocoPhillips' (NYSE:COP) stock price this week, shareholders shouldn't let up. The fact that insiders chose to dispose of US$4.6m worth of stock in the past 12 months even though prices were relatively low could be indicative of some anticipated weakness.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Director & Advisor, Timothy Leach, sold US$4.2m worth of shares at a price of US$102 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$124, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. It is worth noting that this sale was only 5.7% of Timothy Leach's holding.

In the last year ConocoPhillips insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

ConocoPhillips Insiders Are Selling The Stock

The last three months saw significant insider selling at ConocoPhillips. In total, Independent Director Jody Freeman sold US$244k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.

Story continues

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It's great to see that ConocoPhillips insiders own 0.09% of the company, worth about US$149m. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At ConocoPhillips Tell Us?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But it is good to see that ConocoPhillips is growing earnings. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for ConocoPhillips (of which 1 is a bit unpleasant!) you should know about.

Of course ConocoPhillips may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Bettmann/Getty Images

Sacheen Littlefeathers image has lived in infamy after she took the stage at the 1973 Oscars to speak on the mistreatment of Native American people in the film industry. Now, a piece in the San Francisco Chronicle argues that Littlefeather, who died earlier this month, was a fraud. Writer Jacqueline Keeler, who rose in infamy herself after publishing a list of people she claimed where Pretendians in 2021, claims Littlefeather wasnt Native, and is backed by some of the actress and activists estranged sisters.

Littlefeathers act in 1973, declining Marlon Brandos Best Actor Oscar for The Godfather on his behalf, brought immense backlash within the industry. The Academy apologized to Littlefeather in a letter reported in April. The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified, former Academy President David Rubin said.

Keeler followed her piece with a Substack article, asking the question: Did the Academy apologize to a fraud?

Its a lie, Trudy Orlandi, Littlefeathers sister, told Keeler. My father was who he was. His family came from Mexico. And my dad was born in Oxnard.

Sacheen Littlefeather on stage at AMPAS Presents An Evening with Sacheen Littlefeather at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Sept. 17, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Another sister, Rosalind Cruz, took to Twitter to call Littlefeather mentally ill and claiming neither she nor her sister are Native. Cruz also tweeted she learned her true heritage from Keelers research.

Joseph M. Pierce, an associate professor of Latin American and Indigenous Studies at Stony Brook University, said he wouldnt be surprised if Keelers claims were true. At the same time, he said the piece has a gotcha ethos that could prove harmful.

Its a little disappointing to me how people can take delight in this, he said. [The piece] tries to make black and white things that actually have nuance.

Keeler has faced backlash for her list, which allegedly included LinkedIn profiles and places of employment alongside the names. Several people on the list have also denied Keelers claims of fraud. Nadema Agard, a New York City visual artist who claims Lakota, Cherokee and Powhatan ancestry, was listed. She called Keelers allegations a witch-hunt and provided proof of her ancestry, the New York Post reported in January.

Story continues

Saturdays article in The Chronicle spurred backlash from many Native American people. Ashley Fairbanks, an Anishinaabe writer and digital strategist took to Twitter to say I hate that Native people have to spend a single breath talking about Jacqueline Keeler.

Theres so many things hurting our communities, and theres so many beautiful things to celebrate, and her witch hunt sucks up all the oxygen, she added.

Pierce added the piece preys on peoples insecurities rather than proposing a type of repair.

Its like putting your finger in a wound, you know? Rather than trying to heal the wound.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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RENO, Nev.  One day before early voting begins here, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto argued that voters should rebuke her GOP opponent at the ballot box for his role in promoting falsehoods about the 2020 election.

At an event meant to highlight her crossover appeal with Republicans, Cortez Masto, the Democratic incumbent, sought to tie Adam Laxalt to the violence that occurred on Jan. 6, where a mob of supporters who professed belief in then-President Donald Trumps lie that the 2020 election was stolen ransacked the U.S. Capitol.

Theres no doubt in my mind that Adam Laxalt, Donald Trump and others like them who peddled those lies and conspiracies right after the election fueled that violent mob, Cortez Masto said, standing in the backyard of a GOP supporter in this key swing county.

There should be consequences for people who undermine our democracy, who peddle the Big Lie and conspiracy theories, she added.

The Republicans in attendance all said they were backing the Democratic senator in part because of what they said was the dangerous rhetoric surrounding the 2020 election and Jan. 6 coming from some in their party.

Cortez Masto is locked in what appears to be dead heat against Laxalt, the Republican former attorney general of Nevada who has said the 2020 election was "rigged." The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Laxalt up by a razor thin 1.2%, within the margin of error.

"Adam Laxalt is busy pushing conspiracies and defending the absolutely indefensible," said Robert Cashell Jr. a lifelong Republican whose father was mayor of Reno and lieutenant governor. "This is irresponsible behavior that puts our democracy at risk and is not something we should accept from our elected representatives or those that are seeking office."

Laxalt, in his role as a Trump campaign co-chair, helped spearhead challenges to the 2020 results that courts rejected, mostly because of a lack of evidence. Nevada's Republican secretary of state last year issued an investigative report that found only 20 cases of potential voter fraud out of 4,000 alleged by the state GOP.

Story continues

After launching his Senate campaign last year, Laxalt talked about filing lawsuits in the 2022 contest to "try to tighten up the election," according to a radio interview he did at the time. In that same interview, Laxalt said, Theres no question they rigged the election, referring to 2020.

In February of this year, Laxalt told The Associated Press in a statement that the "very few" who broke laws on Jan. 6 should be prosecuted.

More than 850 people have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, and over 350 have pleaded guilty.

Laxalt also told The Associated Press that Democrats have exaggerated what transpired on Jan. 6. This day was not the darkest day in American history, not even close, he said in the February statement.

Republican Nevada Senate Candidate Adam Laxalt speaks to reporters during a school choice event in Henderson, Nev., on Oct. 20, 2022. (Frank Thorp V / NBC News)

Cortez Masto's remarks on Friday suggest that Democrats may see the 2020 election and Jan. 6 as resonating in the closing days of the midterm contests in battleground states. In Nevada, Cortez Masto is battling to retain her Senate seat in a contest that could determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Republicans view the race as one of their best pickup opportunities this fall.

Cortez Mastos messaging is part of a concerted effort by her campaign focusing on Laxalts past remarks on voter fraud. As she closes out the race, she's focusing on three main issues, abortion, the economy and "the Big Lie," according to the campaign. The event on Friday coincides with series of TV ads Cortez Mastos campaign has run in the final six weeks that focused heavily on violence around Jan. 6 and images of Laxalt on Fox News questioning the 2020 results.

Asked for comment on Friday, a Laxalt spokesman argued that Democrats in 2016 focused on Russian meddling in the election to downplay Trump's legitimacy. (The Department of Justice has charged various Russian nationals with international hacking and with spreading disinformation.)

Cortez Mastos big lie is that she is anything but a partisan rubber stamp for Joe Biden and the extreme left, Laxalt spokesman Brian Freimuth said in a statement.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The exterior of a Planned Parenthood Northern California in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu/Associated Press)

A federal court largely upheld a nearly $2.5-million jury verdict Friday against a group of antiabortion activists who secretly recorded Planned Parenthood employees and later edited the videos to suggest the organization was illegally profiting off the sale of fetal tissue.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected the notion, put forward by the activists, that they were acting as undercover investigative journalists and therefore shielded from paying such damages by the 1st Amendment and other publishing protections.

Rather, the court found, the activists were guilty of trespassing, fraud, conspiracy, breach of contract, unlawful and fraudulent business practices and other federal and state laws  which are applicable to everyone, including journalists.

"Journalism and investigative reporting have long served a critical role in our society," Judge Ronald Gould, a Clinton appointee, wrote for the court. "But journalism and investigative reporting do not require illegal conduct."

Gould was joined by Chief Judge Mary Murguia and Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, a U.S. District Court judge in Wyoming who was sitting on the appellate panel by designation. Both are Obama appointees.

Attorneys for the activists did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Helene Krasnoff, vice president of public policy litigation and law for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement that the organization was "thrilled" with the ruling in the case, which was filed in San Francisco in conjunction with various local Planned Parenthood affiliates, including seven in California.

Krasnoff said the appellate court had made clear, again, that "the only people who engaged in wrongdoing were those behind this malicious fraud."

Krasnoff said the lawsuit was "never about monetary gain" but "exposing the fraudulent and illegal actions" of the activists and ensuring Planned Parenthood could continue serving its patients.

Story continues

The undercover videos, which caused a political uproar in 2015, were fraudulently obtained by David Daleiden and fellow activists with the Center for Medical Progress. The activists obtained the videos by using fake driver's licenses and creating a fake tissue procurement company to trick the Planned Parenthood employees into chatting at conferences, at a clinic and over lunches, sometimes as they encouraged the employees to consume alcohol.

As The Times and the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley have previously reported, the activists prepped for the conversations, intentionally sought to introduce inflammatory phrases such as "fully intact baby" into them, and used methods geared more toward political provocation than journalism.

The videos spurred multiple investigations, but none found wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood. One grand jury tasked with investigating the organization in Texas instead brought charges against the activists.

In the lower federal court, Planned Parenthood was awarded nearly $2.43 million in an assortment of damages, including $870,000 in punitive damages for claims of fraud, trespassing, and wiretapping violations. It was also awarded nearly $470,000 in compensatory damages to cover costs the organization incurred to prevent similar security breaches in the future and to provide its involved employees with security amid the political fallout.

The panel Friday affirmed those damages.

It did not rule entirely in Planned Parenthood's favor, though.

The panel reversed a lower court decision granting the organization $90,000 in statutory damages related to the activists' purported violation of federal wiretap law, finding claims that the videos were recorded for criminal or otherwise wrongful purposes were not proven.

In the opinion, Gould was careful to note that the court's findings as to the activists' actions, which he described as "subterfuge," did not in any way "impose a new burden on journalists or undercover investigations using lawful means."

Instead, he wrote, the court was simply reaffirming "the established principle that the pursuit of journalism does not give a license to break laws of general applicability."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Photograph: Arnold Gold/AP

A man who was left partially paralyzed while in police custody has had all criminal charges against him dropped.

On 19 June, 36-year-old Randy Cox of New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested on charges of illegal handgun possession. Cox was put into a police transport van without any seatbelts and was en route to a detention center when the officer behind the wheel, Oscar Diaz, suddenly braked. Video footage released by Coxs family and published by CNN shows a handcuffed Cox sliding across the bench and hitting the vans wall with his head.

Related: Judge dismisses fraud case against Texas man who waited seven hours to vote

Diaz continued to drive for three and a half minutes before stopping to check on Cox, who at this point was slumped at the back of the van and was crying out for help.

I cant move, Cox said, I broke my neck.

Cox was eventually taken to the detention center where police officers told him to get up from the floor. Sit up, an officer said to which Cox responded, I cant move.

Youre not even trying, she replied.

Police officers eventually dragged Cox out of the van and put him into a wheelchair that he repeatedly slipped from.

Officers then dragged Cox out of the wheelchair and pulled him across the floor to a cell where they put him up against a bed.

Video shows Cox falling back onto the floor again. He is perfectly fine, an officer said as Cox lay on the floor.

The five officers who were involved in the incident are currently on paid administrative leave as they are investigated by the states attorney office. They are also facing a $100m federal civil lawsuit filed on behalf of Cox. The suit alleges negligence, carelessness and excessive force against the officers involved.

According to the lawsuit, Cox has been left with severe injuries and damages including a cervical spine fracture, permanent paralysis below his neck, permanent muscle atrophy and shortened life expectancy.

The New Haven police department handled this incident horrifically from start to finish, and now they must answer for their conduct, said Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing Cox.

The decision to drop the charges against Randy was absolutely the right one, considering how gravely he was injured while in police custody and how obviously these officers had biases against him, he added.

In a statement to ABC News, New Haven mayor Justin Elicker said, We are deeply committed to making sure something like this never happens again, and also to ensure that Randy gets justice. And weve implemented a lot of different policies, training in the police department to ensure that something like this doesnt happen again  Well continue to talk with our attorneys [throughout] this process.
Biden administration officials on Friday touted the initial success of a program to admit a small number of Venezuelan migrants to the United States while summarily expelling others who come without permission.

In a late call with reporters, an official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said U.S. border officials encounters with Venezuelan nationals dropped as much as 86 percent compared to the week before the program was announced.

Earlier this month, DHS officials announced an expansion of Title 42  a Trump-era policy that allows agents to quickly expel foreign nationals at the border  to extend the policy to Venezuelans, who had not previously been eligible for expulsions.

In tandem with the Title 42 expansion, DHS said it would admit 24,000 Venezuelans under a new process where they could apply for sponsorship to come to the United States from other countries in the hemisphere.

The plan was severely criticized by immigration advocates  and essentially ignored by Republicans  who said expanding Title 42 violated the principles of U.S. asylum law.

Title 42 is in theory a public health policy under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authority, but CDC officials have said it was imposed on them by the former President Trumps White House, contrary to their public health recommendations.

The Biden administration is fighting in courts to end the policy, even as it expands its application to Venezuelans.

Still, Biden administration officials said the new programs success is not due only to the threat of immediate expulsion at the border, but also to proactive communication of the new pathways to enter the United States.

An administration official said the program has shown initial success at the U.S.-Mexico border, but a similar decrease in traffic of Venezuelans at the Darien Gap, the dangerous Panamanian jungle on the border with Colombia.

This is specifically how we designed this program, to create incentives for people to stay where they are and to be able to apply through a legal channel to come to the United States and to avoid putting their lives into the hands of criminals smuggling networks, said the official.

Story continues

Still, more than 7 million Venezuelans have left their country over the last decade, and many are scattered throughout the continent, often finding the need to flee other Latin American countries when attitudes and policies towards them change.

The availability of 24,000 highly restrictive permits  to apply Venezuelans must hold a valid passport and have a U.S.-based sponsor  is unlikely to have a permanent effect on regional migration patterns.

If it has the effect that we intended it to have, and it seems to be thus far having that effect, we will put in place a process to reevaluate that number and maybe choose to increase it, said an administration official.

And another official noted demand from potential U.S. sponsors for Venezuelans is high, an early indication that migrants and their stateside advocates are at least giving the Biden administrations approach the benefit of the doubt.

But officials noted the reduction in Venezuelan apprehensions will not be reflected when Septembers southwest border apprehension numbers are released, likely the last release of border statistics before the November midterm elections.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) announced during a press conference on Thursday that the festival of Diwali, celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, will become a public school holiday in the city beginning next year.

Our public school calendar is not just a list of days off; it is a testament to New York Citys diversity, inclusiveness and character, he said.

By calling for Diwali to be marked as a public school holiday, we are celebrating our fellow New Yorkers traditions and the tradition of inclusiveness in the city we call home.

Adams announced the news alongside New York Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D), who introduced the bill authorizing Diwali, the festival of lights, to be observed by public schools.

Diwali will replace Anniversary Day, a holiday created to celebrate New York City in the 1800s, on the public school calendar.

The time has come to recognize over 200,000 New Yorkers of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain faiths who celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, said Rajkumar at the press conference.

Rajkumar shared in a press release that South Asian community activists have campaigned for Diwali to become a school holiday for the past 20 years so that thousands of students, parents, and faculty would no longer have to choose between observing the day or missing school or work.

New York City Department of Education Chancellor David Banks joined Adams and Rajkumar in their announcement, sharing his support for adding Diwali to the school calendar.

The diversity of our city is what makes us powerful, and its an honor to stand in support of the members of our community who are Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist to show how much we value their heritage, he said.

The Consulate General of India in New York responded to the announcement over Twitter on Thursday, saying: Thank you New York Mayor Eric Adams @NYCMayor for making #Diwali a public school holiday in New York City.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The family and attorneys for an Arkansas man who died while detained by police are calling for a federal investigation into the incident.

Terence Caffey was arrested after an altercation with employees at the Movie Tavern in Little Rock on Dec. 10.

Law enforcement officials said he died of a sickle-cell crisis during his arrest. However, his family and their legal team believe the officers actions triggered the medical emergency, leading to his death.

Terence Caffeys family believes he died because police used excessive force during his arrest. (Photo: YouTube/THV11 screenshot)

We came here for yall to see that this was just flat-out murder, said Terences uncle Nigel Caffey during a news conference on Wednesday, Oct. 19. No other way to put it.

The deceased mans family and their attorneys sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice accusing the officers involved of racial prejudice. They also released a nearly 2-minute video with clips of the incident that they say the Pulaski County Sheriffs Office left out of the 43 minutes worth of footage it released late last month. They accused the office of a cover-up.

We want you to see the truth, one of the familys attorneys, Ben Crump, said. We want you to see what they did not intend for you to see.

The sheriffs office footage shows that a Movie Tavern assistant manager called 911 to report an extremely violent guest who was fighting staff.

The security guard is trying to accost him, the caller said. I feel like a gun has been drawn, I dont know who has it. I got bit. Several of my employees were struck.

Pulaski County Sheriffs Office Cpt. Mark Swagerty worked as a security guard at the theater and was trying to pin Caffey on the floor, the caller said. The assistant manager later acknowledged that he did not see the 30-year-old Black man with any weapons but had heard gunshots across the street half an hour before the altercation.

Hes still putting up a fight, but I think were good, the assistant manager said. I think hes secured.

Authorities said Caffey was having difficulty ordering food on an app on his cellphone. Surveillance footage shows Caffey sitting on the ground in the hallway before throwing his cellphone and keys out of his wallet. Seconds later, he lunges at a theater employee.

Story continues

About four other people join the fight and try to hold back Caffey. They loosen him when Swagerty arrives. The deputy and about six employees chase Caffey before Swagerty slams him to the ground and restrains him there with his body weight.

Four Little Rock Police officers also responded to another call about the fight, and a second sheriffs deputy also arrived on the scene to assist Swagerty. The officers congregated for a discussion in the passageway, where a handcuffed Caffey was propped up in a corner. They consider calling a medical response team.

Hes got some sort of bag on him, Swagerty says.

The assistant manager also told dispatchers that Caffey had a colostomy bag coming out of his stomach, which his attorneys later confirmed.

The officers conversation is briefly interrupted by Caffeys moans.

Youre all right, Swagerty says, hushing the man.

What kind of dope you on, man? the deputy asks as Caffey continues to pant, moan and gibber. They later accused him of being on mushrooms and fentanyl.

At one point, Caffey keels over as the officers stood around. Two of them turn him over.

Sit up, one officer says.

I cant, Caffey says.

Why cant you sit? the officer asks.

You know why, Caffey replies

You was sitting just fine, one of the officers says.

The officers prop Caffey back up, but he falls over again.

Yall secure him in the car, so he stops falling around, another officer says.

Two officers carry Caffey by his shoulders down the hall. Eventually, two others join in and hold his feet.

The video released by the mans family captures Caffey showing more signs of distress. The clip of officers carrying him out the theater was not included in the footage released by the sheriffs office.

I cant breathe, says Caffey as officers carry him through the door.

Youre talking, youre breathing, an officer replies

I cant breathe, Caffey says louder.

Youre all right. Youre not dead, the officer replies.

Seconds later, officers press a handcuffed Caffeys head into the ground restraining him by the neck on his stomach. At one point, one officer places his knees on Caffeys shoulder.

Although he lets out muffled protests, Caffey does not appear to resist officers while his body was pressed into the ground. At least six officers surround Caffey while he is face-down on the pavement, body-worn video shows.

The new footage also shows the officer declining medical help for Caffey.

Hes fine, one officer said.

Both videos show the group lifting Caffeys limp body from the ground into a patrol vehicle with his head dangling onto his neck. The sheriffs office said Caffey was on the ground for 8 minutes.

Video footage shows Caffey opened his mouth and twisted his neck briefly after he was placed in the vehicle. Authorities said the rear camera did not capture the entirety of his time there.

The camera was sent back to the vendor for data retrieval but was unsuccessful, the sheriffs office said.

The sheriffs office said fire rescue checked on Caffey after 3 minutes, and he did not stop breathing until after he was placed in the back of the patrol vehicle. He also had a large bloody gash on his temple. The officers and fire rescue tried to resuscitate him, but he never recovered.

The officers involved were initially placed on administrative leave but have returned to their posts. Pulaski County prosecuting attorney Larry Jegley announced on Sept. 16 that none of the officers were criminally culpable in Caffeys death and no charges would be brought against theater employees.

The state medical examiner ruled Caffeys death a homicide caused by sickle cell trait-related sickling crisis during exertion, struggle and restraint. Jegley said multiple medical experts weighed in on the results.

Jegley admitted that attributing Caffeys death to sickle cell is rare and controversial citing a May 2021 study by the American Society of Hematology that states it is medically inaccurate to claim sickle cell crisis as the cause of death based solely on the presence of sickle cells at autopsy.

Sudden death is an extraordinarily rare occurrence in sickle cell trait and finding sickle cell trait is unlike to supersede other inflict traumas as the cause or major factor in death, the study states.

However, Jegley said the medical examiners diagnosis was not based on the presence of the cells alone but on the entirety of the medicolegal death investigation.

Crump believes the prosecutor shouldve presented the case to a grand jury.

On Wednesday, Caffeys family and supporters held posters referring to the man as Little Rocks George Floyd.

Floyd, killed by Minneapolis police in May 2020, also told police he could not breathe. A medical examiner also listed sickle-cell trait on Floyds initial autopsy, along with other medical conditions.

Why wont the police believe Black people when we say I cant breathe? Crump asked.
SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Bosnia's election commission (CIK) confirmed preliminary results of Oct. 2 presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday, showing the dominance of nationalist parties in parliaments at various levels of the Balkan country's governance.

The CIK also confirmed non-nationalist Croat and Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) candidates as winning the seats on the tripartite inter-ethnic presidency, and a candidate of a pro-Russian party securing the seat of the Serb presidency member.

Bosnia remains a dysfunctional and unstable state almost three decades since the devastating conflict between its Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks as former Socialist Yugoslavia collapsed.

The central, regional and local contests in the country, divided since the war into Bosniak-Croat and Serb autonomous regions with overarching common institutions, pitted entrenched nationalists against candidates seeking to reform the economy.

However, the CIK did not publish results for the president and vice-president of the Serb Republic, after it had ordered recount of ballots over complaints by the opposition that the vote was rigged by Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik.

Dodik, who looks set to win the contest for the region's president against opposition candidate Jelena Trivic albeit in a tight race, said on Saturday he would file criminal charges against CIK for failing to publish the presidential results by the deadline on Saturday.

He announced a big rally on Tuesday in the region's de facto capital of Banja Luka to protest at what he called an illegal decision of CIK to order the recount of the ballots.

The opposition parties that had accused him of rigging the vote have held two big rallies in Banja Luka after the vote. They asked the CIK to repeat the election in the Serb Republic but the commission rejected their request.

Dodik, who has long advocated the secession of the Serb Republic from Bosnia and its unification with neighbouring Serbia, said the region will in the future organise an election on its own, in a clear defiance of state institutions.

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 17:59

As a result of rocket strikes in Rivne Oblast, there was damage to the energy system as well as civilian infrastructure.

Source: Vitalii Koval, Head of the Rivne Oblast Military Administration, on the 24/7 national joint newscast and on Telegram

Quote: "The energy systems of Rivne Oblast were under the enemy's missile attack today.

16 units of special equipment of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and 99 personnel have worked on mitigating the consequences [of this attack]."

Details: The Head of the Rivne Oblast Military Administration has published a photo of the fire at a local energy facility.

Koval has reported that, as a result of the strikes in Oblast, there were no casualties.

However, "there is destruction of civilian targets, both private houses and administrative buildings," he noted.

Koval later reported that nine buildings were damaged as a result of the rocket strikes on the Rivne district. These are residential, commercial and administrative buildings. Repairs to roofs and windows are ongoing.

At the same time, Oleksandr Tretiak, the Mayor of Rivne, has said that work to restore the electricity supply is ongoing in the city, and water will be temporarily supplied with low pressure until the electricity supply is fully restored.

Background:

On Saturday [23 October], the Russians again carried out a massive missile strike on energy facilities in various Oblasts of Ukraine. In particular, strikes on the critical infrastructure targets of Rivne were reported.

According to information from the Office of the President of Ukraine, Russian missile attacks left 1,451,603 Ukrainians without electricity throughout the country.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that since the night of 22 October, Russians have fired 36 missiles at Ukraine; most of these were shot down.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The EnergyUnited Foundation has donated $10,000 to a local food pantry to provide more supplies.

EnergyUnited, which is based out of Statesville, donated the money to Hearts and Hands Food Pantry of Huntersville. The money will help purchase additional refrigeration and freezing equipment, and help with the purchase of bulk food.

Hearts and Hands was co-founded by Sandra Marks and Kenya Joseph with the goal of addressing food insecurity in their community. The mother-daughter team started their mission by collecting coupons to purchase for food for those in need. They went on to establish a food pantry.

ALSO READ: Higher food prices impact shoppers, local food pantries

We are thankful for each opportunity to serve our community and to work with partners such as the EnergyUnited Foundation, Joseph said. This donation will allow us to serve and store food for more clients in Mecklenburg County.

The EnergyUnited Foundation is a voluntary, member-funded nonprofit organization supported by EnergyUniteds Operation Round-Up program. The organization has donated to a number of other nonprofit organizations in the past

The EnergyUnited Foundation has proudly supported dozens of nonprofit organizations in an effort to meet the various needs that exist within the cooperatives 19-county service area, said Debra Citta, administrator of the EnergyUnited Foundation.

(WATCH BELOW: Statesville homeless shelter asks for more federal funding for affordable housing)












Shortly after 6 a.m. Saturday, troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol stopped a pedestrian walking southbound on Interstate 75, at mile marker 158, in Charlotte County.

An escaped Georgia convict serving a life sentence for murder was found walking along Interstate 75 in Charlotte County early Saturday morning.

According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, troopers stopped a pedestrian walking southbound on Interstate 75 at mile marker 158 around 6 a.m.

They identified him as Anthony Moret, 67, of Valdosta, Georgia.

Punta Gorda arrest: Punta Gorda man faces attempted murder charges in brutal stabbing at Trading Post

And: Charlotte County Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Smuggle Drugs Into Prison

A wants and warrant check revealed Moret had an active warrant for escape while serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder in Georgia, according to the FHP report.

CBS affiliate WCTV in Thomasville, Georgia reported that Moret is serving time for murder and armed robbery dating back to the 1970s, as well as two convictions on escape charges from 1976 and 1985.

The Georgia Department of Corrections issued a warning Friday for residents in the state, urging them to not approach Moret.

Troopers arrested Moret without incident and transported him to the Charlotte County Jail.

Moret now awaits extradition back to Georgia. No further details were available Saturday morning.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Georgia man sentenced to life in prison for murder arrested on I-75
LONDON (AP)  Observers of Britains governing structure can be forgiven for scratching their heads in recent weeks as they watch the country reel through a succession of prime ministers without holding an election. While the opposition Labour Party is demanding an election, the governing conservatives are pushing on with choosing another prime minister from within their own ranks, which they have the right to do because of the way Britain's parliamentary democracy works.

BRITONS NEVER ACTUALLY VOTE FOR THEIR PRIME MINISTER

Britain is divided into 650 local constituencies, and people tick a box for the representative they want to become their local member of parliament, or MP. In most cases, this will be a member of one of the country's major political parties.

The party that wins the majority of seats gets to form a government, and that party's leader automatically becomes prime minister. While coalitions are possible, Britain's voting system favors the two largest parties and in most cases a single party will take an absolute majority of seats, as is the case for the Conservatives in the current Parliament.

HOW DO THE PARTIES CHOOSE THEIR LEADERS?

Since 1922, all of Britains 20 prime ministers have come from either the Labour Party or the Conservative Party. This means the members of these parties have an outsized influence on who will be the countrys prime minister. The processes the parties use to choose them can appear Byzantine.

Deep breath: For the Conservative Party, their lawmakers must first signal their support for a potential leader. If there is enough support, this person will become an official candidate. All Conservative MPs then cast a series of votes, gradually whittling down the number of candidates to two. Finally, the partys ordinary members  around 180,000 of them  vote between these two candidates. Last time they chose Liz Truss over Rishi Sunak.

If the MPs are able to unite behind a single candidate then there is no need for the wider party members to have a vote. This last happened in 2016 when the lawmakers backed Theresa May after the resignation of David Cameron and she automatically became prime minister. This could happen again.

Story continues

The Labour Party has its own process that is, arguably, even more complicated.

BUT DIDN'T BRITAIN VOTE FOR BORIS JOHNSON IN 2019?

Johnson was selected by his party following the resignation of Theresa May. He had already been prime minister for five months when electors ticked their ballot cards in December 2019. However, voters' support for the Conservative Party did cement his position as prime minister.

Even in that election, though, it was only actually around 70,000 people who got the chance to vote directly for or against Johnson  those who happened to live in his Parliamentary constituency of South Ruislip and Uxbridge, in west London.

Since then, another prime minister, Liz Truss, has come and gone, and one more will be in place by the end of next week  all without anyone troubling the general electorate.

WILL THERE BE A GENERAL ELECTION SOON?

Constitutionally, no general election is required in Britain for two more years. But as the prime ministers come and go, selected by a tiny proportion of the population, a lot of Britons are beginning to wonder why they are not getting a chance to influence who is their next leader. The clamor for a general election in the near future is only likely to get louder.
STANISLAV POHORILOV  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 09:12

After an air-raid siren was sounded, explosions have been heard in many oblasts of Ukraine.

Source: Heads of blast Military dministrations

Details: In particular, Rivne, Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, and Kirovohrad oblasts are impacted.

Oleksii Kuleba, head of the Kyiv blast Military dministration, has said that air defence is working in the oblast, and urged residents to stay in shelters.

Problems are reported with the electricity and water supply.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
(NEXSTAR)  Airline passengers appear to be unsatisfied with the ever-shrinking size of their airline seats, according to thousands of travelers who are voicing their concerns with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA began taking public comments on the possibility of a minimum standard size for commercial airline seating in August, in response to a Congressional mandate to further examine passenger comfort and safety in the event of an evacuation. As of Oct. 19, more than 13,000 respondents have chimed in, many of whom complained of narrow rows, small seats and insufficient legroom.

One prominent politician, however, has recently urged passengers to make their voices heard before the Nov. 1 deadline, lest the FAA determine that no action is needed.

Right now, the FAA is quietly seeking public comment on airplane seat size, and my guess is not a whole lot of consumers are chiming in or accessing the federal register, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), said in a statement obtained by the Staten Island Advance this week.

Schumer also appeared during a press conference on Sunday to reiterate the need for further public comment, and to share his own experiences with shrinking airline seats.

Bumped from a flight? Heres how much the airline may owe you

There is currently no requirement from the FAA for the minimum width, length or pitch (the distance between one seat and the seat directly in front) on passenger airplanes. The average pitch, according to Reuters, is somewhere between 30 and 31 inches, while the shortest belongs to Spirit Airlines at 28 inches.

In the early 80s, when the average American was smaller, seat pitches varied from between 31 and 35 inches, according to FlyersRights.org, an an advocacy group for airline passengers.

Congress had originally asked the FAA to evaluate airline seating and issue regulations for minimum seating sizes in Oct. 2018. The agency was given a year to comply, Reuters reported.

Story continues

In response, the FAA performed a review and studied simulated evacuations. A report which included the findings was submitted in March 2022, at which point the FAA acknowledged that additional data regarding evacuations could be valuable.

The FAA, meanwhile, has only mandated that all passengers be able to evacuate within around 90 seconds under simulated emergency conditions which did not take into account children, the elderly or those with disabilities, according to the FAA.

FlyersRights.org had previously said the FAA would continue to treat the statutory requirement as a low priority that it can ignore indefinitely, Reuters reported.

Pilot scolds passenger for allegedly AirDropping naked pictures to entire plane

Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights.org, now says the FAA has crossed a new line in its veiled contempt for the bipartisan 2018 Congressional mandate.

The FAA and DOT can no longer deny, delay, and delegate away its responsibility to ensure airline seat safety, Hudson was quoted as saying in a press release issued earlier in October, after FlyersRights.org filed its own petition with the FAA to act on standard minimum seating requirements.

A representative for the FAA did not disclose additional details of the agencys plans following the Nov. 1 deadline for public comment.

Passengers wishing to share their experiences and recommendations with the FAA can currently do so online, or via mail or fax.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Ismail Shakil

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Facebook warned on Friday that it may block sharing of news content on its platform in Canada over concerns about legislation that would compel digital platforms to pay news publishers.

The Online News Act, introduced in April, laid out rules to force platforms like Meta's Facebook and Alphabet's Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content, in a move similar to a ground-breaking law passed in Australia last year.

The legislation is under consideration at a parliamentary committee, to which the U.S. social media company said it has not been invited to share its concerns.

"We believe the Online News Act misrepresents the relationship between platforms and news publishers, and we call on the government to review its approach," Marc Dinsdale, head of media partnerships at Meta Canada, said in a blog post.

"In the face of adverse legislation based on false assumptions that defy the logic of how Facebook operates, we believe it's important to be transparent about the possibility that we may be forced to reconsider allowing news content sharing in Canada," Dinsdale wrote.

Canada's Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who introduced the bill, said in a statement on Friday that the government continued to have "constructive conversations" with Facebook.

"All we're asking the tech giants like Facebook to do is negotiate fair deals with news outlets when they profit from their work," Rodriguez said in an emailed statement.

The legislation proposes that digital platforms that have a "bargaining imbalance" with news businesses - measured by metrics like a firm's global revenue - must make fair deals that would then be assessed by a regulator.

Dinsdale said news content was not a draw for Facebook users and did not bring significant revenue to the company.

When Australia, which has led global efforts to rein in the powers of tech firms, proposed legislation forcing them to pay local media for news content, Google threatened to close its Australian search engine, while Facebook cut all third-party content from Australian accounts for more than a week.

Both eventually struck deals with Australian media companies after a series of amendments to the legislation were offered.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
The family and friends of Jin Shin arent going to let anybody forget about his death.

Shin, 43, of Dallas, was shot and killed in Fort Worth in the early morning hours of Aug. 15, after a minor car accident while leaving a K-Pop event at Ampersand Coffee. One man, Markynn Dmorous West, 28, of Fort Worth, has been arrested and charged with murder.

Video of the incident showed a group of people surround Shin, punch him in the back of the head and take his car keys before he was killed, according to Wests arrest warrant. Those who knew and cared about Shin said they wont rest until the other seven people in the video are arrested, charged and convicted in connection to his death.

Fort Worth police said the investigation is ongoing and that it is possible charges will be filed against other people. There are no plans for additional charges against West.

Wests attorney, Lesa Pamplin, said West reasonably feared for his life and acted in self defense and she is hoping he will get to testify before a grand jury.

A spokesperson for the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office said the office does not comment on pending cases.

According to the arrest warrant, police reviewed a video of the incident. Leading up to the shooting, Shin veered away from his Jeep and at least three people opened the door of the Jeep and leaned into it, the video showed. It was later determined that someone took Shins keys from the vehicle.

Shin continued to keep his distance from the group of people, some of whom were called to the scene by others involved in the accident, police have said. The video showed he had something in his hand. That something was later identified as a handgun, which Shin kept pointed down, according to the warrant.

At that time, West went to the trunk of the Chrysler 300 and got a handgun, police have said.

West opened fired at Shin when the Dallas man walked to the back of his Jeep, according to the warrant. Shin retreated and West pursued him before raising his handgun a second time and firing multiple shots, police said. The warrant does not say that Shin fired his weapon at any point.

Story continues

The video showed Shin running away. Fort Worth police later found Shins body lying on a median near the northbound lanes of traffic on University Drive.

At a party on Oct. 14 to celebrate Shins life and raise money for the familys funeral and legal expenses, friends and family shared memories about the Dallas man they called a mentor, supporter, friend, ally and great uniting force in the community.

Family and friends shared stories of how Shin supported the community around him, from hosting events at his Dallas business, Family Karaoke, to help prop up other local small businesses, to fundraising to help anybody he knew needed help with things like medical bills. Most of them said they didnt know the full extent of how much he gave of his time and money to those in need until they all started sharing stories after his death.

They recalled how he was eager to invite anybody he knew to his crawfish boils and to go out on the lake in his new boat every Sunday. Anything he could to do bring people together, he would. One of the most important things to him was to gather folks from different walks of life and make sure they had a good time.

His sister, Kerri Shin, said Jin Shin would give anything excess he had to those who needed it. He learned that from their parents, she said.

All my brother wanted was a sense of community and to support each other and just for everybody to have fun when they were around him, she said. He gave to other people, cared about other people so much to the extent that I, as his sister, I didnt even know how much he was doing for people until now, with so many people talking about how he helped them.

Chi Lee, Jin Shins partner of 10 years, said shes been on a roller coaster of emotions since his death, from sadness and heartbreak and loss and anger to motivation to find justice and joy at seeing the impacts Shin had on the community around him.

He was my hero, and I know so many other people here feel the same, Lee said at the party.

Communities coming together

Shins impacts went beyond the Asian-American community in Dallas he loved.

Shin had dreams of supporting and promoting participation in Asian cultures and celebrations across North Texas, and he was working toward those dreams.

Peng Dang, a local comedian who met Shin when he came to one of his performances to show support for an up-and-coming Asian-American comedian, said that was part of the reason Shin was in Fort Worth that night.

Dang and Shin both went to the K-Pop event, where Shin gushed about how exciting it was to see people from so many different cultural backgrounds celebrating a part of Korean culture. He and Shin shared his last two cigarettes outside the coffee shop before they parted ways.

But Shins passion for bringing people together didnt stop with sharing Asian culture.

He also hosted other groups and events at this karaoke bar, like the Dallas Hackers Association.

At the party last Friday night, members of the association wore shirts with Shins portrait and the phrase, Its fantastic, sir, something they heard him say regularly when he was asked his opinion about the food or service while visiting local restaurants and other small businesses.

Shin offered a place to host the hacking group regularly for meet-ups and competitions, something they said was difficult to find. He didnt care about the stigmas around hacking. He saw that it was a group of good people and did everything he could to make their events at his bar more exciting, members said.

Kerri Shin said the party was being hosted, in part, because it would make Jin Shin proud.

Were celebrating his life because thats what Jin would want, Kerri Shin said.

The support from those who knew her brother was heartwarming, she said.

I cant express how thankful we are.

We want complete justice

While the party was more jovial than previous events, like a vigil and wake for Jin Shin hosted at Family Karaoke in August, those in attendance were still open about expressing the sorrow and anger they feel because of his death.

At its root, the party was about showing the world that those who cared about Shin havent forgotten and wont be quiet until they feel justice has been served, friends said. People were asked to buy raffle tickets for donated prizes and make other donations, all of it going to the family to pay for legal fees and funeral expenses.

Family and close friends said they will hire an attorney to urge police to arrest everybody who was in the group that assaulted Shin.

We were glad when the first person was arrested, but we want complete justice, Kerri Shin said. Im angry. Im angry at the fact that nobody else has been arrested. Justice isnt being done, and were just left heartbroken because Jin is gone.

Kerri Shin said family and friends want answers and more open communication from police. They cant imagine why only one person has been arrested, and said they havent been able to get any straight answers on why. There are talks among those closest to Jin Shin of organizing picketing or protests in Fort Worth if they dont get answers or see more arrests soon.
Professor Audrey Truschke, pictured on Oct. 16, 2022, has received threats for her work looking at Hindu extremism. (Photo: Natalie Keyssar for HuffPost)

Professor Audrey Truschke, pictured on Oct. 16, 2022, has received threats for her work looking at Hindu extremism. (Photo: Natalie Keyssar for HuffPost)

HOBOKEN, N.J.  Audrey Truschke, a professor of South Asian history at Rutgers University, never thought her work could result in death threats and vicious vitriol.

Yet Truschke, a scholar, mom, wife and author of three books, now sometimes needs armed security at public events.

The publication of her first book, in 2016, challenging the predominant perception of 16th- and 17th-century Mughal kings  Muslim rulers who are widely vilified by Hindu nationalists  put a target on her back. Her email was bombarded with hate mail. Her Twitter account was inundated with threats. People wrote letters to news outlets about her.

It felt like the world exploded at me, said Truschke, pushing back her dark hair to reveal the salt and pepper streaks that frame her face. This was my first brush with hate email. Im sure it would seem like nothing to me now.

Far-right Hindu nationalism, also referred to as Hindutva, is a political and extremist ideology that advocates for Hindu supremacy and seeks to transform a secular and diverse India into an ethnoreligious Hindu state. Hindu nationalism has been around for over 100 years and was initially inspired by ethnonationalism movements in early 20th-century Europe, including those in Germany and Italy. Champions of Hindutva have viciously targeted religious minorities including Muslims, Christians and Sikhs, and have sought to silence critics such as academics and activists.

Hinduism, the faith, is not Hindutva the far-right movement. But the label Hindu can be categorized as a religious, political or racial identifier depending on who is using it, explained Manan Ahmed, a professor and historian of South Asia at Columbia University. Hindu nationalists, he said, are morphing the religious, political and racial into one identity in order to advance a supremacist, majoritarian agenda.

Story continues

People impacted by Hindutva in the U.S. say the movement has crept into their hometowns and workplaces, making life more dangerous for them and threatening to make their communities less diverse and tolerant. The ideology has deep ties to white nationalist movements across the globe, and the targets of nationalist groups warn that the impact could be deadly if Hindutva is not addressed and defeated.

We see Hindu nationalism as an ideology which seeks to transform India from a pluralistic secular democracy to a Hindu state in which non-Hindus are seen at best as second-class citizens and at worst targets for extermination and disenfranchisement of all sorts, said Nikhil Mandalaparthy, the deputy executive director of Hindus for Human Rights, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting pluralism and human rights in South Asia and in the U.S.

Its a vision that we think is in direct opposition to a lot of the values of Hindu religious traditions, he added.

Professor Audrey Truschke shows some of the hate mail she has received at her home on Monday afternoon. (Photo: Natalie Keyssar for HuffPost)

Professor Audrey Truschke shows some of the hate mail she has received at her home on Monday afternoon. (Photo: Natalie Keyssar for HuffPost)

A Different Kind Of Extremism

In India, Hindu nationalism can be traced back to the 1920s. The formation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, in 1925 fortified the core belief in a Hindu state for Hindus, despite Indias secular constitution and the long history of ethnic and religious minorities in the country. The RSS has been banned three times since it was established, including after a former party member assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.

It was out of the RSS that Indias ruling political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, emerged. It has held power since Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected in 2014.

Since then, the crackdown on Indias minorities, particularly Muslims, has intensified with little to no accountability.

In April, bulldozers razed houses in majority-Muslim neighborhoods under dubious pretenses. Schools have banned Muslim students from wearing a hijab. Courts and government bodies have overturned convictions or withdrawn cases that accused Hindus of involvement in violence against Muslims. Hindu mobs routinely attack Muslims with little to no condemnation from the government.

Hindu nationalism has redefined the Indian mainstream, Truschke said. Its an incredible success story. Fifty years ago, no respectable Indian wanted to touch it. It was just completely verboten due to the Hindutva embrace of violence and hate, and now its the dominant political position in India.

Other parts of the world, including the U.S., have not been immune to growing support for Hindutva.

Indian Americans make up the second-largest immigrant group in the United States, with nearly 4.2 million people of Indian origin living in the country, according to data from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The community is a diverse one, comprising both immigrants and American-born citizens who come from a variety of religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Carnegie poll indicates that at least 54% of Indian Americans report belonging to the Hindu faith, one of the largest and oldest religions in the world. There are about 1 billion Hindus around the world, and nearly 94% live in India. Around 2.5 million Hindus reside in the U.S. alone.

Indian Americans hold mixed opinions on the present trajectory of Indias democracy, but nearly half  particularly Republicans, Hindus and those not born in the U.S.  approve of Modis performance as Indias prime minister. In Texas, more than 50,000 people gathered to see him during a 2019 event called Howdy Modi.

In many ways, the rise of Hindu nationalism mirrors the rise of white nationalist extremism.

Anders Behring Breivik makes a Nazi salute as he arrives in court on Jan. 18, 2022, in Skien prison, Norway. The mass murderer, who said he was fighting a

Anders Behring Breivik makes a Nazi salute as he arrives in court on Jan. 18, 2022, in Skien prison, Norway. The mass murderer, who said he was fighting a "Muslim invasion" in Europe, was sentenced in 2012 to at least 21 years in prison for terror attacks that killed 77 people. Under Norwegian law, Breivik was entitled to a review in court for possible release on parole after serving the initial 10 years of his sentence, but his parole was denied. (Photo: OLE BERG-RUSTEN via NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

Norwegian police search Utoya island on July 24, 2011, after Anders Behring Breivik's deadly terror attacks in Norway. (Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Norwegian police search Utoya island on July 24, 2011, after Anders Behring Breivik's deadly terror attacks in Norway. (Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Anders Behring, the far-right Norwegian terrorist who killed 77 people, many of them teenagers, in 2011, reportedly praised Hindu nationalist groups who attacked Muslims in his manifesto.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, an Indian politician who became the face of Hindu nationalism in the 1920s, once applauded Hitler and said that India should treat Muslims the same way Nazis treated Jews.

Like white supremacists, Hindu nationalists have propagated a revisionist history built on the idea that India, despite its secular constitution, once was and should still be a Hindu state and that members of other religious groups are not true natives of the country.

When we talk about threats to democracy and threats to multicultural, pluralist, way of life, of course, here in the U.S., our concern is white supremacy and Christian nationalism, Mandalaparthy said. But there are so many ways in which the Hindu nationalist movement here is trying to ally itself with white supremacist groups and with groups who are seeking to destroy democracy here in this country.

Many Indian Americans, including those who are Hindu, have faced hate crimes and discrimination as minorities in the U.S. But Hindu nationalists often use Hinduphobia as a disingenuous claim to shut down valid criticism of Hindu nationalist political ideology, Mandalaparthy said.

Its dangerous to contribute to this narrative of rising anti-Hindu sentiments because the people who are using this language the most are then turning back on members of our own communities and those who speak out against Hindu nationalism or caste or Islamophobia, he said.

There are so many ways in which the Hindu nationalist movement here is trying to ally itself with white supremacist groups and with groups who are seeking to destroy democracy here in this country.Nikhil Mandalaparthy, deputy executive director of Hindus for Human Rights

Support of Hindutva can take various forms, whether its applauding the violence taking place in India on social media or funneling donations to political figures who praise Hindu nationalism. At least five American organizations with ties to Hindu nationalist groups receive federal funding, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

It can also mean threatening people who raise awareness about the ideology.

In March 2021, two months after Truschke began researching U.S.-based Hindu nationalism, she began to receive an onslaught of attacks. She had received hate mail before, particularly after her book revisiting the legacy of Aurangzeb, a contentious emperor who ruled India for nearly 50 years.

But the severity of the new attacks, which Truschke said felt unprovoked, was unprecedented. She received a staggering amount of hate mail and tweets, with about one tweet coming in every minute, she said. People made memes out of her photos and laced their messages with antisemitism and misogyny. They threatened her and her children, promising theyd find her family if she continued to speak out.

She reported several threats to the police, and one was even forwarded to Homeland Security last July. After receiving several credible threats, venues that hosted Truschke hired armed security to be by her side at public events.

Keep loving Mughals and well keep loving Hitler you stupid jew, read one tweet.

I wouldnt mind if this female bitch is beheaded, read another comment.

Be in your home, you dont know from where you will be kidnapped, read a message sent to her on Facebook.

I will chop ur head if I get a chance, read another.

A screenshot of a hateful message directed at Professor Audrey Truschke for her research and writing. (Photo: Natalie Keyssar for HuffPost)

A screenshot of a hateful message directed at Professor Audrey Truschke for her research and writing. (Photo: Natalie Keyssar for HuffPost)

In September 2021, organizers of an online academic conference on Hindutva were also bombarded with thousands of threats of rape, violence and death. Several participants withdrew from the conference out of fear. Dozens of organizers and speakers said violent threats were made against their families. More than 30,000 threats were sent to one university, causing the server to crash.

Data collected by Columbia Universitys Ahmed and other researchers indicate that the majority of tweets deployed against the conference organizers and participants were generated by individuals, not bots.

Its not just online threats. Tensions have manifested into bitter communal tension and physical clashes across the country. In New Jersey in August, organizers of the local India Day parade came under fire for bringing bulldozers  symbolic of the bulldozers that have targeted Muslims in India  adorned with the faces of Modi and the hard-line Hindutva BJP minister Yogi Adityanath.

That same month in Anaheim, California, an Indian Independence Day parade turned physical when videos captured men shoving a group of protesters while shouting Islamophobic slurs and nationalists chants.

The alignment between Hindu nationalism and right-wing nationalist groups is flourishing in the U.S., which doesnt bode well for any marginalized groups, Mandalaparthy said. This is very much a domestic issue now and its very much a local issue.

In many cases, those carrying out violence against religious minorities  Muslims, but other religious groups as well, including Christians, Sikhs and Dalits  feel direct support from Indias governing party. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, a government agency, recommended this year that India be put on its red list for severe violations of religious freedom.

The government continued to systemize its ideological vision of a Hindu state at both the national and state levels through the use of both existing and new laws and structural changes hostile to the countrys religious minorities, the commission said in its report.

After two nights in police custody, Indian teenager Somaiya Fatima was released in time to watch live footage of an excavator claw smashing into the walls of her childhood home. The residence is among scores of dwellings and businesses flattened by wrecking crews this year in India. (Photo: SANJAY KANOJIA via Getty Images)

After two nights in police custody, Indian teenager Somaiya Fatima was released in time to watch live footage of an excavator claw smashing into the walls of her childhood home. The residence is among scores of dwellings and businesses flattened by wrecking crews this year in India. (Photo: SANJAY KANOJIA via Getty Images)

People protest against the demolition of the house of activist Afreen Fatima and her father, Javed Mohammad, on June 13, 2022, in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Salman Ali/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

People protest against the demolition of the house of activist Afreen Fatima and her father, Javed Mohammad, on June 13, 2022, in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Salman Ali/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Holding Onto Their Identity

For more than 30 years, Minhaj Khan, a 48-year-old software engineer from South Brunswick, New Jersey, has prioritized giving back to his Indian community. At first, it was in the form of charity, especially right after moving to the U.S. in the late 1990s. He visited India often, especially since his extended family and sister still resided there.

But soon that charity became advocacy, and advocacy became a personal responsibility. As an American, an Indian, and a Muslim, Khan couldnt look away from the human rights violations happening in his home state.

When we use our free speech here, it makes a difference on the other side of the world, Khan said. Nobody is better than us presenting these issues to the American people.

Khan and Mohammed Jawad, the president of the Indian American Muslim Council, an advocacy organization, led a campaign against the bulldozer that was paraded in Edison, New Jersey, this summer. In the days after the parade, members of IAMC and other organizations met with members of the states Department of Justice and its Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, as well as with the state attorney generals office. The organization also raised concerns after a local church invited a Hindu nationalist to speak. The church later canceled the event.

The groups work hasnt gone unnoticed. The IAMC received a summons from one of Indias lower courts because of its activism, though it has no legal grounds in the U.S.

If you like diversity, if you believe people who are different and who follow different religions should live together and that we are all Americans, Hindutva is a threat to that.Audrey Truschke, professor of South Asian history at Rutgers University

Khan remembers harmony between his family and his Hindu neighbors when he was growing up in India.

Muslims and Hindus, we were always together, side by side. They came to our place, we went to their place, he said. We never differentiated among ourselves. We lived comfortably.

But with Hindu nationalism on the rise, those relationships are being strained, particularly in New Jersey, which has the largest South Asian population of any state in the U.S. In some cities in the state, South Asians make up around 40% of the population.

Khan adjusts the sleeves of his brown button-down that is cuffed at his elbows, revealing a green pattern that matches the color of his eyes. He is particularly concerned about how Hindu extremism will impact his children.

I am incredibly proud to be an American Muslim. This is the land of freedom. This is the land of justice. I am a free Muslim. I can practice my faith here in America perhaps best as compared to anywhere on the planet. I am equally proud of my Indian origin, the land of my birth, Khan said. That is why it pains us to witness the current regime in India trying to take away the most beautiful aspect of the land  its richness, diversity and inclusivity  and now export it even to America.

For Truschke, the attacks on her life and on her work have only emboldened her to pursue her work head-on. Instead of focusing only on history, she is currently dedicating a research project to the present and the future of Hindu nationalism in the U.S.

Academic freedom, an uptick in violence, and increasingly polarized communities are all major concerns, she said. Truschke and her colleagues worked with a group called the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective to publish the Hindutva Harassment Field Manual, a resource for academics and others whose work may make them targets of the Hindu nationalist movement.

Hindu nationalism is threatening American multicultural values, Truschke said. If you like diversity, if you believe people who are different and who follow different religions should live together and that we are all Americans, Hindutva is a threat to that, and it is growing. It is not going away. Its likely to get worse.

Professor Audrey Truschke at her home in New Jersey on Oct. 16, 2022. (Photo: Natalie Keyssar for HuffPost)

Professor Audrey Truschke at her home in New Jersey on Oct. 16, 2022. (Photo: Natalie Keyssar for HuffPost)

Hindu nationalists have targeted Truschkes employer and colleagues over her work. Rutgers University told HuffPost in an emailed statement that it stood by Truschkes work, saying scholarship is sometimes controversial, perhaps especially when it is at the interface of history and religion, but the freedom to pursue such scholarship, as Professor Truschke does rigorously, is at the heart of the academic enterprise.

Just as strongly, Rutgers-Newark emphatically affirms its support for all members of the Hindu community to study and live in an environment in which they not only feel safe, but also fully supported in their religious identity, the statement continued.

Truschkes eldest daughter is starting to notice that her mother is getting attention, and it was a conversation Truschke never imagined having.

Still, Truschke said, she doesnt have plans to stop researching and speaking out about Hindutva. She doesnt know what the future holds  as an academic, she much prefers studying the past to predicting the future, but for now, she knows her scholarship will remain.

They want me to not do my job. But how can I possibly do that? How can I possibly change my research interests, or God forbid, soft-peddle things? she said. Academics have to tell the truth.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Sharan Ranshi is lifting the long-limbed, sketched fashion model into the world of fine art.

Its a new life for the fashion illustration: one that abandons the stark white page and lands the drawn women in a color storm of living room luxury, giving them moods and personalities that make the women themselves a thing of interest  not just the clothing theyve been sketched into.

More from WWD

I started off doing fashion illustration and it developed more into a portrait where, obviously, the clothing is important, but so is the background, Ranshi tells WWD from her home in the U.K. So, its like a complete painting, whereas a fashion illustration can be more of a sketch or a faster-paced drawing. This takes me some time to do and I really think about what kind of a woman would be wearing the clothing, what situation I can imagine this woman sitting in, what kind of interiors. And its usually stuff thats inspired me.

Most of Ranshis work features women in various states of repose in sculptural chairs or chaise lounges, in at-home settings where wallpaper, rugs, lamps and tables are parades of multihued prints, and flora often makes an appearance on end tables or coiled around the subject herself. The clothing, always prominently presented in various prints, is current, sometimes off the runway, sometimes a piece from a specific designer or collection, always chic.

A piece from Sharan Ranshis collection.

The British Indian artist gets her inspiration in part from her background  not just as a Central Saint Martins graduate in print design, or from having spent four years living in India where her painting began  but also as the child of Indian parents who were raised in Kenya following the 1947 Partition of India, before moving to the U.K., where Ranshi was born and raised.

Story continues

All of those prints and those colors, it really comes from that heritage, that really sort of mixed heritage which is why I really love mixing prints, she says. Its all to do with that mix of cultural influences. And I love picking up influences from everywhere but that definitely heavily influences the way I work.

Sometimes, Ranshis inspiration comes straight off the fashion week runways.

This spring 2023 showing, both big and smaller designers alike gave the artist fodder for future work.

I really liked somebody like Kevin GermanierI think he used recycled toys for his collection this time, but just the colors I thought were brilliant. And Valentino is always just really classically beautiful shapes, which is always inspiring. And colors, his use of color I just think is brilliant, Ranshi says. I [also] love all of the smaller up-and-coming London designers. Theres a guy, Ed Curtis, who does these hand-drawn swirls onto T-shirts and I really want to do a painting with one of his T-shirts in it because I just think hes brilliant, I love what hes doing.

When its not coming from fashion week, Ranshi finds inspiration everywhere.

Ill see all of these amazing creations and that inspires me or if Ive seen an incredible print somewhere, it doesnt have to be something thats on a fashion item, it could be a piece of fabric on a sofa or a curtain Ive seen, she says. Or Im inspired by certain colors then I create my own print. As far as furnishings, Milans Nilufar Gallery for designer and vintage furniture and home decor are where some of her paintings pieces can be found.

Sharan Ranshi

Everything Ranshi does is hand drawn because she says shes old-school like that, and her medium is either acrylic, water color or gouache on paper. Reproductions are giclee printed onto museum quality fine art paper she says is so good, sometimes I have to look and think which ones my print and which ones the original.

While the artist does commission work for individuals, shes also working directly with designers and labels to bring their pieces to life in new ways. Saloni is one whose dresses have landed right in Ranshis domestic scenes.

I love her dresses because its lots of beautiful prints and she gives me free reign, really, to do whatever I want, which is really nice, Ranshi says of the labels founder and designer Saloni Lodha.

In some cases, she paints products she likes into her pieces, like Olivia Morris at Homes beloved Daphne bow slippers.

The artist works on a small scale (A3 paper size, 11.75 inches by 16.5 inches is her biggest) partly to give the greatest attention to detail and partly because of where some of her influences lie.

I really love Persian miniature painting, Indian miniature painting as well, so that really informs my work in terms of modern influences, she says.

But Ranshis process, particularly when it comes to capturing the mood of her fashion portraits, is a selfish endeavor, the artist admits.

Its got to be something I love, she says. I almost imagine how would I feel, what kind of room would I be sitting in if I was wearing this fabulous clothing surrounded by these fabulous interiors.

The ideal client for her work?

I would love Dries Van Noten, Nina Yashar [of Nilufar Gallery in Milan] and India Mahdavi [architectural designer] to own or commission artwork from me, as I think they all have impeccable taste, Ranshi says.

A piece from Sharan Ranshis collection.

Best of WWD

Click here to read the full article.
Military helicopters flying the Taiwanese flag over Taiwan, which China claims as its own. Escalating rhetoric between China and the US over Taiwan is sparking concern over the world's largest semiconductor company. Ceng Shou Yi/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The fate of the global economy may rest on the shoulders of one company: TSMC.

TSMC is the world's biggest chipmaker  its chips power everything from cars to iPhones.

But US-China tensions, and China's standoff with Taiwan, could cost the global economy trillions.

On a tiny island off the coast of China, one company manufactures a product used across the globe for countless household products as varied as PCs and washing machines.

And as that island  Taiwan  worries about the threat of a standoff between the US and China, the world's economy holds its breath. That's because there could be trillions of dollars' worth of economic activity tied to that one company: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world's biggest chipmaker.

Industry watchers say an escalating dispute between the US and China over Taiwan could drag down the global economy, given the fact that no other company makes such advanced chips at such a high volume. If TSMC goes offline, they say, the production of everything from cars to iPhones could screech to a halt.

"If China would invade Taiwan, that would be the biggest impact we've seen to the global economy  possibly ever," Glenn O'Donnell, the vice president and research director at Forrester, told Insider. "This could be bigger than 1929."

What is TSMC?

Aerial view of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China

TSMC's factory in Nanjing, in China's Jiangsu province.VCG/VCG via Getty Images

While TSMC may not be a household name, you almost certainly own something that's powered by its chips.

TSMC is in the foundry business, meaning it doesn't design its own chips but instead produces them at fabrication plants for other companies. The company accounts for over half of the global semiconductor market, and when it comes to advanced processors that number is, by some estimates, as high as 90%. In fact, even the best chip from China's top semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC, has been said to be about five years behind TSMC's.

TSMC counts Apple as its biggest customer, supplying the California tech giant with the chips that power iPhones. In fact, most of the world's roughly 1.4 billion smartphone processors are produced by TSMC, as are about 60% of the chips used by automakers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Story continues

TSMC semiconductors are also used in high-performance computing: They can quickly process reams of data and guide missiles, making the company highly valuable in the eyes of government entities.

As TSMC has grown to dominate the industry, it has automatically become an oligopoly, according to William Alan Reinsch, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a national security think tank.

"When you have a very complex, very sophisticated, and very expensive technology where barriers to entry are very high  I mean, building a fab plant is in the billions  you can't just decide tomorrow, 'Well, I'm going to go into that business,'" he said. "It's not like making tea."

How did we become so reliant on chips made in Taiwan?

Hand holds a tiny chip being tested in a lab

A chip being tested in a lab in Taiwan.Ann Wang/Reuters

The semiconductor industry has its roots in the US, as much of the research and development is done on US soil. Companies in other countries license the US-made technology.

Dylan Patel, a chief analyst at the semiconductor research and consulting firm SemiAnalysis, pointed to the Dutch company ASML as an example: ASML produces high-end chipmaking equipment, but one of the technologies for which it's best known was invented in the US National Laboratories.

Over the past 30 years or so, manufacturers in developed countries concluded it was in their best interest to outsource the manufacturing of the chips, according to Reinsch.

"You build a big factory and you crank these things out by the thousands, and you do it in a low-wage, nonunion country that probably doesn't have environmental requirements," he said. "You keep all the design and IP at home and you do all your sales, marketing, and service at home, and that's where you make the money."

It's this approach that has directly led to the growth of chip foundries like TSMC and reduced production on American soil, Reinsch said.

According to a 2021 report from the Semiconductor Industry Association, in 1990 the US produced 37% of the world's chip supply. These days, the US is responsible for only 12% of global chip production.

Why is this a problem now?

port of la congestion ships

Container ships waiting off the coast of the congested ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, in California, on September 29, 2021.Mike Blake/REUTERS

As the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine have illustrated, having too much reliance on certain countries can upend supply chains when disruptions arise. It's for this reason that many US corporations are exploring "onshoring"  moving some of their manufacturing to the US  to make their supply chains more resilient.

The US's access to TSMC chips, however, is especially vulnerable, because though Taiwan is self-governing, China claims the island as its own and has threatened to invade. Controlling Taiwan is central to Chinese President Xi Jinping's goal of achieving a "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" by 2049, the 100th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

While the consequences of an invasion could be significant, many experts say it's just a matter of time before it happens, whether it's by 2030, 2025, or even by the end of next year. On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken predicted China would take steps to annex Taiwan on a "much faster timeline" than previously thought, signaling that it could be sooner rather than later. The US government is already playing out war-game scenarios to prepare for this, and in the event of a full invasion it would reportedly consider evacuating the skilled chipmaker engineers on which it's become so reliant.

The spotlight has focused increasingly on Taiwan and the semiconductor industry as a whole in recent weeks following the export regulations the US government slapped on China. Those regulations limit sales of semiconductors made using US technology and are meant to curb China's ability to develop advanced technology.

The US and China are now locked in what Patel described as "a full-scale bilateral economic cold war," one that's likely to have severe financial repercussions, especially given how intertwined the semiconductor supply chain is.

What would happen if China invaded Taiwan?

Chinese soldiers march with Chinese flag in foreground during a military parade

A Chinese military parade in June 2020.Alexander Vilf - Host Photo Agency via Getty Images

Taiwan hopes its semiconductor business will protect it from Chinese aggression  government leaders have called the industry a "silicon shield" against invasion.

But if China did invade, disrupting the world's access to chips, "the entire global economy comes to a screeching halt," O'Donnell from Forrester said. "Semiconductors have become almost like the oxygen of the global economy," he said. "Without the chips, you can't breathe."

The effects of such a halt would be "economically devastating," says Martijn Rasser, a former senior intelligence officer at the CIA who is now a security and technology expert at the Center for a New American Security, a left-leaning think tank.

"You'd be looking at trillions of dollars in economic losses," he told Insider.

The US National Security Council agrees, and in July the US commerce secretary said the US would face a "deep and immediate recession" if American businesses no longer had access to these chips.

Some experts have speculated that, in the event of an invasion, the chip-manufacturing facilities would be intentionally destroyed so China couldn't access them. In a US Army journal article published in December, the academic Jared McKinney described this strategy as the "broken nest"  another way to put it is mutually assured destruction.

The destruction of those facilities, or an inability to access their chips, could have major national security implications, Rasser said.

"Every military system that we rely on has a ton of semiconductors in them," he said. "It would start impacting our ability to maintain existing weapon systems, upgrade ones, build new ones."

Considering that the US has committed to defending Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, these hits to the US's defense capabilities could be especially significant.

But while a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would produce the most serious disruption, Rasser says it wouldn't necessarily take an invasion for the world's chip access to be blocked. As well as making investments in Taiwanese firms and poaching their workers, China could institute a blockade on the island that could cut off the world from semiconductor supplies.

What's the solution?

President Joe Biden holds up the signed CHIPS Act while surrounded by onlookers

President Joe Biden holding the signed CHIPs Act in August.SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

The US is taking some steps to make itself less reliant on Taiwan. In July, for instance, Congress passed the CHIPS Act, which includes nearly $53 billion in subsidies and tax breaks in an effort to bolster chip manufacturing in the US.

Some companies have already begun adding US facilities: Intel is building two $20 billion factories in Ohio, Micron has pledged to spend up to $100 billion on a massive chip factory in upstate New York, Samsung is building a $17 billion factory in Texas, and TSMC is constructing a $12 billion plant in Arizona.

TSMC is also building a new facility in Japan, one that will produce the less advanced chips needed in the auto industry. The Wall Street Journal reported that Japanese officials had signaled they'd like TSMC to expand its presence there by adding capacity for advanced chips as well, another sign global powers are growing wary of the geopolitical risk to Taiwan.

But O'Donnell warned it would be premature to celebrate an end to the chip shortage or to the US's reliance on Taiwanese chips. The factories themselves require equipment that's in short supply because of  ironically enough  the chip shortage. And besides, those plants take years to build and get online.

"Once you stick a shovel in the ground, you're not going to get chips for at least three years," he said.

Plus, there remain obstacles to substantially decreasing the country's reliance on TSMC. While the subsidies and tax breaks will help, Taiwan may continue to remain the cheaper option for businesses. And, for the time being at least, TSMC's chips are likely to be higher quality as well. Given that TSMC is "really at the cutting edge," Rasser said, the chips produced in the US by Intel, for instance, "wouldn't be as sophisticated" as those made in Taiwan.

While producing even these lower-quality chips would go some way to reduce the US's reliance on Taiwan, the US has a shortfall of the skilled workforce needed to ramp up production, a problem companies in this industry are facing across the globe. Rasser says enhanced training and education will be necessary to fill this gap.

It's for these reasons that it could be "years and potentially decades" before the US will be able to declare independence on the chipmaking front.

"The CHIPS Act, it's a good step in the right direction, but it's just a little more than scratching the surface," Rasser said.

In the meantime, the US may have to cross its fingers that an economy-shaking disruption doesn't come to pass.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked President Bidens student loan forgiveness program from continuing following an appeal from six GOP-led states.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled Friday that the policy to cancel thousands of dollars in student loan debt should be put on hold while challenges play out.

The Biden administration must respond to the case before the appeals court by Monday evening.

Bidens plan would cancel up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 per year. Those who received Pell Grants could receive up to $20,000 in relief.

The ruling comes after a federal district judge dismissed the states lawsuit on Thursday, ruling that they did not have standing to sue.

The president announced earlier on Friday that more than 22 million people had applied for student loan debt forgiveness following the applications release on Monday. Its unclear at this time how long the legal challenges will play out. However, student loan payments will resume at the beginning of next year after both former President Trump and Biden extended loan freezes during the pandemic.

The attorneys general originally filed the lawsuit in September, arguing that the Biden administration does not have the authority to cancel the debt because Congress did not authorize it.

But U.S. District Judge Henry Autry ruled that they did not demonstrate they are directly harmed by the relief, which is needed to meet the standard of having standing. He did note that they presented important and significant challenges to Bidens plan.

Multiple legal challenges have been filed to the loan forgiveness plan. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected an emergency bid from a group of Wisconsin taxpayers to block the plan on Thursday.

The Biden administration has argued that it is authorized to cancel debt through the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003. The legislation allows the secretary of Education to cancel debt to student loan borrowers in times of national emergency.

Story continues

The White House vowed to oppose GOP efforts to stop the presidents forgiveness plan from going forward in response to the ruling Friday.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the ruling does not stop borrowers from applying for relief or the government from reviewing applications. The administration just cannot distribute relief until the appeals court issues a ruling on the case.

And in remarks from the Delaware State University on Friday, the president took aim at Republicans who argue that giving borrowers debt relief is undeserved.

Ted Cruz, the great senator from Texas, he said its for slackers  quote slackers  who dont deserve relief. Who the hell do they think they are? Biden said.

I dont want to hear it from MAGA Republican officials who had hundreds of thousands of dollars of debts, even millions of dollars, in pandemic relief loans forgiven, who now are attacking me for helping working- and middle-class Americans, he added.

Updated at 9:19 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
For the second time in about a month, a lawsuit challenging Floridas so-called dont say gay legislation restricting teaching on gender identity and sexual orientation in schools has been dismissed by a federal judge.

U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger in Orlando on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit brought by LGBTQ students, parents and their families  as well as several civil rights groups  and refused their request for a preliminary injunction to stop the law from being implemented. The judge gave the plaintiffs until Nov. 3 to file an amended lawsuit if they desired.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

The lawsuit in Orlando named as defendants several Florida school boards charged with implementing the law, which bans lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade as well as material that is not deemed age-appropriate. The lawsuit claimed the law had violated the plaintiffs constitutional rights by chilling their ability to talk about their LGBTQ families in school settings. The judge disagreed.

Plaintiffs have not directed this Court to any fact that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the law prohibits students from discussing their families and vacations at school or even on a school assignment, or that it would prohibit a parent from attending a school function in a pride t-shirt or generally discussing their family structure in front of other people, wrote Berger, a nominee of former President Donald Trump.

Read: Man found shot and killed after car crash, deputies say

In response to concerns by the parents of a nonbinary middle school student who were plaintiffs and worried the law would encourage more bullying, the judge expressed sympathy. But Berger added, it is simply a fact of life that many middle school students will face the criticism and harsh judgment of their peers.

Indeed, middle school children bully and belittle their classmates for a whole host of reasons, all of which are unacceptable, and many of which have nothing to do with a classmates gender identity, the judge wrote.

Story continues

Read: State Road 46 reopens in Seminole County after floodwaters from Hurricane Ian recede to safe levels

About a month ago, a federal judge in Tallahassee dismissed a similar challenge to the law. In both lawsuits, the judges questioned the legal standing of the plaintiffs, saying they had failed to specifically identify how the law had harmed them.

A report released in August by the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nations largest LGBTQ advocacy groups, and the Center for Countering Digital Hate said that hateful references to gays, lesbians and other LGBTQ people surged online after Floridas Republican-dominated legislature passed the bill. The law was championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican.

Read: Orange County homelessness resource fair helps residents after Hurricane Ian

Civil rights groups that had helped the families file the lawsuit called the judges decision wrong and said their fight against the law wasnt over.

The students and families at the heart of this case have experienced more bullying in the months since the law went into effect than ever before in their lives, but the court dismissed their experiences of bullying as a fact of life, said Kell Olson, staff attorney at Lambda Legal, a civil rights group focused on LGBTQ rights. The courts decision defies decades of precedent establishing schools constitutional obligations to protect student speech, and to protect students from targeted bullying and harassment based on who they are.

Read: 1 dead after pickup truck catches fire after crash, troopers say

The Associated Press Contributed to this article.

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Stock cop lights

DELRAY BEACH  An Uber Eats driver was shot and wounded Friday night while she was delivering an order in a Delray Beach neighborhood, city police said Saturday.

Police say they have two suspects, and have arrested one, but are searching for another.

The woman was delivering the order in the 3700 block of Village Drive, which is in the Chateau Woods development, around 9:50 p.m. Friday when she was shot, a Delray Beach Police spokesman said.

Officers responded to the scene, and the woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police did not identify the man they arrested on an unrelated charge, nor the name of the suspect they are looking for. A motive in the shooting remains unknown, said police, who released no other details about the incident.

The Delray Beach Police Department urges anyone with information about this crime to call Detective Charlie Lunsford at 561-243-7809.

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Uber Eats driver shot, wounded in Delray Beach
Former Chinese president Hu Jintao was removed by officials during the closing ceremony of a Chinese Communist Party Congress session Saturday.

Hu sat next to current Chinese president Xi Jinping. Near the close of the meeting, two stewards escorted Hu off the stage of the main auditorium of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Reuters reported.

A staff member first tried to lift Hu by his arm out of the chair. Then Kong Shaoxun, head of the partys secretariat, approached. Hu had a brief conversation with the men but seemed hesitant to leave.

Early drama: Hu Jintao seen being led out soon after reporters are led into the main hall pic.twitter.com/pRffGZF60I  Danson Cheong (@dansoncj) October 22, 2022



Then two officials arrived at his chair. They were seen repeatedly trying to hoist Hu out of his seat, while the former leader appeared distressed. Hu then placed his hand on a document on Xis folder, an effort Xi blocked by placing his own hand on the sheet.

The individual seated on the other side of Hu, Chinas top lawmaker Li Zhanshu, handed one of the officials Hus folder. He wiping his head with a cloth after Hu complied and agreed to be carried away.

However, Hu did not willingly exit, video footage suggests. He showed signs of pushback as he turned back to his chair. Comments were made to Xi as he left. Hu also patted Premier Li Keqiang on the shoulder as he departed. Xi and Li nodded but it is unclear what was said.

Chinese social media platforms attempted to suppress video of the incident, though it was widely circulated on Twitter. Some accounts hinted to the drama on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, by commenting on old posts featuring Hu, sometimes used as a strategy to make a point while going undetected by social media censors. Official Chinese media has made no mention of the bizarre event.

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Hus health has been reportedly declining since he retired in 2013. The abrupt removal happened after the Congress had approved new members of the partys Central Committee. One of the new members is Xi. He has been perceived as an authoritarian figure who squashes competition within the governing ranks and limits the influence of older party leaders. Xi, 69, is expected to secure a third five-year leadership term as party general secretary, consolidating his power over the country.

More from National Review
Geena Davis spoke about her experience with Bill Murray in an interview with the British outlet i. Jae C. Hong/AP

Geena Davis recalled an uncomfortable interaction with Bill Murray in 1990.

Davis discussed a joint appearance on "The Arsenio Hall Show" where Murray pulled down her dress strap.

She recounted other experiences with Murray in her new memoir, "Dying of Politeness."

Geena Davis recalled an "awful" TV interview with Bill Murray when he pulled down her dress strap on air.

Davis reflected on the incident with British outlet i and her new memoir, "Dying of Politeness," which hit shelves on October 11. Davis, 66, worked with Murray, 72, in 1990 while filming the crime comedy "Quick Change." The two appeared on "The Arsenio Hall Show" to promote the film that year, but Davis told the outlet the interview made her uncomfortable.

"Oh you saw? Isn't it stunning?" Davis told the outlet, before calling the moment "awful."

A clip from the interview showed Murray stroking Davis' arms and, at one point, pulling down her dress strap as she talked to Hall about her audition process.

"He touched you a lot in the audition?" Hall asked Davis during the interview, referring to Murray.

"Yeah, I swear. The first thing he did was take my shirt out of my pants and start tickling my stomach," she responded, smiling as the audience laughed.

Bill Murray attends the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, California. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

Davis told the outlet that although she laughed off the incident at the time, it was ultimately "devastating."

"I forgot that. Telling it that way, just as a humorous anecdote, I must have thought, 'Well, it's ultimately funny, or makes a good story,' when in fact it was so devastating," Davis said.

Representatives for Murray did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The outlet reported that Davis also spoke about the audition in her memoir, noting that it took Davis "decades" to process how Murray treated her at that time. Davis wrote that when she went to Murray's hotel suit to audition, he used a massage device he called "The Thumper" on her despite her saying no.

"I said no multiple times, but he wouldn't relent," she writes. "I realized with a profound sadness that I didn't yet have the ability to withstand this onslaught  or to simply walk out," she wrote.

Story continues

Geena Davis in December 1990. Ron Galella, Ltd./Getty Images

According to the memoir, Murray also acted inappropriately toward her while filming on set. Murray wrote that Murray "came raging into the trailer, violently banging on the door" and screamed at her.

Earlier this month, actor Seth Green shared a tense experience with Murray when he was nine during a guest appearance on "Saturday Night Live." Green said Murray dropped him into a trash can because he wouldn't move from his seat on a couch, but was later comforted by "SNL" stars Eddie Murphy and Tim Kazurinsky.

"They were like, 'Hey, everybody knows Bill's a dick," Greens said, referring to Murphy and Kazurinsky. "He's hosting the show. He's probably really nervous about it. You be a pro. The show must go on."

Read the original article on Insider
Geena Davis has discussed her memories of Brad Pitts audition forThelma & Louise, as well as the future A-listers he beat to land the part.

The role of cowboy hitchhiker JD brought Pitt to mainstream attention in 1991, and is widely credited with having helped to launch the actors career.

During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show on Friday (21 October), Davis recalled that she had already been cast as Thelma when she took part in chemistry reads with the four different actors vying to play JD.

Each of them were very handsome, said Davis. They all had brown hair and were very talented. I didnt care who it was going to be. Then the fourth one comes in, and its Brad Pitt. Hes so charismatic and so incredibly talented that I was screwing up his audition.

Davis mimed staring dumbstruck at the actor. Id forget to say my line, she explained.

She added that after all the actors had auditioned, she offered her advice to the films casting directors: The blonde one!

As for the other actors who missed out on the role, Davis said she didnt know who they were at the time. Shes since learned that they were Grant Show, who played Jake Hanson on soap opera Melrose Place from 1992 to 1997, and Mark Ruffalo, now best known for playing the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Davis explained she learned the identity of the final candidate when she sat next to him on a flight. He told her he hated Brad Pitt for winning the part of JD. I said, Oh, did you want the part? said Davis. He said, You couldnt tell when I auditioned with you? It was George Clooney.

An incredulous Norton asked: And you didnt remember him at all? to which Davis replied: No!

In another recent interview, Davis said it was awful to watch back a TV clip with Bill Murray, in which her co-star grabbed her arm. That interview was to promote their 1990 film Quick Change.
A Georgetown County minister has been arrested on multiple charges of criminal sexual conduct with minors out of Maryland when the minister worked as a youth pastor, the Georgetown County Sheriffs Office announced Friday.

Thomas Brackett, 59, the pastor of Holy Trinity Pentecostal Church in Andrews was taken into custody Thursday, the release states.

He has 11 warrants from Baltimore County, including charges of criminal sexual conduct with minors.

The sheriffs office said the accusations stem from incidents that occurred while Brackett was a youth pastor Tabernacle Christian Church in the 1980s.

He is currently jailed at the Georgetown County Detention Center, but will be extradited to Maryland, the sheriffs office said.
A Federal Court of Appeals has put in place a temporary block on President Joe Biden's student debt forgiveness program after granting a stay Friday evening.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with six Republican-led states that sued the administration. The court temporarily halted the program, which would have forgiven up to up $10,000 in debt for eligible non-Pell Grant recipients, until consideration of an injunction is completed.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden gives remarks on student debt relief at Delaware State University on Oct. 21, 2022, in Dover, Delaware. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The administration has until Monday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. ET to file an appeal for the injunction.

The White House said the block will not deter them from preparing for moving forward with the program.

"Tonight's temporary order does not prevent borrowers from applying for student debt relief at studentaid.gov -- and we encourage eligible borrowers to join the nearly 22 million Americans whose information the Department of Education already has," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Friday. "It also does not prevent us from reviewing these applications and preparing them for transmission to loan servicers."

She said the order does not "suggest that the case has merit" but "merely prevents debt from being discharged until the court makes a decision."

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona issued a similar statement following the order, saying the temporary block doesn't prevent the department from reviewing the "millions of applications" it has received since launching the program.

MORE: Biden's student loan forgiveness policy: How to apply, who qualifies, more

The Court of Appeals decision comes a day after U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey dismissed the suit ruling that the six states  Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina  failed to establish they had standing.

Biden announced his plan in August and launched the application process on Monday. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said after the Monday announcement that over 8 million borrowers have already applied for loan forgiveness through the "beta" -- or test -- version of the application.

Story continues

Under the plan, individuals with student loans making less than $125,000 can apply for up to $10,000 of debt relief, or as much as $20,000 for eligible borrowers who were also Pell Grant recipients.

The Biden administration had previously said in court filings it could begin canceling student loans as early as this Sunday.

ABC News' Anne Flaherty, Isabella Murray and Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.

Federal appeals court temporarily blocks Biden's student debt forgiveness program originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
By Nelson Banya

(Reuters) - An independent evaluation has put Yamana Gold's mineral assets at between $6 billion and $8 billion, in line with South Africa's Gold Fields' initial offer price for the Canadian miner, circulars issued late Friday showed.

Gold Fields announced a deal to acquire Yamana in an all-share transaction that valued the Canadian company at $6.7 billion on May 31.

But investor concerns that the deal was dilutive and over-valued Yamana sent Gold Fields' shares tumbling 20% on the day of the announcement.

The spread between the value of Gold Fields' offer and Yamana's share price has narrowed following the share slump.

A valuation report produced by CIBC World Markets Inc. on Aug. 30 had valued Yamana's mineral assets, which include 50% of Canadian Malarctic - one of the world's biggest gold mines - at between $6.825 billion and $8.025 billion, according to the circulars.

CIBC, one of Canada's biggest investment banks, said its report did not evaluate Yamana as a corporate entity and excluded the firm's expenses and interest on debt held at the corporate level.

Gold Fields and Yamana did not provide financial projections but used 2021 financial reports to show that the combined entity would have reported $6 billion revenue and $744 million annual profit if the deal was executed on Jan. 1 last year.

Both firms' boards said they unanimously backed the transaction, which would see Gold Fields owning 69% of the merged entity and current Yamana shareholders holding 31%.

"The combined company will be a top-4 global gold major with a diversified portfolio of high-quality, long-life assets with tangible near and long-term growth opportunities," the directors said.

Gold Fields has said Yamana gives it a coveted foothold in North America and brings new assets on board at a time the industry is faced with depleting reserves.

Yamana and Gold Fields shareholders will vote on the deal on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, respectively.

The transactions require the approval of 75% of Gold Fields shareholders, while Yamana needs 66.67% support.

(Reporting by Nelson Banya; Editing by Robert Birsel)
(Bloomberg) -- The Republican National Committee sued Google, claiming it cant communicate with party members to raise money because the internet giant is routing its email messages to spam folders.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The committee accuses the Alphabet Inc. unit of political discrimination, saying its messages sent through Gmail reach supporter inboxes most of the time -- except at the end of the month, when nearly all of its emails end up in spam folders where users are unlikely to read them.

Critically, and suspiciously, this end of the month period is historically when the RNCs fundraising is most successful, according to the complaint filed Friday in federal court in Sacramento, California.

The RNC said the problem has persisted for about 10 months despite its best efforts to work with Google. The committee is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order to remedy Googles violations of state and federal law.

The lawsuit was filed less than three weeks before midterm elections that will determine control of both houses of Congress.

Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson, said in an email late Friday night that as we have repeatedly said, we simply dont filter emails based on political affiliation. Gmails spam filters reflect users actions.

The company added that at the end of the month political bulk senders and some commercial ones send more emails, which makes it more likely that users will mark them as spam.

Republicans have long accused the technology giants of censoring conservatives and their views, something that the companies deny.

--With assistance from John Harney.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Ventdusud/Shutterstock

Gov. Gavin Newsom is threatening to halt plans for a $1.7 million toilet in San Francisco.

The toilet received backlash, and demands to explain the cost and two-year construction timeline.

The city's Rec and Park department said the costs included planning, drawing, permits, and reviews.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is threatening to halt plans to build a public toilet in San Francisco after it received huge backlash over its $1.7 million cost and 2-year construction time.

Newsom's office told the San Francisco Chronicle Friday that it would intervene to halt funding for a public toilet in Noe Valley Town Square if a cheaper, more efficient means of production couldn't be realized.

"A single, small bathroom should not cost $1.7 million," Erin Mellon, the governor's communications director, told the Chronicle in a statement. "The state will hold funding until San Francisco delivers a plan to use this public money more efficiently. If they cannot, we will go back to the legislature to revoke this appropriation."

The Chronicle first reported Wednesday that Assembly Member Matt Haney had secured $1.7 million in funding for a public toilet in the plaza, after hearing "loud and clear" from the community that families needed a bathroom. Haney was advised on the cost by the city's Recreation and Parks Department.

The toilet is required to go through a lengthy planning process before it can be installed, pushing completion as far back as 2025, the Chronicle reported.

This includes an architect drawing up plans for the city which receive feedback and a "multi-phase review" by five commissioners, before going to the Rec and Park Commission and the board of supervisors. It would then be reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act, before finally being put to a bidding process.

The project has inspired a wave of condemnation and calls to explain how the toilet could cost so much, even in a city where it's more expensive to build things than anywhere else in the world.

Story continues

"This is to build one public restroom? What are they making it out of  gold and fine Italian marble? It would be comical if it wasn't so tragically flawed," Tom Hardiman, executive director of the Modular Building Institute in Charlottesville, told the Chronicle Wednesday.

A joint statement from Rec and Park and the Department of Public Works defended the costs, which in addition to materials expenses, included planning, drawing, permits, reviews and public outreach.

But following the report by the Chronicle, Haney canceled a celebratory press conference for the toilet, and informed the paper he had gone back to the Rec and Park department for further explanation of the cost.

"When Rec and Park first told us the number, it sounded shockingly high to me, and I think your article has revealed that their process around this is broken and the number is inexplicable," Haney told the paper.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams rolled out plans for a police subway surge Saturday aimed at making the citys 3.6 million underground straphangers feel safe on the trains while delivering aid to the systems homeless population.

Hochul  under attack from GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin over rising crime in an election contest polls show is tightening  promised additional money to increase the number of MTA and NYPD officers on trains and station platforms.

We will do whatever it takes to make our subways safer for riders, Hochul said of the Cops, Cameras and Care program aimed at addressing the intertwined problems of crime and the mentally ill homeless.

Hochul and other officials promised an additional 1,200 overtime police shifts per day to combat rising subterranean crime. The MTA will also place unarmed guards at certain subway stations to increase security and halt fare-beaters.

In addition to the expanded police presence, Hochul and Adams touted previously announced plans to put more cameras in subway cars, and a new plan to move the homeless and mentally ill people from the subway system to two new dedicated 25-bed units at psychiatric care centers.

In another twist  reported by the Daily News last Monday  subway conductors will announce to straphangers when they are arriving at a station with officers present.

I wont rest until the subway is a safe place for all, said Adams, a former Transit Police officer. People are saying over and over again, We dont feel safe ... Visibility in the system plays a critical role.

A 15-year-old boy killed last week on a Queens subway train was the systems eighth homicide of the year, with NYPD Transit Bureau statistics showing a 33% increase in robberies and a 16.5% rise in felony assault and New Yorkers feeling skeptical about the systems safety.

I dont feel safe on the trains, said straphanger Wendy Vargas, 29, of Woodhaven. Actually, I feel very unsafe. Theres no protection. Anything can happen at any second. I think they should provide these new mental health services.

Story continues

Just yesterday, there were two men screaming at the top of their lungs outside my station. Like, why?

Tony Saur, 20, of the Bronx, expressed a lack of confidence in the new initiative.

Its going to be the same thing, said Saur, a daily subway rider. New York never changes ... You barely see cops down there. I saw them twice in the last week.

You never know who is standing next to you. It is very unsafe, said Edgar Cardona, 42, as he stood on the downtown-bound platform of the No. 1, 2, 3 station at W. 96th St. and Broadway on Manhattans Upper West Side.

As he waited, Cardona warned a friend: Get away from the edge of the platform.

I have to take the train every day. Im tired of the madness, he said.

The program will additionally deploy MTA police at four major subway stops  Grand Central, Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal and the Sutphin-Archer Station  to free up roughly 100 city officers to work at other priority transit locations.

There will also be a component of training for police officers to deal with people suffering from psychiatric issues, said Hochul. And the mayor said the bottom line was addressing both the perception and reality of safety, noting the increased police presence would also deter fare evaders often responsible for subway crime.

Adams noted the arrest of a gun-toting fare dodger in Brooklyn only a few days ago, the second in one week.

MTA chairman Janno Lieber endorsed the new plan as more riders return to the system.

Subway ridership has surged since Labor Day, and we remain focused on growing rider confidence through increased deployment of uniformed officers, cameras installed in every subway car and further progress on quality of life issues, he said.

The plan quickly came under attack from the Police Benevolent Association, the citys biggest police union.

PBA president Patrick Lynch blasted the plan as unsustainable, noting the department is currently more than 1,000 officers below its budgeted headcount.

The increased workload is crushing the cops who remain, he said. The answer is not to squeeze them for more forced OT. And its definitely isnt replacing them with unarmed security guards.

Adams said earlier that he believed the multi-pronged new program will address the concerns of New Yorkers.

This effort will help with two things New Yorkers desperately want, he said. The addition of hundreds of strategically-deployed officers on our trains and help to those suffering from serious mental illness, so they can find a way out of the subway system.

With Mark Stamey
Governor Ron Desantis has announced $5 million dollars in new funding will go towards Florida residents impacted by Hurricane Ian.

The funding is aimed to help Floridians pay their home insurance deductibles the governor said.

We know a lot of homeowners had coverage for the storm, however insurance deductibles are expensive and often a gap not covered by other support, said DeSantis. These funds will immediately help families and seniors with limited means get closer to recovery.

Florida Housing annually receives funding for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program.

Read: Gov. DeSantis calls on changes to death penalty law after Parkland shooter sentencing hearing

This year, the disaster funds have been put to assist Floridians who are low to moderate income that live in one of the six counties hardest hit by Hurricane Ian and cannot afford to pay their insurance deductibles.

Funding assistance is available to individuals, families and seniors living in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Lee and Sarasota counties who apply and qualify through Florida Housings local housing partners.

Homeowners are encouraged to contact their local SHIP office directly for more information: Local Government Information.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
A Massachusetts woman is accused of weaponizing honeybees against a group of police officers. She wasnt even the person the officers had been sent to deal with.

In health news, Pfizer is eyeing a major price hike of its coronavirus vaccine once the governments pandemic-era contract runs out.

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where were following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, were Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi.

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Pfizer looks to charge $110 a dose for COVID vax

Pfizer expects to roughly quadruple the price of its COVID-19 vaccine to between $110 to $130 per dose once the U.S. governments purchasing program ends early next year, a company official said.

Angela Lukin, the president of U.S. operations, said during an investor call Thursday the company is still in discussion with insurers but that they are confident the price will ensure equitable access and reimbursement.

Lukin said Pfizer is working on manufacturing a single-dose shot, rather than multi-dose vials used currently, and the increased cost reflects that.

Under the most recent contract, the federal government pays about $30 a dose and then distributes the vaccine to the public for free.

The $110 to $130 price tag is the list price without negotiated discounts, meaning people with Medicare, Medicaid or private health insurance would most likely pay nothing at all.



Pfizers contract with the U.S. government runs through the end of the year. Federal health officials have said they anticipate shifting COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments to the commercial marketplace sometime next year.



The government has already stopped providing free COVID-19 tests.

Drug pricing advocacy groups were outraged, calling the move an effort to price-gouge consumers.

Read more here.





Story continues

WHITE HOUSE TO BOOST ADDICTION MEDICATION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

President Biden will move to expand the use of medication to treat addiction in pregnant women through a new initiative as part of the administrations strategy to improve maternal health.

The initiative will develop training and technical assistance about medications for opioid addiction treatment, like buprenorphine and methadone, for women who are part of government programs through the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services. It also will offer opioid addition education to womens health providers through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Additionally, the initiative will expand access to medications for opioid addiction for pregnant women and women of reproductive age within Tribal nations and living in Tribal communities, particularly in urban areas.

Medications to treat opioid use disorder improve birth outcomes, making it less likely newborns will be born too early. Medications to treat opioid use disorder prevent and reduce the risk of maternal overdose and death, stated a fact sheet released by the White Houses Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The initiative is based off a report conducted by the administration to improve maternal health, which medical professionals, early childhood experts and others contributed to. The use of opioids among pregnant women is considered a significant public health concern by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A growing issue: The number of women with opioid-related diagnoses documented at delivery increased by 131 percent from 2010 to 2017, and 7 percent of women said they used opioids during pregnancy in 2019.

Read more here.





CDC mulling oral polio vax to combat NY outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is discussing the use of an oral polio vaccine for the first time in decades in light of concerns of an outbreak in the New York City metropolitan area, CNBC reported Friday.

Jannell Routh, the CDCs team leader for domestic polio, told CNBC that the agency is discussing the possibility with New York state and New York City colleagues.

It will be a process. Its not something that we can pull the trigger on and have it appear overnight. There will be lots of thought and discussion about the reintroduction of an oral polio vaccine into the United States, she said.

The novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV), which the CDC is considering turning to, was taken out of circulation in 2000 because it contains a weakened but live strain of the virus that rarely can mutate into a virulent form that can paralyze unvaccinated people, CNBC reported.

Officials first detected a case of polio in Rockland County, N.Y., in July. The 20-year-old man developed symptoms of polio, including paralysis, and was unvaccinated.



New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) declared an emergency in the state last month after the health department found poliovirus in stool samples in five counties.

Read more here.





CVS HEALTH PARTNERSHIP AIMS TO END THE TAMPON TAX

CVS Health announced its support for the elimination of the so-called tampon tax and will work to end the sales tax on menstrual products as part of its new partnership with Period Law and PERIOD.

The tampon tax, or period tax, refers to sales tax tacked onto period care products. Its come under fire as menstruating people need to buy the products and end up paying more for a necessary item.

Earlier this month, CVS Health announced it would lower the cost of regular retail period products by 25 percent, though the reductions only apply to CVS brand tampons, menstrual pads, liners and cups.

Only 22 states continue to impose a tax on period products, and the new partnership will target efforts in these regions.

While all 22 states enjoy a budget surplus, the tax revenue associated with menstrual products in most of these states is less than one one-hundredth of a percent of each states total revenue, a press release from the three organizations reads.



Exempting the tax on menstrual products, deemed health necessities by the American Medication Association, is negligible to overall revenue.

Read more here.





NIH looking into Boston Universitys COVID research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is looking into COVID-19 research that was conducted at Boston University to determine whether the experiment should have been subject to agency guidelines.

Earlier this month, researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine published findings from a preprint study in which they combined the ancestral COVID-19 virus with genetic data from the circulating omicron strain.

This chimeric pathogen was found to escape vaccine-induced immunity. The artificial virus was found to induce severe disease with a mortality rate of 80 percent among laboratory mice, even as the naturally occurring omicron strain was noted to cause mild, non-fatal infection.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, did not review nor issue awards for experiments described in a pre-print article on SARS-CoV-2 research at Boston Universitys National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL), NIH said in a statement provided to The Hill.



NIH is examining the matter to determine whether the research conducted was subject to the NIH Grants Policy Statement or met the criteria for review under the HHS [Health and Human Services] Framework for Guiding Funding Decisions about Proposed Research Involving Enhanced Potential Pandemic Pathogens (HHS P3CO Framework), the statement continued.

A spokesperson for Boston University told The Hill that the school will cooperate with and assist the NIH as they look into the matter.

Read more here.





WHAT WERE READING

No quick fixes: Walenskys push for change at CDC meets reality (Politico)

They see that its really in our hands now: young women work to get out the vote in the wake of Dobbs (the 19th news)

FDAs vaccines chief sees possibility of more Covid boosters  sooner than hed like (Stat)





STATE BY STATE

Federal prosecutor announces task force to target COVID-19 fraud in Idaho (Idaho Capital Sun)

A Vermont towns water official resigns amid fluoridation confusion (The New York Times)

Texas revamps active-shooter drills at K-12 schools to minimize trauma (Kaiser Health News)





 Lighter click: The Hills photos of the week





Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Health Care page for the latest news and explore more newsletters here. See you Monday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Little Ella Winslow never knew her father, who died when she was just three months old. The only child of Darius and Hannah Winslow, she was born in Northfield in 1846. Her mother married again, after Ella turned 3, and her stepfather, John Dearborn, quickly embraced his new role. Some families are cobbled together in this way. For Ella, it may have influenced the remainder of her life.

She went to school at Tilton Academy and later studied in Ipswich, Massachusetts  most likely at Ipswich Female Academy. There, she qualified to become a teacher and spent the next few years working in schools in Holderness and Northfield. She might have remained a teacher, but in the mid-nineteenth century only single women were allowed to teach. Ella married William H.C. Follansby, a local merchant in 1866 and her teaching days ended.

Ella Follansby (18461907)

He began his business career as a merchant, moving with Ella to Barre, Massachusetts before settling in Exeter in 1875. William became a banker and the wealth it brought made it possible for Ella to become a social reformer. With no children of their own, Ella used her experience as a teacher to champion the needs and wants of children. This was a time when any child who had lost one or both parents was considered an orphan. Many would find themselves tossed into public care  at that time consisting of poor farms, asylums, or orphanages. She worried over the fate of children brought into the legal system. A tribute to her noted, Many is the sentence which through her pleading has been mitigated, suspended or withheld, in very many instances with beneficial results. It was through Mrs. Follansbys instrumentality that the law was passed in removal of children from the county almshouses.

She didnt just discuss issues at the Ladies Social Circle, she showed up when needed. Exeter Probate Judge Louis Hoyt said, My attention was first called to her work several years ago while filling the office of a prosecuting attorney. When juvenile offenders were before the courts for serious offences, she had a habit of looking them up, ascertaining the nature of their home surroundings, and holding conferences with them to learn what they thought of life. She was not a sentimentalist, but believed that all people conscious of their doings should be held accountable for them, but where she found good nature led astray by unfortunate influences she asked that she might be allowed to find a home for such in another section of the state, far removed from former associates, and pleaded that they might be permitted to start life anew, burdened not even with the weight of a suspended sentence.

Story continues

She herself fostered over 35 youngsters in her large home on High Street. In 1895, she was appointed to the New Hampshire State Board of Charities and Correction, a position she would continue to hold until her death. Children brought before the courts  even probate court if theyd been orphaned  often found Ella Follansby in attendance. Of the many children she and William fostered, they legally adopted only one  Daisy Luck, one of three sisters left without a mother, their father unable to care for them. Daisy attended the Robinson Female Seminary, graduating in 1915 before taking a degree at Smith College.

Ella Follansby became involved in local efforts to open a hospital in Exeter. She was on the committee that purchased Exeter Hospitals first home on Pine Street and she served as a trustee and treasurer for many years. Her death, at the age of 61 in 1907, saddened the state and local community. Tributes to her covered the front page of the Exeter News-Letter. Business in town shut down for the two-hour funeral. Judge Hoyt opened his court session the following Tuesday with a lengthy tribute to the woman who had stood before him so often to advocate for children.

Often in the study of genealogy, those people who have no biological offspring are forgotten or given only brief mention. Ella Follansby defies that stereotype. She was able to move the social climate without ever being allowed to legally vote. Unable to have a family naturally, she modeled the creation of a family to those who would otherwise not have considered taking in children not directly related. New Hampshire and Exeter owe her a great deal of thanks.

Barbara Rimkunas is curator of the Exeter Historical Society. Support the Exeter Historical Society by becoming a member. Join online at www.exeterhistory.org.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Historically Speaking: Ella Laville Follansby of Exeter
A man who was hired to kill his best friends wife will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Adrian Earl Harley was sentenced this week for killing Tiffany Jackson Pugh in November 2014, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says Harley went into his best friends East Point home and shot the mother of two.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Pughs body was found in guest bedroom with gunshots to her eye and chest, police previously said. Her 2-yaer-old child was laying on top of her body crying and begging her to wake up.

Police determined that Pughs husband, Andre Pugh, also known as DJ Awesome at an Atlanta strip club, hired Harley to kill his wife.

Andre Pugh reportedly called 911 to say his wife had been murdered without having been inside the house to see her body, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

TRENDING STORIES:

Harley was the best man at Andre and Tiffany Pughs wedding and even served as a pall bearer at her funeral.

Both men were arrested in December 2014. Andre Pugh was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2018 and is currently serving his sentence at the Telfair State Prison.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Over the past year, many Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) insiders sold a significant stake in the company which may have piqued investors' interest. When evaluating insider transactions, knowing whether insiders are buying versus if they selling is usually more beneficial, as the latter can be open to many interpretations. However, shareholders should take a deeper look if several insiders are selling stock over a specific time period.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for Humana

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Humana

The President, Bruce Broussard, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$4.0m worth of shares at a price of US$457 each. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$511, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. We note that the biggest single sale was only 13% of Bruce Broussard's holding.

Humana insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

I will like Humana better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insiders At Humana Have Sold Stock Recently

The last three months saw significant insider selling at Humana. In total, Chief Legal Officer Joseph Ventura dumped US$621k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.

Story continues

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Humana insiders own 0.2% of the company, currently worth about US$138m based on the recent share price. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Humana Tell Us?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. On the plus side, Humana makes money, and is growing profits. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Humana and we suggest you have a look.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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(Bloomberg) -- Hungary will approve the expansion the the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to include Finland and Sweden by mid-December at the latest, Cabinet Minister Gergely Gulyas said at a government briefing on Saturday.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The eastern European Union country is one of two remaining holdouts among NATOs members over the inclusion of the countries who applied to join after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Turkey is the other.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbans ruling Fidesz party has been slow to set the vote date as he has mounted a campaign to derail EU sanctions aimed at punishing Russia for the war.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Indianapolis Cityscapes And City Views

An Indianapolis police officer was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday (Oct. 18) for assaulting a man in September 2021. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Sgt. Eric Huxley was charged with violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force. He is also charged with misconduct and battery resulting in moderate bodily injury by Marion County prosecutors.

In newly released bodycam footage, a man identified as Jermaine Vaughn is shown handcuffed and on his back as another officer holds him down as Huxley stomps down directly onto his face. Simultaneously, the clip shows another officer yelling at Vaughn, Youre done. Youre done. Stunned, Vaughn remains on the ground as blood poured from his mouth.

A police affidavit revealed that the man said he was exercising his right to freedom of speech at Monument Circle when he engaged in a verbal back-and-forth with an officer. The officer exited his vehicle and called for backup; that was when Vaughn was arrested and assaulted. He was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, though the charges were ultimately dismissed.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randal Taylor said he was confident the judicial system would bring Vaughn and his family justice. This incident was unnecessary and should have never occurred. I would not tolerate this behavior from any community member; Sergeant Huxley is no exception. As law enforcement officers, we must understand that this behavior violates the communitys trust, Taylor said in a statement obtained by MSNBC.

Pastor Lionel Rush of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Indianapolis called the assault atrocious and nefarious. To the credit of this chief, they were forthcoming, and they did not need to be put in a hammerlock to do that, he told NBC News.

Huxley, a 15-year veteran of the force, was immediately suspended without pay. Taylor also recommended he face termination. According to Huxleys attorney, John Kautzman, the officer is sorry for any pain caused to Mr. Vaughn as a result of his actions and the negative scrutiny placed on his department and fellow officers. He also claimed, This incident resulted from his perception of the need to attempt a trained police technique that unfortunately struck Mr. Vaughn in an unintended area of his body.

You can view the graphic bodycam footage below.
(Bloomberg) -- Indonesia is proposing about $4 billion of projects to funders including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to help wean itself off of coal, with a deal possible as early as next week.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The funds would go toward accelerating the retirement of up to 2 gigawatts of coal-fired power plants, according to a public consultation document. BloombergNEF data shows Indonesia has about 37 gigawatts of such plants. The financing would be done through a platform meant to let the projects tap a mix of sovereign, multilateral and private investors, instead of only bilateral funding.

Indonesia will seek the funders approval on the investment plan in an Oct. 26 meeting, according to a related statement.

This is a step forward in Indonesias bid to shift away from coal, a commodity that generates more than half of its electricity and buttresses its economic growth. The platform, known as the Energy Transition Mechanism, shows one way developing countries can fund their move to cleaner energy while retaining authority over their local policies, as nations from South Africa to India seek financing for their climate mitigation goals.

An emissions-intensive path to economic growth remains unsustainable for Indonesia going forward, the government wrote in the document. Impacts of the physical hazards brought about by climate change will be felt across all of Indonesian society.

Just Transition

Indonesian officials are also working with representatives of the US and other wealthy countries on a just energy transition package set to include millions of dollars in funding to support a move away from coal. Negotiations are ongoing, with a deal set to be announced on the sidelines of the Group of 20 gathering in November.

As part of the $4 billion proposal, the government is putting forward projects including the early closure of PT Perusahaan Listrik Negaras Suralaya and Paiton power plant units, which are among the biggest in Southeast Asia. Other projects in the proposal include closing coal mines and building up renewable energy capacity while expanding womens role in the sector.

Story continues

The worlds top thermal coal exporter recently stepped up its emissions reduction goal. The country has set out a goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2060 that includes developing solar, geothermal and nuclear power to replace coal.

--With assistance from Eko Listiyorini and Jennifer A. Dlouhy.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Participants at the No Hate No Fear solidarity march against the rise of anti-semitism in New York City on January 5, 2020, Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

Republican leaders have seemingly adopted a wait-and-see approach to antisemitism.

Frustrated supporters say the party should automatically condemn "any divisive and hateful commentary."

"A lot of these people vote," Donald Trump once said when advised to keep bigots at bay.

Insider contacted more than three dozen Republicans, both in and out of Congress, to find out what's kept them from denouncing recent antisemitic outbursts by the party's current idols.

Almost everyone ignored the multiple emails, calls, and text messages asking whatever happened to the cookie-cutter "there's-no-place-for-INSERT DESPICABLE THING-in-the-Republican-party" statements politicians typically fired off as soon as someone baselessly attacked anyone's race, religion or ethnicity.

Insider reached out to House Republican leaders, GOP senators auditioning for the 2024 presidential race, the Republican National Committee, retired GOP lawmakers, seasoned Republican strategists and former Donald Trump administration officials about this disturbing phenomenon.

The non-respondents included RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, former Vice President Mike Pence, National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Rick Scott, House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and former Speaker Newt Gingrich, among others. The brush-offs ranged from total radio silence to promises to circle back "if we're able to provide comment by your deadline" to immediate hang-ups and finger-pointing at Democrats.

The sheepishness that prominent and high-ranking party members have displayed by disregarding or openly celebrating entertainer Ye (Kanye West) threatening Jews on social media, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's repeated anti-semitic diatribes, and Trump ordering Jews that don't support him to "get their act together" underscores how terrified they all are of alienating the most extreme conservatives ahead of the midterms.

Story continues

The unwillingness to flatly reject antisemitism today appears to be the mainstreaming of the political calculus Trump made in 2016 when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie urged the first-time candidate to steer clear of white supremacists.

"A lot of these people vote," Trump reportedly told his one-time ally.

Staff for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the only elected lawmaker willing to engage on this sensitive subject, did not provide new comment but rather redirected Insider to a quote the Kentucky Republican gave Politico after MAGA darling Greene spoke at an event organized by alleged white supremacist Nick Fuentes.

Minimal outcry within the GOP

White supremacist Nick Fuentes speaks as America First protesters gather in front of the Gracie Mansion to protest vaccination mandates in New York City on November 13, 2021. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

"There's no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or anti-Semitism," McConnell said in February, joining House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and lobbying outfit the Republican Jewish Coalition in scolding the Georgia Republican for consorting with hate groups.

"It is appalling and outrageous that a Member of Congress would share a platform with an individual who has actively spread antisemitic bile, mocked the Holocaust, and promoted dangerous anti-Israel conspiracy theories," the Trump-aligned political organization said in a statement, punctuating it with the compulsory "this has absolutely no place in the Republican Party."

But there's been minimal outcry within the GOP this time around.

That others are now trying to mimic the both sides-ing, whataboutism, and demagoguing Trump has used to duck responsibility for his polarizing actions is driving some long-standing Republicans crazy.

"My party shouldn't have any problem calling out wrongs when they're clearly wrong," Jeff Grappone, a Republican strategist at political consulting firm Rokk Solutions, told Insider. He added that Republicans need to appeal to a wider audience if they want to win future elections.

"And central to that effort needs to be unambiguous condemnation of any divisive and hateful commentary," Grappone said.

Meghan McCain, the daughter of late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, lashed out at West, Trump and House Republican "idiots" cheering on their reprehensible behavior.

"Why is everyone saying such insane things about Jewish people this week? Are we all officially in hell?," she fumed online about Trump's misguided demand for fealty.

McCain also chastised the conservative TV hosts, podcasters, and journalists exploiting West's "blatant and egregious antisemitism" purely to score political points.

"This is bigoted hate speech. It's dangerous. It's evil," McCain wrote online. "But keep inviting him to your events guys"

McCain did not respond to Insider's request for comment about Republicans' embrace of people openly touting antisemitic sentiments.

'He knows what he's doing'

Christine Rosen, a senior fellow at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute and regular contributor to the American Jewish Committee's monthly magazine Commentary, explained what she finds most dangerous about writing off Trump's casual antisemitism as old news.

"You can say that his particular words in this particular case are not antisemitic," Rosen said Tuesday during Commentary's daily podcast. "The problem is that Trump knows who his supporters are. And among his supporters are some of the nastiest anti-semites out there."

Rosen added that Trump typically blows off accusations about being antisemitic by mentioning that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, are Jewish. But he has notably not trumpeted those connections while courting the support of fellow 2020 election deniers and alleged January 6 insurrectionists involved with the violent Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.

"Every time he says something  anything  about the Jewish people, he knows that he is speaking to a group that has a deep-seated hatred," Rosen said of Trump's affinity for the far-right.

Then-President Donald Trump takes the stage at the "Stop The Steal" Rally on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

What's even scarier, Rosen said, is that Trump is well aware of his sway over angry white men, and he stirs them up for his own benefit anyway.

"Rising antisemitism in this country makes every word he said or posts on Truth Social irresponsible," Rosen said. "He knows what he's doing when he says these things."

The GOP's mounting comfort level with antisemitism bothers some in the party. But they appear to be in the minority of those willing to speak up these days.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, thumped Trump for the latest attempt at "Jewsplaining."

"We don't need the former president, who curries favor with extremists and antisemites, to lecture us about the US-Israel relationship," Greenblatt wrote online. His organization also lit into West, calling the polarizing celebrity's antics "deeply troubling, dangerous, and antisemitic, period" and debunking West's attempted disinformation.

Staff at right-leaning news outlet The Bulwark ridiculed conservatives pretending that West's bid to buy right-leaning social media hub Parler is anything other than a play to keep sharing wildly inappropriate content with like-minded individuals by highlighting the "racist, anti-Semitic freakshows" that dominate that site's current user base.

Meanwhile, University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse student Megan Pauley recently took the heat for fellow classmates currently in West's thrall, reportedly resigning as head of the school's chapter of the College Republicans after group members wrote "Kanye is right" and scribbled other culture war taunts (anti-vaccine, gun control, and transgender rights) in chalk around campus.

"Antisemitism and hate speech have no place in the College Republicans," Pauley wrote in a since-deleted tweet.

Risk vs. reward

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel campaigns for Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker during a campaign stop on October 20, 2022 in Macon, Georgia. Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

The RNC's McDaniel talked about cracking down on extremist supporters shortly after the violent January 6, 2021 siege at the US Capitol.

"I will denounce extreme elements that pretend to be Republican and say we do not want you in our party," McDaniel said on CBS's "Face the Nation" in February 2021. But she quickly couched that pledge by demanding that Democrats "do the same with antifa and groups that are anti-Semitic that masquerade as Democrats," referring to loosely organized, self-described anti-fascists.

The only antisemitism the RNC has weighed in on since then is the November 2021 report it published alleging that Democrats are the ones condoning hate.

The partisan document is mostly filled with complaints about alleged statements and activities by President Joe Biden and progressive "Squad" members Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Cori Bush of Missouri.

The difference is that Democratic leaders took Omar to task about an anti-semitic tweet in 2019. And the chastened lawmaker apologized for her statement.

"Anti-Semitism must be called out, confronted and condemned whenever it is encountered, without exception," Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a joint statement at the time with her Democratic leadership team.

"The entire Congress must be fully engaged in denouncing and rejecting all forms of hatred, racism, prejudice and discrimination wherever they are encountered," the Democratic leaders wrote.

Have likely 2024 GOP presidential candidates like Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rick Scott of Florida, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Josh Hawley of Missouri, or Tom Cotton of Arizona rushed to snatch that mantle from House Democrats in the interim?

They've had plenty of opportunities in just the past few weeks. They've not implored Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial hopeful Doug Mastriano to rise above calling Democratic challenger Josh Shapiro elitist for attending a Jewish day school.

They've not publicly rebuked Trump-backed Senate candidate Mehmet Oz for attending a fundraiser featuring one of Adolf Hitler's vintage cars as a backdrop.

Nor have they convinced House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jim Jordan to quit hailing West and Trump as personal heroes.

Instead, the closest the anticipated presidential contenders have come to addressing modern antisemitism is trolling Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York online after she denounced West's "harmful" and "dangerous" comments.

"So you'll be voting to censure the Squad?" was Cruz's contribution to the existential debate.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Iranian drones

Ample photographic and video evidence proves that Iran has supplied the drones to Russia, and that its denials are false.

Read also: Rada condemns Iran for supplying Russia with weapons and supporting it in war against Ukraine

However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the call for an investigation was false and baseless and that it was strongly rejected and condemned.

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in its pursuit to protect its national interest and to secure the rights of the noble Iranian people, reserves the right to respond to any irresponsible action, Kanaani said.

In addition, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi sharply responded to the accusations. According to him, Iran today is a popular exporter of weapons.

Read also: Ukrainian air defenses shoot down 10 Iranian Shahed-136 suicide drones in Mykolaiv Oblast overnight

Iran is thought to have exported more than 1,000 of the drones which have been used by Russia to attack Ukrainian cities since mid-September.

Earlier, the United Kingdom, France and Germany called on the UN to investigate Russia's use of Iranian kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine, which may be a violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

Russia uses kamikaze drones to attack Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure. Some of them are launched from the territory of Belarus.

On Oct. 17, Russia attacked Kyiv with the Iranian-made suicide drones. After the first attack, a fire started in a non-residential building, and several buildings were damaged.

The Iranian kamikaze drones hit a residential building, which triggered an explosion that killed five people and injured four others. Among the dead were a six-month pregnant woman and her husband.

Read also: Residential buildings hit by Iranian-made drones  photo report

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klychko said that on the morning of Oct. 17, 28 suicide drones flew towards the capital, most of which were shot down. Five explosions were recorded in Kyiv.

Story continues

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called on Tehran to immediately stop supplying weapons to Russia and warned of responsibility. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba initiated the severance of diplomatic relations with Iran.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that they allegedly had nothing to do with the supply of Shahed-136 suicide drones to Russia. They also declared their readiness to negotiate with Ukraine to refute the accusations.

Read also: Irans denial of supplying Russia with drones is a lie

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Oct. 11 that, according to intelligence, Russia had ordered 2,400 Shahed kamikaze drones from Iran. After the first downing of Iranian UAVs, Ukraine did not extend the accreditation of the Iranian ambassador and reduced the number of employees at the Iranian embassy to several people.

Earlier, The Washington Post, citing U.S. officials, reported that Iran had secretly agreed to provide Russia with not only attack drones, but also surface-to-surface ballistic missiles for the war against Ukraine.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP)  Chanting crowds marched in the streets of Berlin, Washington DC and Los Angeles on Saturday in a show of international support for demonstrators facing a violent government crackdown in Iran, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of that country's morality police.

On the U.S. National Mall, thousands of women and men of all ages  wearing green, white and red, the colors of the Iran flag  shouted in rhythm. Be scared. Be scared. We are one in this, demonstrators yelled, before marching to the White House. Say her name! Mahsa!

The demonstrations, put together by grassroots organizers from around the United States, drew Iranians from across the Washington D.C. area, with some travelling down from Toronto to join the crowd.

In Los Angeles, home to the biggest population of Iranians outside of Iran, a throng of protesters formed a slow-moving procession along blocks of a closed downtown street. They chanted for the fall of Iran's government and waved hundreds of Iranian flags that turned the horizon into a undulating wave of red, white and green.

We want freedom, they thundered.

Shooka Scharm, an attorney who was born in the U.S. after her parents fled the Iranian revolution, was wearing a T-shirt with the slogan Women, Life, Freedom in English and Farsi. In Iran women are like a second-class citizen and they are sick of it, Scharm said.

Iran's nationwide antigovernment protest movement first focused on the countrys mandatory hijab covering for women following Amiris death on Sept. 16. The demonstrations there have since transformed into the greatest challenge to the Islamic Republic since the 2009 Green Movement over disputed elections. In Tehran on Saturday, more antigovernment protests took place at several universities.

Irans security forces have dispersed gatherings in that country with live ammunition and tear gas, killing over 200 people, including teenage girls, according to rights groups.

Story continues

The Biden administration has said it condemns the brutality and repression against the citizens of Iran and that it will look for ways to impose more sanctions against the Iranian government if the violence continues.

Between chants, protesters in D.C. broke into song, singing traditional Persian music about life and freedom  all written after the revolution in 1979 brought religious fundamentalists to power in Iran. They sang one in particular in unison  Baraye, meaning because of, which has become the unofficial anthem of the Iran protests. The artist of that song, Shervin Hajipour, was arrested shortly after posting the song to his Instagram in late September. It accrued more than 40 million views.

Because of women, life, freedom, protesters sang, echoing a popular protest chant: Azadi"  Freedom.

The movement in Iran is rooted in the same issues as in the U.S. and around the globe, said protester Samin Aayanifard, 28, who left Iran three years ago. Its forced hijab in Iran and here in America, after 50 years, womens bodies are under control, said Aayanifard, who drove from East Lansing, Michigan to join the D.C. march. She referred to rollbacks of abortion laws in the United States. Its about control over womens bodies.

Several weeks of Saturday solidarity rallies in the U.S. capital have drawn growing crowds.

In Berlin, a crowd estimated by German police at several tens of thousands turned out to show solidarity for the women and activists leading the movement for the past few weeks in Iran. The protests in Germany's capital, organized by the Woman(asterisk) Life Freedom Collective, began at the Victory Column in Berlins Tiergarten park and continued as a march through central Berlin.

Some demonstrators there said they had come from elsewhere in Germany and other European countries to show their support.

It is so important for us to be here, to be the voice of the people of Iran, who are killed on the streets, said Shakib Lolo, who is from Iran but lives in the Netherlands. And this is not a protest anymore, this is a revolution, in Iran. And the people of the world have to see it.

___

Blood reported from Los Angeles.

Follow AP's coverage of Iran at: https://apnews.com/hub/iran
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A former Las Vegas-area politician has been indicted on a murder charge  which carries the possibility of the death penalty  in the killing of a veteran investigative journalist who wrote articles critical of him and his managerial conduct.

Robert Rob Telles, 45, was indicted Thursday and scheduled for arraignment next Wednesday in Clark County District Court, according to court records.

One of Telles court-appointed lawyers, Edward Kane, declined to comment about the indictment, a move by prosecutors that means Telles will not face a preliminary hearing of evidence that had been scheduled next week.

Telles, 45, a Democrat, lost his party primary in June and has been stripped by court order of his position as Clark County Administrator, heading the office that handles assets of people who die without a will or family contacts.

The state Supreme Court has suspended Telles' law license pending a State Bar of Nevada investigation of allegations that he misappropriated client funds.

He was arrested Sept. 7, several days after the Sept. 2 stabbing death of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German outside Germans home. Telles is being held without bail at the Clark County jail.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has said hell make a decision in coming weeks whether Telles, will face the death penalty.

Prosecutors have characterized the evidence against Telles as overwhelming, including DNA believed to be from Telles found beneath Germans fingernails; video showing a man believed to be Telles walking near Germans home; and a vehicle believed to be Telles in the area.

German, 69, was widely respected for his tenacity, and his colleagues said he was working on follow-up reports about Telles and the public administrators office when he was killed.

A separate case is pending before the state Supreme Court over concerns about revealing Germans confidential sources and notes.

A judge has issued an order preventing police from accessing the records, which police, prosecutors and Telles defense attorneys say they want to review for additional evidence  including the possibility that someone other then Telles had a motive to kill German.

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The Review-Journal, with backing from dozens of media organizations, argues that the government should not be able to access Germans cellphone and electronic devices.

The newspaper cites Nevadas so-called news shield law, which is among the strictest in the nation, along with the federal Privacy Protection Act and First Amendment safeguards.

The Review-Journal on Friday reported that Telles was assigned two deputy Clark County public defenders at public expense despite reporting to the court last month that he and his wife were making $20,500 per month before his arrest and that he owns five rental houses in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Property records show the couple also own a Las Vegas home with a taxable value of more than $320,000.
Kao Miura took advantage of the withdrawal of Japanese countryman Yuma Kagiyama, along with an uncharacteristic fall by American rival Ilia Malinin, to take the lead after the short program at Skate America on Friday night.

The 17-year-old Miura landed a big opening quad salchow-triple toe loop along with a triple axel and a quad toe loop to score a personal-best 94.96 points at the Tenley E. Albright Performance Center near Boston. That gave Miura a slim lead over South Korea's Cha Junhwan, who moonwalked through a Michael Jackson mashup to a score of 94.44 points.

I kind of am telling myself, Why am I sitting here? Miura said afterward. And it's because I did everything I should have done on the ice. I just tried to be confident on the ice and that worked for me.

Daniel Grassl of Italy was third with 88.43 points while Malinin, the 17-year-old who made history by landing the first quad axel in competition, was fourth after a fall on his quad toe loop left him with 86.06 points.

I think at the very beginning I felt very confident going into it. I was very in the moment, said Malinin, the junior world champion, who was making his senior Grand Prix debut. After that little fall, it threw me off a little bit. I had to brush it off and just continue with the rest of the program.

In the pairs competition, the American duo of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier scored 75.19 points in their short program to take the lead over Canada's Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, who had 73.05 points.

Malinin became the favorite at Skate America when Kagiyama, the Olympic silver medalist, withdrew from the opening Grand Prix event because of an injury. But it was Miura, the 17-year-old Japanese junior champion, who took the lead going into the free skate thanks to a technical score that was more than five points higher than anyone else.

It was a full eight points more than Malinin, who just might need to land his quad axel Saturday night to have a chance.

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It really depends how I feel personally, Malinin said of attempting the 4 1/2-rotation jump.

Knierim and Frazier, who helped the U.S. win team silver at the Beijing Olympics, were heavy favorites at Skate America after taking advantage of the absence of the powerful Russian teams to win their first world title earlier this year.

Performing to Separate Ways by the American rock band Journey, Knierim and Frazier dazzled a sellout crowd with their opening triple twist. Frazier two-footed the landing on their side-by-side triple toe loop, but the 2021 champions from Skate America came back with a beautiful throw triple flip to earn a solid component score.

I never started my season off at a Grand Prix before, Frazier said. There was a lot of positivity out there tonight. It was a little bit of a fight tonight, but it was our starting base.

Knierim and Frazier were expected to show out on the Grand Prix stage, though. The surprise came from Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps, whose performance to Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla put them solidly in second place.

The winners of the lower-level Nebelhorn Trophy earlier this year were solid from their opening triple twist, through their side-by-side triple toe and into their throw triple loop to keep within range of the gold medal.

Letizia Roscher and Luis Schuster of Germany were well behind in third with 54.87 points.

We are very pleased with our performance, happy to be here, said Stellato-Dudek, who calls Chicago home and previously skated for the U.S. Its kind of a homecoming for me. Its like my wedding. Its like I know everybody.

___

More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
A Kansas City firefighter made blatantly false statements to police investigators after he drove a fire engine through a red light in Westport and crashed into several vehicles and a building, killing three people, a retired judge overseeing his resulting civil proceedings has found.

Dominic Biscari, of KCFD, told Kansas City police investigating the crash that he slowed down as he approached the high-traffic intersection, evaluated for other drivers and slammed on his brakes when he saw an SUV pull in front of him.

But Judge Miles Sweeney found those things were all untrue and easily disproved through eyewitness accounts, traffic camera footage and other physical evidence compiled by investigators, according to court documents filed Friday after the conclusion of arbitration on Oct. 14.

The civil case is centered on a crash involving Kansas City Fire Pumper 19 on Dec. 15. On the night of the crash, the fire engine driven by Biscari was traveling north on Broadway Boulevard toward a reported structure fire when it collided with an SUV driven by Jennifer San Nicolas at Westport Road.

San Nicolas and front-seat passenger Michael Elwood were pushed through the intersection and up Broadway as the fire engine continued on into a series of cars parked along the street. Tammi Knight, a pedestrian who was about to enter a vehicle, was struck as the fire engine crashed into her and through the facade of a commercial building that once housed a popular bar.

The SUV carrying San Nicolas and Elwood was pushed onto the sidewalk. After the fire engine busted through a brick wall, the buildings upper floor collapsed, trapping Knight underneath a pile of rubble for 10 hours. All three were declared dead at the scene.

The crash happened about one minute after the fire crew was advised by dispatchers to stand down.

Earlier this month, Sweeney was assigned to oversee arbitration proceedings in the matter of wrongful death claims brought against Biscari specifically. Biscari, who has a criminal defense lawyer but was not provided one by the city in the civil suit filed against him, was not present for an evidence hearing held in that process on Oct. 7.

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In his summary, Sweeney found that loved ones of the victims  and the owner of the destroyed building  deserved to be paid a collective $32 million by Biscari in compensation. That arbitration award, which requires final approval by a Jackson County judge to take effect, was part of an unopposed motion for a proposed judgment in favor of the plaintiffs filed in court on Friday.

Any personal liabilities Biscari may incur as a result would not be for KCFD to pay.

The families have also filed suit against Kansas City, and more specifically the Kansas City Fire Department. Those claims are still pending in Jackson County Circuit Court, and Biscari was dismissed from that civil case on Oct. 7 as part of his agreement to handle the civil claims through arbitration.

Attorneys for the families allege the city and the fire department were negligent in allowing Biscari to operate a 40,000 pound fire engine on the night of the crash. Among the evidence they have cited is a warning one employee shared with fire officials a little less than three months before the deadly crash unfolded.

The employee told supervisors that Biscari accelerated to 70 mph on Broadway when it wasnt necessary while they were transporting a critically ill patient, and vowed she would never ride with him ever again.

That warning, reported by The Star in August, was also a point raised by Sweeney in considering an award for the bereaved families, according to court documents. Sweeney said the department was on notice of (Biscaris) dangerous and reckless driving of KCFD vehicles, referencing the email sent to KCFD supervisors with the subject line: Horrendous Driving.

Sweeney concluded that Biscari clearly violated fire department policies aimed at public safety as he traveled approximately 15 miles per hour above the posted speed limit leading up to the fatal crash. His findings were based in part on those of expert witness Randy Villines, a fire instructor in central Missouri hired by the plaintiffs, who testified that Biscari failed to keep a careful lookout and traveled at a speed excessive for the conditions that night.

Meanwhile, the Jackson County Prosecutors Office was presented with findings of a Kansas City police investigation of the crash in February. Prosecutors continue to evaluate whether they will pursue criminal charges against Biscari.
Image via Publicist

Kendall Jenner has partnered with the luxury resort SLS Baha Mar to brand her tequila on an international level. On Saturday, she hosted the opening on the grounds of Baha Bay, the resorts adult water park.

Jenner says shes excited about the launch. This is the first time the model and influencer has brought her brand to an international location. 818 Tequila is perfect in refreshing cocktails after a swim or a day at the beach, she said.

The water park covers over 15 acres, but overlooks the islands cable beach with an impossibly blue shade of water that looks like moving cinema and feels like a tropical sea massage each time a wave hits the body.

Kendall wore baggy shorts with a tapered white tank pushing her effortless luxury aesthetic in person, alongside the flamingoes she posed with on the small pier, before coming to the party.

The event included influencers from the island who brought their Bahamian style to the 818 activation, along with Graeme Davis, the President of Baha Mar who also made an appearance.

Davis says through the collaboration, he expects to bring an elevated cocktail experience to the Baha Mar guest.

SLS Baha Mar has 299 guest rooms with three different pools each with their own vibe. The propertys GM says that the 818 partnership will give guests a one-of-a-kind experience, which has become what theyre known for.

818 Tequila is named for the area code of Calabasas, California where the second-youngest Jenner grew up. Furthering the notion of family business, the tequila is made in Jalisco, Mexico at a family owned and operated distillery.
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) campaigned for Utah independent Senate candidate Evan McMullin Thursday, slamming GOP lawmakers for their actions following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

During the event, which was held at the Salt Lake City Public Library, the Illinois lawmaker, who is also one of the two GOP members on the House Jan. 6 Committee, said that democracy is on the line during this election, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Kinzinger also took jabs at Lee.

If youre Mike Lee, its still acceptable to say Donald Trump is the future of the party and the leader of the party, said Kinzinger.

Its still acceptable to carry a pocket Constitution and say you follow the Constitution when you obviously betrayed the Constitution of the United States.

Lee regularly carries a small copy of the U.S. Constitution in his pocket, which he pulled out at his debate against McMullin on Monday.

Kinzinger also reflected on the day of Jan. 6, and the darkness he said was cast over the Capitol building on that day.

If were asking young people to fight and die for this country, I have to be willing to give up my career for the same cause, Kinzinger said, according to the paper. Im surrounded by cowards, Kinzinger continued, referring to some GOP lawmakers refusal to certify the election results even after the events of Jan. 6.

The comments from Kinzinger come amid a tightening race between McMullin and Lee. Lees fellow Utah senator, Mitt Romney (R), garnered outrage from former President Trump last week when he refused to endorse the incumbent for the 2022 midterms.

This is the best opportunity I see in the country, and I mean that, to send a message, to build something new, to send somebody that can change the status quo, said Kinzinger on Thursday of sending McMullin to Washington, D.C., the Tribune reported.

Evan has sworn on the constitution to defend this country, and he has done it and he will do it as a U.S. senator, the lawmaker continued, referencing McMullins experience working for the CIA.

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McMullin followed up by saying that he does not want to go to Washington to play the party power game, adding that he will not caucus with Republicans or Democrats if he is elected.

The independent, who ran for president in 2016, said that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol created an opportunity for us to come back with an alternative approach to politics in a way that can make us stronger.

Updated at 12:44 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A virus common among young children is surging in the U.S. and sparking concerns that hospitals could become overwhelmed this year by potential winter spikes in both the flu and COVID-19.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is extremely common, with nearly everyone having been exposed to the pathogen by the time theyre 2 years old. In healthy adults and older children, RSV typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms that go away with moderate rest and self-care.

Younger children, especially those less than 6 months old, have the highest risk of developing severe cases that could lead to hospitalization.

There are currently no vaccines available for RSV, and the only treatment is monoclonal antibodies, usually reserved for extremely high-risk cases, including infants born prematurely or those with chronic diseases related to the heart and lungs.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that more than 4,000 cases of RSV are being reported each week recently, similar to the last major surge, which was experienced in the summer of 2021.

We always expect it around November, to start appearing late November and peak through December, January and then decreasing by March, April, Diego Hijano, an infectious disease specialist at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, told The Hill.

That has not been the case over the last few years, where we had one outbreak over the summer and then not a lot of activity early on, Hijano said. We have already seen above what we expect for October any given year in terms of RSV locally and around the country. So certainly, its a concern as we kind of head into the winter with COVID, flu and RSV.

The CDC is projecting that cases have already begun to decline, though the information is incomplete and subject to change.

Like the influenza virus, exposure to RSV has been lower over the past few years as people worked from home and kept their children out of daycares during the coronavirus pandemic.

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At St. Jude in Memphis, where he is based, Hijano said he is seeing an equal amount of COVID-19, flu and RSV cases.

Thats concerning, you know, because it will definitely overwhelm the emergency department and the health care system as these trends continue, he said.

As the Washington Post reported this week, several childrens hospitals in the D.C. area have already reached capacity as they respond to spikes in RSV and the common cold.

Juan Salazar, the vice president of Connecticut Childrens Medical Center, told NBCs Today on Thursday that in his career of more than 30 years, he had never seen this level of viral transmission or need for hospitalization when it came to RSV. Salazar said that his hospital was considering temporary units out on its lawn, as well as the use of resources from the state and National Guard.

Kristin Moffitt, an infectious disease specialist at Boston Childrens Hospital, said she felt her hospital was prepared for a potential surge in cases. Speaking to The Hill, Moffitt noted that the sharp increase in virus cases has not yet been observed where she works but opined that the Northeast should expect an uptick soon.

I can only speak for my hospital. We are very, very adaptable, Moffitt said. And frankly, childrens hospitals and pediatric emergency rooms have been adapting for two-and-a-half years now to what has been a real  especially in the last year-and-a-half  a real unbelievable surge in utilization of pediatric emergency rooms.

Im not terribly worried that we wont be able to rise to a demand if need be and if theres a real surge in pediatric hospitalizations, Moffitt added.

She said the recent shift in the annual reoccurrence of RSV cases has presented a potential challenge in treating severe cases. Monoclonal antibodies do not last very long and must be ordered monthly. RSVs previous predictability had allowed hospitals to order enough treatments in advance, but Moffitt said the earlier surge increases the chances that a hospital will not have enough on hand.

With no vaccines available for the virus and only one viable treatment, the infectious disease specialists who spoke with The Hill said the best way for parents to approach this season of respiratory viral spread is to limit and prevent potential exposure in general.

Hijano noted that mask-wearing, particularly in daycares and preschools, is all but forgotten now. Acknowledging that this option can be difficult for parents to consider, he advised that children be kept at home if they are sick to prevent the potential spread of any viruses in the community.

When it comes to day-to-day basis, basically stay home if youre sick, wash your hands and avoid coughing into each other, Hijano said.

Moffitt said that parents should make sure to be aware that the people who are in close contact with their young infants are feeling healthy themselves. She added that parents could also take the additional step of asking people outside their households not to kiss their babies, as respiratory secretions from the mouth are a common pathway for transmission.

She added that parents with a young infant as well as a toddler should also ensure that their toddler is clean and isnt displaying symptoms before interacting with their younger siblings, as toddlers are often exposed at daycare or playgroups.

I think parents can make decisions about what their risk tolerance is, Moffitt said. Steps like that can help to probably not eliminate but at least decrease the possibility of exposure for the infants.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Occupiers deport Kherson residents to Oleshki, October 22, 2022

Read also: Russia has completed a barge bridge in Kherson region, says UK intelligence

All departments and ministries of the Russian-installed civil administration in Kherson should also leave. The invaders again repeated the claim that there was a danger of massive shelling of the city by the Ukrainian military.

Kherson Oblast Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych urged the residents to ignore the calls of the occupiers and remain calm. He advised them to:

prepare food and water supplies;

keep phones and power banks charged;

pack a grab-and-go bag, including warm clothes, medicine and personal documents;

prepare a shelter near the house;

find and prepare a bomb shelter close to their homes.

Read also: Russia prepares to withdraw from Kherson Oblast, but it wont be easy, says British intel

On Oct. 22 the General Staff of Ukraine declared the invaders were preparing for street fighting in Kherson. The occupiers who remained in the city have changed into civilian clothes and have moved into empty apartments, the General Staff said.

On Oct. 18 the collaborator and puppet of the Kremlin so-called the head of Kherson militarycivilian administration Volodymyr Saldo said the residents of the Russian-occupied areas of Kherson Oblast are to be departed to the left bank of the Dnipro River. The Kremlin gauleiters (Kremlin-collaborators) also said entering the annexed areas is forbidden for civilians for seven days.

Read also: Russians in Kherson flee in civilian clothing

Kherson governor Yanushevych urged the citizens to stay calm and not to react to the invaders provocations. He said they want to use civilians as a human shield.

Earlier, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian militarys South Operational Command, Natalia Humeniuk, said in an interview with Radio NV that collaborators are trying to deport the civilian population to make it seem that they are afraid of the Ukrainian armed forces. However, Ukrainian civilians were instead proving the opposite.

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Read also: Russia mined Kakhovka Dam, ready to blow it up, Zelenskyy says

As of Oct. 21, Ukrainian troops had liberated 88 settlements in Kherson Oblast.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Russian missile shot down by air defense in Kyiv Oblast

Read also: Russian missiles attack Lutsk, Rivne and Khmelnytsky oblasts: power and water supplies disrupted

"Saturday in Ukraine starts with a barrage of Russian missiles aimed at critical civilian infrastructure," Kuleba tweeted following the attacks.

We have intercepted part of (the Russian cruise missiles), others hit targets. Air defense saves lives. There should not be a minute of delay in capitals deciding on air defense systems for Ukraine.

Kuleba added that deliberate strikes on critical civilian infrastructure of Ukraine were part of the genocide of Ukrainians.

Read also: Latest Russian attack on energy facilities may have done more damage than previous strikes, Ukrenergo says

Earlier, in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called on Germany to deliver new ammunition for the German IRIS-T SLM air defense systems within a few days to repel Russian air strikes.

Shmyhal said that Russia wants to arrange a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine. According to him, the attacks on critical infrastructure by Russians can provoke a new "migration tsunami" in Europe.

"Russia wants to arrange a cold winter for Ukraine, when many people could literally freeze to death," the prime minister said.

If there is no electricity, heating or water in Ukraine, it could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe the like of which Europe has not seen since the Second World War.

Read also: Ukrainian air defenses down several Kyiv-bound Russian cruise missiles

Shmyhal said that the IRIS-T system has already "saved a huge number of lives", but Ukraine is "looking forward" to new ammunition that the country needs "right now".

Advisor to the head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podolyak also noted that "the only way to stop a humanitarian catastrophe is to transfer air defense systems and additional missiles, fast.

"By striking Ukraine's critical infrastructure, Kremlin wants to provoke new refugees to flee to Europe," he wrote on Twitter.

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Whether Putin will be able to implement his plan depends on European capitals leaders.

Read also: Ukrainian air defenses shoot down 10 Iranian Shahed-136 suicide drones in Mykolaiv Oblast overnight

Russia attacked infrastructure facilities in western and southern Ukraine on the morning of Oct. 22. Ukrainian air defense forces were able to shoot down 18 out of 33 Russian cruise missiles. However, there were hits at infrastructure facilities in Volyn, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa oblasts.

Many settlements have lost power supplies. Electricity transmission system operator Ukrenergo is also limiting electricity supplies in 10 oblasts. In total, more than 1.5 million households were left without electricity.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A suspect who shot and killed two employees was arrested after he was shot by a police officer at Methodist Hospital in Dallas on Saturday morning, authorities said.

In a news release Saturday afternoon, a Methodist Health System spokesperson confirmed that the suspect fatally shot two hospital employees.

Methodist Health System Police, the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue responded about 11 a.m. to an active shooter call at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, at 1441 N. Beckley Ave.

A Methodist Health System police officer arrived on the scene, confronted the suspect, and fired his weapon at the suspect, injuring him, the hospitals release said. The suspect was detained, stabilized, and taken to another local hospital.

The Methodist Health System Family is heartbroken at the loss of two of our beloved team members, hospital executives said in the statement. Our entire organization is grieving this unimaginable tragedy. During this devastating time, we want to ensure our patients and employees that Methodist Dallas Medical Center is safe, and there is no ongoing threat. Our prayers are with our lost co-workers and their families, as well as our entire Methodist family. We appreciate the communitys support during this difficult time.

According to reporting by Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV, at least one of the victims was a nurse. The victims were shot near the hospitals maternity ward.

The names of the victims have not been released.

Sources say suspect at Methodist was shot by Methodist Police officer after suspect shot two nurses near the labor and delivery area. DPD Homicide and SIU units both at scene to help investigate. @wfaa  Rebecca Lopez (@rlopezwfaa) October 22, 2022

Dallas police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Nestor Hernandez and said hes been arrested on suspicion of capital murder. Hernandez is on parole for aggravated robbery and had an active ankle monitor, Dallas police said.

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Dallas police are assisting with the investigation, but the hospital has its own police department that is in charge, authorities said.

Police have not said what led to the shooting or why the suspect was at the hospital. Its unclear whether Hernandez should have been able to go to the medical center while he supposed to be wearing an ankle monitor.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia pledged in a tweet that, We will do EVERYTHING to assist in this investigation.

This is a tragedy, and an abhorrent failure of our criminal justice system, Garcia said.

We @DallasPD are grateful for the support and care provided to our officers by @mhshospitals.Our thoughts are with staff and victims of todays events.We will do EVERYTHING to assist in this investigation.This is a tragedy, and an abhorrent failure of our criminal justice system.  Eddie Garcia (@DPDChiefGarcia) October 22, 2022

In another post after the suspect was publicly identified, Garcia said, Im outraged along with our community at the lack of accountability, and the travesty of the fact that under this broken system, we give violent criminals more chances than our victims. The pendulum has swung too far.

In a tweet Saturday afternoon, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said that two healthcare heroes were shot @methodistdallas near labor and delivery this morning. .. Please pray for the family and friends of the victims and the entire @mhshospitals team.

2 healthcare heroes were shot @methodistdallas near labor and delivery this morning. The suspect was shot by officers. Please pray for the family and friends of the victims and the entire @mhshospitals team. https://t.co/Izm9LGKHE6  Clay Jenkins (@JudgeClayJ) October 22, 2022

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson also offered prayers for the victims families. Our city loves our healthcare heroes, and our residents will be there for them as we grieve and seek swift justice, Johnson tweeted.

I am praying tonight for the loved ones and colleagues of the two nurses at Methodist Dallas Medical Center who were violently and senselessly taken from us. Our city loves our healthcare heroes, and our residents will be there for them as we grieve and seek swift justice.  Mayor Eric Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) October 22, 2022

Dr. Serena Bumpus, a registered nurse who is CEO of the Texas Nurses Association, told KDFW-TV, Our hearts are broken. This is unacceptable. No person should fear for their life for merely going to work, especially a nurse or healthcare worker whose passion is to help others heal. We hope our legislators understand that we need to protect our healthcare workers.

A tour of the hospitals new Linda and Mitch Hart Breast Center for breast cancer survivors that was scheduled to start at noon Saturday was canceled, a spokesperson for Methodist Hospital told the Dallas Morning News.

This is a developing story. For the latest updates, sign up for breaking news alerts.
BEIRUT (Reuters) -The Lebanese and Syrian presidents discussed delineating their countries' shared maritime border on Saturday before a visit to Damascus next week by a Lebanese delegation tasked with negotiating the issue, a Lebanese official said.

A dispute over their shared sea boundary emerged last year after Syria granted a licence to a Russian energy company to begin maritime exploration in an area Lebanon claimed. Several gas discoveries have been made in the eastern Mediterranean.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun earlier said demarcating the border would be next after Lebanon agreed its southern maritime boundary with longtime foe Israel following years of indirect U.S.-mediated talks.

Aoun told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that Lebanon was keen "to begin negotiations with Syria to delineate its northern maritime boundary," the Lebanese official told Reuters after Saturday's talks.

Aoun then tasked Elias Bou Saab, the deputy speaker of parliament who negotiated on behalf of Lebanon in the indirect talks over the boundary with Israel, to head a delegation to Damascus next week to kickstart discussions, the official said.

The delegation would include the Lebanese foreign and transport ministers as well as the head of the General Security agency Abbas Ibrahim, the official added.

Syria's Sham FM radio reported that details of the delineation had yet to be discussed and that Assad proposed holding direct talks via the countries foreign ministries.

The two leaders discussed delineation last year.

Aoun's term as president of Lebanon, which is the midst of a deep political and economic crisis, ends on Oct. 31. Three parliamentary sessions have failed to elect a successor.

Assad secured another seven-year term last year in an election derided by Syria's opposition and the West as a farce. The vote was held after the government regained control of much of the territory lost to opponents in a conflict that erupted in 2011.

(Reporting by Maya Gebeily in Beirut and Kinda Makieh in Damascus; Writing by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Edmund Blair)
When a child goes missing, it is important to call and alert each and every person you know. Twenty-five years ago, an 11-year-old boys case inspired everyone to answer, Levis Call.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

On Oct. 22, 1997, Levi Frady was headed to his house in Forsyth County after playing with his friends. According to officials, Fradys house was less than a mile away.

That evening, Frady was kidnapped, taken to a neighboring county and killed.

The next day, officials found his body in a wooded area.

To this day, his killer has not be found.

TRENDING STORIES:

Fradys case inspired his family, Georgia broadcasters, law enforcement and emergency management to create Levis Call: Georgias version of the Amber Alert. The program was created to get information of a confirmed abduction out to the public through radio and TV.

Their goal is simple: Locate a child and an abductor quickly before any harm comes to the child.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Before Levis Call can be activated, the following alert criteria must be met:

Law enforcement officials have a reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred.

Law enforcement officials believe that the child is in imminent danger or serious bodily injury or death.

Enough descriptive information exists about the victim and the abductor for law enforcement to issue a Levis Call.

The victim of the abduction is a child age 17 years or younger.

The childs name and other critical data elements, including the child abduction and Amber Alert flags, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center system.

Once the abduction is confirmed and investigators determine that the case meets alert criteria, they contact the GBI regional office.

You can contact the GBI Communications Center at 404-244-2600.

IN OTHER NEWS:
Lindsey Graham has filed an emergency request asking the US Supreme Court to block a grand jury subpoena for his testimony in a Georgia probe of Donald Trumps efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in that state.

A federal appeals court stood with a lower-court decision on 20 October and ruled that the Republican senator failed to demonstrate that he is likely to succeed in his attempts to prevent his appearance before a Fulton County special grand jury.

The South Carolina senator then appealed to the nations high court on 21 October.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is leading an investigation into the former presidents attempts to reject the outcome of 2020 results, including an hour-long phone call in January 2021 between Mr Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to find the specific number of votes to win the state.

Mr Graham is wanted for questioning about his own calls with Georgia election officials in the wake of the 2020 election. Prosecutors claim the senator has unique knowledge about the Trump campaign and the multistate, coordinated efforts to influence the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.

The criminal investigation also is expected to span unfounded claims of election fraud presented to state lawmakers, unauthorised access of voting machines, threats made to election workers, and a fake elector scheme in which GOP-supported slates of electors would cast their votes for Mr Trump.

Ms Williss office has notified 16 people who identified themselves as as so-called alternate electors supporting Mr Trump.

Lawyers for Mr Graham argued that a subpoena to get his testimony violates the speech and debate clause of the US Constitution, which protects members of Congress from legal exposure over their comments on legislative business.

There has been no evidence of widespread ballot fraud despite baseless conspiracy theories and spurious legal challenges launched by the former president and his allies. Statewide recounts of 2020 ballots affirmed President Joe Bidens victory in the state.

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The senators legal team, led by former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn, argues that the Supreme Courts emergency intervention is necessary for his appeal to be heard before it becomes moot  before, that is, Senator Graham suffers the constitutional injury this appeal is meant to avoid.

Mr Graham argued that he sought information from Georgia officials as part of his legislative duties protected by speech and debate clause, stressing that the information he sought was necessary for an impending vote on certifying the election and because, as the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he is responsible for reviewing election-related issues.

After the phone calls, Senator Graham relied on the information gained from the calls both to vote Joe Biden the legitimate President of the United States and to co-sponsor legislation to amend the Electoral Count Act, according to his filing.

Mr Grahams filing marks the second major shadow docket appeal at the Supreme Court involving the former president within recent weeks. His legal team sought an appeal involving federal law enforcements review of classified White House documents at his Mar-a-Lago. The court rejected it.
ROBSTOWN, Texas  Former President Donald Trump is in Robstown on Saturday for a rally at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds.

An advisory from Trumps Save America PAC for the event said Trump would speak in support of his unprecedented effort to advance the MAGA agenda by energizing voters and highlight his 33-0 endorsement record in the states primaries and runoffs earlier this year.

Five high-profile guest speakers are set to join Trump during the rally, including Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep Michael Cloud, R-Victoria.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term in the November election, said in a statement that he will not be in attendance because he'll be at a campaign event in Florida.

Robstown was likely chosen as a destination because at least two South Texas congressional districts that have been Democratic strongholds for generations are considered to be in play.

Though Robstown is not in either of those districts, the event is close enough to potentially affect those races, said Laine Shay, an associate professor of politics at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

This is a developing story. Check back to Caller.com for updates.

Former president teases future run for White House

8:32 p.m.- On a possible 2024 run for the White House: Former President Donald Trump said he "will probably have to do it again." But first, voters must deliver wins to Republicans in the midterms, he said.

-Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

People start to chant Four more years after Trump teases to running for president again. pic.twitter.com/YjBvXfWesn  John Paul Oliva (@JohnPOliva) October 23, 2022

Trump shouts out Republican congressional nominees

8:30 p.m.- Trump gave shoutouts to three Republican congressional nominees in South Texas: Monica De La Cruz, Cassy Garcia and Mayra Flores.

Story continues

He said their candidacy shows that a new generation of Latinos is entering the Republican party.

-Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Last time Trump visited after Hurricane Harvey

8:23 p.m.- The last time former President Donald J. Trump visited the Coastal Bend was five years ago after Hurricane Harvey hit the area.

President Donald Trump hoists the Texas flag after speaking with supporters outside Firehouse 5 in Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Trump received a briefing on Harvey relief efforts while in the city.

The grim news of Hurricane Harveys disastrous tour of Texas brought Trump to Corpus Christi, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. But as he was leaving, the visit had more of the look of a rally with hundreds of supporters lining the road roaring approval as he emerged from the Annaville Volunteer Fire Department, where he was briefed on local recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Category 4 storm.

Trump generally praised the work of emergency responders, but added a caveat: There wont be congratulations exchanged until the crisis has concluded.

He told the outdoor audience  who were waving U.S. and Texas flags while shouting USA, Texas Trump and lock her up  they would see him soon and pulled out a Texas flag.

I will tell you this is historic. This is epic, what happened, Trump said. But you know what? It happened in Texas, and Texas can handle anything.

-John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Trump calls Jan. 6 committee "crooked people"

8:08 p.m.- Trump talked about the subpoena issued by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol on Friday.

"They sent me a subpoena the other day," he said. "These crooked people. These crooked people."

-John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Trump arrives at Robstown rally

7:27 p.m.- Former president Donald Trump takes the stage. Trump called Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke a "fake" and gave shout outs to Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage and speaks to a packed rally venue in Robstown, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.

"The Texas way of life is under seige," Trump said.

-John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Trump scheduled to speak at rally

Trump Force One flies over the Richard M. Borchard Fairgrounds in Robstown, Texas, where the former president held a rally on Oct. 22, 2022.

7:05 p.m. - Police cars began to arrive at the Richard M. Borchard Fairgrounds in Robstown. The former president is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m..

Mike Lindell, CEO of My Pillow, prepared for interviews at the rally.

-John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Rally comes two days before early voting starts

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots

6:10 p.m.- Trumps Robstown visit comes two days before early voting in Texas begins on Monday. The venue, coupled with the events proximity to the start of early voting, was likely a strategic decision by Trump, said Laine Shay, a Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi associate professor of politics, in an interview with the Caller-Times this week.

It is probably smart politics, Shay said. (South Texas) politics is changing from a solid blue region to a more purple one, and, particularly this area, there'd be a lot of supporters who could come to his event and rally.

Linked here is a guide by the Caller-Times for whats on the ballot, early voting locations, Election Day voting locations and other information for voters in Nueces, San Patricio, Aransas and Kleberg counties.

-Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Nueces County Democratic Party protest near rally

A protest against former President Donald J. Trump from the @NuecesDemocrats is taking place at the corner of Texas Yes Blvd. and US-77 Frontage Road.



Lock him up is being chanted by the group of nearly 30.#TrumpRally #TrumpinSouthTexas pic.twitter.com/7NTQK2YKxJ  John Paul Oliva (@JohnPOliva) October 22, 2022

5:10 p.m.- Nueces County Democratic Party Chair Rene Saenz said he and a group of about 30 indiviudals were heading to protest at the corner of Texas Yes Boulevard and US-77 Frontage Road in Robstown to "express our support for democracy."

-John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

U.S. Representative Michael Cloud praises Gov. Greg Abbott

4:52 p.m.- U.S Rep Michael Cloud, R-Victoria, whose district includes Corpus Christi praised Gov. Abbott for bussing migrants to sanctuary cities like New York and Chicago. They received a few buses and now act like the world is ending, he said.

People stand to applaud Cloud after he finishes his speech. pic.twitter.com/RNdbxpaPFN  Chase Rogers (@chasedrogers) October 22, 2022

-Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Republican incumbent for Texas's 37th Congressional District appears in video message

4:30 p.m. - Mayra Flores, a Republican incumbent for TX37 running for reelection, appeared in a short brief video message. In June, she won a special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, who resigned before his term ended to join a lobbying firm.

Monica De La Cruz, who is running as a Republican for Texas's 15th congressional district against Democrat Michelle Vallejo, also appeared in a short video message.

-Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Texas Senate District 27 candidate takes the stage

4:06 p.m. - Texas Senate District 27 candidate Adam Hinojosa, a Corpus Christi businessman, was the first to take the stage. Hinojosa faces Democratic nominee Morgan LaMantia, a McAllen lawyer who was endorsed by retiring district 27 senator Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville.

-Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Gov. Greg Abbott not attending rally

Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference with local law enforcement officials at the Port's Ortiz Center in Corpus Christi, Texas on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. Abbott discussed immigration and drug trafficking.

3:37 p.m. - Gov. Greg Abbott, whom Trump endorsed in the March primary, will not attend the Robstown event due to a out-of-state fundraising trip. The incumbent Republican governor, who is running for reelection against Democrat Beto O'Rourke, was in Corpus Christi on Thursday for an immigration-focused campaign event with a bipartisan group of county sheriffs.

Caller-Times reporter John C. Moritz covered the event.

Abbott is scheduled for an Oct. 27 rally at Brewster Street Icehouse in Corpus Christi.

Nueces County judge candidate Connie Scott will lead a prayer at the rally

3 p.m.  Connie Scott, a former Texas state representative who is running for Nueces County judge, is expected to lead a prayer before the slate of special speakers take the stage this evening. Scott, a Republican, is running to oust Democratic incumbent Barbara Canales, who is vying for a second term. Here is a primer for that race.

 Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Nueces County Judge candidate and former state representative Connie Scott ascends the media riser to do an interview at former president Donald Trump's rally in Robstown, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.

Gates open for Trump rally

2:05 p.m.  Gates officially opened for Trump's rally at the Richard Mr. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds.

The gates have finally opened at the #TrumpRally. pic.twitter.com/3ay7eDyOBu  John Paul Oliva (@JohnPOliva) October 22, 2022

 John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Trump went on a local radio station on Thursday

1:05 p.m.  Trump on Thursday called in to a Corpus Christi conservative radio show, 1440 KEYS, and lodged criticism of President Joe Biden during a 15-minute segment. The former president discussed immigration, the economy, gas prices and Republican candidates in the U.S. and promoted his social media platform Truth Social. He also reiterated his false claims that he won the 2020 election.

During the call, Trump praised Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo, who was in the studio for her weekly appearance on the show, and invited her to the Robstown event. She told the Caller-Times on Friday that she would not be attending due to a prior engagement.

 Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Nueces County Democratic Party plans counter protest

12:34 p.m. - Nueces County Dem. Party Chair Rene Saenz said a counter protest will gather at a place yet to be determined on the fairgrounds. Their presence is key, he said, to get both sides of the story out. Saenz said Trumps visit has convinced him the former president will run in 2024.

 Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Road closures, traffic delays near Robstown

11:45 a.m.  Access to several off- and on-ramps around U.S. Highway 77 and Texas Highway 44 were closed Saturday morning. Nueces County Precinct 5 Constable Oscar Mendoza warned drivers of evening traffic delays along Highway 44. Those traveling to Corpus Christi should take Interstate Highway 37.

How did Trump do in Texas, Nueces County last time?

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive on Air Force One at Corpus Christi International Airport in Corpus Christi, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, for briefings on Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

11:24 a.m.  Trump is broadly popular in Texas. He comfortably won the state with a 9-point lead in 2016 and carried the state again in 2020  though with a smaller margin of about 5.8 percentage points.

The races were closer in Nueces County. Trump beat Hilary Clinton by about 1.5 percentage points in 2016, making Nueces the southernmost county he carried in Texas. In 2020, he beat Joe Biden by a wider margin of 2.9 percentage points.

 Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

National Border Patrol Council president to speak about Texas' southern border

11:18 a.m.  National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, one of the special guests speaking later during the event, said he will be talking about encounters at Texas' southern border compared to encounters under the Trump administration.

Border Patrol Union President Brandon Judd, one of the special guests who will speak later during the event, is here. He said hell be talking about increased encounters at the states southern border. @callerdotcom pic.twitter.com/opyAslWuVc  Chase Rogers (@chasedrogers) October 22, 2022

 Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

How many people are attending?

10:04 a.m.  Event organizers for the Trump team would not comment on crowd size, but the fairgrounds' 35,000-square-foot central pavilion arena can seat up to 1,900 in the bleachers and up to 1,000 floor seats.

Here is a shot of the setup from the media platform.



Asked an event organizer with the Trump team about attendance figures so far. Said they will not comment on crowd size during the event. @callerdotcom pic.twitter.com/CZsLO2ABim  Chase Rogers (@chasedrogers) October 22, 2022

Why is Trump coming?

9: 40 a.m.  The Caller-Times spoke to two political experts about the rationale for the Robstown venue. They said the event is likely meant to energize Republicans in South Texas and shore up support for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton, two of Trump's closest allies that are in fairly competitive races.

"If you're former President Trump, you can't afford to lose those races because Ken Paxton and Dan Patrick had been two of your staunchest allies," said Andrew Smith, a political lecturer at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in an interview this week. "Trump wants to make sure that his allies have his support and that Republicans in the Valley know they need to get out and go vote to make sure that Democrats don't pull off upsets in key statewide races."

 Chase Rogers, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Here's the schedule for Trump's Robstown rally

7 a.m.  The parking lot and registration for the event will open at the fairgrounds at 8 a.m. CDT.

Doors will open at 2 p.m., and guest speakers will begin delivering remarks at 4 p.m. Trump is scheduled to begin delivering remarks at 7 p.m.

 Staff reports

More:What we know about the Trump rally in Robstown: Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton among guest speakers

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Live: Follow Donald Trump rally coverage in Robstown, Texas
(Bloomberg) --

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Despite her short tenure as Prime Minister, Liz Truss is eligible to claim a 115,000 ($129,306) per year allowance for the rest of her life.

Trusss 44-day tenure qualifies her for the Public Duty Costs Allowance. The money isnt for private use, rather to help pay for the additional costs faced by former-prime ministers from being in public life, like staffing.

The idea of the shortest-serving prime minister ever receiving the payments has been controversial, with some pointing out that the money could be put to better use. Truss didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Heres what you need to know.

What is the Public Duties Costs Allowance?

The allowance was announced by then-Prime Minister John Major in 1991 following the resignation of his predecessor, Margaret Thatcher.

Payments are made by the central Cabinet Office to reimburse past leaders for office expenses incurred due to the special position in public life. They are not allowed to spend the money on their private lives or to pay for their constituency office.

The 115,000 limit is reviewed by the sitting prime minister at least once a year, but it has been static since 2011.

What are the restrictions on it?

All former prime ministers are eligible to take the payments, as long as they dont go on to lead the official opposition in Parliament. Theres a separate salary for that. If they take on another public sector job, the Cabinet Office will review  and possibly reduce  the amount they receive.

Former leaders cannot request payment in advance of need. To show how theyre using the money, they must hold onto documents like receipts or pay slips and make them available on request to the Cabinet Office.

Story continues

Former leaders are able to claim the allowance for the rest of their lives  and even beyond. Staff salaries are paid for three months after the death of a former prime minister. The costs of closing down the office will also be paid for.

Which former prime ministers claim the most?

The Cabinet Office publishes the amount paid out to former prime ministers each year. Heres a breakdown for the year ended March 31, 2021:

Sir John Major and his successor, Tony Blair, both claimed the maximum 115,000 allowance.

Gordon Brown and David Cameron both claimed close to the limit, receiving 114,712 and 113,423 respectively.

Theresa May claimed the least, receiving 57,832.

Including pension costs for their staffs, taxpayers spent a total of 571,348 on the payments last year. Boris Johnson would also be eligible to claim payment, but any request he may have made isnt yet public.

Controversy surrounding the payments

Many on social media were quick to say Truss should turn down the payments, given her short time as leader. Some, especially in the opposing party, pointed out that the annual amount is more than she earned in salary during her month and a half as prime minister, while others questioned how the money could be better used.

The Liberal Democrats said there is no way that she should be permitted to access the same 115k a year for life fund as her recent predecessors  all of whom served for well over two years.

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A Louisville man charged in a domestic violence murder case nearly three years ago was convicted Friday, according to the Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney.

William Sloss, who was charged soon after the January 2020 homicide in Louisville's Parkland neighborhood, was found guilty of murder, abuse of a corpse and being a persistent felony offender, according to a release. His recommended sentence calls for a total of 50 years in prison with no eligibility for probation.

Amanda Berry, who was a mother of three, was reported missing on Jan. 11, 2020, according to the commonwealth attorney's release. Her body was found by Louisville Metro Police officers on Jan. 30 in a home on Virginia Avenue, the department said at the time, in a storage tote in the house's basement, with an LMPD spokesman at the time noting it was "apparent the person had been deceased for a long period of time."

Two LMPD officers who had responded to a separate reported domestic violence call at the home in December 2019 at one point faced misdemeanor charges of failing to meet their duties as law enforcement officers to help a domestic violence victim, but those charges were dismissed in May 2021 after they agreed to take part in additional training, according to court records.

Sloss' recommended sentence for the murder charge is 35 years and had a recommended sentence for abuse of a corpse was enhanced to 15 years due to his persistent felony offender conviction. He's set to be sentenced on Dec. 12, according to the release.

More:Between the Lines: An investigation into why Kentucky's kids can't read

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: William Sloss found guilty in Amanda Berry murder case in Louisville
Donna Jackson was sentenced to life in prison without parole Friday after a Bibb County jury found her guilty of murdering her boyfriend.

The conviction came seven years after Jackson, 52, shot and killed her boyfriend Ricky Smith, 53, at their Macon residence on Sept. 5, 2015.

Her trial was long delayed due to the pandemic and Jacksons mental health.

The jury deliberated for about two and a half hours Friday afternoon before returning with a verdict, ending the weeklong trial in Bibb County Superior Court.

They found Jackson guilty on all four counts of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The felony murder count was vacated and aggravated assault count merged with malice murder.

Judge David L. Mincey, III sentenced Jackson to serve life in prison without parole for the malice murder count and an additional consecutive five years in prison for possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Smiths family declined to give a victim impact statement, but Assistant District Attorney Dawn Baskin spoke on their behalf during the sentencing hearing.

On behalf of the family that has been waiting seven years, and has I think at times lost faith in the criminal justice system and thought that perhaps their loved one was forgotten  I know the jury is not here  but I have to tell them thank you, said Baskin. The wheels of justice can move painfully slow, but they moved correctly in this one.

Donna Jackson didnt shed a tear when the pictures of the man that she loved were shown with him dead. She didnt shed a tear about the blood on the walls. The only time that I saw any emotion out of Donna Jackson is when she was watching her performance in [her police interrogation footage]  With the mindset that Donna Jackson has, Donna Jackson could kill again and feel completely justified in doing it.

Jacksons attorney Gregory L. Bushway recommended the defendant get life with parole since she had no prior criminal record and had never been arrested before the 2015 murder.

The verdict finding Jackson guilty of malice murder says to me that the jury was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that there was a design and a scheme of this 911 call and setting all of that up in a depraved manner, Mincey said, addressing Jackson. Meaning that all of your testimony about what you say happened was disbelieved. As such I have to agree with Baskin that someone that could do that could certainly do that again.

Jackson declined to make a statement during the sentencing hearing.
A 22-year-old has died after a shooting involving the Nicholasville Police Department.

Desman LaDuke died of a gunshot wound after he was transported to UK Medical Center, according to the Fayette County Coroners Office.

According to Kentucky State Police, the initial investigation indicates Nicholasville police responded to a suicidal subject on Green Street where they found the man armed.

LaDuke was taken to the hospital after the shooting, which occurred in Jessamine County just before 1:30 p.m. Saturday. According to the coroners office, LaDuke died nearly four hours after the incident. Police did not immediately release details of the officer involved, or information about what led up to the fatal shooting.

State police said in a news release late Saturday afternoon that they were still investigating after being contacted by the Nicholasville Police Department.

KSP has statewide jurisdiction and investigates officer-involved shootings throughout the Commonwealth as requested by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, the release stated. KSP is committed to being transparent while ensuring the integrity of the investigation. To protect the integrity of an ongoing investigation, it is KSPs standard operating procedure not to release specific details until vital witnesses have been interviewed and pertinent facts gathered. Timelines to complete investigations vary based on the complexity of the case.
A man has been charged in connection with a shooting in August in Pittsburghs Troy Hill neighborhood.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Man hospitalized after shooting in Pittsburghs Troy Hill neighborhood

The victim was shot in the chest and lower extremities, according to police.

According to Pittsburgh police, the US Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force, as well as Swissvale and Pittsburgh police, found and arrested Juan Still, 30, of Swissvale.

Still is charged with criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault and carrying a firearm without a license.

He is in the Allegheny County Jail.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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A man was shot and killed outside an East Harlem apartment complex early Saturday, police said.

Cops responding to a 3:10 a.m. 911 call of a person shot found the unidentified victim shot in the chest on the sidewalk outside a playground on E. 128th St. near Lexington Ave.

The playground is part of NYCHAs Jackie Robinson Houses, authorities said.

EMS rushed the 31-year-old man to Harlem Hospital, where he died.His name was witheld as cops track down family members.

One shell casing was found near the victims body, police said.

Detectives spent Saturday morning looking for surveillance footage and carefully picking through a pile of clothes and other items at the crime scene. The items included a pair of slippers and a coloring book that were put in plastic evidence bags.

I heard a shot. it was late, said one resident who wished not to be named.

Neighbors said they didnt know who was shot.

Im trying to figure out who it is, another person who wanted to remain anonymous told the Daily News.

The gunman was described as a 5-foot-9 dark skinned man who is about 150 pounds. He was last seen running south on Lexington Ave.

No arrests have been made.
At the beginning of this midterm cycle, incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan was considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats on the November ballot. Hassan barely defeated Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte in 2016, and was unpopular in poll after poll among New Hampshire voters.

However, in the latest sign that Republicans believe that the path for victory in the Granite State is just too steep for Hassan's far-right Republican challenger Don Bolduc, the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF)  the super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell  confirmed to CBS News Saturday that it is canceling $5.6 million in television advertisements it had in reserve for the final two weeks before the Nov. 8 election.

This was first reported by the New York Times.

"As the cycle comes to a close, we are shifting resources to where they can be most effective to achieve our ultimate goal: winning the majority," SLF president Steven Law told CBS News in a statement.

Bolduc hasn't stopped making controversial statements since the GOP primary, where he defeated moderate rival Chuck Morse in an upset win, and after national Republican groups had attempted to boost Morse. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu once labeled Bolduc a "conspiracy theory extremist."

Bolduc, a former Army brigadier general, has proposed abolishing the FBI after the search at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, and has peddled election denialism, though he seems to have backtracked since winning the primary.

Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc shakes hands with attendees during a campaign event on Oct. 15, 2022, in Derry, New Hampshire. / Credit: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Bolduc said in a Fox News interview that while he still believes there was fraud, "elections have consequences, and, unfortunately, President Biden is the legitimate president of this country."

He then flip-flopped again at town hall this month:

"I can't say that it was stolen or not, sir," in response to a question from a New Hampshire voter, according to the Associated Press. "I don't have enough information. But what I can say is that we have irregularities. We have fraud."

Story continues

Trump did not make an endorsement in the GOP primary, but supported Bolduc after he defeated Morse.

CBS News obtained audio from a town hall with Bolduc earlier this month, in which he referred to "gentlemen" legislators as the best voice for women on abortion. It's the latest in a series of comments that Bolduc has made about abortion rights that has sparked criticism.

"It belongs to the state," Bolduc said in the audio. "It belongs to these gentlemen right here who are state legislators representing you as the best way I think as a man, that women get the best voice, at the state level, not at the federal level. And it's really Sen. Hassan that doesn't understand this, and she needs to get onboard with the Supreme Court decision."

Hassan has made abortion rights a central part of her reelection campaign. The New Hampshire primary which Bolduc won in mid-September came near the end of primary season, and Democratic groups spent in the race to help boost Bolduc, viewing him as the more extreme candidate, and one Hassan would be more likely to beat.

The latest Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Hassan with a 5-point lead.

In an interview with a local reporter last month, when discussing abortion rights, Bolduc said Hassan needs to "get over it," and that the election is about the economy.

Bolduc has also repeatedly said he would not back McConnell as Senate majority leader if he won and Republicans took back the Senate.

"I have said no to that question, and I am not backing off," Bolduc told Politico.

The withdrawal by SLF comes after the National Republican Senatorial Committee earlier this month withdrew money it had in reserves for broadcast spending for the New Hampshire Senate race  and instead designated it for other battleground states.

Bolduc has been trailing Hassan in every poll since he won his primary. In a recent AARP poll, Hassan leads Bolduc by 7 points.

Hassan has also dwarfed Bolduc when it comes to fundraising. Bolduc reported just $92,000 in cash in late August, according to the Federal Election Commission. Hassan's cash-on-hand total was over $7 million during the same period.

Outside GOP groups, like SLF, had initially stepped in to help him in New Hampshire, but this latest move is a sign that GOP groups may consider any added investment into this race as a possible waste of money.

Louisiana mother recounts the details of violent kidnapping

Angela Lansbury | 60 Minutes Archive

Saturday Sessions: Muna performs "Solid"
By James Pomfret and Jessie Pang

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Three members of a Hong Kong pro-democracy student group were sentenced on Saturday to up to three years jail for conspiracy to incite subversion, after setting up street booths that allegedly called on people to oppose the government.

The three, plus one ordered to go to a less-severe correction facility, had pleaded guilty to various acts between October 2020 and June 2021, including giving speeches asking members of the public to struggle against those in power, that were deemed to violate a China-imposed national security law.

They had all been in the group "Student Politicism". Ex-convenor Wong Yat-chin, 21, was sentenced to 36 months; Chan Chi-sum, 21, to 34 months; and Jessica Chu, 19, to 30 months. Alice Wong, 20, was ordered to serve up to three years at a facility called a training centre.

Prosecutor Vincent Lee alleged the group had urged the public to remember the popular protest slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our times", which could mean separating the city from China, and inciting secession.

The group was accused of calling on people to support 12 youths arrested by the Chinese coastguard for trying to flee to Taiwan by speedboat in 2020, and of not downloading a required government COVID-19 contact tracing app.

"In terms of the effectiveness of incitement, I have noticed that the street stands set up by the defendants are quite popular," Kwok Wai-kin - a district court judge appointed by the government to hear national security cases - wrote in the judgment.

Kwok said in court that a letter written by Wong Yat-chin from prison before sentencing had called upon people to take certain actions, including "Breathe well, think well, live well, continue to choose and insist on doing the right thing. Let's walk the unfinished journey with our heads up."

The national security law punishes acts like subversion with up to life in prison in the former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Some western governments say the law has been used as a tool to crack down on the financial hub's freedoms and autonomy. China says the law has brought stability after prolonged pro-democracy street protests in 2019.

(Reporting by James Pomfret and Jessie Pang in Hong Kong; Editing by William Mallard)
Every investor in Mercury NZ Limited (NZSE:MCY) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 52% to be precise, is sovereign wealth funds. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Meanwhile, individual investors make up 36% of the companys shareholders.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Mercury NZ.

View our latest analysis for Mercury NZ

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Mercury NZ?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that Mercury NZ does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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 Mercury NZ, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Mercury NZ is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is New Zealand Superannuation Fund, with ownership of 52%. With such a huge stake in the ownership, we infer that they have significant control of the future of the company. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 3.5% and 2.1%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Story continues

Insider Ownership Of Mercury NZ

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 data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Mercury NZ Limited in their own names. It is a pretty big company, so it would be possible for board members to own a meaningful interest in the company, without owning much of a proportional interest. In this case, they own around NZ$3.8m worth of shares (at current prices). It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 36% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Mercury NZ. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Mercury NZ (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts.

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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Facebook parent company Meta says it may stop Canadians from sharing news content in response to the countrys proposed Bill C-18 legislation. Introduced by the ruling Liberal government earlier this year, The Online News Act seeks to force platforms like Facebook into revenue-sharing partnerships with local news organizations. The legislation is modeled after Australias News Media Bargaining Code, which the country successfully passed in early 2021 after considerable resistance from Google and Meta .

In a blog post published late Friday , Meta said it wanted to be transparent about the possibility that we may be forced to consider whether we continue to allow the sharing of news content in Canada. The threat came after the House of Commons Heritage Committee did not invite Meta to a meeting about the legislation earlier in the week. The panel did hear testimony from Google, though only after the company asked to be included in the proceedings.

We have always approached our engagement with Canadian public authorities on this legislation in the spirit of honest and fair debate, and so were surprised not to receive an invitation to participate, particularly given public comments by lawmakers that this law is targeted at Facebook, Meta said following the snub. The Canadian government and social media giant have had an acrimonious relationship ever since CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg ignored subpoenas from the parliaments ethics committee in 2019.
One Gwinnett County police department is making sure its most vulnerable citizens can get help in the event of an emergency.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The Lilburn Police Department announced its new Vulnerable Citizens Registry program.

The new initiative will help officers respond to emergencies.

TRENDING STORIES:

It provides officers with emergency contact information, detailed physical descriptions, known routines and the special needs of residents.

For more information about the program and to register citizens, click here.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Choreographer Micaela Taylor, left, and Bodytraffic artistic director Tina Finkelman Berkett work with dancers preparing for the premiere of "Love.Lost.Fly." (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Choreographer Micaela Taylor sits on the marley floor next to Bodytraffic Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett, watching as company dancers perform Taylor's new work, Love.Lost.Fly, during rehearsal in Koreatown this week. Dancers' quick, sharp movements clash against one another, embodying the tensions between worlds in a piece loosely based on Puccinis Madama Butterfly.

One moment they swing their heads back with mouths wide open in painful frustration, while another moment is nearly silent as Jordyn Santiago continues moving around still dancers  the only score to her performance being her breath. As she suddenly returns to the ensemble, everything erupts again  bodies flying into one another in continuous movement.

Tears swell in Taylors eyes as she witnesses her ideas come together in front of her.

Seeing the finished work, going through the process, going through the ups and downs questioning, Oh, my gosh, will this be received? Will this even come to life? and seeing all of those moving pieces coming together at the end and saying, Wow  that's really great for me, Taylor says.

Love.Lost.Fly is set to premiere Friday at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills alongside the West Coast premiere of Baye & Asas The One to Stay With and Matthew Neenans A Million Voices. Although Taylor is not new to Los Angeles  or the world stage  her latest collaboration with Bodytraffic is her first as a resident choreographer with an international dance company.

Being a resident choreographer gives you time, a luxury for choreographers because we often don't have a lot of time, Taylor says.

When shes typically stepping into a project, she has only three weeks. The time she has in this yearlong residency, which started in March, provides space to explore narrative and bring along the lessons that she has learned over the pandemic to grow artistically with the company.

The luxury of time is what Berkett aimed to create with the residency.

Story continues

In this recovery pandemic time, I've realized with so much clarity that I'm really committed to lifting up the next voices," Berkett says of Taylor, "and she deserves for her work to be seen all around the world,

Bodytraffic commissioned Taylor to create SNAP, which premiered in 2019 and became part of the companys repertory. After witnessing Taylors work as a dancer with the company and later as a choreographer over the years, Berkett sought to provide her the space to play and not feel pressure, besides making great dance.

Choreographer Micaela Taylor (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Taylor has made use of the opportunity by developing an almost half-hour piece that pulls from Madama Butterfly and its story of Cio-Cio San, a Japanese girl who tragically falls in love with an American lieutenant.

I was drawn to that cultural difference in how two different people from different worlds come together, Taylor says.

Taylors previous work pulled from personal experiences for narrative, but for the first time shes conducting extensive research on a historical piece of art to create something new.

Throughout the rehearsal process, Taylor says, dancers would come to her with their own discoveries and questions that she hadnt thought of before. I had to go deeper than what I would before or in another environment, she says.

The show has also expanded Taylors creativity into the realm of production. When dancers tried on costumes designed by Lori Lee and constructed by Shawna Hanto, Taylor dissected the color palettes and shapes, noting what worked and what needed tweaking.

Its something that I think is vital as a choreographer, especially for stage, that you really do have to not just think about the movement, you have to think of every moving part, she says.

Beyond her movement, Taylor has found clarity in creating a narrative onstage through Love.Lost.Fly. Her movement language is poignant and recognizable. She describes her movement as contemporary pop, pulling from contemporary dance technique and isolated details of hip-hop. Now that shes established her language, shes focused on what she has to say with it.

Since speaking with the Los Angeles Times in March 2019, Taylor, like other artists around the world, had to navigate a pandemic that halted or postponed plans. During the time of stillness, shes been able to stretch as an artist by being flexible with how she performed and taught, she says. For example, teaching over Zoom forced her to find a deeper purpose in movement that was restricted to an onscreen box.

While she continued to create work with the dance company she started in 2016, the TL Collective, she began to pivot to film, something shes always aspired to explore. She choreographed the dance film Toughskin with the TL Collective in August 2020, was commissioned by the Getty Museum to create the film "PORTRAIT" and is working on a film called Misfit that is in postproduction and incorporates dialogue alongside her movement.

Choreographer Micaela Taylor. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

This time has really allowed me to step into not only choreographing in a different setting, or a different medium, but also expand my creativity with writing and acting, she says.

In 2019, Taylor thought shed put all her energy into the TL Collective, touring the company and making its name known. Although shes been able to accomplish just that, she also found value in freelancing and choreographing across the world with companies like Rambert Dance Company in London and Carlos Acostas Acosta Danza in Cuba.

I'm meeting dancers from all over the world that just bring so much richness to the work but also to my creative eye, she says.

Taylors residency with Bodytraffic has done the same, allowing her to explore her movement language by focusing on narrative.

Berkett says she wants Bodytraffic be like Taylors home. Its the place where she came up, its the place where she makes work, its the place where she gets support to carry out these big ideas, she says. And in an ideal world, she hopes to have an evening-length show of Taylors work that shows her artistic growth as Berkett witnessed it.

Until those plans come to fruition, Taylor is premiering Love.Lost.Fly and then venturing to a commission from NDT 2, a dance company based in the Netherlands. With each creation, Taylor is driven by the strength of her storytelling that shes been able to sharpen with Bodytraffic.

Maybe they don't get fully the story that I was thinking of in my head, but they get a story and they connect to parts that I didn't even think of, she says. That is really rewarding to connect with people and know that youre having some sort of impact.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Photo: The Canadian Press The Calgary Courts Centre on Monday, March 11, 2019. A psychiatrist testified Friday that a psychotic episode that led to an Alberta man killing his mother earlier this year may have been triggered by his attending a religious gathering in Atlanta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A judge has found that an Alberta man who killed his mother earlier this year because he thought she was possessed by Satan is not criminally responsible for her death.

Alexander James Thorpe, 21, was arrested in January after showing up at an Airdrie car dealership nude, except for a gold cross around his neck, covered in blood.

He told police and EMS officials that he was told by Jesus to kill Satan who had taken over his mother, Melanie Lowen's body.

Justice Suzanne Bensler said Friday that there were two tests to determine if Thorpe wasn't criminally responsible. Was he suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the offence and was he incapable of knowing the act was wrong?

"There is only one issue before me. Is Mr. Thorpe not criminally responsible by reason of a mental disorder," said Bensler.

"I am satisfied on a balance of probabilities that Mr. Thorpe has met both requirements."

Thorpe will remain at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre for up to 90 days before he appears before the Alberta Review Board, which will determine his fate.

A psychiatrist testified that a psychotic episode may have been triggered by his attending a religious gathering in Atlanta.

Dr. Kenneth Hashman initially found Thorpe fit to stand trial, but recommended a further assessment questioning whether he was criminally responsible after finding he suffered from a form of bipolar disorder that can cause episodes of psychosis during causing hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking, and a lack of awareness of reality.

Hashman says stress is often what brings on an episode and it could have been good stress from his attending 'Passion' in Atlanta, a gathering for young people that gave him a spiritual high.

The Christian event attracts up to 60,000 young people, aged 18 to 25, each year.

Hashman said after his attendance, Thorpe became preoccupied with faith and spirituality.

"He developed various signs and symptoms that were later attributed to a mental disorder of psychotic proportions," Hashman testified.

"He was having some form of spiritual awakening, so all consistent with a psychotic disturbance that was evolving at the time," he added.

"He became paranoid and was concerned that he was being watched or targeted by powerful individuals or an evil entity and that is important because he ultimately determined that his mother was an evil entity or Satan and as a result it was 'kill or be killed' at the time of the offence."

Thorpe told law enforcement and EMS officials that Satan had taken control of his mother and he needed to kill her.

He repeated his belief to health-care professionals during his assessment.

"He had to sacrifice his mother to prove he was a true believer," said Hashman.

"'She was not even my mom. I had no inhibition.' She was just a prop. He believed that Satan had taken hold of his mother. He felt compelled to finish it or Satan would come after him. It was a test of faith."

Hashman said he believed Thorpe had met the criteria for not being criminal responsible. He said the accused had only fragmented memories of what happened and the psychotic episode happened over a matter of days.

"Nobody realized what was happening including his mother. He had no moral compass."
A little more than two weeks stand between now and Election Day, and its likely going to come down to the wire as Republicans and Democrats duke it out for Senate supremacy.

The two sides are fresh off of third-quarter fundraising releases and squarely in the middle of debate season, with Republicans starting to feel that the economic tide has turned in their favor at exactly the right moment.

On the Democratic side, abortion remains the hallmark issue that candidates are messaging on far and wide in order to help keep control of the upper chamber.

Heres a look at the seven Senate seats most likely to flip next month:

Pennsylvania

The race between Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) and Mehmet Oz was considered a prime opportunity for Democrats to gain a seat in the Senate but has now become a true toss-up. (Associated Press)

Lt. Gov. John Fettermans (D) campaign has long been considered the best pickup opportunity for Democrats, especially over the summer after Mehmet Oz limped out of a taxing primary. While Democrats still view him as their best shot to flip a seat, the dynamics of the race have changed substantially since mid-August as Oz, with the help of GOP outside groups, has made this a true toss-up contest with more than two weeks to go.

Attacks targeting Fettermans record on crime and personal background have vaulted Oz into a race that political operatives on both sides believe will go down to the wire. A new Fox 29-Insider Advantage poll showed the two candidates tied at 46 percent  marking Ozs best showing in a general election survey.

A central question throughout the race has concerned Fettermans health following the stroke he suffered days before the primary in May. On Wednesday, a doctor who examined Fetterman declared that he is in good health and has no work restrictions in the final weeks. All eyes will still be on Fetterman on Tuesday when he and Oz take part in the first and only debate of the campaign.

Story continues

The question is: Are answers to the questions the voters have about the economy good enough to carry us? said T.J. Rooney, a Pennsylvania-based Democratic strategist who previously ran the states Democratic Party. Theres light at the end of the tunnel, and thats exciting.

Nevada

According to three October surveys, the margin in the race between Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R) has not been more than 2 points. (Associated Press)

Sen. Catherine Cortez Mastos (D) battle with former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R) is coming down to the wire, with the winner set to help determine the future of the Senate majority.

Cortez Masto, a first-term senator, and Laxalt have long been considered the hallmark Senate match-up on the board, and the finish seems to be living up to its billing. According to three surveys released since the start of October, the margin has not been more than 2 points, with Laxalt leading the most recent CBS News-YouGov poll released on Thursday by a single percentage point.

Everything points to a very close election. Its all about GOTV, GOTV, GOTV, said Greg Ferraro, a Nevada-based GOP strategist, using shorthand for get out the vote.

Most Nevada voters are probably decided. Its a function now of blocking and tackling  IDing the voters and getting them out.

The mechanics of that operation kick into high gear this weekend in one sense, as early voting starts on Saturday and mail-in ballots in the states two most populous counties  Washoe (Reno and Carson City) and Clark (Las Vegas)  hit mailboxes in the past week.

On top of the massive money that has flooded the state, top surrogates are appearing in Nevada over the final month of the campaign. Former President Trump appeared recently in northern Nevada, while former President Obama is slated to campaign for Cortez Masto and Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) on Nov. 1 in Las Vegas. President Biden on Thursday indicated that he too will make the trip west to appear in support of Democratic candidates.

Georgia

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker

The Georgia Senate race has remained tight despite reports about Herschel Walker paying for a womans abortion despite publicly calling for an abortion ban without exceptions. (Greg Nash)

The national mood is trending Republican, but Herschel Walker (R) is testing that thought against Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) in what continues to be among the most contentious and hard-fought campaigns on the map.

The reverberations from reports that Walker paid for an abortion kept up this week as Warnocks campaign rolled out a new ad titled Hypocrite, blasting the former University of Georgia running back over his calls for an abortion ban without exceptions (a position he has since tried to claw back).

For you, Herschel Walker wants to ban abortion, the ads narrator said before turning to the allegations.

Nevertheless, the race has remained close, with top Republicans deciding to stick it out in support of Walker despite the allegations. They continue to think Walker has a real chance to pull out a victory on Nov. 8, and that could be due in part to the potential margin of victory by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) over Democrat Stacey Abrams. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average, Kemp leads by 5.6 percentage points.

Its still tight, one GOP operative involved in Senate races said. Is there a Venn diagram where there is 5 to 10 percent of Kemp voters who vote for Warnock? Five percent I can see. Ten percent seems like its pushing it.

Wisconsin

The GOP has hit Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) with a series of ads undercutting him on crime and a host of other issues, helping to give Sen. Ron Johnson (R) a 3 point lead in the race. (Greg Nash/Associated Press)

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) remains in the ballgame in his bid to defeat Sen. Ron Johnson (R), who holds a small lead in the final weeks as he seeks a third term in office.

After trailing in August following the states late primary, a barrage of GOP ads aimed at undercutting Barnes on crime and a host of other issues seems to have paid off, as Johnson now holds a nearly 3 percentage point lead over the sitting lieutenant governor.

What should be of concern for Barnes at this point harkens back to 2016. Throughout Johnsons first reelection campaign, he trailed in every single poll leading up to election day, and he still won. The Wisconsin incumbent has led or tied in every poll taken over the past month, including a recent Marquette Law School poll that showed him leading Barnes by 6 points.

Nevertheless, Democrats like their chances to spring the upset on Nov. 8.

Incredibly close.  It feels as good as it ever has, one Democratic strategist told The Hill. There was a moment in early September when Barnes was ahead and then there was late September when Johnson was ahead. It seems like things are tied and a bit of a jump ball.

North Carolina

In nearly every poll conducted in the North Carolina race since Labor Day, Rep. Ted Budd (R) has either led or tied Democrat Cheri Beasley. (Associated Press)

In one of the quietest races on the Senate map, Rep. Ted Budd (R) holds a slim but steady lead over Democrat Cheri Beasley in the contest to succeed the retiring Sen. Richard Burr (R)

In survey after survey conducted since Labor Day, Budd has either led or been tied, even though his margin over the Democratic challenger has remained within the margin of error in a number of polls. According to each of the most recent surveys released by the Trafalgar Group and East Carolina University (ECU), the sitting congressman has extended his lead.

Although it is still competitive, Ted Budd is the favorite to win North Carolinas U.S. Senate election based on our latest poll numbers, Peter Francia, director of the ECU Center for Survey Research, said in a statement. The ECU poll showed Budd leading by 6 percentage points.

Ohio

One of the biggest issues for Rep. Tim Ryan (D) in his race against J.D. Vance is that he has been unable to rake in more than 45 percent in any poll in October. (Greg Nash/Associated Press)

As the old adage has it, close doesnt count except in horseshoes and hand grenades. Thats the issue facing Rep. Tim Ryan (D) as he continues to trail closely behind Republican J.D. Vance in what has become an increasingly red state in recent years.

According to the latest surveys, Vance holds a 2.5 percentage point lead. However, the biggest problem for Ryan is that he has been unable to rake in more than 45 percent in any poll this month. The Ohio Democrat tried to land punches against Vance, who won the GOP primary on the back of Trumps endorsement earlier this year, but it hasnt helped him make a meaningful dent.

Tim Ryan is running a great campaign, a second GOP strategist involved in Senate races told The Hill. The problem for him is predicated on him trying to convince people hes a Republican. Hes been a liberal Democrat for 20 years.  The idea that this is a race is just silly.

New Hampshire

Sen. Maggie Hassans lead could continue to narrow as economic issues become more and more prominent in voters minds. (Associated Press/Greg Nash)

The biggest change on this list from the previous edition is in the Granite State where Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) remains the favorite over Republican Don Bolduc, but the race could end up closer than some anticipate.

Buoyed by a late primary and the lack of a marquee GOP challenger (see: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu), Hassan has seen what was expected to be a tough-as-nails general election sail by the wayside. However, if national sentiment has anything to say, Hassans lead  which sits at 7 points, according to the latest AARP survey  could narrow as economic issues continue to crop up.

Fuel behind the idea of a possible upset cropped up on Friday as Bolducs campaign released an internal poll conducted by a firm run by Tony Fabrezio, former President Trumps pollster, showing Hassan leading by 2 percentage points (49 percent to 47 percent).

If Im placing a bet, [Democrats] probably hold on to it, but its closer than people think, said the first GOP operative.

However, cold water was poured on that idea only hours later as the Senate Leadership Fund, which is run by allies of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), canceled $5.6 million in ads in the Granite State, a sign that national Republicans are waving the white flag on the race.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
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

Five Mississippi women have been charged in connection to viral videos showing children being scared with a mask.

The charges range from felony child abuse to misdemeanor charges of failure to report child abuse and assault on a minor.

Katelyn Johnson, a mother of a child at the daycare, told ABC News that she was "in complete shock of what I witnessed."

Four Mississippi women connected to viral videos showing children in a daycare being terrorized with a 'Scream' mask are now facing felony child abuse charges and a fifth woman is facing a misdemeanor failure to report charge, according to police.

Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook said in a statement that Sierra McCandless, 21; Oci-Anna Kilburn, 28; Jennifer Newman, 25, and Misty Shyenne Mills, 28, face three counts of felony child abuse, while Traci Hutson, 44, faces misdemeanor charges of failure to report abuse by a mandatory reporter and simple assault against a minor.

A judge set bond for McCandless and Kilburn at $20,000 and $15,000 each for Newman and Mills, according to the Associated Press. Hutson is not required to post bond because her charges are misdemeanors, the AP reported.

"It's just a shame it happened and this is where we're at. Hopefully, people will learn from it," Crook told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. "It can tear a community apart. Everybody who was a part of it knew each other in some shape or form. It's a lot of emotions to deal with, and our job is to cut through those emotions, find the facts and present those facts."

Shiela Sanders, the owner of the daycare, Lil' Blessings Child Care & Learning Center in Hamilton, Mississippi, has said that at least 4 people were fired as a result of the videos.

In one video, the children can be seen crying and hiding from a woman as she chases them. One woman, who identified herself as CeeCee, said in a tearful apology obtained by The Daily Mail that she is the person behind the mask in the video.

Story continues

"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 goes on to say that she had been employed at the daycare for around four years in the apology video.

"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."

Katelyn Johnson, the mother one of the children who attends the daycare, told ABC News that she was "in complete shock of what I witnessed."

"Whether they had a mask on or a mask off, their behavior was unacceptable," Johnson told ABC. "My blood pressure was raised. It broke my heart for my child. I was angry."

"I hope you're enjoying jail and I hope you realize what you have done is serious," Johnson continued. "It is not a joke and it is nothing to laugh at."

According to CNN, Melissa Parker, the director of the Office of Licensure with the Mississippi State Department of Health, said that Lil' Blessings had not reopened as of Thursday.

Read the original article on Insider
The desperate pleas appeared online shortly after the four friends disappeared last week  a man asking if anyone had seen his cousins. A wife looking for her husband. A mother searching for the father of their four children.

Days later, their families got the devastating news. The dismembered remains of their loved ones had been found in a shallow section of a river at the edge of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, population roughly 11,300.

Now, the victims' families and their community are struggling with a grim mystery: What happened in the hours before Alex Stevens, Mike Sparks and brothers Billy and Mark Chastain vanished  and and who is responsible for their horrific deaths?

It doesnt make sense, said Dawn Carter, an Okmulgee city council member. When youre part of a close-knit community, when minor things take place it gets attention. Something this major? It affects everybody.

Tell the folks to pray for us, she added.

Who were they?

The four men grew up together in Okmulgee, a city that Megan Gordon, Billy Chastain's widow, described as a "very small town"  a place where "everyone's parents knows everyone's parents."

"Everybody knows everybody here."

Mark Chastain, 32, and Billy Chastain, 30, were the definition of brothers and were always together, their grandmother, Milissia Smith, said in a verified online fundraiser. Billy Chastain  who went by BJ  was a handyman with four children, two girls and two boys ages 2 to 12, Gordon said.

He was funny, he was loving, he was spontaneous, she said. He was perfect.

Everything revolved around his kids, she added.

Mark Chastain had two children and worked in an oil field as a rig hand, said friend Ron Pelham. Chastain worked his butt off for everything he had but would offer the shirt off his back, Pelham, 34, said.

He was doing good to better the life of his family every which way possible, Pelham said.

Alex Stevens. (Courtesy Teresa Stevens)

Alex Stevens worked as a nursing home cook aide, said his widow, Teresa Stevens. He struggled with drug addiction, and the two met after he was released from jail in 2013, she said.

Story continues

They married in 2014 and separated shortly after, said Stevens, 35, though they never legally divorced and remained best friends. He had bouts of depression, but "there was never a day he couldnt put a smile on your face," she said.

Efforts to reach relatives of Mike Sparks, 32, were unsuccessful.

What happened?

The four friends set off on a bike ride Oct. 9, the Okmulgee Police Department said last week. Getting around on two wheels isn't unusual in Okmulgee, Pelham said, especially if it's the weekend and there's been drinking.

The group is thought to have left a house where Billy Chastain lived part-time around 5:30 p.m., Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice said in an interview this week. Investigators obtained GPS data from cellphones carried by two of the men that showed them traveling east, then south. No video has been found that captured their movements after they left, Prentice has said.

"I do not know what was on their minds when they left the house," Prentice said. "I'm as in the dark as everyone else."

At some point, two of the men invited someone described by authorities as a witness to hit a lick big enough for all of them, Prentice has said, using a slang term for committing a profitable criminal act.

In the interview, Prentice said the witness didn't "feel right about it and his bicycle wasn't working, so he told them to go on."

The police chief didn't know which of the men allegedly made the offer, and he declined to identify the witness. Investigators don't have additional details about the alleged plot, Prentice said, nor have they gathered evidence to corroborate the witness' statement.

"I can't think of a reason he'd want to make it up," Prentice added.

A review of court records for the four men shows that Alex Stevens pleaded guilty to felony drug charges in 2013 and 2015, and Billy Chastain pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge in 2014. None have been accused of violent crimes, robberies or burglaries, the records show.

Billy Chastain with three of his children. (Megan Gordon)

Gordon said the last time she spoke to Billy Chastain was the day before he vanished. She had no idea what he'd been up to the night he disappeared but said that "hit a lick" wasn't something her husband would have said.

"My kids' dad didn't talk like that," she said. "It doesn't make sense."

Pelham cast doubt on Mark Chastain's involvement in a criminal plan, saying he made good money at his job and "damn sure has never been a thief."

Hall also didnt believe that Stevens would have robbed anyone.

"Alex wasnt that type of person," she said. "If he didnt have money, he was going to work to make money."

The last time Stevens spoke to her husband was three days before he disappeared. They video chatted about how she was doing after her recent release from a drug treatment program, she said.

"I never knew that was the last time I'd see him," she said.

'We knew whatever happened to them, it wasnt going to be good'

Gordon learned that her husband was missing when Mark Chastain's wife called early Oct. 10 and asked if the brothers were at her house.

Initially, Gordon believed they were at Mark Chastain's home. As the hours rolled by, she figured they were running late or had a flat tire. But, 1 p.m. passed, then 5 p.m., she said. So they alerted police and reported them missing, she said.

"I was hoping and praying they'd find them safe," Hall said.

The Okmulgee Police Department circulated the first missing person alerts Oct. 11. Initially, the agency said that there was no evidence to indicate violence or foul play and that Mark Chastain's phone was found without power in an area south of town.

As the hours passed, relatives posted their pleas to Facebook and witnesses reported seeing the missing men as close as the local YMCA and as far as Monroe, Louisiana, authorities said.

Pelham, who lives roughly an hour northwest of Okmulgee, said he traveled to the city with his younger brother to knock on doors and help with a search.

"For four grown men to come up missing, that blew our minds," he said. "Them boys weren't small. They could hold their own. We knew whatever happened to them, it wasn't going to be good."

Five days after the men were last seen, Prentice told reporters that a passerby notified authorities of something suspicious in a shallow stretch of the Deep Fork River southwest of Okmulgee. Near a bridge, authorities found "multiple" human remains and "body parts protruding from the water."

By Monday, the remains had been identified as the Chastain brothers, Sparks and Stevens. They had been shot before their dismembered bodies were dumped in the river, Prentice said.

None of their bikes have been found, he said.

An arrest

Also Monday, Prentice named a person of interest in the case: Joseph Kennedy, owner of a local scrap yard where investigators uncovered evidence of a "violent event" on an adjoining property, the chief said. He declined to provide additional details about what evidence was recovered.

Kennedy had been missing since Saturday, Prentice said, and he was thought to have been driving a blue Chrysler PT Cruiser.

At 8:29 a.m. Tuesday, more than 1,200 miles away in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, a police officer's license plate reader identified a passing Toyota Tundra as stolen, the city's police department said. Kennedy, 67, was the pickup's driver.

Officers pulled him over and determined he was a person of interest in the quadruple homicide. He was booked without incident on suspicion of grand theft of a motor vehicle and being a fugitive from justice, the department said.

Kennedy has not been identified as a suspect in the Okmulgee killings. The fugitive allegation is linked to two unrelated charges from 2012, also in Okmulgee, authorities said  felony assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and misdemeanor obstruction of a police officer.

Court records show that in 2013, Kennedy pleaded no contest to the charges, which were related to a shooting at one of his businesses, his lawyer in that case said earlier this week.

The lawyer, Luke Gaither, said a "number of people" had broken into the property and Kennedy fired in self-protection at someone he believed had a gun.

"The state clearly had a different side of that," Gaither said.

To avoid prison time, Kennedy was to remain on probation until next year. But in court papers filed Tuesday, prosecutors in Oklahoma argued that he had breached those terms and should be sentenced for the 2012 crimes.

Gaither said Friday that he was not representing Kennedy in the alleged probation violation, and it wasn't clear if he had a lawyer to speak on his behalf. A woman who answered the phone at a number identified in public records as Kennedys declined to comment.

A public defender assigned to Kennedy's case in Florida did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An affidavit filed for the grand theft charge states that Kennedy told the arresting officer that the truck's owner told him he could borrow the vehicle whenever he wanted.

Kennedy told the officer he took the truck last week and drove to Florida for a weekend vacation, the document says. He allegedly told the officer he was suicidal, the document says.

Corrections records in Volusia County show that Kennedy remained in custody Friday and was being held without bond on the fugitive charge.

In the interview, Prentice declined to say if investigators from Oklahoma had interviewed Kennedy since his arrest and Prentice did not know when he might be extradited.

Prentice declined to provide additional information about Kennedy's link to the slayings, citing the ongoing homicide investigation.

For Gordon, getting to the truth of what happened to her husband and the three other men can't come soon enough.

"I really thought they were coming home," she said. To find out they were "cut up  it's just horrible knowing my kids won't ever see their dad again."

"I feel like I'm breaking," Gordon said through tears. "I feel like I'm already broken."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
We are in the midst of a national crisis affecting the lives of more than 100 million Americans, including New Jerseyans. This crisis is worsening racial disparities in health and wealth. Its stopping some Americans from saving for retirement and others from investing in their childrens education. Its forcing patients who may have just months to live to spend their last days on earth fighting corporations over medical bills and coverage. This is the crisis of medical debt in America, and its crushing millions of hardworking families.

Thats why this October  Health Literacy Month  Consumers for Quality Care is sharing information that New Jerseyans can use to help keep their out-of-pocket health care costs low and avoid medical debt. The key tips are to avoid tricky health insurance plans and policies, to ask good questions about charity care options, and to know your consumer rights if you ever get stuck with a surprise medical bill.

Choosing the right health insurance has a huge impact on Americans finances. When choosing insurance for you and your family, its important to watch out for Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance plans, or STLDI plans. These so-called junk plans are insurance in name only, and are exempt from many of the consumer protections found in the Affordable Care Act. Although they may have lower monthly premium payments, STLDI plans often exclude pre-existing conditions, have dollar value limits on covered services, and arent required to cover preventative medical services at all. In fact, for every $1 you pay in premiums, STLDI plans often spend less than 10 cents on your health care  and out-of-pocket expenses can pile up quickly under these plans.

But its not just junk plans that lead to high out-of-pocket costs and medical debt. The rise of health insurance plans with high deductibles (the amount you are responsible for before your insurance begins covering treatment), high copays (the amount your insurance requires you to pay for a treatment) and high coinsurance (the percentage of costs of a covered service you pay even after youve met your deductible) means that insured New Jerseyans seeking care are often left with large bills they are unable to pay.

Some of these plans also include copay accumulators that shift prescription medicine costs from the insurance companies to patients by blocking any financial assistance you receive  like a voucher or a coupon  from counting toward your deductible. Its like paying for your groceries with a gift card, but when you swipe the gift card and the store takes all the money from it, they still wont let you have your groceries until you pay again  for a second time  with cash from your own pocket. Its insurance company double-dipping, and it has left many Americans mired in debt or unable to afford their lifesaving medication.

Although fourteen states have banned copay accumulators, legislators in New Jersey taken no action to protect patients, highlighting the need for a national ban on this harmful practice that is leaving many patients in our state and across the country with medical bills they cant afford to pay.

A health care worker in the ICU at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck assists with a COVID patient.

In addition to looking out for tricky insurance plans, you should also ask good questions about what your options are if you receive treatment at a nonprofit hospital. The truth is, while nonprofit hospitals are meant to provide more affordable care to the public in return for big tax breaks, the executives at nonprofit hospitals often focus on making big bucks instead. For example, IRS rules require nonprofit hospitals to provide financial assistance to patients who qualify, but fewer than half of these hospitals actually informed patients that they may qualify for charity care. Worse, 45% of nonprofit hospitals regularly send bills to patients who qualify for charity care.

To protect yourself, ask about your options if you are treated at a nonprofit hospital. If you feel that youve been unfairly and unlawfully denied charity care, file a complaint with the New Jersey Department of Health.

Finally, you need to know your rights if you ever receive a surprise bill from your medical provider. A law called the No Surprises Act went into effect earlier this year to help stop the unfair surprise billing practices that have put millions of Americans in debt. Unfortunately, about 1 in 5 Americans reported receiving a surprise medical bill since the law took effect. If youve received a surprise medical bill this year that you think violates the No Surprises Act, visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website to learn more and file a complaint. Your communitys legal aid organizations may also be able to provide assistance.

It's no secret we need major reforms in our health care system, reforms that stop hospitals and insurance companies from viewing sick people and their families as sources of profit and nothing more. Until then, CQC will work hard to make sure New Jerseyans are in the know by sharing the information they need to make sound health decisions.

The Honorable Donna M. Christensen is a member of the Consumers for Quality Care board. She retired in 2015 from the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served nine terms. Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, Christensen is the first female physician to serve as a member in the history of the U.S. Congress.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Medical debt needs greater and more urgent attention
James Corden's restaurant row has been reignited. (PA)

The row over whether James Corden was rude to staff at a New York restaurant is rumbling on, as the owner has slammed the TV star's comments that he hadn't "done anything wrong, on any level".

Corden, who hosts The Late Late Show and starred in Gavin & Stacey, was accused of treating waiters badly at Balthazar restaurant in New York after he reportedly received the wrong food.

Read more: House of the Dragon finale leak - HBO 'disappointed' for fans

Owner Keith McNally initially banned the comedian and actor from his restaurant after claiming he had also behaved poorly at some of his other businesses, but revoked the ban when Corden, 44, apologised.

James Corden says he will 'probably' address the row on The Late Late Show. (Sky)

However, a recent New York Times interview in which Corden claimed not to have "done anything wrong, on any level" and said he felt "Zen" about it has reignited the conflict.

McNally posted on Instagram: "Ive no wish to kick a man when hes down. Especially one whos worth $100 Million, but when James Corden said in yesterdays NY Times that he hadnt done anything wrong, on any level, was he joking? Or was he denying being abusive to my servers? Whatever Corden meant, his implication was clear: he didnt do it.

"Although I didnt witness the incident, lots of my restaurants floor staff did. They had nothing to gain by lying. Corden did.

"I wish James Corden would live up to his Almighty initials and come clean. If the supremely talented actor wants to retrieve the respect he had from all his fans (all 4 of them) before this incident, then he should at least admit he did wrong. If he goes one step further and apologizes to the 2 servers he insulted, Ill let him eat for free at Balthazar for the next 10 years."

James Corden has said he did nothing wrong. (PA)

Corden had pre-arranged the New York Times interview before the controversy kicked off, but when he was asked during the chat whether he had considered cancelling, he said: "I havent done anything wrong, on any level. So why would I ever cancel this? I was there.

Story continues

Read more: Stormzy opens up on guilt over Maya Jama split

"I get it. I feel so Zen about the whole thing. Because I think its so silly. I just think its beneath all of us. Its beneath you. Its certainly beneath your publication."

Asked about the online debate surrounding the row, he replied: "I havent really read anything. Its strange. Its strange when you were there. I think Im probably going to have to talk about it on Mondays show.

"My feeling, often, is, never explain, never complain. But Ill probably have to talk about it.

"Should we not all be a little grown-up about this? I promise you, ask around this restaurant. They dont know about this. Maybe 15 percent of people."

Watch: James Corden calls restaurant ban drama 'silly'
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Iowas top-10 defense could only do so much.

Once Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud found his rhythm in the second half Saturday, the Hawkeyes couldnt keep a lid on one of the flashiest offenses in the nation.

Stroud threw second-half touchdowns to four different receivers, and the second-ranked Buckeyes capitalized on six Iowa turnovers in a 54-10 thumping.

Tanner McCalister had two interceptions and Tommy Eichenberg had a pick-6 as Ohio State took advantage of an inept Iowa offense to consistently start drives with good field position.

Unfortunately, we never gave ourselves much of a chance, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.

The game wasnt pretty for the Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) until Stroud and Co. began to click.

When you play a top-10 defense, its not going to be fireworks every series, Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.

I think the story is about the defense and how well they played, he added.

Miyan Williams rushed for a first-half touchdown, and Stroud threw to Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Mitch Rossi for scores in the second half.

The first half was kind of weird, Stroud said. In the first half, we just have to execute better. Its good to get that under our belts, though. The second half of the season is very tough, and youre going to have games when youre not really clicking early on, and you got to get it going. So once we got it going, I felt like we became the dynamic offense that we know. I just felt like we had some swagger back.

On Iowas first play from scrimmage, Spencer Petras threw right into the arms of McCalister. Ohio State took over at the Iowa 32 but had to settle for a 46-yard field goal.

On Ohio States first play after an Iowa punt, defensive end Joe Evans came through the middle untouched and smashed into Stroud, who fumbled at his 11. Evans scooped it and trotted in for what would be Iowas only touchdown.

Eichenbergs pick-6 gave Ohio State a 26-10 lead at halftime.

Story continues

Alex Padilla took over for Petras in the third quarter and on the second play was picked off by McCalister at the Iowa 15.

Four plays later, Stroud roped a 6-yard TD pass to Harrison and extended the lead late in the third with a 13-yarder to Egbuka.

Stroud hit Fleming in stride tearing down the middle for a 79-yard TD  by far the prettiest play of the day  and then tossed a short scoring pass to Rossi.

They have a quarterback who can put the ball on a dime, Iowa safety Kaevon Merriweather said. Whatever plays they needed, he was able to put the ball on the money, and hes got one of the best receiving corps out there.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa: The six turnovers were the most for Iowa since committing that many against Indiana in 2009. It was the most points allowed by Iowa since a 56-35 loss to Ohio State in 1995. The two quarterbacks combined to go 11 for 24 for just 81 yards and three interceptions.

Ohio State: Stroud took a while to get going but looked like his old self in the second half. He was 20 for 30 for 286 yards. He leads the nation with 28 touchdowns.

KICKING IT

Noah Ruggles contributed four field goals after kicking just two in the previous six games. He was 2 for 3 on field goals coming in. His 46-yarder in the first quarter was by far his longest of the season.

QUOTABLE

When we play against Ohio State, we know theyre going to have playmakers at every position, arguably the best quarterback in the nation and arguably the best receivers in the nation, Iowa All-America linebacker Jack Campbell said.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Buckeyes should stay put at No. 2, ahead of Tennessee. No. 1 Georgia was idle.

UP NEXT

Iowa: Hosts Northwestern next Saturday.

Ohio State: At Penn State next Saturday.

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the APs college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
Oct. 21LIMA  A Lima man will spend at least 18 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend's 4-year-old daughter and the abuse of her 7-year-old son.

Romiere Hale, 22, pleaded guilty to and was sentenced for murder and child endangerment Friday afternoon. He will spend 18 years to life in prison. Allen County Prosecuting Attorney Jurgen Waldick said Hale struck Ma'Laya Dewitt in the abdomen and head.

Waldick said according to experts, the abdominal injury caused a portion of the girl's pancreas to rupture, which caused her intestines to fuse. She lost the ability to eat from April 3, 2021 to April 12, 2021, when she died.

Jim Owen, Hale's attorney, said at Hale's request, he consulted a forensic pathologist, who said the girl died from a pneumonia infection that was treatable. He said her death was part of a pattern of abuse in a "drug-fueled environment."

The children's paternal grandfather spoke at the hearing, telling Hale that he forgives him but he caused great pain to his family.

"You damaged our family, but not only our family, but your own family, man," the man told Hale.

The man said the children saw Hale as their stepfather. He asked Hale to take his time in prison to reflect and better himself.

In a written statement from Dewitt's father, the man said that he has "lost everything" due to Hale's actions. He said the death of his daughter has changed him.

"Whenever I hear little kids laughing and playing, I lose it," the man stated.

Hale said he didn't know what to say about what he did.

"I take full responsibility for this situation," Hale said.

Judge Terri Kohlrieser said that too often, adults take out their anger and their problems on children. Waldick said the girl was only 40 pounds and 40 inches tall.

"Mr. Hale does not appear to be a small man," Kohlrieser said.

Kohlrieser said many people were physically and psychologically hurt by Hale's actions, which "could have been completely avoided."

Story continues

Kohlrieser noted that Dewitt died in April, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month. She said situations like these are why advocates and the state fight to protect children.

"He was supposed to be a caregiver, not the one they needed protection from," Kohlrieser said.

Hale's girlfriend and the children's mother, Stayce Riley, is set to sit for a jury trial on Nov. 7 on charges of endangering children and involuntary manslaughter.

Reach Jessica Orozco at 567-242-0398.
STANISLAV POHORILOV  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 14:43

Volodymyr Leontiev, the gauleiter [Russian-appointed puppet leader/governor; a term that referred to German governors of territories occupied by the Nazis in WWII - ed.] of the city of Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region, claimed that the occupiers started discharging water from the Kakhovka Reservoir downstream from the Dnipro River.

Source: Kommersant media outlet referring to the Soloviov Live broadcast

Quote: "The (Kakhovka  ed.) Hydroelectric Power Plant continues to work, even though three units are out of order. It has not stopped working for a single day since 24 February. Last week, the water discharge was intensified to decrease the quantity of water gushing downstream in the worst-case scenario."

Details: Leontiev added that "the level of water downstream has risen; all the stoplogs are open; preventative water discharge is being conducted now".

Background:

On 20 October Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, reported that Russians mined the dam and units of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and are planning to commit a terrorist attack under the Ukrainian flag.

According to available intelligence, the occupiers had planned in advance to blow up the Kakhovka reservoir dam, which is the hydraulic system of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, and therefore it was mined back in April.

On 21 October, Ukraine called upon the UN, EU and other organisations to send an international monitoring mission to the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
STANISLAV POHORILOV  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 14:08

On 22 October, the occupying "authorities" in Kherson Oblast ordered the residents to leave the city and cross to the left bank of the Dnipro river due to the "tense situation at the front".

Source: occupying "authorities" of Kherson Oblast on Telegram

Details: Such a decision, the occupiers say, was caused by the tense situation at the front, the ongoing attacks and the alleged "threat of terrorist attacks".

The "authorities" also ordered people to take documents, money, valuables and clothes with them.

Background: On 20 October, Ukrainian media reported that the Russian occupation forces were transferring their military equipment and personnel from the right bank of the Dnipro river to its left bank in Kherson Oblast, following recent successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in liberating the Oblast.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Iran urges U.S. to abide by int'l shipping law

Xinhua) 10:09, October 22, 2022

TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A top Iranian military commander on Friday urged the United States to comply with international shipping law wherever it conducts maritime activities, official news agency IRNA reported.

Iranian Navy Commander Shahram Irani made the remark at a ceremony held in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas to welcome back the navy's 84th Flotilla from its 86-day mission in international waters.

Irani noted that the flotilla seized two American unmanned surface vehicles during its mission of escorting Iranian ships on the high seas, particularly in the Red Sea.

"Iran will respond decisively and crushingly to any action that would compromise shipping security in regional waters," he warned.

In early September, the Iranian Navy said it briefly seized two American maritime drones in the Red Sea for the purpose of "preventing naval accidents in the international shipping lane" before releasing them in a "safe area."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu)
Author John Irving at the Antonio Tapies Foundation in Barcelona in May 2006. HIs latest novel is The Last Chairlift, and maybe one of his last. (CESAR RANGEL/AFP via Getty Images)

When I received an email from a publicist offering me an advance copy of John Irvings last novel, I jumped at the chance.

John Irving has been an important writer in my life, as a reader and as someone who writes himself. The World According to Garp was one of the first adult novels I read when I was still pretty young (maybe 14 years old), that helped me understand the gap between my kid life and the concerns of grown-ups. The only paper I wrote in college that was anything other than a regurgitation of what the professor already told me was about A Prayer for Owen Meany.

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I borrowed the structure of Irvings earlier, lesser-known novel, The Water-Method Man for a book of my own.

Normally, I dont put huge stock in being able to read books ahead of the general public, but in this case, I envisioned being one of the first public commentators to talk about The Last Chairlift and put it in the context of a lifetime of deeply meaningful and enduring work.

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And then I heard the literal thump of the package on my doorstep as The Last Chairlift was dropped off by the FedEx delivery person, and when I opened the package and saw the nearly 900 page manuscript, I realized that my dream of being one of the early reviewers of Irvings last novel was unlikely to come true. I would have to drop every other reading assignment in order to even have a shot at finishing The Last Chairlift in time.

I went back to that publicists email and saw that in my excitement I had misread. The Last Chairlift isnt John Irvings last novel, but his last long novel, which makes more sense. Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears in 1968 at age 26, and has not stopped publishing since. It has been seven years since his previous novel, Avenue of Mysteries, but looking at the size and scope of The Last Chairlift, its clear the man hasnt been twiddling this thumbs.

"The Last Chairlift" by John Irving, published Oct. 18, 2022. (Simon & Schuster)

I have started reading The Last Chairlift, immediately falling into Irvings storytelling rhythms, rhythms which always struck me as very conscious that a story is being told, but because I have not read it to completion, I will not offer any kind of assessment or review beyond what the early pages tell me, it appears very much to be a John Irving novel.

What this means for readers in general is a sprawling story in terms of action and incident married with close attention to the specifics of the human heart. Lots of bad things befall Irvings characters in his books, and the world around them is often hostile to their pursuit of happiness, but there has also always been something fundamentally optimistic in his works as people try to be good to each other.

What this means for me, personally, as a reader in specific is a connection to an author that feels almost personal, though I have never met the man. How strange that is to believe you are connected to another human being simply because you have read the stories they have invented.

Strange, as in mysterious and inexplicable, but also not at all uncommon. Im imagining many of you good folks reading this have authors of your own who fit the bill.

In truth, this probably make me the wrong guy to assess The Last Chairlift as a reviewer from the appropriate critical distance.

My relationship with Irvings work is too deep to be anything like objective.

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Im glad to take my time.

John Warner is the author of Why They Cant Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities.

Twitter @biblioracle

Book recommendations from the Biblioracle

John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books youve read.

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1. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

2. Who is Maud Dixon by Alexandra Andrews

3. The Joy and Light Bus Company by Alexander McCall Smith

4. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

5. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

 Brenda P., Chicago

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A heavy concentration of suspense/mystery here. Im going to take a chance that maybe Brenda is not familiar with Chicagos greatest private eye, V.I. Warshawski, who Sara Paretsky introduced us to more than 40 years ago now. The first in the series is Indemnity Only.

1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

2. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

3. H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

4. Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

5. Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal Flyn

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 Patricia T., Glenview

Here, theres a clear fascination with nature, and also an appreciation for a good character story. Ive got both in one book with Elizabeth Gilberts The Signature of All Things.

1. Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer

2. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

3. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

4. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo

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5. This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

 Laura M., Chicago Heights

Im really hoping that Laura has not yet entered what I recently called the Lucy Barton Fictional Universe, invented by Elizabeth Strout, because the warmth of these novels seems to be exactly what shes after. The first is My Name is Lucy Barton.

Get a reading from the Biblioracle

Send a list of the last five books youve read and your hometown to biblioracle@gmail.com.
London is having its busiest period this fall: a state funeral; one big London Fashion Week, as well as a mini one; the Frieze Art Fair, and the BFI London Film Festival. The city is still jam-packed with multicultural offerings, from Israeli food, Iranian art to real stories told onstage.

Where to Eat

Miznon

More from WWD

Celebrity Israeli chef Eyal Shani is bringing his restaurant chain Miznon to London.

Celebrity Israeli chef Eyal Shani is bringing his restaurant chain Miznon to London, after expanding in Paris; Vienna, Austria; Melbourne, Australia, and New York. The concept is an easy one: food for all, just as you would find in any Middle Eastern home. The menu includes roasted cauliflower and broccoli; ratatouille on tahini; lamb kebab; thin slices of rib eye steak, and more. Shani is about to become a name about town, the same way Yotam Ottolenghi has.

Milk Beach

A taste of Australia in Londons Soho.

A taste of Australia in Londons Soho and Queens Park. The restaurant serves brunch all day featuring a heavy seafood menu, from kingfish crudo to a yellow monkfish and mussels curry. At the Queens Park branch, the parasol outside adds to the Aussie ambience.

Zephyr

Londons Notting Hill is getting the Greek treatment with Zephyr.

Londons Notting Hill is getting the Greek treatment with Zephyr, a new restaurant from the Pachamama group whose other locations dish out Peruvian food. The venture is named after the Greek god of the west wind, which aptly fits the west London location. Greek South American chef John Skotidas is heading up the kitchen serving up tarama, a cod roe emulsion; soutzoukakia, spiced mince beef with cumin yogurt; crispy potato terrine, and Loukoumades, fluffy sweet honey balls that are the Greek version of doughnuts.

KOL

KOL is Mexican food not as you know it.

KOL is Mexican food not as you know it. Chef Santiago Lastras concept restaurant is all about simple flavors in bold combinations, made with British ingredients. The autumn dishes on the menu include chicharron with wild mushrooms; carnitas, which translates to little meats, using confit pork cheek, and elote, a sweetcorn cake with buttermilk ice cream and fig leaf. The restaurant has its own online store that stocks wine and mezcal.

Story continues

What to See

Keeping It Surreal: Objects of Desire

The weird and wonderful is taking place at the Design Museum.

The weird and wonderful is taking place at the Design Museum, which has been curated with the Vitra Design Museum. Keeping It Surreal: Objects of Desire tracks the movement of surrealism from 1924 to the present day featuring more than 300 objects on display, including Dalis Lobster Telephone and Man Rays The Gift (Le Cadeau). A part of the exhibition will focus on fashions relationship with surrealism demonstrated by pieces such as Daniel Roseberrys contemporary take on Elsa Schiaparellis design and Maria Grazia Chiuris Salvador Dali ensemble for Dior.

The Credit Suisse Exhibition Lucian Freud: New Perspectives

Two Men, 1987-88 by Lucian Freud (1922-2011); 106.775 cm; National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh; (Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK);  National Galleries of Scotland.

The National Gallery has staged seven decades of Lucian Freuds work, starting with his early pieces such as Girl with Roses from the 1940s; Reflection With Two Children in the 1960s, through to the 2001 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The exhibition includes more than 60 loans from museums and major private collections around the world.

Soheila Sokhanvari: Rebel Rebel

The Love Addict (Portrait of Googoosh), 2019  Soheila Sokhanvari. Courtesy of the artist and Kristin Hjellegjerde gallery.

The Barbican is hosting the first major U.K. commission by an Iranian artist. Soheila Sokhanvaris show explores the lives of Iranian women between 1925 and the 1979 revolution. Its a celebration of womanhood in 31 portraits, where all the subjects are captured with their hair uncovered.

The Horror Show!

Jake and Dinos Chapman, Return of the Repressed 3, 1997 2007.

Somerset House is presenting the phenomenon of horror in three acts: Monster, Ghost, and Witch, with more than 200 works that examine how the genre has transformed in the last 50 years. The images on display look at the disruption of 1970s punk; modern witchcraft, and the global financial crisis of 2008. The artists used in the exhibition include Judy Blame, Leigh Bowery, David Shrigley, Marisa Carnesky, and more.

What to Watch

A Single Man

Theo Fraser Steele in A Single Man.

Christopher Isherwoods 1964 novel A Single Man is getting a West End stage take at the Park Theatre. It has the same premise as Tom Fords film, following college professor George as he grieves the death of his long-term partner, Jim. Theo Fraser Steele is set to play the main role and in November he will be starring in Netflixs The Crown, as Princess Annes second husband, Timothy Laurence.

Light of Passage

Light of Passage will be performed at The Royal Opera House.

Critically acclaimed choreographer Crystal Pite is returning to The Royal Opera House for Light of Passage, based on her Olivier Award-winning ballet Flight Pattern, which is based on the refugee crisis. Pite has worked with the likes of the Paris Opera Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada and Nederland Dans Theater.

The Boy With Two Hearts

Brothers Hamed & Hessam Amiri are sharing their real-life experiences on stage at The National Theatre.

Brothers Hamed & Hessam Amiri are sharing their real-life experiences on stage at The National Theatre. Their family fled Herat, Afghanistan, in 2000 after their mother spoke out against the Taliban. The family escaped their home by way of Russia and through Europe until seeking refuge in the U.K., by which the eldest sons life-threatening heart condition worsens.

Tammy Faye

Elton John during the rehearsals for Tammy Faye.

Elton John is spreading the gospel of Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker at Londons Almeida Theatre with a new musical about the couple that preached to millions of people 24 hours a day from their South Carolina studio. The true story is directed by the theaters artistic director Ruper Goold. The Hollywood production The Eyes of Tammy Faye, starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield, won two Academy Awards in 2022.

Best of WWD

Click here to read the full article.
During the month of October, the 38th Lights for Peace flag to fly at the Fort Taber - Fort Rodman Military Museum honors the memory of Lt. General John Skip B. Hall, Jr., a highly decorated fighter pilot and commander, who served in the United States Air Force for 32 years.

During his distinguished career, he flew more than 3700 hours, including 990 combat hours and 435 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Hall was proficient in flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-14 Tomcat and F-4 Phantom II.

John, also known as Skip, was born on Aug. 9, 1944 and grew up in Mattapoisett. He was a tremendous athlete, becoming a star basketball player for Fairhaven High School, where he and his teammates earned a trip to the Tech Tourney. Hall was eventually inducted into the Fairhaven High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

Lt. General John Skip B. Hall, Jr

Hall graduated with a bachelors degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1967. He joined the United States Air Force in March of that year and began his pilot training at Reese Air Force Base in Texas, earning the rank of 2LT. This would be the beginning of a long and distinguished military career serving both stateside and abroad. Over the years, he became a fighter pilot, served as commander of an F-4 Phantom II unit, during two of his three tours in Vietnam, and went on to serve as commander in numerous companies. His career culminated with the command of the U.S Forces in Japan at the end of his career.

His son, Adam Hall, recalled that his dad lived a life of focus, characterized with accomplishments of similar great men, but Dad had no desire to tell others of his greatness. Succeeding at everything, missing nothing, his evolution from child to pilot, leader and patriarch was marked by devotion to every obstacle he faced. He went on to explain that his father excelled at everything, feared nothing, and welcomed every obstacle like it didnt stand a chance. He led a life of service to his country and his family, selflessly saving nothing for himself.

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The beginning of his military career started in 1968. Upon completion of his pilot training, Hall enrolled in the F-4 Combat Training at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona and was promoted to rank of 1LT. From Dec. 1968 to Dec. 1969, Hall served in the 36th Tactical Fighter Win at the Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam, flying 909 combat hours and 435 combat missions during the Vietnam War.

In July 1970, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and was stationed in Thailand, where he served as an instructor pilot with the 432nd Tactical fighter Reconnaissance Wing. From Oct. 1971 through April 1975, he worked as an instructor pilot and flight examiner with the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing out of George Air Force Base in California. He later served as an operations analyst for three years at Headquarters tactical Air command at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

Hall continued his career as flight commander with the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at the Bitburg Air Base in West Germany from July 1978 through July 1981, followed by a year as a senior research fellow at Rand Corp in California. During this time, he was promoted to the rank of Major on May 2, 1978, and Lt. Col. On June 3, 1981.

The following two years, he served as Chief of the Weapons System Branch, Tactics and Training Division and the Executive Officer for the Deputy Chief of Staff at Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C.

After completing training at the National War College in Washington, D.C., Hall was promoted to Colonel and was stationed in Japan from 1985 to 1992 where he served in many roles, eventually becoming the Special Assistant to the Commander, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, in Japan. Upon completion of his assignment, he was promoted to rank of Brigadier General on March 1, 1992.

In the two years following, he served as Commander of the 363rd Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. as well as Commander of the 4404th Composite Wing at Dhahran Air Base in Saudi Arabia. This was followed by two years serving as the Director of Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., during which time he earned the rank of Major General on May 25, 1995.

From June 1996 to June 1997, Hall served as Director of Plans and Programs at the Headquarters Pacific Air Forces on Hickman Air Force Base in Hawaii. On June 26, 1997, Hall was promoted to the rank of. Lt. General and served in a dual role, as Commander of the U.S. Forces in Japan and Commander of the 5th Air Force, Yokota Air Base.

Lt. General Hall retired from the U. S. Air Force in 1999, earning the following medals for his distinguished 32 year military career: The Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with 26 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Aerial Achievement Medal, The Air Force Commendation Medal, The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with V device and 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Combat Readiness Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with Service Star, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with 7 Service Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

John B. Hall, Jr. passed away on November 16, 2020, at the age of 76. He was the son of the late John B. Hall, Sr. and Edna May (Graham) Hall. He is survived by his wife Jill and their three children Heather Rodriquez of Cape Coral, FL., Susan McNew, and her husband Kevin of Bozeman, MT and his son Adam Hall and his wife Heather of Centrevile, VA; as well as seven grandchildren: Ashley, Sophia, Benjamin, Haven, Kane, Gracie and Ellis; and his sister Susan Haynes and her husband David of Yarmouth, ME.

Remembering a Mattapoisett Hero, was published in the Wanderer on November 12, 2021, summarizing the eulogy of John Skip B. Hall, Jr. His son, Adam recalled there was a better chance youd know he was a Red Sox fan before youd ever know he was a Lt. General. He might go on and on about his grandchildren, but hed never mention the multiple U.S. Presidents he hosted in his home.

Adam recalled asking his father about the wooden plate on his dads desk inscribed with the words The War Starts Today. When Adam asked his father what he meant, he said Its a reminder to always be prepared, focused and meticulous, because always being ready for war is better than figuring out how to fight it when war comes to you.

Linda Ferreira, of Empire Ford of New Bedford, researches the life histories of area residents. American flags are provided by Empire Ford of New Bedford. Flags are raised by the staff at Fort Taber - Fort Rodman Military Museum. Those who would like to honor a local veteran in the future can contact Ferreira at lferreira@buyempireautogroup.com.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Lights for Peace flag to honor Lt. General John B. Hall, Jr.
A health care worker administers a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.

New, more infectious coronavirus mutations are spreading across Florida, and some who will seek new vaccinations to protect against the latest viral versions will have to start paying soon.

The federal government has said that by the end of the year it will run out of money to buy COVID-19 vaccines, meaning they will no longer be free to all recipients starting in January.

The latest shots from Moderna and Pfizer, federally approved in late August, are better built to fight offshoots of the virus omicron variant. The original omicron and its subvariants have accounted for virtually all COVID infections this year so far.

Those vaccines target the BA.5 omicron subvariant. While BA.5 has waned over the summer, it resembles the latest crop of viral mutations, potentially giving recipients of the latest vaccines stronger immunity compared with those who have gotten the original vaccines, which were designed for the original coronavirus first found in Wuhan, China.

The U.S. has bought 171 million doses of the latest vaccines. More than 19.4 million people have gotten those boosters. Once supplies run out, many shot-seekers will have to pay for immunization.

Previously: New COVID omicron subvariants starting to grow in the southeastern U.S.

Down again: COVID numbers continue to decline in Florida

Long COVID: Why aren't my symptoms going away? Why did they come back? Am I a long-hauler?

Spanish speaker Rosita Zapeta, 55, receives a Covid-19 vaccination from Palm Beach County firefighter Nelson Ramirez outside the Palm Beach County Public Health Department in Lantana, FL, July 28, 2021. The vaccinations were being organized by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County.

Several subvariants of omicron edging out BA.5 as the dominant strain

BA.5 offshoots  BF.7, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1  have gained ground in Florida since August when it was first detected in a COVID test collected by the worldwide GISAID initiative, a group dedicated to rapidly sharing COVID data.

And in Singapore, another omicron subvariant, XBB, has caused the Asian city-states COVID caseload to double since Oct. 1. That mutation has been found in 45 tests across the United States, though none yet in Florida.

Caseload still on downward path while virals increase a little in sewage

Meanwhile, Floridas COVID case counts and hospitalizations are continuing their downward slide, as viral levels increase slightly in sewage in some parts of the state, according to new data released Friday.

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The state's COVID case count grew an average of 10,028 cases each week since the state Health Departments last biweekly report Oct. 7. Thats the lowest since April 8. More than 7.1 million people across the state have been infected by the disease.

Hospitals statewide tended to 1,152 COVID-positive patients Friday, the fewest since May 9. Floridas COVID death toll grew by an average of 258 people each week since Oct. 7, the lowest since June 17.

More than 16 million Florida residents have gotten at least one shot of the COVID vaccines, including more than 6 million with boosters. Those numbers have barely changed since summer.

Still, vaccine immunity has been waning. Previous studies have shown protection starts to fade after several months. Yet even as these infectious mutations spread, Congress has not provided money to cover the costs of COVID vaccines, as the Biden Administration has requested.

Senate killed $10 billion in COVID money

In April, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida joined his 49 Republican colleagues in the Senate to block a bill that would have allocated $10 billion for the federal government to continue buying COVID vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, thereby covering the out-of-pocket costs for shot-seekers.

Senate Republicans blocked the effort that would have kept vaccines free after Democrats would not include a provision that would have prevented President Biden from winding down a pre-vaccine Trump-era restriction that authorizes U.S. border officials to swiftly expel immigrants to prevent the spread of the respiratory illness.

Rubio's Democratic opponent in the Nov. 8 election, Val Demings, voted for the measure in the House. Florida's other Republican senator, Rick Scott, is not running for re-election this year.

If federal funding for vaccines ends in January, along with the federal governments COVID public health emergency declaration, millions of Americans could find themselves having to pay for the previously free shots.

The uninsured will not really have a mechanism to get the vaccine, said Jennifer Kates, director of Global Health and HIV Policy at the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, which focuses on health-care policy.

COVID and omicron variant in Florida: What to know if you're exposed or test positive for coronavirus

Is it the flu, a cold, or COVID-19? How to know, and when to get tested

Christoffer Knight prepares a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during "Play date to vaccinate" for pregnant women to get vaccinated at Palm Beach Children's Hospital at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida on August 31, 2021.

Americans in Medicare, Medicaid would still get shots for free

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department estimates that 8% of Americans lack health insurance.

The vaccine would still be free for Americans enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, the foundation says, as would some uninsured children under the CDCs Vaccine for Children Program.

But some people with private insurance would have to pay. And thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most private insurance plans must cover vaccines approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, Kates points out, private insurance premiums could rise due to a lapse in federal funding and the end of the emergency declaration.

The federal government negotiated with Pfizer this past summer to buy its shots for more than $30 a dose. But once that money runs out and the government bows out as its sole customer for the vaccines in America, Pfizer plans to sell the vaccines for $110 to $130 a shot.

Paying for something thats going to have potential benefit in the future is a hard sell, Kates said about political resistance to extending federal spending on COVID vaccines.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has badmouthed COVID vaccines for nearly a year while his state surgeon general has recommended against large swaths of Floridas population getting the scientifically proven shots.

The surgeon general of Florida does not recommend this for young kids under 18, and basically his reason for that is there has not really been a proven benefit for that, DeSantis said Thursday during a news conference.

Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has recommended against vaccinating children and men younger than 40. Medical experts have pointed out that the analysis he cited for his advice does not support his conclusion that the shots cause fatal heart problems in men ages 18 to 39.

Chris Persaud is The Palm Beach Post's data reporter. Email him at cpersaud@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: New COVID mutants spread in Florida; boosters shots will cost soon
Boston Police launched an investigation after one person was killed in an early morning shooting in Dorchester.

Police responded to 39 Baird Street around 1 a.m. Saturday for reports of a person shot. Upon arrival officers located a 36-year-old man suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased, according to officials.

No arrests have been made so far and this incident remains under investigation.

The Boston Police Department is actively reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact Boston Police Homicide Detectives 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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Central Florida has seen a 7% increase in the homeless population since 2020 and the problem has only worsened in Ians aftermath.

Several hundred residents were displaced by floodwaters, and some were unable to find a place to live.

The Orange County Sheriffs Office organized a homelessness resource fair Saturday to assist people with that need and about two hundred people were in attendance.

Read: Man found shot and killed after car crash, deputies say

Haircuts, food assistance, on-site showers and clothing help were big draws for attendees like Thomasina Harrison, who got a few clothing items and a pocketbook.

The sheriffs office organized this homelessness resource fair to help those struggling to make ends meet.

OCSOs #ImpactHomelessness Resource Fair was a success!



Deputies and community members offered services and opportunities for those in need. We fed hundreds of people and connected them with necessary resources.



A huge THANK YOU to our partners who helped! #MakingADifference pic.twitter.com/XAPhqHrbhJ  Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) October 22, 2022

The goal was to help those who are one paycheck away from homelessness and those who no longer have a home to call their own.

Miriam Alicea lost her home due to flooding in the Cypress Landing Apartments.

We got flooded September 28th, she said. We were underwater.

VIDEO: Despite record flooding, new neighborhoods may not be added to flood zone following Ian

She lost everything. And as the floodwaters from Hurricane Ian receded, her apartment was left uninhabitable and cost her thousands of dollars in damages.

Story continues

You got to learn how to survive, Alicea said. Its not easy, but you got to do it.

Alicea applied for FEMA help at the countys disaster recovery center on the first day that it opened, but she said there has been little progress. She said she is pending and waiting to be notified of the benefits.

While she waits for FEMA funds, Alicea is taking advantage of events like this one, dragging along a pink folder full of documents and hoping the organizations could help with her next steps  finding an apartment or a house.

Read: Neighbors near Rouse Road say they lost everything in Hurricane Ian floods

Before the event wrapped up at 1 p.m., Alicea stopped at three different tents that were dedicated to help those with housing needs.

(Looking for) anything safe. Not a flood zone, she said. Im traumatized because of that, but anything that is possible to live safe and I can be happy again.

In addition to immediate needs like clothing and food assistance, OCSO said that part of the goal in alleviating the issue of homelessness is connecting people to resources than can help them transition out of their situations.

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.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli police on Saturday shot a Palestinian suspected of carrying out a stabbing attack in Jerusalem, and Palestinian officials said the teenager was critically wounded.

It was the latest in a wave of deadly violence in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank since the spring, making this year the deadliest since 2015.

Police said the Palestinian seriously wounded an Israeli pedestrian before fleeing to an east Jerusalem neighborhood. They said police identified the attacker and shot him when he turned toward an officer with an object in his hand. The statement did not say how police identified him, what kind of object he was holding or how close he was to the officer.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the alleged suspect was 16 years old and was seriously wounded by Israeli gunfire. It did not provide his name or further details. Israeli medics evacuated him to a Jerusalem hospital.

Separately, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 32-year-old man died at a hospital Saturday after being wounded by Israeli gunfire near a checkpoint in the northern West Bank.

Palestinian assailants have carried out a series of stabbings, shootings and car ramming attacks in east Jerusalem and the West Bank in recent years. While Israel says it uses deadly force only in life-threatening situations, Palestinians and human rights groups have accused Israeli security forces of using excessive force, and in some cases killing people uninvolved in violence.

The violence escalated in the spring with Israel intensifying nightly raids in the occupied West Bank to chase suspects involved in recent attacks. The raids often spark deadly clashes between the army and Palestinians.

More than 125 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli-Palestinian fighting in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year. The fighting has surged since a series of Palestinian attacks killed 19 people in Israel. The Israeli army says most of the Palestinians killed have been militants. But stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in confrontations have also been killed.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has built more than 130 settlements there, many of which resemble small towns, with apartment blocks, shopping malls and industrial zones. The Palestinians want the West Bank to form the main part of their future state. Most countries view the settlements as a violation of international law.
Two Walt Disney World annual passholders are suing the resort over its park pass reservation system.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs  identified only as E.K. and M.P.  claim that the Park Pass System, which began after Disney World opened due to COVID-19 and requires park reservations in addition to a valid admission to enter a Disney park, is restricting access to the park and Disney has unilaterally modified all Platinum Pass holders and Platinum pass holders contracts, the lawsuit states.

The pass holders were forced to reluctantly agree to the terms of this new agreement, having no meaningful alternative, the lawsuit further reads.

READ: Concerts, costumes and conventions  oh my! Whats happening in Central Florida this weekend

Read the full lawsuit below:

Disney passholder lawsuit by Adam Poulisse on Scribd

READ: UCF partners with Universal for new design lab, class

Before March 15, 2020, Platinum Pass, Platinum Plus Pass, Gold Pass and Silver Pass were allowed to parkhop and visit two or more Disney parks in a day. Park hopping under the current park reservation system began in January 2021.

The lawsuit claims that Disney has continued utilizing the park reservation system despite the pandemic nearing its end and the state no longer mandating COVID-19 precautions.

In addition to the normal park capacity being artificially restricted, Disney has seemingly implemented a system in which only a certain amount of Platinum Pass and/or Platinum Plus Pass holders can make a reservation per day, despite the park still having availability for other types of reservations (i.e., single day passes, or reservations made by other pass holders), the lawsuit reads. On some days, Platinum Pass holders and Platinum Plus Pass holders cannot make reservations to go to a Disney theme park, even though there are single day passes available for purchase. Disney appears to be unfairly favoring single ticket or multi-day ticket holders, while restricting Platinum Pass holders, in order to make a larger profit.

Story continues

Channel 9 has reached out to Walt Disney World for a response but has not yet heard back.

READ: Heres when Fantasmic! returns at Disneys Hollywood Studios

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.
There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.

So, the natural question for Patriot One Technologies (TSE:PAT) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway.

View our latest analysis for Patriot One Technologies

Does Patriot One Technologies Have A Long Cash Runway?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. In July 2022, Patriot One Technologies had CA$6.3m in cash, and was debt-free. In the last year, its cash burn was CA$9.4m. That means it had a cash runway of around 8 months as of July 2022. That's quite a short cash runway, indicating the company must either reduce its annual cash burn or replenish its cash. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

How Is Patriot One Technologies' Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Whilst it's great to see that Patriot One Technologies has already begun generating revenue from operations, last year it only produced CA$3.6m, so we don't think it is generating significant revenue, at this point. Therefore, for the purposes of this analysis we'll focus on how the cash burn is tracking. As it happens, the company's cash burn reduced by 23% over the last year, which suggests that management are mindful of the possibility of running out of cash. In reality, this article only makes a short study of the company's growth data. This graph of historic revenue growth shows how Patriot One Technologies is building its business over time.

Can Patriot One Technologies Raise More Cash Easily?

Even though it has reduced its cash burn recently, shareholders should still consider how easy it would be for Patriot One Technologies to raise more cash in the future. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Patriot One Technologies' cash burn of CA$9.4m is about 12% of its CA$78m market capitalisation. Given that situation, it's fair to say the company wouldn't have much trouble raising more cash for growth, but shareholders would be somewhat diluted.

So, Should We Worry About Patriot One Technologies' Cash Burn?

On this analysis of Patriot One Technologies' cash burn, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap was reassuring, while its cash runway has us a bit worried. Looking at the factors mentioned in this short report, we do think that its cash burn is a bit risky, and it does make us slightly nervous about the stock. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 5 warning signs for Patriot One Technologies you should be aware of, and 2 of them can't be ignored.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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A 20-year-old man was seriously injured when he was struck by a motor vehicle in Belmont on Saturday morning, police said.

At 11:20 a.m., police responded to multiple reports of a pedestrian struck on Lewis Road. When officers arrived, they found the victim with serious injuries. He was taken by ambulance to an area hospital.

His condition was not immediately known on Saturday.

The crash is being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and Belmont Police.

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.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
A 69-year-old woman will be held without bail after she was charged with murder in the death of her 87-year-old mother in her South Side senior apartment building, according to the Cook County states attorneys office.

Shearly Gaines, 69, of Chicago, was charged with one felony count of first-degree murder after she was arrested on Wednesday, Chicago police said. She was ordered to be held without bail in bond court Friday, according to the states attorneys office.

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Mae Brown, 87, was found unresponsive in her wheelchair inside her home in the Lincoln Perry senior apartments Saturday afternoon.

Brown suffered multiple injuries from an assault, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiners office.

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Brown was Gaines mother, according to the states attorneys office. She had lived in her one-bedroom apartment at the senior home for about eight years. Gaines did not live there with her mother.

Chicago police were called to Browns apartment on Oct. 12 by Gaines, who wanted to report a theft because Brown had been the payee for Gaines Social Security disability payments, according to the states attorneys office. Gaines was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 20.

Officers settled the dispute on scene and left but were called back a short time later when Brown asked Gaines to leave her apartment and Gaines refused. Browns younger daughter arrived at the apartment, and Gaines was escorted out by police.

Gaines was then seen on video surveillance footage entering Browns apartment on Oct. 13 wearing a blue sweatshirt and carrying a blue purse, authorities said. No one else was then seen entering or leaving the unit until surveillance showed Gaines leave on the morning of Oct. 15. Browns unit only had one point of entry, which was the interior hallway of the apartment building, the states attorneys office said.

Browns younger daughter last spoke with Brown on the phone on Oct. 14 and went to Browns apartment on the afternoon of Oct. 15, the states attorneys office said. When no one answered the door, Browns younger daughter asked maintenance to let her in, and she found her mother unresponsive with several injuries to her head and blood around her. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gaines was identified by video surveillance and found on Wednesday wearing the same blue sweatshirt and carrying the same blue purse, the states attorneys office said. She was also found with plastic bags, one of which has a screwdriver and a dagger inside, and the dagger was consistent with Browns injuries, the states attorneys office said.

Gaines next court date is Nov. 9.
A small plane crashed into the side of a New Hampshire home killing everyone on board, officials in the city of Keene said late Friday.

There were no injuries at the multifamily building. Unfortunately those on the plane have perished, the city said in a Facebook post.

Two people were on the aircraft, Mayor George Hansel said at a news conference on Saturday. Their names have not been released.

The aircraft crashed shortly after leaving the Keene Dillant-Hopkins Airport. 911 calls came in around 6:50 p.m.

"I want to first and foremost express the city of Keenes sympathies to the family members of those who passed away," Hansel said.

Scott Gauthier told NBC News affiliate NBC10 Boston that he heard a loud noise and he could feel the building shaking.

First responders attend the scene of a plane crash in Keene, N.H. (WBTS / WBTS)

The whole building shook and then my mother went out to check on what was going on and she started screaming, 'get out of the house.'"

He added that by the time he got out you could feel the flames off the building.

Officials said Saturday that eight people lived in the two-story building that had four apartment units. The crash caused "significant damage," a fire official told reporters.

Keene Police Capt. Steve Tenney told NBC10 Boston that he did not know why the plane came down.

Aerial footage showed heavy smoke at 9 p.m., more than two hours after the crash was reported, the station reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it would investigate the incident along with the National Transportation Safety Board.

In a separate statement a spokesman said the aircraft was a single-engine Beechcraft Sierra.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Annie Nichol was seven years old on 19 March 1994 when she was brought to the White House to talk to Bill Clinton.

With a stuffed dolphin by her side, the girl spoke to the president about her 12-year-old sister, Polly Klaas, who had been abducted five months earlier from the familys home in Petaluma, California, while Annie was sleeping nearby.

Annie and Clinton watched footage showing how shed since booby-trapped her room with bells and ropes to stop intruders.

Do you think Im going to live to grow up? television cameras captured her asking the president.

Youre a brave girl, Clinton responded, adding that he was working to make sure people with serious problems would remain in prison.

Today, Annie is tormented by the memory. Pollys kidnapping and subsequent murder fueled a host of tough on crime laws and a powerful victims rights movement, which pushed America to have the highest reported incarceration rate in the world.

The meeting at the White House, Annie said, was a reminder of how her familys story was exploited to expand mass incarceration and racial inequality in America.

Related: Whats Prison For? Concise diagnosis of a huge American problem

I had just lost Polly and someone had given me that question to ask, and it was a message that wasnt mine. I was a scared kid who had been through something I couldnt even begin to process. Being put in the position of going to the White House to be on this television program and seeing Clinton start crying  the shame of that experience still overwhelms me. I was the perfect person to be used like that. Whats more compelling than seeing this scared little girl?

Annie and her older sister Jess are now on a mission to reclaim their familys legacy and undo the harsh legislation the tragedy that befell them sparked. They say they want a different criminal justice system, one that focuses on preventing violence; accountability, treatment and rehabilitation for people who cause harm; and care and services for survivors.

Story continues

Their message is urgent, the sisters say, as growing concerns over crime in cities across the US since the pandemic have led to familiar calls for more punitive responses from pundits and some politicians facing midterm elections.

Theres the trauma of losing Polly and then theres the trauma of how her death was used to punish other people, Jess said. We dont want our pain to be used to punish anyone else  Were on the precipice of repeating a really terrible history. And we dont want people to make the same mistake.



On the evening of 1 October 1993, Polly was playing a board game at home with two friends when a stranger broke in and snatched her, leaving the two other girls behind.

Jess and Annie, aged 12 and six at the time, recall fragments of the aftermath: the reporters camped outside their door, the Polly, we love you T-shirts worn by everyone in town, their visits with Winona Ryder, who grew up in Petaluma.

Two months after the abduction, the kidnapper led authorities to Pollys body.

Pollys story led to panic. American media covered every twist in the investigation of the slumber party that became a nightmare. Commentators argued the age of innocence had been lost and that the 12-year-olds awful fate drove home the disturbing message that youngsters are not safe even in their own bedrooms.

By 1994, voters in California had approved the Three Strikes and Youre Out law, which, inspired by the extensive criminal record of Pollys killer, established life sentences for all felonies if the defendant had two prior convictions for serious or violent offenses.

Versions of the law, which also doubled the sentence length for second strikes, were adopted in 23 other states. In September 1994, Congress passed the notorious federal crime bill, sponsored by then senator Joe Biden, which included a three strikes sentencing provision.

In California, Three Strikes contributed to an explosion in the states prison population. More than 7,500 people were sentenced to life in prison within the first decade after it passed, nearly half of them for non-serious and non-violent offenses.

Related: America could be truly free: John Legend on his fight to overhaul the criminal justice system

Annie remembers adults trying to comfort her by talking about locking people up, including an officer who held her hand to the wall of the building where the man who killed Polly was incarcerated: He said, Look how thick these walls are. Dont you feel safe?



Marc Klaas, Pollys father (but not Jess and Annies), had advocated for three strikes laws. But as the sisters grew older, they became increasingly uncomfortable with the California legislation and their connection to it.

Since I was 13, I knew it was wrong, and it was stressful to see newspapers on the table for many years, and I kind of stopped looking, recalled Jess, now 41, on a recent morning in Annies backyard. With the sensationalized media and celebrity support, she added, It didnt feel right getting attention for Pollys death and being known and validated for that, and I was repulsed by my own internal identity with it.

In 2019, Jess watched 13th, Ava DuVernays documentary on the history of racial inequality in the US, which featured Pollys story: When I saw the sequence from slavery to our current mass incarceration crisis, with Pollys face right there as one of the major reasons incarceration took off in the 90s, I was stunned.

A lot of people see this history as something that is separate from themselves, but in our case we have a really deep connection to this crisis, Annie, now 35, added. Its such an injustice that the sum of Pollys life was turned into this harm for others. The story that was told about Polly was used to pass these incredibly terrible laws, and it always felt like a distortion of the truth.

Jess cold called the ACLU of California in 2019, telling a receptionist she and Annie wanted to talk about the law passed in their familys name and see if there was anything they could do to help repeal it.

The sisters felt some initial apprehension about speaking publicly. They had long been intensely private in part out of a desire not to feed the true crime genre obsession with Polly. They were also aware of their privilege as white survivors whose story had received intense attention and were wary of taking up space while the vast majority of victims of violence are people of color whose cases never make headlines.

They also werent sure their voices would matter, a doubt Annie partly attributes to the way the criminal legal system operates: There is this kind of paternalistic dynamic in the justice system, which co-opts victims stories and claims to represent them without actually listening to them or asking them what they want. Its, Were going to handle this for you and solve this problem. And now we fixed it. It leaves victims feeling disempowered. And for a while, we felt powerless.

The ACLU connected the sisters to policy experts at Stanford university, and they began to learn more about Three Strikes: that it was originally proposed as the street sweeper law, but was deemed too extreme until Pollys death; that it had been disproportionately applied to defendants with disabilities and mental illness; that some people have received two strikes for the same incident; that defendants got life sentences for stealing pizza and baby shoes; and that research had repeatedly suggested there was no evidence that Three Strikes reduced crime or deterred violence. Today, 45% of people serving life sentences with three strikes in California are Black, while Black residents make up only 6.5% of the broader population.



In 2020, after the uprisings sparked by George Floyds murder, the sisters started meeting with other crime survivors who were disenchanted with Americas criminal justice system.

One of them was Tinisch Hollins, who lost two of her brothers to violence and serves as executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice, a survivors advocacy group. Hollins grew up in San Francisco and remembered when her mother made her watch news reports about Polly so she would be aware of the potential for abductions.

The terror that my mother had when she called me to watch the news of Polly Klaas was the same kind of terror that friends and family had when they talked about loved ones who had been arrested and were potentially going away to prison forever. There was this looming possibility that you could become a victim of the system in the same way you could become a victim of crime.

The sisters came to view Three Strikes as a symptom of systemic problems and started publishing op-eds advocating for an alternative approach to justice.

They also launched A New Legacy, a podcast named after their hopes to chart a different legacy for Polly; they interview people fighting to undo mass incarceration, including people previously imprisoned under Three Strikes.

Theres an underlying assumption that the thing that victims want is the harshest sentencing for the people who caused harm. And thats really the only option, Jess said. Its this revengeful eye for an eye culture. Ive come to realize we dont really have a department of corrections and rehabilitation. Its a department of punishment and revenge.



Jess and Annies advocacy is coming at a pivotal moment. While crime levels remain below the historic highs of the early 1990s, the pandemic has brought devastating spikes in gun violence across the US, and polls have shown that Americans report feeling less safe.

Related: Why America overlooks those most hurt by gun violence: Black people are seen as expendable

Some police officials, pundits and media crime reporting have placed the blame on reform efforts, including progressive prosecutors who have sought to reduce incarceration, the defund the police movement and efforts to dismantle cash bail so people arent jailed because they cant pay a fee.

Theres no evidence any of these reforms have caused crime or violence to increase  and there is research suggesting the contrary  but in the lead up to the midterms, Republicans and some Democrats have argued for an increased police presence, expanded punishments and a rollback of reforms.

Hearing the kind of fear-based rhetoric that is taking over headlines and that politicians are spouting is so familiar with what we grew up with, Annie said. It would be so easy to fall back on all these failed solutions just because there were rising crime rates during a pandemic when people didnt have safe places to go, school programs were shut down, and people lost their jobs and homes. These pro-incarceration agendas tend to exploit peoples fears and make people imagine really terrible things. But arguably the worst thing that could ever happen to a family happened to us. And if we can imagine a better future then I think thats something everyone can imagine.

Theyre not alone among survivors. The children of a murdered pastor in Tennessee recently opposed prosecutors decision to charge the 15-year-old suspects as adults, saying its not what her mother, an activist, would have wanted; the woman who helped create the sex offender registry after her son was abducted has since argued it has gone too far and is ineffective; and some murder victims relatives have argued against the death penalty and in favor of the defendants release after years behind bars.

Jess and Annie have been talking to survivors about what they actually need and want; their family had access to financial support, but theyve met many survivors of color who were denied victim compensation from the state, including victims of police killings, who arent considered eligible. Many survivors fall into financial crises amid grief and the aftermath of violence and need time off or relocation help.

Survivors also want prevention. The sisters said they would like to see the US reallocate a significant portion of the estimated $180bn that the country spends on police and prisons each year toward community resources, including violence intervention, mental health care, restorative justice and services for survivors, such as faith-based programs or trauma therapy: Unaddressed trauma is one of the major root causes of crime and violence in this society, and it absolutely supports public safety to provide these services to survivors, Annie said.

Annie said she has also heard stories of survivors finding peace in forgiving the people who hurt them. But she is not one of them: Its easier for me to feel hatred than compassion for the person who killed Polly. At the same time, I know that before there was a man who did unfathomable harm to our family, there was a boy who was hurt and abused and neglected and abandoned by the social structures that were supposed to help him. And I would rather have a system that would help and protect that child from becoming someone capable of murdering a little girl than one that only seeks to punish him after taking our sisters life.



Speaking out has provided some catharsis for the sisters after years of struggling to process their trauma.

I was in hiding for so long, Jess said. And it has been incredibly healing to come into this work and share our story and advocate for something that matters rather than hiding from shame of the aftermath of Pollys kidnapping. For us theres a full-circle healing coming out. Its wonderful to be in service.

They also hope people think more critically about the impact of true crime and media sensationalism: There is healing in reclaiming agency over our story, because for the longest time it felt like it wasnt ours, Annie said.

But as Pollys name continues to be invoked, in podcasts, videos or by politicians and advocates, theres one part of their story the sisters are keeping to themselves: their memories of Polly. Its all they have left of her.
(Misrach Ewunetie )

Misrach Ewunetie dreamed of going to Princeton University, and through years of tireless work she made it happen.

A standout student and devoted volunteer, Ewuneties work ethic has been at the centre of tributes paid in the wake of her mysterious death.

Ewunetie had set her sights on Princeton three years before she graduated high school at the top of her class. During that time, the Cleveland native worked every weekend to make her dreams come true, Cleveland council members Rebecca Maurer and Charles Slife said in a video before the tragic findings on Thursday.

Ewunetie was a member of Minds Matter Cleveland, an organisation that helps low-income, high-achieving students reach their academic goals. She was part of her high schools soccer team and graduated valedictorian.

She was thrilled, Ms Maurer said in the video, when she found out that not only was she accepted into Princeton, but that her sacrifices had paid off and she was being awarded a full scholarship to the prestigious university.

But Ewuneties dreams were tragically cut short. She was found dead on the campus she fought so hard to get into days after vanishing from her dorm room.

The Mercer County Prosecution Office confirmed to The Independent that Ewuneties body was found by an employee around 1pm on Thursday on the edge of the campus and near the tennis court.

Much of Ewuneties death remains unknown as officials continue an investigation. An autopsy was performed on Friday but prosecutors say it may take weeks to establish a cause and manner of death.

There were no obvious signs of injury and her death does not appear suspicious or criminal in nature, prosecutor Angelo Onofri and Princeton assistant vice president Kenneth Strother said in a joint statement.

Before the tragic updates on Thursday, her brother remembered Ewunetie as a kind, emphatic and reserved girl.

Speaking to NBC News before the tragic developments on Thursday, Mr Ewunetie described his sister as a reserved, yet empathetic person.

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Shes loved and cared for, and were missing her, Universe Ewunetie told the outlet. Shes a very smart, empathetic person who cares for people. A reserved person.

Shes dearly loved by her family and everybody that has known her and that has ever come to her, he added. People that are from her middle school to high school, from people that even interviewed her. 

Ewuneties disappearance shocked friends and family of the sociology major, who raised the alarm to school officials noting it was unlike her not to communicate with her loved ones.

The junior student was last seen around 3am on 14 October after she returned to her dorm from volunteering at an on-campus eating club. Her phone last pinged around 3.27am at a location seven minutes away driving from campus, The Sun reported.

Mr Ewunetie told the outlet that she was sharing her location with a family member before her phone was turned off near what seems to be a housing complex in Penns Neck.

On Sunday, Ewuneties family requested that Princetons Department of Public Safety conducted a well-being check on her after she failed to communicate with them for days. A Tiger alarm was issued on Monday, the university said in a statement.

Misrach Ewunetie (Misrach Ewunetie)

Following the news of her death, Ms Ewuneties high school issued a heartfelt statement.

The Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School community is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of alumna Misrach Ewunetie 20. Misrach was a bright and engaging young woman who was well-respected by her teachers and fellow students. She was quiet and humble, yet confident, it read.

Her loss is felt by all those who were blessed to know her, including current students, alumni, faculty and staff, friends and family, and the Class of 2020. Please join us in praying for strength and comfort for Misrachs family during this incredibly difficult time.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also issued a statement, saying: We are heartbroken by the tragic news that missing Princeton University student Misrach Ewunetie was found dead this afternoon. Our hearts go out to her family, friends, and fellow students who knew and loved her.

Meanwhile, Princeton described Ms Ewuneties death as an unthinkable tragedy.

According to Ewuneties Linkedin, she was pursuing a sociology degree with a certificate in the applications of computing. She had volunteered at Greater Cleveland Food Bank and as a student leader at Bank of America before graduating high school.

More recently, she interned as a business analyst.

Mr Ewunetie said that his sister had struggled during the pandemic to socialize, and had joined the Terrace Club as a volunteer hoping to make friends.

She was set to graduate in 2024.
BERLIN (AP)  Tens of thousands of people gathered in Germany's capital Saturday to show solidarity with antigovernment protesters in Iran, where a movement sparked by the death of a woman in the custody of morality police has evolved into a challenge to the Islamic Republic.

Berlin police estimated that 37,000 people had joined the German demonstration by late afternoon. Participants held up Iranian flags and signs criticizing Iran's leaders, many with the tagline Women, Life, Freedom in both English and German.

The demonstration, organized by the Woman(asterisk) Life Freedom Collective, began at the Victory Column in Berlins Tiergarten park and continued as a march through central Berlin.

Some demonstrators said they had come from elsewhere in Germany and other European countries to show their support.

It is so important for us to be here, to be the voice of the people of Iran, who are killed on the streets," said Shakib Lolo, who is from Iran but lives in the Netherlands. "And this is not a protest anymore, this is a revolution, in Iran. And the people of the world have to see it.

Other issues were the focus of demonstrations in Berlin as well, including one calling for social solidarity in the wake of a potential energy crisis and another advocating a speed limit on German highways.

In Tehran, more antigovernment protests took place Saturday at several universities. The nationwide movement in Iran first focused on the country's mandatory hijab following the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police.

Security forces have dispersed gatherings with live ammunition and tear gas, leaving over 200 people dead, according to rights groups.

The government in Tehran also has been in the spotlight in European capitals due to allegations that Iran has supplied explosive drones that Russian troops are using in Ukraine.
A 31-year-old Chicago Heights man died Saturday morning after crashing into the back of a semi-truck that was disabled on Interstate 94, Indiana state police said.

Around 6:45 a.m., Indiana state police were called to a crash on I-94 near mile-marker 17.6. A preliminary investigating revealed a 2011 Cadillac STS. was westbound on the right shoulder when it passed another vehicle and struck a parked semi.

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According a news release, the semi was broken down due to a mechanical issue. The Cadillac struck the rear of the semi at a high rate of speed which caused the driver to suffer fatal injuries.

The driver was identified as Carlos D. Robinson of Chicago Heights.

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Indiana State Police were investigating.
A week after the release of a video of a Black man with special needs being assaulted went viral, the streets of Milwaukee were the scenes of several demonstrations aimed at bringing justice to the victim. Community stakeholders protested the incident, asking first why the aggressor targeted the victim, and now wanting answers regarding what will happen next.

24-year-old Black man seen on video being choked by Milwaukee man (Video screengrab)

Throughout the week, Vaun Mayes led multiple protests and was joined by the members of the Milwaukee Black Panthers and other Black Lives Matter activists to bring attention to the Monday, Oct. 10, incident, where a larger white man was videoed choking a much smaller Black man.

According to police, the other man in the video is 62 years old and the victim is 24.

Mayes said he gathered the community to convene at the front of a house they believed to be the mans (based on comments he made in the video) at 2143 S. 25th Street in the Southside of Milwaukee in protest of his actions, calling the aggressor dangerous.

That is a dangerous person, Mayes said. Stuff like that is happening all over the country; people playing vigilante. We saw what happened with Ahmaud [Aubery] and all these different cases and we definitely dont want that type of stuff happening here in Milwaukee.

One of the reasons why the aggressors actions are dangerous, according to Mayes, is because it could have ended like so many other Black people in Americas ugliest past.

These situations have historically ended badly for Black people, Mayes wrote on social media last week

The assault was captured by Deangelo Wright, who was driving by when he saw the assault and said he felt compelled to step in and help the victim, according to FOX 6.

I hurried up and got out my car and intervened as quick as possible to kind of figure out what was going on, said Wright.

His best modality of defense, the man seemingly thought, was to protect the young man by recording the altercation.

Wright whipped out his cellphone and started taping.

Story continues

He later says, Im recording. Let go of his neck. Hes not going anywhere.

However, the bearded man, dressed in a plaid shirt, would not release him, holding the bike in between his legs. The man said, Go head! He stole a bike right out of a friend of mines yard.

The mans story shifted slightly as the video progressed, with him saying, This kid over here, one of his friends stole a bike right out of a friend of mines yard.

After a while, Wright pushes the mans hand off the smaller mans neck. Once freed, the young man, dressed in a blue Adidas jacket and clearly afraid, stammered as he said, I didnt even touch it. For real, I didnt touch it. I swear on God.

The man continued to detain the victim, despite saying the bike he was looking for was green and the bicycle the victim had was blue.

Wright said to WISN, at first, he thought the victim was a child.

Just looking at it, it just looked like he was choking a kid. It was sad and very upsetting, Wright said. He was shaking. He didnt really know what was going on like he was confused. I was telling everyone, God puts you in the situation for a reason, and I think that was for that young mans sake.

FOX 6 video shows the local Black Panther party marching down the street with Darryl Farmer, the chapters towering president leading the way. Farmer led a similar action weeks ago against an Asian restaurant manager who assaulted a Black woman.

In the action over the weekend, he and other members, dressed in all Black with their classic Black Power logo on their jackets, shouted, No Justice, No Peace!

According to the Randy Report, activists in the area are calling for criminal charges to be filed against the man. While many on the internet have identified the man, the police have not released his name.

Man restrains a young man with special needs by the throat for basically being a black man on a bicycle. The Milwaukee a county DA need to prosecute Robert Allen Walczykowski Sr, pic.twitter.com/lV4qleVTuY  TizzyEnt (@TizzyEnt) October 15, 2022

They believe he falsely claimed the young man was involved in a theft, detained him without his consent (constituting false imprisonment), and assaulted him.

Also:

940.30 False imprisonment. Whoever intentionally confines or restrains another without the person's consent and with knowledge that he or she has no lawful authority to do so is guilty of a Class H felony.  @dawgofthesouth (@dawgofthesouth) October 15, 2022

The victim in the video is the nephew of Ricky Hale, who spoke with FOX 6 and said his nephew has special needs and that the man grabbed him without asking questions.

Why would you come out in the middle of the street and choke? Hale asked. You dont know if thats a kid or not. You dont even know his age.

Adding, Hes just a person that has a disability that he didnt deserve that, and he never said he stole the bike.

The Milwaukee Police Department nor the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office have released any statements about the incident or indicated whether the man will face criminal charges.
Ralph Lauren is in hot water with Mexico for selling culturally appropriative clothing.

On Instagram Thursday, Beatriz Gutierrez Muller, writer, researcher and wife of Mexicos president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, posted an image of a Ralph Lauren item she said copies designs from Indigenous communities in Contla and Saltillo in Mexico.

More from WWD

Translated from Spanish, her post read: Hey Ralph: we already realized that you really like Mexican designs, especially those [made by] ancestral cultures that preserve the textile tradition. However, by copying these designs you are committing plagiarism, and as you know, plagiarism is illegal and immoral. At least admit it. And I hope you compensate the damage to the original communities that do this work with love and not for profit millionaires.

In a follow-up post Friday, Gutierrez Muller shed some light on the origin story of the indigenous garments noting (as translated from Spanish): The serapes, a mixture of Spanish and Indigenous garments, are originally from Contla. Centuries ago, some contlecos went to settle in Saltillo and continued the textile tradition there. In the backstrap loom, the lambs wool threads are woven with tequesquite [a natural mineral salt]. The dyes are natural, such as walnut shells or cochineal.In 2018 the @congresodetlaxcala declared the sarape Intangible Cultural Heritage of the State of Tlaxcala.

Ralph Lauren Corp. issued a corporate apology Thursday that did not address Gutierrez Mullers call to see things made right with the communities the products pulled from:

We are surprised to learn that this product is being sold. When our team discovered months ago that this was in our product pipeline, we issued a stern directive to remove the item from all channels. We are conducting an urgent audit to determine how this item landed on a sales floor after that directive and ensure it is removed immediately.We are deeply sorry this happened and, as always, we are open to dialogue about how we can do better.

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Despite what may have happened in the past, Ralph Lauren said in June that any new product featuring traditional Indigenous design motifs following our summer 2023 season will be created under a model of credit and collaboration, which we are piloting through our Artist in Residence program with intentions to scale it in the future.

The company also added at the time that it is deepening our mandatory cultural awareness trainings.

Mexico and, in particular, its Secretary of Culture Alejandra Frausto Guerrero, has been vigilant about calling out fashion labels, including Isabel Marant and Louis Vuitton, for appropriating designs from its communities.

On Thursday, Frausto Guerrero tweeted, addressing the Ralph Lauren issue: Identity symbols are not merchandise.

She also said the artisans from Contla and Salitillo will be present at this years Original event, a reimagined trade show in Mexico that launched last year where artisan communities, as she notes, are the only protagonists, and the ones promoting their creations to engage in collaborations with designers. The aim is to put an end to cultural appropriation, which has been a long-standing issue in fashion.

Original will take place at the Complejo Cultural Los Pinos cultural center in Mexico City from Nov. 17 to 20.
Former Redding ex-police Cpl. Will Williams appears in Shasta County Superior Court on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. Williams faces charges of being part of a large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution operation in Shasta County.

A trial date of June 13 has been set for Redding ex-police Cpl. Will Williams, his wife Heather Legault-Williams and Heather Hart on charges they were part of a large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution operation in Shasta County.

The three pled not guilty on the charges during their arraignment early Friday before Shasta County Superior Court Judge Daniel Flynn, according to a post on the Facebook page of the Shasta County District Attorney's Office.

The arraignment follows a two-day preliminary hearing in late October in which Flynn determined there was enough evidence to set a trial.

The case originated in May 2020, when the Redding Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Shasta County District Attorney held a press conference to announce that Williams, a veteran officer, had been arrested on April 29 in connection to a warehouse where investigators found marijuana, cocaine and $59,000 in cash.

Williams was terminated from his job about three months later, on Aug. 21, 2020.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Redding ex-police officer accused of large-scale drug sales will head to trial

Friday, Oct. 21

A Shasta County judge decided Friday that former Redding police Cpl. Will Williams will head to trial on charges of being part of a large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution operation in Shasta County.

A trial date will be set on Nov. 4, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Ben Hanna.

Shasta County Superior Court Judge Daniel Flynn determined that there is sufficient evidence to hold Williams, his wife Heather Legault-Williams and another woman, Heather Hart, to answer on the charges of "maintaining a place for selling or using a controlled substance, cultivating marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale," according to a statement from the District Attorney's Office on Friday.

At the conclusion of a lengthy preliminary hearing that began Thursday and included testimony from five California Highway Patrol officers, the judge determined that there was sufficient evidence to go forward with a trial, said Hanna.

Story continues

Former Redding ex-police Cpl. Will Williams appears in Shasta County Superior Court on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. Williams faces charges of being part of a large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution operation in Shasta County.

At a preliminary hearing, the prosecutor must show that there is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed the crime.

The case originated in May 2020, when the Redding Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Shasta County District Attorney held a press conference to announce that Williams, a veteran officer, had been arrested on April 29 in connection to a warehouse where investigators found marijuana, cocaine and $59,000 in cash.

The complaint filed in Shasta County Superior Court in April 2021 by the District Attorney's Office said that Williams and his wife, Heather Legault-Williams, were maintaining a drug house and possessing marijuana for sale.

Williams was terminated from his job on Aug. 21, 2020, Redding Police Chief Bill Schueller said.

Heather Hart is alleged to be one of the people involved in the illegal marijuana growing and distribution warehouse that operated on Crossroads Drive in Redding, said Hanna.

Related: Case of Redding police officer accused of large-scale drug sales comes to court

Legault-Williams was also charged with possession of a controlled substance, the statement said.

'Discrimination list': Redding police officers allege 'discrimination list' kept them from being promoted

The attorney for Legault-Williams said the charges were filed in retaliation because RPD learned in early 2020 that Williams planned to file an age discrimination lawsuit against the city.

Michele Chandler covers criminal justice issues for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Follow her on Twitter at @MChandler_RS, call her at 530-338-7753 or email her at michele.chandler@redding.com. Please support our entire newsroom's commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding ex-police Cpl. Will Williams pleads not guilty; trial date set
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP)  Austin Reed ran for two touchdowns and the Western Kentucky defense didn't allow a point in the second half as the Hilltoppers came from behind to beat UAB 20-17 on Friday night.

Dylan Hopkins fired a 59-yard scoring strike to Samario Rudolph on UAB's first possession and the Blazers led 7-0 after one quarter.

Western Kentucky (5-2, 3-1 Conference USA) tied the game 55 seconds into the second quarter on Reed's 20-yard touchdown run, but UAB (4-3, 2-2) answered with Matt Quinn's 35-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead.

Backup quarterback Jacob Zeno connected with Fred Farrier II for a 14-yard touchdown and a 17-7 Blazers' advantage. Zeno took over when Hopkins left the game after losing a fumble on a sack.

Brayden Narveson kicked a 47-yard field goal with 1:41 left to pull the Hilltoppers within 17-10 at halftime.

Narveson added a 44-yarder with 5:03 left in the third quarter to get WKU within 17-13 and the Hilltoppers defense followed with the play of the game.

Kahlef Hailassie forced a fumble by national rushing leader DeWayne McBride and JaQues Evans scooped it up and returned it 29 yards, setting up a first-and-goal at the Blazers' 6-yard line. Two plays later Reed bulled his way into the end zone from a yard out and the Hilltoppers took the lead for good.

Reed, who came into the game as one of only five quarterbacks with 20 touchdown passes already this season, completed 14 of 23 for 128 yards for WKU. He has six rushing touchdowns this season. L.T. Sanders carried 16 times for 120 yards.

McBride, who came in averaging 155.6 yards a game on the ground, finished with 197 on 24 carries for UAB.

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the APs college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
Google denied the RNC's claim that messages on Gmail were diverted at the same time each month. Igor Golovniov/Getty Images

The RNC is suing Google, saying it illegally sent millions of outreach emails to spam folders.

Google denied the RNC's claim that messages on Gmail were diverted at the same time each month.

A 2020 study suggested Gmail was much more likely to send mail from right-wing groups to spam.

The Republican National Committee said Google illegally filtered millions of its fundraising emails into spam folders ahead of November's midterm elections, according to a lawsuit.

The 28-page suit, filed on Friday in the Eastern District of California, said the RNC was discriminated against for its political views when nearly all of its messages to Gmail accounts were sent to recipients' spam at the end of each month.

That's when the RNC sends most of its appeals to donors and has historically been its most successful period, according to the suit.

The tech giant denied that it filters emails based on political leanings, The Associated Press reported.

"Google has relegated millions of RNC emails en masse to potential donors' and supporters' spam folders during pivotal points in election fundraising and community building," the lawsuit stated.

"It doesn't matter whether the email is about donating, voting, or community outreach. And it doesn't matter whether the emails are sent to people who requested them."

Google said it used AI-driven filters to determine spam emails by examining factors including "characteristics of the IP address, domains/subdomains, whether bulk senders are authenticated, and user input."

A 2020 study by North Carolina State University suggested that Gmail was more likely to block messages from conservative groups, with 10% of emails from left-wing groups filtered to spam compared with 77% of emails from right-wing groups during the 2020 presidential elections.

That study emboldened the RNC to ask the Federal Election Commission to investigate Google for political bias.

In a statement to The AP on Friday, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said: "Enough is enough  we are suing Google for their blatant bias against Republicans.

Story continues

"For ten months in a row, Google has sent crucial end-of-month Republican GOTV and fundraising emails to spam with zero explanation. We are committed to putting an end to this clear pattern of bias."

A Google spokesperson told The AP: "As we have repeatedly said, we simply don't filter emails based on political affiliation. Gmail's spam filters reflect users' actions."

The spokesperson added that the company provided training and guidelines to campaigns and works to "maximize email deliverability while minimizing unwanted spam."

Google didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

The RGA is investing in a "seven figure" ad buy to boost Kevin Stitt's reelection bid, per Politico.

Stitt has faced a barrage of ads criticizing his record, which has made the race competitive.

The governor will face Republican-turned-Democrat Joy Hofmeister in the November general election.

Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt in recent weeks has found himself in a tight reelection contest despite the state's overwhelmingly conservative lean, with national Republicans investing millions of dollars in the race in its final stretch, according to Politico.

Stitt, who in 2018 easily defeated former Democratic state Attorney General Drew Edmondson in that year's gubernatorial election, has found himself in a close race with Joy Hofmeister, the state superintendent of public instruction.

While some polls show healthy leads for the governor, others show Hofmeister, a former Republican who switched to the Democratic Party last year, steadily creeping up.

The Republican Governors Association, the leading organization for electing more GOP leaders to Governor's mansions across the country, is leading a "seven figure" advertisement buy to boost the incumbent governor, per Politico.

Stitt  who has governed as a conservative in the deep-red state that overwhelmingly backed former President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020  has faced a barrage of advertisements over his record in office.

According to AdImpact, which monitors advertisements, more than $7 million in advertisements have been reserved by groups to either criticize Stitt's positions or promote Hofmeister's candidacy.

Hofmeister's campaign has booked $1 million in spending as part of the advertisement blitz.

In a rare occurrence, the state's five largest Native American tribes earlier this month threw their support behind Hofmeister, where they highlighted the importance of the race.

"When it comes to working with the tribal nations in Oklahoma, she understands our sovereignty is not a partisan issue or a threat, but instead is a chance to forge new partnerships while strengthening those that already exist because Oklahomans thrive together when we all work together," the tribes said in a statement. "This year's Oklahoma gubernatorial election is the most important in generations for all Oklahomans, and that's why leaders of the Five Tribes are endorsing Joy Hofmeister to be Oklahoma's 29th Governor."

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Stitt identifies as a citizen of Cherokee nation, but he clashed with the highly-influential tribes early in his gubernatorial tenure over his now-unsuccessful plan to increase the fees that they paid to run their casinos.

And the governor has eagerly pointed to the tribes as the source of the advertisement campaign.

"It's the big casino bosses. It's the big tribes," he told The Oklahoman.

Hofmeister in a recent debate defended tribal sovereignty, while Stitt has said that there should be confidence in the state's rule of law, with potential crimes being prosecuted without any additional requirements posed by tribal sovereignty.

Stitt also sought to link Hofmeister to President Joe Biden, but she rejected the governor's strategy, stating that she would demonstrate independence and accused him of running through "a national script."

Read the original article on Business Insider
JUAREZ, Mexico  Ilse Medina traveled for weeks from Venezuela and saw three U.S. border states from the window of a Homeland Security bus before she was expelled to Mexico.

She and her husband crossed the U.S.-Mexico border at El Paso in mid-October. U.S. Border Patrol separated the couple. Agents released her husband with documents allowing him to travel to Chicago  their hoped-for destination  while she was shuffled to multiple border detention cells across 400 miles before being handed to Mexican authorities in Sonora, without ever being told she would be expelled.

For three and a half days we were driven around in a bus, she said. Its a psychological trauma.

Border Patrol is moving around migrants it intends to expel to Mexico in what it calls lateral transfers to reduce overcrowding in its holding facilities in El Paso and to keep from further overwhelming Juarez, where hundreds of Venezuelans have been left on the street to fend for themselves and with orders to leave Mexico "by their own means."

"Were doing it an effort to decompress the Central Processing Center" in El Paso, said Border Patrol El Paso Sector spokeswoman Valeria Morales. The holding facility in Northeast El Paso has been overcrowded for weeks, amid a sharp increase in migration through the region.

But immigrant advocates say the transfers are also a scare tactic designed to disorient migrants and deter them them from trying to cross the U.S. border again.

A Venezuelan migrant processed by Customs and Border Protection at a mobile processing center in El Paso, Texas after crossing the Rio Grande from Ciudad Juarez on Oct. 17, 2022. The man was later expelled in Eagle Pass, Texas, to Mexico and later transported by Mexican immigration to southern Mexico.

"Theyre going to try to do a lot of dramatic expulsions to create complete despair," said Yael Schacher, director for the Americas and Europe for Refugees International, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates for refugees. "They are really banking on this being a deterrent but its not clear its going to be."

Faced with a sharp and enduring increase in Venezuelan migration, the Biden administration reached a deal with the administration of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador earlier this month in which Mexico agreed to take back Venezuelans expelled under the United States' pandemic policy known as Title 42.

Story continues

The Biden administration agreed to process up to 24,000 Venezuelans by air via Mexico City in exchange. Those eligible must carry a valid passport and proof they have a sponsor in the U.S.  requirements few of the Venezuelans in the current exodus can meet. And those who have crossed the U.S. border arent eligible.

"This effort is intended to serve as a deterrent to irregular migration by providing a meaningful alternative to irregular migration and by imposing immediate consequences on Venezuelan nationals who choose to not avail themselves of the new process," according to a Homeland Security notice published in the Federal Register on Oct. 19.

Venezuelans accounted for 25,130 unique encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in August and an estimated 33,500 unique encounters in September, according to Homeland Security Office of Immigration Statistics cited in the notice.

Daniel Medina Poche, 31, and his spouse, 39-year-old Angie Ferrer Rondon, turned themselves in to Border Patrol agents in El Paso on Oct. 18, hoping to seek asylum. They waited for hours under a military green tent at the mobile processing site in South El Paso before being loaded on to a bus. They didn't know where they were going, he said in an audio message sent via WhatsApp.

"They told us they were going to register us in another area," he said. "But most likely they aren't going to register us and they are going to put us somewhere."

A Colombian migrant is registered by a Customs and Border Protection officer at a mobile processing center in El Paso, Texas after crossing the Rio Grande from Ciudad Juarez on Oct. 17, 2022.

Hours later, a pin-drop location showed he and his wife were near Van Horn. The following day, Medina Poche and Ferrer Rondon were returned to Piedras Negras, Coahuila  7.5 hours from El Paso.

"In Mexico, they only want to hand us over to the coyotes," smugglers, he said in a phone call from the south side of the border, "or as mules for drugs, because that is what they offered us."

"Truly, I am really nervous," he said. "We came for an American dream, not to move drugs."

In Juarez, Medina and dozens of Venezuelan migrants slept on a concrete slab between the railroad tracks and the Rio Grande under blankets donated by good Samaritans in the border city. As dawn broke on a chilly morning Oct. 18, some wrapped the blankets around their shoulders like shawls and stood up to watch the border and worry about their next steps.

Another Venezuelan woman said she had been separated from her spouse and driven far from El Paso before being returned to Mexico.

Morales said she couldnt confirm how many migrants have been laterally transferred by Border Patrol before being expelled to Mexico since the Oct. 12 accord with Mexico took effect. Most days, two buses depart for Tucson Sector, she said, and Big Bend Sector has stepped in to help process migrants for expulsion or release, as well.

Venezuelan migrants speak to a Mexican immigration officer about their situation on the south bank of the Rio Grande after the migrants were expelled from the U.S. to Ciudad Juarez on Oct, 15, 2022.

Ismael Bolivar, a 37-year-old Venezuelan who friends called Junior, stood at the rivers edge and mulled his options earlier this week. He hadnt turned himself in to Border Patrol yet, he said, because his prima, a 27-year-old cousin, had crossed in El Paso and been detained by Border Patrol. She was moved around before being returned to Mexicali, in Baja California.

I haven't crossed, he said, shaking his head. "I'm afraid they'll do to me what they did to her."

The shuffling between border holding facilities left Medina scared to try again and confused about why her husband was granted an opportunity to pursue a claim to stay in the U.S. legally, while she was returned to Mexico.

She and other Venezuelans walked along the railroad tracks in Juarez to the point south of where Border Patrol erected the mobile processing site to receive asylum seekers, under the Loop 375 overpass. She watched others skid down the steep embankment, step over stones in the river to climb the other side into the United States and an uncertain future.

I am afraid to cross again, she said, watching with a knitted brow. I had never been detained in my life. Ive never committed a crime. Being shut up terrifies me. The jails were like one you see in American movies, with the toilet behind a half wall, with 20 women inside, cameras and bulletproof glass. And they didnt give us any information and we didnt ask, out of respect."

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Border Patrol moves migrants hundreds of miles for expulsion to Mexico
Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:

Stabbing victim causes rollover crash

VENTURA  Authorities in Ventura are investigating a stabbing early Saturday that caused victims further injury when they were involved in a rollover crash while trying to get to a hospital.

Police initially responded to the traffic accident at a fast food restaurant around 2:13 a.m., but the victims had been stabbed earlier at another location.

The stabbings took place along Ventura's beachfront promenade near Paseo de Playa, said Ventura Police Department Cmdr. Mike Brown. The short street lined by parking spaces extends south from Harbor Boulevard to the popular promenade walkway.

Authorities learned the three victims, all men, had been confronted in the area by two male suspects in their 20s. A verbal argument took place. One of the suspects pulled out a knife and stabbed two of the three victims multiple times, according to police.

While the victims were trying to drive to the hospital, the driver  who had been stabbed  lost consciousness from his injuries, authorities said. The vehicle was a Chevrolet Tahoe or similar style SUV, Brown said.

The SUV struck a curb and overturned outside a Jack in the Box along Thompson Boulevard near Seaward Avenue.

The two victims with stab wounds were taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition.

No additional details about the victims, including their ages and cities of residence, were immediately available.

As of 6:30 p.m. Saturday, no arrests had been made.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Sgt. Bill Dolan at 805-339-4444.

-- This item will be updated when more details are available.

Crews respond to brush, apartment fires

A brush fire burned about a quarter of an acre in Padre Juan Canyon north of Ventura late Friday afternoon, Oct. 21, 2022.

VENTURA COUNTY  Firefighters tackled a small brush fire along Highway 101 north of Ventura Friday and an apartment fire in Oak Park on Saturday.

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Friday's blaze broke out in the late afternoon in Padre Juan Canyon, located in a hilly area along Highway 101. Crews kept the blaze to about a quarter of an acre, the Ventura County Fire Department reported.

On Saturday morning, firefighters saw heavy smoke coming from an apartment building in the 5800 block of Hickory Drive in Oak Park, east of Thousand Oaks. The fire was reported shortly after 10:15 a.m. on the second floor of a two-story unit in a complex on the north side of Kanan Drive.

Everyone reportedly made it out of the unit safely before firefighters extinguished the blaze, officials said. The cause was under investigation.

Ventura woman sentenced in child trafficking case

Alessandra Huber-Perez

VENTURA  A 21-year-old Ventura woman was sentenced to more than six years in prison this week in a human trafficking case involving a minor.

Alessandra Huber-Perez had pleaded guilty in August to human trafficking of a minor, false imprisonment and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Huber-Perez had been contacted by law enforcement officers several times in 2021 while with the underage victim, prosecutors said. In May last year, she threatened the girl with a knife and prevented her from leaving a Ventura residence.

In June 2021, Huber-Perez and the victim were again together when Ventura Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop. A search of their phones showed Huber-Perez had arranged commercial sex acts involving the minor, prosecutors said.

DA investigators who also worked on the case, which included analysis of cell phone records, found Huber-Perez had been trafficking the minor, the agency said.

Deputy DA Rikole Kelly prosecuted the case.

Huber-Perez was sentenced in Ventura County Superior Court to 6 years, 4 months in state prison on Tuesday by Judge Bruce Young. She will also have to register as a sex offender.

Sheriff's office gets $492k road safety grant

VENTURA COUNTY  Some $492,000 in grant funds will help Ventura County Sheriff's officials boost traffic safety measures for the next year.

The money, from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will help pay for targeted enforcement operations, DUI checkpoints, officer training and community presentations.

"Our intent is to stop the most unlawful and dangerous behaviors that put people at risk and create an environment where everyone feels safe traveling," Capt. Shane Matthews said in a release.

The grant program will run through September 2023.

-- Items may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Stabbing followed by rollover crash in Ventura, more news
ATHENS, Ohio (AP)  Sam Wiglusz leaped high to pull in a 22-yard pass from Kurtis Rourke over an outstretched defender in the end zone for the deciding fourth-quarter touchdown as Ohio pulled out a 24-17 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday to improve to 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference West Division.

Roarke also found Wiglusz with an eight-yard touchdown pass to cap the game's opening drive and nosed in from the 1 with 4:16 left in the third quarter to give the Bobcats (5-3) a 17-9 lead.

Kacper Rutkiewicz scored the Huskies' lone touchdown of the game on an 11-yard run with 1:31 left in the third quarter and Nate Valcarcel threw to Cole Tucker for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 17.

John Richardson kicked field goals from 38-, 27- and 45-yards out to keep Northern Illinois (2-6, 1-3) within a point, 10-9 with just under 11 minutes left in the third quarter.

Rourke was 14 of 26 passing for 200 yards and two touchdowns and led the Bobcats' running game with 64 yards on seven carries, breaking free for a 61-yard dash. Wiglusz finished with six catches for 69 yards.

Antario Brown had 160 yards on 16 carries to lead Northern Illinois. Justin Lynch completed half of his 18 pass attempts for 110 yards.

__

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the APs college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 10:57

Russian forces carried out missile strikes on critical energy infrastructure targets in the Kropyvnytskyi and Holovanivsk districts in Kirovohrad Oblast, as well as energy facilities in Odesa Oblast and in the city of Rivne.

Source: Andrii Raikovych, Head of the Kirovohrad Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Maksym Marchenko, Head of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Oleksandr Tretiak, Mayor of Rivne, on Facebook

Details: Raikovych appealed to all local businesses and in particular the owners of large retail facilities, chain stores, and restaurants and cafes, to significantly reduce their energy consumption. He added that power supply in Kirovohrad Oblast was disrupted, and that some areas are experiencing power outages.

Marchenko said that two Russian missiles hit an energy infrastructure facility in Odesa Oblast, cutting off power in several towns and villages in the Odesa district. Odesa District Military Administration said that there were three civilian casualties.

Municipal services and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine are engaged in repair and clean-up work to deal with the aftermath of the attacks.

A critical infrastructure facility in the city of Rivne has also been hit. Early reports indicate there were no casualties. Emergency aid points have been set up in the citys hospitals.

All municipal services are on full alert and are undertaking joint repair works with power engineers to restore energy in the city.

Previously: Ukraines energy infrastructure facility came under Russian attack on Saturday, 22 October. The air-raid siren was sounded in all of Ukraine, except for Russian-occupied Crimea.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
At least three people tried to steal an off-duty Chicago police officers car and personal property, which led to an exchange of gunfire on the South Side Thursday that left one possible suspect injured, Chicago police said.

The off-duty officer was near the car in the 8800 block of South Constance Avenue about 6:05 p.m. when the three individuals approached and demanded the officers car and property, according to police. Shots were fired between the off-duty officer and one of the individuals.

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The possible suspect was dropped off at Trinity Hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, police said.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the shooting. The officer involved will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days, police said.
STANISLAV POHORILOV  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 15:51

Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, believes that Russia is carrying out massive attacks on critical infrastructure in order to cause an influx of refugees from Ukraine into Europe.

Source: Podoliak on Twitter

Quote from Podoliak: "By striking Ukraines critical infrastructure, [the] Kremlin wants to provoke new refugees [to] flee to Europe."

Details: According to him, whether Vladimir Putin, the president of the aggressor country, is able to implement his plan today depends entirely on the European leaders.

Podoliak believes that the only way to stop the humanitarian catastrophe is to provide Ukraine with air defence equipment as soon as possible.

Background:
Russian-installed authorities in the occupied city of Kherson on Saturday urged residents to leave immediately in the face of a looming counteroffensive by Ukraines armed forces that aimed to recapture the southern city.

Due to the tense situation at the front, the increased danger of massive shelling of the city and the threat of terrorist attacks, all civilians must immediately leave the city, a statement on the Russian administrations Telegram channel said Saturday.

Urging people to board boats across the Dnieper River, Russian authorities also said in the statement that all departments and ministries of the Kremlin-installed administration should leave the southern city, which has been in the hands of Russian forces since they invaded Ukraine in February.

Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions and targeted supply routes across the province on Friday, inching closer to a full assault on the only provincial capital that has remained in Russian hands throughout the war.

The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (Olga Maltseva / AFP via Getty Images file)

The order came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had planted explosives inside the huge Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River, which holds back an enormous reservoir.

In a late-night television address he said Moscow was planning to blow up the dam and that would mean a large-scale disaster.

Russia has accused Kyiv of firing rockets at the dam. Neither side produced evidence to back up its allegations.

Zelenskyy's comments came before more than 1 million people woke up without power Saturday, after a wave of Russian strikes pounded critical infrastructure in several cities across the country, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a deputy head of the Ukrainian presidents office, said in a statement.

Power outages were reported in regions around Kyiv by Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksii Arestovych, who said on Twitter that communication networks in the capital had been hit by Russian missiles. He said that five had been shot down by his country's forces.

Story continues

Infrastructure in the southern city of Odesa had also been hit, he said.

NBC News could not independently verify these claims, but officials in the western cities of Lviv, Khmelnytskiy, Volyn and Rivne also reported attacks.

As a result of the strikes, there is no power supply in part of the Rivne district, Vitaly Koval, the governor of Rivne, said on his Telegram channel, adding that electrical substations had been damaged. He said the attacks produced no casualties.

His comments were echoed by Ihor Polishchuk, the mayor of Lutsk, who said in a post on his Facebook page that part of the city had lost its electricity supply.

Firefighters work to put out a fire in residential building after a

Elsewhere, Irans Foreign Ministry said it condemned a call by France, Germany and Britain for the United Nations to investigate allegations that Russia has used Iranian-made drones to attack Ukraine, according to the Iranian state-run news agency, IRNA.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said Fridays appeal by the so-called E-3 group of countries was false and baseless, and that it was strongly rejected and condemned.

In a letter signed by their U.N. envoys, the three European countries backed Ukraines call on Monday for a U.N. investigation, arguing the use of Shahed-136 attack drones, known as kamikaze drones, breached the terms of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The White House said Thursday it had evidence that Iran had sent military officers to Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine to help Moscow launch drone attacks on targets across the country.

Iran sent trainers and technical support to enable Russian forces to use Iranian-made drones with better lethality, John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesperson, told reporters.

We assess that Iranian military personnel were on the ground in Crimea and assisted Russia in these operations, he said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Smoke after the explosion in Lutsk

Read also: 11 killed and 87 injured across the country in mass Russian missile attack, says DSNS

Regional authorities reported on Telegram that the missile strikes caused problems with the electricity and water supplies.

The mass air raid alert was declared in every part of Ukraine, except for Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimea, at about 7.30 a.m. local time.

At 8.58 a.m. Khmelnytskyi Governor Serhiy Hamaliy reported explosions in his region.

"Explosions are heard in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. Take care of yourselves. Stay in shelters," he wrote in his Telegram channel.

Soon after there were reports of explosions in Lutsk, the city of Rivne, and Rivne Oblast, according to public broadcaster Suspilne.

Read also: At least 408 infrastructure facilities destroyed by Russian invaders in over one week

After the explosions, information about power and water outages in Lutsk and some districts of Rivne Oblast appeared in local social media groups.

Information about the strike in Rivne Oblast was confirmed by regional governor Vitaliy Koval. Emergency services are working in the city of Kovel, the mayor of the city, Ihor Chaika, reported. Residents were urged to stock up on water and charge all devices until the power supply is restored.

Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk announced that the Russians had struck an energy facility in the city, and that the emergency services are at the scene. The explosions in Lutsk also damaged a private house, with one person suffering burns. According to preliminary information, no one was killed in the strike on the house.

Later, Khmelnytskyi also reported that it had lost electricity supply. The city council asked residents to stock up on water as it would also disappear in an hour, as water supply pumps had stopped working due to the loss of power.

Read also: Russia destroys third of Ukraines power stations in a week  Zelenskyy

Ternopil city Mayor Serhiy Nadal confirmed that there were problems with the electricity supply in neighboring disctricts.

Story continues

The Ivano-Frankivsk-based power company Prykarpattyaoblenergo in western Ukraine said that due to enemy attacks on the morning of Oct. 22, the power system had become unstable, and there is a shortage of power that may lead to temporary blackouts.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian army aircraft shot down a missile over the Dnistrovskyi district of Chernivtsi Oblast, with debris from the weapon falling into a lake. There was no damages to facilities and houses, said regional governor Ruslan Zaparanyuk.

Read also: Lviv suffers partial blackout and lack of hot water after Russian missile attack

Air defenses were also triggered in Lviv Oblast.

Zakarpattya regional governor Vasyl Mykyta wrote that the enemy was targeting the neighboring regions.

"Missiles are in the air, stay in shelters," Mykyta wrote at 8.53 a.m.

The Presidents Office has since reacted to Russian strikes on infrastructure in western Ukraine.

"More missile attacks from terrorists who are fighting with civilian infrastructure and people, Volodymyr Zelenskyys chief-of-staff Andriy Yermak said.

Read also: Russias mass missile attack damages culture, power supplies, Russia and Belarus team up

Whatever, we will hold out. The Russians' dream of problems in the rear and stopping the liberation of Ukrainian territories is infantile. We are only getting angrier every day. And this means that we will give an even stronger response. Everything will be Ukraine.

The authorities of the western regions are urging residents to stay in shelters until the end of the air raid alert.

In other regions of Ukraine, no information about missile impacts has been received so far.

Explosions have been heard in Odesa, Chernihiv, Kyiv and Kirovohrad oblasts. Early reports indicate air defenses have been active. On social media, video has been posted showing Russian cruise missiles in flight over Ukraine, a Ukrainian fighter apparently shooting down a missile, and sounds of Iranian flying bomb drones.

The all clear was declared throughout Ukraine, apart from in Luhansk Oblast, at 10.52 a.m.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Relatives say goodbye to Russian citizens drafted during the partial mobilization as they depart to their military units after completing their transactions due to a military call-up for the Russia-Ukraine war in Moscow, Russia on October 10, 2022. Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A group of Russian women has attempted to send idle fathers to fight Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

Putin launched a military draft in September, seeking an additional 300,000 troops to fight in Ukraine.

The women argue that their deadbeat exes would be more helpful in the war or dead.

Russian mothers abandoned by their idle husbands have found the silver lining to Vladimir Putin's military draft: turning their exes in for the draft to receive financial compensation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's failing war in Ukraine gave rise to a "partial military mobilization" in which 300,000 new conscripts were called upon to fight. The draft sparked outrage and fear  evidenced by insurmountable protests and Russians attempting to flee the country.

But Russian investigative outlet Verstka reported dozens of women have come together in a ruse to get their exes into the military by giving enlistment offices personal data belonging to the men who abandoned them and their children. There's even an online community in which at least 70 of the women are sharing their experiences and discussing the plot, according to Verstka.

Svetlana Mikhailova, a factory worker, told Verstka her ex-husband called her twice when the mobilization effort began, but she didn't answer.

"He is a strong, tall man, he served in the army," Mikhailova added. "I think he is in good health. It would be unfair if they did not mobilize him but mobilized our 19-year-old son with epilepsy. Or my partner who is raising children with me."

Solving what the Russian courts couldn't

Verstka highlighted the story of three other women who took to the scheme and used pseudonyms for them throughout. Insider was unable to independently verify the claims.

"Immediately after Putin's announcement, the thought occurred to me: if my ex went to war, he would pay back the debt because he would be receiving official payments to an account that you can't hide from the bailiffs. If he gets injured or dies, then the child is entitled to compensation," Inna Kruglova, a technologist, told Verstka.

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The women claim Putin's military order may produce better results than the courts, which have enabled these fathers to abandon their children with little to no financial support.

"I believe that both parents should be responsible for the child. You can't just drop like that. Unfortunately, our laws protect bastards who run from alimony. No harsh measures are taken against them," Ekaterina Kotova, a copywriter, said. Kotova said her ex-husband picked up a bad alcohol habit, forcing her to kick him out when their child was young. But, according to her, he hasn't helped raise the child and owes her 632 thousand rubles.

Lilia Sergeeva, an entrepreneur, told the outlet her ex-husband had been charged and sentenced to corrective labor for not paying alimony, but she asked, "what good is this to me?"

Sergeeva says she has a 17-year-old daughter with her ex-husband, who hasn't "been paying alimony and has not participated in the upbringing of our child in any way."

'If he happens to get killed, it will even be good'

The risk of death doesn't seem to be a deterrence for many of the women, who argue their absent exes don't show up anyway.

"To be honest, I don't care if my ex-husband is able to withstand the load at the front and how long he will last there. If women endure hard physical labor, then why a grown man in his prime can't? To provide for children, many have to work like hell," Sergeeva added. "I understand that there is a risk of death during the 'special operation.' But for me, my ex-husband died as a person a long time ago. If he is sent to fight and does not survive, I will receive only official confirmation that he does not exist  and all the payments due to the heirs."

"He does not think about how his daughter has been living all these years, or what she had for dinner. And whether she had dinner at all," Sergeeva continued.

Kotova even argues that her son may be better off if her ex-husband died.

"I don't think I should feel sorry for him. For four years, he never got in touch with his son, although he lives forty kilometers from us. And when, in spite of all this, my child sees a father in every passing man, my only thought is: It would be better if he died already so that I could take my son to his grave and be done with it," she said.

"Of course, I wondered how I would feel if he died there. But for 12 years now, my son and I have not seen or heard him, although we live in the same city  so it makes little difference to me if he exists or not. If he happens to get killed, it will even be good: the child will receive compensation," Kruglova added.

Translations provided by Oleksandr Vynogradov.

Read the original article on Business Insider
OLESHKY, Russia-controlled Ukraine (Reuters) -Russian occupation authorities in the Ukrainian city of Kherson told civilians on Saturday they should leave immediately because of what they called the tense military situation as Ukraine's forces advance.

Thousands of civilians have been leaving for days across the Dnipro River after warnings about a Ukrainian offensive to recapture the city. The latest warning was delivered with renewed urgency.

"Take care of the safety of your family and friends! Do not forget documents, money, valuables and clothes," Russian-installed authorities said.

At Oleshky on the opposite bank of the Dnipro, Reuters saw people arriving by river boat from Kherson, loaded with boxes, bags and pets. One woman carried a toddler under one arm and a dog under the other.

Some boats were loaded with vegetables and pallets of food. Staff from Russia's emergency ministry carried elderly people and children in prams from the vessels. Families then waited to board buses to Russian-annexed Crimea.

"I really didn't want to (leave), I'm still in work," one resident told Reuters. "We wanted to stay here in the region, but now we don't know."

The battle for Kherson, which has been under Russian control for almost the whole of the eight-month war, appears to be reaching a critical juncture as advancing Ukrainian forces threaten to pin Russian troops along the Dnipro's west bank.

The Russian-installed leader of the region said this week that Russia was planning to move an estimated 10,000 residents a day from Kherson and that Russia was preparing to take in residents in anticipation of Ukraine's counterattack.

Despite the latest warning, the occupation authorities invited people still in the city on Saturday to attend an "evening of Russian literature, music and art" in Kherson's Palace of Culture, with a book reading and orchestra playing.

Ukraine has imposed an information blackout from the Kherson front, but Russian commander General Sergei Surovikin said this week the situation in Kherson was "already difficult" and Russia was "not ruling out difficult decisions" there.

Story continues

In a briefing on Saturday, the Russian defence ministry said its forces had repelled a Ukrainian attempt to break through its line of control in the Kherson region. Reuters could not independently confirm battlefield claims.

Kherson is the only provincial capital that Russia has captured intact and held since its Feb. 24 invasion. The Kherson region was one of four that President Vladimir Putin said last month that Moscow was claiming "forever" as its own territory.

Putin has said he is prepared to resort to nuclear weapons if necessary to defend what Russia claims as its own lands. The declared annexation was condemned as illegal by Ukraine, its allies and the United Nations General Assembly.

(Writing by Caleb Davis and Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Edmund Blair)
OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 02:12

Vasilii Nebenzia, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, has announced that he left the UN Security Council meeting in order not to hear a speech by Sergiy Kyslytsya, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine.

Source: Ukrinform

Quote from Kyslytsya: "I am sorry that the Security Council is still forced to listen to this representative, because the only thing he did over almost eight months of the invasion was to tell one lie after another  at every meeting, about every aspect of an aggressive war that his master ordered in February."

Details: Kyslytsya, responding to Nebenzias leave, has expressed his hopes that Russia would not be a member of the UN Security Council at all soon, as it is unlawfully taking the place of the USSR as a permanent member of this body.

At the same time, Kyslytsya quoted the Russian Permanent Representative who assured that "the goal of Russias special military operation was not the occupation of Ukraine or harming the local population", and that Russia "was not affecting critically important civilian infrastructure."

Ukraines Permanent Representative has reminded the members of the Security Council that Ukrainian law enforcement bodies detected either damage or destruction of 51,412 civilian infrastructure facilities as a result of Russian targeted attacks, starting from 24 February.

Approximately 300 missile strikes and drone attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure facilities have taken place from 10 October in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Mykolaiv, and Donetsk oblasts, as Kyslytsya has pointed out.

Almost 40% of energy facilities in Ukraine are either damaged or destroyed, he added. According to Kyslytsya, electricity stations, central heating points, transformers, oil storage points, switchgears, overhead power transmission lines, and other energy equipment throughout the country come under Russian fire almost every day.

Story continues

Kyslytsya has described these actions of the Kremlin regime as terrorism, based on the resolution on critical infrastructure defence from terrorist attacks, accepted in 2017.

"This is an attempt to undermine our ability to fight. And russia is losing in this attempt. Fear of inevitable failure dominates in the minds of putin and his minions. Every bit of this regime is soaked in blood and crime."

Therefore, this is no surprise that Putin has chosen a person with a criminal record who "is known for his bloodlust and crime essence [Sergey Surovikin  ed.]" as a new commander of his army in Ukraine, the diplomat said.

Kyslytsya has also informed the members of the UN Security Council that the Russian troops are consciously preparing the ground for a large-scale environmental disaster in Ukraines south by mining a dam and units of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (KHPP).

According to him, an explosion at the KHPP can lead to destroying a water supply system of a major part of Ukraines south and leave the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant without water for cooling.

In order not to let this or other catastrophe happen, the world should respond preventively, Kyslytsya highlighted.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022 00:14

During the day on 21 October, the Russians opened fire on Sumy Oblast six times.

Source: Chairman of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyi

Details: Russian forces carried out two mortar attacks on the Krasnopil hromada [an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories - ed.]. There were 15 and 10 "incomings" in each.

The Russian occupying forces also opened fire on the Khotyn hromada  twice with small arms, as well as two mortar attacks, 9 and 16 shells.

As Zhyvytskyi noted, there were no casualties or damage in any of these attacks.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 11:41

Russia deployed Kh-101 and Kalibr missiles to attack Ukraine on the morning of Saturday, 22 October. Ukraines air defence shot down 18 of the Russian missiles.

Source: Air Force Command on Telegram

Quote: "At 07:00 on 22 October the occupiers carried out a large-scale missile strike on Ukraine. Critical infrastructure facilities across Ukraine have been targeted.

The enemy deployed at least 10 Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic aircraft which set out from the Volgodonsk area in Rostov Oblast in the attack. A total of 17 Kh-101 (Kh-555) cruise missiles were launched.

The ruscists [sic] additionally launched 16 Kalibr cruise missiles from ships based in the waters of the Black Sea."

Details: Air Force Command reported that Ukraines aircraft, anti-aircraft missile forces, and mobile fire units destroyed 18 enemy missiles in areas under the responsibility of Tsentr (Centre), Pivden (South) and Zakhid (West) Air Force Commands:

13 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles;

5 Kalibr cruise missiles.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The Cook County state's attorney's office dismissed charges against 15 men, including some shown here as they stand outside the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Nov. 16, 2017, in Chicago. The men said they were framed by disgraced Sgt. Ronald Watts. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Next month, seven years will have passed since the video of the police murder of Laquan McDonald was released, precipitating a cascade of events that transformed the civic life of Chicago. For the better part of a decade now, there has been a broad consensus that police reform is an urgent priority for the city. Yet hopes for a fundamental paradigm shift have not been realized. The reform process has proved bureaucratically opaque and now appears stalled. Increasingly polarized, public discourse churns but does not advance. Civic morale is fragile, as anxieties about crime threaten to eclipse concerns about police accountability.

Most important, the ultimate metric  the lived experience of those most directly affected by our form of apartheid justice  has not discernibly improved.

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While not losing sight of the limited areas in which progress has been made, its important that we acknowledge the extent of the failure. This is not only a failure of leadership. While sharp criticism is certainly warranted, its not sufficient to blame the mayor, the police superintendent and the various oversight agencies. Nor are the inevitable catchphrases code of silence and cover-up adequate to take us to the heart of the matter. There is something deeper that must be confronted: We have proved incapable as a society, as a polity, of learning from experience and acting on what we have learned, making it inevitable that avoidable harms will recur in the future.

Among the most telling instances of this dynamic is the human rights disaster commonly referred to as the Watts scandal. Here are the basic facts:

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For the better part of a decade, then-Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts and members of the gang tactical team under his command were an integral part of the drug trade in public housing developments  primarily the Ida B. Wells Homes  on the South Side. They have been accused of operating a protection racket, exacting a tax from drug dealers, as the buildings that constituted the developments were being demolished one by one as part of the citys Plan for Transformation. Throughout most of this period, they were the subjects of open-ended investigations by the Chicago Police Departments bureau of internal affairs and the FBI that dragged on and on.

Former Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts, right, leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after being sentenced to 22 months in prison on Oct. 9, 2013. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

In pursuit of their criminal ends, Watts and his team routinely planted evidence and fabricated drug and gun charges against those who did not cooperate with them, prosecutors have said. Since I first reported on their criminal activities in 2016, 183 people have been exonerated and some 220 convictions have been overturned. (Some exonerees had more than one conviction.)

Caught in an FBI sting in late 2011, Watts and his partner, Officer Kallatt Mohammed, were convicted on a single charge of stealing government property  the $5,200 used as bait in the sting  and were sentenced to 22 months and 18 months, respectively.

The criminal sentences served by Watts victims who have thus far been exonerated come to more than 450 years.

Despite these stunning facts, the Watts scandal is only partially and intermittently visible. Neither the scale of the suffering inflicted by these officers nor the downstream implications for the city have been recognized and acknowledged.

Imagine living your life and raising your children in a community where Watts and his team are the face of civil authority. Imagine they are free to prey on the community with impunity, while you and your neighbors have no means of redress and no sanctuary. Such conditions bear comparison to life under the most repressive, rapacious regimes.

How has the city responded?

Apart from the light sentences given Watts and Mohammed, not a single officer has been charged or disciplined. After the first group exoneration in 2017, CPD put 15 officers on desk duty pending investigation of their involvement in Watts criminal enterprise. Today, five are collecting their pensions after retiring, while the rest remain on the city payroll.

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When Watts victims are exonerated, the filing of federal civil suits seeking damages on their behalf follows. If the city continues to practice its customary mode of scandal management, it will draw these cases out for as long as possible and then settle them at great cost to taxpayers but without public acknowledgment of the abuses or adoption of remedies to prevent similar abuses in the future.

Anthony McDaniels, second from left, prepares to hug his attorney Joshua Tepfer as his sister LaShawn McDaniels and niece Lateisha Sellers, right, greet him outside Stateville Correctional Center on June 25, 2018. McDaniels' conviction on gun charges was dismissed in a case related to Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Exonerations of individuals are, of course, to be welcomed, but findings of error or official misconduct in the individual case do not address the systemic conditions that led to the error or allowed the misconduct. A different sort of process is required, if we are to learn what can be learned from these events for the purpose of addressing the conditions that contributed to their occurrence.

That is the essence of truth and reconciliation processes: the moral imperative to reckon with the past in the interest of the future. The Watts scandal is a dramatic example of our consistent failure to do so.

Consider: High-rise public housing was the epitome of hypersegregation, and policing practices there were the purest form of apartheid policing. This extreme case illuminates the larger phenomenon and is therefore an invaluable resource for investigating the underlying pathologies of the prevailing modes of law enforcement. Yet it has scarcely figured at all in the discourse about police reform.

Nor is it part of the discourse about the Plan for Transformation and the fate of public housing. The transformation has been assessed solely in terms of community development metrics. Human rights violations by the police in the context of this social engineering project have not been confronted.

Remarkably, the crimes committed by Watts and Co. have received no attention from activists. The contrast with the vast amount of activism in response to the police murder of McDonald is striking.

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The reality is that the Watts crew ravaged a vulnerable community, located at the center of the city, for years. Their crimes were enabled by policies, practices and institutional conditions that persist. In addition to CPD and the FBI, various other institutions and individuals knew or had the means to know what was going on  among them, the Chicago Housing Authority, private developers who assumed control of the developments in the course of the transformation, and prosecutors and judges  yet all had priorities other than ensuring the safety of residents.

Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Feb. 13, 2012, in Chicago. He and another Chicago police officer were arrested on federal charges related to the theft of $5,200 from a man they believed was a drug courier but who was secretly cooperating with federal authorities. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

This is something we did as a society to a particular community. Yet now that the scene of the crimes has been erased, it might as well never have happened. Demolition and forced relocation not only left expanses of vacant land in the central city, but they also left a void at the center of our civic discourse.

Moreover, there is a tendency to see the Watts abuses as a remote historical episode that took place in a bygone world. Deplorable, perhaps, but hardly a matter of immediate moral consequence. Such a view fails to comprehend how that history shapes the present  for those who continue to suffer the downstream effects of their wrongful convictions and for the city as a whole.

At a time when the prevailing assumption is that the process of exonerating Watts victims has largely run its course, the immediacy of this human rights disaster and its claims on our attention are embodied, above all, by four men who have spent 19 years behind bars for two 2003 murders at the Harold Ickes public housing development. Former residents of the Prairie Courts public housing development, their names are Darnell and Donald Wilson, Raymond Youngblood, and Ahmad Poole. They credibly claim to have been framed by Watts. Over the course of their imprisonment, they mastered the relevant law and secured recantations from witnesses who testified against them at trial. Proceeding pro se, Darnell Wilson filed a post-conviction petition, granted by the state appellate court, in which he argued, among other things, that Watts bribed witnesses to testify against him and his co-defendants.

Joshua Tepfer, with the Exoneration Project, speaks April 22, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago after a hearing on some outstanding petitions to vacate convictions connected to corrupt ex-Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Now represented by the able, indefatigable attorneys of the Exoneration Project, who have handled most of the Watts exoneration cases, Wilson will soon have a hearing on his claim that he and the others  I have come to think of them as the Prairie Courts Four  are innocent.

Wilsons post-conviction petition is the perfect emblem for this moment. It is hand-lettered. A jailhouse lawyer at Stateville Correctional Center meticulously drafted it for him by hand with pens purchased at the prison commissary.

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We live in the age of frozen scandal. Coined by journalist Mark Danner to describe the way we have come to live with the knowledge of torture by the U.S. government in the post-9/11 era, the term has wide application.

This capacity to know and not know at the same time, yet somehow sleep at night, is the ultimate privilege. The victims enjoy no such privilege. They bear the burden of memory. Because every responsible institution has failed those preyed upon by the Watts team, they themselves are forcing a reckoning.

This extraordinary drama  in plain sight yet largely unseen  remains in suspense. Will we as a society rise to the challenge  the opportunity  presented to us by our neighbors and fellow citizens?

Jamie Kalven is founder of the Invisible Institute, a nonprofit journalism organization on the South Side that received the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. He is writing a book on the Watts scandal.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
By Jack Queen

(Reuters) -Families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting on Friday asked a Connecticut judge to order Alex Jones to pay hefty punitive damages on top of nearly $1 billion a jury said the conspiracy theorist owes them for falsely claiming the massacre was a hoax.

The families said in the filing that the "historic" scale of Jones' wrongdoing in the case, his "utter lack of repentance" and clear intention to continue spreading lies about them deserve the highest punishment in the court's power.

An attorney for Jones, Norm Pattis, said in an email Friday that he is confident the verdict will be reversed on appeal.

"There is little question that this trial was a farce," Pattis said.

A jury awarded more than a dozen relatives of victims $965 million in compensatory damages earlier this month after a trial in Waterbury, Connecticut, not far from where a gunman killed 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012.

Jones and his Infowars site claimed for years that the shooting was staged using actors as part of a government plot to seize Americans' guns. The families say they suffered a decade of harassment and death threats from people who believed the bogus claims.

The Connecticut jury found Jones and Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems LLC should also pay punitive damages, which are set to be determined by a judge after several days of hearings next month.

In their filing Friday, the families offered various methods of calculating punitive damages in similar cases. They said that by one metric, they could be entitled to $2.75 trillion based on the number of article impressions Infowars' false stories garnered.

But the plaintiffs left it to Judge Barbara Bellis to determine the appropriate amount, which they said should be the highest in her power.

Also on Friday, Jones' attorney asked Bellis to substantially reduce the verdict, saying it was "exorbitant, shocks the sense of justice and was influenced by partiality and prejudice."

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Jones' attorney also asked for a new trial, saying the court's pretrial rulings were unfair. The verdict was "unjust and against the weight of the evidence," the filing said.

The Connecticut verdict came several months after a jury in Texas awarded two Sandy Hook parents $49.3 million in damages.

A lawyer for Jones has said he will seek to cut the award substantially before it is finalized, calling it excessive under Texas law.

Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy in Texas in July, but experts are doubtful the case will allow Jones to shield his assets and avoid paying the judgments.

(Reporting by Jack Queen, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
CAIRO (Reuters) -Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will not attend the Arab summit to be held on Nov. 1 in Algeria, in compliance with a doctors' recommendation to avoid travel, the Algerian presidency said in a statement late on Saturday.

Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de-facto ruler, "expressed his regret for not attending the Arab summit", in a phone call with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the statement said.

The Saudi foreign ministry later issued a statement on the telephone conversation between the two leaders but did not mention that the Crown Prince was not attending the summit.

Arab heads of state are expected to convene for their upcoming 31st summit to be held in Algiers on Nov. 1-2.

(Reporting by Ahmad Elhamy and Omar Fahmy; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Marguerita Choy)
Around the country, childrens hospitals are busy with kids sick with the respiratory illness RSV.

At Seattle Childrens, the emergency department is seeing twice as many patients as a typical October, and is sometimes running at 200% its physical capacity.

Normally we peak in February, and we are likely to peak in November this year, said Dr. Russell Migita, a physician in the emergency department, where he also serves as assistant clinical director.

Two seasons of widespread mask use for COVID-19 pushed off some RSV infections.

Every kid, by the time theyre two years of age, has an RSV infection sometime in their past, and right now theyre all getting their first infection at the same time, and thats increasing the numbers, Migita said.

Dr. Scott Lindquist, Washingtons state epidemiologist, has a slightly different take.

He sees the current RSV surge following the same pattern as the years before COVID.

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Its peaking pretty fast but not in any form that looks different than previous years, Lindquist said.

Lindquist also said RSV cases are harder to track statewide because hospitals are not required to report them.

Migita said parents should not hesitate to bring their kids to the emergency room if they notice them having breathing trouble like persistently breathing faster than once per second.

If you look at their body and their chest and abdomen are seesawing back and forth, if their breathing is making their whole body move, then thats significant respiratory distress that needs to be seen, he said.

Seattle Childrens is also seeing cases of flu and COVID in kids.

Doctors say it is a reminder for everyone to get a flu shot and the omicron booster, and to stay home when sick.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

A ballot initiative that could change the way Seattle chooses its city officials has pitted two unconventional voting methods against each other, with one side attracting hundreds of thousands in funding from a crypto billionaire and other Silicon Valley denizens.

But in a city known as a progressive bastion, critics wonder if the change is even necessary and if activists are tinkering with the citys voting system just because of Seattles receptiveness to change.

Our electorate is very, very progressive and I think are very much primed to have almost a Pavlovian positive response when people say election reform, said Sandeep Kaushik, a Seattle-based public affairs and political consultant who has been openly opposed to the reform efforts.

Washington, by law, has an open, non-partisan primary that ultimately results in a two candidate run-off in the general election. Currently, Seattle voters pick the single candidate they want to win in the primary and again in the general election.

The text of the initiative posted on King Countys website, first asks the voter whether either of the two proposals, dubbed 1A and 1B, should be enacted. The second question instructs the voter to pick which initiative they like better regardless of whether you voted yes or no on the first question.

Company Praised Voting Rights, but Handed $1.6B to Right-Wingers

On one side of the debate to change that system is Approval Voting, a method that allows individuals to choose as many candidates as theyd like on a ballot. Proponents say Approval Votings attributes include the elimination of strategic voting, as well as mistakes that result in ballots being thrown out. The top two choices simply go to a runoff.

On the other side is Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) whereas the name suggestsvoters rank their choices first, second and so on. If no candidate gets a majority, and a voters top choice falls short and is eliminated, then their second choice is counted. This, too, would ultimately result in a two candidate run-off in compliance with Washington State law.

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The ballot initiative is being considered as voting rules around the country are being changed to either expand or contract rights, depending largely on which party is in power at the state level.

Its a little unclear what problem were solving, said one community leader with knowledge of the issue, who was not authorized to speak on the record. Is there dissatisfaction with our local election process? There wasnt until we needed to decide whether we wanted election reform.

Advocates disagree, pointing to the number of candidates who have campaigned in recent local elections as a prime example of why change is needed, particularly when it comes to voters who want to pick a less popular candidate, but feel like they might be throwing their vote away if they do.

The trouble with Seattles system right now is that voters are forced to vote strategically, and winners often advance without real, broad support, said Stephanie Houghton, FairVote Washingtons Managing Director. Ranked-choice voting means you dont get stuck having to choose between the lesser of two evils.

Troy Davis, a tech entrepreneur and co-leader of the SeattleApproves campaignthe other side of the debateagreed that the need to select just one candidate has limited voter engagement.

Fellow Republicans: Support Voting Rights, Not Trumps Lies

We talked with thousands of Seattle voters and heard that over and over, Davis said. Those voters end up voting based on how they think other people will vote, not based on their own preferences.

Their agreement stops there, though, as the two sides are quick to point out the flaws in the other methods approach.

The rivalry started late last year, when proponents of Approval Voting launched a signature campaign in Seattle to get the method to qualify for the ballot.

The effort was well-funded, raising a total of $489,483 as of Oct. 12. Samuel Bankman-Fried, a crypto billionaire who has given millions to Democrats and their causes over the past year alone, is one of the latest donors, giving $135,000 in February 2022 to the cause. The Center for Election Science, a California-based think tank financed by charitable donations that are obscured through a middle-man organization, provided a grant of $211,362. Most of the funds were aimed at gathering signatures for the ballot, Davis confirmed.

Nick Beckstead, president of Bankman-Frieds FTX Foundation, said the funding was part of their support of protecting democratic discourse, deliberation, and efforts to safeguard the political process, including alternative voting systems.

More widespread adoption of Approval Voting would give voters more power to express their preferences, which could reduce polarization and strengthen democracy, he said.

Approval Voting was adopted by voters in local elections in two cities in recent years: Fargo, ND and St. Louis, MO. Both of those initiatives also received hefty donations from the Center for Election Science, according to the groups tax documents.

How We Could Have Stopped These Rigged, Racist Voting Maps

Once the Approval Voting initiative qualified for the ballot in Seattle, a second electoral reform group, with deep roots in the area, lobbied to be listed as an alternative to the Approval Voting measure. The city council approved the addition of RCV to the ballot.

That was a move, according to Davis, to protect the status quo.

As youd imagine, political groups (and incumbents!) are certainly eager to protect their power, he wrote in an email, pointing to the speed at which the city council moved to add the measure. No Council business passes in 48 hours. Elections deserve more thoughtand Seattle voters more transparencythan that.

RCV advocates contend their method was more suited to the community where they had been working in the community for years and pointed to the number of local endorsements from unions and community groups as well as in-state financial support.

Additionally, Rob Richie, President and CEO of FairVote and FairVote Action, charged that Approval Voting system had the potential to create a lot of extra power for an older, whiter, wealthier primary electorate, which now has extra power to lock out any minority perspective from the more representative electorate one sees in general elections.

But Aaron Hamlin, the executive director of Center for Election Science, said their decades-long effort was telling.

That some local groups have been pushing for RCV for decades is indicative of how ineffectual that effort has been, he said, pointing to the fact RCV was adopted in nearby Pierce County, Washington and repealed shortly thereafter.

Asked about the Pierce County repeal, Houghten called the criticism two decades behind the times.

RCV is tested and proven in over 50 places across the U.S. right now, she said, adding that RCV is on ballots in three places in Washington State.

Crypto Guy Says He Could Spend $1 Billion Backing Democrats in 2024

We know that from Alaska to New York, voters have found RCV simple to use, Houghten said. We arent reinventing the wheel.

Still, for residents like Kaushik, the changes, as well-intentioned as their supporters claim to be, dont make sense in a place where a diverse group of candidates routinely run and are elected.

Genuinely, Im mystified, Kaushik said. Were progressive electorate [and] yeah, were a majority white city. We have no problem, in Seattle, electing minority candidates or women to elective office.

I just think these are solutions in search of problems, he said.

Additional reporting from Emily Shugerman

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A lapse in security by a third-party vendor left the private data of students across North Carolina unsecured and vulnerable, according to Union County Public Schools.

A letter sent to parents earlier this week made them aware that students records from multiple school districts and charter schools, including Union County, were left unsecure in a cloud-based storage space called iLeadr.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction discovered the information was susceptible over the summer, the message said. At the time, it was not clear which records had been disclosed, but a state cybersecurity taskforce investigation confirmed UCPS files were accessible.

ALSO READ: Union County lays out new rules for substitute teachers that offer benefits, more hours

Data exposed did not include Social Security numbers or financial information, according to UCPS Superintendent Andrew Houlihan.

At this time, the district said there was no evidence any student information was accessed or has been used for anything improper.

According to UCPS, details that were temporarily exposed include student name, school name, student ID number, date of birth, gender, ethnicity, race, parent name and contact information, schools attended by grade, attendance records, core instruction plans, individual student learning plan, assessment data reports, progress monitoring data, academic behavior and observations, environmental inventory and hearing/vision/speech screening results.

Since being notified of the insecurity, the district said it worked with investigators and the vendor to determine the cause and ensure it does not happen again.

We take this incident very seriously and are committed to protecting the confidentiality and security of our students records, Houlihan said.

(WATCH BELOW: Residents push back against possible wastewater plant in Union County)








Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked the Supreme Court on Friday to halt a subpoena compelling him to testify in a Georgia county prosecutors criminal probe of potential interference in the 2020 election.

Grahams request comes a day after a federal appeals court ordered him to testify in the grand jury investigation that has already ensnared Trump allies such as Rudy Giuliani.

On Thursday, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals shot down his arguments that he didn't have to answer questions about two phone calls he made to Georgia election officials after the 2020 election because his actions were protected under the U.S. Constitutions speech and debate clause.

In a 33-page application sent to Justice Clarence Thomas, who handles emergency requests from the 11th Circuit, Graham's lawyers on Friday asked for an immediate emergency stay.

"Without a stay, Senator Lindsey Graham will soon be questioned by a local Georgia prosecutor and her ad hoc investigative body about his protected 'Speech or Debate' related to the 2020 election," the filing says.

It argues that the court needs to step in or else Graham's "constitutional immunities will be lost, and his statutorily guaranteed appeal mooted, the moment the local Georgia prosecutor questions him."

Thomas can decide the issue himself, or refer the matter to the full court.

The grand jury in Georgia was convened earlier this year to assist Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' investigation into possible 2020 election interference by former President Donald Trump and others. It has already interviewed a number of high profile Trump allies such as Giuliani and Trump lawyer John Eastman, who both helped push his fraudulent election claims.

The grand jury wants to question Graham about the circumstances of two phone calls he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his office after the election. Raffensperger, the top elections official in the state, has said Graham pressed him about whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots, which Raffensperger interpreted as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes. Graham has denied that was his intention, and said the calls were "investigatory" and part of his duties as then-chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Judges at both the state and federal level have found that Graham's claims that he's immune from questioning about the calls are overbroad. The appeals court ruling Thursday agreed with a lower court that determined Graham should be able to answer some key questions from the grand jury, including whether he consulted with Trumps campaign before making the calls.

The 11th Circuit said the categories of questioning laid out by the lower court could not qualify as legislative activities under any understanding of Supreme Court precedent, and investigators could ask Graham about them.

Willis' office declined to comment on Graham's request for the Supreme Court to intervene.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Harrisburg's cheer team and Brandon Valley's dance squad captured overall Class AA titles on Saturday during the final day of the 2022 South Dakota State Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships in the Watertown Civic Arena.

Harrisburg won its first competitive cheer title with a score of 290. Defending champion Sioux Falls O'Gorman finished second for the third time in four years with a score of 288, followed by Sioux Falls Jefferson (286), Brandon Valley (272), Brookings (268) and Watertown (261).

The competitive dance division again came down to Brandon Valley and Sioux Falls Washington. Brandon Valley repeated as the champion by edging Sioux Falls Washington 298.0-297.5. The two schools have finished first or second every year since 2015. Washington won six-straight titles from 2015-2020 and Brandon Valley has won the past two years.

Harrisburg was third (288.25), followed by Yankton (285.5), Sioux Falls O'Gorman (284.5) and Aberdeen Central (265.25).

With its cheer squad looking on, Brandon Valley High School's dance team performs its pom routine during the Class AA portion of the South Dakota State Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 in the Watertown Civic Arena. The Lynx won the pom division and repeated as the overall state dance champions.

Eighteen teams competed in each division.

CLASS AA COMPETITIVE CHEER

Grand Champion: 1. Harrisburg, 290.0; 2. Sioux Falls O'Gorman, 288.0; 3. Sioux Falls Jefferson, 286.0; 4. Brandon Valley, 272.0; 5. Brookings, 268.0; 6. Watertown, 261.0; 7. Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 248.0; 8. Sioux Falls Washington, 242.5; 9. Rapid City Stevens, 238.5; 10. Mitchell, 225.5; 11. Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 215.5; 12. Rapid City Central, 203.5; 13. Douglas, 200.5; 14. Pierre T.F. Riggs , 200.0; 15. Yankton, 197.5; 16. Huron, 195.5; 17. Aberdeen Central, 193.0; 18. Sturgis Brown, 174.0.

A Sioux Falls O'Gorman cheerleader holds up a sign during the Class AA portion of the South Dakota State Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 in the Watertown Civic Arena. O'Gorman finished second in cheer.

CLASS AA COMPETITIVE DANCE

Grand Champion: 1. Brandon Valley, 298.0; 2. Sioux Falls Washington, 297.5; 3. Harrisburg, 288.25; 4. Yankton, 285.5; 5. Sioux Falls O'Gorman, 284.5; 6. Aberdeen Central, 265.25; 7. Pierre T.F. Riggs, 264.0; 8. Sioux Falls Lincoln, 261.25; 9. Mitchell, 257.0; 10. Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 256.75; 11. Rapid City Central, 254.25; 12. Rapid City Stevens, 246.5; 13. Huron, 246.0; 14. Watertown, 246.0; 15. Spearfish, 243.5; 16. Brookings, 227.75; 17. Douglas-St. Thomas More, 212.5; 18. Sturgis Brown, 203.25.

Story continues

Hip Hop: 1. Sioux Falls Washington, 298.0; 2. Harrisburg, 296.0; 3. Sioux Falls O'Gorman, 286.5; 4. Sioux Falls Lincoln, 274.0; 5. Aberdeen Central, 273.0; 6. Mitchell, 266.5; 7. Pierre T.F. Riggs, 265.0; 8. Rapid City Central, 262.5; 9. Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 250.0; 10. Rapid City Stevens, 244.0; 11. Huron, 236.0; 12. Watertown, 231.5; 13. Brookings, 223.5; 14. Sturgis Brown, 201.5.

Watertown's dance team is pictured performing its hip hop routine during the Class AA portion of the South Dakota State Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 in the Civic Arena.

Jazz: 1. Brandon Valley, 298.5; 2. Sioux Falls Washington, 297.0; 3. Yankton, 284.5; 4. Harrisburg, 280.5; 5. Aberdeen Central, 257.5; 6. Huron, 256.0; 7. Rapid City Stevens, 249.0; 8. Sioux Falls Lincoln, 248.5; 9. Mitchell, 247.5; 10. Spearfish, 240.0; 11. Sturgis Brown, 205.0; 12. Douglas-St. Thomas More, 201.5.

Pom: 1. Brandon Valley, 297.5; 2. Yankton, 286.5; 3. Sioux Falls O'Gorman, 282.5; 4. Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 263.5; 5. Pierre T.F. Riggs, 263.0; 6. Watertown, 260.5; 7. Spearfish, 247.0; 8. Rapid City Central, 246.0; 9. Brookings, 232.0; 10. Douglas-St. Thomas More, 223.5.

Members of Sioux Falls Washington's dance team perform their hip hop routine during the Class AA portion of the South Dakota State Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 in the Watertown Civic Arena. Washington won the hip hop division and finished second in the overall standings.

CLASS A (FRIDAY)

State championship streaks continued Friday night for Sioux Valley's competitive cheer and Dakota Valley's competitive dance teams.

Sioux Valley won the cheer division for the 16th-straight year with a score of 279.0. Dell Rapids St. Mary was second at 2205. Dakota Valley won the dance division for the 13th-straight year with an overall score of 297.25, followed by Beresford at 282.75.

There were 21 cheer and eight dance teams that competed.

Sioux Valley High School's competitive cheer team won its 16th consecutive state title during the State Class A Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022 in the Watertown Civic Arena.

CLASS A COMPETITIVE CHEER

Grand Champion: 1. Sioux Valley, 279.0; 2. Dell Rapids St. Mary, 220.5; 3. Parkston, 217.5; 4. Platte-Geddes/Andes Central/Dakota Christian 217.0; 5. Winner Area, 215.5; 6. Dakota Valley, 210.0; 7. (Tie) St. Thomas More and Tea Area, 209.0; 9. Bon Homme, 206.5; 10. Dell Rapids, 203.0; 11. Belle Fourche, 199.5; 12. Wolsey-Wessington, 199.0; 13. Faulkton Area, 198.5; 14. Elkton-Lake Benton 196.0; 15. Deubrook Area, 192.5; 16. Gregory, 192.0; 17. Iroquois-Lake Preston, 181.0; 18. Custer, 176.5; 19. Wagner, 167.0; 20. Hot Springs, 159.5; 21. Lyman, 139.5.

Large Squad: 1. Sioux Valley, 279.0; 2. Dell Rapids St. Mary, 220.5; 3. Parkston, 217.5; 4. Platte-Geddes/Andes Central/Dakota Christian 217.0; 5. Winner Area, 215.5; 6. Tea Area, 209.0; 7. Elkton-Lake Benton 196.0; 8. Iroquois-Lake Preston, 181.0..

Small Squad: 1. Dakota Valley, 210.0; 2. St. Thomas More, 209.0; 3. Bon Homme, 206.5; 4. Dell Rapids, 203.0; 5. Belle Fourche, 199.5; 6. Wolsey-Wessington, 199.0; 7. Faulkton Area, 198.5; 8. Deubrook Area, 192.5; 9. Gregory, 192.0; 10. Custer, 176.5; 11. Wagner, 167.0; 12. Hot Springs, 159.5; 13. Lyman, 139.5.

Dakota Valley High School's competitive dance team won its won its 13th consecutive state title during the State Class A Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022 in the Watertown Civic Arena.

CLASS A COMPETITIVE DANCE

Grand Champion: 1. Dakota Valley, 297.25; 2. Beresford, 282.75; 3. Tea Area, 261.25; 4. Platte-Geddes/Andes Central/Dakota Christian, 260.75; 5. Winner Area, 254.25; 6. Gregory, 227.25; 7. Belle Fourche, 200.0; 8. Lakota Tech, 180.0.

Hip Hop: 1. Beresford, 284.0; 2. Tea Area, 264.5; 3. Winner Area, 250.5; 4. Gregory, 239.5; 5. Belle Fourche, 196.0; 6. Lakota Tech, 176.5.

Jazz: 1. Dakota Valley, 298.5; 2. Platte-Geddes/Andes Central/Dakota Christian, 258.5; 3. Lakota Tech, 183.5.

Pom: 1. Dakota Valley, 296.0; 2. Beresford, 281.5; 3. Platte-Geddes/Andes Central/Dakota Christian, 263.0; 4. (Tie) Tea Area and Winner Area, 258.0; 6. Gregory, 215.0; 7. Belle Fourche, 204.0.

Watertown High School's cheer squad competes in the Class AA portion of the South Dakota State Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 in the Civic Arena. The Arrows placed sixth out of 18 teams.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Class AA teams competed Saturday, A teams Friday in the Civic Arena.
Native American Sacheen Littlefeather speaks at the 45th Academy Awards. On behalf of Marlon Brando, she refused the Best Actor award he was awarded for his role in Godfather. Brando refused the award because of the treatment by the Americans of the American Indian. Getty Images

Sacheen Littlefeather's sisters told The San Fransisco Chronicle that she wasn't really Native American.

Littlefeather refused an Academy Award on behalf of Marlon Brandon for his role in "The Godfather" in 1973.

Littlefeather's sister, Trudy Orlandi told The Chronicle that Littlefeather "lived in a fantasy."

The sisters of Sacheen Littlefeather, an actor and activist who refused an Academy Award on behalf of Marlon Brando in 1973, claimed that she wasn't actually Native American.

"The best way that I could think of summing up my sister is that she created a fantasy," her younger sister Trudy Orlandi, told the San Fransisco Chronicle. "She lived in a fantasy, and she died in a fantasy."

In an opinion column published Saturday by the San Fransisco Chronicle, writer Jacqueline Keeler interviewed Littlefeather's sisters, Rosalind Cruz and Trudy Orlandi, who claimed that Littlefeather is not actually Native American.

"It's a lie," Orlandi told The Chronicle. "My father was who he was. His family came from Mexico. And my dad was born in Oxnard."

"It is a fraud," Cruz said, according to The Chronicle. "It's disgusting to the heritage of the tribal people. And it's just  insulting to my parents."

Littlefeather, who died on October 2 at the age of 75, famously wore a buckskin dress when she refused the Academy Award for Best Actor on behalf of Brando for his starring role in "The Godfather."

Littlefeather, whose birth name is Marie Louise Cruz, gave a 60-second speech refusing the award on Brando's behalf and decrying the treatment of Native Americans in Hollywood, which resulted in a mix of boos and cheers from the audience.

"[Brando] very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award," Littlefeather said in the speech. "And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee."

Littlefeather later said that John Wayne had to be restrained from storming onto the stage to attack her during her speech, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Story continues

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences penned an apology to Littlefeather, which was made public this past August, saying that "the abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified."

It added, "The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged."

In response to the apology from the Academy, Littlefeather released a statement that said "Regarding the Academy's apology to me, we Indians are very patient peopleit's only been 50 years!"

According to The Chronicle, Orlandi and Cruz both said that their family has no known Native American ancestry and said their family identified as "Spanish" on their father's side.

White Mountain Apache tribal officials told The Chronicle that they found no record of either Littlefeather or her family members ever being enrolled in the White Mountain Apache.

A representative for the White Mountain Apache did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Saturday.

Littlefeather's sisters also told The Chronicle that her claims of growing up in violence and poverty were not true. Both sisters said their central motivation in coming forward was to repair the image of their father, who Littlefeather had painted as a violent alcoholic.

"My father was deaf and he had lost his hearing at 9 years old through meningitis," Cruz told The Chronicle. "He was born into poverty. His father, George Cruz, was an alcoholic who was violent and used to beat him. And he was passed to foster homes and family. But my sister Sacheen took what happened to him."

Cruz and Orlando both told The Chronicle that they learned of Littlefeather's death through the internet and neither was invited to their funeral.

Read the original article on Insider
SpaceX was fined just over $18,000 following an accident at its facility in Hawthorne, California.

A technician suffered a fractured skull during a rocket test in January, sources told Insider.

Elon Musk's firm was charged with two violations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

SpaceX was fined more than $18,000 following an incident that left one of Elon Musk's workers in a coma for months.

An integration engineer suffered a head injury on January 18 while testing a rocket part at SpaceX's facility in Hawthorne, California, according to people familiar with the matter and a regulator's report.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said in an accident investigation summary that it fined SpaceX $18,475 for two safety violations following the incident, which was first reported by Semafor.

The first violation was over the company's accident prevention program, while the second was over servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels used on large vehicles, the OSHA summary said. The latter was classed as the most serious penalty with the highest gravity of 10, per the summary.

The engineer was Francisco Cabada, a father of three from Los Angeles, former SpaceX intern Julia CrowleyFarenga told Insider.

In the investigation summary, OSHA said he was performing checks on a Raptor V2 engine in January when he "suffered a skull fracture and head trauma and was hospitalized in a coma for months."

While Cabada was conducting the test, a valve reached maximum pressure and blew off a plate that hit him and knocked him to the ground, CrowleyFarenga told Insider. Two other people familiar with the matter, who requested to remain anonymous, confirmed details of the incident to Insider.

Cabada's family set up a GoFundMe page for support, calling him the "primary breadwinner" and his sister posted a TikTok video on March 16 about how much the family missed him.

SpaceX didn't respond to Insider's request for comment.

Are you a SpaceX employee? Get in touch from a personal email address with either Kate Duffy: kduffy@insider.com or Sam Tabahriti: stabahriti@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
Kaytee Tyler, president of the National Organization for Women Campus Action Network at North Central College, encourages about 200 supporters gathered in Naperville Friday to go to the polls to keep abortion legal in Illinois during a Rally for Abortion Rights. (Diane Moca / Naperville Sun)

Fear, frustration and urgency were among the strong feelings expressed Friday by organizers and about 200 supporters at a Rally for Abortion Rights on the campus of Napervilles North Central College.

Were one state Supreme Court seat away from having abortion taken away here in Illinois, attorney Jennifer Franklin of Naperville said.

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People think were in this sanctuary. It all depends on who is in power. We have our state Supreme Court election this fall. Two judges seats are open. If either one goes to a Republican candidate, it will become majority Republican and they can actually (rule) that abortion would be illegal in our state.

Pro-choice supporters gathered Friday in the grassy area in front of Wentz Science Center on the Naperville's North Central College campus applaud during a rally featuring speeches from high school and college students worried that abortion could be criminalized if anti-abortion candidates win in the November election. (Diane Moca / Naperville Sun)

A series of high school and college students also took the stage to share their dismay at the U.S. Supreme Courts controversial ruling in June that overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision and opened the door for 13 states (to date) to criminalize abortion.

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That sends a message  that (women) are not supported in their right to health care. That sends a message of hate, North Central sophomore Libby Gardner told the crowd. To the people who condemn abortions  I say, dont get one. You dont have to love abortion. But you do have to care for and respect those who make the choice that is best for them.

It is vital that we create a caring and educated community here. It is vital that we create safe havens (where) everyone here feels supported when they have to make those tough decisions, she said.

While pro-life advocates applauded the Supreme Court vote in June because they say abortion is taking a human life, pro-choice supporters were appalled at the decision because they say women should have a right to make health care choices that affect their own body.

Marcy Troy, from left, Janyce Hamilton and Barb Higgs pose for a friend snapping a photo Friday at a Rally for Abortion Rights held in front of the Wentz Science Center on Naperville's North Central College campus. (Diane Moca / Naperville Sun)

Im not old enough to join the army. Im not old enough to get married. Im not old enough to get my own nose pierced without my parents approval, Naperville North High School student Bella Ferak said. There is one thing I am old enough to do, though. In some states, if I get pregnant, I will be forced to carry a pregnancy to term.

It wouldnt matter if I was raped because although I am not mature enough to buy my own lottery ticket, I am apparently mature enough to endure a pregnancy I never asked for. To be frank with all of you, that disgusts me. The thought of the rights to my own teenage body being placed in the governments hands makes me feel a type of infuriation Ive never felt before.

Before the speeches, Kaytee Tyler led the group in a half-mile march along Washington Street and Jefferson Avenue punctuated by frequent honking from drivers passing by and a series of chants she shouted through a megaphone, like keep your rosaries off my ovaries, which marchers echoed back.

Tyler is president of the National Organization for Women Campus Action Network, a chapter she helped start at North Central College in spring 2022 when a leaked draft revealed the Supreme Courts intention.

After marching from downtown Naperville, Nancy Leary arrives Friday at the North Central College campus for a pro-choice rally. She holds a sign referencing the back alley abortions that occurred before the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that established a constitutional right to abortion, which was overturned in June. (Diane Moca / Naperville Sun)

When Metea Valley High School student Amna Farooqi stepped on stage, she compared the U.S. Supreme Court to Irans morality police, recently in the spotlight over a case that has sparked mass protests.

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Mahsa Amini was brutally murdered by the morality police in Iran after she was asked to properly wear her head scarf and did not comply, Farooqi said.

America likes to make an extreme distinction between themselves as a country for its freedoms and liberties, especially compared to eastern and Muslim countries. But there is no difference between what happened to Mahsa Amini and what happened over the summer through the Supreme Courts decision. In both situations, the government decided to take away the liberties of its people to have autonomy over their own bodies.

The student-led event was sponsored by the Naperville Allies: League of Women Voters of Naperville, Illinois NOW, AAUW Naperville and the National Council of Jewish Women Chicago North Shore, represented on stage by its director of advocacy Shoshana Frank.

About 200 pro-choice supporters marched Friday through the streets of downtown Naperville and gathered in front of Wentz Science Center on the North Central College campus for an abortion rights rally. (Diane Moca / Naperville Sun)

Take your energy to the ballot box and show what you believe, Frank said to the crowd.

My generation fought this long ago, and now its your turn to protect it, Dianne McGuire, of Indivisible Naperville, told Tyler after the one-hour march and rally.

Its empowering. Im impressed with all these young people, National Council of Jewish Women member Liza Papautsky, of Willowbrook, said. She brought her 8-year-old daughter to show her its important that women are making our voice heard. ... On the day Roe was overturned we went to a rally. She put on her sign, My Body My Choice. Its intuitive to a young person.

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Young and old in the crowd applauded after Tyler declared from the stage: Abortion is on the ballot in four different states in these midterm elections. This is why now more than ever we must keep the right to choose at the forefront of our minds as we take to the polls.

Ferak shared the frustration of high school students not yet old enough to vote.

Chances are, theres a high school girl just like me right next to you. She needs your help, Ferak told supporters. She is watching her rights slip away before shes even had the chance to vote for them. When you arrive at the ballot on Nov. 8, think of her. Its infuriating to have to be silent.

Diane Moca is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Oct. 21SCRANTON  About 100 local high school and college students Thursday learned about the work the United Nations does to support peace, dignity, equality and a healthy planet.

The students participated in the annual United Nations Day program at St. Mary's Center sponsored by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the United Nations Association and led by Elizabeth Bonczar.

Keynote speaker Michael Fairbanks, an international development specialist and University of Scranton alumnus who worked in several countries devastated by war and genocide, urged students to work to become strong leaders driven by a moral purpose.

"A great leader focuses everyone on the crisis at hand ... imports the knowledge that the community needs ... (and) defines the moral purpose that's going to get us out of a problem," he told participants, which also included numerous community leaders.

Fairbanks also encouraged students to take risks and not be afraid of failure.

"Jump in over your head," he said. "You just have to get comfortable with failure. It is the fastest way to learn."

Following the speech, students from Penn State, Scranton Preparatory School, West Scranton High School and the Lakeland, Mid Valley and Dunmore school districts broke out into workshops that focused on global development and civic engagement.

Students also learned about how to apply for funding from the Global Development Project Fund, which provides money for teachers and community-based youth organizations to conduct service learning projects that are connected to a global mission.

The NEPA Chapter of the United Nations Association has raised $41,800 so far and hopes to raise $100,000, said Joe Riccardo, the organization's secretary.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137; @tmbeseckerTT on Twitter.
A Sumter rapper known as Lil Quan the CEO was sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, the U.S. Attorneys Office for South Carolina announced.

The rapper, whose legal name is Daquan Tyreek Funchess-Johnson, was arrested following a concert in Sumter in 2019. At the time, he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to his prior felony convictions.

U.S. District Judge Donald Coggins noted that it wasnt Funchess-Johnsons first rodeo when he sentenced the rapper to 72 months imprisonment followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office. Funchess-Johnson had already been convicted twice in state court of unlawfully carrying of a firearm.

Funchess-Johnson, 26, was arrested during a multi-agency effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Sumter Police Department to crack down on gang violence in Sumter.

In a criminal complaint, investigators say that they were investigating gang-related shootings in Sumter County, which were believed to have been connected to an on going dispute between music artists and street gangs in the Sumter metropolitan area.

Funchess-Johnson was found to be playing at a Trapaholics event at the S&B Lounge in Sumter, according the complaint. Officers decided to surveil the rapper after learning that the validated Gangster Disciple street gang member had open warrants from Orangeburg County and was known to be armed, according to the complaint.

After detaining Funchess-Johnson outside of a Sunoco gas station, officers say that they searched his 2019 Dodge Challenger and recovered a .45 caliber Ruger pistol inside the rappers jacket.

The firearm, which was reported stolen from a gun store in September 2017, was also linked to shell casings recovered from two separate shooting incidents in Sumter in July 2019.

Story continues

Funchess-Johnson agreed to forfeit the gun as part of his plea deal. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the ATF and the Sumter Police Department.

Funchess-Johnson has prior state convictions for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of cocaine, cruelty to children, unlawful carrying of a weapon and providing false information to police.

A trap rapper, some of Funchess-Johnsons songs include U-Haul and Add Up. He was represented in court by his attorney state Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland.

Shootings continue to be a problem in Sumter county. A recent spree of 11 drive-by shootings are thought to be connected to three men who were arrested in September.
Danny A. Cox. Courtesy of Breeze

Danny A. Cox's job is to make sure flights leave on time and guest issues are addressed at Breeze.

He says the best way to avoid lost baggage is to arrive early and not pack bulky items like coats.

He's seen AirTags or Tiles come in handy for customers who lost their bags.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Danny A. Cox, the vice president of guest experience at low-cost startup airline Breeze Airways. It has been edited for length and clarity.

As the vice president of guest experience at Breeze Airways, my day-to-day work involves concerns with the contact centers and airport operations and bouncing between strategy and tactical problems.

When the day begins, I focus on STAR flights, which stand for "Start the Airline Right." The term refers to early morning flights that can cause cascading delays if postponements occur. Early in the morning, I check the first seven or eight aircraft to see if they left on time, then I switch my attention to turn flights, which get to a location and have to quickly turn around or continue on. On the airport side, I have to check that aircraft can fly out the next morning on time.

A Breeze plane. Courtesy of Breeze

For the contact centers, I work with attendants to ensure that guests get answers when delays or disruptions occur. For efficiency's sake, I try to get the guest as quick an answer as possible, so I source responses from teams and update our website. But for long-term improvements, I work with our technology team to ensure that the concern of one guest doesn't repeat itself.

One of the biggest misunderstandings I hear is that airlines lose bags on purpose. Seriously, an airline doesn't want to lose your baggage, and even though you may be more inconvenienced than the airline, it's too costly for us to deal with lost baggage. You're sharing the pain with the airline.

Here's my best advice for handling a lost bag and making sure you never have to worry about lost baggage again when flying.

Wear your coat

Individuals often end up putting coats in a suitcase and bringing more cases than they really need. That leads to a higher volume at the airport, which leads to more chances of disruption or separation from the bags. Keep coats on you so you can travel as lightly as possible  you can always shove it above your suitcase in an overhead compartment.

Story continues

Arrive early and tag your bag

If you're going to check a bag, arrive at the airport earlier than you'd expect and ensure that your bag gets properly tagged and received by the airline in plenty of time.

On your tag, write your full name, email address, and phone number. You don't need to write your home address for privacy reasons, but if you want to help the airline identify your luggage faster, write the address of your destination or your work address.

A lot of separations from bags route back to this type of scenario: A person cuts it close to the departure time and begs an attendant to take in a checked bag. Then the airline doesn't scan it in time for TSA or the baggage handler to take the luggage to the airplane, and it gets lost.

Buy an AirTag or Tile tracker

The number one tip I have for traveling  and something that I've done for years  is buy an Apple AirTag or Tile device. For the last five years, I've traveled with an AirTag, even on my carry-on, because then I have more confidence when the airline asks me to gate-check my bag.

We separated 30 passengers from their bags this summer because Las Vegas recorded high temperatures, which reduced the weight of baggage allowed in our airplanes. We benefited from many passengers who had AirTags.

Occasionally, some of our smaller stations have smaller operations, and a bag gets grabbed by another airline and loaded onto the wrong aircraft. Once, a passenger's bag was sent to a city that we didn't serve, and the person may have lost the bag had they not checked their AirTag. The passenger saw the tagged location in Miami, and we quickly worked with other airlines to find a bag that fit the description. We may have solved the case without the tag, but it saved us time.

What to do when you've lost your bag

Nobody wants you to be separated from your bag, but when it happens, take a couple of deep breaths and find an airline employee to fill out a displaced baggage claim. Don't leave the airport without a claim number.

Typically, your lost luggage is in the baggage-claim area. Maybe someone else saw your bag, thought it looked like theirs, and took it by accident. Maybe your bag was left at your departing or arrival airport in the claim section.

If it's not in baggage claim, the ticket counter is the second best area to go. Those people are going to be airport employees or business partners of the airline involved with how a bag gets tagged on its way out and how it gets claimed.

Handle your baggage challenges within an hour of the event. Once a guest leaves the airport, the airline has a hard time verifying the claim that needs to be filed.

At the very least, ask your airline for minimal compensation to buy essentials like contact-lens solution or a toothbrush. Depending on guest satisfaction goals set by companies, some airlines may offer vouchers and points for the inconvenience.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The suspect who was booked Thursday in the shooting death of Central District business owner DVonne Pickett, Jr. made his first appearance in court Friday, the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office announced.

Prosecutors argued that 31-year-old Ashton Christopher Leffall was incredibly dangerous and should be held without bail.

The judge ordered Leffall to be held without bail and found probable cause for first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Police are also investigating Leffall for several other shootings.

Officers responded to the 1100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving reports of shots fired.

911 callers reported seeing a man who had been shot and a possible gunman fleeing the scene.

Arriving officers found a man, later identified as Pickett, a prominent Central District business owner, with multiple gunshot wounds and began providing first aid to him until Seattle Fire Department medics arrived at the scene.

Pickett was transported in critical condition to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died. Pickett leaves behind a mom, three sisters, a wife, three kids and friends and family in the community.

Scroll down to continue reading

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According to court documents, witnesses on the scene of the shooting said the suspect appeared to be a Black male, around 5 feet, 11 inches tall with a heavy build, and wearing a hooded sweatshirt and dark shorts.

Picketts wife was asked about anyone who may have wanted to harm him, and she identified Leffall as someone who had repeatedly threatened Pickett and his family members, including her.

Picketts wife identified a Seattle Police Department report in which her husband had documented previous harassment by Leffall, a former childhood friend of Pickett.

Seattle police also learned that Leffall had been identified as a suspect in multiple shootings between Oct. 17 and 18 and was associated with a gray 1997 Acura TL with Washington license plate BWK1321. Those shootings are still under investigation by SPD.
Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky

Read also: Israel calls for military aid for Ukraine amid Iranian involvement in war

"Of course, defense exports include missile defense systems weapons, which are subject to certain rules, Brodsky said. But above all, negotiations on defense cooperation are not conducted through the media, in public. Therefore, I believe any discussion (about Israel providing or not providing weapons) only harms the cause.

According to the ambassador, such contacts should be carried out secretly, through special channels.

In my opinion, it would be counterproductive to attract and to use public opinion on this matter, if you want to get the results.

Addressing journalist Dmytro Tuzov's comment about the publicity of arms transfers from the United States to Ukraine, Brodsky said that the situation with Israel was different.

We are not in NATO. Please note the largest providers of military assistance to Ukraine are the members of NATO. Israel fights alone against the neighboring countries. Israel is trying to fight terror on its own.

Read also: Israel providing Ukraine with intelligence about Iranian drones  media

The current situation isn't calm in the Middle East, according to the ambassador.

Conditions are very explosive here. If you look at what is happening around, you see Israel is still in danger. ... That is why Israel won't do anything that could harm the security situation in the country or that could even lead to war, deaths of civilians and Israeli soldiers in the long run. No Israeli government would do that.

On Oct. 21 Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed Russian-Iranian arms ties in context of the war in Ukraine. Later, Lapid made on mention of the Ukrainian request for air defense systems.

In reply to the official request from Ukraine for the Iron Dome air defense system, Lapid said it would not be in his country's defense interests.

Kuleba submitted an official request to Israel to obtain the Iron Dome and other advanced weapons on Oct. 18.

Story continues

Read also: NATO to prioritize bolstering Ukraines air defenses, Stoltenberg says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Oct. 17 that Israel has not given Ukraine any weapons at all.

According to U.S. newspaper the Washington Post, referring to U.S. officials, Iran secretly agreed to send not only attack drones but also Iranian-made surface-to-surface missiles to be used in Ukraine.

Later, Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai said he thought Israel should begin supplying military aid to Ukraine.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A 17-year-old male is being charged with vehicular homicide in an accident that occurred on Oct. 9 on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Columbus, according to the Columbus Police Department.

The teens name was not released.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan confirmed thatthe accident victim, Jennifer Durham, 64, died at 6 a.m. on Oct. 19 while in the hospital.

The juvenile is also facing charges for the following, according to court documents:
The Republican National Committee is suing Google. According to Axios (via The Verge), the organization filed a lawsuit with Californias Eastern District Court on Friday. The complaint accuses Google of sending millions of RNC campaign emails to Gmail spam folders in an extension of the companys discriminatory filtering practices.

At approximately the same time at the end of each month, Google sends to spam nearly all of the RNCs emails, the complaint claims. Critically, and suspiciously, this end of the month period is historically when the RNCs fundraising is most successful.

The lawsuit comes after Google launched a controversial program to appease GOP lawmakers concerned about its filtering practices. In June, after a study found that Gmail was more likely than competing email clients to filter emails from Republican campaigns, the company said it would work with the Federal Election Commission to pilot a system designed to prevent political messages from ending up in spam folders. The concession came after Republican lawmakers introduced a bill that sought to ban email platforms from using algorithms to route campaign messages automatically.

According to a recent report from The Verge , the Republican National Committee is not taking advantage of the program Google built to address the partys concerns. The organizations complaint doesnt explicitly mention the pilot. Instead, it points to a training session the RNC attended on August 11th, the same day the FEC approved Googles program.

This discrimination has been ongoing for about ten months  despite the RNCs best efforts to work with Google, the organization claims. Google did not immediately respond to Engadgets request for comment. As we have repeatedly said, we simply don't filter emails based on political affiliation," the company told Axios, adding that Gmails spam filters reflect user actions.
STANISLAV POHORILOV  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 12:09

Ukrenergo, the national energy regulator has reported that the extent of damage caused to energy facilities on 22 October may exceed that caused by the strikes on 10-11 October.

Source: press service of Ukrenergo

Quote: "Today, 22 October, the Ruscists carried out another missile attack on the energy facilities of the main power networks in western oblasts of Ukraine. The extent of the damage is comparable to or may exceed the consequences of the attack on 10-12 October."

Details: Ukrenergo reported that the repair crews would begin the restoration work as soon as the State Emergency Service finished eliminating the consequences of missile strikes.

Ukrenergo also said that they were forced to apply power cuts in the city of Kyiv, and in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kirovohrad oblasts.

Previously: According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, from 10 to 20 October, more than 400 targets in 16 oblasts of Ukraine were damaged as a result of attacks by Russian occupiers.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. Mary Altaffer/AP

Donald Trump is claiming several documents from his time in the White House are his personal property.

The DOJ filed a letter refuting his claims and saying the records belong at the National Archives.

The FBI seized thousands of documents during an August raid at Trump's Mar-a-Lago.

Former President Donald Trump and the Justice Department are already at odds over the first batch of government-seized White House documents set to undergo early review by a special master  and there are still thousands of records let to be examined.

The DOJ outlined the dispute in a Thursday night letter to Judge Raymond J. Dearie, who has been tasked with overseeing a review of the more than 13,000 documents seized by the FBI during an August raid at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.

According to the letter, Trump is claiming that nine of the 15 documents included in the first batch to be reviewed are his personal property and should be returned to him. The government, however, disagrees and scoffed at Trump's suggestion that the records from his time in the White House are protected by executive privilege, saying the official documents should be deposited to the National Archives.

The conflict likely signals further legal battles to come over the thousands of records yet to be reviewed in the DOJ's probe into whether Trump mishandled official White House records following his departure from office.

Among the disputed documents in the initial bunch are materials related to six clemency requests from Trump's time in office, according to the DOJ letter, which said the records include "supporting materials and relate to the president's 'power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States.'"

It was not clear who made the clemency requests in question.

Trump also contested control of two documents related to his administration's immigration iniatives, as well as an email he received while in office from someone at a military academy, the letter said.

Story continues

The Justice Department cited the Presidential Records Act, which classifies all materials created or obtained while a president is in office as government property and destined for the National Archives at the conclusion of his term.

Federal lawyers also rebuked Trump's allegation that the FBI took his personal records during the court-approved search earlier this year.

"Personal records that are not government property are seized every day for use in criminal investigations. And the fact that more than 100 documents bearing classification markings were commingled with unclassified and even personal records is important evidence in the government's investigation in this case," the letter said.

The Justice Department's Thursday letter comes one week after the Supreme Court rejected Trump's request to intervene in the ongoing dispute, dealing a major blow to the former president's efforts to slow the investigation.

Read the original article on Business Insider
As October comes to a close I think we, as a community, should take a moment to reflect on the fact that this month is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. While domestic violence and intimate partner abuse is something we should be aware of every month, October is a chance to bring attention to something that affects every single part of Indiana and our nation.

As your prosecutor here in Porter County, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the nature of domestic violence and give the residents of our community some helpful tips on how we can all do our part to combat it.

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In Indiana, more than 42% of women and 27% of men experience some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This violence can take the form of physical, verbal, sexual, or psychological abuse including stalking, harassment or intimidation. Sadly, things have only gotten worse over the past few years, due in part to the COVID pandemic.

Too often domestic violence goes unreported for a wide variety of reasons. Many survivors feel trapped, have nowhere else to go or think no one will believe them. They may have reported in the past with no meaningful results. When there are children and/or pets for the survivor to think of, too, a survivors reasons for staying in an abusive relationship can be all the more complicated.

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But there are ways to help. Make sure to safely check in on your friends, family, neighbors and acquaintances and understand the signs of potential abuse. Some are easier to identify that others, such as: bruises, black eyes or unexplained injuries. Other signs of physically or emotionally abusive and controlling relationships can be more difficult to spot. These may include: abrupt personality changes, loss of self-esteem, constantly checking in with their partner for approval, frequently changing plans and not visiting family or friends, and more.

If you think someone you know may be suffering from abuse, dont be silent. Talk to the person you are worried about and share your concerns. Listen to them and let them know that you care and are available to help. Continue to check in on them and dont be afraid to alert the authorities and direct them to available resources. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24/7 and can be reached at 800-799-7233. In Porter County we are blessed to have The Caring Place as a resource for victims. All of our law enforcement are also trained to respond appropriately to help those impacted by domestic violence.

Recently, Indiana passed a bill that will help domestic violence survivors who might be testifying against their abuser. It adds a possible charge of obstruction of justice against anyone who tells a witness to lie or not show up to a court proceeding. Many survivors are bullied into not cooperating by their abuser or the abusers family members. This new law should help address that behavior and further protect survivors.

I want you to know that our office takes these kinds of cases very seriously and will do our best to ensure Porter County is not a place where domestic abusers can avoid detection and prosecution. It is up to all of us to do our part to address this extremely important issue in our community.

Gary Germann is the Porter County Prosecutor.
Details about Irans missile program and American intelligence work aimed at China were among the most highly sensitive information Donald Trump had stashed at his Mar-a-Lago compound, The Washington Post reported Friday.

Had the intelligence been shared with or acquired by other people it could have laid bare U.S. intelligence-gathering methods. The identities of American spies could have been exposed and their lives endangered, and U.S. intelligence-gathering systems compromised.

Yet the sensitive information was stored in a resort that drew hundreds of unscreened members and guests to parties, fundraisers and wedding receptions at a facility maintained by unscreened groundskeepers and cleaners. One of the storage areas for documents Trump took to Mar-a-Lago from the White House was reportedly easily accessible near a pool open to all members.

At least one document seized by the FBI in August describes Irans missile program, sources told the Post. Other documents reportedly described highly sensitive intelligence work involving China.

The exceptional sensitivity of these documents, and the reckless exposure of invaluable sources and methods of U.S. intelligence capabilities concerning these foreign adversaries, will certainly influence the Justice Departments determination of whether to charge Mr. Trump or others with willful retention of national defense information under the Espionage Act, David Laufman, a former senior official of the Justice Department, told the Post.

Mar-a-Lago has been considered a spy magnet by intelligence experts  both during and after Trumps term as president.

Any competent foreign intelligence service, whether those belonging to China, those belonging to Iran, to Cuba, certainly including Russia are ... and were interested in gaining access to Mar-a-Lago, Peter Strzok, former deputy assistant director of counterintelligence at the FBI, said in a recent MSNBC interview.

But the situation is especially concerning because of information in the wake of the FBI confiscation of boxes of documents  including classified and top secret information  at Trumps club about the absolute lack of any control or memorialization of who gets access to Mar-a-Lago at any given time, Strzok pointed out.

Story continues

A sworn affidavit supporting the FBI search indicated that classified documents were strewn all over the facility, said Strzok.

Check out the full Washington Post story here.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
In this image from video, Eric Herschmann, an attorney for President Donald Trump, answers a question during the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. Senate Television via AP

Eric Herschmann, a former White House lawyer, was concerned about a sworn statement Trump ultimately signed.

An email obtained by Axios shows the lawyer warned against signing off false claims of voter fraud.

Herschmann once asked the architect of the election scheme if he was "out of his effing mind."

A former Trump White House lawyer said that he was "concerned" about Donald Trump signing a sworn statement confirming false allegations of voter fraud in support of a complaint, an email obtained by Axios showed.

The message concerned a lawsuit Trump and his legal team were preparing to file against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the state's secretary of state Brad Raffensperger around December 2020. The complaint was an attempt to de-certify the state's presidential election result.

On December 30, 2020, Cleta Mitchell, an attorney and former Trump advisor who helped coordinate the election scheme, sent a near-final draft of the lawsuit to then-White House lawyer Eric Herschmann, Axios reported. She would send another draft of the suit the next day, saying that it was a "version from John Eastman," the apparent mastermind of the plot to overturn the state's results, and included Herschmann's "edits."

Herschmann then responded on December 31, 2020: "I will review now. I didn't send John edits, I explained that I was concerned about the President signing a verification about facts that may not be sustainable upon detailed scrutiny."

"I think that we should limit specific factual 'number' allegations to those that are necessary i.e., those allegations that demonstrate that the decision is outcome determinative," Herschmann wrote. The email also cc'd Molly Michael, Trump's assistant, and former chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Herschmann did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. In a statement to Axios Herschmann said, "I am not discussing my conversations with the president or the surrounding circumstances."

Herschmann had previously said he expressed doubts about plans to subvert the 2020 vote.

Story continues

In his deposition with the January 6 committee, Herschmann recalled dismissing Eastman's plans to decertify the election.

"I said to him, 'are you out of your effing mind,'" he recalled telling Eastman. "'I only want to hear two words coming out of your mouth for now on: orderly transition.'"

The revelation of the email comes two days after a federal judge ordered Eastman to release more correspondence to the January 6 committee for review. It's unclear if the email from Herschmann is one of those messages.

Eastman has been locked in a few legal battles attempting to fend off subpoenas for phone records and emails from the committee.

Eastman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Wednesday, US District Court Judge David Carter ruled that Eastman should hand over a set of emails dated between November 3, 2020, and January 20, 2021. Along with the ruling, Carter claims that some of the correspondence reveals that Trump knew "specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and to the public."

"The Court finds that these emails are sufficiently related to and in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the United States," Carter wrote.

Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump for his part responded to Carter saying on Truth Social he "shouldn't be making statements about me until he understands the facts, which he doesn't!"

Read the original article on Business Insider
via Fox News

After being sentenced Friday to four months in prison for not complying with subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 Committee, Trump ally Steve Bannon had his first post-sentencing interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight, where the namesake host applauded how brave Bannon is.

People who say four months in prison is not a big deal have never been to a prison. It is a big deal, Carlson said. How are you going to respond to this? Do you plan to submit?

Bannon replied that he is appealing the sentencing, which D.C. federal court Judge Carl J. Nichols delayedprovided that Bannons lawyers (one of whom defended Donald Trump in the Senate impeachment trial over Jan. 6) dont drag their feet about it.

My sentencing is all pending the appeals process, Bannon said. At the end of the day, [if] I got to go to prison by this illegitimate regimeI am prepared to do it, but weve got a long appeals process.

Carlson, who has praised participants in and made false claims about the Jan. 6 insurrection, then asked Bannon what Fridays sentencing says about the justice system as a whole. Youre saying that youre being sent to prison because you advised Donald Trump politically. That doesnt sound like a free country, he griped.

Bannon agreed, and after calling for and predicting impeachments of some top officials in the Biden administration, he complained about Washington, D.C. being so partisan.

We have to win massively on the 8th and then this new Congress has to really go and enforce the rule of law, he demanded. Start serious investigationsand after those investigations, start bringing articles of impeachment and throw these bums out, whether its [Alejandro] Mayorkas of DHS or [Merrick] Garland, the attorney general. And who knows where it ends.

Good luck, Carlson replied. You dont seem worried. Id be worried if I were you. Youre a brave man, and I appreciate you coming on.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus 330-200 landing at RomeFiumicino International Airport in 2018. Fabrizio Gandolfo/Getty Images

A dozen people were injured when a flight from Spain to Argentina hit turbulence, CNN reported.

Aerolineas Argentinas said in a statement that most injured people were not wearing seatbelts.

Some passengers said they hit their heads on the ceiling and were not told to fasten their seatbelts.

A "nightmare" flight across the Atlantic Ocean left 12 people injured, including some who were thrown to the floor or smashed into the ceiling, CNN reported.

The Aerolineas Argentinas flight hit turbulence mid-flight from Madrid, Spain to Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 18, taking some passengers by surprise, per CNN.

"Well there was some turbulence during which we were not told to put the security belt and everyone just went flying," one passenger tweeted, according to a translation by CNN. "Even the stewardesses were on the ground."

The passenger, who goes by @adrianceitor_ on Twitter, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, but tweeted that the "last 7 hours of the flight" were a "fucking nightmare."

The airline issued a statement insisting that passengers had been told to fasten their seatbelts, noting that nine people were treated with "various minor injuries" by health professionals on the scene while three others were placed under "careful observation" for more extensive injuries, according to CNN.

"According to what was reported by the crew, the seat belt indicator signs were on and the corresponding announcement had been made. The passengers who were the most compromised and who were the ones who had to be transferred, were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the turbulence," the airline said in a statement on Twitter.

Photos of the aftermath circulated on Twitter, showing the aisles and cabin areas strewn with food and other items tossed about the cabin. Some photos showed damage to the ceiling area above passenger seats, consistent with reports that some passengers smashed their heads on the ceiling.

Story continues

Aerolineas Argentinas said in the statement that the turbulence "did not cause significant damage" to the aircraft, which carried some 271 passengers and 13 crew on the flight.

A spokesperson for the airline did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Saturday.

Read the original article on Insider
DALLAS (AP)  Dallas police identified a suspect in a shooting inside a hospital Saturday during which two employees were killed and the alleged gunman was wounded.

Police said they detained Nestor Hernandez, 30, after a Methodist Health System police officer shot and wounded him at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Hernandez was taken to another local hospital for treatment, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Methodist Health System police, Dallas police and Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to the shooting inside the hospital around 11 a.m., the Morning News reported.

A Methodist Health System Police Officer arrived on the scene, confronted the suspect, and fired his weapon at the suspect, injuring him, hospital spokesperson Ryan Owens said in a statement.

The names of the victims and their positions at the hospital were not immediately released.

Hernandez faces capital murder charges. At the time of the shooting he was on parole for aggravated robbery and was wearing an active ankle monitor, police said.

The hospital system said in a statement that it was mourning the deaths.

The Methodist Health System Family is heartbroken at the loss of two of our beloved team members, according to the statement attributed to the system's leadership. Our entire organization is grieving this unimaginable tragedy.

Dallas police referred questions to hospital police, who did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

The shooting follows hospital shootings in September in Little Rock, Arkansas, that killed a visitor and one in June in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that left four dead.
Eric Meiggs and Declan Harrington stole crypto worth $330,000. Getty Images

Two men were sentenced for operating a nationwide hack scheme and stealing $330,000 in crypto.

Eric Meiggs, 24, and Declan Harrington, 22, used an illegal practice known as "SIM swapping."

Two lawyers told Insider how to protect against a potential attack.

Two Massachusetts men have been jailed for taking over social media accounts and stealing cryptocurrency holdings by using an illegal technique called "SIM-swapping", the Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

Eric Meiggs, 24, of Brockton, and his accomplice Declan Harrington, 22, of Beverly, were both sentenced to just over two years for SIM swapping, computer hacking, and other techniques that allowed them to steal about $330,000 in cryptocurrency.

Court documents show both men targeted executives of cryptocurrency companies and others who were likely to have significant amounts of crypto, as well as those with high value or "OG" ("original gangster") social media account names.

Meiggs and Harrington targeted at least 10 victims across the US. They allegedly stole crypto worth about $330,000 from their victims. Meiggs allegedly took control of two "OG" social media accounts.

SIM swapping

The practice gives a fraudster remote access to a cellphone number, which is often used to authenticate logins to banking, email, and social media accounts, lawyer Robert Freund told Insider.

"If a victim has two-factor authentication for those services enabled via SMS confirmation, then the fraudsters can satisfy the authentication challenges because they will receive the SMS codes sent to the victim's number," he said.

Another lawyer, Omar Ochoa, added: "Telecommunications companies may be liable for SIM swapping. All companies that gather and retain private information, have a duty to protect your data."

"Your phone provider should have robust identity verification procedures to ensure it's actually talking to the customer. If the procedures are too lax, customer service representatives are not well trained, or representatives ignore procedures, you have a good basis for arguing that your phone provider is at fault for the SIM swap," Ochoa said.

Story continues

In February, the FBI warned it received more than 1,600 SIM swapping reports last year  more than three times the number in 2018-2020 combined.

How to stop SIM swapping

Freund advised contacting your cell network and activate or request all available account security features. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon offer additional PIN codes you can require for any transfer or porting of your phone number. "This makes it less likely that a fraudster could successfully impersonate you to your carrier," he said.

Both Ochoa and Freund said suspected victims of SIM swapping should contact their network immediately, reset passwords, notify their banks and credit card companies, and contact police.

"The sooner you act, the better your chances of limiting the damage," Freund concluded.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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The man suspected of gunning down two nurses at Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Texas on Saturday was out on parole and was permitted by state officials to be at the facility for the birth of a child, authorities said on Sunday.

Thirty-year-old Nestor Hernandez had been out for a year on parole and wearing an ankle monitor when he allegedly opened fire at the hospital, killing two.

Hes accused of shooting &killing nurse & social worker at Dallas Methodist Hospital.



Court documents: Nestor Hernandez was released from prison in October after serving time for aggravated robbery.

He was allowed to be at hospital for the birth of his child. @wfaa pic.twitter.com/fIFvztV2CE  Malini Basu (@MaliniBasu_) October 24, 2022

Officials granted Hernandez leave to be with his significant other at the medical center while she gave birth on Saturday, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman Amanda Hernandez said on Sunday, though she and other officials declined to give further details on the incident.

The Dallas Police Department announced late Saturday that Hernandez is facing capital murder charges for the shooting. He is currently on parole for aggravated robbery and had an active ankle monitor, police said in a statement.

The shooting was reportedly halted by a Methodist Health System Police officer who confronted Hernandez at the scene and shot him. Hernandez was subsequently treated at a different hospital and taken into custody.

Police have not said if they believe the shooting was random or targeted, and the details surrounding the incident remain murky.

The victims have not yet been named, though the hospital issued a statement saying they were heartbroken at the loss of two of our beloved team members and grieving this unimaginable tragedy.

Story continues

According to The Dallas Morning News, police were called at approximately 11:10 a.m. local time. WFAA reporter Rebecca Lopez stated on Twitter that an officer shot the assailant close to the scene of the attack, near the labor and delivery area.

Dallas PD: 1 killed, 1 injured in shooting at hospital in Dallas. Suspect in custody. pic.twitter.com/txwqUQq2WD  Blake Hanson (@BlakeFox4News) October 22, 2022

Officials at the medical center and the Dallas Police Department were not immediately able to confirm details about the incident.

A video posted to social media appeared to depict numerous law enforcement vehicles responding to the scene.

Im outside of Methodist in Dallas where Dallas Police have confirmed a shooting inside this hospital. @SpectrumNews1TX pic.twitter.com/Z20bd8cZLU  Ashley Claster (@AshleyClaster) October 22, 2022

The early reports harked back to a tragedy in June, when a man opened fire at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing four people, including the surgeon who had performed surgery on his back.

The shooterwho had complained of back pain after the procedurethen took his own life.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Officials along the U.S.-Mexico border processed Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans 572,500 times in fiscal year 2022, a tally that eclipsed the number of migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador who entered U.S. immigration custody during that period, newly released government statistics show.

Historically, citizens of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, collectively known as Central America's Northern Triangle, have made up the bulk of migrants processed along the U.S. southern border, alongside Mexican migrants. But that trend was upended over the past year with the arrival of record numbers of people from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and other countries, including Colombia and Haiti.

The seismic demographic change has posed significant operational challenges for the Biden administration. On one hand, the authoritarian regimes in Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua have severely limited or rejected U.S. deportations of their citizens, while Mexican officials have generally refused to accept the return of migrants who are not from Mexico or the Northern Triangle.

Migrants from Venezuela arrive at a Welcome Center in El Paso, Texas, U.S., on Sept. 22, 2022. / Credit: Paul Ratje/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In fiscal year 2022, U.S. border officials said there were 220,908 encounters with Cubans, 187,716 with Venezuelans and 163,876 with Nicaraguans, the vast majority of whom were allowed to seek asylum. Migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were processed 541,618 times.

The record arrivals of Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans were partly responsible for pushing the overall number of migrant encounters along the southern border to nearly 2.4 million in fiscal year 2022, an all-time high that exceeded the record set in 2021, CBP figures show.

A significant number of the border encounters in the past fiscal year involved migrants who entered the U.S. illegally multiple times after being expelled to Mexico. Moreover, over 1 million, or 45%, of border encounters led to migrants being expelled under Title 42, a Trump-era, pandemic-related order that a federal court has required officials to continue.

Story continues

Overall illegal border entries, which include the known and estimated number of migrants who illegally enter the U.S. while evading apprehension, were higher in the early 2000s, when Border Patrol had fewer resources and manpower to apprehend border-crossers, government statistics show.

In a statement Friday, CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus blamed the "failing regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua" for triggering a "new wave of migration across the Western Hemisphere."

In Cuba, discontent with the communist regime in Havana and economic woes have fueled an exodus of tens of thousands of Cubans hoping to reach the U.S., a journey made somewhat easier by Nicaragua's policy of allowing them to travel there without visas. Nicaraguans have left their homeland for similar reasons, citing lack of economic opportunities and opposition to Daniel Ortega's repressive government.

The political turmoil and economic collapse in Venezuela, meanwhile, has prompted 7 million Venezuelans to leave the country as part of the largest displacement crisis in the history of the Americas, according to the United Nations.

Migration analysts said the unprecedented migrant arrivals from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicargua have also been driven by labor demands in the U.S., as well as the knowledge that the U.S. has a difficult time deporting migrants from these countries.

While a monthly record of 33,804 Venezuleans entered U.S. border custody in September, U.S. officials have recorded a sharp decline in illegal crossings by migrants from Venezuela since the Biden administration announced a new deterrence effort earlier this month.

Last week, the Biden administration announced it would start using Title 42 to expel Venezuelan migrants to Mexico under an agreement with Mexican officials. It also unveiled a limited legal pathway for up to 24,000 Venezuelans to come to U.S. airports if they have U.S.-based financial sponsors willing to assist them.

An average of 154 Venezuelans have been entering U.S. border custody daily this week, an 86% drop from 1,131 the week before the U.S. unveiled the new policies for Venezuelans, according to government data provided by administration officials on Friday.

The officials said they've also recorded an 80% drop in migrants crossing Panama's Darien Gap, a roadless jungle that tens of thousands of Venezuelans have traversed this year en route to the U.S.

One official said the U.S. has received reports from Mexico and countries in Central America that Venezuelan migrants are "rethinking their plan to come to the U.S. and either stopping and finding safer places where they can wait to apply for this lawful process or in some cases, voluntarily returning back to where they came."

The Biden administration has not yet announced efforts to expel Cuban or Nicaraguan migrants to Mexico or to offer them the legal pathway that some Venezuelans have been offered. But administration officials have said they may consider expanding the private sponsorship process created for Venezuelans.

Open: This is "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Oct. 23

Nature: Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park

Robert Moses, the man who rebuilt New York
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's trade minister Kemi Badenoch on Saturday backed former finance minister Rishi Sunak to be the next prime minister, ruling herself out of a leadership race she had considered entering.

"Rishi Sunak is the man for the job," Badenoch said in an article for the Times newspaper. Sunak has yet to formally declare his intention to run in the race, but according to a Reuters tally, has enough backers to enter.

(Reporting by William James; Editing by Edmund Blair)
There is nothing quite like a crisis to expose the weaknesses in systems and societies.



Last year, a number of countries promised to lessen reliance on fossil fuels and announced ambitious net-zero targets. The backpedaling on many of these commitments has been furious ever since the Russia-Ukraine conflict triggered a dip in supplies and a hike in natural gas prices.

The United Kingdom has since lifted a ban on fracking, and analysis from energy think tank Ember Climate shows that European Union member states will invest $50 billion into the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure this winter.

"As with any global event, the Ukraine conflict has shifted priorities toward an agenda other than climate change," said Ajay Gambhir, a climate economist at Imperial College London. "This brings risks that mitigation action will be delayed."

It remains to be seen if Europe's pivot to fossil fuels represents a short-term blip or a long-term blow to international efforts to curb global warming.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, China must perform its own balancing act between energy security and green ambitions.

Amid the global energy crisis, climate observers are paying close attention to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to find out if the country plans to reaffirm its climate commitments and emissions targets, or recalculate them.

So far, so good

Recent signs have been promising. At a United Nations climate change round table in New York on Sept 21, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China plans to "unswervingly follow the path of ecological priority, green and low-carbon development".

And an independent analysis from the Climate Action Tracker, or CAT, shows that China is on course to meet several key climate targets early.

In 2020, China pledged to peak emissions by 2030 and reduce carbon intensity  or emissions per unit of GDP  by over 65 percent in 2030 from 2005 levels.

CAT projects that China is likely to "comfortably overachieve its targets without substantially increasing its current mitigation efforts". It could achieve peaking by, or slightly after, 2025, and reduce carbon intensity by 67 percent by 2030.

"China has a track record of setting ambitious climate targets which it meets ahead of schedule," said British economist Nicholas Stern, who is chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics. "It is a sign of the importance that China attaches to setting ambitious but credible targets."

Stern said it has been "apparent for some time" that China's annual emissions of greenhouse gasses could peak well before 2030 by "accelerating its transition away from fossil fuels, particularly coal".

"China's economy would benefit from the investments in low-carbon growth that would be required to peak emissions in 2025," he said. "And it would be a demonstration of leadership and signal the seriousness of China's intent to achieve carbon neutrality."

All part of the plan

A chief reason China has been able to keep targets in sight is that climate commitments have been embedded in its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

China's five-year plans are a set of social and economic initiatives that act as a blueprint for national development strategies for the period. The five-year plan is arguably one of the most important documents in the world when it comes to climate change.

Transformative measures on energy consumption and emissions in the last three five-year plans have led to unprecedented surges in green development. China invested $758 billion in renewable energy capacity between 2010 and mid-2019, which was equivalent to a third of the global total, according to United Nations data.

The 14th Five-Year Plan set binding targets for emissions peaking, carbon intensity and energy consumption, and also promoted low-carbon transformation in industry, construction, transportation and other key areas of the economy.

Last year, China's national energy consumption per unit of GDP fell by 2.7 percent year-on-year, and carbon dioxide per unit of GDP fell by 3.8 percent, according to analysis from the Center for China Study, or CCS, which is a think tank connected with Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

CCS Director Hu Angang said that China is "spurring the green renewable-energy revolution", with clean energy accounting for 25.5 percent of total energy consumption last year, up 1.2 percentage points year-on-year.

China will once again overachieve on renewable targets, according to the CAT, which found that growth in nonfossil energy shares and solar and wind capacity installations will "surpass the country's official nationally determined contribution targets".

The proliferation of renewables over the past decade in China has occurred at such a scale that it has influenced global markets, bringing down the cost of clean power in comparison to fossil fuels.

"China has already helped to accelerate the global uptake of solar by reducing the costs of manufacturing," Stern said. "The global market for renewable energy is expanding rapidly, and China is likely to remain a global leader in both the supply of and demand for renewable technologies."

Stern said that the transition away from coal and toward renewables is essential, from both an environmental and financial perspective, since emissions-heavy power sources run the risk of becoming stranded assets.

"China clearly recognizes the need to accelerate its transition away from coal as a source of energy because of the huge damage it inflicts through air pollution and climate change," Stern said. "Any new investments in fossil fuel infrastructure risk financial loss as they are likely to be replaced by zero-carbon alternatives before making a return. China's power system needs urgent reform to allow it to more quickly replace expensive coal with cheaper renewables."

Overseas impact

From an international perspective, China's coal policy is set to have a notable impact on driving the green transition. Last year, China pledged to end financing for building coal plants overseas, which CAT estimates will result in the cancellation of 43 gigawatts of new coal projects across Asia.

CCS Director Hu said that green projects within the Belt and Road Initiative are also helping to drive down emissions beyond China's borders.

"China is helping developing countries, especially small island countries, African countries and LDCs (least developed countries), to enhance their capacity and capability to cope with climate change and reduce the adverse effects of climate change," Hu said.

Stern said that increased collaboration with other large economies must also drive China's climate agenda.

"It is critically important that China and the United States, as the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, are able to work together on tackling climate change," he said, adding that the United States has now passed a landmark bill to massively increase investments in clean energy.

Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy for climate change, said in August that the US is fully responsible for the current halt in China-US climate cooperation.

In a news conference on Sept 20, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that China remains receptive to working with the US on climate change. The two nations signed a joint declaration to address the global climate crisis at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP26, in Glasgow in November.

"If China and the US can manage their bilateral relations well, reduce impediments and negative factors and jointly respond to climate change, public health and food and energy security challenges, people of both countries and the world at large will enjoy more benefits," Wang said.
(Reuters) - A former owner of a prestigious aircraft engine builder in central Ukraine has been detained on treason charges, Ukrainian media reported on Saturday, quoting security sources.

Several of Ukraine's most prominent media outlets said Vyacheslav Boguslaev, the "honorary head" of the Motor Sich company in the central city of Zaporizhzhia, had been detained and was being taken to Kyiv in a convoy.

The reports quoted security sources as saying Boguslaev, a former member of parliament, was suspected of collaborating with and assisting Russian forces occupying parts of four Ukrainian regions, including Zaporizhzhia region.

The city of Zaporizhzhia remains under Ukrainian control.

The reports quoted security sources as saying investigators had to break down the front door of Boguslaev's home in order to conduct a search.

Prominent journalist Iryna Romaliyska, writing on Facebook and also quoting security sources, said Boguslaev was known for his pro-Russian views. He was suspected, she wrote, of supplying Russia with parts for helicopters and planes and of having contacts with Russian special services.

Moror Sich is a well-known manufacturer of aircraft engines and industrial turbines. Ukrainian authorities last year blocked attempts by Chinese companies to take over the firm.

(Reporting by Ronald Popeski; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 22:09

Anti-aircraft missile units of Ukraines Air Force have struck a Russian Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter, the second such helicopter to be brought down today.

Source: Ukraines Air Force on Telegram

Quote: "An anti-aircraft missile unit of the Air Force Command Tsentr (Centre) destroyed another Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter, the second one today, around 16:00 on 22 October."

Previously: An anti-aircraft missile unit of Odesa Missile Brigade of the Air Force Command Pivden (South) shot down a Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter in the Beryslav district (Kherson Oblast) around 12:00 on Saturday, 22 October.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Iranian drones Shahed-136

According to the command, one more drone was downed in the neighboring Kirovohrad Oblast.

Read also: Ukrainian military destroys 223 Iranian-made suicide drones since their first use in Ukraine

The Iranian drones are a modern type of flying bomb akin to the V-1 Doodlebug weapon that Nazi Germany used against the Allies in the latter stages of the Second World War.

Russia purchased a large number of the drones from Iran, and has been using them to attack Ukrainian cities since mid-September. The flying bombs have been used to attack civilian utility infrastructure and residential buildings. However, Ukraine has over the last month become increasingly proficient at shooting the slow-moving flying bombs down.

The drones have a noisy motor, audible from several kilometers off, which has earned them the derisive nickname flying lawnmowers from Ukrainians.

Read also: Iran ready to send more drones, missiles to Russia for its war against Ukraine, reports Reuters

Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, but ample photographic, video and material evidence from shot down drones shows these denials to be false.

U.S. newspaper the Washington Post has also reported that Iran may supply short-range ballistic missiles to Russia as well.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 05:18

The Ukrainian military have attacked Russian positions from the sky and on the ground in Ukraines south, in particular in the Beryslav and Kakhovka districts (Kherson Oblast) and Bashtanka district (Mykolaiv Oblast).

Source: Operational Command Pivden (South) on Facebook

Quote: "The enemy used a Shahed-136 kamikaze drone to attack the village of Shevchenkivka and struck the village of Novovoskresenske with the S-300 anti-aircraft missile. Both villages are in Beryslav district on the right bank of the Dnipro River and have been recently liberated. There are no casualties."

Details: The Russians have attacked the villages of Nova Kamianka and Tryfonivka three times using helicopters. They have made five more helicopter strikes on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and used attack aircraft twice. A Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile unit struck one of the Russian ground attack aircraft.

Another anti-aircraft missile unit has also shot down a Russian Orlan-10 UAV.

Ukraines Airforce carried out 10 strikes on the concentrations of Russian equipment and strongholds in Beryslav and Bashtanka districts, and on Russian air defence positions in Kakhovka district.

Ukraines Rocket Forces and Artillery performed 220 firing missions, resulting in the following known Russian losses:

17 military personnel

a Grad multiple-launch rocket system

a tank

a mortar

three armoured vehicles

three ammunition dumps in Beryslav district.

In addition, six Russian armoured vehicles and two mortars have been damaged.

"The final enemy losses are being investigated", Operational Command Pivden reported.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Oct. 22MINNEAPOLIS  For more than 58 minutes, UND did just about everything it needed to beat the No. 1 team on the road.

It scored early and played with the lead.

It won the special teams battle.

It got a sensational goaltending performance by fifth-year senior Drew DeRidder.

But in the end, UND was left with little Friday night in 3M Arena at Mariucci.

Minnesota forward Mason Nevers scored an extra-attacker goal with 1 minute, 24 seconds left to tie it, then Matthew Knies scored just 21 seconds into overtime to give the Gophers a 3-2 victory in the series opener in front of 10,418, the seventh-largest crowd to watch a game in the 30-year-old building.

"Obviously, it stings," said UND forward Jake Schmaltz, who had a goal and an assist. "It sucks losing to these guys. We've got to turn the page quick and get ready for tomorrow. I thought we worked hard, but we've got to learn how to close out games."

Closing out games in Mariucci has been a massive problem for UND in recent years.

This was the fifth time in the last 11 games between the rivals in Mariucci that UND has allowed a game-tying or game-winning goal in the final three minutes of regulation.

On Jan. 15, 2010, Jacob Cepis scored a game-tying goal with 2:04 left. On Nov. 2011, Kyle Rau scored the winner with :46 left. On Jan. 19, 2013, Nate Condon tied it with 2:52 left.

On Nov. 4, 2016  the first game between UND and Minnesota after a three-year hiatus from regular-season meetings  Tommy Novak scored an extra-attacker goal with 1:58 to go to tie it up.

On Friday night, it was Knies' turn.

Minnesota won the initial draw in three-on-three overtime and controlled the puck. Knies brought it to the right circle and made a move to get around Fighting Hawks defenseman Chris Jandric. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Maple Leafs draft pick then lowered his shoulder, powered to the net and stuffed the puck five-hole on DeRidder.

"Obviously, it's 60 minutes to close a game out," UND coach Brad Berry said. "We were a minute and a half short of that. On the six-on-five, they had a guy come off the bench and we just missed a coverage in the slot and they tied the game up. It's one of those things, when you're playing against good teams, you've got to play 60 minutes."

Story continues

UND didn't walk away completely empty handed.

An overtime victory is worth 67 percent of a regulation win; an overtime loss is worth 33 percent. So, there was some value for UND in the Pairwise Rankings, which are used to select and seed the NCAA tournament in March.

But that didn't make the Fighting Hawks (2-2-1) feel any better.

"It's definitely not a good feeling," UND captain Mark Senden said. "We had a minute and a half there left in the game. We just have to find a way. There are no excuses for that. We have to find a way."

UND, which had won five of the last six between the rivals coming into Friday night, will try to salvage a split at 7 p.m. Saturday.

"We've just got to look at the things we can do a little bit better," Senden said, "and come tomorrow with a little bit more."

The Fighting Hawks got off to a good start when Schmaltz tipped a Ty Farmer point shot just 4:23 into the game.

They took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission, but Minnesota slowly took over from there. The Gophers outshot the Fighting Hawks 30-11 from the start of the second to the end of overtime.

"(In the first), we handled pucks and made some plays coming out of our zone," Berry said. "I think we got away from that. We gave up a few outnumbered rushes in the second period. When you play against good teams, you have to play five guys together in tight areas and not give them a lot of opportunities to gain momentum."

Minnesota (4-1) finally got one past DeRidder with 1:23 left in the second period when defenseman Jackson LaCombe skated from the top of the zone to the right circle and flipped a backhand just inside the post.

But UND answered right away. Less than a minute later, Riese Gaber scored his fourth goal on the season on the power play. Gaber got the puck in the right circle and wired a shot between defenders and inside the post with 36 seconds left in the period.

UND nearly hung on to beat a No. 1 team for the first time since it knocked off Denver in November 2019. But it was an all-too-familiar ending in Mariucci.

"Tomorrow we've got to battle up here and make sure that we come with the mentality of playing a 60-minute game," Berry said.

Notes: UND played without injured forward Dane Montgomery and injured defenseman Luke Bast. UND's healthy scratches were forward Jackson Kunz, forward Dylan James, forward Nick Portz and goalie Kaleb Johnson. . . The Fighting Hawks wore their green jerseys for their first road game of the season.
In this photo taken by a drone, the normally wide Mississippi River has been reduced to a narrow trickle, October 20, 2022, near Portageville, Missouri. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo

The Mississippi River is at record low levels, stranding barges and allowing sea water to move in with no end in sight.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is emergency dredging to keep the channel open to supply barges.

USACE is also building an underwater barrier in Louisiana to keep the sea out of drinking water.

The Mississippi River's waters have plunged to new lows, grounding cargo barges on the shallow riverbed and allowing seawater to creep up through Louisiana. That's sent the US Army Corps of Engineers into a frenzy of damage control.

At the mouth of the river, the agency is building an underwater levee to stop the creep of seawater from the Gulf of Mexico, which threatens to incapacitate water-treatment plants in southern Louisiana.

Randy Statler sits on a rock to watch people walk to Tower Rock, an attraction normally surrounded by the Mississippi River and only accessible by boat, October 19, 2022, in Perry County, Missouri. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo

Meanwhile, further north, USACE is racing to dig emergency dredges in order to maintain a channel of nine-foot-deep water for barges carrying agricultural goods and fuel up and down the Mississippi. Those goods  like soybeans and oil  partially fuel the economy of the central US.

The price of shipping them has skyrocketed in the last month, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. AccuWeather estimates the total economic losses at $20 billion.

"Is there an end in sight? No ma'am," Lisa Parker, a USACE public affairs officer, told Insider. "We're at the mercy of Mother Nature right now."

Barges, stranded by low water, sit at the Port of Rosedale along the Mississippi River on October 20, 2022 in Rosedale, Mississippi. Scott Olson/Getty Images

The waters are receding due to drought in the upper river valleys of Ohio and Missouri, which feed into the Mississippi. In early October  peak harvest season, when barge traffic is high, according to Parker  at least eight barges ran aground in the shallow waters. The Coast Guard imposed new restrictions on how low ships and barges can sit in the water.

The river has only lost more volume since then. In Memphis, Tennessee, water levels have dropped past the record low set in 1988.

Video: Mississippi startup is turning algae into plastic shoe parts

Forecasts from the National Weather Service promise no relief over the next 28 days, predicting that river levels will remain low.

Story continues

Scientists must conduct rigorous analysis to attribute any single event to the climate crisis. However, decades of research show that rising global temperatures are affecting droughts overall, making them more severe and long-lasting.

'As soon as we're done working, we're moving on to the next hotspot,' Parker said

A US Army Corps of Engineers dredging vessel powers south down the Mississippi River on October 19, 2022, past Commerce, Missouri. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo

USACE has seven dredging vessels actively sucking up riverbed material at hotspots where the waters are too shallow, from St. Louis to New Orleans, according to Parker. She said they've been deployed 24/7 and have been in such high demand that she doesn't have an estimate for how many sites they've dredged.

"As soon as we're done working, we're moving on to the next hotspot," she said.

On the Louisiana coast, the river is so low that ocean water from the Gulf of Mexico began pushing upstream. USACE is racing to build a 1,500-foot-wide, 35-foot-tall underwater levee to prevent saltwater from creeping further up the river, where it could contaminate drinking water. Already, there's a drinking water advisory in effect for the coastal region of Plaquemines Parish.

An underwater sill is constructed near the mouth of the Mississippi River to block seawater pushing up river, on October 18, 2022. USACE

Contractors were finishing up the levee on Friday, according to Matt Roe, a public affairs officer for the USACE's New Orleans district.

The work won't be done once the levee is completed, though. Engineers will continue to monitor salinity levels in the river. If seawater begins to override the barrier, they plan to build the levee up taller.

As for the dredging team, the 24/7 work may not end for at least another month. Parker said they expect to be dredging "potentially every day."

"We're confident that we'll be able to maintain that nine-foot channel and keep the Mississippi open," she said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The invaders launch strikes with missiles and kamikaze drones

Standing close to the site of a recent drone attack on a power plant in Kyiv, the head of the delegation, Jim Himes, called the visit the illustration of solidarity with Ukraine, which is fighting for democracy.

Read also: Ukraine will have bipartisan US support until war ends, White House says

We all felt it was really important that we be here on a bipartisan basis to make an unmistakable statement that the people of the United States and the government of the United States stands with the people and with the government of Ukraine, said Himes, a member of the Democratic Party.

Asked about the continuation of assistance to Ukraine if the Republican Party gains a majority in the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections in November, Republican Mike Turner said there was strong bipartisan support for Ukraine, and it will continue.

Russia has targeted civilian energy infrastructure across Ukraine over the last 10 days. The enemy has also attacked residential houses with missiles and Iranian suicide drones

Read also: Russian attacks on civilians and infrastructure are attempt to spread panic, Pentagon says

Russia carried out another mass strike on Ukrainian cities on Oct. 19

To counter the Russian mass air and missile attacks, Zelenskyy urged G-7 leaders for more air defence systems for Ukraine, as he has often done before.

Earlier, U.S. President Joe Biden condemned Russias "senseless attacks" and promised Zelenskyy to continue support with modern air defence systems.

Read also: NATO to prioritize bolstering Ukraines air defenses, Stoltenberg says

Two NASAMS air defense systems were included in the $820 million in U.S. military aid package to Ukraine that was announced on July, 1. The Pentagon also announced approximately $3 billion in additional security assistance for Ukraine, including eight more NASAMS, on Aug. 24.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Major progress has been made in promoting the Beautiful China Initiative over the past decade thanks to combined efforts to improve the country's ecology and environment, a senior official said Friday.

China has achieved miracles in ecological protection and green development since 2012, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Zhai Qing told a press conference on the sidelines of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Zhai said campaigns to fight air, water and soil pollution have brought tangible results. In 2021, the average concentration of hazardous airborne particles PM2.5 in Chinese cities at or above the prefecture-level decreased by 34.8 percent from 2015.

In ecological restoration and protection, the total area of nature reserves at all levels accounts for about 18 percent of China's land area, and five national parks have been established, according to him.

The wild populations of more than 300 types of rare and endangered wild animals and plants have been restored and increased, Zhai added.

Solid progress has also been made in the country's green, circular and low-carbon development, Zhai said.

In 2021, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP dropped by 34.4 percent from 2012, and the share of coal in primary energy consumption fell from 68.5 percent to 56 percent during the period.

Looking ahead, China will further improve the quality of ecology and environment, promote the comprehensive green shift in economic and social development, and advance establishing and improving a modern environmental governance system, Zhai said.
Vic Mensa

Vic Mensa is starting a new mission to get Black Americans to rediscover their ancestral roots.

In a recent interview with Ebony published on Thursday (Oct. 20), Mensa shared his desire to help others reconnect to their bloodline and rediscover his origins. Having been born to a Ghanaian father, Mensa began visiting the West African nation as a child.

Most of my family is still in Ghana, [and] my father is the only one who came to the United States, he said. I now understand what a privilege it is to be able to keep my connection to my ancestry and culture. Its an immense honor to know my history, the language of my people, and so much more.

Being a connection between Black Americans and Africa  and bridging the gap  is something Mensa takes seriously. Black Americans have become detached from the Mother Continent, not just physically, but also mentally, as shown throughout history. But, its time to accept who we are as African people, he continued. Mensa revealed he began his mission with two friends  Mike Abrantie and Uduimoh, both born in Illinois with Ghanaian roots  by taking Chicago high school students to the African country.

Earlier this year, Mensa took Chance the Rapper on one of these trips. I brought Chance with me to Ghana in January. He was deeply impacted by that trip and immediately wanted to get involved. Taking him to Ghana to me was the first step in my overall mission. Bringing the students was the next, he said.

According to Ebony, in July, the U Mad rapper and Chance hosted a group of Black Chicago high school students in Ghana. Being a Black kid in America rarely has anything to do with your cultural history beyond America and slavery, Mensa added. So, to be able to provide this experience was not only significant but also emotional for me. I just sat back and said, Wow, we really did it!'

He continued, This will be an annual experience. My real goal is to build intercontinental collaborations that have the potential to mend the broken bond between the diaspora. I can only imagine the result that will come from students being exposed to their ancestral land earlier in life.
A Virginia woman this week was indicted by a grand jury on murder and felony child neglect charges after her four-year-old son died earlier this year from eating a large amount of THC gummies, authorities said. Dorothy Annette Clements, 30, was taken into custody Thursday, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office reported in a news release.

Clements' young son, Tanner, died on May 8, two days after he had been found unresponsive at his home, the sheriff's office reports. Doctors informed detectives that his toxicity level showed a high amount of THC, which led investigators to determine that the boy had "ingested a large amount of THC gummies," the sheriff's office said in its release.

Detectives also learned from doctors that the boy could have been saved had his mother acted sooner, the sheriff's office said.

"The attending doctor told detectives that if medical intervention occurred shortly after ingestion, it could have prevented death," the release read.

Before being indicted, Clements told CBS News affiliate WUSA9 that she had no idea the gummies she bought actually contained THC. She eventually realized her son had eaten one gummy, but did not believe it would harm him. She also claimed she called the Poison Control Center.

However, the sheriff's office said her statements were not consistent with the evidence authorities found at the home.

Clements is being held without bail in the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

The accidental consumption of cannabis edibles by children is on the rise in the U.S., according to the National Capital Poison Center.

The number of children under 12 who have ingested edibles at home jumped from 132 in 2016, to almost 2,500 last year, according to numbers from the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Children are often more susceptible to unintentional cannabis exposure because edibles are presented in colorful, attractive packaging that resembles candy or other snack foods.

Story continues

"Cannabis edibles may be in packaging that is remarkably similar to snack foods that are popular among children and adolescents, including Doritos, Nerds, and Cheetos," the National Capital Poison Center writes on its website. "While the packaging does state that the product inside contains cannabis or THC, this information is often in small print and cannot be easily read or understood by young children."

Elon Musks Starlink internet satellite units used by Ukraine face funding issues

British writer Lee Child discusses the future of his Jack Reacher thriller novels

Painter Alex Katz reflects on 77-year career
Anna Wintour and Kanye West at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Show in October 2015. Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

Vogue and its editor-in-chief Anna Wintour have "no intention" of working with Kanye West again.

A representative told PageSix the magazine cut its ties after the rapper made antisemitic comments.

It comes after a slew of other companies including Balenciaga distance their brands from West.

Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, is facing consequences for the slew of antisemitic and offensive remarks he recently made.

One such repercussion is the end of his relationship with Vogue and its editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, PageSix reported.

According to the outlet, a representative said the magazine and Wintour had no intention of working with the rapper again after West ranted about Jewish people in a tweet on October 9. The tweet was removed by the social media platform for violating its guidelines and Twitter later confirmed to Buzzfeed News that he'd been banned from the platform.

Related video: Why musicians are pulling their music from Spotify over Joe Rogan's podcast

It also came after he made similar offensive remarks during a Fox News interview with Tucker Carlson and a now-deleted Instagram post, Insider previously reported.

Wintour's decision to cut ties with Ye may come as a personal loss for the rapper, as the pair have been friends for more than a decade. According to PageSix, their relationship began after the Vogue editor invited Ye to his first Met Gala in 2009. Since then, they have been spotted sharing lunches together and supporting each other's business endeavors.

Kanye West and Anna Wintour at a Givenchy show in Paris in March 2009. Dominique Charriau/WireImage

As recent as September, Wintour was seen modeling a pair of Yeezy sunglasses with Ye at New York Fashion Week, The Sun reported.

Representatives for Wintour and Vogue, owned by Conde Nast, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Vogue is also not the only organisation to distance itself from the rapper following his recent comments. On Thursday, Balenciaga's parent company said that it no longer had a relationship with Ye, Insider reported.

Story continues

And earlier this month, Adidas announced it was reviewing its relationship with Ye.

"After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period," the company said in a statement, CNBC reported.

Read the original article on Insider
Oct. 22RUSK  Rusk made short work of visiting Palestine on Friday afternoon by defeating the Ladycats 3-0.

Rusk (21-17, 5-4) leap frogged the Ladycats in the District 18-4A standings and moved into third place, while Palestine (12-21, 4-5) fell to fourth.

Rusk closes out the regular season by hosting Jacksonville (2-7 in district) at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. With a victory, the Lady Eagles, who have won four of their last five matches, can assure itself of third place.
A Wallkill man accused of shooting a patron outside a restaurant last year pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree assault, a felony.

The suspect, Hector Luna Jr., 28, was originally indicted by an Orange County grand jury in May 2021 for attempted second-degree murder, as well as first-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, all felonies.

Luna was accused of shooting a man outside the You You Asian Bar and Restaurant at about 9:15 p.m. on April 14, 2021.

The man had been dining in the restaurant just before the shooting. He was taken to nearby Garnet Health Medical Center for treatment.

Wallkill shooting:Suspect arrested in You You restaurant attack

You You shooting:Suspect indicted for attempted murder in Wallkill

Wallkill stabbing:Middletown man arrested after killing

You You restaurant, Wallkill

Luna was taken into custody at the Hampton Inn hotel in Pike County, Pennsylvania, and waived extradition to face charges in New York.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said after consultation with the man who was shot, he will recommend that Luna serve seven-and-a-half years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on Jan. 23.

"The defendant's admitted conduct highlights the terrifying consequences of random gun violence," Hoovler said in a statement. "This disposition spares the victim the additional trauma of reliving this horrific incident in front of a jury."

An attorney representing Luna could not immediately be reached for comment.

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, the Poughkeepsie Journal and the Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @MikeRandall845.

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: You You restaurant shooting: Wallkill man pleads guilty
Netflix

Michaella McCollum had just turned 20 when she was arrested in Lima, Peru, in August 2013 for tryingwith accomplice Melissa Reidto smuggle 11 kilos of cocaine out of the country. Since McCollum was Irish and Reid was Scottish, and given that the former had already made headlines for being reportedly missing, this immediately became front-page news in the U.K. Further stoking the tabloid fire was the fact that the duo, whod soon come to be known as the Peru Two, claimed that theyd been forced at gunpoint by cartel villains to commit this crime.

That, however, was a lie. McCollum and Reid had willingly become drug traffickers out of a combination of greed and stupidity (heavy emphasis on the latter).

Currently available on Netflix, High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule is a four-part docuseries about the Peru Twos ordeal that specifically focuses on McCollum, whos interviewed at lengthand provides narrationfor this non-fiction affair. Theres a severe disconnect between McCollums natural and revealing off-the-cuff commentary during her on-camera segments and her laughably over-rehearsed scripted remarks, which strive in vain to make her sound smart and snarky (Time was going kid-before-Christmas slow). Simultaneously, copious dramatic recreations aim to glamorize McCollum and Reids saga through flashy camerawork and cutting, only to render it a cliched compendium of dimwitted behavior.

She Was Burned Aliveand Testified in Her Own Murder Trial

The origins of McCollums nightmare seemingly lurk in her childhood in Dungannon, Ireland, with nine siblings. For reasons that she never properly divulges (other than cheekily quipping, Shooting and sheeppure shite, right?), McCollum opted to abandon her rural homeland and clan by booking a one-way ticket to Ibiza, where she promptly began partying like there was no tomorrow. Someone in the docuseries fleetingly refers to McCollum as a wannabe model, a newspaper clipping identifies her as a hostess, and McCollum herself talks about getting a job at a bar. Nonetheless, she makes it very clear that she wasnt there for professional reasons, nor to enjoy any of the locales tourist destinations. Rather, she was in Ibiza to expend energy on dancing and doing drugs to her hearts delight.

Story continues

McCollums best Ibiza friend Parry describes McCollum as drunk when they first met, and someone who could be a bit messy sometimes, although their similar hedonistic interests made them a fast pair. The problem for McCollum was that the high life cost a pretty penny and she wasnt making much in the way of cash. Considering that her place of employment sold customers narcotics along with their drinks, as well as her own copious ingestion of such substances, she didnt blush when her new close friend Davey offered her an opportunity to earn quick, easy money. According to McCollum, Daveywho she knew was a dealer, and whom Parry distrusted from the startasked her to travel to Barcelona and retrieve a package for him, and in return, shed be paid 5,000. Even now, Parry can barely believe McCollum almost destroyed her life over such a paltry amount.

Parrys reaction is one that will be shared by many viewers of High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule, which despite McCollums participation is a decidedly unflattering portrait of its subject. McCollum explains that, upon embarking on this foolish gig, she learned that she was actually flying to Peruwhich she didnt even know was in South America; she assumed it was somewhere in Spainand that shed then head to Cusco and be partnered with Reid. Together, the women were stuck in a house with a cartel member (who had plenty of guns) and were then told to take a seven-day tour in order to pose as sightseers. By this point, McCollum had already turned into a media item back in Ireland as a missing traveler, and when she and Reid finally got the call to pull off their feat, they discovered that theyd be transporting coke in lots of small bags of porridge in their suitcases.

Peruvian authorities dutifully discuss their familiarity with drug mules in High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule, and its not difficult to glean their underlying opinion thatregardless of the cartels repeated promises to McCollum and Reid that this would be easy and safethis was not a brilliant ruse. At the airport, the women were busted, and the docuseries gets some brief mileage out of footage of their detainment and questioning by police and prosecutors. Still, the idiocy that McCollum and Reid exhibited with their initial decision-making continued apace even upon arrest, with both asserting that they had been violently coerced into becoming cartel pawns. This wasnt accurate, though. Law enforcement knew it and, when confronted with the possibility of spending 15 years behind bars, McCollum and Reid spilled the beans about their culpability, netting them reduced sentences of six years and eight months.

High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mules closing installment concentrates on McCollums stay in a maximum-security Peruvian prison alongside rapists and murderers, where she chose to grow up and make something of herself and, for her efforts, received an early release. The docuseries redemption angle isnt a surprise and yet it largely rings false, not because its untrue so much as because it feels like its the price the production paid to get McCollum to contribute, as well as a means of gliding over the uglier aspects of McCollums actionsbe it that she hurt and shamed her family, or that her victimization lies resulted in community members raising funds for her legal defense. While its admirable to learn from ones mistakes, the contrition McCollum expresses in High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule is less than the self-congratulation she radiates for having used prison as a vehicle for maturation.

Ultimately, this Netflix true-crime endeavor is most fascinating when it details drug cartels methods of procuring and pressuring citizens into doing their illicit bidding. That said, High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule isnt nearly as exculpatory as it wants to be, just as McCollums belief that I wasnt any different than you falls quite a bit short of convincing.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By Jonathan Landay

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine (Reuters) -Sveta has no doubt about why the Ukrainian-held southern city of Mykolaiv, a ship-building centre that is home to a half a million people, has gone without fresh water for the past six months.

"They (the Russians) are committing genocide against us," she growled as she waited this week with dozens of others to fill containers with water from tanks hauled to a downtown thoroughfare aboard an electric tramway repair car.

The shutoff is bitter affirmation for Sveta, and some 220,000 other residents who remain in the oft-shelled city, that Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine extends beyond the battlefield to civilian infrastructure.

The Kremlin has dramatically intensified strikes on energy facilities with pre-winter missile and drone onslaughts over the past two weeks, in what Putin has called legitimate retaliation for an attack on Russia's bridge to Crimea.

The attacks have disrupted electricity across large parts of Ukraine, killing dozens of people and leaving other places without access to clean water.

But Mykolaiv's water problems have gone on much longer.

The Russians, Ukrainian officials say, closed the city's freshwater intakes in the adjacent Kherson province after they overran the region as part of what Putin calls "a special military operation."

"We don't know whether this was an intentional explosion or an accidental ammunition strike," municipal water chief Borys Dydenko told Reuters. He said he believed the Russians shut the intakes to avenge Ukraine's closure of freshwater supplies to Crimea in 2014. The Kremlin and the Russian defence ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

'THE WAY WE LIVE'

Every day, Mykolaiv's residents lug plastic containers by hand or in carts to water distribution points across the city that sits at the sweeping confluence of the Dnipro and Southern Buh rivers.

Story continues

"This is the way we live," lamented Yaroslav, 78, a retiree who worked at the Chernomorsk Shipbuilding Yard, as he queued behind Sveta. "We live through one day and there is no joy and then there is the next day."

Peter Gleick, a senior fellow at the Pacific Institute, a California thinktank that documents the impact of conflicts on water resources worldwide, said Russia has weaponised water since launching its full-scale invasion in February.

"Ukraine's water infrastructure, from dams to water treatment and wastewater systems, has been extensively targeted by Russia," Gleick wrote in an email. International law, he noted, makes striking civilian infrastructure a war crime.

In just the first three months of the war, Gleick said, he and his colleagues documented more than 60 instances in which Ukraine's civilian water supplies were disrupted and dams for both water and hydroelectric power attacked.

Russia has acknowledged targeting power plants while also saying it makes every effort to spare the civilian population. The United Nations has confirmed more than 14,000 civilian deaths and says actual numbers are likely considerably higher.

Ukraine, according to the Pacific Institute's database, has occasionally also used water as a weapon, cutting supplies off to Crimea after Russia seized the peninsula in 2014.

While Kyiv had no legal obligation to maintain the supply "it could be argued that it would have been a humanitarian thing to do," Gleick said.

Ukrainian troops released water from a Dnipro River dam to slow Russia's failed assault on Kyiv in February, according to the database. Residents in the eastern city of Donetsk, captured by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014, have also suffered water shortages. The Russian-installed government there did not immediately respond to a request for details of the situation.

Dydenko said Mykolaiv's water crisis was the worst.

"Others have problems of a local nature and are able to solve them," Dydenko told Reuters. "We are the only ones with such a colossal disaster."

After nearly a month without water, city officials were forced to begin pumping yellowish, salty water from the Southern Buh River estuary to clear sewers and let residents flush toilets and wash. It emits a pungent industrial odour, foams in toilets, and makes soap hard to lather and rinse.

Worst of all, it is corroding holes in the city's pipes.

'IT'S A CATASTROPHE'

Eventually, Dydenko said, the whole system will have to be replaced at a huge cost that Mykolaiv cannot meet, with factories idled and revenues from a dwindling population also down.

"It's a catastrophe," he said, accusing the Russians of refusing requests for a ceasefire so that the freshwater intakes could be inspected and any repairs made.

Bottles of water are available in stores, but many residents, impoverished by war, depend on bottled water donations from abroad, even as pools of water snake onto streets from leaking mains.

"This is the fifth leakage in three days," said Vitalii Tymoshchuk, 45, a repair crew foreman, standing by a hole dug for his mud-smeared men to fix the pipe in a Mykolaiv suburb.

Dydenko said he has no choice but to keep his crews patching leaks as long as possible because the salt water is untreatable.

"Our task today is to preserve all of this and last through the winter," he said. "It will not be easy and there will be more problems."

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; additional report by Kevin Liffey and Tom Balmforth; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
WEST PALM BEACH  A 43-year-old man alleged to have been involved in a violent crime spree stretching from Georgia to South Florida this month is facing a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a man in West Palm Beach.

Patrick Brockman is accused of a killing man in a shooting that occurred the night of Oct. 2 on the 1400 block of Ninth Street, south of Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. Police this week also accused him of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Brockman has been in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail since Oct. 3, following his arrest on separate charges of attempted murder and carjacking. He was represented by a public defender Friday during a hearing before Circuit Court Judge Ted Booras. The judge ordered that he be held without bail on the murder charge and set bail at $100,000 on the weapons possession charge.

The Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office is also representing him in the other cases. As a matter of policy, it does not comment on active cases.

Life in prison: Man sentenced for 2019 Lake Worth homicide

'Two lives were forever changed': Man, 22, gets 12-year sentence in death of girlfriend's father

West Palm Beach homicide: An early-morning argument led to a shooting. Now a 20-year-old man faces a murder charge.

Click here to view the homicides tracker in a larger window 

Investigators allege Georgia murder, local shooting preceded fatality

According to an arrest report, Brockman is also accused of shooting and wounding a woman in West Palm Beach on the same night as the murder, and is also accused in a home invasion and murder that occurred a day earlier in Valdosta, Ga.

Palm Beach County Jail records show that Brockman lives in West Palm Beach.

He was arrested Oct. 3 when he fled as officers investigating a carjacking attempted to search a home on Eadie Place off Haverhill Road near the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

During the search, a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputy was wounded when another deputy shot him inadvertently while trying to defend his colleague from a pit bull attack.

Story continues

The deputy's injuries were not life-threatening, PBSO reported.

According to a West Palm Beach police report, officers responded to a ShotSpotter notification at about 11 p.m. Oct. 2 and found a man lying in roadway dead from a gunshot wound to his neck. The report did not disclose the shooting victim's name.

A West Palm Beach detective arrived and told fellow officers he was working a shooting that had occurred 90 minutes earlier on Douglas Avenue. A witness from that incident told investigators that a man named Patrick shot a woman in the face unprovoked.

A description of the shooter matched a man seen on surveillance video near Ninth Street, the report said.

Apple tracking devices help to locate carjacked vehicle, city police say

The following morning a man reported being the victim of a carjacking on the 900 block of Sixth Street, between Douglas and Tamarind avenues. Officers found the stolen vehicle near 42nd Street and Australian Avenue and attempted to stop it, but ended the pursuit because of unsafe traffic conditions.

The owner of the vehicle activated Apple tracking devices that were attached to his wallet and keys, allowing officers to find the vehicle at an address in the 5400 block of Eadie Place in suburban West Palm Beach.

PBSO assisted West Palm Beach police with obtaining a warrant and created a perimeter around the residence. Brockman was arrested as he tried to run out of the back of the home, the report said.

Ballistic evidence recovered from three West Palm Beach police investigations matched evidence recovered from the homicide investigation in Georgia, the report said.

Valdosta police obtained a warrant to arrest Brockman for murder.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Georgia, Florida crime spree ends with felon facing murder charges
China has actively contributed to global climate governance, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Zhai Qing said Friday.

As the world's largest developing country, China will make the world's biggest cut in carbon emission intensity. It will move from carbon peak to carbon neutrality in the shortest time frame in history, Zhai said at a press conference on the sidelines of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

He said that China upholds multilateralism and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, adding that the country has promoted the signature, entry into force, and implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The country has taken an active part in South-South cooperation on climate change. It has done its best to help other developing countries, especially small island countries, African countries, and the least-developed countries, to improve their climate response capacity to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change, said Zhai.

Heading forward, China will work with all parties to actively participate in the global governance of climate change. It will promote a fair and rational global climate governance system for win-win results, continue to deepen South-South cooperation on climate change, and contribute China's strength, wisdom and solutions to global climate change response, Zhai said.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The United States and key Western allies accused Russia on Friday of using Iranian drones to attack civilians and power plants in Ukraine in violation of a 2015 U.N. Security Council resolution and international humanitarian law.

Russia countered by accusing Ukraine of attacking infrastructure and civilians for eight years in the eastern separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed earlier this year.

The U.S., France, Germany and Britain supported Ukraine's call for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to send a team to investigate the origin of the drones.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the drones are Russian and warned that an investigation would violate the U.N. Charter and seriously affect relations between Russia and the United Nations.

U.S. deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis said that the U.N. must investigate any violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions  and we must not allow Russia or others to impede or threaten the U.N. from carrying out its mandated responsibilities.

The Western clash with Russia over attacks on civilians and infrastructure and the use of Iranian drones came at an open council meeting that also focused on the dire humanitarian situation in Ukraine as winter approaches. Almost 18 million people, more than 40% of Ukraines population, need humanitarian assistance, U.N. humanitarian coordinator Denise Brown says.

U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo expressed grave concern to the council that Russian missile and drone attacks between Oct. 10 and Oct. 18 in cities and towns across Ukraine killed at least 38 Ukrainian civilians, injured at least 117 and destroyed critical energy infrastructure, including power plants.

She cited the Ukrainian governments announcement that 30% of the countrys energy facilities have been hit, most notably in the capital Kyiv and in the Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions.

Story continues

Combined with soaring gas and coal prices, the deprivation caused by these attacks threatens to expose millions of civilians to extreme hardship and even life-endangering conditions this winter, she said.

DiCarlo, the U.N. undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, said that under international humanitarian law, attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited. So are attacks against military objectives that may be expected to cause harm to civilians that would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated, she said.

Nebenzia claimed that high-precision missile strikes and Russian drones  not Iranian drones  hit a large number of military targets that included infrastructure in an effort to degrade Ukrainian military activities.

Of course, this did not sit well with the West and they became hysterical, and this is what were witnessing loudly and clearly today at the meeting, the Russian ambassador said.

He said the West doesnt want to face facts and acknowledge that civilian infrastructure was hit only in cases where drones had to change course because of Ukrainian defense actions. He said Ukrainian air defenses also hit civilian sites because they missed incoming attacks.

In a letter to the Security Council on Wednesday, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya accused Iran of violating a Security Council ban on the transfer of drones capable of flying 300 kilometers (about 185 miles).

That provision was part of Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six key nations  the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany  aimed at curbing Tehrans nuclear activities and preventing the country from developing a nuclear weapon.

U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear agreement in 2018 and negotiations between the Biden administration and Iran for the United States to rejoin the deal have stalled.

Under the resolution, a conventional arms embargo on Iran was in place until October 2020. But restrictions on missiles and related technologies run until October 2023, and Western diplomats say that includes the export and purchase of advanced military systems such as drones, which are also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs.

Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Wednesday that he categorically rejected unfounded and unsubstantiated claims that Iran has transferred UAVs for the use (in) the conflict in Ukraine." He accused unnamed countries of trying to launch a disinformation campaign to wrongly establish a link with the U.N. resolution.

Moreover, Iran is of the firm belief that none of its arms exports, including UAVs, to any country violate Resolution 2231, he added.

France, Germany and Britain on Friday supported Ukraines accusation that Iranian has supplies drones to Russia in violation of the 2015 resolution and they are being used in attacks on civilians and power plants in Ukraine. They backed Kyivs call for a U.N. investigation.

The three European countries said in a joint letter to the 15 council members that reports in open sources suggest Iran intends to transfer more drones to Russia along with ballistic missiles.

Neither Iran nor Russia sought advance approval from the council for the transfer of Mohajer and Shahed UAVs and therefore have violated resolution 2231, the letter said.

The U.S. sent a similar letter, saying Iranian drones were transferred to Russia in late August and requesting the U.N. Secretariat team responsible for monitoring the resolution's implementation to conduct a technical and impartial investigation that assesses the type of UAV's involved in these transfers."

Nebenzia also sent a letter contending that DiCarlo is siding with the West on carrying out an investigation. His letter insists that the U.N. Secretariat has no authority to conduct, or in any other form engage, in any `investigation'" related to Resolution 2231.
Netflix

In the age of television, true crime biopics continue to pique the interest of viewers. The story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer has particularly intrigued many, and his life has been featured in Netflix's Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes.

Both streamer shows examine Jeffrey's life as he commits 17 murders between 1978 and 1991. Despite not getting caught during that timeframe, he was eventually arrested by Milwaukee authorities after potential victim Tracy Edwards alerted them to being drugged and almost killed by Jeffrey in July 1991. Without him discussing his experience, there would've never been a push for cops to go through Jeffrey's apartment and find the photographic evidence of his crimes.

While Tracy' profile is portrayed in both series, it's also led viewers to wonder what happened to him after Jeffrey was arrested for murder. As it would be expected, his life was forever changed after that fateful day. Here's what you need to know about what happened to Tracy Edwards:

Netflix

What happened to Tracy Edwards after Jeffrey's arrest?

When Tracy flagged down the police to warn them about Jeffrey's murder attempt, he was 32 years old at the time. According to outlets, the cops had seen him wandering through the streets of Milwaukee with handcuffs hanging from one of his wrists.

After Jeffrey was arrested, Tracy continued to play a part in sending him to prison. He gave his own testimony about the night during the 1992 Wisconsin vs. Jeffrey Dahmer murder trial, where he said that he had seen him a few times prior to the fateful night in July. He recounted the events to a jury, which included what Jeffrey's plans were for him after death. In Tracy's words, Jeffrey claimed he intended to eat his heart after committing the crime.

Jeffrey would later be found guilty of murder and given 16 life sentences for killing 17 men. Though he was eventually sentenced and sent to prison, Tracy was still be affected by what occurred to him.

Story continues

Netflix

Where is Tracy Edwards now?

After the events in the 1990s, People reported that Tracy became a changed man. He experienced homeless and often went from one shelter to another. He was indicted in Toledo, Mississippi for sexual battery which involved a 14-year-old girl. He proceeded to get charged with a number of crimes, which included property damage and drug possession. But in July 2011  exactly two decades after he escaped from Jeffrey  he was arrested for attempting to throw a man off a Milwaukee bridge and kill him.

When ABC News spoke to Tracy's defense attorney Paul Ksicinski, he claimed that his client's life was never the same after his encounter with Jeffrey. "It's like Humpty Dumpty," he told the outlet. "It's like he was never able to put the pieces back together again."

In July 2012, Tracy was found guilty and sentenced to a year and a half in prison. National Post also reported that he was given two years of extended supervision for "aiding a felon." As far as his current whereabouts, no one knows. He is said to have lost touch with his former lawyer but Paul still continues to wish him well.

"I have no doubt that Tracy was pushed over the edge, and I only hope that he is surviving," Paul told People. "I mean, his life was completely destroyed."

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When Anne Elizabeth Moore was given a free house in 2016 as part of a writers residency programme in Detroit, it felt too good to be true.

However, as she learned more about how the property arrived in her life, it came to feel more like a racist true crime story: the home had been sold out from under a 47-year-old woman named Tomeka Langford against her will, part of a trend in Wayne County of municipal authorities aggressively seizing homes from Black Detroiters and selling them at foreclosure auctions during the height of the financial crisis.

In 2010, Ms Langford, a mother of four, bought the home for $700, after a previous owner experienced mortgage default.

At the time, she knew she could face a back tax bill on the property for up to $10,000, and began a payment plan on the tax bill, while investing roughly $8,000 dollars in fixing up the house and furnishing it, hoping to leave the property as a gift to her kids one day.

Then the county stepped in.

In the spring of 2012, while Ms Langford was casually browsing the countys property auction site, she saw her own house for sale.

Thats how she learned Wayne County considered the home foreclosed for being thousands behind on back taxes, seeming to defy a process that was normally supposed to take three years and involve multiple notices. The city said it served Ms Langford in person and left written notices, but she said she never received these warnings or any guidance from the county treasurer that she was facing foreclosure.

According to a Guardian investigation , Ms Langfords home was assessed and given a resulting tax bill at a value 2,500 per cent greater than the price she bought it for, going against a state constitutional requirement that assessment rates couldnt rise above 50 per cent of the purchase price of the home.

The constitutional provision suggests her tax bill shouldve been something like $30 for 2010, but was $1,800 instead.

You cant harbor stuff, she told the paper. You cant believe it, but when youre the little person, what can you really do? You dont have anything to fight with.

Story continues

The county insists it followed proper procedure.

The foreclosure is part of a larger trend in the city, whose numerous foreclosed and abandoned homes became an emblem of the financial crisis.

Between 2002 and 2016, roughly 143,000 homes were foreclosed in the county, over a third of the total property stock, most of them for unpaid taxes, according to an analysis from Regrid . During that time, Detroit likely overtaxed between 55 and 85 per cent of properties, according to the ACLU of Michigan, leading 100,000 families to lose their homes, many of them low-income people of colour with home values below $9,000.

All told, the city of Detroit may have over-taxed homeowners by as much as $600m between 2010 and 2016, leading to an estimated 100,000 homeowners, most of them Black, losing their properties, according to the Detroit Metro Times .

Meanwhile, Wayne County made $421m in interest and fees on back taxes during the financial crisis, Bridge Michigan reports .

According to Ms Moore, the writer, who is white, she only learned Ms Langford had a title on the house when she eventually sought to move out and sell the home, entering into a legal battle to quiet the title to the property, not knowing that the now-defunct writer programme bought it from the county amid such turmoil.

This isnt a story about gentrification  at least, not how we usually think about it, she wrote in The Guardian. Its a story of a Black woman losing her home to municipal greed, and a white woman benefitting from her loss. Its a story about the racial wealth gap, and how the median white American household accrues almost eight times the wealth of most Black American households.

City Council president Mary Sheffield is pushing the mayor and others for a full reparations programme for people kicked out of their homes.

We are working diligently and very hard to find solutions, she told the Metro Times this summer. We dont just want to put a Band-Aid on it and not get to the core of what happened.

Housing advocates in Detroit have suggested giving displaced people tax credits, cash compensation, home repair grants, public housing vouchers, employment opportunities, or property itself from the citys holdings.

The phenomenon in Detroit is part of a larger legacy of Black people getting unequal access to the US housing market , the major form of financial uplift and wealth creation for most families in the country.

Federal officials intentionally kept Black homeowners and neighbourhoods out of midcentury loan programmes to encourage home ownership in a process called red-lining, while Jim Crow segregation and vigilante violence targeted Black families and further hampered equal housing.
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast

We had a lull, for a few years there, in our educational Kulturkampf. Terrorism, war, and recession ate up our attention. Cultural battles decamped to the church and courthouse, as gay marriage became the debate of a decade.

But then, inexorably, the school board fights came back. Seemingly everywhere were battles over COVID-19 rules, curricula about race and gender, and, ultimately, the shape of our national identity.

Its possible well resolve (or gradually abandon) these specific conflicts, settling into an embittered ceasefire like the one weve made for older disagreements over sex education, the teaching of evolution, and prayer on campus. Yet we are naive if we think well figure this out in some broader sensethat Americas public school culture wars will ever really end.

Why Americans Cant Agree on How to Handle the Migrant Crisis

The school board fights of the last three years arent a blip. Its the comparative quiet of the post-9/11 2000s and early 2010s thats anomalous, and that quiet cant be durably replicated unless we make major changes to how we organize public educationor how we exist and imagine ourselves as a country.

The centrality of public schools to the definition and inculcation of American identity makes them an inevitable point of friction in a country as divided as our own.

This may catch us by surprise, especially after a temporary truce: We tend to think of local politics as a respite from the contention in Washington, a place where practical realities and neighborly cooperation can overcome partisan animosities. Go low enough on the scale of federalism and we all want the same things, right? Well-maintained roads, reliable utilities, a good education for our kids.

But public schools are also Americas chief public institution for distilling and delivering moral values to its young, as education historian Jonathan Zimmerman writes in Whose America? Culture Wars in the Public Schoolsand here we decidedly dont all want the same things. Schools across the globe teach the glories of nationhood, linking children to a set of transcendent events and ideals, Zimmerman observes.

Story continues

Yet what are our glories? What are our ideals? Beyond math and literacy, music and sports, Americans visions of a good education diverge widely. They always will.

Weve been bequeathed a system of public education from a different era with different problems and goals. Its designed to foster a common identity, which is exactly what we cant (and, to some degree, dont want to) settle. Its a winner-take-all approach which is irrevocably ill-suited to peace in a country as religiously diverse and politically polarized as ours. Public educationmixing as it does the most intimate question of how our children are raised and the grandest question of what our nation should be likewill forever be a front in the culture war, perhaps its very nastiest.

Im Afraid My Neighbors Will Call the Cops if My Kids Walk Alone to the Park

That is, unless something changessomething big and presently implausible. Such a change could come on the educational side. Most optimistically, as Zimmerman suggests, we could have teachers and textbooks present multiple views of the nation and let students sort them out on their own.

But I confess Im not that optimistic. A plan to teach, say, The 1619 Project alongside some output of the Trump administrations 1776 Commission would satisfy no one. A proposal to present opposing views on transgender identity would be rejected in equal measure by LGBTQ activists and their conservative counterparts. Parents would suspect that, whatever the curriculum officially said, teachers would have their thumbs on the scale. Instead of being hailed as a strike for critical thinking, presenting multiple views would more likely be dismissed as a new variation on creationists teach the controversy push to pair instruction on evolution with discussion of religious views of the origins of the earth.

A reductive proposal might fare better than an additive one, and the released-time programs many states retain could be a workable model.

Released time allows public school students to leave campus for a short period during the school day for religious instruction. Following mid-century Supreme Court decisions, chiefly McCollum v. Board of Education (1948), state and district codes specify the instruction must take place off school property, with all costs and logistics handled by parents or the religious organization. Participating students must have parental permission and make up any work they miss while off campus.

Why Are Democrats Making It Harder to Hire Child Care Workers?

Its possible to imagine a similar approach for subjects outside the three Rs and the arts (especially social studies and sex ed), giving students a partial charter- or private-school experience without tossing out our entire public-school infrastructure. Progressive families could release their children to read Howard Zinns Peoples History of the United States with a drag queen, while conservative parents might send their kids to memorize the Declaration of Independence at church.

Retaining barebones standardized testing for students across released-time classes would ensure some consistent baseline of factual knowledge, as failing programs could be cut. Maybe such a division of territory could de-escalate, if not quite pacify.

The alternative to radically changing our school system is changing how we live and conceive of American identity. But this seems, if anything, more difficult to do well.

Yes, We Have to Point Fingers Over COVID Learning Loss

The likeliest concrete scenario might be a scaled-up and deliberate Big Sort in which like-minded Americans cluster together until each public school district (or even state) is a monoculture, internally uncontested in its self-description as the real heart of America.

Im doubtful that what wed lose in the process would be worth calmer school board meetings. Yet even if that trade were prudent, the payoff wouldnt be guaranteed; the narcissism of small differences would see to that. And theres the rub: A perpetually pluralizing society will be ever more uncomfortable with public education, because theres not just one public, if ever there was.

So here we are, locked in educational warfare, all very well-intended and cutthroat and utterly without a foreseeable path to detente.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A Carlinville woman faces criminal charges in the death of a 3-year-old child in southern Illinois, officials announced Saturday.

Ashley N. Bottoms, 33, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering the life of a child causing death.

Macoupin County States Attorney Jordan Garrison described Bottoms relationship to the child as a trusted household member in a news release announcing the charges.

Emergency personnel from the Litchfield Fire Station determined the child was dead Thursday when they responded to a vehicle because they had received a report of a child in distress, according to the release.

Detectives from the Litchfield Police Department and Macoupin County Sheriffs Department coordinated in the investigation, according to the Macoupin County States Attorneys office.

Officials from the Macoupin County States Attorneys office, Macoupin County Sheriffs Department and Litchfield Police Department could not immediately be reached for further comment Saturday.

Involuntary manslaughter is an accusation that a person unintentionally killed someone without justification. It is classified as a Class 2 felony when it involves family or household members. If convicted, a person can face between 3 and 14 years in prison.

Endangering the life of a child causing death is a Class 3 felony, punishable by between 2 and 10 years in prison upon conviction.

Bottoms was in custody on a $250,000 bond on Saturday.
Matt Sowash inside one of his tiny homes. Holy Ground Tiny Homes Youtube channel

A woman hired a private investigator after waiting months for her tiny home to be delivered.

She discovered the Holy Ground Tiny Houses founder didn't have any assets in his name, NBC reported.

Matt Sowash promised buyers tiny homes, but has filed for bankruptcy, court records show.

A woman resorted to hiring a private investigator to find out why her tiny home had not been delivered months after paying almost $50,000, NBC News reported.

Matt Sowash, the founder of Colorado-based nonprofit Holy Ground Tiny Houses, is facing multiple lawsuits after being accused of failing to deliver homes.

Lori Birckhead, who runs the By Faith Farm in Tennessee with her husband, transferred $46,504 to Sowash in April for an 8-foot-by-28-foot home to put on their property and was told to expect delivery in July.

She told NBC that after multiple attempts at getting in touch with Sowash, an assistant said the home could take more than two years to be delivered.

"That was when I hired a private investigator who did some digging and discovered that he didn't have any assets in his name," she told the outlet.

Court records show Sowash filed for bankruptcy on October 7, despite telling NBC in September that he wouldn't do so "because I can't sit back and watch all those people lose homes."

He also told NBC he was not sure if he could construct the 250 homes that had already been paid for.

In an update to customers on October 14, he wrote: "This has really been a week of change. I first want to apologize for this situation. Unfortunately, filing for Chapter 11 is the only way I can make sure the business is safe and that we can live up to our obligation of making sure everyone gets their money back."

Lender Kinetic Direct Funding filed a lawsuit against him in state court in Brooklyn, New York on September 2.

Sowash told NBC he borrowed $400,000 loan from Kinetic to build the homes, but wasn't able to make the payments.

Charles Dowling, 39, a disabled Army veteran who lives near Colorado Springs, told NBC he was sleeping on friends' couches because the 30-foot house he ordered with a $22,000 down payment, failed to arrive in July as well.

Story continues

"He's nothing but a shyster, and no one should ever do business with this man," Dowling said of Sowash.

Englewood Police Department in Colorado said it was investigating the allegations against Sowash and his nonprofit, NBC reported. The police department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Sowash was sentenced in 2009 to five years in prison for defrauding investors of more than $470,000 and was also convicted of stealing $140,000 from three people who thought he was looking for investment opportunities for them.

He discovered an interest in tiny homes while in jail, and previously told NBC he built his first home in his garage in 2019, selling it for $12,000.

Sowash did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Xponential Fitness Inc (NYSE: XPOF) has signed a Master Franchise Agreement in Kuwait for its brands Rumble, Club Pilates, StretchLab, and CycleBar.

The Master Franchisee for Xponential in Kuwait is the publicly traded real estate development company, Aqarat.

The deal signed with Aqarat will result in opening a minimum of eight studios early in the initial ten-year term of the agreement. Additional studios will be developed based on market opportunity.

Aqarat also has investments and joint venture agreements with several hospitality brands.

"Aqarat's extensive real estate and hospitality experience is perfectly suited for our customer-focused brands, and they are well-equipped to deliver our immersive studio experiences to the Kuwaiti population," said John Kersh, Chief International Development Officer of Xponential Fitness.

The agreement marks the continued expansion of Xponential Fitness outside North America.

Also Read : Piper Sandler Believes Xponential Fitness Is Poised For Solid Growth

Price Action: XPOF shares are trading higher by 2.06% at $19.58 on the last check Thursday.

See more from Benzinga

Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better.

 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
China-Laos Railway conducts tunnel emergency response drill

Xinhua) 10:12, October 22, 2022

VIENTIANE, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. (LCRC), a joint venture based in Lao capital Vientiane and responsible for the operation of the railway's Lao section, has conducted an exercise responding to emergency cases in the tunnel and on long ramps.

The drill, testing the emergency brake performance and the anti-slip control system on the long ramp, was held Tuesday on the Railway's Lao section in Kasy district, some 150 km north of Vientiane.

When the train had to stop suddenly on a slope, the staff checked the parking conditions and recorded machine information, verifying that the brake and anti-sliding performance of the train meets the safety standards of train operation.

The exercise also included emergency response skills to organize the evacuation of passengers in the event of a fire incident in the long tunnel to ensure that the stages of evacuation are properly implemented and the equipment can be used with quality.

An LCRC official told Xinhua on Friday that as a result of the drill, it has been tested that the emergency evacuation procedure in the long tunnel is scientifically correct, reasonable and possible. The warning signal, emergency lighting, communication and other equipment in the tunnel along the China-Laos Railway are in good condition.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Hongyu)
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Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a phone conversation over international security, the situation in Ukraine in particular, on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a brief statement.

The Russian side did not provide further details.

According to the Pentagon, "Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication" between the United States and Russia amid the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.
Prosecutors say John O'Kelly tried to disarm police officers on January 6. The Justice Department

A New York attorney was arrested this week on several January 6 charges.

Prosecutors used facial recognition technology to identify John O'Kelly in photos from the siege.

More than 900 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol attack.

Federal prosecutors used facial recognition technology to identify and arrest a New York attorney on January 6 charges this week.

John O'Kelly, 66, is charged with two felonies and four misdemeanors related to his role in the insurrection, including civil disorder, assaulting, resisting or impeding officers, and disorderly conduct, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say O'Kelly tried to disarm police officers who were guarding the Capitol on January 6, 2021, by grabbing an officer's baton and "attempting to wrestle it" from his hands. O'Kelly also pushed a metal bike rack into multiple officers during the siege, according to the government.

NBC News was first to report O'Kelly's arrest Thursday. According to the outlet, O'Kelly previously worked for the Lawyers' Committee for 9/11 Inquiry, a group that believes pre-planted explosives were responsible for the fall of the Twin Towers in 2001.

In 2019, O'Kelly filed a lawsuit on behalf of the group against the Justice Department in an effort to present the organization's conspiracy theory to a grand jury. A judge dismissed the lawsuit in March 2021, and the decision was upheld on appeals five months later.

A representative for the organization told NBC that O'Kelly no longer worked with the group.

Prosecutors ultimately identified the attorney thanks to a tip from online sleuths, according to court documents. The tipster said they used open source photo ID software to identify O'Kelly in photos from the riot, and federal investigators later confirmed his identity using his DMV photo, according to court documents.

Online sleuths had come to know the yet-identified O'Kelly as "MidWhiteCrisis," according to NBC, due to his inclusion on the FBI's Capitol Violence page.

Story continues

O'Kelly did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

More than 900 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol attack and more than 400 have pleaded guilty thus far.

Read the original article on Business Insider
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2022, 19:40

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Iran is lying when it says that it does not supply drones to Russia.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview for Canadian TV channels CTV and CBC

Quote: "Iran supplies them (the Russians  ed.) with drones, supplies them with the murder of Ukrainians; this is their agreement for money. This is blood money that Iran is earning. They can say: We did not take anything, show financial calculations Were speaking precisely - Iran is supplying drones that have killed Ukrainians and keep killing. Not one, not two, not five, but hundreds. We know that agreements about thousands (of drones -ed.) exist. We know it for sure. But hundreds are already here.

We cannot trust them. They may tell their society that they didn't sell anything, but that's a lie, a pure lie. They are killing our people."

Details: Zelenskyy stressed that he does not trust the leadership of Iran.

He recalled when a Ukrainian UIA aircraft was downed by a missile in Iran in January 2020, resulting in the death of 176 people. The President noted that at first Iran denied any involvement in the disaster, but later was forced to admit it, however claiming that it was an accident.

"But apart from an apology, they didn't do anything. They said that there will be compensation for families, support for families who have lost their loved ones. They said it at the leadership level... and what did they do? They did nothing, zero, they did nothing to help," Zelenskyy said.

According to him, Ukraine had information from its intelligence, as well as partner intelligence sources, that "Iran trades Shahed drones and missiles with Russia, etc.", but Iran had denied everything.

"And here we see hundreds of strikes in Ukraine, at the Capitol, civil infrastructure, at schools, at the university, and the shutting down of our energy system so our people can't get through the winter," Zelensky stated.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Liberty University hosted its first ever Deaf Field Day on the academic lawn Friday afternoon, coordinated through Libertys Office of Equity and Inclusion.

Shon Muldrow  executive vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion  said this event has been in the works for eight to nine months.

Deaf and hearing-impaired students are something that were trying to attract to Liberty because they are normally a group thats sometimes overlooked, and as Christians, we want to be inclusive and involve everybody, Muldrow said.

Students of the deaf and hard of hearing community from middle schools and high schools around the state attended the event Friday.

At the event there were games, vendor tables of different organizations that serve the deaf community such as the Virginia Department of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and the Virginia Association of the Deaf, as well as speakers.

Well-known deaf actor, rapper and performer Warren Snipe was a speaker at the field day. One major thing that Snipe challenged the students to do is to never give up.

Each of the students here [Liberty University] had started with a dream and when they graduate they can make their dreams become a reality. Its your turn; you have a chance, Snipe said to the students.

Following Snipes speech, students were divided into groups and played games including gaga ball, a fast-paced game played in an octagonal pit; rock, paper, scissors relay; nine square in the air, which combines elements of volleyball and four square; and flag tag.

At the end of the event, two students were randomly selected for a $2,500 scholarship, given by the university.

Its the states first event of this kind, according to a news release from LU.

Jackie Owen  LUs director of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and coordinator of the field day event  said Muldrow encouraged her to go on recruiting trips to find out what other colleges are doing to get deaf students enrolled at the college level.

Owen made a trip to Georgia to visit Valdosta State University. She learned about the universitys annual Deaf Field Day, where the school invites students in kindergarten through 12th grades from the deaf and hard of hearing community annually from surrounding states.

This inspired the idea to host a similar event on Libertys campus.

They [kids] develop a loyalty to that school [Valdosta State] and they go, Owen said. So, I went down there and talked to them on how they did it, got the details, and came back and pitched it to our vice president, Mr. Muldrow, and he was all for it, Owen said.

Sophomore Grace Forsberg, a graphic design major and ASL Club president, said it was very exciting to see the kids on campus.

Its huge; I didnt expect it to happen today, Forsberg said.

Owen said her goal for the event today is to present ourselves as a deaf-friendly university, to encourage them to dream big and to push them forward to post-secondary education.

If we can get them coming to this event every year, theyll develop a loyalty to our school and want to become part of the Liberty family; thats our goal, Owen said.
As Election Day nears, with seven candidates jockeying for three at-large seats on Lynchburg City Council, campaign promotions are no strange sight to Lynchburg residents.

Yard signs adorn front lawns and street corners. Billboards featuring smiling candidates are spread across the city. Numerous pamphlets and flyers have been handed out as candidates go door-to-door asking residents for their support ahead of Election Day on Nov. 8.

According to the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project, the seven candidates had raised more than $150,000, well over twice the amount that was spent on the 2018 at-large city council elections, which came in just above $65,000. Both elections featured seven total candidates running for the three seats.

Heres how much each candidate has raised, according to VPAP, as of Sept. 30:

Stephanie Reed: $58,876

Larry Taylor: $31,655

Beau Wright: $26,850

Martin Misjuns: $25,610

Treney Tweedy: $20,140

Patrick Earl: $13,975

Walter Virgil Jr.: $13,588

For each candidate, a majority of donations are under $3,000.

Campaign costs go beyond yard signs and flyers. Candidates often spend money on their websites, digital advertising on social media sites, photography services and even consultant services for campaign managers.

With all this money invested in Novembers at-large city council election, the question remains: Will having the most money translate to getting the most votes?

David Richards, chair of the political science department at the University of Lynchburg, said in a recent interview with The News & Advance that while money is everything on a federal election level, its not as much of a sure sign of success on the local level.

Traditionally, it hasnt mattered as much, Richards said, especially in places where you have incumbents who just tend to get reelected.

However, he said, fundraising plays an increasing role for challengers because it allows them to get their name out there and become better known.

For local elections like this one, Richards said typically it comes down to personal connections and endorsements, which he says are almost as good as money.

Local elections are about who you know, Richards said. Its about who you have contact with in the city, because if you have contact with certain groups of people, those people can be turned out to vote.

In each election where councils three at-large seats are up for grabs, the top three vote-getters are the winners. In 2018, according to the Virginia Department of Elections, the difference between the third-place finisher, Wright, and the fourth-place finisher, Katie Cyphert, was only 461 votes in a city with 52,493 total registered voters at the time, showing the importance of turning supporters out to the polls on Election Day.

Nonetheless, Richards said, fundraising at the local level is hardly a futile effort. With the push in recent years by both major political parties to drill down the local level, Richards said, more money is flowing into local campaigns as issues closer to home become more important to voters.

With two incumbents running to be reelected to council, Richards said they carry a built-in fundraising advantage because they have a proven track record and also have an advantage at the ballot box due to name recognition.

Richards said having the name recognition of an incumbent is important because normally, candidates do not run as a member of one of the two major political parties in city council elections. This means voters often choose names they recognize over their preferred political party.

This year has three exceptions: Misjuns, Taylor and Reed were publicly endorsed by the Lynchburg Republican City Committee during a convention held May 14, another sign of the push by the major parties to get their candidates elected at a local level.

Unlike most elections, turnout might not be the best indicator to determine who will have a chance to win the three seats.

In the 2018 council elections, only about 12% of registered voters actually voted in Lynchburg. That number could drastically increase this year because the election will be held in November, following a 2021 bill passed in the Virginia General Assembly that required all local elections be moved from May to November.

New this year, city council elections will be on the same ballot as federal elections in Lynchburg, which could lead to higher turnout. Also on Lynchburg residents ballots will be the 5th Congressional District race between incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Good and Democratic challenger Josh Throneburg.

Even if there is high turnout, that doesnt mean incumbents are a lock to retain their seats, Richards said.

Just by the sheer number of seven people running around Lynchburg saying Im running for city council, people are more aware of the race than before. And so if theres a lot of interest, then a high turnout, even the incumbent may not have the base to overcome somebody new who taps into the voters who are coming in who havent voted before or dont normally vote, Richards said.

With less than three weeks to go until Election Day, as more signs and posters promoting candidates pop up across the city, Richards believes theres an answer to the age-old question, Do yard signs win elections?

Im sure theres papers, and many papers about that, but you know what actually helps is somebody has to ... go to the office to pick up that yard sign, they are committed to that candidate. Thats where it helps, he said.

Richards later added, Maybe your neighbors will say, Oh why do you have that yard sign? and you can give that spiel of why they should go vote for that person, but in terms of people driving by at 30 miles per hour, I cant imagine it does a whole lot of good.
, Oct 22 ( Kyodo ) - Kei Komuro, the husband of Japanese former princess Mako Komuro, has passed his New York state bar examination on his third attempt, a source familiar with the matter said Friday.

The 31-year-old had retaken the state bar exam in July after failing on two previous attempts, once in July last year and again in February.

According to the exam's organizer, 9,609 people sat the bar exam and 6,350, or 66 percent, passed it. ...continue reading
Council Bluffs and Lewis Central Community School Districts saw an uptick in their enrollment this fall  Council Bluffs for the first time since before the pandemic.

Council Bluffs certified enrollment is 8,705.72 students, an increase of 17.65 students under the states weighted enrollment system.

Certified enrollment, tallied in October each year and reviewed by the Iowa Department of Education, reflects extra weight given to students who need more services. It is this number that is used by the state to calculate how much aid each district will receive the following school year. Thats why a drop in certified enrollment can send school officials scrambling to find savings and/or more revenue.

Council Bluffs Superintendent Vickie Murillo was glad to see the increase.

I am pleased to see our enrollment stabilize and begin to increase again after experiencing the pandemic-related declines also felt by many other school districts across Iowa and throughout the country, she said.

Open enrollment still takes a big bite out of Council Bluffs enrollment. This year, 302 students open-enrolled into the district, while 720 open-enrolled out. That makes for a net loss of 418 students, although the Iowa Department of Education may adjust those numbers.

Lewis Centrals resident budget enrollment is 2,655.6 students, up 28.46 from last year, according to a chart from the district.

However, the district has 622.4 students open-enrolled in  a substantial number but short of the 645.3 it had last year. With the number open-enrolling out down by only four students, the districts net gain through open enrollment was 302.4, down 18.9 from last years 321.3. That reduces the districts overall gain to 9.6 students.

The state does not compensate districts for students open-enrolled in, but the students home district is required to reimburse the receiving district for the students tuition.

Council Bluffs enrollment plummeted by 237.3 in 2020 and 196.7 in 2021, so this years increase is only the beginning of a comeback. Whats encouraging about the districts growth, though, is that it is partly because of increases in preschool and kindergarten students, meaning it has gained students who may be in the system for many years to come.

Lewis Centrals enrollment fell by 16.2 in 2020 but reversed that with a gain of 18.6 in 2021.

How much additional state aid the districts receive next year depends on how much growth in funding the Iowa Legislature and governor approve next spring.
The Lewis Central Community School District Board of Education approved a policy this week that is designed to transfer transportation discipline from building principals to the transportation director and bus drivers, according to board materials.

The policy establishes a series of disciplinary measures to be taken when a student violates bus behavior expectations. There are different responses for elementary, middle school and high school students.

Some kids dont always (listen to) the driver on the bus and the monitor, because they werent the ones delivering the discipline, Superintendent Brent Hoesing said. We decided its probably best to leave it to the people who are actually on the bus.

After the first offense, the student would receive a written warning and their parents would be notified. The policy calls for temporarily suspending a students bus privileges after the second offense (the first written violation). Elementary and middle school students would be suspended for one day and high school students for three days.

Kids have a right to ride the bus, but we have a right to keep our buses safe, Hoesing said.

Yelling, pushing, fighting, swearing, etc. are all distracting to the bus driver and can create unsafe conditions, board materials stated.

Disciplinary measures escalate with each violation. Beginning with the third offense, (the second written violation), suspensions would be three days for elementary students, five days for middle school students and 10 days for high school students. Bus privileges would not be restored until a conference was held involving the student, parent(s) and transportation director/driver/bus monitor.

There really was no escalation to this before, Hoesing said. As someone whos been on the buses recently, some of our buses have some issues.

After the fifth offense (fourth written violation), high school students would lose all bus privileges for the rest of the school year. Younger students are given more chances. After the seventh offense (sixth written violation) elementary and middle school students would have their bus privileges suspended indefinitely  at least 30 days and until after the transportation director and superintendent meet to discuss it.

The policy also states that, depending on the circumstances of the offense and the history of the student, the response may vary at the transportation directors discretion. Consequences may also involve discipline at the students school. Law enforcement may also be contacted when necessary to preserve the safety of the student or other students being transported, or when a law has been broken.

Hoesing implemented a similar policy when he was superintendent in Missouri Valley, he said.

Our bus referrals went down considerably, he said.

Board President Dorene Scheffel asked Hoesing to report back to the board about the policy.

At the end of the (trimester), let us know how this is working, she said.

Council Bluffs Community School District declined an invitation to describe its policy on transportation discipline.
An Illinois State Police trooper shot a person early Friday in Morrison during the execution of a search warrant.

A state police Special Weapons Team executed the warrant around 5:30 a.m. at a residence in the 600 block of North Cherry Street, according to the state police. The warrant was for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and possession of contraband in a penal institution.

As they were serving the warrant, troopers heard shots inside the house. They found the person named in the warrant, who was armed with a gun, according to the state police. One of the troopers fired upon and wounded that individual.

As police continued to search the residence, they found another person, a female, who was suffering from a gunshot wound, the state police said. She was in a different part of the house from where the officerinvolved shooting occurred, police said.

Both of the wounded were transported to a hospital. Neither their identities nor their conditions were being released Friday afternoon.

The members of the state police team were wearing body cameras, police said.

The officer who shot the individual is a four-year veteran of the Special Weapons Team, the state police said, but did not release further details on the troopers identity.

The incident is being investigated by the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation. When the inquiry is complete, the evidence gathered will be submitted to the Whiteside County States Attorneys Office for review.
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"The pandemic is not yet over," a World Health Organization (WHO) official warned on Friday, saying the continued emergence of subvariants "poses a risk of resurgence and overwhelming health systems".

Babatunde Olowokure, director of Health Security and Emergencies for WHO in the Western Pacific, said Singapore and New Zealand are experiencing surges of COVID-19 cases, while Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Vietnam have shown a sustained decline of cases, hospitalization, and deaths since August.

Olowokure told a press conference that the circulation of COVID-19 Omicron XBB subvariant is fueling the surge in Singapore, while the BA.5 is still the dominant variant in New Zealand.

"Singapore reimposed public health safety measures such as limiting visitors in hospitals and residential care homes," he said.

WHO data showed that the Western Pacific Region tallied over 92 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, including more than 270,000 deaths since the highly infectious and fatal disease emerged in 2020.

Olowokure said the decline of cases in several countries is due to "relatively high vaccine coverage", but he urged people to remain vigilant despite the decline in reported cases regionally and globally, adding that the coronavirus continues to circulate in the region.
Morocco and Togo have decided to abolish visa requirements for their respective nationals, holders of ordinary passports.

An agreement on the visa waiver for the benefit of the Moroccans and the Togolese was signed Thursday in Dakhla following the inauguration of Togos Consulate General in the Saharan city.

The agreement was initialed by the Togolese and Moroccan foreign ministers, Robert Dussey and Nasser Bourita who had co-chaired the inauguration ceremony of the consular representation.

Togos consulate general in Dakhla confirms Lomes unwavering support for the Moroccanness of Sahara and its support for the territorial integrity and national unity of Morocco, said Robert Dussey, in a joint news conference with Bourita.

The opening of the consulate general in the Moroccan Sahara translates the will to consolidate bilateral relations, he said.

With the Togolese consular representation, the number of consulates opened in the southern provinces increased to 27 (15 in Dakhla and 12 in Laayoune).
At least 150 people including children have been killed in two days of fighting in the latest ethnic clashes between members of the Hausa people and rival groups over land disputes in Sudans southern Blue Nile state.

The fighting is some of the worst in recent months, and crowds took to the streets the states capital Damazin in protest, chanting slogans condemning a conflict that has left hundreds dead this year. Clashes broke out last week after reported arguments over land between members of the two ethic groups, with residents reporting hundreds fleeing intense gunfire and homes set ablaze. Eddie Rowe, the United Nations aid chief for Sudan, said he was deeply concerned at the latest communal violence in a region awash with guns bordering South Sudan and Ethiopia that reportedly led to an unconfirmed 170 people [having] been killed and 327 [having] been injured.

Last week, clashes in the same area of Blue Nile sparked by a dispute over land issues left at least 13 people dead and 24 injured, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Authorities in Sudan imposed an overnight curfew in a bid to contain the violence. The country is grappling with deepening political unrest and a spiraling economic crisis since last years military coup, led by army chief Abdel-Fattah Burhan. The military power grab upended a transition to civilian rule launched after the 2019 ouster of strongman Omar al-Bashir, who ruled for three decades. A surge in ethnic violence in recent months has highlighted the security breakdown in Sudan since the coup.
The United States has outlined the measures the government of Zimbabwe can take for Washington to end its sanctions on the country, but warns that confidence building measures are needed for bilateral re-engagement.

On 19 October, the US Department of State called for President Emmerson Mnangagwas government to prosecute former and current regime officials responsible for corruption and human rights abuses and build back its democracy. Were asking that the Zimbabwe government take meaningful noticeable material actions that strengthen the democratic processes, build the institutions back to its constitution, the US Department of State sanctions coordinator told the press. Last month, the US updated its sanctions regime on Zimbabwe, which currently targets 83 Zimbabwean individuals and 37 entities, including President Mnangagwa, and his top adviser.

The US first imposed sanctions on specific individuals in Zimbabwe during the rule of the independence icon turned authoritarian leader, the late Robert Mugabe, for undermining democratic processes, such as passing laws restricting media freedom and the right to protest. President Mnangagwa has recently called for the removal of sanctions, calling them a cancer that eats away at the economy. In August, two visiting US senate officials were tailed and circled by vehicles believed to belong to Zimbabwes state security forces, which was denounced by the Department of State as an act of intimidation. Since sanctions came into effect, Zimbabwe has lost access to more than $100bn in bilateral donor support, grants, and loans from the IMF, World Bank, and the African Development Bank, a 2021 report by the UN Special Rapporteur found.
The announcement by Moroccos phosphates and fertilizers producer OCP to double its soil nutrient exports to Africa was a boon for a continent that bears the brunt of the surge in commodities prices due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

OCP said last week it will bolster its fertilizers exports to Africa to 4 million tons in 2023 compared to 2 million tons in 2021, a decision that will help address the fertilizer supply gap on a continent where most countries are reliant on soil nutrient imports.

Africa has the highest proportion of people experiencing severe hunger representing 21% of its population. The UN food and agriculture organization said 282 million Africans suffer from undernourishment. Hence the need for a resilient agriculture in Africa with steady access to fertilizers to bolster output.

The OCP announcement adds to a previous move to offer 550,000 tons of fertilizers in donations and discounts to mitigate the impact of skyrocketing fertilizers on African finances.

Reuters quoted head of OCP Africa saying the move benefited 4 million African farmers in 20 countries so far.

Besides acting on the supply dimension, the OCP has invested over 6 billion dollars to build fertilizers plants in Nigeria and Ethiopia as well as Ghana, giving these countries potential not only to meet all their fertilizers needs but also leaving much space for export to neighboring African countries.

OCP has also set up laboratories in the 12 African countries where it directly operates, offering customized fertilizers and blenders to meet the needs of different African soils.

Thanks to OCPs supply of customized fetrtilizers, Senegals millet yield jumped 63% and Nigerias corn yield 48%, with similar results in Ghana and elsewhere. OCPs involvement in Ethiopia has seen wheat, corn, and teff yields increase by up to 37%.
Libyan factions leaders, namely President of the Libyan parliament Aguila Saleh and President of the Libyan High Council of State Khaled Al-Mishri held talks in Morocco in a bid to relaunch dialogue and find a political solution to end their countrys long-running dispute.

The two officials meeting in Rabat highlighted Friday by agreement to implement the results of the inter-Libyan dialogue of Bouznika, on the posts of sovereignty and unification of executive power.

Speaking at a joint press briefing after the meeting, Aguila Saleh said he and Al-Mishri agreed to implement the Bouznika mechanism related to the sovereign positions within the coming weeks, but not later than the end of the year.

The mechanism was announced in a final statement by Libyan delegations at the end of a second round of dialogue in Bouznika in October 2020.

It is related to criteria for appointments to leadership positions in the states sovereign institutions, including the positions of Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, President of the Audit Bureau, and Head of the Administrative Control Authority, among others.

Appointment to the positions requires the approval of two-thirds of the members of parliament.

The two parties also agreed to ensure that there is a single executive power in Libya as soon as possible and it was also agreed to relaunch dialogue to achieve an agreement about the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections, Aguila Saleh said.

These elections need to respect a clear roadmap and legislation, on the basis of which the polls will be held, he added during the press briefing held in the presence of the Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita who received the two Libyan officials as part of the Moroccan commitment to help Libyan factions reach a peaceful and agreed upon political solution to the decade-long crisis.

For his part, Al-Mishri noted that the splitting of institutions has only exacerbated the crisis and it was imperative to unify them, stressing that it was agreed to continue the agreement on the measures necessary to conduct the presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible.

The unification of sovereign institutions and executive power will pave the way for the conduct of these events as soon as possible, Al-Mishri said.

He recalled the meeting held in Bouznika between the House of Representatives and the High Council of State and which was sanctioned by an agreement on the unification of power or sovereign institutions. He noted that this agreement was applied to two sovereignty positions out of seven.

We will continue our meetings in Morocco during the next period and will diligently follow the sound implementation of what has been agreed upon, he said.

The two Libyan officials both expressed thanks and gratitude to King Mohammed VI for the efforts he made for the stability and unity of Libya.

They recalled Moroccos commitment to helping Libyans find a peaceful solution to the conflict and emphasized the Kingdoms support for Libyas unity and territorial integrity and its firm position against foreign interference in Libyan domestic affairs.

Morocco hosted a series of roundtable talks between Libyan parties in Tangier and Bouznika and repeatedly rejected any foreign interference in Libyan affairs.
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A UN Security Council resolution on Friday approved imposing sanctions on Haiti, targeting gang leaders and their financiers, in an effort to end months of violence and lawlessness.



The 15-member council unanimously endorsed Resolution 2653, the first sanctions regime after Mali, just over five years ago. It establishes a committee which will be responsible for designating the individuals and entities to be sanctioned.

Criminal gangs have been blocking access to the main fuel terminal in the capital Port-au-Prince, bringing critical services to a standstill, as Haiti grapples with a widening cholera epidemic, amid political and economic meltdown.

"Catastrophic" levels of hunger have been recorded this month for the first time, in the gang controlled Cite Soleil neighborhood, and 4.7 million people are facing acute hunger, with many losing access to jobs, markets, health and nutrition services.

In specific, the resolution sanctions Jimmy Cherizier, a notorious gang leader known by his alias "Barbeque," who is reportedly the country's most powerful gang leader.

He heads the so-called "G9 Families and Allies," and the annex notes that he has engaged in "acts that threaten the peace, security and stability of Haiti," having planned or directed acts that amount to "serious human rights abuses."

Sanctions include an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo, against those engaging in or supporting criminal activity and violence, involving armed groups and criminal networks.

Designated activity includes recruiting children, carrying out kidnappings, trafficking, murder and sexual and gender-based violence.

As a matter of importance, the resolution also prohibits the obstruction of humanitarian assistance to and inside Haiti, as well as attacks against UN personnel and premises.
President Zelensky accuses Russia of plot to blow up dam in southern Ukraine https://t.co/BGfdf9ojuv  BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 21, 2022

The White House said the U.S. has evidence that a relatively small number of Iranian troops are directly engaged on the ground in Crimea supporting Russian drone attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure and civilian population. https://t.co/ab0OP8Mm9v  The Associated Press (@AP) October 20, 2022

OPINION | Putin can see a glimmer of hope on the horizon. And its being provided by the leadership of the Republican Party.https://t.co/NTgKy7jJ4j  The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 21, 2022

The Kremlin is threatening retaliatory action after authorities arrested Artyom Uss, the son of a top Russian official, at the United States request, for allegedly participating in a sanctions evasion and money laundering scheme. https://t.co/YwJ5c5Jym7  The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 21, 2022

Trump "knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong" but touted them "both in court and to the public," Judge David Carter wrote. https://t.co/8SruwgWgFS  Insider (@thisisinsider) October 20, 2022

Our committee has heard from hundreds of witnesses, and gathered overwhelming evidence that Donald Trump directed multiple lines of effort to overturn the 2020 election.



Americans deserve to hear the truth from Trump himself.



Under oath. And under penalty of perjury.  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) October 21, 2022

The classified documents on Iran and China are potentially dangerous in the wrong hands not only because of the top secret information possibly contained on their pages. https://t.co/0swV0e96d7  The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 21, 2022

 SENTENCE: Former WH senior counselor Steve Bannon sentenced to 4 months in jail and a $6,500 fine on two counts of contempt of Congress.



But: Judge Nichols says he will stay the sentence if Bannon files his expected appeal. https://t.co/IfWjLma4Mr  Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) October 21, 2022

[ Spoiler (click to open) ] Steve Bannon: sentenced

Donald Trump: subpoenaed

Hillary: enjoying a nice walk in the woods, probably



me: laughing at all you 'lock her up' morons  Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) October 21, 2022

This article says Graham can ask the full appeals court to reconsider the order or ask the Supreme Court to intervene. He can, but that would be stupid. His claim that he has a right to avoid the subpoena is baseless. The 3-0 ruling against him was righthttps://t.co/bTIz2N900M  Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) October 21, 2022

Weve already banned more than 1,500 types of assault-style firearms. And well continue to do whatever it takes to keep guns out of our communities. More details here: https://t.co/bgdU9aoGt4  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 21, 2022

NEW: Georgia set a new record for 1st day early voting turnout for a midterm election.



Yesterday's turnout is nearly double 1st day votes in 2018 and approaching 2020 numbers (presidential year)



2022: 131,318

2020: 136,739

2018: 70,849



(per @GaSecofState office)  Blayne Alexander (@ReporterBlayne) October 18, 2022

BREAKING: The Biden administrations student loan forgiveness program was expected to grant relief to some borrowers as early as this weekend, but a federal appeals court has temporarily blocked it. https://t.co/jxkPHyNGEn  The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 21, 2022

LATEST: Biden officials are discussing whether to subject Elon Musks ventures to national security reviews, including the deal for Twitter and Starlink https://t.co/nuvDpfnTDo  Bloomberg (@business) October 21, 2022

Ukraine warns Putin will blow up dam, flood southern Ukraine:- President Zelenskyy warned early Friday that Russia may be planning to blow up the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine in a false flag attack.-If the dam is blown up, more than 80 settlements will be flooded, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Iran gives Russia drones, offers support on the ground:Republicans signal they will cut funding to Ukraine if they win the midterms:Son of Russian official is arrested by US authorities:-Artyom Uss, son of the governor of Russias Krasnoyarsk Krai region, was arrested in Milan at the behest of US officials-Uss was charged in relation to a scheme to unlawfully obtain U.S. military technology and sanctioned Venezuelan oil in order to support Russias war effort in Ukraine, according to charges unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice this week.-Kremlin is pissed, says the arrest is "politically motivated" (no shit lol) Federal Judge says Trump knowingly lied to the court about voter fraud:-A GOP lawyer was trying to block the January 6th committee from obtaining their communications regarding the January 6th capitol riot.-US District Judge David Carter said Wednesday that Trump lied under oath about voter fraud in the 2020 election. Trump knew the fraud figures were wrong but touted them in court and publicly anyway.-The judge ordered the lawyer to turn over a batch of his communications related to Trump's and his allies' efforts to subvert the 2020 election results to the January 6th committee.Donald Trump formally subpoenaed by January 6th committee:-The subpoena to Trump requires him to turn over documents by Nov. 4 and to appear for a deposition under oath on or about Nov. 14 that it says could last several days.-The panel asked the former president to inform the committee promptly if he intended to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.-In a statement on Friday evening, a lawyer for Trump said his firm would review the subpoena and criticized the panel for its handling of what he called an unprecedented action.(OP NOTE: this isn't even true lol, see this interesting article for more info)-Trump last week released a lengthy, rambling letter that attacked the committees work and reiterated false claims of widespread voting fraud, but did not address whether he would comply with the subpoena.Donald Trump's lawyers attempt to respond to the January 6th committee subpoena:Donald Trump had documents about Iran and China at Mar-a-lago:-A confidential source familiar with documents retrieved from Mar-a-lago said Irans missile program, U.S. intelligence work aimed at China were among the most sensitive material seized by the FBI.-The Washington Post has previously reported that one of the documents seized in the FBI search described a foreign countrys military defenses, including its nuclear capabilities.-The people discussing the case would not say if that intelligence related to Iran, China or some other nation.Steve Bannon sentenced to 4 months in prison for failing to comply with January 6th committee subpoena:Lindsey Graham ordered to testify in Georgia election probe, appeals to the Supreme Court: Canada bans handguns:Voter turn out is high in Georgia:Republicans try to block student loan relief:U.S. considers review of Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, Starlink relationship-Musk tried to back out of the deal earlier this year, but Twitter sued him.-Musk's plans to purchase Twitter for $44 billion with the help of foreign investors, including Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, and Binance Holdings  which was founded by a Chinese businessman  have concerned Biden administration officials, the people told Bloomberg.
GM announced a new energy venture to support its electric vehicle (EV) market in a move that mirrors Teslas approach. But will this become the norm for automakers in the U.S.? As new all-electric vehicle ranges require an expansive supporting network  including battery production, mineral mining, charging stations and much more, automakers are looking to expand their role and break into the energy industry to future-proof their vehicle businesses. The EV company Tesla Motors is viewed by many as more than just an automaker, crossing over into the energy and tech industries with its products and services. From early on, Tesla launched a charging network, now with over 30,000 Global Superchargers where drivers can charge their Tesla cars in around 15 minutes, to support EV uptake at a time when it was less common. Tesla established its energy generation and storage business in 2015, launching a range of home batteries, which could be charged using solar power, providing a backup to the main grid. In addition, Tesla has developed a series of solar panels and full solar roofing.

Tesla also decided to buck the trend of traditional automakers by selling its vehicles directly to consumers, rather than through franchised dealerships. Teslas founder Elon Musk has gained a wide following for his innovative designs and decisive leadership, much in the same way as several major tech companies. His foray into space travel has made him more popular than ever, with people watching to see what hell create next. Related: What To Expect For Q3 Energy Earnings

As the first automaker to notably transition into the energy business, Tesla has laid the groundwork for other car manufacturers to build upon. But, while it was the first to launch a comprehensive range of EV and energy products, it will not be the last, as other companies are hot on its tail. General Motors (GM) announced this month that it has plans to launch its energy business through its GM Energy unit, in competition with Tesla.

Travis Hester, GM head of EV growth operations, stated of the move, Were getting into the entire ecosystem of energy management. He explained, Our competition in this space on the [automaker] side is really only Tesla, which is a strong energy management company There are a lot of analogies you can draw with Tesla. Teslas energy business lost $129 million on revenues of $2.8 billion in 2021. Meanwhile, GM is hoping its business development will help it double its annual revenue to $280 billion by 2030.

GM believes the market potential for energy storage and management stands at between $120 billion and $150 billion. The automaker will launch its Ultium Charge 360 public charging service alongside Ultium Home and Ultium Commercial. Its Ultimate Home service will offer stationary storage batteries, solar panels, and hydrogen fuel cells. The model is similar to Teslas Powerwall home energy service. GM expects to launch this product towards the end of 2023 alongside the introduction of its first Chevrolet Silverado EV truck. The new EV truck is expected to be capable of sending electricity back into the home supply in the case of a blackout, as has already been seen with Fords F-150 Lightning following its partnership with Sunrun.

The major automaker hopes to establish a system of micro-grids that connect to hydrogen fuel cells, to provide zero-carbon power. GM is also partnering with SunPower to offer consumers solar panels to boost renewable energy generation. The firm will also work closely with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Con Edison, with plans to rapidly develop more partnerships to ensure it has all areas of energy expertise represented.

GMs adoption of hydrogen technology sets it apart from Tesla, with Musk having openly stated his opposition to hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cells, calling the technology extremely silly. Major automakers entering the renewable energy market could become highly competitive with Tesla, particularly if they expand their energy businesses to include green hydrogen as well as solar power and other renewable energy sources.

While GM is the latest, and maybe one of the most notable, automakers to shift into the energy industry, other car manufacturers have already established energy businesses in recent years. German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz created its U.S. energy division in November 2017, with BMW, Ford, and other auto companies also launching their own energy storage and vehicle-to-grid pilots that same year. Mercedes-Benz Energy Americas partnered with solar panel distributor Vivint Solar, with Vivints COO Brian Christensen explaining As I look at how industries are evolving, I think there is a really good fit between the automotive industry and the home.

After years of Tesla leading the U.S. EV-energy market, GM, and other automakers are now looking to compete with the EV giant by expanding their businesses through strategic partnerships with energy and tech companies. With the potential to profit not only from the auto business but also from the associated battery storage, charging, and renewable energy sectors, we can expect many more automakers to replicate this model over the next decade.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads from Oilprice.com:
The Collective Security Treaty Organization, better known by its initials, CSTOor by Moscows aspiration that it should be an equal counterpart to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)is now on the brink of collapse, yet another case of the collateral damage Russia has suffered in the post-Soviet space from President Vladimir Putins disastrous war against Ukraine. When the CSTO was created in 1992, Russia and five other post-Soviet states were members; a year later, it had grown to nine. But in the intervening years, it contracted to six. Now it is becoming more clear that, by next year, the CSTO, which Moscow had placed so much hope in, will most likely be reduced to only three: Russia, Belarus and Tajikistan. Moreover, after Tajikistani President Emomali Rahmons attack on Putin at the Tashkent summit of regional leaders earlier this month, it is entirely possible that this much-ballyhooed military alliance will be left with only two members (Centralasia.media, October 14). Indeed, the signs of the collapse of this Russian project are now so obvious that one Moscow security analyst, Georgy Filin, argues that the CSTO is repeating the fate of the Warsaw Pact (Versia.ru, October 17). Three developments support that conclusion, and the Kremlin has gone out of its way to dispute one element in particular. Dmitry Peskov, Putins spokesperson, for example, has quite implausibly denied that any problems persist among the CSTO members, even though, of the current six, only two, Russia itself and Belarus, support Putins war against Ukraine (TASS, October 10). In this respect, the first development was when Kazakhstan suspended its cooperation with the grouping after controversy between Astana and Moscow broke out following the only CSTO military action ever: its intervention in Kazakhstan in January 2022 when protesters challenged the Kazakhstani government. Second, Armenia has done the same given the CSTOs unwillingness to intervene on Yerevans side in its conflict with Azerbaijan. Armenian politicians have even go so far as to demand that Armenia leave the Moscow-led grouping altogether. Third and perhaps most important, and from Moscows perspective unexpected and worrisome, Kyrgyzstan at the last moment and without warning cancelled the CSTO military exercise scheduled to be held on its territory in early October (Interfax, October 9). Related: Consequences Or Cooperation: How Will The U.S. Deal With OPEC?

Bishkek, to be sure, had an entirely understandable reason for taking this action: it remains locked in a border conflict with Dushanbe and could hardly welcome Tajikistani troops on its territory even if they were part of a CSTO exercise. But Moscow views what the Kyrgyzstani government did, not in the context of increasing conflicts between the CSTO countries, but rather as the result of Western efforts to peel away Russias neighbors. These efforts include decoupling Russia from its allies by means of military exercises, such as the Regional Cooperation-22 command staff exercise involving the United States, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, which took place at the same time as the CSTOs Indestructible Brotherhood-2022 were meant to be held in Kyrgyzstani territory (Ia-center.ru, October 11). The much-reduced CSTO exercise was then hastily renamedspeaking on an indestructible brotherhood was too much even for Moscow in this caseand relocated to Tajikistan (Ia-centr.ru, October 17).

When the CSTO was established, many in Moscow and some in the West viewed it as a potential counterweight to NATO. But it has never been that. Moscow celebrated it but never invested enough money in it to allow for more than brief exercises each year. Moreover, while NATO is not without its divisions, including serious ones such as the conflict between Greece and Turkey, from the beginning, the CSTO has been the site of violent clashes and even wars between its members in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Moreover, despite its promise to be a regional peacekeeper, the organization has not responded to requests from members to fulfill that role. Except for the case of Kazakhstan, in which the CSTO merely provided cover for what was largely a Russian operation, the organization has been unwilling to provide help, not only to Armenia but also to Kyrgyzstan, which has requested assistance on three occasions in 1999, 2010, and 2021, only to be flat-out turned down in each case.

Aynur Kurmanov, a pro-Moscow Kazakhstani politician and analyst, would like to see the CSTO revived and even expanded. But both his description of the current situation and his calls for changes that many consider impossible make his discussion of the situation anything but optimistic from the Kremlins point of view (Politnavigator.net, October 10) On the one hand, Kurmanov says that many CSTO members constantly violate their obligations as members of the alliance but at the same time constantly demand that Russia maintain peace and stabilitywithout giving it anything in return except for formal assurances of friendship. And on the other, he argues, the only way out of the current situation toward a future in which the CSTO can counter what he calls the aggressive plans of NATO is for members to agree not to attack one another, not to cooperate at all with NATO and agree only to work with Moscow, Beijing and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This is something none of the current members, except for Belarus and Russia itself, are ever likely to agree to or even live by.

It is thus difficult not to accept the conclusions offered by two independent Russian analysts, Anatoly Nesmiyan, who blogs under the screen name El Murid, and Filin, who was cited earlier. Nesmiyan says that the situation Moscow finds itself in now with the CSTO in Central Asia and the South Caucasus very much recalls [a similar situation] before the demise of the USSR, with Russia pulling out and others moving in, however unwelcome that may be for the Kremlin (Bbc.com/Russian, October 10). And Filin, even more pessimistically, suggests that, today, as the CSTO situation demonstrates, Russia does not have too many friends, even fewer partners and almost no remaining allies (Versia.ru, October 17).



By Jamestown.org
"I think they are preparing the audience that they will lose the battle for the Kherson region," Yuriy Sobolevskiy, a Ukrainian official said.

In recent days, amid the Ukrainian advances, there have been mounting signs from Russian officials and their local proxies that Russian forces were under pressure.

Ukraine has used precision weaponry to mount a huge counteroffensive against Russia over the past few weeks,

For weeks, stretching back as far as August, Ukraine had used precision weaponry provided by the United States and other Western countries to target Russian supply lines and command posts in Kherson.

Those targets included many Dnieper River bridge crossings, including the Antonivskiy Bridge, a major crossing that connects the city of Kherson with the opposite bank. Russian forces have built a ferry crossing immediately adjacent to the damaged bridge, and there are at least two other ferry crossings used by civilians close to the Antonivskiy Bridge, as well as others used by the Russian military nearby.

More recently, the Ukrainian artillery and missile barrage has morphed into a ground offensive, documented by military observers and military bloggers -- Russian and Ukrainian -- pushing south along the west bank of the Dnieper and forcing Russian troops to withdraw south and east, across the river.

The Kherson effort dovetails with an earlier, likely connected offensive hundreds of kilometers to the northeast, where Ukraine stunned Russian forces, recapturing dozens of towns in the Kharkiv region and an important rail hub in the Donetsk region, Lyman.

The offensive in the east has slowed more recently, though it's unclear if it's due to Ukrainian forces' regrouping and resupplying, or stiffer Russian resistance, or even Ukrainian forces shifting focus back to Kherson.

In recent days, amid the Ukrainian advances, there have been mounting signs from Russian officials and their local proxies that Russian forces were under pressure, and commanders could be considering pulling back entirely from the west bank of the Dnieper.

In an unusual interview broadcast on October 18, the newly appointed overall commander for Russian forces, General Sergei Surovikin, said that the situation in the Kherson region was "very difficult" and that Russian military might have to make "the most difficult decisions" in Kherson.

It wasn't clear what Surovikin meant, though some observers speculated it signaled a possible large-scale withdrawal of Russian forces from the west bank of the Dnieper.

As of late on October 19, Ukrainian forward positions were believed to be less than 40 kilometers from the village of Kozatske and the town of Nova Kakhovka, on opposite sides of the river.

That same day, residents of Kherson city received text messages urging them to urgently leave, citing potential attacks by the Ukrainian Army. Locals also reported leaflets reading, "Save your family; move to the left bank" being distributed.

"The battle for Kherson will begin in the very near future," Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head for the Russian-imposed administration for Kherson, said in a video. "The city of Kherson is turning into a fortress," he said.

Another official, Vladimir Saldo, announced restrictions on civilian travel in the region, and said public-sector workers like doctors and teachers would be moving to the river's left bank. He said between 50,000-60,000 people would be moved, and some would be sent to Russia itself.

"I think they are preparing the audience that they will lose the battle for the Kherson region," Yuriy Sobolevskiy, a Ukrainian official who is the first deputy head of the Kherson Regional Council, told Current Time. "That is, they are preparing their population for reports of defeat," he said, referring to Russian proxy authorities in the region.

Geolocating Ferries

Ukraine's targeting of the Dnieper River crossings has forced the Russian military to rely heavily on temporary pontoon bridges, and even makeshift ferries assembled from parts of pontoon bridges.

The photograph and video identified by RFE/RL were posted by Teplinskiy to the Russian social media site VK.

Related: Uncertainty Builds As Oil Markets Digest Mixed Signals

Archived social-media accounts show that Teplinskiy, as well as his father, had served since 2015 in military units under the authority of the Russian-organized administration that controls the Luhansk region, which calls itself the Luhansk People's Republic. Moscow-backed units from Luhansk and neighboring Donetsk have fought alongside regular Russian troops in those two regions, known collectively as the Donbas, and in Kherson.

RFE/RL geolocated the ferry crossing shown in Tepinskiy's video to the right bank of the Dnieper, near Kozatske. The ferry is heading to the mouth of the canal that connects the village with Nova Kakhovka, located on the left bank.

A series of satellite images obtained by RFE/RL from the private company Planet Labs in the first week of October showed several ferry crossings at this location. The last time a ferry loaded with military equipment on the way from Nova Kakhovka to Kozatske was captured by satellite imagery was on October 4.

On October 5, it would have been scheduled to return to Nova Kakhovka with a full load. On October 8 and 12, satellite images also show the movement of empty ferries toward the right bank. One of these crossings was in all likelihood the one filmed by Teplinskiy and posted to his account on October 13.

Another video posted by Teplinskiy on October 13 includes metadata pointing to a house where he was staying in Nova Kakhovka, and a video of an apparent birthday with other military men, taken at approximately the same time.

Teplinskiy did not respond to messages from RFE/RL seeking comment.

By RFE/RL

More Top Reads from Oilprice.com:
Chris Engelbrecht knows he wont be taking much of a break from everything weddings until after Christmas.

He runs Engelbrecht Farm, a barn wedding venue near the Ford County city of Paxton, and people love colorful autumn and holiday weddings, he said.

Its always been the busy season in the fall with all the colors, Engelbrecht said.

People come from as far as Texas, Colorado and Michigan to say their vows in his big white barn. Usually October weddings are booked a full two years in advance, he said.

At the beginning, he didnt plan to run a wedding venue. The farmer was just fixing up the house.

I had to because Grandma asked me to, he said of restoring the home on the farmstead his grandparents bought in 1962. It was in bad shape. It took a while to make it structurally sound.

But the old farm house with its 1890s oak floors came back to life, he said.

His family held Thanksgiving and Christmas at the house before he had the idea of fixing up the barn for ceremonies and using the house as a beautiful place for the bride, groom and families to stay.

Engelbrecht, who farms and also owns a manufacturing business, was told to expect maybe three or four weddings a year. That sounded like something he could manage between his other endeavors.

But by the second year he had 10 weddings, and by the third year it was fully booked with 27 weddings.

The barn is larger than many in Illinois. That combined with the historic house for overnight guests made his reservation list grow.

When the pandemic struck and there could be no weddings for a while, Engelbrecht took the opportunity to do major maintenance and improvements to the barn, including adding a second heating and cooling system.

Bookings were boosted with people holding weddings that were delayed by the pandemic.

The venue is fully booked the rest of this year, next year its close to full and he is already receiving reservations for 2024, he said.

The pandemic also affected the flower business of Maggie Taylor of Delight Flowers in rural Champaign County. Before the pandemic, she supplied flowers directly to weddings.

When the pandemic disrupted South American flower farms, which were the largest suppliers of retail flower businesses in Illinois, Taylor stepped in to serve retailers with local flowers. Many of the South American flower farms went out of business so Taylor continues to supply local retailers.

It changed the flower industry, she said.

She said she is still seeing the surge of demand for weddings from people who postponed because of the pandemic.

Dahlias are one of the most popular flowers now, she said, and they dont ship well, so it is best to buy locally.

They are a diva of flowers, she said.

The blooms are big and have to be staked. Pests like them, and dahlias dont overwinter well. She has to dig up and divide the tubers to be planted again in the spring. As for pests, because she grows organic flowers and doesnt use pesticides, she individually nets each bud before it blooms to let the light and moisture in but protect the delicate dahlias from pests.

In the past, fall weddings were more burgundy and blush. Today, peach and terra cotta colors lead the trend for fall weddings. Terra cotta isnt common in flowers  but the dahlia does come in such shades. Varieties of rudbeckia, similar to black-eyed Susans but in a copper color, are also popular this year.

Millet and eucalyptus are also popular for weddings today, she said.

Engelbrecht often gets inquiries from other farmers thinking about making a barn into a wedding and event venue.

He cautions them to think of all the consequences, and realize that during harvest season, their farm will not be their farm. Engelbrecht cant harvest on the weekends during wedding season and has to get any equipment out of the barns on that farm and move to another location to be ready.

He said he could never live on the same farm as the weddings.

Sometimes farmers think it would be a cash cow until they learn that they might need to install an elevator to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and also have fully accessible washroom facilities, buy liability insurance and add security cameras to cut down on thefts.

Farmers with wedding venues also must install physical barriers at their grain bins or anywhere else people might get hurt. Just posting a sign is not enough to protect you from liability, he said.

There are other considerations. The venue requires nonstop maintenance. The farm owner has to manage employees. Engelbrecht has six.

If you want the Fourth of July off, probably not. If you want Christmas or Thanksgiving, probably not, he said.

At one point he had two weddings back to back when the guests were rude and disrespectful to him, he said.
BLOOMINGTON  Over the past few years, numerous Illinois cities have been forced to increase their ambulance service fees in order to maintain stable budgets.

Although the Bloomington and Normal fire departments have not seen significant increases to their emergency medical service fees in recent years, any revenue is meant to offset the total cost of services as opposed to building a reserve, leaders say.

Normal Fire Chief Mick Humer said that in 2006, advance life support services were run by the county's hospitals. However, the financial burden was too great and the decision was made to close the service.

In response, the fire department introduced a paramedic ambulance service and several volunteer agencies followed suit, Humer added.

As part of the Normal ordinance to provide ambulance services, the department can raise its ambulance billing fees by 3% annually without a city council vote. Humer said he felt the council members who created that structure anticipated incremental increases in wages based on renewed firefighter contracts.

"The town doesn't make money on an ambulance service or anything like that, but obviously it's a very needed thing here in town," Humer said. "About 80% of our calls are EMS-related, so we'll probably run around 7,000 calls this year, and so it keeps us busy for sure."

Frank Friend, public information officer for the Bloomington Fire Department, said his department had been operating ambulances out of its fire stations since 1949. But in 2007, the department increased the level of certification from basic ambulance to paramedic ambulance, which required the hiring of 18 additional personnel.

When the Bloomington department first took on a paramedic level of ambulance service, it was running 6,800 calls of service annually. This year, Friend said, the department is expected to reach 13,000 calls.

"When you stop being the basic or the lower level care of service and then you begin the highest level care of service, that takes on a whole different type of responsibility," Friend said.

He added that BFD has a mutual aid agreement with every fire and ambulance district in McLean County. Most of the communities in McLean County have a basic life support ambulance, but may require aid from Bloomington for patients needing an advanced level of paramedic care, he added.

Normal, LeRoy and El Paso also provide mutual aid assistance at the paramedic level.

Humer said his fire department has contracts with Hudson and Towanda, where those municipalities pay Normal to cover ambulance services.

Recently, BFD has taken steps to keep the burden of ambulance services off of patients.

In 2019, Bloomington entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the state of Illinois to participate in the Ground Emergency Medical Transport program, which provides a federal funding opportunity to supplement emergency medical transportation expenses for Medicaid patients.

Previously, the city used a schedule of fees for all ambulance transports for Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance patients. These fees ranged from $652 to $858 and were what the city charged for Medicare, private insurance and patients with no insurance.

But on June 13, the Bloomington City Council approved an ordinance amendment that would bring ambulance fees for all EMS calls up to the actual cost, which was determined by a 2021 report to be about $1,891 per call.

This balance, which will be adjusted annually, was charged to Medicare and private insurance providers starting June 23. The amount already was charged to Medicaid through the GEMT program.

The ordinance also requested that the city change from balance billing, which forces the patient to cover any remaining balance on a medical bill once the deductible is paid and insurance obligations are met.

By removing this provision, once the city receives the final payment from the patient's insurance and it has not completely paid off the patient's medical expenses, the city would write off the remaining balance instead of billing the patient.

"We really kind of laid the burden on the health insurance companies to cover the cost of the ambulance bill itself and not the person actually receiving the services," Friend said. "That's been a significant change and it's also been a significant change in our fees that we are recouping from that ordinance change."

The Normal Fire Department still performs balance billing, which for Medicare is an 80-to-20 split of expenses between the insurer and the patient. If the patient already met their deductible, the insurance provider would cover 100% of the bill.

Although BFD hasn't seen a significant increase in emergency medical service costs, Friend said the department is not immune to rising gasoline costs as well as technical and diagnostic expenses.

When it comes to replacing ambulances, Friend said the department doesn't just look at mileage but also factors in the number of hours it was used, which can amount to millions of equated miles. On average, BFD gets seven to eight years out of each ambulance.

Friend added that the city strives to be good stewards of taxpayers' money.

"The cost that is charged for the ambulance is not meant, nor has it ever been meant, to cover the cost of the ambulance," Friend said. "And it should be looked at from the taxpayer standpoint as another fee that the city takes in an effort to offset those costs."
CHICAGO - The former president of AT&T Illinois pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges alleging he orchestrated and approved a scheme to funnel payments to an associate of then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for the speakers help passing legislation important to the company.

Paul La Schiazza, 65, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury last week with conspiracy, federal program bribery, and using a facility in interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity. The most serious counts carry up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

La Schiazza, who has homes in Rhode Island and Florida, pleaded not guilty through his attorney during a telephone hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cummings. He will remain free on a recognizance bond while his case is pending.

Asked by the judge if hes currently employed, La Schiazza replied, No your honor, I am not.

Hours later, lawyers for AT&T Illinois appeared at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse to confirm before a judge the company has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorneys office, admitting its role in the scheme and agreeing to pay a $23 million and cooperate in the investigation. In exchange, prosecutors will drop criminal charges filed against the company in two years.

During the brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu said the agreement was reached voluntarily and in good faith and that AT&T Illinois cooperation will assist in the prosecution of other individuals, including Madigan and La Schiazza.

Meanwhile, AT&T released a statement last week saying the company holds itself and its contractors to the highest ethical standards and is committed to ensuring that this never happens again.

The investigation of AT&T Illinois, which was reported by the Tribune earlier this year, expanded upon the far-reaching allegations brought against the ex-speaker in a similar bribes-for-favors scandal involving Commonwealth Edison.

Last week, federal prosecutors unsealed a superseding indictment against Madigan and his longtime confidant, Michael McClain, adding allegations they participated in the AT&T scheme. The new conspiracy allegations allege for the first time that a direct vote the speaker made on legislation was tainted by a scheme to influence him.

An arraignment for Madigan and McClain is scheduled for Nov. 1. Their attorneys have declined to comment.

In February, AT&T disclosed in a regulatory filing that federal prosecutors had notified them they were considering filing criminal charges against its Illinois subsidiary, formally known as Illinois Bell Telephone Co. LLC, involving a single, nine-month consulting contract in 2017 worth $22,500.

State records show the company that year had hired a stable of Madigan-connected lobbyists working for the Illinois subsidiary as AT&T was fighting for a controversial bill to end landline service for its 1.2 million customers.

The Tribune reported that investigators were specifically looking at thousands of dollars in payments allegedly passed to former state Rep. Edward Acevedo, a onetime member of Madigans leadership team whod recently left the General Assembly.

The payments to Acevedo were made via a lobbying contract between AT&T and Thomas Cullen, a former Madigan staffer and longtime political strategist aligned with the speaker, two sources told the newspaper. Acevedo was a registered lobbyist at the time, state records show, but not for AT&T.

Neither Acevedo nor Cullen has been charged with any wrongdoing in the alleged scheme.

Thomas Anthony Durkin, Cullens attorney, had no comment on the matter Friday. Acevedos lawyer, Gabrielle Sansonetti, also had no comment.

According to a statement of facts agreed to by AT&T, in 2015, Madigans office had blocked the controversial landline legislation.

After that defeat, an executive circulated a lessons learned memo that contained one section headed, Speaker Madigan. The memo stated that AT&T had not been as helpful as ComEd when requests were made from the speakers camp, according to the statement.

The scheme to reward Acevedo, referred to in the court papers as FR-1, began in February 2017, after the company learned through McClain that the speaker was looking to kick Acevedo some money, according to the statement.

In an email exchange that March, AT&T Illinois director of legislative affairs asked two of the companys executives if they were 100% certain they would get credit from the powers that be if the payments were made to Madigans associate.

I would hope that as long as we explain the approach to McClain and (the associate) gets the money then the ultimate objective is reached, one of the executives wrote back, according to the statement.

The legislative affairs director responded, I dont think (La Schiazza) wants this based on hope. We need to confirm prior to executing this strategy, the statement said.

In April 2017, La Schiazza approved a deal to secretly funnel $2,500 a month to Acevedo through a lobbying company already doing business with AT&T Illinois, according to the statement. The lobbying company was not named in the court filings.

At McClains direction, AT&T employees then met with Acevedo to discuss a pretextual reason for the payments: to prepare a report on the political dynamics of the General Assemblys and Chicago City Councils Latino Caucuses, according to the statement of facts.

Acevedo never did any real work for AT&T Illinois, however. In fact, according to AT&Ts admissions in court, he balked at first at the payments, saying they were too low. But Acevedo agreed to the deal after McClain stepped in and said the amount was sufficient.

From June 2017 to January 2018, Acevedo was paid a total of $22,500 in monthly installments. According to AT&Ts admission, the former representative did not complete the purported assignment on Latino politics, and no efforts were undertaken by AT&T to ensure work was being done in exchange for the money.

Meanwhile, after a protracted fight, the landline bill passed during the final hours of the spring 2017 legislative session  with Madigans direct assistance, according to legislative records and the statement of facts agreed to by AT&T.

On June 29, 2017, Madigan permitted the bill to be brought to a vote and cast his ballot in favor of the legislation, records show. Two days later, after Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed the legislation, Madigan and the Democrat-led General Assembly overrode him, with Madigan again voting for the override.

The new allegations involving AT&T further punctuate a stunning downfall for Madigan, the longest serving leader of any legislative chamber in the nation who held an ironclad grip on the state legislature as well as the Democratic Party and its political spoils. He was dethroned as speaker in early 2021 as the investigation swirled around him, and soon after resigned the House seat hed held since 1971.

Madigan, 80, and McClain, 75, were charged in March in the original 22-count indictment alleging they conspired to participate in an array of bribery and extortion schemes from 2011 to 2019 that allegedly leveraged Madigans elected office and political power for personal gain

The indictment also accused Madigan of illegally soliciting business for his private property tax law firm during discussions to turn a state-owned parcel of land in Chinatown into a commercial development.

Both Madigan and McClain have pleaded not guilty. Their attorneys have accused prosecutors of trying to criminalize legal political actions such as job recommendations in a quest to bring down the once-powerful speaker.

McClain, a former state legislator and lobbyist, is also facing separate charges stemming from the alleged ComEd scheme. Also indicted in that case, which is set for trial in March, are former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and consultant Jay Doherty, the former head of the City Club of Chicago.

Acevedo, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to tax charges stemming from the ComEd investigation and was sentenced in March to six months in federal prison.
CHICAGO  In a small southern Illinois town earlier this year, a 58-year-old employee at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center was accused of sexually assaulting a person with a severe or profound intellectual disability.

The victim, who was unable to give consent, was only identified in court records with the initials E.K. and the alleged assailant was later identified as a mental health technician at the 270-bed, state-run home who also was accused of a separate sexual assault of a girl under 13.

The shocking charges against Charles Mills this March were the latest in a string of scandals at Choate, a home in downstate Anna for people with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses, though few significant reforms at the home had been taken.

But on the same day Mills was charged, Gov. J.B. Pritzkers chief counsel sent an email to the governor with the subject line: choate  privileged and confidential, emails obtained by the Chicago Tribune through a public records request show. A few months later, Pritzker administration officials finally announced increased training and staffing at Choate, in addition to outside monitoring and the installation of new cameras to monitor conditions there.

Administration officials have refused to detail the contents of the email sent to Pritzker or the single-line reply he also sent to other top aides. But critics say the reaction from the governor and his administration was too little too late.

While problems at the Illinois Department of Human Services facility had existed for years, employees at Choate have been charged 14 times since Pritzker became governor. The accusations have included employees abusing residents, obstructing investigations or participating in other misconduct. The states watchdog cited dozens of other incidents of abuse and neglect in the same timespan.

The ongoing problems at Choate also raise questions about the Pritzker administrations oversight of social service agencies in general during his first term in office as he runs for reelection against GOP nominee Darren Bailey.

The state auditor general has blamed Pritzkers Public Health Department for failing to adequately respond to a COVID-19 outbreak at a state home for veterans that led to the deaths of 36 residents. And child-welfare advocates have repeatedly hammered the administrations oversight of the Department of Children and Family Services that resulted in a judge ordering Pritzkers hand-picked DCFS director to be held in contempt of court a dozen times for failing to find appropriate placements for children.

I have to lay it at the feet of the governor because the buck stops with him, state Sen. Terri Bryant of Murphysboro said of the incidents at Choate, which is just west of her district. The Republican minority spokesperson for the Senates Committee on Behavioral and Mental Health added: The things that are a priority, you put all hands on deck.

The criminal charges at Choate have ranged from residents being beaten to a resident being forced to drink a cup of hot sauce to employees not reporting abuse, as well as obstruction of investigations or lying to state police. A recent joint investigation by ProPublica, Capitol News Illinois and Lee Enterprises found state police have launched at least 40 criminal investigations over the past decade into alleged employee misconduct at Choate.

Since Pritzker took office in 2019, the inspector general for the Human Services Department has issued 41 reports substantiating other troubling incidents of abuse and neglect, including one employee punching a resident so hard it broke the residents ribs, another employee grabbing a resident by the throat and slamming that person to the ground, and yet another employee threatening to smother a resident with a pillow if the resident failed to stop talking.

Officials with Pritzkers administration say the problems at Choate are long-standing and are taking time to address while also laying blame on the previous Republican administration for budget cuts to social services.

Any allegation of abuse or neglect is taken seriously and thoroughly investigated working in close partnership with the IDHS office of inspector general, the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Public Health, Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh said in an emailed statement. As we work to ensure the safety of those who reside at Choate, continuing to address these deeply entrenched challenges and make positive steps forward is a top priority for this administration.

But some advocates for people with developmental disabilities question whether Pritzkers reforms are enough and why Choate continues to operate. Experts whove studied and monitored residential services in Illinois and nationally say harmful conditions can flourish in large, state-run homes for people with developmental disabilities  of which Choate is one of seven in Illinois. Federally funded research shows 16 other states and the District of Columbia had closed, downsized, privatized or converted all of their similar facilities as of 2018.

Look at your neighbors in Michigan and in Indiana. Theyre serving the same people with the same characteristics in smaller settings, said Steven Eidelman, a professor of human services policy at the University of Delaware and past president of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. We know how to do this.

Indeed, one group of experts called for Choates closure years ago.

Following a damning 2005 report from the independent advocacy group Equip for Equality that called for the centers closure, the U.S. Department of Justice found Choate had failed to provide its residents with adequate protection from harm, had a critical lack of oversight and supervision and substantial underreporting of incidents. The DOJ later declined to intervene because, by 2013, Illinois had significantly expanded its commitment to community-based services.

By then, Gov. Pat Quinn had set out to scale back the states network of such facilities  closing one in 2012 and planning to close others before organized family groups pushed back. His successor, Gov. Bruce Rauner, kept open the next state home slated to be shuttered, then engaged in a yearslong budget battle that left the states social service agencies tattered.

While serious issues at group homes can be found systemwide, some of the problems at Choate are acute  and since Pritzker has taken office his administration has been made aware of them.

Among those who rang alarm bells was Barry Smoot, a former security chief at Choate who emailed the head of IDHS with an urgent message in late May 2021.

What I am presently seeing occur at Choate and hearing occur at other facilities concerns me more than it has my entire career in relation to the safety of the vulnerable populations that we serve, he wrote to IDHS Secretary Grace Hou.

Smoot had worked for IDHS for decades, including as the statewide training coordinator for the offices inspector general and as head of security at the Chester Mental Health Center. In the email, he requested an in-person meeting with Hou to discuss possible solutions that will greatly reduce instances of abuse and neglect.

A Pritzker appointee to the role, Hou was formerly IDHS assistant secretary between 2003 and 2012, when both the Equip for Equality and DOJ reports landed. Hou replied to Smoot within hours, offering a meeting with her chief of staff and the director of the division that oversees state-operated developmental centers, known as SODCs.

But seven months later, on his last day of work with the state in December 2021, Smoot wrote again to tell Hou no one in her office had ever reached out or met with him about the issues he raised in his earlier email.

Earlier this month, IDHS spokesperson Marisa Kollias said in a statement that the agency had determined, based on information gathered after the Secretarys message was sent to Mr. Smoot, that it was inadvisable for IDHS management staff to communicate with him any further.

Kollias added that Smoot was in regular contact with other leaders at IDHS and had several other avenues to raise any concerns, including with state police and the watchdog that oversees executive offices across the state. Smoot told the Tribune he wrote to Hou directly because going up IDHS chain of command had been unsuccessful.

Kollias declined to elaborate on the departments decision to not meet with Smoot. IDHS personnel records do not indicate any reprimands. He is named among multiple defendants in a pending civil suit brought by a former Chester resident alleging that Smoot turned a blind eye to a culture of intimidation, harassment and retaliation.

Smoot has denied any wrongdoing and said during his years of service he had a history of showing that I didnt cover anything up  I did everything by the book and what was required.

This March, Smoot self-published a book titled Failure to Protect, which detailed a code of silence at Choate and scant reporting of abuse and intimidation. In an email to officials in the governors office, an official from the state Guardianship and Advocacy Commission said Smoots accounts jive with many of the reports released by the Illinois Human Rights Authority. The GAC provides legal representation and guardianship to those with disabilities and investigates complaints of rights violations.

Bryant, the state senator from Murphysboro, also reached out to IDHS leadership after hearing a resident had been beaten by an employee with a belt and that the incident had been seen through a window from outside. The employee, Kevin Jackson, was one of five Choate employees arrested in October 2020.

When I first brought this to (IDHS) attention, I believed that they were doing something about it, Bryant, a former Department of Corrections employee who knows two families with adult children at Choate, told the Tribune.

She later learned that paper was placed over the upstairs windows. After driving to Choate to confirm it, Bryant called an IDHS legislative liaison and said, I think you guys need to check this out. He called back and said, Thats not the case. I said, Im sitting outside the facility, the papers on the windows. 

Bryant said she was taken aback by the denial, and the presence of the paper at all. Their response to someone saying Im standing outside and seeing someone getting whipped with a belt is to put butcher paper over the windows, she said.

IDHS said the paper was put up for residents privacy after curtains were damaged and removed. When the use of paper was brought to the attention of Choate administration, it was investigated, removed and new window fixtures were purchased and put in place, Kollias said.

Three top administrators at the facility were later charged with official misconduct and interfering in a state police investigation of the alleged belt beating. Bryant and others in Springfield pushed publicly to have the accused administrators fired or placed on leave until the allegations were fully investigated. State officials later opted to reassign them. Charges against all three were later dropped, though the Union County states attorney has left the door open to recharging them.

Dozens of heavily redacted communications obtained through an open records request show several people in the governors immediate orbit were aware of those arrests and other issues dating back to January 2020.

Sol Flores, Pritzkers deputy governor for Human Services, approved hiring a replacement interim director at Choate after the accused administrators were reassigned, emails show.

Flores also was sent at least 20 e-newsletters from a disability industry insider with blaring headlines about the facility last year. The author of those newsletters, Ed McManus, has a daughter with a disability and works as a consultant for disability agencies, law firms and families. A former Chicago Tribune editor and reporter who later worked at DCFS and IDHS, McManus began sharing details of the criminal cases with clients and others in March 2021.

Though he applauds the reforms, McManus was disappointed they took so long.

I found out about this in March of last year, he told the Tribune in July. They never lifted a finger  to my knowledge, at least they certainly didnt make it public  to do anything about it.

Pritzkers office said the June memo announcing interventions at Choate documented several years of reviews and work, and that robust internal policy improvements are ongoing, including training and administrative oversight.

The governors general counsel, Ann Spillane, was in frequent contact with IDHS attorneys about Choate dating back to at least October 2020. Emails indicate she was kept apprised of legal developments surrounding the administrators arrests, policies around facility leadership access to investigatory files and a separate whistleblower suit.

Spillanes monitoring was not unusual, a Pritzker spokesperson said. She oversees the attorneys at all executive agencies and is regularly updated on all legal matters throughout agencies and works closely with other attorneys to respond to critical issues.

Media questions about Charles Mills employment at Choate made their way to Flores and Pritzkers communications staff and soon thereafter Spillane, her deputy and IDHS counsel John Schomberg drafted the email to the governor to give him some background, titled choate  privileged and confidential.

Pritzkers spokesperson declined to say whether that email was the first time the governor was made aware of issues at Choate.

She similarly did not disclose the nature of the other redacted discussions, saying they contain attorney-client privileged discussions, and that it is important to ensure staff can freely express opinions and make recommendations.

Mills, who was charged two years after he allegedly orally penetrated E.K. in 2020, is scheduled to go on trial later this year. Hes pleaded not guilty.

The changes at Choate that Hou and IDHS announced in June included independent monitoring from Equip for Equality, increasing security staff by four positions, boosting afterhours staffing and monitoring from regional developmental center personnel, and temporarily assigning a psychologist to provide staff support.

They also announced they would install 10 cameras at the facility, which advocates and the GAC had sought. In addition, the IDHS inspector general repeatedly recommended cameras be installed at Choate between 2015 and 2021, according to the ProPublica investigation.

Aside from helping to quickly rule out false allegations, cameras can serve as eyes and ears for residents who could not advocate for themselves, some advocates argue. Of Choates roughly 230 current residents, 10% are nonverbal.

Four months after the June announcements, however, cameras have yet to be installed at Choate. A contract to buy them is being finalized, IDHS Kollias said, and they will be put in public locations where there is a low, or no reasonable expectation for privacy.

Specifically, the cameras will be placed outside, which critics like Smoot say defeats their purpose. While cameras cant catch everything, the critics say surveillance of hallways and common areas in other state-run residential facilities has improved the quality and speed of some investigations.

But some parents and guardians have pushed back on installing them at all. Liz Gersbacher, a guardian of two Choate residents, said it is debatable whether cameras deter abuse and could make the facility feel less like a home to residents.

Beyond cameras and extra security, experts and advocates say, the Pritzker administration has not addressed the larger problem of whether the state continues investing in Choate and places like it. Pritzker has faced criticism for not fully funding disability services in past budgets, and the state remains under a federal consent decree that seeks to make community services more accessible to those with disabilities.

Its disappointing many of the problematic conditions Equip for Equality and the Justice Department identified more than a decade ago still exist, Equips Program Vice President Stacey Aschemann told the Tribune. That includes a lack of adequate programming and resident engagement as well as psychiatric and psychological treatment. Creating long-term improvement is going to require a lot of attention by the state to get things where they need to be, she said.

As part of the Choate reforms, the Illinois Crisis Prevention Network has been brought in to train staff on topics such as de-escalation, and to counsel residents who want to successfully transition into a smaller community home.

But there often isnt enough capacity, according to Caitlin Crabb, a researcher with the University of Illinois Chicagos Institute on Disability and Human Development, which helps evaluate certain IDHS services and has been contracted by IDHS to study barriers to access.

People in SODCs are living in SODCs because theres not really a lot of other places to go, she said. A lot of the problems at Choate stem from the lack of community-based options, Crabb said.

Best practices equate to supporting people with disabilities to live like people who dont  from having locks on doors to the ability to host guests and hold jobs, according to Crabb.

Community-based settings also arent perfect. Illinois has its own troubled track record of transitioning residents to group homes, and supply remains low.

Dozens of Choate residents would transition out of the facility if they could, according to state data. As of the beginning of October, 32 people or guardians were pursuing a move to a community provider, while another 156 cant pursue a transition because community providers cant currently meet certain medical or behavioral needs, an IDHS report shows.

Eidelman said the small percentage of people whose needs are extraordinary should not stop Illinois from keeping up with the quality of care provided elsewhere. He and other experts acknowledged some family members oppose a transition to smaller-scale, community settings. After the most recent Illinois closure, of the Jacksonville Developmental Center in 2012, a follow-up study with residents relatives showed most saw in community settings an improved quality of life and health outcomes for their loved ones.

Officials in the governors office and IDHS say Pritzkers last two budgets made major investments in the Division of Developmental Disabilities that helped pay for wage hikes for front-line workers and direct support professionals, and added staff to help individuals transition out of SODCs like Choate. The pandemic also delayed community transitions.

According to Amie Lulinski, executive director of The Arc of Illinois, a statewide advocacy organization serving people with disabilities and their parents, the budget increases were still only about half what a study for IDHS deemed necessary. She hopes to see Pritzkers administration plan a thoughtful closure of Choate and for Illinois to follow suit with other states in providing more alternatives to SODCs.

Are we so broken that we cant do it? Or is it just the fact that we havent put enough resources into the (community) system? Lulinski asked.

Choates closure is not something that were looking at right now, the governor said on Sept. 6. The question is, can we prevent that (abuse) in the future and if not, then obviously thats not a facility that should remain open.

Yet even when an election isnt looming, political tension surrounds the issue of jobs at scandal-tainted centers like Choate, according to Eidelman and other experts.

Bryant, the state senator, doesnt want to see the facility close. She and others acknowledged the good employees doing tough work at Choate. Even legislators who work around this a lot, were sensitive to the fact that if we raise too much of a stink, that a closure could threaten some of the areas best-paying jobs.

But in the face of mounting claims of abuse, Eidelman said the Pritzker administration and legislators need to step up.

This isnt supposed to be a jobs program or a funding program, he said. Its supposed to be services for people who are vulnerable. Its about quality of care and peoples lives.
 Flash

A protracted pandemic rarely seen in a century, the rising tide of de-globalization, a wobbling global economy ... the list of unprecedented challenges tormenting humanity as a whole seems unending, and is growing.

In this dire moment for the human race, the global community must come together, and better coordinate its actions. And to tackle the root causes of those planetary conundrums, the world needs to fix global deficits in peace, development, trust, and governance. For that end, China's visions and commitment evident in the twice-in-a-decade national congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) are of global relevance.

DEVELOPMENT HOLDS THE KEY

Development is the eternal theme of human society and a master key to addressing major problems, especially poverty.

Over the past 40 years, China has contributed close to three-quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty, according to a joint report released in April by China's Ministry of Finance, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and the World Bank. The World Bank also estimates that the infrastructure investment in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could lift 7.6 million people worldwide out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty.

While reducing destitution is important, it is always a common desire for people everywhere to pursue a better life. This demands not only faster development, but more balanced and equitable development.

China will accelerate creating a new development pattern and pursue high-quality development, said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in his report to the 20th CPC National Congress.

"We must fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy, promote high-standard opening up, and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows," Xi said.

China's commitment to promoting high-standard opening up is very positive for the rest of the world, as countries are recovering from the COVID-19 recession, said Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser for Malaysia's Pacific Research Center.

In a recent joint interview with Chinese media, Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called the BRI "one of the most remarkable initiatives," since China helped build the infrastructure to boost the economy, create jobs, boost resilience in terms of natural disasters, and address poverty in terms of climate change in Latin America and Africa.

In September 2021, with the future of all humanity in mind, Xi put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.

The initiative calls for staying committed to development as a priority, to a people-centered approach, to benefits for all, to innovation-driven development, to harmony between man and nature, and to results-oriented actions.

For Skerrit, the GDI creates a favorable mechanism for developing countries that focuses on cooperation and partnerships, and is dedicated to addressing such issues as extreme poverty, food security, access to vaccines, and climate change.

The China-proposed development initiatives exemplify a correct understanding of global issues as well as a focus on collective progress, said Farhad Javanbakht Kheirabadi, a China scholar at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran.

A SAFER WORLD

While delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022 in April, Xi proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), offering a China solution to the questions posed by the times such as what security concept the world needs and how countries can achieve common security.

The initiative advocates cooperative and synergy-driven approaches to replace the zero-sum Cold War mindset of maximization of security through power contestation and arms racing, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told Xinhua.

Carrying forward the spirit of the UN Charter, the initiative provides a fundamental solution to eliminating the peace deficit, said Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

Over the past decades, China has been not only talking about fixing the peace deficit through the pursuit of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, but also walking the talk with concrete actions.

Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second-largest funding contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and has contributed more peacekeepers than any other permanent members of the Security Council.

In the eyes of Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, China has been "a strong buttress to the blue flag (of the UN)."

China has also played an active part in tackling security challenges of various forms and safeguarding regional peace within regional mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said that China-proposed initiatives including the GSI are "essential to reinforce multilateralism, international cooperation and solidarity to address global challenges and concerns for common interests."

Building a global community of security for all "addresses the issues of peace deficit and governance deficit, and seeks peace and development," which will certainly gain steam, said B. R. Deepak, chairperson of the Center of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University.

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE THAT WORKS

More than two years into the once-in-a-century pandemic, the global sustainable development is facing strong headwinds, the North-South gap keeps widening, and crises are emerging in food and energy security. Yet some countries have chosen coercion over cooperation, willfully slapped sanctions, and stoked divisions worldwide. These all cast shadow on the future of the global governance.

While this is an age where all countries should jointly rise to their common challenges, they should also respect each other's core interests and choice of development paths, treat each other as equals, and reject the practice of the strong bullying the weak or the big bullying the small.

At the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in June, Xi called on the world to "promote extensive consultation and joint contribution to deliver shared benefits" to ensure that "all countries enjoy equal rights, follow the rules as equals, and share equal opportunities."

Behind Xi's call for the equal rights, rules and opportunities is an aspiration for "a just, fair, multipolar world order," John Pang, a senior fellow at New York-based Bard College, observed.

Through South-South cooperation mechanisms like BRICS, developing countries "enhance mutual understanding and trust and make the pie of cooperation bigger," said Deepak.

Always championing a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, China consistently maintains that all countries -- big or small, rich or poor -- are equal members of the international community.

In the case of cooperation between China and African countries, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said there are always some people who like to point fingers despite the fact that China has sincerely helped Kenya solve problems and meet its needs with actions.

Having witnessed the completion of the Chinese-built Kipevu Oil Terminal project in the coastal Kenyan city of Mombasa in January, Kenyatta said he is often asked why Kenya and China cooperate so closely, and he responded that is because China and Kenya respect each other and treat each other as equals.

Still, to fix all those problems perplexing the human community, trust is a pre-condition. Without trust, there is no way to avoid conflicts or to carry out real cooperation. Therefore, bridging the trust gap requires all nations to treat each other in good faith, mean what they say and follow through their commitments.

China has over the years been a firm believer in honoring its words with actions, a promoter of dialogues and a champion of inter-cultural exchanges so as to seek common ground while shelving and narrowing differences, increase strategic trust, and reduce mutual suspicion.

"The Chinese direction has been that of multilateralism, bringing countries together, creating development and creating unity based on the principles of the United Nations Charter," said William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review.

Changes will be seen in the world that can show China's vision is successful, which will lead to global prosperity rather than conflict, said Jones.
The brave women and men of law enforcement are facing unprecedented challenges across our country. Each day, these heroes put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe, and we need to do whatever we can to keep them safe.

Thats why the Police Benevolent and Protective Association is proud to endorse the Workers Rights Amendment at the top of the ballot for Illinois voters this November.

The Workers Rights Amendment locks in protections for working people, including law enforcement, to bargain over things like wages, benefits, workplace protections, and  crucially  safety and training on the job. This means workers get a seat at the table and some basic respect on the job.

In recent years we have all heard the loudest voices make the most noise, but with the Workers Rights Amendment, we can ensure law enforcement has their voices heard as well.

Safety is absolutely paramount for our first responders and police, and no one has a better understanding of what is needed to keep police safe than our officers. Our officers see new threats every day, and we must be able to join together and fight for the strongest protections possible for our people. Whether its safety equipment, staffing levels, or specialized training, Illinois law enforcement deserves the very best because Illinois people are the very best.

We need to give police officers every tool possible to stay safe and to keep us safe  which is exactly what the Workers Rights Amendment will do.

Plus, a yes vote is a vote for higher wages for all Illinois workers, public or private sector, union or non-union. We all know that when communities prosper with good-paying jobs, crime levels drop. Lets put more money into the pockets of hardworking Illinoisans so that our entire economy can be stronger, especially for the middle class.

And these rights will be locked up in the state constitution, which means no extremist politician can come along in the future and attack us or any worker. Some rights are too important to leave up to politicians, and workers rights are among them.

We hear and appreciate the millions of Illinoisans who support law enforcement officers every day. Now, we all have a chance to vote for safer streets and stronger communities with the Workers Rights Amendment.

We have a chance to vote for ourselves, and we should take it. Vote yes at the top of your ballot this election season; vote for stronger protections for law enforcement.
President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) Dr Joseph Obeng has indicated that there is a powerful association behind black market operations in Ghana.



He explained that these operators mostly receive up to date forex information that sometimes the regulated operators do not even have.



Who is giving them this information? He asked on the New Day show with Roland Walker on TV3 Friday October 21.



He added there is a cartel which is being built by black market, it is dangerous. Who is giving them the rate, it is a cartel.



People are shying away from the main stream banks and and doing businesses with the Black markets.



The Bank of Ghana (BoG), together with the Ghana Police Service, on Tuesday 20th September 2022, conducted a special operation on foreign exchange (forex) parallel market operators (otherwise known as black market operators) at identified hot spots within Business District (Rawlings Park, Tudu, Cowlane, Circle, Kimbu, Timber Market and Lava) and throughout the country.



In all about 76 perpetrators were apprehended by the police for prosecution. The special operation will continue nationwide.



The purpose of the operation was to clamp down on individuals and entities engaging in the business of buying and selling foreign exchange without a licence from Bank of Ghana in violation of Ghanas foreign exchange laws and regulations.



Speaking to Journalists after exercise, the Head of the Foreign Exchange Bureau Examinations Office, at the Bank of Ghana, Adjoa Konadu Torto, indicated that the exercise will continue in other parts of the country in the coming days.



She maintained that members of the public who patronise the activities of Black Market operators are equally guilty before the law.



The over 76 perpetrators were apprehended by the police for prosecution. The special operation will continue nationwide.



The purpose of the operation was to clamp down on individuals and entities engaging in the business of buying and selling foreign exchange without a licence from Bank of Ghana in violation of Ghanas foreign Exchange Laws and regulations, she explained.



She cautioned the general public to desist from engaging in illegal foreign exchange business without a licence.



The general public must always trade with the Bank of Ghana licensed foreign exchange (forex) bureaux. Accordingly, the Anti-Money Laundering ACT, 2020 (Act 1044) as amended instructs all bureau customers to insist on their electronic receipts by providing the acceptable valid ID, the Ghana Card, to cover the buying and selling of all foreign currencies, she added.







Source: 3news









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 President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated that government is prepared to take the necessary steps in reclaiming all state lands including University of Cape Coast (UCC) lands that have been encroached on by developers across the country.



He explained that one-third of the UCCs legally acquired land for instance had been taken over by encroachers, saying, This is unacceptable.



President Akufo-Addo said this at a durbar held at the campus of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to climax the 60th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the University.



He inaugurated a number of facilities namely, the School of Graduate Studies Building, a six-storey guest house and School of Medical Sciences Auditorium and adjoining facilities.



The anniversary was on the theme: 60 years of quality higher education: expanding the frontiers.



President Akufo-Addo said: I am saddened with this state of affairs especially because it is happening in Cape Coast of all places, the cradle of Ghanas education system



He, therefore, called on the chiefs and people of the area to ensure cessation of this unfortunate activity, saying, We must begin to see the university not only as a national asset and asset of the Central Region but most importantly also as an asset of the people of Cape Coast in particular.



Touching on the current economic challenges, he said, graduates of UCC and Ghanaians in general, should continue to be inspired by the patriotic endeavours showed by members of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society which was founded in Cape Coast which ensured indigenous ownership of landS as they were threatened by European colonialists.



It is this same example of patriotic endeavour, this same spirit of determination and tenacity by the Aborigines that we must summon up today to enable us navigate the current difficult headwinds that have engulfed the economy of our country so that we must come out stronger and more empowered than we were before to continue our journey towards our destiny of prosperity and freedom, he said.



President Akufo-Addo commended the UCC for the feat it had chalked over the years and therefore charged management to ensure that the institution remain pure and unadulterated un the provision of quality academic and intellectual discourse and in finding solution to complex and far-reaching problems across borders and disciplines.



He expressed anticipation of witnessing products of the University making positive impact and building a strong and distinctive workforce in Ghana, West Africa and across the world.



He further urged management, staff, students and stakeholders to put their shoulders to the wheel to ensure further development and transformation of the University.



He noted that the achievement of UCC over the years had been remarkable as it was reflected in considerable growth of faculty, students and infrastructure.



He gave an assurance of his commitment towards redeeming a pledge made last year of supporting the construction of students accommodation facility for the University.



I acknowledge the need for further expansion of infrastructure to meet current demands and support for the free SHS initiative of this administration, he said.



He said, the current administration would offer the needed support to expand its infrastructure for the benefit of the numerous senior high school graduates who now qualify to access university education yearly.



The government, he said, would not renege on its commitment to providing quality education and equal opportunities for future generations to have a good education.



Regardless of the difficulties currently confronting our nation, government will continue to intervene and remain responsible for the provision of free and quality basic and secondary education for all, he indicated.



He noted that education was the key to the development of any country and said his administrations commitment to the Free SHS remains unshaken.

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh









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Sierra Leone is to drop its current voting system and return to proportional representation, the president has decreed.



But the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party is considering mounting a legal challenge, according to representative Sidi Yahya Tunis, who called the president's decision "ill-advised".



In 1996, when multiparty democracy was reintroduced and with the civil war raging at the time, the country conducted its parliamentary elections under a proportional representation system.



MPs got elected based on the percentage of the popular vote their parties received nationwide - as long as they received at least more than 5%.



In 2002, Sierra Leone introduced single-member constituencies with MPs elected on a -first-past-the-post basis.



Making the announcement on Friday, top electoral commissioner Mohamed Konneh said the decision to go back to the earlier PR system followed a presidential directive in accordance with the countrys constitution.



He said because the countrys constituency boundaries had expired and could not be re-drawn within the constitutionally stated period ahead of the next election the boundary delimitation exercise which had commenced is halted with immediate effect.

Source: BBC









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Malawi's government has vowed to act after the discovery of a mass grave where the bodies of 25 immigrants thought to be Ethiopians were found.



The bodies were exhumed in a Mzimba district forest after young boys reportedly detected a foul smell.



The next day four more bodies were found 5 km (3 miles) from the grave.



"It is a sorry state," Homeland Security Minister Jean Sendeza told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme."It is a pathetic situation," she said.



"As a government we are really condemning this kind of activity. It's not right, it's not good".



She stressed that the police was investigating and that those involved would be caught. A post-mortem will be undertaken to establish the causes of death.



A group of 72 suspected migrants from Ethiopia were arrested after police were tipped off about their presence in another government forest reserve.



Ten Malawians were also arrested on suspicion of being part of a syndicate involved in trafficking the Ethiopians. They have not yet appeared in court.





Civil society organisations in Malawi are also calling on authorities to conduct a swift and thorough forensic investigation.



The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiative (CDEDI) have separately said the discovery of the dead bodies showed there was a rapidly escalating illegal migration and human trafficking crisis in the country which needed immediate and decisive action.



CDEDI head Sylvester Namiwa told the BBC all Malawians were disheartened by the news and the least authorities could do is let professional bodies conduct thorough investigations and ensure perpetrators of human trafficking were brought to justice.



His call was echoed by CHRR head Micheal Kaiyatsa who demanded "justice for the victims".



Malawi is grappling with the problem of human trafficking in which organised syndicates traffic men, women and children from East African countries including Ethiopia and Somalia. From Malawi they are further trafficked to South Africa, Europe and the United States.



Syndicates are thought to involve influential Malawians. In 2020, the Malawi High Court sentenced former Home Affairs Minister Uladi Mussa and an immigration officer to five years imprisonment for helping non-Malawians obtain Malawi passports.

Source: BBC









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The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has been awarded Cyber Security Regulator of the year at the 12th Ghana Information Technology & Telecom Awards (GITTA).



The CSA was established on October 2021 by section 2 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) to regulate cybersecurity activities in the country; to promote the development of cybersecurity in the country and to provide for related matters.



Cybersecurity Regulation in Ghana



The dependence on digitalisation to transform Ghanas economy comes with increased risk of cyber threats and attacks on Critical infrastructure, businesses and individuals. The current digitalised and interconnected environment means that a single cybersecurity incident can affect an entire organisation, a whole nation and the world at large.



As cybercrimes increase, cybersecurity services, establishments and professionals have become a critical solution for mitigating cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities within Ghanas fast developing digital ecosystem. It is therefore necessary that the industry is regulated to ensure that there are appropriate guidelines for practitioners and so that practitioners can be held accountable for their actions as part of efforts to control cybersecurity risks and to protect the interests and safety of Children, the Public, Businesses, and Government.



Globally, regulatory compliance has become one of the most effective and reliable strategies to mitigate cyber risks within the industry.



The implementation of cybersecurity regulations is imperative to deal with both existing and emerging cyber threats which have the potential to undermine the digital dividends expected from our digital economy.



The Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) provides the regulatory framework to promote cybersecurity development in the country. The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has thus commenced a number of regulatory activities including the protection of Critical Information Infrastructures, pursuant to Section 35 to 40 of Act 1038; licensing of Cybersecurity Service Providers pursuant to Sections of 49 to 56 and regulations on cybersecurity incident reporting and response, pursuant to Sections 41 to 48 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2022.



Plans are advanced to ensure that starting January 2023, businesses, firms and individuals will not be able to offer cybersecurity services unless the entity or the individual is licensed or accredited by the Authority. Similarly designated Critical Information Infrastructure Owners will be subjected to mandatory audit and compliance checks against the Directive for the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructures which was adopted on October 1, 2021.



In order for these regulations to be effectively enforced, the Cyber Security Authority has since the beginning of the year held collaborative meetings on the implementation of the Act with key stakeholders to ensure mutual understanding and commitment to implement the provisions of the Act.



The internet offers several opportunities for improving the lives of children through access to information which is beneficial to their education, health and social wellbeing. Many children are, however, becoming prone to criminal online practices which are detrimental to their development.



The Cyber Security Authority, as a regulator, is committed to ensuring the protection of children online per its mandate in the Cybersecurity Act 2020. In furtherance of the mandate, the Child Online Protection Framework has been revised to ensure the utmost safety of our children online.



The Cyber Security Authority is being guided by the Governing Board and also through the Joint Cybersecurity Committee to approach cybersecurity regulations from a collaborative perspective. To improve awareness amongst key stakeholders on the regulatory provisions of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) and to create a culture of cybersecurity regulatory compliance, as well as effective operations and management of reporting and responding to cybersecurity incidents among stakeholders especially the sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams,.



Subsequently, the 2022 edition of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is celebrated in October every year is being organised under the theme, Regulating Cybersecurity: A Public-Private Sector Collaborative Approach, to build synergy among public and private sector institutions and stakeholders to effectively regulate the countrys cybersecurity. This was a follow up the previous years awareness month which was organised under the theme, Ghana's Cybersecurity Act, 2020; Its Implications and the Role of Stakeholders to mark the introduction of the landmark cybersecurity legislation to provide the legal backing to the countrys cybersecurity development.



The Authority, working with other stakeholders, has so far engaged industry professionals, critical information infrastructure owners, the Bank Of Ghana and the Ghana Association of Banks, Civil Society Organisations, parents and children, international partners among others.



Collaborations underpin the activities of the Cyber Security Authority in the execution of its mandate. This has reflected in the inauguration of the Joint Cybersecurity Committee (JCC) under Section 13 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020, to collaborate with Authority and other sector-institutions represented on the Committee for the implementation of relevant cybersecurity measures. The Industry Forum is also set to be established under Section 81 of the Act, as a platform to periodically bring private sector industry players together to discuss matters of common interest.



Dr. Antwi-Boasiako receives Top 20 Tech Leaders Award



The Ag. Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, has received Top 20 Tech Leaders Award at the 12th Ghana Information Technology & Telecom Awards (GITTA).



Prior to his appointment on October 1, 2021, he served as the National Cybersecurity Advisor and Head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) from July 2017 to September 2021 He led the institutionalisation of Ghanas cybersecurity development which progressed from 32.6% in 2017 to 86.69% in 2020, according to the ITUs Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), with Ghana ranked 3rd in Africa and 43rd globally.



In 2011, Dr. Antwi-Boasiako founded e-Crime Bureau, the first cybersecurity and digital forensics firm with a state-of-the art e-Crime Lab to be established and operated in West Africa. Since 2014, He has served as an Expert with the Council of Europes Global Action on Cybercrime Extended (GLACY+) Project.



In June 2021, he was recognised as the worlds 20th most Influential Security Executive in the Cybersecurity Category by IFSEC Global.



He currently serves on the Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT). He is a Bureau Member of the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY) and is the Government of Ghanas representative on ECOWAS Regional Technical Committee (RTC) on Cybersecurity.



He is a Member of the Governing Boards of the National Information Technology Agency and the Cyber Security Authority.







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Source: Peacefmonline.com









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United Arab Emirates Immigration authorities have imposed a visa ban on Nigerians and are now rejecting visa applications.



This was conveyed in a notice issued to UAE's trade partners in Nigeria including travel agencies on Friday October 21.



No reason was given for the visa ban, but the United Arab Emirates Immigration authorities said all applications are on-hold until issues between the UAE government and the Nigerian government are resolved.



It read;



All Dubai applications submitted are now rejected. It is general for Nigerians and approvals are on hold at the moment.



Kindly advise your clients to resubmit C2=A0 applications when the issue is resolved between both governments.



Punch reported that a source at travel agency, Wakanow confirmed the development. The source said;



It is true, it was issued yesterday. The Dubai immigration did not state when the ban would be lifted but for now, everything is on hold.



A customer representative from Air Peace, however said the airline is still flying to Dubai with those who already have a valid visa. The representative added that if any changes were to occur as regards flight for Nigerians, it would be duly communicated.









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Apostle Elijah King, the leader of the Fire Nation Arena Ministries in Lusaka, Zambia has made some interesting predictions about the flagbearer race of the New Patriotic Party.



In a sermon in his church that has been in circulation on social media, Apostle Elijah King disclosed that there will be instances of backbiting and betrayal from some of the candidates.



According to him, one of the leading candidates who will fall victim to the scheme will break away from the NPP and set up his own party.



This person, he claims will win the general elections and set the country on the path of autocracy and military rule.



The Lord shows me that there will be confusion in the present government of Ghana. There will be confusion in the NPP and they will end up fighting each other and setting each other up. There is this race of the next presidential candidate. I won't go into details but there is one particular man amongst the candidates that the Lord focused on and spoke to me about.



I saw that the man will be set up and betrayed by the party. Out of the betrayal and anger, he will walk away and set up his own political party. He will buy people and Lord says, he will rule like a military government. Whatever he says will become final, he said.



The three leading candidates in the NPP race are Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Trades, and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, and Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong.



Though the first two names are yet to officially announce their interest in the race but Kennedy Agyapong has announced his, detailing his plans for the primaries and the national election.

Source: facebook/ghanaweb









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Viral videos of traders hooting, booing and jeering at President Nana Addo Danqua Akufo-Akufo emerged on social media few days ago when he was touring the Ashanti region.



This generated discussions with some suggesting that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) were the masterminds.



Social commentator Bernard Allotey Jacobs says those hooting at the President were not traders.



"If someone says it was GUTA members who were hooting at the President, I don't believe that that is true. It is never true because it was so selective . . . It has happened to every President and Presidential candidate. And that is part of our character that for Ghanaians, they don't like hardship," he said.



Speaking to this on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Kwamena Duncan, former Central Regional Minister says those accusing the NDC may be justified because "it is not beyond their doing".



"They speak as if they know the minds of everyone in the Ashanti Region . . . you think that a political party which is so desperate . . . looking for power and using all kinds of means to do that; you think that it is beyond them to mobilise (people) and get them positioned somewhere and video themselves? You think that NDC, this is beyond them? Then their rented press will pick it up; all to bring a dampener on the visit of the President . . . but the President will not be distracted," he stated.



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said the inordinate fall of the Cedi against the Dollar should be seen as a national security threat.



He said the President must dissolve the Economic Management Team (EMT), sack the Finance Minister and quickly convene a non partisan forum to rescue the local currency.



In a tweet Mr Ablakwa said The total crash of the Cedi must be seen as a major national security threat. President Akufo-Addo should immediately suspend his regional booing tours, sack his Finance Minister, dissolve his failed EMT & convene a non-partisan emergency economic rescue forum to harvest fresh ideas.



Some analysts have however expressed confidence that the Cedi will soon stabilize.



For instance, Chief Operations Officer at Dalex Finance Mr Joe Jackson said people are finding it difficult to buy Dollars these days hence, are giving up.



Similarly, he said, he expects the government to announce signals to the market that it is reducing its expenditure. The measures, he added, will include debt restructuring. When that happens he said, the Cedi fall will slow.



Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 with Alfred Ocansey on Wednesday October 19, he said It is a tough time but I expect that the rate will slow down. The rate will slow down because at this moment, it is very hard to find dollars to buy and most of the people we have given up on buying Dollars and are slowing. I am also expecting that the government will soon announce measures that will indicate to the market that it is serious about the reducing its expenditure.



The measures, the biggest one is going to be debt restructuring, when that happens I expect the rate of the Cedi depreciation to slow down.



Recently, the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana Elsie Addo Awadzi also said the fall of the Cedi against the Dollar and also the high inflation rate (32.7%) are temporary.



She expressed confidence of a positive outlook for Ghanas economy.



Speaking at the 21st Annual National RCB CEOs conference on the theme Positioning Rural banking at the Centre of Financial Services delivery in Ghana  the role of stakeholders she explained that recent global developments have heightened economic and business uncertainties for businesses and individuals. Our domestic economy is not spared from these developments.



READ ALSO: The truth will surely come out  Abuga Pele on his incarceration

The Bank of Ghana, she said is working closely with the Ministry of Finance and other key stakeholders to negotiate a sound economic reform programme supported by the IMF, to stabilise and transform our economy.



We at the Bank of Ghana are confident about the outlook for our economy. The current high inflation and cedi depreciation are temporary, and we must avoid speculative behaviour that only works against attaining stability sooner, Mrs Addo Awadzi stated.



Some forex bureaus are selling the local currency between 12.50 and 12.95 as of Wednesday October 19.



The BoG recently identified five key reasons for the woes of the local currency.



They were The strength of the US dollar, Investor reaction to Credit Rating Downgrade, Non-Roll over of Maturing Bonds, The sharp rise in crude oil prices and impact on the Oil Bill, Loss of External Financing.



The central bank went ahead to announce measures introduced to resolve the situation.



They were the Gold Purchase Program to increase foreign exchange reserves; Special Foreign Exchange Auction for the Bulk Distribution Companys (BDCs) to help with the importation of petroleum products; Bank of Ghana is entering into a cooperation agreement with the mining companies to provide BOG with the opportunity to buy gold as when it becomes available.



The Bank of Ghana is supporting the banking sector with foreign currency liquidity to help meet the demand for external payments. The recently approved USD750,000,000 Afrexim loan facility by Parliament, once disbursed, will boost the foreign exchange position of the country and help restore confidence.



The recently signed 1.13billion dollar Cocoa Syndicated loan was also a measure to shore up the Cedi, the BoG added.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The total crash of the Cedi must be seen as a major national security threat.<br><br>Prez Akufo-Addo should immediately suspend his regional booing tours, sack his Finance Minister, dissolve his failed EMT & convene a non-partisan emergency economic rescue forum to harvest fresh ideas.</p> Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) <a href="https://twitter.com/S_OkudzetoAblak/status/1583176013231509505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>





Source: 3news.com









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FORT EDWARD  The Washington County Board of Supervisors approved a members videoconferencing policy at its monthly meeting Friday, but wanted some clarification from County Attorney Roger Wickes before accepting it.

The policy, which conforms with state public officers law, requires supervisors to be present at meetings of the board or its committees unless extraordinary circumstances prevent them.

The majority must conduct the meeting at one or more locations where the public can attend. Members who want to participate from a location open to the public other than the supervisors chambers, such as a town hall, must notify the board clerk at least five days in advance. Members must also inform the clerk if they plan to attend from a private location, such as home or a hospital room.

The law gives examples of extraordinary circumstances such as disability, illness and caregiving responsibilities, but its up to supervisors to decide whether their circumstances qualify, Wickes said. He recommended that supervisors inform the clerk and state their reason for attending remotely during roll call. Reasons dont have to be detailed: medical reasons is sufficient, Wickes said.

The law still requires a quorum of members at physical locations open to the public in order to do business.

Members who arent in a public location wont count toward a quorum, but may participate and vote as long as there is a quorum.

Eventually someone will challenge a vote the person didnt like on the grounds that a supervisors extraordinary circumstance wasnt really extraordinary and the vote will wind up in court, Wickes said.

Easton Supervisor Dan Shaw said his town hall isnt set up for members of the public to see what he sees on his laptop screen. He asked if he could put up a big screen in his town hall so the public could participate and never come here again. Wickes said he could, but White Creek Supervisor James Griffith said it would be an issue at his next campaign.

Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff pointed out that the county meetings are livestreamed on YouTube.

If its livestreamed, who cares where the public is? he asked. The public has the right to observe.

Thats the way the law is, Wickes said.

Remote attendance is an option we should have just in case, said Hebron Supervisor Brian Campbell.

If meetings dont have a quorum, resolutions can be withdrawn until enough members can be present, said board Chair Sam Hall.

Weve been given the gift of technology to utilize, he said, and the board can always change the policy if its misused or abused. He added that he didnt see that happening with this board.

Hampton Supervisor David OBrien said he wants board members in one place but also wants supervisors to be able to participate in meetings so they can make good decisions.

The policy was approved with only Shaw voting against.

Story updated This story was updated on Oct. 23 to correct attribution for a quote about development of a domestic terrorism prevention plan. If we pay attention to the Constitution, the plan will be OK was said by Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff, not by Hampton Supervisor David OBrien.

In other business:

Haff objected to a resolution authorizing a contract with Contingency Management Consulting Group for development of a domestic terrorism prevention plan. The plan is required under an executive order signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this year. Does it matter where a terrorist comes from? Haff asked. I could be labeled a terrorist for wearing my UltraMAGA hat. This will become political. Say not and give the sheriff what he needs to respond to incidents. Wickes said the board will be able to approve or reject a plan. The executive order specifies what the plan must contain, said Putnam Supervisor Darrell Wilson, chair of the Public Safety Committee. We have to fill it in. How we do it is up to us. Deputy Director of Public Safety Tim Hardy said a plan would put together an official framework of who will be involved so things arent falling through the cracks. Different county agencies may be aware of threats but arent necessarily communicating with each other, he said. If we pay attention to the Constitution, the plan will be OK, Haff said. Shaw worried that the plan could become another unfunded state mandate. Haff is on the Public Safety Committee but said he wasnt at the meeting where the resolution was developed and withdrew his name from sponsorship. He cast the only no vote.

Frederick Gage of Kingsbury complained that the county real property office redrew the map of two parcels he owns so that the house is now on the parcel set to go up for a tax auction. He was able to make a partial payment on one parcel, but if a taxpayer cant pay the whole amount at once, the payment is applied to the most recent bill while penalties and interests continue to accrue on the older bills. He asked for a judgment to put the tax auction on hold until the change in parcel boundaries can be investigated. Haff called the tax law predatory.

The board approved a three-year extension of the county occupancy tax law after a public hearing. There were no public comments.

The board issued a proclamation recognizing Cybersecurity Month in October, urging the public to practice basic cyber hygiene practices, think before you click, update software, have strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication.

The board set a public hearing on the 2023 tentative budget for 10:05 a.m., Nov. 18, in the supervisors chambers.
TRENTON  Lifeguards in Atlantic City, Avalon and Stone Harbor are due more than $400,000 in unpaid overtime, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development said in a news release Friday.

The Division of Wage and Hour Compliance conducted the investigation after receiving complaints, the press release said.

The money already has been paid to most of the 347 affected lifeguards, according to the DOL.

New Jerseys lifeguards put their lives on the line for the safety of summer shore visitors, so its our responsibility to ensure they receive all the wages they are entitled to, said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo in the release. We will continue to make sure workers  especially young workers who may not yet understand their work rights  are being paid properly.

In Atlantic City, where 146 lifeguards were found to be owed $197,150 in unpaid overtime, investigators found lifeguards were only paid overtime after they reached 48 hours of work per week, not the 40-hour per week mark required by law.

In addition, 14 minors were working without a proper employment certificate, the DOL said, and their time-in/time-out was not being documented as the law requires.

In Avalon, lifeguards were paid a straight hourly rate for all hours worked, without an overtime rate. That practice denied 125 employees $116,161 in overtime, the DOL said.

Seven minors in Avalon were found to have worked without proper documentation, and their hours were not being documented.

Similarly, the Stone Harbor Beach Patrol did not pay an overtime rate. The investigation there found 76 employees were owed $94,114 in unpaid overtime wages, and five minor employees were working without proper documentation and without time-in/time-out records being maintained.

In July and August, the DOL inspected and provided safety assessments to beach patrols to mitigate issues involving boats and lightning  a campaign prompted by the deaths of two young New Jersey lifeguards in August 2021.

Cape May lifeguard Norman Inferrera III, 16, was fatally injured in August 2021 after his Beach Patrol boat capsized off the citys Reading Avenue beach.

Keith Pinto, 19, was stationed at a lookout tower in Berkeley Township when he was killed by a lightning strike that same month.

New Jersey workers who feel they have been wrongly denied compensation or benefits, and employers who have questions about compliance with New Jersey laws, may visit myworkrights.nj.gov or call 609-292-2305.
GENEVA  A suburban Chicago man has pleaded guilty to an intoxicated driving charge for his role in a street racing crash that killed two Judson University students last year.

Trevon Morris, 22, entered a blind plea Thursday to one count of aggravated driving under the influence of cannabis, causing death, The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reported. The Elgin man's sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 9.

A Kane County prosecutor told a judge Thursday that Morris had 15 nanograms per milliliter of THC in his blood when it was tested after the April 2021 crash. That's three times the legal limit for cannabis intoxication.

Morris was driving more than 91 mph on the night of April 20, 2021, when he hit a car carrying four Judson University students as that car was making a turn along Route 31 to enter the school's Elgin campus, the prosecutor said.

Dallas Colburn, 22, of Plano, and Nathanael Madison, 22, of Wernersville, Pennsylvania, died in the crash and the two other students were injured.

Authorities allege that Morris and Kahleel L. Steele, 23, of Carpentersville were racing when Morris' car hit the students' vehicle. Steele is awaiting trial.
Officers found Eric Brandon Beale, 40, suffering from stab wounds and a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jonathan Rojas-Carrasco, 28, is charged with murder and home invasion in connection with Beale's death.
Days before National Coming Out Day this month, Jaiden Briggs-Spies' English and language arts teacher at John Deere Middle School in Moline shared an article about how to make people feel safe when coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Briggs-Spies, who came out as transgender a little over a year ago, said discussing LGBTQ+ topics in class was fairly common. But English class isnt the only place where the eighth-grader feels supported  from Google forms asking preferred names and pronouns to birthday parties featuring Pride flags, and many John Deere educators promote acceptance.

I haven't really told any teachers specifically that I'm trans, but one of my teachers  they came up to me and asked if I was trans, and I was like, 'Yeah,' and now they're using my pronouns, and on the first day I did correct all my teachers on my name, Briggs-Spies said. All my teachers are pretty accepting.

Other students, some parents and political candidates, however, can be another story.

School districts have become battlegrounds between educators, parents and political candidates  with LGBTQ+ topics often in the spotlight. While all public schools are federally required to implement policies that battle discrimination, conflicting opinions on gender identity have sometimes muddied the policy waters.

All schools, local and state educational agencies and other entities receiving federal funding must abide by Title IX, a statute enforced by the U.S. Department of Education. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 bars discrimination on the basis of sex and gender in federally funded educational spaces.

In 2016, the Obama administration clarified Title IX to include transgender students, ensuring they have equal access to opportunities and gendered spaces or activities consistent with their identity. The Trump administration rescinded these protections in 2017, but the Education Department issued a Notice of Interpretation reenforcing Obama-era protections following an executive order by President Biden in March 2021.

A look at the numbers A 2022 study using data from the Behavioral and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Systems, the Williams Institute highlighted the following key data points: About one in five people who identify as transgender are ages 13-17

The percentage and number of U.S. adults who identify as transgender have remained steady over time

An estimated 300,000 youth and 1.3 million identify as transgender

In Iowa, the study estimates that 3,500 individuals ages 13-24 identify as transgender; that number jumps to 36,000 for those in the same age range in Illinois.

All federally assisted PK-12 districts must employ at least one person who maintains Title IX compliance, often called Title IX coordinators.

Concerns and clarifications

Some Bettendorf parents shared concerns about gender-related topics at the Sept. 29 school board meeting, and many centered on preferred pronoun and bathroom-use policies.

I understand and respect that at the school, you need to respect all children and keep all children safe, parent Melissa Zumdome said at the meeting. Who has done their research on how safe the process of transgendering a child is? Have you done your research over the years to prove that its safe for these children to behave in this manner?

Zumdome called on the board to research the impact of the transition process on transgender individuals by age.

What kind of treatment do they go on? Whats the process? Do they end up living a healthy, long life  or does it end in suicide? Does it end up destroying them genetically and biologically? she asked.

Though research largely suggests that gender-affirming hormone therapy is safe, as backed by medical powerhouses like the Mayo Clinic and Stanford School of Medicine, there have been some high-profile instances where those who transitioned later regretted the decision.

Many attribute a lower life-expectancy rate in the transgender population to historical stigmatization.

When Briggs-Spies came out to her mother, Lindsey Svetlick, the two decided that she should go to counseling to help build her self-confidence and give her the tools she needs to respond to a world that wont always understand or accept her. Part of building Briggs-Spies confidence was helping her to express her gender identity through her appearance.

Medicine and procedures do not represent the entirety of transitioning, Svetlick said.

Finding preferred clothes, makeup and other accessories is a process all people go through when theyre young, not just the gender-nonconforming, Svetlick said, adding that prohibiting children from taking that first step into their true selves can be detrimental.

I think if we're allowing them to experiment with just the outside stuff first, and we allow that, then they're the ones that get to answer the question on medications and surgeries, Svetlick said. But if we're not going to allow them to do that, then their psyche is being completely affected by the other person, and not by their own selves.

In response to the recent backlash at Bettendorf, Superintendent Michelle Morse said she and all district staffs No. 1 goal is to create an environment that is welcoming, inclusive and safe for all students.

Whether theyre a second-language learner, new to Iowa or if they choose to go by a pronoun different from the sex they were born ... I always welcome conversations if someone has questions or concerns about a policy," Morse said.

Some of the policies being questioned, she added, have been in place since the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965.

Did you know? The passage of the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965 prohibited discrimination in areas of employment, housing, credit, public accommodations and education. This codified that discrimination on the basis of the following traits is illegal: Race and color

Creed and religion

National origin

Sex and sexual orientation

Gender identity

Pregnancy

Physical and mental disability

Age

Familial and marital status

One parent, Laura Engels, said the district's 2022-2023 handbook didn't address specific gender-related protocols.

As a taxpayer, Id hope that youd reach out to us, regarding any sort of transgender policy that youre going to adopt as a board, Engels said at the Sept. 29 board meeting.

As Bettendorf schools are financed by both state and federal dollars, the district and its board have no say in the adoption of Title IX.

As Ive shared with many individually, these laws arent governed by school districts. We dont create those; were required to adhere, Morse said. If students arent feeling welcomed or safe in their school environment, we want them to reach out to an adult  a counselor, teacher or principal  and share those concerns, and well work with that family to create a plan to address it.

Engels acknowledged the federal role in school policy, but she had other concerns.

How will the district also affirm a childs sincerely held belief against gender-identity choices, and when will that protocol be communicated to your constituents? she asked, inquiring also about field trips and bathroom protocols for transgender-identifying students. How will you be keeping all of our students safe as we navigate these waters?

District protocol for transgender students are individualized, Morse said.

Typically, a school counselor and administrator would sit with that student and their parents and create a plan that helps that student feel safe in their environment, she said. But there is no one-size-fits-all. We very much work with families and adhere to the law.

Options for these plans include access to a gender-neutral bathroom or locker room, and Morse said they extend these individualized plans to cisgender (those whose gender identity corresponds with their birth sex) students who arent comfortable sharing spaces with transgender peers.

Protocols are similar in Bettendorfs neighboring school district, Pleasant Valley.

The No. 1 thing is to listen to understand questions or concerns, then make sure to explain what the laws we follow entail, Superintendent Brian Strusz said. No matter the situation, it's always listening to understand, provide support as needed and respond in the most respectful way to anyone involved.

Strusz said it's important that public schools strictly adhere to Title IX and similar laws.

People may not agree with parts, he said. But as a public institution, well handle that in the most respectful way and be sure were not discriminating against any identity.

Briggs-Spies has had more problems with students using slurs against the LGBTQ+ community than with teachers not being supportive, she said. A friend of hers who came out as transgender a few years ago still are referred to by some by their deadname, or the name they were given at birth, rather than the name they chose when they came out.

One thing Briggs-Spies wishes her peers realized is that making the decision to fully change gender identity isn't simple, and it's not a trend.

It's not that easy to just, like, swap, she said. I've seen a bunch of people just joke about it when we did the Pacer Test (physical-fitness test). They didn't want to do it that day, so they're like, Well, I'm just going to tell them I identify as a different gender.' No, it's not something that you can just do.

Strusz agreed the changes do not occur over night.

Every situation is different, once kids or parents are ready to share that, he said. How we proceed really just depends on where the comfort level of that student is, the confidentiality that goes along with it and who becomes involved in that conversation."

Morse said each of the 4,500 students in her district was unique and equally as important to the other, each with individual strengths and needs.

We, as educators, are responsible for understanding each, and ensuring they get what they need to excel, she said. If families feel their child's needs arent being addressed, for one reason or another, I encourage them to have conversations with myself, their building administrator, school counselor  who knows them and their students  and we can address their concerns.

Support for students

As gender identity remains a contentious topic, schools and other groups are providing supportive spaces to LGBTQ+ students.

In Rock Island, the Clock Inc. LGBT+ Community Center offers training to school districts, businesses and other organizations. Executive Director Chase Norris said the common theme in much of the training was respect and support.

Taking a little extra time to ensure students are comfortable, through practices like affirming preferred names and pronouns and watching for bullying in the hallways, helps them become better students.

The overall goal of Clock is that we reduce the ridiculously high suicide rates right now with the youth in the community, Norris said. So if you put in a little bit of extra work to learn a new name, that speaks volumes.

However, getting schools to enter the training can be a struggle.

Norris said their best ins at school districts were counselors and parents, who could take materials from the nonprofit directly to administration. The COVID-19 pandemic has kept Norris from meeting with schools in person, and reaching out virtually and via mail has yielded few results.

We get a lot of school counselors who respond, and depending on what side of the river they're on, a lot of them have to raise the money to do it, and they do it outside of school hours because the administration doesn't want to cover it or doesn't feel it's important," Norris said. "Supportive teachers and counselors recognize that it's a need, so then they've done it.

The Rock Island-Milan School District is the only district in the Quad-Cities that has completed Clock Inc. training, Norris said.

All Davenport Community School District high schools, excluding MidCity, have a Gender-Sexualities Alliance (GSA) club. GSA promotes acceptance and inclusion for all, regardless of sexuality or gender.

Bettendorf, North Scott, Moline and United Township High Schools all have GSA clubs. Pleasant Valley High School has two similar clubs, A Positive Place and Unite Club, aimed at inclusion.

Bettendorf Spanish teacher and GSA adviser Emily Henneman said she typically saw 10 to 15 students at GSA meetings, but the number fluctuated. She said GSA was aware of some of the backlash expressed by district community members, and theyd discussed it at meetings.

Its important for us to talk about these things because they directly affect our GSA students ... and its important that parents or the community are taking an interest in the school, Henneman said. This isnt just a Bettendorf issue. I think were all just learning how to figure it out, based on law and what's best for our students.

She said GSA also discussed state and federal laws, so students knew they're protected.

Bettendorf junior Ray Menke, president of the GSA, has been involved since seventh grade. They said the general consensus among Bettendorf students didnt reflect that of recent school board meetings.

For the most part, no one really cares anymore, Menke said. A lot of people are busy with so many other things  a lot of people just come to GSA, because they know they can find other people with similar experiences.

This applies to pronoun usage.

My pronouns clearly arent just she/her or he/him. I use two different sets: she/her and they/them. People really dont care that I use those pronouns and will use both for me, Menke said. I think teachers have a harder time understanding, just since theyre used to she/her or he/him. There are a few who arent that great, but most are accepting.

To adviser Henneman, GSA is just like any other high school club.

Sometimes it can be hard to manage different perspectives, but I think that everyone in our administration and district office wants what's best for students, she said.

To those who disagree with LGBTQ+ identification, Menke asks for two things: acceptance and respect.

You can be against it, but you dont have to avidly hate me because of who I am. Thats pretty much all we ask for. We want to be accepted like any other person wants, they said. People tend to like tradition, so when something newer comes along, they dont want to deal with it  but we dont plan on leaving.
The Democratic candidate for governor Deidre DeJear will hold a reproductive rights rally in Davenport on Saturday with Rep. Phyllis Thede, D-Bettendorf.

Previous campaign materials released this past weekend advertised Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush as attending. The Iowa Republican Party was quick to react with a press release noting Cori Bush has embraced 'defund the police' rhetoric that some blame for slowing Democrats in 2020.

But Friday's press release from the Scott County Democrats did not include any mention of Bush.

The rally will be 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 22 at MLK Interpretive Center, 501 N. Brady St. Davenport.

DeJear has said on numerous occasions she does not support reducing police department budgets, and has said she's talked with law enforcement across the state,

When asked about the event this past weekend, DeJear said the event had not been finalized when the campaign posted an event graphic on social media.

DeJear spokesperson Shekinah Young said there were no confirmed events with Bush on DeJear's campaign schedule. Young added that states like Iowa are "on the front lines" of the abortion debate.

"Our focus is the next 18 days ahead of the election," Young said. "Talking to voters across the state and let them know what Deidre's vision is for Iowa."
The Scott County Emergency Management Agency has issued a county-wide burn ban that went into effect at 9 a.m. Friday.

The burn ban will be in effect until further notice.

The National Weather Service, Davenport, said Scott County was under an elevated fire danger because of the dry weather conditions, gusty winds, low humidity and dried vegetation in agricultural areas.

In its special weather statement, the National Weather Service also named the other counties in the Quad-City region that are at an elevated fire danger that includes Clinton, Cedar, Jackson, Louisa, Muscatine in Iowa, and Rock Island, Carroll, Henry, Mercer and Whiteside counties in Illinois.

All of the Illinois Quad-City counties mentioned, save for Henry County, were rated as being abnormally dry on the drought monitor. Henry Countys soil water content remained adequate as of Thursday.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor, issued Thursday, indicated the east-central portion of Iowa, including Scott, Clinton, Jackson, Cedar, Muscatine and Louisa counties, as being abnormally dry. The vast majority of the rest of Iowa is moderate drought, while about 27 counties to the west and southwest of the Quad-City region are in severe drought. There are at least 19 counties in the northwest Iowa that are suffering from severe to extreme drought conditions.

There is no part of Iowa that has not been touched by the current drought.
A $50,000 matching donation by Rapid City developer Hani Shafai has kicked off a program to bring 5,000 to 10,000 Ukrainian war refugees to South Dakota.

Prompted by President Joe Bidens decision to accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, more than 30 attendees, representing the states Congressional delegation, Gov. Kristi Noems office, business and community leaders, support agencies, sponsors, employers and clergy gathered for six hours July 7 in Nemo.

Freedoms Haven for New Americans Workforce emerged and is geared to make South Dakota a community of choice for all new Americans, organizers said. The initial effort is aimed at the more than 3 million Ukrainian refugees displaced throughout Europe.

To create awareness, a benefit concert featuring international composer Calvin Jones will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Rapid City. A South Dakota native, Jones has spent the past eight years in Kyiv, Ukraine performing with Ukrainian and Russian orchestras.

He and his wife Inga said they were jolted out of their bed in Kyiv early Feb. 24 when Russia launched its attack. The couple immediately fled the country. The concert will feature music and war stories from Ukraine and more information about the effort will be available.

Shafai, who is president of Dream Design International, said he was approached to help with the states workforce issues shortly before the Ukraine war started and attended the July meeting.

We had firsthand testimony from folks in Ukraine, religious leaders, community leaders, and professionals, Shafai said. Their story really makes a person think of the great things that we have in the United States and the great life we live.

Shafai said South Dakotans have a duty and responsibility to help. God has given us the abilities  physically, mentally and financially  to help, not just ourselves, but other people. It is sad to see what people are experiencing, whether it is in Ukraine, Africa, the Middle East, South America, Southeast Asia or Europe.

Shafai, who grew up in the Gaza Strip, said the plight of Ukrainian refugees brought home some of the experiences I lived growing up. I was fortunate enough and blessed to be able to come to the United States (in 1981) and live the life that I live. I was given an opportunity that very few around the world have the ability to experience.

His decision to provide startup money for the Freedoms Haven Fund at the South Dakota Community Foundation stems from the barriers created by Bidens program. Incoming refugees must have a local sponsor willing to ensure there is housing, financial and other support for about two years. Current law does not allow refugees, or most other legal immigrants entering through the southern border, to easily obtain Social Security numbers or work documents.

Shafais donation, and that of others, will be used to defray sponsor expenses.

Besides the humanitarian nature, the goal also is to bolster the states workforce. There are more than 27,000 job openings with about 700 people on unemployment, according to Noem's office.

A lot of them (Ukrainian refugees) have professional careers, are very highly educated and familiar with industries that exist within our state, Shafai said.

More than 45 of South Dakotas largest businesses and health care organizations are supportive of the effort.

Support networks are being established across the state, but awareness remains a challenge, organizers said.

A series of Calvin Jones concerts throughout the state are designed to bring attention and raise money to match Shafais contribution. The Rapid City concert is free to the public. A freewill donation will be taken, and major sponsors are being sought to match Shafais lead gift.

Immigrants have contributed to the great things that are happening in our country, Shafai said, and hopefully we can continue to do so. We must be good stewards of the gifts that God has given us.
As music began to fill the air Friday, employees at Black Hills Children's Home near Rockerville hoped the kids in their care would feel inspired and find peace.

"Any time kids are able to be exposed to the arts, whether it be music or art, it allows them to be in a space of peace, and that in and of itself is healing even if just momentarily," said Karl Jegeris, chief operating officer of the Children's Home Society of South Dakota.

The home had special visitors Friday afternoon in Okaidja Afroso, a musician raised in a village on the western coast of Ghana, and his ensemble. Afroso is on tour including stops with the Arts Midwest Worldfest Fall Tour through Saturday. His stops in the Black Hills included an evening at the Custer Beacon, Hermosa Schools, Custer and Elk Mountain Schools, Hot Springs Schools and the state Veterans Home, the Black Hills Children's Home Society, and will finish up with a public concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Custer Beacon.

Afroso was born in the Kokrobite village on the west coast of Ghana. He began as a dancer with the Ghana Dance Ensemble, but he is from a family of musicians and storytellers, and grew up singing songs.

Over time, Afroso shifted from dance to music, starting with researching the connections between Ghanaian music and the music of the African Diaspora, according to his website. He learned how to play guitar and now writes songs that pull from his cultural roots and cultures around the world.

Jegeris said the Children's Home Society works toward diversity, equity and inclusion and tries to promote that all are welcome. He said many of the kids in their care come from a trauma background and may have been in situations where they struggled.

"I think this artist coming from a small village in Africa and being able to share the story of his success in terms of his musical ability and being on a world tour as an artist will just be enlightening for our kids to take part in his experience, even if just for 45 minutes of a concert," he said. "I think that the kids will be able to connect with the music and his storytelling from my review of his work, and that it will be inspirational for our kids."

Jegeris said Afroso's visit is a gift to the home. He said he got a call from the Custer Arts Council, which organized the visit. Jegeris said the home was previously visited by the South Dakota Symphony and has been visited by the Dakota Quintet.

"We're a nonprofit, we have limited budget capacity. So, fortunately, organizations have come to us and understand the need we have and the benefit their music could provide," he said.

Music therapist Rachel Bonn at the Children's Home said music therapy is different from being entertained and listening to music. She said music therapy allows people to process with music. In her sessions, kids are actively engaged in the music process.

She said in the case of the concert, kids are more in the audience and on the receiving end of the music, although she said it could still be beneficial. Bonn also said Afroso has gone through traumatic experiences himself and has no doubt music was an avenue to navigate and heal.

As for the students, she said seeing the music be a form of expression and a coping strategy may expand their toolbox to navigate their own experiences of the past.

Bonn has been with the Children's Home for about eight months and has worked with 12 kids, two of whom were discharged. She said the program at the home is still in its infancy.

Music therapy is very broad, like the types of music, Bonn said. It can be used in mental health and behavioral health, but it can also be used in physical rehabilitation through speech, dementia and hospice.

She said music has a more emotional connection and it's innate in the musical process. She said Afroso's music could help children who've been isolated and haven't had the opportunity to develop socially to take that first step in connecting with people.

Bonn said some of the goals they have at the home are increasing kids' emotional awareness, expression, increasing interpersonal skills and basic organization. She said sometimes there is chaos within the children's backgrounds, and because music is inherently structured, it can provide a sense of safety and predictability for them.

Jegeris said his hope is by sharing experience through music, it can inspire the kids and cause them to know they can achieve their goals just by seeing someone who has done so himself.
SCENIC  A sprawling 520 acres three miles outside of Scenic is the future site of one U.S. Air Force veterans vision to create a safe haven for veterans transitioning to civilian life that he never had.

Nate Sobolewski, owner of SOBOS LLC, served in the Air Force for over 20 years before returning home to South Dakota with his wife Alexis and their two daughters last year. His experience getting out of the military, however, was one he hopes to help other veterans avoid.

Sobolewski is in the beginning stages of turning portions of their acreage into a campground, with cabins, tent camping, tipis and an RV park  that will eventually serve as a place for veterans to have a free place to stay and a network of other veterans with knowledge, resources, and most importantly, understanding.

When Sobolewski left the military in 2021, he described the transition as a hole and a rut, and you feel like you cant ever get out.

It was a dark mindset few can understand, he said. Sobolewski said he felt purposeless, even suicidal.

Resources were dispersed through brochures and faceless phone calls, or well-meaning employees who didnt understand the struggle because they hadnt been there, he said.

Through a series of events and projects led through the Pennington County commission, Sobolewski crossed paths with the Sergeant Colton Levi Derr Foundation  an organization formed in 2012 with a threefold mission: veteran advocacy, assistance and public awareness. The foundation was named after Derr, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and died by suicide after returning home from Afghanistan.

Sobolewski said his perspective shifted. He and Alexis had already had a plan to turn their property into a campground, but now he had found a purpose. The vision for the campground transformed from basic lodgings into a place veterans could not only come to stay for free, but receive resources and guidance from other veterans who understood their struggle.

Finding purpose not only fueled Sobolewski with a new perspective, but embedded the project with a mission near and dear to his heart.

After getting out, I had a really hard time adjusting. And so it was near and dear to me to be able to help other people that are going through that, he said. I guess if you haven't struggled like that or been through the mindset that I was in, you wouldn't understand where others are at, you know, unless you've been there.

Sobolewski has been there, and is determined to help other veterans out of the hole he and so many others have struggled out of alone  or never left.

In addition to offering lodging and resources to veterans, part of their vision is to donate a cabin for the Derr Foundation, and give them a place to bring veterans in crisis. The cabin will also have a stable next door that will allow veterans to ride the property.

They have a spot picked out for it, a place that is definitely special, he said, already full of memories and stories. A dilapidated, historic building they hope to recreate currently sits on the site, as well as a story that encompassed their entire vision.

Sobolewski told the story of a near-stranger unexpectedly confiding his struggles as they passed the same spot. The instance was a representation of exactly what they hope the sites will provide: a space where veterans feel comfortable talking.

So many suffer in silence, Alexis said.

It all works together, Sobolewski said. So they bring a guy out here that's having a hard time, right. Well, this place is just full of veterans. And so now he's going through a hard time, but he's got his brothers and sisters. I've been through what you're going through man, how can I help you?

Sobolewski will also seek to work with the Veterans Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration and Veterans Service Offices, so that all these people are networking together.

We want to have people that are transitioning from military to civilian life with a person that walks them through the process. So they aren't like me and just left in the dark. Like, 'yeah, thanks for serving man. Appreciate 20 years. Good luck on the outside,' he said.

Instead, he envisions a veteran who will take them around, show them where to go, introduce them to people and explain options. The campground will serve as a community for people who understand and can provide them the help they need, whether it be mental health or simple questions.

Alexis recalled Sobolewski on the phone for hours with the VA  the frustrations were real and nothing was being accomplished, she said. The mental health side of all he was going through was hard to watch.

The campground will begin as a regular campsite, set to break ground in December. The project needs to turn a profit, Sobolewski said, before the ultimate vision can come to fruition.

While the path leading to this point has been paved with some logistical and financial speed bumps, the obstacles overcome have also served as a reminder of the power of a project they truly believe in.

Sobolewski recalled a conversation early in the process where he made a call to ask for advice. He was told he would never make it.

I dont know what motivates you, but for me  tell me I cant do it, he said.

Pieces fell into place, as sticker shock was whittled away by perseverance, motivation and the right people at the right time. Word of mouth sent believers in their vision with ideas and support, including opportunities to purchase benches and name cabins.

When you do it for the right reasons, youre gonna make it, Sobolewski said. Were not all the way yet. Were gonna be, and its just starting to fall into place.

Fall colors peppered the property, with campsites marked out and scenic hideaways offering escapes, rustic paths and streams. Tire swings scattered around the trees and stacks of tree trimmings highlighted the labor of love already poured into the site, that will hopefully be opened for business a few months after they break ground.

In the meantime, the Sobolewskis occupy themselves with SOBOs guided hunts, tent campsites, a gun range and a grain bin saloon, as they push towards their ultimate vision. Alexis hopes to one day open a wedding venue on their property.

When Sobolewski first got the property, he said it was "my dream, but I don't feel like this is awesome."

When he realized he could use it to help people, he said, that's when he found his purpose.
Former Interior Secretary and U.S. House candidate Ryan Zinke described the U.S. as a "failed nation" during a speech to Bitterroot Valley Republicans gathered at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds in Hamilton on Wednesday.

What's more important, likely, is we're failing culturally, Zinke said. I can fix energy in a matter of months. But culture, when boys play girls sports, when we have puberty-blocking in junior high, when CRT is openly promoted, when our founding fathers are racist  the culture of our values is in peril.

Local justice of the peace candidates Scott Burlingham and Justice Jennifer Ray also spoke at the event, followed by local Republican legislative candidates Jason Ellsworth, David Bedey, Michelle Binkley, Wayne Rusk, Ron Marshall and County Commissioner Jeff Burrows. State Supreme Court candidate James Brown was slated to appear but bowed out last minute.

Zinke described the Biden administration as being one of abandonment and spoke to Republicans fears that their values are at risk.

A cavalry is not going to come over the hill  you're it, Zinke said. There is fear, uncertainty and doubt in the direction of our country. And one should realize that fear is the most used word in the Bible, 365 times fear is used, and what we feel is fear, we feel our values at risk.

Zinke voiced a lack of trust in the federal government including the FBI, calling the investigation into collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign a Clinton hoax and saying that we need to take back our country.

He also railed against the deep state and said the first bill he would introduce would be his Federal Employee Accountability and Reduction Act.

There's a lot of things to change," Zinke said. "And the biggest thing we could change is the deep state. People asked me, what's the first bill? The acronym is FEAR because our federal government, the bureaucrats are like tenured professors on steroids. You can't move them, can't fire them. The bureaucrats should be accountable to the chain of command. And the president should be accountable to people. If we do not have accountability, then we do not have a country.

Zinke also talked about the importance of Republicans voting in order to offset the vote from Indian reservations and the democratic strongholds of Missoula and Butte, saying the red wave has got to start here.

Ravalli County candidates

Prior to Zinkes speech, Bitterroot Valley Republican candidates took turns voicing their positions and delivering stump speeches to a supportive local audience.

Sen. Ellsworth, who is running against Democrat John Schneeberger for re-election in SD 43, said he planned to run for Senate president in the next legislative session and vowed to appoint a subcommittee to look into elections. He emphasized the importance of a Republican supermajority in order to make rule changes in the Legislature as well as changes to the Montana State Constitution  changes he said would be sent to voters for approval.

With a supermajority, what we can do is, if there are responsible issues that need to be dealt with as far as the Constitution of our state goes, we can then make those recommendations," Ellsworth said. "And then we can send them to you as citizens, and you would actually get to vote on them. So we don't make that decision.

Rep. Bedey, running against Democrat Anne W. Brown for re-election in HD 86, talked about the importance of national security and the erosion of national power due to what he described as failed social policies, Pentagon leadership and energy policy, as well as the state of the economy and a lack of national unity.

He described the Montana State Constitution as being tailor-made for trial lawyers, saying it requires judges to make interpretations based on conflicting rights and ambiguities. He also reiterated his support for an Article V convention of states to change the U.S. Constitution for the purpose of imposing a balanced budget amendment.

Bedey ended by stressing the importance of civility and voicing his support of Ronald Reagans Big Tent philosophy.

We ought to treat each other with civility, and not just among Republicans, but in our interactions with our political opponents, Bedey said. I know that in our hyper-partisan world, if you're not with us, you're against us, youre our enemy ... And, you know, if we continue demonizing our neighbors, how do we expect to ever have a chance of attracting them to join us in preserving our constitutional order? There is no better way to alienate a person than to make them your enemy, to express hatred towards them, and you can expect a reciprocal relationship.

Rep. Binkley, running for her second term to represent HD 55 against Democrat Rosan Stover, described herself as the perfect example of a citizen legislator and talked about her experience as a small business owner and a mom. She also spoke to the importance of unity among Republicans and working together. She ended by recited scripture, citing 1 Corinthians 13.

Rusk, who is running against Democrat Ko Moua to represent HD 88, eluded to a contentious primary election season, but spoke to the importance of unity among Republicans, describing their differences as being not so much in principle as they are in proportions.

This is definitely a blood sport, Rusk said. I had been told. And I can attest to that. I've gotten most of the stitches out and the scars are starting to go away. But it's also a team sport.

During the primary season, Republican Sen. Theresa Manzella, SD 44, sent out mailers targeting Rusks financial supporters and urging them to vote for Rusks opponent, Alan Lackey, who currently serves as state committeeman for the Ravalli County Republican Central Committee. The addresses for the mailer were reportedly taken from Rusks official campaign filings of financial supporters and sent on official state letterhead, sparking outcry from other local Republicans and resulting in a riff that played out in arguments between Republican legislators in newspaper opinion pages across the state.

The olive branch is extended on all occasions, to visit and to understand each other so that we can go forward together," Rusk said. "Unity does not require unanimity of thought.

Rep. Marshall, who is running for re-election in HD 87 against Independent Will Lovett Moore, railed against the recent news of the Montana State Library system handing out over $240,000 in bonuses to staff that auditors say didnt meet state guidelines, and accused lawmakers of spending $600 a day at Starbucks and taking first-class flights on the public dime.

We should be there to regulate the government, Marshall said. Not the people.

Commissioner Burrows, running for re-election against Libertarian Marlin Ostrander Sr. in District 3, said he was most proud of paying off the countys debt, and what theyve been able to accomplish in regard to the countys budget. He also talked about forest management in the Bitterroot Valley and the use of forest projects as a source of revenue for the county.

We're 73% public lands here, most of that's National Forest, and it's been mismanaged," Burrows said. "There's not even a discussion about where it's at right now. What we've done as a county, there's a lot of money coming down right now federally, I can say that it hasn't always been that way. But we've got a Forest Service staff here now that we need to get behind and rally behind. They want active management, they want to increase pace and scale. And we need to get behind them.

Burrows voiced support for the Bitterroot Front Project and touted the countys partnership with the Forest Service on the 130-acre Trapper Bunkhouse Project.

We have Roaring Lion fires, we have Mill Creek fires," Burrows said. "We bring smoke in for three months and then it snows and we forget about it and go about our lives until the next year when our valleys full of smoke. So that's my next project is from the county level. We're going to increase pace and scale of forest projects in Ravalli County and get a little bit of timber revenue coming back into Ravalli County.
Former Montana FBI agent Ricky James Shelbourn was found guilty Thursday of misdemeanor charges of stalking his ex-girlfriend and obstructing the officers investigating the allegations.

His trial was held in Helena Municipal Court with Judge Anne Peterson presiding because Justice Court judges recused themselves from the case. The sentencing is set for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 14 in Municipal Court.

Shelbourn, who worked in Helena, was arrested on March 16, 2020. In the affidavit, Bruce McDermott with the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation said Shelbourn was "obsessing about (the woman) and unwilling to let their relationship end, according to prior news reports.

Shelbourn had dated the woman he stalked for about three years, a time the woman described to McDermott as months of substantial emotional distress."

After the couple broke up, Shelbourn allegedly monitored and followed the woman around. He reportedly told authorities he was following the woman to protect her from another man.

It is unknown if Shelbourn was still working for the FBI while under investigation. Throughout the length of the case, the FBIs Salt Lake City Field Office in Utah that oversees Montanas FBI agencies wouldnt comment on the status of Shelbourns employment, stating they couldnt comment on current personnel matters.

When reached this week, the Salt Lake City office referred questions about Shelbourn to the FBIs National Press Office, which did not respond as of Friday.
Gov. Greg Gianfortes recommended budget for the next two years will include a 4% annual pay raise, $1,000 bonuses and a freeze on health benefit costs for state employees, under an agreement negotiated between his office and the workers unions.

The agreement was announced Friday in a joint press release by the Montana Federation of Public Employees; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and Gianfortes office.

The agreement also includes increases to meal per diems and an extra holiday for odd-numbered years that dont include an Election Day holiday.

Given increased housing prices, rising insurance costs and vacancies, the bargaining team set out to secure an agreement that would help retain and recruit talented workers, the press release stated. With those shared concerns, Gov. Gianforte instructed his bargaining team to approach the process with similar goals in mind.

The raises would be 4% or $1.50 per hour, whichever is higher, starting on July 1 of each of the next two years. The Montana Legislature meets every other year to pass the two-year budget to fund the state government. Governors typically release a proposed budget prior to the legislative session starting, but lawmakers are not bound by those recommendations in drafting spending bills.

If accepted by the Legislature, the raises would be a significantly higher than those passed in the 2021 session. That budget kept state employees wages flat for the first year of the biennium, followed by a 55-cent increase in the second year.

The bonuses, to be provided to each employee, would be prorated to a 40-hour work week and capped at $1,040, according to the press release.

All parties agreed to further explore locality pay for high cost of living locations in future negotiations, the press release continued. Contract language standardization between the various state departments, agencies, and divisions will also be considered.
In the final stretch before Election Day, Republican Ryan Zinke has remained by far the most prolific fundraiser in the campaign for Montanas new western congressional district. But Democrat Monica Tranel has outpaced him in money raised from state residents, a fact her campaign hasn't shied away from as the candidates strive to out-Montana each other.

Tranel has raised $1.3 million from Montanans during the election cycle, amounting to 77% of individual contributors who report residency information, according to reports that were due with the Federal Election Commission last weekend. The reports cover the period ending Sept. 30.

Tranels next-biggest sources of individual contributions were residents of California and New York, responsible for 4.7% and 2.9% of those contributions, respectively.

Zinkes campaign has reported $860,000 of its itemized contributions coming from Montana residents, which amounts to 32%. Donors from Texas and California have also helped to significantly pad Zinkes campaign coffers, providing 14% and 9.9%, respectively.

Tranels campaign has touted its high share of in-state contributors since the primary, which it won easily against the deeper-pocketed campaign of Democrat Cora Neumann. On Thursday, Tranel campaign manager Sam Sterling said this shows that Montanans want Monica.

Yes, Zinke has a bigger national profile, and I think it also means the people closer to Zinke, in Montana, dont want him, Sterling said.

Zinkes campaign spokesperson, Heather Swift, rejected the suggestion that the difference in Treasure State contributions was significant, or that it reflects a difference in Montanans enthusiasm for the candidates.

But its unfortunate Tranel is taking money from Montanans who are struggling to afford gas and groceries under Democrat policies knowing shes going to lose the race, Swift wrote in an emailed response to questions.

Both campaigns also noted that the individual donor information from the Federal Election Commission doesnt show the whole picture. Congressional candidates are only required to report residency information for contributors who have given at least $200 in total. Smaller donations can be left as unitemized, meaning the campaigns dont have to report information required for those $200-and-up contributors, including where they claim residency.

Unitemized contributions have comprised substantial chunks of both campaigns receipts since the election cycle started. Of the $4.6 million Zinke has raised in individual contributions, no public information is available for $1.9 million that came from small-dollar donors. Tranel has $620,000 in unitemized money, out of $2.3 million from individuals.

A third candidate in the race, Libertarian John Lamb, has not raised enough money for his campaign to be required to report it to the FEC.

Along with out-of-state contributions, Zinke has been a much bigger magnet for political committees, which have collectively given him about $1 million. Political action committees, or PACs, have contributed $700,000, with the rest coming mainly from local GOP groups and joint fundraising committees, which divvy up large donations among multiple candidates for office.

Tranel has raised just $46,000 from political committees.

Campaigns are also required to disclose donors employers and occupations, which for the western district include jobs as varied as morticians, apple farmers and race car drivers.

Retirees, unsurprisingly, have played a major part in the money race. They accounted for more than a third of itemized contributions from individuals for both Zinkes and Tranels campaigns.

Business owners and executives have also given big to both campaigns. Donors with occupations like CEO, executive board member, vice president or business owner have pumped more than $500,000 into Zinkes campaign, while about half that much has gone to Tranel.

Tranel, a lawyer, has gotten more money from fellow attorneys and others in the legal services industry. That group has given her campaign more than $262,000, more than double what theyve contributed to Zinke.

Zinke has raked in more than $100,000 from the real estate and development industry, while medical professionals have given Tranel about $85,000.

Spending sharply accelerated in the most recent quarter, putting Tranels total for the campaign cycle at just over $2 million, while Zinke has spent just over $5 million.

His spending on digital ads surged, accounting for $890,000 of ad spending in the third quarter, although his campaign said some of the money reported as digital advertising actually went to other digital services.

Tranels campaign also more than doubled their total ad spending to date during the third quarter, claiming about $700,000 on advertising.

As of Sept. 30, Zinke had $530,000 left in the bank, and Tranel had $350,000.

Outside spending on political ads also remains a significant force in the race.

In the last two weeks alone, a pro-Zinke super PAC called More Jobs, Less Government has reported dropping more than $600,000 on ads attacking Tranel. Thats on top of more than $300,000 it spent in August.

Tranel has gotten a boost from Big Sky Voters PAC, which has reported nearly $700,000 in independent expenditures supporting her or opposing Zinke since it formed last month. That includes a $130,000 ad buy from this week.

The candidates final campaign finance reports before the Nov. 8 election are due next week.

Meanwhile, national political prognosticators have this month suggested Montanas District 1 race, in which Zinke has been broadly favored to win, may be tighter than was previously thought.

The district, drawn by Montanas bipartisan Districting and Apportionment Commission last year, includes most of the state west of the Continental Divide, along with Gallatin, Madison and Beaverhead counties and the Blackfeet Reservation.

The other half of Montanans live in District 2, covering the deep-red eastern parts of the state. But District 1 was designed to be potentially competitive, although its overs have chosen the GOP candidate in the vast majority of recent statewide elections.

Inside Elections, a nonpartisan political analysis website, changed their rating of Montanas District 1 to leaning Republican, suggesting a closer race than its previous designation of likely Republican.

And the Cook Political Reports David Wasserman made the same reassessment last week. While calling the race an uphill climb for Tranel, he noted that Zinke has some liabilities in what would otherwise be a slam dunk for Republicans in a district that voted for Trump by 7 percentage points in 2020.
Employee retention is a key concern for many employers. Organizations continue to bemoan the high turnover rate of employees and the Great Resignation where dangling fruits of more money, added benefits and promises of work-life balance lure away trained employees to what seems to them like greener pastures.

Turnover and lack of trained staff has led to insecurity for business priorities and initiatives and calls into question an organizations ability to plan for current sustainability and future growth.

Years ago, employees remained loyal with the promise of a pension at the end of a decades-long commitment. These are largely gone or diminishing.

A possible solution  Long Service Leave.

While traveling in Australia recently, I met a woman who was on an extended Long Service Leave from her employer  a childrens hospital where she is a teacher. After losing her 18-month-old granddaughter to cancer in the last year, this extended fully paid time off was the break she needed after working for the hospital for over two decades.

In Australia, employees working for the same employer for 10 years earn Long Service Leave, the amount of which can vary from six weeks to longer. This leave is in addition to the customary sick leave, vacation, etc. Its a bonus of sorts for the employees loyalty.

What is unique about this leave is that it is fully paid and taken during a time in a persons career and life that would bring an important refresh. Rarely do Americans have the opportunity to take an extended paid leave of absence. Taking a long-term sick leave or maternity/paternity leave is certainly no vacation, but thats about the only time Americans are paid when they are away from work for an extended period (other than professors who take sabbaticals).

Long Service Leave provides paid leave to an employee to do whatever the person wants to do.

This article is not suggesting more mandatory employment laws  we have enough of those. Long Service Leave could be a targeted strategy for employers to demonstrate their mutual commitment to the employee  you give us 10 years of loyalty and well give you six weeks or more of paid leave.

And then you give us 10 more  and you will get another Long Service Leave.

A policy of this type would have to have certain requirements. First, the leave cannot be earned until the 10-year anniversary. Employees cannot accrue time along the way because if the employee leaves before the 10-year mark, some states may require payment because it may appear to be a forfeiture.

The policy should require that the leave be taken continuously. Its designed to be a full break from work.

The leave needs to be mandatory, but also scheduled at a time when it works for both the employee and the employer. The Chief Information Officer shouldnt be taking off eight weeks the month of the companys complete computer refresh. If taking the leave isnt mandatory, employees will be afraid to use it. The leave needs to be normalized such as, Oh Azelia is on Long Service Leave and she will be back on X date. No big deal.

The leave should be a real break  the kind where the employees email is shut down and the employee is cut off from work  not a working break. This would be a tough adjustment for many employees  and thats the point. They need this break if for no other reason than their mental health.

While the clock could start as soon as the policy is implemented, employers can consider giving long-term employees some pro-rata time so that everyone isnt taking the leave all at the same time  10 years from now.

The employer should not control what the employee does during the leave. Its none of their business unless the employee wants to share.

The amount of leave can be whatever the employer wants it to be  but around six weeks to three months feels about right. While this would admittedly be very difficult for small organizations with razor-thin staffing, most employers can survive this short leave in exchange for 10 years of commitment and the return of an appreciative and refreshed employee.

As with anything, a policy like this could lead to disputes and litigation. An employee terminated just before the 10-year mark, for example, could claim some type of benefit denial. This is true with any policy, but consider that the benefit outweighs the risks.
Darryl Cousins counts three friends who have died of an overdose in the past two months.

Some were folks he had used with years ago when he was in active addiction. Others he tried to help in his role as a counselor at several recovery houses in the East End.

You get three or four deaths, maybe in a week now, in Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield, instead of one or two a month, Cousins said. Theres not that much light being shed on the situation.

The sharpest spike has been in Virginias Black population. In the past four years, the state has seen opioid overdose deaths among Black Virginians more than triple  the highest death rate, by far, of any demographic. The numbers underscore the lethality of a fentanyl-polluted drug supply, as well as structural barriers to entering recovery  a critical first step in preventing fatal overdose.

The numbers  made publicly available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention death certificate database  tell the story of a striking rise, particularly in the Richmond metropolitan area. Chesterfield County had 34 deaths in 2021, up from 11 in 2018. Henrico County spiked similarly, up to 44 deaths from 14, and Richmond accounted for 135 deaths, up from 41 deaths in 2018.

The spike was more acute in Richmond than in any other county in the state.

It desensitizes you to death, Cousins said.

Cousins, a Black man, works for Starfish Recovery and Wellness, a Richmond-based recovery residence for people with addiction. He was born in Richmonds South Side, where he went to George Wythe High School. Hes been sober for 15 years, he says, and shares a long view on how the city has changed in that time. Most frightening is the drug that seems to be everywhere these days.

All of a sudden its in every drug being sold, Cousins said. Fentanyl has taken over the drug world.

76% of fatal overdoses

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid developed in the 1950s for severe pain management, has run over the illicit drug supply.

At 50 times the potency of morphine, it is deadly and easily overconsumed in a powder format.

The drug delivers a stronger version of the same full-body euphoria associated with heroin. At the same time, it depresses breathing in the lungs to dangerously low levels, starving the body of oxygen.

This explains why fentanyl is so deadly: It stops peoples breathing before they even realize it, said Dr. Patrick L. Purdon, senior author of a study on fentanyls lethality conducted by doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital and published in August.

This year, Virginia epidemiologists linked the drug to 76% of fatal overdoses in Virginia. Each day, more than five Virginians die from an overdose explicitly linked to fentanyl.

Medical examiners have come to expect fentanyl, often finding it commingled with the drugs that used to be considered the most deadly  such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Overdoses from those drugs have jumped, too, but now, four out of every five cocaine overdose toxicology reports finds fentanyl played a role as well.

Whats also frightening is how the drug is being sought out, Cousins said. Active drug users seek out fentanyl-laced heroin, he said, because their bodies have normalized heroin in its more regular form.

I was trying to get a grip on it, too, I was trying to understand, why would you go looking for something that literally takes you to the brink of death? Cousins said.

Tisha Wiley, a researcher with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says the road to todays opioid crisis in the Black community has been paved by historical racism in health care.

As white patients were readily prescribed drugs like OxyContin in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Black patients found it far harder to convince doctors of the legitimacy of their pain, Wiley said.

One of the things that we hypothesized early in the pandemic was that Black patients were less likely to get prescribed pain medications, which would translate into Black patients having a harder time getting prescribed medications for opioid use disorder, Wiley said. That comes down to implicit bias.

The practice continues in 2021, according to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and has worrisome second-order effects.

Patients in pain shopped for doctors more willing to write prescriptions, or cheap street substitutes, like heroin.

The bias, Wiley said, also appears when Black people with addiction seek medically assisted treatment for addiction, such as drugs like methadone, an FDA-approved opioid used to taper down cravings.

And while white people with addiction are more likely to get diverted into treatment, such as rehab, Black and Hispanic people with addiction are more likely to be arrested, Wiley said.

Thats made jails a key focus for reducing, and equalizing, the opioid epidemic.

Resources needed to recover, such as housing and insurance, also skew along racially divided lines. Walter Randall, a recovery facilitator at High Council Services, said Richmonds premier recovery residences target what he described as a white demographic: patients with private insurance or the ability to pay out of pocket.

Many dont take Medicaid, said Randall, who is Black and has been in recovery for 22 years. He says the downwind effect of that choice has been a segregated recovery space.

White people have McShin, True Recovery, Starfish, Randall said.

Black people have Narcotics Anonymous and the Community Services Boards.

Jimmy Christmas, a licensed therapist with River City Comprehensive Counseling Services, which offers substance abuse and mental health services in Richmond, said some of those divisions are blurring as the opioid epidemic in the Black community has received more attention.

When I look at what the white community has had access to, this physical apparatus of recovery homes, compared to the Black population  it makes me sad to even look at that, said Christmas, who is Black and in recovery. Im sitting here and watching our country fail.

Community buy-in

Christmas says that Richmonds Black community needs guerrilla outreach, not only to warn about the lethality of fentanyl, but to build community buy-in that recovery works.

Whats lacking is some of these pockets, like the East End, need more outreach, said Christmas, who is 61 and has treated generations of people with addiction in the Richmond area.

For 20 or 30 years in the white community, there have been white families willing to pay for their loved ones treatment. I would like to believe that there is a pocket in the Black community that is willing and capable to pay for their treatment, too, he said.

Christmas said recovery residences, the gold standard in addiction treatment, cost about $5,000 a month  a price tag that can be prohibitive without a family to foot the bill. And most have white owners and staff, he said.

But increasingly, more funds have become available for state legislators and health agencies. Across several grants, Virginia has already received more than $70 million in federal funds meant to support recovery services. Those funds have been critical in removing financial barriers that have entrenched the racial divide in access to care.

Grant money helped the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences to diversify its clients by creating a fund for indigent clients.

Recent data shared by the organization shows that more than 40% of admissions are for non-white individuals.

Millions of dollars have also been directed to prisons and jails, which have begun to deliver medicated withdrawal treatments to inmates with opioid use disorder.

But the lions share of incoming funds earmarked for curbing the opioid epidemic in Virginia has yet to be distributed. That money, approximately $610 million, will come from distributors and manufacturers of opioids, such as Purdue Pharma, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and others.

Recipients, such as the city of Richmond, will decide how it should be used.

Jim Nolan, a spokesperson for the city, said decisions about the money would be made in the coming weeks, pending an appropriation process and approval of the mayor and members of the City Council.

The city is set to receive at least $4 million over 16 years, according to records shared by the Virginia Attorney Generals Office, which is shepherding the funds to Virginia localities from distributors.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin indicated he will not follow a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee recommendation that COVID-19 vaccines be added to regular immunization schedules for children.

The CDC recommends children and adults receive vaccines for hepatitis B, rotavirus and other diseases at certain age milestones. It has no ability to mandate shots for entry to school, a decision left to each state.

On Wednesday, the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to add COVID shots to the CDCs list of routinely recommended vaccines.

But Youngkin announced on Twitter late Thursday that parents should make the decision on whether their children receive COVID shots.

The decision to vaccinate a child against COVID-19 is for Virginia parents to make about whats best for them and their family, Youngkin tweeted.

He called the CDCs announcement a mandate, even though it isnt.

We will not adhere to these @CDCgov mandates, he added. In Virginia, parents matter.

The CDC makes suggestions for when children and adults should receive a number of vaccines. Its first recommendation is for infants to get a shot for hepatitis B at birth. By 2 months of age, it recommends several others, including DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis), Hib (haemophilus influenzae type b) and polio.

For adults, it recommends annual flu shots, Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) every 10 years and other vaccinations.

The CDCs recommendation adds COVID shots to a federal program, the Vaccines for Children Program, which allows low-income kids to receive immunizations at no cost, said Logan Anderson, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Health. The addition of COVID shots to the program likely wont occur until next year.

But the recommendation has no bearing on what shots are necessary to enroll in school. For a change to occur, the General Assembly would have to pass legislation or the State Board of Health would have to pursue a regulatory update, Anderson said.

The board is charged with amending the vaccine requirement list to maintain conformity with recommendations for children, Anderson added. But the board is not obligated to institute every CDC recommendation.

There is no direct, immediate impact on COVID-19 vaccine being added to the immunization schedule on school-required vaccines in Virginia, Anderson said.

While Youngkin has recommended adults receive COVID shots, he has been less bullish on shots for children. In Virginia, young children and babies have been less likely to get the shots than teenagers and young adults, as young children are less likely to develop serious COVID illnesses.

In the summer, Youngkin said he wants people to make their own decision about COVID vaccines for babies.

Youngkin has diverged from CDC guidance in the past. In the summer, he announced the state health department would no longer recommend masks in schools, day cares and summer camps, even though the CDC still recommended masks when community levels of COVID are high.

Macaulay Porter, a spokesperson for the governor, did not address why Youngkin called the CDCs recommendation a mandate.

Virginia Democrats are still in favor of the big-government, business-crushing, school-closing edicts that they issued during the pandemic, Porter said. As the governor reiterated this week, in Virginia, parents matter.
Gov. Glenn Youngkins recently announced $30 million effort to recruit and attract police officers in the commonwealth is a well-intentioned effort to address a major challenge. Across Virginia  and across the country  police departments are struggling with staffing. In Richmond, the police department is short more than 140 officers  or 20% of its budgeted force.

But throwing money at recruitment will not fix the staffing shortage. The shortage is a product of a long-ignored retirement cliff coupled with uncompetitive pay and nuanced shifting views on policing among the public.

Officers hired under the 1994 federal Crime Bill are retiring. Some departments, like Pittsburgh, have as many as 28% of their officers eligible to retire at any moment. When these officers retire, they are difficult to replace.

From 2020-2021, large law enforcement agencies (500 or more officers) saw a 36% reduction in hiring, and mid-sized departments (250-499) saw a 29% reduction.

Police departments now compete with others from across the country to attract quality qualified candidates for their openings creating a national market. No longer do departments only recruit in their backyard, but must consider recruiting and competing against departments from New York City to Henrico County.

Some cities have recognized this national market and moved to become more competitive by offering higher salaries. For example, in Columbus, Ohio, an officer will make more than $100,000 three years after their graduation from the academy.

In comparison, Richmond officers will make between $55,000 and $60,000 with that same experience. While departments are facing a retirement wave and a more competitive market for recruits, they also are facing pushes to reform and a more skeptical public  especially among young people and people of color. The pool of qualified candidates is smaller, the market for applicants is larger, and attracting quality police officers has never been more important.

Simply, law enforcement agencies in Virginia are never going to be able to replace the officers they have lost and will continue to lose over the next few years. Agencies that consider how to shift their resources and rethink the role of police will be able to adapt to their staffing challenges while making our communities safer and their departments better.

To face our current challenges, we need elected and law enforcement leaders to be willing to consider alternatives to sworn personnel positions that are unlikely to ever be filled. In Baltimore, the department is both undergoing dramatic reforms with community input and hiring civilians to fill more roles, including investigatory. Places around the country are using alternative and community responder models as a supplement to law enforcement for everything from violence interruption to quality of life and mental health crisis calls.

These models can help build community trust, promote public safety, and free up police officers time to respond to more serious crimes. From civilianization to 911 modernization with alternative responses, we have to be willing to adopt strategies that work to promote public safety and public trust.

Agencies that try to stick to the same thing they have done for decades are only going to fall further behind their peers, fail to meet public safety needs, and lose their communities trust. We deserve better than that in Richmond and in Virginia. Its time for us to invest in solutions that acknowledge the staffing shortages our law enforcement agencies are facing, instead of throwing money at a strategy that will not work.
Recently, I purchased my first home. This was a huge deal for my family. My family moved to Richmond from Mexico in 2003 and have always rented.

Now, for the first time, we have a permanent place to live and the opportunity to build family safety net in the country Ive called home since I was 8 years old.

This is the story of so many immigrant families. My parents came here with only an elementary school education. Within a decade, Id graduated high school, and started as a political science and government major at Virginia Commonwealth University. My middle sister and I both commuted from home to undergrad, because our family couldnt yet afford the dorms.

But by the time our youngest sister started as a freshman at VCU, Id gotten a great job at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and we were prosperous enough to cover her on-campus housing. Not long after that, we put down a down payment for a four-bedroom, two-bath in Henrico County.

It sounds amazing, and youd think wed all continue to thrive. But theres a problem: My parents, middle sister and I are undocumented. Ive had tentative stability since my junior year in high school, when I gained temporary legal protections through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. At 27, I can do meaningful work, secure a loan and drive down the street without fearing that a minor traffic violation will get me deported.

But my parents dont have these luxuries, which means a lot of responsibility falls on my shoulders. I dont mind; they sacrificed everything for us. But Ive never been entirely free to make decisions based solely on my own hopes and dreams.

And now, were at risk of losing everything. Nine Republican governors have advocated to overturn DACA in the courts. Earlier this month, a three-judge panel affirmed that the program was illegal but kicked it back to a previous judge for review. For now, Dreamers like me maintain our status, but in all likelihood, DACA will be shut down eventually.

In truth, the program was always intended to be a temporary solution, while we wait for Congress to enact permanent protections after which, in theory, as a green card holder, I could sponsor my parents for residency.

But Congress hasnt passed meaningful immigration reform in over a decade. Because of their inaction, Dreamers are no longer the undocumented children. Were long-time American residents and adults. We have families, careers and yes, even mortgages.

I could go on and on about the contributions Dreamers have made to this country. In Virginia alone, the nearly 22,000 individuals who are eligible for DACA contribute nearly $506 million to the state economy, including $119 million in tax dollars, according to the American Immigration Council. Nationally, nearly 47,000 of us are entrepreneurs.

And although we cant vote, we have a sense of civic responsibility. I manage a team that canvasses in Prince William County to help register community members to vote. Many of the doors we knock are working-class immigrants, just like my parents. All Virginians deserve to have their voices heard.

Id like my voice to be heard, too. Dreamers work, strive and fight to make this country better every single day. And still, we have to ask: What more can we do to prove that we belong here?

DACA gave Dreamers like me so many opportunities, but it has also leashed our lives in so many ways. We deserve the freedom to make choices, to benefit from our contributions and to have the physical and emotional security that comes with permanent status.

If Congress wont protect us after 10 years of inaction, then its time to elect new people who can get it done.
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Unless we want those landscaped circles on Monument Avenue to become permanent oversized planters, we need to start thinking about whats next.

Enter C.J. Howard, assistant professor in the School of Architecture and Planning at The Catholic University of America, who will visit Virginia Commonwealth University next week to help jump-start our monumental task of transforming a historically exclusive avenue dotted with Confederate statues into a symbolically inclusive one.

Vegetation alone wont get that done.

Howard, an architect, scholar and nationally recognized expert on design proposals for monuments and memorials, will deliver a lecture on Civic Art, Justice and Inclusion for this years Morton B. Gulak Lecture in Urban and Regional Planning, hosted by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU. The event will take place 7 p.m. Thursday at VCUs Student Commons Ballroom, 907 Floyd Ave. It is free to the public, though registration is encouraged.

Howards goal is to help us move forward with this process in positive, creative steps, guided by a framework of discernment.

The monuments being gone represents an opportunity, he said in an interview Wednesday.

And yet, its easy to get the sense that where Confederate monument removal in Richmond is concerned, the thrill is gone. We seem wary of confronting the challenge of fashioning a new vision of Monument Avenue befitting, well, a just and enlightened city. Perhaps its because we arent there yet.

Whatever else could be said about the folks who erected those monuments to the Lost Cause, they did not lack enthusiasm. They created a distorted vision that nonetheless reflected public policy in Richmond and Virginia for most of the 20th century.

They made their point in granite and bronze. And now, its our turn for a counterpoint  a unifying vision to replace the polarizing one we dismantled.

Perhaps many of us were deflated by the demise of the Marcus-David Peters Circle, a memorial to victims of police violence that rose around the Lee statue amid the 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd. That transformation of the Lee monument site garnered international attention and was cited by The New York Times Style Magazine as the most influential piece of protest art since World War II.

Two years later, that statement has been replaced by another.

The Lee monument is gone, but a wire fence and concrete barriers remain. That exclusion, long after the removal of the monument, mocks the values that Richmond professed to believe in with its removal of its Confederate statues.

Earlier this month, the Richmond Planning Commission approved a temporary landscaping plan for the area formerly known as Lee Circle  a plan that will lead to the removal of the fence and barriers.

The barriers may come down. But Monument Avenues landscaped circles must not morph from a stopgap to permanent fixtures.

If theres a thought that theres a wound, something that needs to be healed ... whatever that new thing is has to be well-considered or has to be able to heal, Howard said.

Richmond being the community that it is right now, certainly has something to say about its values. So its an opportunity to recast that. And I understand the paralysis and everything and not understanding exactly how to go forward. But in my mind, as an outsider, doing nothing about it sort of sweeps it under the rug.

Howard has some experience in this work. As an architect, he designed the Contrabands and Freedman Cemetery Memorial in Alexandria, a site of a 19th-century African American community cemetery that was built over and forgotten.

Richmond, Howard acknowledges, is a unique place, in both the scope of its monuments and the intensity that surrounded them.

He said an ideal way to achieve consensus is to set up an agreed-upon framework championed by a representative group. We tried that with the Mayors Monument Avenue Commission, whose recommendations sat dormant before protesters took matters into their own hands.

Howard called the recasting of Monument Avenue a high-risk, high-reward endeavor. He spoke of a street that could model reconciliation, but also a place of tension, with figures seemingly in opposition to one another.

To have that confrontation, that dialogue ... with new monuments there that dont ignore the past, but somehow recast it, I think is particularly powerful, he said.

We cant be paralyzed by fear or uncertainty. For 130 years, Monument Avenue made the sort of statement about Richmond that calls for a response.

If weve got something to say, its time to say it.
PULASKI  Anthony David Locke pleaded guilty Wednesday to robbing a town branch of BB&T Bank twice in holdups that occurred two weeks apart  and that brought him a total of $300.

When Locke was arrested after the second heist, a prosecutor said, he told police that he should have asked for more money.

Locke, now 35, entered his pleas three years after the robberies. Delayed by mental health issues, his case lingered in the courts for so long that the bank he robbed no longer exists under the same name. After a merger, BB&T became part of Truist.

At Wednesdays hearing in Pulaski County Circuit Court, Locke pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery without any agreement about sentencing, Commonwealths Attorney Justin Griffith said after the hearing. Locke faces a maximum punishment of two life sentences, based on the law at the time of the offenses.

The Virginia General Assembly has since reduced the penalty for bank robbery. If Lockes holdups were committed now, the maximum punishment would be 10 years in prison, Griffith noted.

According to a summary of the prosecutions evidence that was presented by Chief Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Dina Branco, Pulaski police were alerted on Oct. 15, 2019, to a robbery at the BB&T branch at 1105 Bob White Blvd. A bearded man had presented a teller with a note that read, Give me $100 and I wont shoot you.

The teller gave the man the money and he left the bank property on foot.

Police were called to another robbery at the same bank on Oct. 29, 2019, Branco said. This time, the robber handed a teller a note that asked for $200 or I will shoot you. The robber again received the money and left on foot.

Corporal A.S. Thompson of the Pulaski Police Department spotted a man walking in the direction that the banks staff said the thief had fled. He wore clothes matching the description of the robber.

He appeared freshly shaved, Branco said.

Thompson stopped the man and found he was holding $200 in his hand. Its denominations matched what the teller gave the robber.

The man, identified as Locke, admitted both robberies, Branco said.

Locke told Thompson that he had been caught red-handed and that he should have asked for a larger amount of money, and bought a car or gone to a bus station after the holdup, Branco said. Locke admitted shaving off his beard in hopes of avoiding recognition, Branco said.

When police searched Lockes residence, officers found the note from the first robbery, the prosecutor said.

Locke was represented in court by the public defenders office.
TSXV: JK OTCQB: JKHCF FRA: 68Z

Consumers in Taiwan and Hong Kong to Continue Having Access to MrBeast Burger via the JustKitchen App and Third-Party Delivery Service Providers, with the Popular Brand Being Launched by the Company in Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand Later This Year

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 18, 2022 /CNW/ - Just Kitchen Holdings Corp. ("JustKitchen" or the "Company") (TSXV: JK) (OTCQB: JKHCF) (FRA: 68Z), an operator of ghost kitchens specializing in the development of delivery-only food brands, announces that it has entered into an agreement (the "Agreement") with Virtual Dining Concepts ("VDC") to license the virtual branding rights to MrBeast Burger ("MrBeast Burger") and other well known US delivery-only food brands in the Company's home market of Taiwan as well as in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

JustKitchen (TSXV: JK, OTCQB: JKHCF, FRA: 68Z) (CNW Group/Just Kitchen Holdings Corp.)

The terms of the Agreement include but are not limited to:

The license to sell MrBeast Burger food items via online, mobile, e-commerce and/or other internet-based ordering and delivery platforms as well as via walk-in outlets operated by JustKitchen;

Access to other brands including Mariah's Cookies, Guy Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen, Robert Irvine's American Heroes, Buddy V's Cake Slice, Steve Harvey's Family Food, Mario's Tortas Lopez and the Real HouseBowls;

The Company launched MrBeast Burger in December of 2021 via a separate arrangement that has been superseded by the Agreement. MrBeast Burger will continue to be available via JustKitchen in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while the brand is planned to be launched in Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand later this year.

MrBeast Burger is the virtual restaurant brand that was launched in December 2020 by YouTube superstar and philanthropist, Jimmy Donaldson, in partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts. In addition to JustKitchen's locations in Taiwan and Hong Kong, individual items and combos from the MrBeast Burger menu are also available across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the United Arab Emirates and Canada on a delivery-only basis. The brand features a creative menu of various styles of hamburgers and chicken sandwiches, among other items. MrBeast Burger opened its first physical store in September at American Dream Mall, New Jersey, United States.

Story continues

Commonly known as MrBeast, Jimmy Donaldson is an American who has the fifth-most subscribed main channel on YouTube, with 104 million current subscribers and 17 billion total views to date. Regarded as YouTube's Viral Philanthropist for raising tens of millions of dollars for charity, MrBeast is credited with pioneering a genre of videos centered around expensive stunts and has become famous for his outlandish challenges and high-value giveaways.

VDC connects food brands with consumers through delivery-only restaurants in an affordable manner. VDC has provided over three thousand virtual restaurants to already formed brands so that brands can provide their food to consumers all around the world. Technology and efficiency are prioritized at VDC to help companies manage their brands effectively. VDC is co-founded by Robert Earl and Robbie Earl of Earl Enterprises which operates collection of restaurants includes Planet Hollywood, Buca di Beppo, Earl of Sandwich, Bertucci's, Chicken Guy!, Seaside on the Pier,The Breakfast Club TooJay's, Brio, Italian Grille, Bravo Italian Kitchen and Cafe Hollywood. More information about VDC can be found on its website: https://joinvdc.com/kitchens/.

Management Commentary

"Providing the MrBeast Burger experience to even more consumers across Asia is exciting for JustKitchen. Great brands, tasty food, convenient service, affordable prices and strong partnerships are what our customers deserve. It is a privilege to work with VDC in order to offer all of that, and more, to them via this Agreement," said Jason Chen, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of JustKitchen. "We are happy to continue offering consumers in Taiwan and Hong Kong with the MrBeast Burger brand, and later this year we should be able do the same for people in Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia," added. Mr. Chen.

ABOUT JUSTKITCHEN

Just Kitchen Holdings Corp. (the "Company" or "Just Kitchen") is primarily an operator of ghost kitchens specializing in the development and marketing of proprietary and franchised delivery-only food brands for customers and businesses. The Company currently operates in Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Malaysia. It has also signed an agreement that will allow JustKitchen to sell several of its proprietary food brands in Japan and it has also signed a brand swap agreement in India. Where appropriate, JustKitchen utilizes a hub-and-spoke operating model, which features advanced food preparation taking place at larger hub kitchens and final meal preparation taking place at smaller spoke kitchens located in areas with higher population densities. The Company combines this operating model with online and mobile application-based food ordering via its proprietary mobile food ordering app and other third-party ordering apps. Delivery is fulfilled by third-party companies, to minimize capital investments and operating expenses and reach more customers in underserved markets. The Company's other business, JustMarket, is an e-commerce grocery delivery platform that allows customers to purchase groceries for delivery or add select grocery items to meals ordered through JustKitchen.

For more information about the Company, please visit investors.justkitchen.com. JustKitchen's final prospectus, financial statements and management's discussion and analysis, among other documents, are all available on the Company's profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed", "positioned" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur including but not limited to the Company's comments regarding the popular brand being launched by the company in Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand later this year. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks, including those risk factors identified in the Company's prospectus dated March 26, 2021, and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

SOURCE Just Kitchen Holdings Corp.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2022/18/c7531.html
Netflixs Wendell & Wild may be on your radar as Jordan Peeles first animated feature, but stop-motion fans will be flocking to their living rooms for the return of Henry Selick, the director behind such epics as Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach.

Selick hasnt occupied the directors chair since his spooky 2009 masterpiece Coraline, so Wendell & Wild, co-written by Selick and Peele and produced by Peele under Monkeypaw Productions, has had horror and animation fans everywhere counting down the days until its debut.

Unfortunately, while this eye-popping feature makes the most of Selicks creative sensibilities, its bloated script hobbles the (blood)flow. This film has everything: demons, zombies, penguin nuns, prosthetic feet, priests in pope hats, arson  and, of course, dead parents. Wendell & Wild is jam-packed with so many characters and capital-I issues that one could likely fill an entire dinner conversation describing its plot.

Also Read:

Wendell & Wild Trailer: Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael-Key Are Twin Demons Here to Haunt Your Dreams (Video)

Nevertheless, heres an attempt at abridgement: Kat (voiced by Lyric Ross, This Is Us) lost her parents in a car accident as a girl. She blames herself for the incident and ends up in juvie, only to return to a Catholic school in her hometown thanks to a program called Break the Cycle. The school, and her hometown, are on their last legs, and the greedy Klax Korp is eager to take over. At school, Kat quickly discovers she has supernatural powers and can summon demons.

Meanwhile demon brothers Wendell (Peele) and Wild (Peeles former comedy partner Keegan-Michael Key) are fed up with the underworld, where they must endlessly apply hair cream to their fathers skull. Their bad dad, Buffalo Belzer (Ving Rhames), runs a ghoulish amusement park that tortures lost souls. Wendell and Wild want to build their own park and see an opportunity for freedom when Kat appears to them in a vision. They promise to resurrect her parents using the hair cream, which has ambiguous magical properties.

Story continues

If those sound like the plots of two different movies, thats because they probably should be. Where Selicks other projects focus on fairy talelike plots with clear goals and rules, Wendell & Wild ping-pongs between indiscriminate topics and only occasionally sticks the landing. Whiplash-inducing scarcely begins to describe this viewing experience, where the sullen punk Kat takes on childhood trauma and prison reform while Wendell and Wild squish bugs and build booger sculptures.

Also Read:

How Wendell & Wild Filmmaker Henry Selick Survived Forest Fires, Netflix Regime Changes and a Disastrous Stint at Pixar

And while the monsters in this socially conscious movie are far more real than the rhino in James and the Giant Peach or the Other Mother of Coraline, theyre not even half as scary. For one, the patriarch behind Klax Korp is styled to look like a Black Donald Trump. For another, its difficult to build real stakes in a movie with such erratic focus.

Yet for all its foibles, Wendell & Wild is undeniably a visual feast. Its impossible to watch any stop-motion film without appreciating its artistry, even more so when that film is directed by Henry Selick. Care and style ooze from every shot, whether of a tire rolling through a slushy pothole or a shapeshifting octopus. Clips in the credits show the animators painstaking work as they navigate enormous sets to bring detailed puppets to life. (For instance, the little demon Peele voices strikes a delightful resemblance.) Even if you enjoy Wendell & Wild on the small screen, youll find it difficult to look away.

The movies best gags and scares are primarily visual, too. A maggot-infested zombie offers some trademark Selick horror, and a pair of nuns who look uncannily like penguins shine in the ensemble. (The script spoils this gag a bit when a character outright calls the sisters penguins, but their names  Sister Chinstrap and Sister Daly  are a stroke of genius.)

Also Read:

Whats New on DVD/Blu-ray in October: Nope, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Dr. Jekyll Uncensored and More Halloween Fare

This film also marks a reunion between Selick and French composer Bruno Coulais, whose jazzy riffs and haunting choir pieces helped make Coraline so unique. Coulais lends a similar, but not repetitive, flavor to Wendell & Wild, though the soundtrack also pays homage to old-school punk. Youre likely to find yourself humming the films gravedigging jam hours after the credits roll.

Wendell & Wild is hardly worth condemning to the underworld, but it will probably leave eager fans cold. Where the film draws comparison to Selicks other iconic work  like his last film, which also revolved around a young, teenage girl with strangely colored hair  it falls short. Perhaps most disappointingly, this film is lacking in creepiness, a quality Selick and Peele should have been able to provide by the hearseload. The most memorable villain in Wendell & Wild is a Trump analog. That reference will last for a few decades at best. The terror of the Other Mother is forever.

Given its authorial heft, the greatest sin of Wendell & Wild isnt that its flawed; its that its forgettable. Its tricks and treats make it worth a watch, but like a pillowcase full of Halloween candy, this movie is jumbled, unwieldy and likely to leave you feeling unsatisfied.

Wendell & Wild opens in select US theaters Oct. 21 and premieres on Netflix Oct. 28.
SIOUX CITY  A Milford, Iowa, man claims in a federal lawsuit that his arrest by a Dickinson County deputy sheriff lacked probable cause and violated his U.S. and Iowa constitutional rights.

Ryan Wolterman says Deputy Shawn Syverson violated his freedom from unlawful arrest in November 2020, when he was detained and cited for public intoxication, a charge that was later dismissed. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, also names Dickinson County Sheriff Greg Baloun and Dickinson County as defendants.

Syverson stopped and questioned Wolterman after responding to a call about a fight in an Arnolds Park street in the early morning hours of Nov. 8, 2020. Wolterman said in the lawsuit he attempted to walk home after speaking with Syverson, but was handcuffed and told to sit on the curb until speaking with an Arnolds Park police officer, who said he smelled alcohol on Wolterman.

Syverson and the officer arrested Wolterman for public intoxication, and he was transported to the Dickinson County Jail, where he took a breath test that showed his blood-alcohol content at 0.016%. He was charged with public intoxication, and a complaint filed in the case said he had appeared intoxicated and was hindering the officers' investigation. Wolterman pleaded not guilty, and eight months later, the charge was dismissed in a plea agreement in which he agreed to pay $60 in court costs in exchange for the dismissal.

Wolterman said the arrest violated his Fourth and 14th Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution to be free from unlawful arrest. He claims in the lawsuit that given the situation to which Syverson responded, "... no reasonable officer could believe probable cause existed to arrest (Wolterman)."

The arrest also violated the Iowa Constitution's guaranteed protection against unlawful arrest, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit charges Baloun and the county with negligent supervision, saying they failed to adequately supervise and train Syverson to recognize when probable cause exists to make an arrest for public intoxication.

As a result of his arrest, Wolterman said he suffered humiliation, public ridicule and emotional distress. He is seeking a judgment awarding him punitive damages and damages for pain and suffering and deprivation of his constitutional rights.
SIOUX FALLS  A Yankton, South Dakota, man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl.

Ronald Minniefield, also known as "Zareef Al-amin", "Chicago", "Black", "King" and "KO", 52, pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in Sioux Falls to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He was sentenced Monday to 151 months in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
ONAWA, Iowa -- After winning the Republican nomination for Iowa House House 13 in June, first-time candidate Ken Carlson appeared to have a clear path toward being elected.

No Democratic candidate filed for the primary in the district dominated by Republican voters. But on the final day for candidates to file for the Nov. 8 general election, Amy Janowski submitted a petition to be placed on the ballot as a Libertarian candidate.

Janowski, of Kingsley, did not immediately respond to the Journal's invitation to be included in this story. A reporter left a voice mail at a phone number listed for her on the state Secretary of State's website and also sent an email to an address listed for her on the state website.

In the GOP primary, Carlson, of Onawa, defeated another first-time Republican candidate, Mark Peters, of Cleghorn, 56.41% to 43.29%.

The newly-drawn House District 13 covers all of Monona County, most of central and northern Woodbury County, southern and eastern Plymouth County and portions of western Cherokee County.

Carlson, 71, is a retired farmer and former teacher from Onawa, the largest city in the district. Other major cities in the district include Kingsley, Mapleton, Remsen, Moville, Correctionville and Marcus.

Carlson and his wife of 52 years farmed for 37 years between Onawa and Whiting. He also taught math and science for 12 years.

"I decided to run for office as a direct result from teaching an eight-week class entitled, "Biblical Citizenship," Carlson said.

He said he also was strongly encouraged to run by his current state senator, Jason Schultz, and state representative, Matt Windschitl.

Carlson said he does not "have an axe to grind or a personal agenda" he will take to Des Moines if elected.

"I am a Constitutional, conservative Christian and that will drive how I would represent District 13," he said in an email. "I promise only my best informed effort."

Carlson listed education as a key issue, particularly taxpayer dollars following students outside public schools. Abortion is also a major issue, he said.

"I am pro-life: a new human life begins at conception," Carlson said in an email before the primary election.

Carlson said he also supports getting the state's roads and bridges, especially in rural areas, in safe and efficient shape, and protecting the future of biofuels.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas  After refusing to do anything substantive about stopping the flood of migrants entering the country illegally, President Biden has acted, sort of. Only a cynic would say his order to deport certain Venezuelans, but not migrants from 40 other nations, is timed to influence the November election.

Call me a cynic.

The administration plans to invoke Title 42, a rule created during the Trump administration and one Biden denounced for inflicting cruelty and exclusion on those fleeing the government of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. The new/old policy is intended to block single adult male Venezuelans from entering when they claim asylum.

That wont stop them or anyone else from crossing the Rio Grande River and other points. Suppose the single adult male claims to be married? What if he is carrying a baby he claims is his? Most immigrants crossing our southern border lack documentation so how will any of their statements be validated?

Customs and Border Protection says it encountered nearly 204,000 people at the border last month and more than 2 million in all of fiscal 2022. This doesnt count the gotaways, estimated by Border Patrol to be nearly 600,000.

George Rodriguez is an American of Mexican descent who lives in San Antonio and regularly visits local migrant centers. He also worked in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations on community relations and immigration outreach.

Rodriguez, who vehemently opposes the open border policy of the Biden administration, thinks his fellow Americans should look beyond the crisis to the future impact of massive migration. These include, he says, a continuing disrespect for the law; the burden on the public school system, students and taxpayers; the need for special education and Spanish-speaking teachers for immigrant children; welfare, disability payments and health and medical services.

Rodriguez worries that many of those who have entered the country illegally will not be fully assimilated. He fears that should Republicans regain power in Congress and the presidency they may not finish the border wall and deport those who broke the law to get here for fear of the media calling them racists and inhumane.

He is also critical of two major Spanish-speaking television networks  Telemundo and Univision  which, he says, defend those coming across the border and influence migrants already here.

Wont massive deportation  if it occurs  be seen as cruel by many Americans, because that is the way the media is likely to frame it? Rodriguez is adamant: Anytime you excuse illegal activity, you get more of it. He thinks deporting those who broke the law to get to America  regardless of how long they have been here and even if their children were born here  is the best deterrent.

Rodriguez has other questions he thinks must be addressed. These include whether law enforcement will be allowed to track alien criminals? Will the cartels be designated terrorist organizations because of the fentanyl pouring into the country killing young Americans? Will some district attorneys continue to put social justice ahead of public safety? Will unskilled, unemployed migrants turn to crime like the Salvadoran gangs of the 1980s?

All of these  and more  are good questions. Will Republicans answer them in ways that in the words of the Constitution provide for the common defense (and) promote the general welfare?

President Bidens cynical response to the border crisis by ordering out single male Venezuelans will not stop migrants coming from 40 other countries.
The anti-dog movement does not advocate for the killing of dogs. That is the first rule emblazoned at the top of the r/Dogfree subreddit, where 46,000 subscribers gather every day to dream of a better world. There shall be no suggesting, joking, wishing for, or celebrating the destruction of canines; all cruelty, even in hypothetical terms, is a no-go. That said, you shall also not include mealy-mouthed clauses like I love dogs, but, or I dont like dogs, however, at the top of your posts, for that demonstrates a fundamental misreading of the community. This is not a place for people who are mildly aggrieved by dogs, or who dont like a specific dog, or who think that the frilly obsessiveness of the average Upper East Side French bulldog owner can be a little much. No, there are people on this planet who believe that our environment, infrastructure, and society would be a lot better off without the presence of mans best friendand once you get past the unthinkable taboo of that premise, you may begin to see that they have a very strong case.

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This is a safe haven where our members can engage in discussion about an unpopular opinion, said one of the moderators of r/Dogfree, when I sent him a message over Reddit. They declined to elaborate further, fearing that a media spotlight would bring unwanted attention from raving, frothy-mouthed dog lovers to their forumnaturally destabilizing the Zen. I found myself more sympathetic to this plea than I thought Id be. It is hard to think of a single element of Western culture less controversial than dog ownership (putting the fraught question of pit bull bans aside). The owning of non-pit breeds is not a wedge issue between political parties, or an armament in the culture war, or a retrograde regional quirk. No, we have all agreed, for centuries, that owning a dog is normal, which is a consensus that has solidified despite the fact that our sidewalks are paved with feces, and that owners of canines now bring them into environments where they were previously prohibited (gyms, bars, airplanes, and so on). If you witness the purifying intensity of that paradox, as these dog-free posters have, youd probably go a little crazy too.

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The r/Dogfree subreddit unfolds like a catalog of every possible grievance in the anti-dog category. Some posts are basic, open-mic rants, detailing the ironies of pet ownership. Fuck people who care more about dogs than people, reads one. I miss when dogs were pets, pleads another. (That poster, in particular, harbors a distaste for the sort of unmarried, childless millennials who refer to their pooch as a fur baby.) Other regulars put forth longer, more serious tales of canine malfeasance. Here, someone snaps a picture of their cats unmarked grave, after it was (the poster said) tragically killed by two unleashed dogs. (She was very gentle and very curious. She probably thought they wouldnt hurt her.) Elsewhere, a poster recounts a story in which they got a patronand her pit bullkicked out of the restaurant where they were eating. This is one of the few victories the subreddit can claim. (Ive lost many battles on this very subject recently so I felt really vindicated today.)

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The subreddit is popular enough to spawn a handful of sister forums, which are a little less exacting in their tone. For instance, here is r/DogfreeHumor, where you can find some honest-to-God anti-dog memes, while r/TalesfromtheDogHouse brims with personal anecdotes from those who hate dogs but are forced to live with them, often due to an unresolved tension in their marriage. In that sense, the forum is not dissimilar from r/Childfree, where Redditors gather to gripe about societal pressures to reproduce. These are not arenas for actionable political advocacy; the anti-dog contingency is not petitioning the White House or writing to their local Congress memberthere is no dog-free bill moldering away in committee. The people here know theyll be in the stark minority for life; commiseration is their only option.

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I dont really think there are any solutions. Society has gone too far. I think the world is at a point of no return. If anyone were to suggest anything that would in any way control or regulate dogs, there would be an uproar. It would never work, says a restaurant manager in Norway who is a frequent contributor to r/Dogfree. Well call her Vivian, because like everyone else I spoke to for this story, she wishes to remain anonymous. I use the subreddit as a place where I can vent and feel seen and heard. Almost everyone these days are dog nutters.  I could say I hate a person and that would be OK, but saying I simply dont like dogs and [dont] understand the hype? People act as if you committed a literal crime.

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Vivian, like most of the people on the subreddit, can point to a specific instance that triggered her anti-dog radicalization. A roommate she shared a flat with owned two unruly hounds, and living with them, she said, leached the childish pro-canine delusions from her body. Humans forcing dog culture down my throat only makes me dislike them more, explains Vivian. Another poster I spoke toa 26-year-old data entry operator named Ivy, from Bulgariaalso loved dogs as a kid, until the realities of her home countrys stray feral dog problem hardened her to Fidos of all types. (Eastern Europe, for what its worth, is in the midst of an unhoused canine epidemic.) Some of these dogs were known to be aggressive and had bitten some of our neighbors, and me and the other kids knew to avoid those particular dogs, she says. Like Vivian, Ivy found herself disgusted by the rampant inequality and precarity facing her fellow humans, while dogs lived rent-freeliterallyin our heads. Can you imagine what we could achieve if we gave that unconditional love and support not to dogs but to humans? she asks.

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These are not uncommon stories; Id reckon that most human beings have had a negative encounter with a dog. In fact, approximately 4.5 million Americans are bitten by canines each year. (Many pit bullspecific bans on ownership, passed in response to dog-bite stories of the 1970s through the 2000s, are still in place, if controversially so.) But a person doesnt need to be bitten to have an uncomfortable run-in with a dogfor some, being jumped upon or chased around the yard may count. The difference is that those in the online dog-free community, unlike most people who have had a bad dog experience or two, do not believe that the pros outweigh the cons. A world without dogs, says Vivian, would be a world with less drool, less poop, less noise, and fewer allergenswhich is the sort of argument that brings to mind the activists who complain about motorcycles. Here are two beloved traditions adored by a sector of the publicdog ownership, motorcycle riding that create an unmistakable strain on those outside the immediate orbit of the hobby. The anti-dog radicals are tired of making concessions, and on paper, I cant blame them.

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From my point of view, it is insane how dog people will literally take this animal out of its natural habitat, imprison it behind four concrete walls while theyre out at work and expect it not to go crazy, says Ivy. They go completely nuts in a completely unnatural environment for them and they cant do anything about it because the dog person has taken their freedom away.

I am likely more sympathetic to this argument than you are. A few weeks ago I wrote a story campaigning for an uncompromising canine ban in New York City because, as Ivy mentioned, I cannot think of a single more inhospitable place for an ambulatory quadruped than a Lower East Side studio apartment. Id go as far as to say that every single dog Ive ever met in an urban environment seems to vibrate with anxiety, and if were being honest, maybe some sort of backyard access should be compulsory to pet ownership. That said, there is a ruthless fanaticism to r/Dogfree that I cant quite get behind, and I suppose that makes me more of an anti-dog moderate. One Reddit poster I interviewed laid out a list of potential balms for his dog issues, including citations for noisy dog owners and a euthanasia policy for any hounds that display aggressive qualities. (They added that they were a huge animal lover.) I also caught wind of a YouTube channel, called simply, I Hate Dogs, which is popular in the dog-free community and roils with an ugly rage for all forms of canine companionship (one choice video title: Dog Lovers Are Dishonest, Delusional, Perpetual Liars).

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All of this, I think, is indicative of how digital camaraderie can supercharge a whiff of exasperation into a keening, white-hot boil. It is abundantly clear that there are bigger issues facing the world than the indignities of a culture that normalizes dog ownership. But a subreddit like r/Dogfree has a way of encouraging the brinkmanship of postingposters prodding one another further and further out on a limb to solidify their revolutionary bona fides. After 2016, everything has become factional and polarizednormalcy has gone out of style, and ridiculous, intractable stalemates are all the rage. That goes for our politics, and that goes for people who dont like dogs.

But perhaps, someday, moderates like me will have their day in the sun. We will set aside our euthanasia mandates and curdled invective, and instead ask some commonsense questions. Why is that Siberian husky living in a 30th-floor one-bedroom apartment? Why is that Rottweiler running around the cul-de-sac unleashed? Humans deserve better treatment in society, and dogs deserve that toolike a more suitable environment for them to be themselves, says Ivy. Now thats the sort of sentiment that haters and lovers alike can get behind.
Ilia Malinin Skate America

Kao Miura took advantage of the withdrawal of Japanese countryman Yuma Kagiyama, along with an uncharacteristic fall by American rival Ilia Malinin, to take the lead after the short program at Skate America on Friday night.

The 17-year-old Miura landed a big opening quad salchow-triple toe loop along with a triple axel and a quad toe loop to score a personal-best 94.96 points at the Tenley E. Albright Performance Center near Boston. That gave Miura a slim lead over South Koreas Cha Junhwan, who moonwalked through a Michael Jackson mashup to a score of 94.44 points.

I kind of am telling myself, `Why am I sitting here? Miura said afterward. And its because I did everything I should have done on the ice. I just tried to be confident on the ice and that worked for me.

Daniel Grassl of Italy was third with 88.43 points while Malinin, the 17-year-old who made history by landing the first quad axel in competition, was fourth after a fall on his quad toe loop left him with 86.06 points.

I think at the very beginning I felt very confident going into it. I was very in the moment, said Malinin, the junior world champion, who was making his senior Grand Prix debut. After that little fall, it threw me off a little bit. I had to brush it off and just continue with the rest of the program.

In the pairs competition, the American duo of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier scored 75.19 points in their short program to take the lead over Canadas Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, who had 73.05 points.

Malinin became the favorite at Skate America when Kagiyama, the Olympic silver medalist, withdrew from the opening Grand Prix event because of an injury. But it was Miura, the 17-year-old Japanese junior champion, who took the lead going into the free skate thanks to a technical score that was more than five points higher than anyone else.

It was a full eight points more than Malinin, who just might need to land his quad axel Saturday night to have a chance.

Story continues

It really depends how I feel personally, Malinin said of attempting the 4 1/2-rotation jump.

Knierim and Frazier, who helped the U.S. win team silver at the Beijing Olympics, were heavy favorites at Skate America after taking advantage of the absence of the powerful Russian teams to win their first world title earlier this year.

Performing to Separate Ways by the American rock band Journey, Knierim and Frazier dazzled a sellout crowd with their opening triple twist. Frazier two-footed the landing on their side-by-side triple toe loop, but the 2021 champions from Skate America came back with a beautiful throw triple flip to earn a solid component score.

I never started my season off at a Grand Prix before, Frazier said. There was a lot of positivity out there tonight. It was a little bit of a fight tonight, but it was our starting base.

Knierim and Frazier were expected to show out on the Grand Prix stage, though. The surprise came from Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps, whose performance to Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla put them solidly in second place.

The winners of the lower-level Nebelhorn Trophy earlier this year were solid from their opening triple twist, through their side-by-side triple toe and into their throw triple loop to keep within range of the gold medal.

Letizia Roscher and Luis Schuster of Germany were well behind in third with 54.87 points.

We are very pleased with our performance, happy to be here, said Stellato-Dudek, who calls Chicago home and previously skated for the U.S. Its kind of a homecoming for me. Its like my wedding. Its like I know everybody.

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Malinin trails Japans Miura after short program at Skate America originally appeared on NBCSports.com
https://sputniknews.com/20221022/20-year-old-going-to-jail-after-pleading-guilty-to-assault-during-capitol-riot-1102522115.html

20-Year-Old Going to Jail After Pleading Guilty to Assault During Capitol Riot

20-Year-Old Going to Jail After Pleading Guilty to Assault During Capitol Riot

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A 20-year-old North Carolina man who sprayed a chemical irritant at police officers and broke a window at the US Capitol with a baseball bat... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-22T05:06+0000

2022-10-22T05:06+0000

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The US Department of Justice said on Thursday that Aiden Henry Bilyard, 20, of Cary, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to assaulting law enforcement officers with a dangerous weapon (chemical spray). Bilyard was 18 at the time of the attack.CBS reported on Friday that Federal Judge Reggie Walton dismissed pleas from Bilyard's attorneys to allow him to return home ahead of his sentencing, immediately sending Bilyard to jail.Bilyard was arrested in November of last year and faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He will be sentenced in February, 2023, according to the US Department of Justice.According to NBC, Bilyard was in Air Force basic training when he was questioned by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in August, 2021.On January 6, a group of supporters of former President Donald Trump breached the Capitol complex in a bid to try and stop Congress from certifying the 2020 election results that Trump said were fraudulent. Hundreds of individuals have since been charged with crimes related to the riot.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/as-us-crab-industry-in-bering-sea-crumbles-russian-crab-firms-not-affected-1102523967.html

As US Crab Industry in Bering Sea Crumbles, Russian Crab Firms Not Affected

As US Crab Industry in Bering Sea Crumbles, Russian Crab Firms Not Affected

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russian fishing firms told Sputnik they are not facing any issues harvesting crab in the Bering Sea unlike US fishermen that are seeing... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-22T06:48+0000

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2022-10-22T06:48+0000

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"In 2022, the Russian Crab group of companies has 434 tons of opilio and more than 100 tons of bairdi available for fishing in the subzones of the Bering Sea," a spokesperson for a Russian Crab company told Sputnik. "Thus, at present, snow crab condition in the Bering Sea does not cause concern to our fishermen."In 2022, the total allowable catch of opilio snow crab in the Karaginsky subzone of the Bering Sea increased by 128 tons and the harvest of bairdi snow crab increased by 79 tons, the spokesperson said.Scientists with the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) closely monitor conditions of population of valuable biological resources in the Bering Sea and make recommendations based on resource studies to correct the Total Allowable Catch of crab in the region, the spokesperson said.Norebo Management Company, one of the largest fish holding companies in Russia, also indicates the Russian fishing industry seems to have no issues with snow crab harvests in the Bering Sea.Last week, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game scrapped the snow crab season in the Bering Sea due to a population decline in the region. It also said the red king crab season was going to be closed for the second year in a row.Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers Executive Director Jamie Goen told Sputnik the US fishing industry is expected to suffer more than a billion dollars in losses after Alaska shut down its snow crab season in the Bering Sea for the first time in the country's history.Last year's snow crab harvest in the Bering Sea was 5.6 million pounds, the smallest in over 40 years.Goen said the historic decision by Alaska's Department of Fish and Game will likely sink family businesses considering there is no immediate federal relief program to aid US fishermen in tight circumstances. Alaska has some 60 vessels in its fleet that conducts snow crab fishing in the Bering Sea, she added.The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in a press release that efforts to understand the decline of the crab population in the region is underway.Goen said climate change may be causing the decline of the snow crab population in the Bering Sea.Moreover, Goen said the red crab population in the Bering Sea has been in a steady downward decline for 12 to 15 years now, but that issue is not directly climate related."They're not sure what's happening," Goen said. "So the [red crab] females are full of eggs and they're fertilized eggs. They release them, but then they never grow up to be bigger crab to harvest by our fishermen. So something's happening in the middle there."Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers and other US fishermen have been calling for additional conservation measures, like those implemented by Russia and Canada, to protect the crab population in the region."When they're molting and mating crab get in a soft shell condition, so they're very vulnerable to high mortality, say if a patrol net comes through and runs over them, there's high mortality," Goen said. "My understanding is Russia and Canada have protections for crab when they're molting and mating, and we don't have that in the US. That's one of the things our fishermen have been advocating for that we could manage them better, to protect them, to help them rebuild."The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said it understands the closing of this season's snow crab season in the Bering Sea will have substantial impacts on US harvesters, industry, and communities, but it was a necessary measure for long-term conservation and sustainability of crab stocks in the area.

https://sputniknews.com/20221015/alaska-cancels-snow-crab-season-for-the-first-time-ever-after-1-billion-disappear-1101868916.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/at-least-15-killed-40-injured-in-bus-accident-in-india-days-ahead-of-diwali-1102523336.html

At Least 15 Killed, 40 Injured in Bus Accident in India Days Ahead of Diwali

At Least 15 Killed, 40 Injured in Bus Accident in India Days Ahead of Diwali

It is reported that India records more than 400,000 road accidents every year. In 2021, over 155,000 people lost their lives in road accidents, while in 2020... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

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At least 15 people died while 40 others were injured after a bus carrying around 100 passengers collided with a stationary truck in the Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh state late last night.Navneet Bhasin, the district's Superintendent of Police (SP), told media that most individuals traveling on the bus were Uttar Pradesh residents, and were heading home to celebrate the festival of Diwali with their families.Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, will be celebrated on Monday."The bus was moving behind a truck and that truck collided with another truck coming from the opposite direction, and as it stopped following the collision the bus rammed into it. Front rows of the bus, including the entire cabin area, were crushed. Police teams rushed to the spot and injured were shifted to hospital in the quickest possible time," Bhasin told reporters.Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh State Chief Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the accident and announced that 200,000 (over $2,420) each would be given to the families of the deceased. Those who have been critically injured will be compensated with 50,000 (over $600) each.Adityanath's Madhya Pradesh counterpart, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, shared his anguish over the tragic accident. Chauhan further stated that the critically injured were being treated free of cost at Rewa Medical College while arrangements were being made to send the mortal remains of the dead to the Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh state.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/cpc-congress-agrees-to-boost-armed-forces-prevent-taiwan-independence-1102535292.html

CPC Congress Agrees to Boost Armed Forces, Prevent Taiwan Independence

CPC Congress Agrees to Boost Armed Forces, Prevent Taiwan Independence

In a final Congress resolution on Saturday, the Communist Party of China emphasized that the country had devoted great energy to modernizing its national... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

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2022-10-22T14:41+0000

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The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has approved an amendment to its Charter stipulating the transformation of the countrys People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a world-class advanced military force.The CPC noted that to fulfill this end, China must apply [President] Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the military, implement the military strategy for the new era, and maintain the [Communist] Party's absolute leadership over the people's armed forces.According to the resolution, China should continue to enhance political loyalty in the military, strengthen the PLA through reform, science and technology, and personnel training, and run the military in accordance with the law.Separately, the resolution stressed the necessity of adhering to the One-China principle and the 1992 Consensus [between Beijing and Taipei], as well as implementing the CPCs overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era.We should take resolute steps to oppose Taiwan independence and promote reunification, maintain the initiative and the ability to steer in cross-Strait relations, and unswervingly advance the cause of national reunification, the CPC underlined.The resolution comes after Congress spokesperson Sun Yeli said last week that China does not rule out the use of force to resolve the Taiwan issue, but only against the supporters of the islands independence and interfering forces from third countries.The spokesperson underscored that Chinas actions will not be directed against the people of Taiwan, as Beijing's goal is to promote the process of peaceful reunification of the island with the Chinese mainland.Beijing-Taipei tensions escalated in August when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, prompting China to condemn the trip as a gesture of support for separatism and launch massive military drills in the vicinity of the island in a show of force.Beijing considers Taiwan an essential part of China, opposing any official contact between the island and other countries. Washington officially sticks to a One-China policy, but has developed active contacts with Taipei and remains the islands biggest arms supplier.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/finnish-delegation-to-visit-turkey-for-nato-membership-talks-next-week-reports-say-1102531177.html

Finnish Delegation to Visit Turkey for NATO Membership Talks Next Week, Reports Say

Finnish Delegation to Visit Turkey for NATO Membership Talks Next Week, Reports Say

ANKARA (Sputnik) - A delegation of the Finnish justice ministry will visit Ankara on October 25 to discuss issues hindering the ratification procedure for... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

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On May 18, three months after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden submitted NATO membership applications, abandoning decades of neutrality. Their accession papers have been ratified by all NATO members except Turkey and Hungary.Turkey and Finland are expected to discuss the extradition of persons affiliated with groups which Ankara considers terrorist, including the organization of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen (FETO) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party.The Turkish side will be represented at the talks by the chief for foreign and EU affairs at its justice ministry, Kasim Cicek, who will present members of the Finnish delegation with evidence that people whose extradition Ankara seeks are involved in terrorist activities, the report said.Turkey had a similar negotiation on extraditions with Sweden in early October.Turkey has blocked the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, citing their tolerance of "terrorists." On June 29, Turkey, Sweden and Finland signed a security memorandum, which Ankara said addressed all of its concerns.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/germans-rally-in-berlin-to-protest-energy-crisis-measures-1102528370.html

Germans Rally in Berlin to Protest Energy Crisis Measures

Germans Rally in Berlin to Protest Energy Crisis Measures

Europe is facing a severe energy crisis, with electricity bills skyrocketing after the EU decided to impose sanctions against Russia, resulting in supply chain... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

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Sputnik is live from Berlin, where protesters hold a rally as part of nationwide demonstrations against German energy policies. Similar events are also being held in Dresden, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hanover, Stuttgart, and other cities.The event is called "Solidarity through the crisis: create social security and end fossil dependencies", and it opposes the measures against the energy crisis by the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. People are discontented with soaring energy prices and economic slowdown, demanding more support from authorities.Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/guinean-military-agrees-to-hand-power-to-civilian-government-in-two-years---ecowas-1102520054.html

Guinean Military Agrees to Hand Power to Civilian Government in Two Years - ECOWAS

Guinean Military Agrees to Hand Power to Civilian Government in Two Years - ECOWAS

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The military authorities of Guinea agreed to hand over power in the country to a civilian government in two years, the Economic Community of... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-22T00:30+0000

2022-10-22T00:30+0000

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According to the statement, a technical mission of ECOWAS paid a visit to Guinea from October 16 to 21. However, it included no details as to when this period would begin.In September, the community decided to impose progressive sanctions against Guinean individuals over the military coup that took place last year.On September 5, 2021, Col. Mamady Doumbouya came to power through a coup in Guinea. The military dismissed the government, abrogated the constitution, and closed borders. Then-President Alpha Conde was arrested and, according to Doumbouya, placed in a safe place under military supervision. ECOWAS suspended Guinea's membership in the organization and demanded the president be released. Doumbouya was sworn in as transitional president by the Supreme Court on October 1 and pledged to remain committed to the country's sovereignty and to fulfill his functions in the interests of the Guinean people.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/jill-biden-claims-stepson-hunter-innocent-1102527392.html

Jill Biden Claims Stepson Hunter 'Innocent'

Jill Biden Claims Stepson Hunter 'Innocent'

Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that federal agents probing Hunter Biden had obtained what they claimed was sufficient evidence to charge... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-22T09:24+0000

2022-10-22T09:24+0000

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First Lady Jill Biden has argued that her stepson Hunter broke no laws amid the current federal probe into his activities.In an interview with NBC News on Friday, she noted that everybody and their brother has investigated Hunter.She spoke after President Joe Biden told CNN that he had great confidence in his son last week.His remarks followed the Washington Post (WaPo) reporting earlier this month that US federal agents had obtained enough evidence to charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes and making false statements related to a gun purchase.The tax fraud investigation pertains to whether Hunter Biden failed to declare income from local and overseas businesses, the WaPo report said.The WaPo cited unnamed sources as saying that federal agents determined months ago that they had gathered a viable criminal case against Hunter Biden, but that its up to prosecutors at the Justice Department whether to file charges against the US presidents son.The sources argued that the final decision on the matter would be made by Delaware Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed to his current post by former US President Donald Trump.While Hunter Biden was initially probed for his financial and business dealings in foreign countries during his fathers stint in the vice presidency, US prosecutors significantly widened their scope to include his business associates, their related deals, and the purchase of at least one firearm.The investigators in particular dealt with information related to Hunter Bidens so-called laptop from Hell, which contains compromising emails, photos and videos pertaining to the US president's son that have been released since 2020, when the New York Post was the first to make public several documents from the device.The laptops content shed light on details about potentially illegal activities by the US presidents son, ranging from parties with prostitutes to business deals involving the trading of cash in exchange for access to Joe Biden during his tenure as Barack Obamas vice president. The 46th US president has repeatedly dismissed any knowledge of his sons business activities.

https://sputniknews.com/20221020/laptop-from-hell-watchdog-says-hunter-biden--partners-committed-459-legal-violations-1102470869.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221011/fbi-agents-who-asked-facebook-to-hush-up-hunter-biden-laptop-story-are-dem-donors-filings-reveal-1101737921.html

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Ukrainian Troops Shell Novoaidar Using HIMARS Missiles - LPR

Ukrainian forces have shelled the town of Novoaidar in the Luhansk region using the US-supplied multiple rocket launcher HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), the Lugansk Peoples Republics (LPR) mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination on the ceasefire regime (JCCC) said.

"Shelling was recorded from the side of the armed formations of Ukraine: 02:50 [23:50 GMT on Saturday] at Novoaidar, with the use of MLRS [Multiple Launch Rocket System] HIMARS (six missiles)," the LPR mission said in a statement on Telegram.

Earlier, the LPR mission to the JCCC said that the cities of Svatovo and Zolotoye in the Lugansk region were also shelled by Ukrainian troops overnight using HIMARS.

There has been no information on damages or casualties.

Late on Thursday night, Ukrainian forces launched an attack targeting a civilian crossing near the Antonovka (Antonovsky) bridge in the Kherson region using the US-supplied HIMARS.

At least four people were killed and over a dozen were injured in the attack, according to Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the regional administration. Stremousov stressed that Ukrainian troops deliberately targeted journalists during the shelling.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared martial law in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. The upper house of the Russian parliament approved Putin's decree later in the day.
https://sputniknews.com/20221022/private-jet-carrying-5-germans-disappears-near-costa-rica-1102528463.html

Private Jet Carrying 5 Germans Disappears Near Costa Rica

Private Jet Carrying 5 Germans Disappears Near Costa Rica

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A small private plane with five German citizens on board has gone missing after departing from Mexico off the coast of Costa Rica, Costa... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-22T09:40+0000

2022-10-22T09:40+0000

2022-11-03T19:35+0000

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The minister added that after the loss of contact with the aircraft, an emergency protocol was activated with the participation of the coast guard and the air surveillance service. Due to bad weather conditions, however, the search mission was suspended but will be resumed at 5 a.m. local time on Saturday.At the moment, the identities of the pilot and passengers have not been disclosed.German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported that passengers included the CEO of the largest fitness club chain in Germany McFit, Rainer Schaller, with his girlfriend and two children, and a man named Marcus Kurreck.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/protesters-warn-outsiders-not-to-meddle-in-ethiopias-tigray-standoff-1102531674.html

Protesters Warn Outsiders Not to Meddle in Ethiopia's Tigray Standoff

Protesters Warn Outsiders Not to Meddle in Ethiopia's Tigray Standoff

A deadly civilian conflict between the Ethiopian government and Tigray People's Liberation Front rebels has been persisting since 2020. At the time, Addis... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

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2022-11-14T12:17+0000

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Scores of people took to the streets across Ethiopia on Saturday to voice protest against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and what they described as interference by outsiders in the countrys internal affairs.In the capital Addis Ababa, some protesters were seen carrying banners, which accused the US of disrespecting Ethiopias sovereignty, while other demonstrators reproached the TPLFs fugitive leaders.Referring to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa Jantirar Abay told the AP news agency that they are keen to assure the world that we are always by his side and support the governments call for our sovereignty.The deputy mayor spoke after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Friday that Washington welcomes the announcement of peace talks led by the African Union between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF that same day.This was preceded by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announcing that the United Nations fully supports the African Unions calls for an immediate halt to the conflict in northern Ethiopia on Monday.The United Nations is ready to support the African Union in every way possible to end this nightmare for the Ethiopian people. We need the urgent resumption of talks towards an effective, lasting, political settlement, Guterres said.The remarks followed African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat calling for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and the resumption of humanitarian services in the conflict-torn Ethiopian region.Ethiopia has been struggling with a violent internal conflict since November 2020, when the central government accused the TPLF of attacking its military base and launched an anti-terrorist operation in the region. After TPLF rebels seized the city of Mekelle, the administrative regional center, in June 2021, the government declared an unconditional ceasefire.Shortly after, however, rebels launched a new offensive and took control of the southern part of Tigray and the neighboring Amhara region. A new truce was reached in March 2022, when Ethiopian authorities announced the introduction of an indefinite truce for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Tigray. In June, Ethiopias prime minister announced the creation of a committee for negotiations with the TPLF.The ongoing conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions of people, and caused a dire humanitarian crisis across the country.

https://sputniknews.com/20220912/tigrays-tplf-agrees-on-african-union-mediated-peace-talks-with-ethiopia-without-conditions-1100662090.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211108/hands-off-ethiopia-protests-in-washington-dc-addis-ababa-urge-no-us-interference-in-civil-war-1090576188.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/saudi-arabia-qualifies-houthi-attack-in-yemens-oil-port-as-terrorist-act-1102538225.html

Saudi Arabia Qualifies Houthi Attack in Yemen's Oil Port as Terrorist Act

Saudi Arabia Qualifies Houthi Attack in Yemen's Oil Port as Terrorist Act

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Saudi Arabia qualifies a recent drone attack in the Dabba port in eastern Yemen, which was carried out by the Ansar Allah movement, also... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

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"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns the terrorist attack carried out by the Houthi terrorist militia which is a flagrant violation of Security Council Resolution No. 2216, and in violation of international laws and customs," the statement said.The foreign ministry accused "Houthi terrorist militia and those behind it" of targeting civilian and economic infrastructure, global energy supplies and corridors, as well as threatening the marine life with pollution.On Friday, a source told Sputnik that there were two explosions in the port, but the Nissos Kea crude oil tanker was able to leave the coast unharmed despite the drone attack. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it "a warning strike" to "prevent an oil ship that was trying to loot crude oil through the Dabba port."The Yemeni government condemned the attack, saying that such acts are a threat to the country's maritime and energy security. Foreign ministries of Egypt and Kuwait, along with the Arab League and other regional organizations shared similar sentiments.Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces and the Houthi rebels since 2014. The situation was exacerbated in March 2015, when the Saudi-led coalition, working in cooperation with the internationally-recognized Yemeni government, began conducting air, land and sea operations against the Houthis. The latter have retaliated by attacking Saudi forces and firing missiles into Saudi Arabia.In April 2022, a two-month ceasefire was declared in Yemen under the auspices of the United Nations and the support of the parties to the conflict. In early August, the warring sides agreed to extend the truce by two months (until October 2), to negotiate an expanded truce agreement.UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced on October 2 that the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels had failed to negotiate the extension of the truce.

https://sputniknews.com/20221018/us-arms-ultimatum-to-saudi-arabia-unlikely-to-be-matched-by-action-1102004378.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/scholz-says-russia-ukraine-conflict-must-not-escalate-into-direct-russia-nato-conflict-1102537070.html

Scholz: Ukraine Conflict Must Not Escalate Into Direct Russia-NATO Confrontation

Scholz: Ukraine Conflict Must Not Escalate Into Direct Russia-NATO Confrontation

BERLIN, (Sputnik) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev must be prevented from escalating into a direct... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

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2022-10-22T17:08+0000

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"I do not think it will happen, but at least we must stay alert for danger," Scholz told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag in response to a corresponding question.The chancellor emphasized that any careless moves must be avoided in such a dangerous situation.At the same time, Scholz reiterated Germany's support for Ukraine, which is second to the United States in terms of financial and humanitarian support, as well as weapons supply. Berlin supplies Kiev with artillery and anti-aircraft guns as well as the IRIS-T air defense systems, which even the German armed forces do not have, the chancellor noted.Scholz has made multiple statements assuring that Berlin would supply Ukraine with weapons for as long as necessary. In October, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said that one out of four IRIS-T air defense systems promised to Ukraine had already been delivered, while the remaining three would arrive in 2023. According to Spiegel, four IRIS-T systems cost over 500 million euros.Russia has repeatedly denounced the West for sending Ukraine billions dollars worth of weapons, noting that it adds fuel to the fire and only prolongs the conflict. Moscow warned that any cargo that contained weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for the Russian armed forces.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/stop-pushing-ww3-dialogue-netizens-slam-us-war-games-near-romania-ukraine-border-1102530691.html

Stop Pushing WW3 Dialogue: Netizens Slam US War Games Near Romania-Ukraine Border

Stop Pushing WW3 Dialogue: Netizens Slam US War Games Near Romania-Ukraine Border

US airborne drills, which include live-fire ground and air assault exercises, are being conducted just several miles from Romanias border with Ukraine, where... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-22T11:31+0000

2022-10-22T11:31+0000

2022-10-22T11:31+0000

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russia

ukraine

war games

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special operation

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The deployment of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division in Europe has caused waves on social media, with netizens blasting the move amid growing tension between Russia and NATO.CBS News reported on Friday that the units troops are conducting joint drills with counterparts from Romania, which hosts the war games. According to the broadcaster, the exercises are being carried out just several miles from Romanias border with Ukraine, where the Russian special military operation is underway.These sentiments were echoed by another user, who warned that this isnt WW2 and that nukes will start flying if America tries to get involved [in the Ukraine conflict] directly.Another netizen sarcastically noted - referring to the US airborne units - that Dark Brandon's forces march to the Gates of Mordor, while another cautioned: Stop pushing WW3 dialogue.The comments followed a 101st Airborne Division commander telling CBS News that they are ready to defend every inch of NATO soil, adding that the troops bring that mobility with us, for our aircraft and air assaults.Moscow Warns West Against Arms Supplies to Kiev The units war games in Romania come amid ongoing US military funding of Kiev, with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin recently informing that President Joe Biden approved an additional $675 million package for Ukraine, which includes howitzers, artillery munitions, Humvees, armored ambulances, and anti-tank systems.Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against its arms supplies to Kiev, which the Kremlin says further escalates the Ukraine conflict. Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cautioned that any weapon, [and] any arms shipment on the Ukrainian territory" would be considered a legitimate target by the Russian military.Lavrov referred to Ukrainian forces widely using the US-made military hardware and communication systems in hostilities, underlining that the United States is not at all neutral in this situation" and that Washington is "a party to the [Ukraine] conflict.In an address to the nation last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Wests current goal is to weaken, divide and ultimately destroy Russia.He referred to some irresponsible politicians in the West, who talk about plans to organize the supply of long-range offensive weapons to Ukraine, systems that are capable of launching strikes against Crimea and other regions of Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry, in turn, warned that the Wests supplies of such weaponry to Kiev would become red lines for Moscow, which the ministry said had enough instruments to retaliate.

https://sputniknews.com/20221015/us-running-out-of-resources-to-supply-weapons-to-ukraine-1101884974.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220703/us-military-aid-to-ukraine-will-only-end-with-real-political-revolution-in-america-analyst-warns-1096898474.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/sunak-hits-100-backers-in-conservative-race-for-next-uk-prime-minister-1102520605.html

Sunak Hits 100 Backers in Conservative Race for Next UK Prime Minister

Sunak Hits 100 Backers in Conservative Race for Next UK Prime Minister

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Former UK finance minister Rishi Sunak has secured the support of 100 Conservative Party members - the minimum required to get a chance of... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-22T02:01+0000

2022-10-22T02:01+0000

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According to the report, ex-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a "firm 67" nominations as of Friday, while House of Commons Tory Leader Penny Mordaunt secured only 19 endorsements. But Sunak was leading the race of three with 100 backers including Johnson's former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab as well as Johnson's former health secretary Sajid Javid, who are both supporting the 42-year-old who resigned as Johnson's Chancellor of Exchequer in July. Sunak's resignation, in combination with Javid's resignation, eventually led to Johnson having to step down as prime minister following the Chris Pincher scandal. Johnson has not relinquished any efforts to return to Downing Street, however, after he first stepped down as prime minister in July following a tirade of scandals and a fallout in his government. Mordaunt, who is not as well known among the public, polls well with Conservative Party members. Sunak, who is leading in a race to become the third prime minister the UK has had in the last eight weeks, is a former finance minister who called ex-UK Prime Minister Truss' tax plan "fantasy island" economics. On Friday, Robbie Moore, the member of parliament for Keighley and Ilkley, told the broadcaster that it was "very realistic" for him to think that Mordaunt would be able to secure the support of 100 party members to participate in the next round of the run for the post on Monday.A Conservative leadership contender needs at least 100 party nominations to get on the ballot paper, Graham Brady, the head of the Conservative Backbench 1922 Committee, said.Outgoing UK Prime Minister Liz Truss stepped down after just six weeks in office, becoming the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history. The choice falls back to the front-runners in the summer leadership contest that followed Johnson's abrupt resignation. The result of the vote is due on October 27.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/turkey-and-russia-working-on-evaluation-of-gas-hub-project-source-says-1102527615.html

Turkey and Russia Working on Evaluation of Gas Hub Project, Source Says

Turkey and Russia Working on Evaluation of Gas Hub Project, Source Says

ANKARA (Sputnik) - Russia and Turkey are working on the gas hub project, the design, construction and marketing elements are being evaluated, a source Sputnik... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-22T08:59+0000

2022-10-22T08:59+0000

2022-10-22T09:04+0000

russia

russia

turkey

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The exact location of the potential gas hub in Turkey has not been determined, the source said.It is too early to talk about the cost of the gas hub in Turkey, as the price of the project will be known after agreeing on all the details of the project, the source said.On October 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow could redirect gas transit from the damaged Nord Stream pipelines to Turkey. The next day, Putin discussed the idea with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their face-to-face meeting in Astana. On October 14, Erdogan said that the two leaders instructed relevant institutions of the two countries to quickly begin work on the idea of creating a hub in Turkey for gas supplies to Europe.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/weekly-news-wrap-up-did-covid-come-from-us-experiments-eu-protests-explode-africa-rejects-france--1102519314.html

Weekly News Wrap-up; Did Covid Come From US Experiments; EU Protests Explode; Africa Rejects France

Weekly News Wrap-up; Did Covid Come From US Experiments; EU Protests Explode; Africa Rejects France

French colonialism is running into an African brick wall as nation after nation rejects its neo-colonial political and economic exploitation. 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-22T10:44+0000

2022-10-22T10:44+0000

2022-10-24T10:06+0000

the critical hour

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Weekly News Wrap-up; Did Covid Come From US Experiments; EU Protests Explode; Africa Rejects France French colonialism is running into an African brick wall as nation after nation rejects its neo-colonial political and economic exploitation.

Wyatt Reed, Sputnik News analyst, joins us to discuss this week's news stories. The race to replace Liz Truss is heating up in the British Isles. Also, neocons are throwing a fit over allegations of Iranian drones in Ukraine and John Bolton's regime change fantasy in Russia exposes his complete disconnect from reality.Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor of Economics and Politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss the economy. The EU is being destabilized due to massive protests over the cost of living crisis. Also, the GOP is pushing for austerity and the potential for a US rail strike is growing.Kweku Lamumba, co-chair of the Georgia Green Party, joins us to discuss this week's news stories. President Biden is pushing his student debt relief program as the midterms approach. Also, French colonialism is running into an African brick wall as nation after nation rejects its neo-colonial political and economic exploitation.Ajamu Baraka, 2016 US vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, and Dr. Colin Campbell, DC Senior News Correspondent, join us to discuss this week's important news stories. Millions are set to lose critical benefits as the Biden administration allows the Covid-19 economic intervention measures to expire. Also, people are out protesting nuclear war and the Brazilian election heats up.Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch, and Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, join us to discuss this week's stories. The neocons and the woke left are joining to bring world war and poverty. Also, Covid-19 may be a man-made virus and Josep Borrell takes heat for a highly racist neo-colonial statement.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik

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https://sputniknews.com/20221022/xi-jinping-closes-20th-national-congress-of-communist-party-of-china-1102523106.html

Xi Jinping Closes 20th National Congress of Communist Party of China

Xi Jinping Closes 20th National Congress of Communist Party of China

BEIJING (Sputnik) - The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded its work in Beijing on Saturday, a Sputnik correspondent... 22.10.2022, Sputnik International

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2022-10-22T05:37+0000

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communist party of china (cpc)

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The closing session was chaired by CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping, and attended by 2,300 delegates from across China, representing 96.7 million CPC members.The delegates unanimously approved a resolution on the report of the CPC Central Committee of the 19th convocation, a resolution on the report on the work of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the 19th convocation and a resolution on amendments to the party charter. The Congress also approved the composition of the CPC Central Committee of the 20th convocation, as well as the new composition of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.The first meeting of the CPC Central Committee of the 20th convocation will be held on Sunday. The plenum will appoint the senior leadership of the party  members of the political bureau and the political bureau's standing committee  which will govern the country in the next five years. Chinese Leader Xi Jinping is expected to be elected for a third term as CPC General Secretary.

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Fifth grade students from all three Gering elementary schools learned how to properly fold the American flag.

The flag folding demonstration was just one part of an event organized by Eldon Kramer, American Legion Post 36 Honor Guard Commander, held on Friday, Oct. 14 at Gering High School.

The students also got to hear from and ask questions of community armed forces veterans like retired U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Dave Muehlbauer, retired U.S. Army First Sergeant Matt Meyers and Northfield Elementary teacher Monty Zeiler, who has spent 21 years as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves.

Weve been doing this now for five years in a row, Kramer said. Its a flag etiquette class to teach them respect for the flag and how to fold it right.

As part of the class, the American Legion bought American flags for every fifth grade student using money raised through the legions dinners. Kramer said this years expense was over $1,100.

The program has grown since its first introduction five years ago, and Kramer said that the Legion likes to add more elements as time goes on.

We keep adding something new every year, said Kramer. Last year, we added the flagpole.

Members of the American Legion Honor Guard demonstrated the raising of the flag at the start of the assembly on a flagpole set up in the GHS gym.

The Honor Guard and other volunteers also helped showcase a variety of important flags for the students, including the flags representing each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The students were then introduced to several community members who had served in the military and were given a chance to ask questions.

To bring the veterans in is a big part of it, Kramer said. They (the students) really were great today. I really think they had their whole hearts in it, really took it all in.

One speaker, retired U.S. Army First Sergeant Matt Meyers, now serves as the Scotts Bluff/Banner County Veterans Service officer. Part of his presentation included encouraging students to remind their parents and guardians who are veterans to receive their benefits.

There are a lot of veterans that are not receiving their benefits, Kramer said. I see it every day when Im working with veterans. The benefits are there for them, they need to go get them.

Students also heard from a veteran that many of them see every day, Northfield Elementary teacher Monty Zeiler, who has served for 21 years in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Zeiler explained the love and respect that he has for the American flag to the students and encouraged them to thank veterans for their service when they spotted them out in the community.

Retired U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Dave Muehlbauer then told the students about his service during the Vietnam War, and used the recent popularity of the film Top Gun: Maverick to explain some of the duties he performed as a jet engine mechanic.

After the speakers finished answering questions, the students received their flags and a lesson on how to properly fold them.

The American Legion Honor Guard, the speakers and several other veterans and affiliated volunteers led pairs of students through the process of the 13 folds, as well as the symbolism of each fold.

Kramer explained that the sentiment that the flag folding lesson and speakers were attempting to get across to the fifth graders was that the American flag represents every man and woman who has fought for their freedom.

We have to show our utmost respect to our gentlemen and ladies that were in the military, he said. If it werent for them, we wouldnt be the free nation that we are today.
The United States government is contracting workers, and scores of small business owners and entrepreneurs converged on the Hampton Inn & Suites in Scottsbluff to hear what they had to say.

The Meet the Buyers Conference was held from Tuesday, Oct. 18 through Thursday, Oct. 20. The Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) of the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) put the event together.

Our goal is to assist businesses in positioning themselves to gain and perform government contracts, PTAC consultant Chuck Beck said. The Meet the Buyers conference is one of the most valuable services that we provide to the clients that we serve.

The conferences purpose is two-fold. It helps businesses who want to work with the government and also allows the government to expand its pipeline for products and services.

Participating agencies included the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Small Business Administration and General Services Administration.

Military groups participating included the Offutt and F.E. Warren Air Force Bases. A few non-governmental groups also took part such as the Bechtel and Northrop Grumman companies, which will be working on an upcoming missile project in Kimball.

Especially with supply chain issues the last couple of years, its extremely important for agencies to really identify additional suppliers, Beck said.

Representatives from agencies and prime contractors met with business leaders to discuss what services they can contract and how the businesses could offer their help.

In return, the business leaders laid out what they could provide if contracted.

I like to explain to companies (that) this is not the finish line. This is the starting gate, Beck said.  If you just attend to attend the conference and you dont do some follow-up, youre probably not going to get a contract.

Daniel Kuchar, a PTAC business development specialist, said almost everyone who registered to attend the conference and meet the buyers was from a small business.

Many of them came from the Scottsbluff area or other parts of Nebraska, though some came from states as far away as Texas or Virginia.

I think the feedback has been good ... I think this morning went pretty well. Its always good to hear from a bunch of different people about the potential for business thats out there, Kuchar said.  We understand there are many business opportunities here; so many small businesses that keep the state running.

Much of the networking took place on the final day of the conference. The first days presentations focused on infrastructure. The second day was more education-oriented with government contracting workshops and a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Quality Management Course.

Typically, Beck explained, this Meet the Buyers Conference is held twice a year. In the spring, its in eastern Nebraska; in the fall, its in western Nebraska. This is the second time its been held in Scottsbluff.
Being a key player in a business enterprise, large or small, can be a difficult task. Working women in the Panhandle can meet with others for friendship, guidance and encouragement in a local Business and Professional Women (BPW) group.

The Scottsbluff area is home to two BPW organizations, both of which meet monthly. The Panhandle BPW meets during the afternoons. The Monument BPW meets in the evenings. Both groups once again celebrated National Business Womens Week during the third week in October this year.

Mary Winn has been part of the Monument BPW for around 38 years. The former Gering High School teacher is in her third go around as its president.

BPW is all about women helping women. We do that through various ways. One of the things we do is we have a program every month to increase awareness about things going on in our community and also find out about needs in the community, Winn said.

Lisa Peden, president of the Panhandle BPW, has been involved with the group for more than a decade. Members of the organization are longtime supporters of her workplace at the DOVES Program, and she had the opportunity to learn more about them.

Were really there to support working women (and) promote the causes that affect working women, she said of the organization.

Winn said the two local groups are among the most active in Nebraska. According to Peden, the Panhandle group is the largest in the state with an estimated 40 members.

Networking is an important aspect of what BPW groups provide.

I am constantly learning more about our community through the programs we have. Its amazing how much is going on here that many of us dont know about, Winn said.

Peden shared the sentiment, adding that women in one field can get to know what its like in other fields through conversations with their peers.

I think the best part of being involved  is just having the opportunity to get to know other working women in the community. Sometimes were very specialized in our own fields. If I work in nonprofits, Im only meeting other women in nonprofits  but with Panhandle (BPW), you have women from all these types of employment coming together and learning from each other, she said.

Even if a member is retired, being part of a BPW group means they can still have their finger on the pulse of where they live.

I like where we are with the Monument group, Monument BPW awards chair Ally Berggren said. I feel like were reinvigorating and growing, and weve got some new membership that are really fantastic women and a huge asset to our community.

Berggren has been part of the Monument BPW organization for a year now, ever since she was named its Woman of the Year for 2021. She said joining the group has helped her showcase the talents and dedication of some incredible people in the community.

The Monument and Panhandle groups both have two annual awards given to deserving local women. Woman of the Year awards go to those who are invested in the community and live up to the groups goals of helping other women.

Young Careerist awards are for businesswomen younger than 35 with both outstanding business acumen and who have made significant contributions to the community.

Both groups provide Employer of the Year awards for both small and large businesses as well.

We really seek to recognize the businesses that are really promoting women in the workplace who are offering benefits to women working, Peden said.

Every year, the Monument BPW also awards two $500 scholarships to high school seniors. In the last few years theyve opened the scholarships up to boys as well as girls  often but not always the sons of businesswomen.

The Panhandle BPW awards between one and four $1,000 scholarships to nontraditional college students who are either attending Panhandle schools or are Panhandle residents. Its Sip & Shop Showcase at the Weborg 21 Centre on Oct. 29 is primarily a fundraiser for those scholarships.
Campaign finance reports, state-level Panhandle races, 2022 election

Legislative District 48

Brian Hardin

 Donations: $80,400

 Spending: $69,133.16

 Cash balance: $11,516.84

 Loans: Brian Hardin, Gering, $19,623

 Top contributors, entities ($1,000 or more): Nebraska Bankers State PAC, Lincoln, $4,000; Nebraska Realtors PAC, Lincoln, $3,000; Charter Communications, St. Louis, $2,500; Radcliffe & Associates, Lincoln, $1,054; Nebraska Cooperative Council PAC, Lincoln, $1,000; Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers PAC, Johnston, Iowa, $1,000; Nebraska Insurance Federation PAC, Lincoln, $1,000; Nebraska Republican Party, Lincoln, $1,000; Union Pacific Railroad Co., Omaha, $1,000; (U.S. Rep.) Adrian Smith for Congress, Scottsbluff, $1,000; BNSF Railway Co., Kansas City, Kansas, $1,000

 Top contributors, individuals ($1,000 or more): Brian Hardin, Gering, $21,877

Don Lease II

 Donations: $15,538.51

 Spending: $4,959.99

 Cash balance: $10,578.52

 Loans: none

 Top contributors, entities ($1,000 or more): AGC Highway Improvement PAC, Lincoln, $2,500; Nebraska Association of Nurse Anesthetists PAC, Lincoln, $1,500; SMART-TD PAC, Olmsted, Ohio, $1,000

 Top contributors, individuals ($1,000 or more): Don Lease II, rural Bridgeport, $5,188.51; Andrew Plummer, Bridgeport, $2,000

State Board of Education

District 7

Robin Stevens (incumbent)

(Combined 2021-22)

 Donations: $69,307.80

 Spending: $65,208.85

 Cash balance: $4,098.95

 Loans: none

 Top contributors, entities ($1,000 or more): Nebraska State Education Association PAC, Lincoln, $5,000; Nebraska State Education Association, Lincoln, $2,500; Flatwater Bank, Gothenburg, $2,500

 Top contributors, individuals ($1,000 or more): Robin Stevens, Gothenburg, $32,600; Richard and Linda Zarek, rural Gothenburg, $1,500; Claude and Karen Berreckman, Cozad, $1,000; Dianne Lozier, Omaha, $1,000; Matthew and Susan Williams, rural Gothenburg, $1,000

Elizabeth Tegtmeier

(Combined 2021-22)

 Donations: $129,145

 Spending: $87,731.22

 Cash balance: $41,900.96

 Loans: none

 Top contributors, entities ($1,000 or more): Protect Nebraska Children PAC, $2,000; (Sen.) Suzanne C. Geist for Legislature, Lincoln, $1,000; Nebraska Republican Party, Lincoln, $1,000

 Top contributors, individuals ($1,000 or more): Pete Ricketts, Omaha, $25,000; Tom Peed, Lincoln, $10,000; Robert Lundeen, North Platte, $7,500; Diane Krause, rural North Platte, $3,780; LaWayne Klein, Scottsbluff, $2,200; Mike Jacobson, North Platte, $2,100; Jolene Catlett, North Platte, $2,000; Andrea Melius, North Platte, $2,000; Debra Hostick, rural Merna, $1,525; Charles Herbster, Falls City, $1,500; Caroline Sorensen, rural North Platte, $1,300; Brian Hardin, Gering, $1,200 (cash and in-kind); William Kalblinger, North Platte, $1,200; Matt Ackerman, North Platte, $1,000; Edwin Hackel, rural Ord, $1,000; Robert and Cynthia Milligan, Omaha, $1,000; Jim Pillen, Columbus, $1,000; Clifford Quick, rural Callaway, $1,000; Steve Scholz, rural North Platte, $1,000; Adrian Smith, Gering, $1,000; Becky Trotter, Arcadia, $1,000 (in-kind); Errol Wells, rural Elba, $1,000; Suzanne Geist, Lincoln, $1,000; Ronald Brester, Lincoln, $1,000; F. Ellen Taylor-Kennedy, rural North Platte, $1,000; Tim Erdman, Bayard, $1,000; Brent Holliday, Gering, $1,000

Nebraska Public Service Commission

District 5

Kevin Stocker

(2022 only)

 Donations: $38,867.45

 Spending: $38,023.74

 Cash balance: $1,843.71

 Loans: none

 Top contributors, entities ($1,000 or more): SMART-TD PAC, North Olmsted, Ohio, $2,000; (U.S. Rep.) Adrian Smith for Congress, Scottsbluff, $1,000

 Top contributors, individuals ($1,000 or more): Kevin Stocker, Scottsbluff, $32,000

University of Nebraska Board of Regents

District 7

Matt Williams

(combined 2021-22)

 Donations: $414,382.09

 Spending: $254,523.31

 Cash balance: $171,733.05

 Loans: none

 Top contributors, entities ($1,000 or more): (Sen.) Matt Williams for Legislature, Gothenburg, $185,326.60; Walter Scott Revocable Trust, Omaha, $10,000; First National of Nebraska Inc., Omaha, $10,000; Nebraska Bankers State PAC, Lincoln, $6,000; (Sen. Mark) Kolterman for Legislature, Seward, $5,000; (Sen. John) Stinner for Legislature, Scottsbluff, $5,000; The Home Agency Inc. (DBA Nebraska Farm Services), Elwood, $7,500; Paulsen Inc., Cozad, $5,000; Nebraska State Education Association PAC, Lincoln, $5,000; (Sen. Robert) Hilkemann for Legislature, Omaha; $3,500; Thomas Investment Co., rural Broken Bow, $2,500; (Bob) Phares for Regent, North Platte, $1,500; LKQ Corp., Washington, D.C., $1,500; 96 Ranches Inc., Gothenburg, $1,500; Friends of (Sen.) Mike McDonnell, Omaha, $1,000; (Sen.) Anna Wishart for Legislature, Lincoln, $1,000; State Health PAC (Blue Cross Blue Shield), Omaha, $1,000; HDR Inc. Federal PAC, Omaha, $1,000; Pacific Life Insurance Co., Newport Beach, Virginia, $1,000; First State Bank, Loomis, $1,000; Mutual of Omaha Cos. PAC (IMPAC), Omaha, $1,000; (Sen.) Myron Dorn for Legislature, Adams, $1,000; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, $1,000; Nebraska State Bank, Broken Bow, $1,000; Peetz & Co., Lincoln, $1,000; Radcliffe & Associates, Lincoln, $1,000; Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society, Omaha, $1,000

 Top contributors, individuals ($1,000 or more): Bruce Lauritzen, Omaha, $17,500; Michael Cassling, Omaha, $15,000; Jerry Adams, rural Broken Bow, $10,000; Deryl Hamann, Omaha, $6,000; Michael Yanney, Omaha, $5,500; Richard and Patricia Bell, Omaha, $5,000; James Pillen, Columbus, $5,000; Howard Hawks, Omaha, $3,750; Rhonda Hawks, Omaha, $3,750; Gary Latimer, Lincoln, $3,000; John Kotouc, Omaha, $2,500; John Koraleski, Omaha, $2,500; David Slosburg, Omaha, $2,500; Jim Baldonado, Elwood, $2,500; J. Richard Shoemaker, Cambridge, $2,000; Bradley and Barbara Bartak, rural Merna, $2,000; Larry Paulsen, Cozad, $2,000; Lance Fritz, Omaha, $1,500; Fred Hunzeker, Omaha, $1,500; Leslie Marsh, Kearney, $1,500; Hod Kosman, rural Scottsbluff, $1,500; Richard Zarek, Gothenburg, $1,500; Paul Smith, Omaha, $1,000; Rich Armstrong, Minden, $1,000; (Sen.) Patty Pansing Brooks, Lincoln, $1,000; Tim Kudron, Omaha, $1,000; Paul Hogan, Omaha, $1,000; Dave Collins, Gothenburg, $1,000; Michael Bacon, Gothenburg, $1,000; Tonn Ostergard, Lincoln, $1,000; Barbara and Wallace Weitz, Omaha, $1,000; Dana Bradford, Omaha, $1,000; Myron Dorn, Adams, $1,000; Nathan Wyatt, Gothenburg, $1,000; Ward Hoppe, Lincoln, $1,000; Sherry McClymont, Holdrege, $1,000

Kathy Wilmot

(2022 only)

 Donations: $50,268.17

 Spending: $36,678.76

 Cash balance: $17,302.99

 Loans: none

 Top contributors, entities ($1,000 or more): (Sen.) Dan Hughes for Legislature, Venango, $1,000; Eagle Forum PAC, Alton, Illinois, $1,000

 Top contributors, individuals ($1,000 or more): Pete Ricketts, Omaha, $20,000; Kathy Wilmot, rural Beaver City, $8,818.17 (cash and in-kind); Lorelee Byrd, rural Arlington, $5,000; Bonnie Quick, rural Callaway, $1,500; Charles Herbster, Falls City, $1,000
The new pastor at Ebenezer Lutheran Church is happy to be serving in Marion close to where she grew up in Rural Retreat.

Kayla Keilholtz is also the churchs first female pastor installed on Oct. 9. The ceremony was led by the Rev. Jonathan Hamman from the Highlands Conference of the Virginia Synod and pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Wytheville.

Pastoring a church in the Lutheran denomination is not exactly where Keilholtz thought her career would take her.

Homeschooled until college, Keilholtz said her mother was Lutheran and her father Pentecostal so they compromised and worshipped at a Methodist church until Kaylas middle school grades when they switched to the Lutheran church.

After receiving an associates degree from Wytheville Community College, Keilholtz said she went to Roanoke College, where she studied criminal justice.

It was at Roanoke College that I felt the call to become a pastor, she said. So I then went to Gettysburg, the seminary there for four years.

Keilholtz said that the Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary, which specialized in rural ministry, has since combined with the Philadelphia Lutheran Seminary, which specialized in urban ministry, to form the United Lutheran Seminary in Pennsylvania.

It just didnt make sense to have two seminaries so close together, so it was a good chance to combine them so the students would get the best of both worlds, she said.

She gained her Master of Divinity and continued through the three-level interview process to find a church. From the entrance interview to the approval interview, Keilholtz and her husband Kurt (married for three years) hoped for a position in the region of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland but didnt limit her choices.

I was actually called by the Northern Great Lakes, Wisconsin Synod, she said. We were there a month before the pandemic hit. That combined with some problems in the church resulted in Keilholtz and her husband being there only six months.

Back in Virginia, Keilholtz did supply work as she had done right after earning her degree, filling in at churches without pastors or whose pastors were away for a time. She served in Bristol and for Pastor Jonathan Hamman at Grace Lutheran Church in Rural Retreat last summer while he was on sabbatical.

By September 2021, Ebenezer needed a supply pastor and the church council asked if Keilholtz would be interim pastor until this August. She said she told the Virginia Synod that she would like to interview for Ebenezer, and the church council asked to interview her, then took a vote among the congregation.

Keilholtz said she received the call to be Ebenezers pastor about the same time she contracted COVID-19, early in August. Once she was recovered the council was able to complete the arrangements and schedule her installation.

I like it. Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming, Keilholtz said of becoming Ebenezers pastor.

She wants to encourage more attendance at the church, especially young families.

Im hoping well be able to provide a place for young families, she said. I have talked with council and put out in the newsletter that we are going to try to create a childrens space in the sanctuary. We want them there. We want them comfortable.

Another plan to encourage young families as well as community members not able to come to a Sunday morning service is to create an evening program, including a meal every fourth Sunday.

Join us for dinner church every fourth Sunday of the month (except Christmas Day) at 5:30 in the fellowship hall, Keilholtz said. This is a casual interactive service with a meal to share. We will actually eat in the middle of the service.

We just want this to be a time to be together, she said. Im very excited about it. We hope this will be a time of community building and faith sharing.

Keilholtz is especially welcoming hikers from the Appalachian Trail to the dinner church events. She received advice from Murray Ziggansuse, interim pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Rural Retreat, who is familiar with hiker assistance and encouraged Keilholtz to list the dinner church on a waystation app.

The day care program at Ebenezer  We Care  continues operations and a school supply drive is ongoing until Nov. 13 to collect items needed by students. A list of needed supplies is available in the church narthex. Items include #2 pencils, colored pencils, medium point black gel pens, chisel-tip highlighters, college ruled paper, unruled 3x5 index cards, washable glue sticks, pencil-topped erasers, bevel-edged pink erasers, kids scissors, 1.5-inch d-ring black binders and tissues.

Tuesdays are the best days for drop-off of items. Come to the office door just below the main church front doors and ring the doorbell. Or there will be a labeled storage tub outside the office door for drop-off.

A blessing of the items will take place that morning during the service with an open house for distribution scheduled in the afternoon at 1:30.

A fiber arts group is meeting on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and anyone interested is invited to attend.

Keilholtz said she also hopes to get Sunday school programs up and running again.

Youth are invited to participate in a program on the first and third Sundays from 4-7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Rural Retreat. This group is for youth from Ebenezer, Grace and Trinity churches. Currently about 30 youth engage in confirmation classes, youth age groups, dinner and youth worship. The three churches take turns providing food.

Were a very welcoming community and hope people come see us, Keilholtz said. I also have been doing weddings for the community. Im on the list for Hungry Mother (as a wedding venue) for people to reach out if they need a pastor to do their wedding, especially because I am pro-LGBTQ and a lot of pastors in the area wont do those weddings.

For more information call the church office at 276-783-3241 or 804-396-3324. Pastor Keilholtz is usually in the office Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Longview attorney Tom Lee had the charges filed against him in Lewis County dismissed on Wednesday. Lee is a real estate and business attorney who ran for Longview City Council in 2021.

Judge James Lawler dismissed the charges Wednesday due to the appearance of impropriety from the Lewis County prosecutors office. Lee had been charged with perjury and false swearing over a court filing he made in a separate case over the summer, where he represented a client suing Lewis County.

Lee is one of the lawyers for Lewis County political activist Kyle Wheeler in a lawsuit he filed against the county and Marvin Construction in 2021 over a development that encroached on his property line and stymied his efforts to erect a billboard.

The Lewis County Prosecutors Office had said that the timeline Lee mentioned in a June court filing for when he received records differed from the email timeline between Lee and Wheeler, which the prosecutors office had later received.

The motion to dismiss the charges filed by Lees attorney states the county had not addressed the prosecutors highly unusual decision to seek criminal penalties against Mr. Lee, his former opposing counsel.

Wheelers lawsuit is ongoing but has since dropped Lewis County and the city of Chehalis as defendants. The county prosecutors office did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Candidates from both sides of the aisle, aiming to represent Washington state's 19th Legislative District in position 2, say they want more money to go toward rural schools.

Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet, was first elected to the state House in 2020 after unseating Democrat Brian Blake, and is now running against Cara Cusack, D-Chehalis, who finished in second place in August's primary election.

Cusack described herself as a pragmatic, longterm planner. She said having her represent the district would help offset the "toxic" reputation some of the current representatives for the district have with the Democrats in Olympia.

The candidates agree that one of the biggest issues facing the district relates to school funding. Concerns over the challenges small school districts face in maintaining their buildings moved to the forefront after the Wahkiakum School District filed a lawsuit in late 2021, arguing that the state wasn't doing enough to help rural districts pay for facility improvements.

"It's inherently unfair how we do it in Washington, based off the income level of the area, and we owe every single child an equal education," Cusack said.

McEntire hopes to build off the bill he introduced last year, which proposed a facility grant program set aside for districts with 1,000 students or fewer. Grants would be awarded through a formula that weighted toward the oldest and most in-need buildings.

The bill barely made a dent during the last session, but McEntire was optimistic it would fare better during this year's budget cycle.

Cara Cusack, Democrat Age: 54 City of residence: Chehalis Occupation: Director of operations for Aspiritech Political experience: None Civic activities: Volunteer with multiple programs teaching young girls about coding Notable endorsements: Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Win With Women PAC, Washington State Labor Council

"It's about taking the states vision and focusing it on the buildings which have been around for a long time and really need that attention," McEntire said.

Cusack said the Legislature needs to study the different options in the budget, but opposed systems that would pit public schools against private schools for state funding.

Economy

McEntire said if he is re-elected, he would likely support efforts to increase the number of law enforcement officials and likely vote against any tax increases proposed in 2023's legislative session.

"There are record revenues in the state. We need to be better stewards of what we have, less wasteful and more efficient," McEntire said.

McEntire said one of the biggest drivers of the state's housing issues is the attitude toward developers and landlords. He said the environmental regulations for new buildings and the COVID-19 eviction moratorium have "skewered landlords" and slowed down the construction of new homes.

Joel McEntire, Republican Age: 34 City of residence: Cathlamet Occupation: Teacher and U.S. Marine reserves Political experience: One term in Washington state House of Representatives Civic activities: His church, board of directors for Lower Columbia CAP Notable endorsements: Washington Affordable Housing Council, Washington Food Industry Association, Grays Harbor County Republican Party

"We can give confidence to landlords, landowners and home developers that were not going to turn our backs on them," McEntire said.

A recurring issue for Cusack is the lack of resources that made their way into rural Washington. She said expanding broadband internet access would allow for a wider set of jobs, from people working from home to more doctors and nurses.

Cusack said the state needs to carefully plan ahead as it pursues its green energy and climate goals. She pointed to the conversations about breaching the Lower Snake River dams as an example of big ideas getting ahead of the current options for jobs.

"I want to get to those goals, save the planet and help the climate, but we have to do it in a smart way that doesn't hurt the lives of people here," Cusack said.

Ballots are in the process of being sent out and can be turned in between now and Nov. 8.
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded the city of Longview and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe grants to address community safety.

The city of Longview is slated to receive $10,664 to meet the needs of law enforcement, and provide a foundation for youth violence intervention programs, according to a DOJ press release.

Longview joins nine other cities across Washington state to be awarded Byrne grants, a program that provides funding under the Department of Justices Bureau of Justice Assistance.

A different safety grant for $410,246 was awarded to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. The $15.8 million grant was shared between 17 tribes, most of which will use funds to improve services for victims of crime, according to the DOJ.

Some of the tribal governments intend to use the funds to assist folks who are re-entering society after leaving jails or prisons, or pay for drug treatment and their drug courts, a DOJ press release states.
Developing world looks to China's ongoing success

(China Daily) 10:18, October 22, 2022

Expressways have linked rural and urban areas in the country, greatly speeding up urbanization. [Photo by Zhu Haipeng/For China Daily]

China's modernization provides an example and model for the developing world, said Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations.

"China's model of development is a success story. The lifting of 700 million people out of poverty is an economic miracle. It is both an example as well as a model that can be followed by many developing countries," the permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, Munir Akram, told China Daily on Wednesday.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China opened in Beijing on Oct 16. After China had accomplished its First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Xi Jinping outlined the full meaning of Chinese modernization during that day's opening session.

"From this day forward, the central task of the CPC will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization," Xi said in a report at the opening session of the 20th CPC National Congress.

Xi said Chinese modernization is "the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all".

Akram, who is also chairman of the Group of 77 and China coalition, said the developing world is watching the Chinese experience of poverty alleviation with great interest.

The coalition, which got its name from 77 founding members of the group, now comprises 134 developing countries at the UN.

China's experience is most relevant for the developing world, Akram said. "It is of great interest to most developing countries who are close friends of China, and also have good economic and trade relations with China."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once said that China's great achievements in poverty reduction constitute "the biggest contribution to the dramatic reduction of poverty".

In his report, Xi said Chinese modernization is "the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature".

Akram said the international community needs a model of development which can address both the structural challenges of economic and social growth, as well as the challenges posed by climate change.

"China's example of pursuing development in harmony with nature is an essential model for the entire world," he added.

China has cut its carbon emission intensity by 34.4 percent over the past 10 years. And the country pledged to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

"We need to promote mitigation in terms of lowering carbon emissions through renewable energy and other forms of sustainable energy. We also need to have adaptation to the impact of climate change. And many developing countries are feeling the impact of climate change, like Pakistan, with the floods that we've had," Akram said.

"The Chinese proposal of promoting development in harmony with nature is an essential principle that will need to be followed in all development activities in the future," he added.

On its path toward modernization, China has also been sharing its development opportunities with the rest of the world. As Xi said in his report, "Chinese modernization is the modernization of peaceful development."

China is in a position to help many developing countries grow because China's capacity  now as the second-largest economy  also involves many developing countries having close trade, investment and other relationships, Akram said.

"China is in a good position, both as an example and as an opportunity for developing countries to accelerate (growth) in a balanced and clear direction," he added.

Global observers believe China's modernization path inspires other countries to seek their own development paths, and it also inspires the world to seek a better future together.

Akram said he sees the Chinese path to modernization as its unique economic model.

China has been able to combine both a State-led model of development with a market-oriented model. And this is the unique feature of the Chinese economic model  it combines the positive factors from State-led growth with market-oriented growth, Akram said.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Hongyu)
Android 13 update is coming for Windows 11 Subsystem, should make integration with Windows PCs better.

Windows 11 aims to offer much better integration with various other platforms and it showed an exemplary one with Android. With Windows 11 launch last year, it was possible for Windows users to now run their Android apps directly on the PC. You can even cast your Android phone's screen directly on your PC, and even do easy file transfers with the Windows drag-n-drop function. It seems it is now set to get even better once Microsoft updates the Windows 11 Subsystem for Android to Android 13.

Android 13 will be applied as an update to the Windows 11 Subsystem for Android, as suggested by the latest roadmap published by Microsoft on a GiHub page. No deadline has been set for the update to be applied yet, but the Android 13 update is surely coming to Windows 11. Unlike Android phones where the effects of a new update are visible with a revamped interface or some new features, it is not known how the Android 13 update will affect Windows 11.

Windows 11 to get Android 13 update soon

It is said that Microsoft could incorporate the file transfer feature into Windows 11. This should allow users to easily transfer the files between their Android phones and the Windows subsystem for Android. The Android 13 update could also help with the compatibility with the updated versions of the Android apps.

Additionally, the update will also introduce the features such as Shortcuts' and picture-in-picture' mode. The picture-in-picture mode will run the Android app in a small window that can be overlaid on top of the native Windows apps. The Shortcuts could relate to Android app shortcuts on the desktop.

Other than support for Android, Microsoft recently announced integration with the Apple ecosystem. The Photos app on Windows 11 will come with integration to iCloud library. Apple will also release the Apple Music and Apple TV+ apps on the Microsoft Store. This is a big step between integration with Windows and the Apple ecosystem. However, iOS still lacks integration with the Windows 11 system.
Taiwan electronics manufacturer Foxconn said on Friday production at its largest iPhone factory remains normal.

Taiwan electronics manufacturer Foxconn said on Friday production at its largest iPhone factory remains normal, despite tightening COVID-19 restrictions at the plant in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou this week.

The Zhengzhou campus, which assembles Apple Inc's iPhone and has about 300,000 workers, banned all dining in and required workers to take their meals back to their dormitories beginning on Wednesday, a notice posted on the factory's official WeChat account showed.

"Zhengzhou (plant) still maintains normal production and has little impact (from the situation)," Foxconn told Reuters.

The new measures follow Zhengzhou's latest outbreak recording a total of 196 cases since Oct. 8, and come as Foxconn's factory is ramping up production of the latest iPhone 14 models.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
France on Thursday slapped a 20-million-euro fine on US firm Clearview AI for breaching privacy laws, as pressure mounts on the controversial facial-recognition platform.

The company collects images of faces from websites and social media feeds without seeking permission and sells access to its vast database -- reportedly around 20 billion pictures -- to clients including law enforcement agencies.

Privacy activists around the world have raised objections to the business model, already winning a case in the United States that has forced the firm to stop selling its main database to private clients.

The French complaint to French privacy watchdog CNIL is one of a slew filed by activists across Europe that has already resulted in fines in Italy and Britain.

CNIL ruled last year that Clearview was processing personal data unlawfully and ordered it to stop, but said on Thursday that the firm had not responded.

In addition to the 20-million-euro ($19.6 million) fine, CNIL once again ordered the firm to stop collecting data from people residing in France and delete the data it had already collected.

The watchdog said there were "very serious risks to the fundamental rights of the data subjects" and gave the firm two months to comply or begin incurring fines of 100,000 euros per day.

Clearview boss Hoan Ton-That said in statements emailed to AFP that his company had no clients or premises in France and was not subject to EU privacy law, adding that his firm collected "public data from the open internet" and complied with all standards of privacy.

"There is no way to determine if a person has French citizenship purely from a public photo from the internet, and therefore it is impossible to delete data from French residents," he added.

Clearview was formed five years ago and has since attracted almost $40 million in funding from investors including prominent Silicon Valley conservative Peter Thiel, according to the Crunchbase website.
People walk past a Medibank branch in Sydney on Oct. 20, 2022. Australia on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 proposed tougher penalties for companies that fail to protect customers personal data after two major cybersecurity breaches left millions vulnerable to criminals. Credit: AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File

Australia on Saturday proposed tougher penalties for companies that fail to protect customers' personal data after two major cybersecurity breaches left millions vulnerable to criminals.

The penalties for serious breaches of the Privacy Act would increase from 2.2 million Australian dollars ($1.4 million) now to AU$50 million ($32 million) under amendments to be introduced to Parliament next week, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said.

A company could also be fined the value of 30% of its revenues over a defined period if that amount exceeded AU$50 million ($32 million).

Dreyfus said "big companies could face penalties up to hundreds of millions of dollars" under the new law.

"It is a very, very substantial increase in the penalties," Dreyfus told reporters.

"It's designed to make companies think. It's designed to be a deterrent so that companies will protect the data of Australians," he added.

Parliament resumes on Tuesday for the first time since mid-September.

Since Parliament last sat, unknown hackers stole personal data from 9.8 million customers of Optus, Australia's second-largest wireless telecommunications carrier. The theft has left more than one-third of Australia's population at heightened risk of identity theft and fraud.

Customers walk out of an Optus telecommunications retail store in the central business district of Sydney, Australia on Oct. 5, 2022. Australia on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 proposed tougher penalties for companies that fail to protect customers personal data after two major cybersecurity breaches left millions vulnerable to criminals. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Baker, File

Unknown cybercriminals this week demanded ransom from Australia's largest health insurer, Medibank, after claiming to have stolen 200 gigabytes of customers' data including medical diagnoses and treatments. Medibank has 3.7 million customers. The company said the hackers had proved they hold the personal records of at least 100.

The thieves have reportedly threatened to make public medical conditions of high-profile Medibank customers.

Dreyfus said both breaches had shown "existing safeguards are inadequate."

As well as failing to protect personal information, the government is concerned that companies are unnecessarily holding too much customer data for too long in the hope of monetizing that information.

"We need to make sure that when a data breach occurs the penalty is large enough, that it's a really serious penalty on the company and can't just be disregarded or ignored or just paid as a part of a cost of doing business," Dreyfus said.

Dreyfus hopes the proposed amendments will become law in the final four weeks that Parliament will sit this year.

Any new penalties will not be retroactive and will not effect Optus or Medibank.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Next Match: at Texas 10/26/2022 | 7:00 PM Longhorn Network Next Match Full Schedule Oct. 26 (Wed) / 7:00 PM at Texas

LUBBOCK, Texas  The Texas Tech Red Raiders (14-7, 3-5 Big 12) fell to the Iowa State Cyclones in three sets, 23-25, 20-25, 25-15, at the United Supermarkets Arena on Friday night.

Four Red Raiders had a defensive night as Maddie Correa led the team with 15 digs, followed by Caitlin Dugan with nine and Kenna Sauer with seven.

Brooke Kanas held her own at the net with four blocks in the match. She also tallied five kills on 13 attacks for a .231 hitting clip. The Red Raiders posted nine blocks as a team with Dugan and Maddie O'Brien collecting three apiece.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Set One

The Red Raiders and the Cyclones battled for the lead trading points early in the set. With Iowa State leading 11-9, it looked like the Cyclones were pulling away but the Red Raiders rallied behind kills from O'Brien and Dugan to give the Red Raiders some momentum at 13-10. The Red Raiders chipped away at the lead as the set progressed eventually tying it at 20-20. Kanas kept the Red Raiders in the set by slamming down two kills, but eventually, the Cyclones took the set with a score of 25-23.

Set Two

The Red Raiders got off to a slow start giving the Cyclones 2-0 advantage. The Red Raiders battled and took the lead under two kills from Sauer and blocks from Dugan and Reagan Cooper . The Cyclones would battle back and eventually even the score at 13-13. The teams would trade points until the Cyclones took the lead at 20-17. The Red Raiders started to rally under some Cyclone errors, but eventually fell in the second set, 25-20.

Set Three

The Red Raiders and Iowa State opened the set by trading points until Iowa took the lead at 7-5. The Cyclones were able to keep the lead for the remainder of the set as they would edge out Texas Tech with 25-15 win.

Up Next

The Red Raiders will be on the road next week with a Wednesday match-up against No. 1 Texas in Austin.
Brazos County Tax Assessor Kristy Roe said the extended deadline to approve a Brazos County property tax rate also has delayed the time it takes to prepare and send out property tax bills and collections from residents who are ready to submit their half payment.

This time of year is always crazy. And there are so many steps that you have to go through to try and prepare everything, to get the system ready and balanced and all of the different steps, she said Thursday. There is so many things we need to do and we cant until we have the tax rate.

As of Friday, Brazos County is under the no-new-revenue property tax rate because Thursday was the final day for county commissioners to vote on a rate before the deadline.

The commissioners were unable to take a vote during a special meeting Thursday since commissioners Steve Aldrich and Russ Ford remained absent as they have throughout the process. During next Tuesdays regular meeting, Brazos County commissioners will ratify the no-new-revenue rate of $0.429411 per $100 valuation; with a debt rate of $0.040097, and maintenance and operations cost of $0.389314, Roe said.

We have had a lot of people calling who are really frustrated wanting their [property] tax bills because they are trying to prepare for that first-half payment, she said. We have had people coming into the tax office wanting to pay [their bills] right now, which we cant take any money because we have nowhere to go with it. So that has been a very frustrating thing for people, but they have been very good and staff has been very good to work with everyone.

Roe said the tax office has started building the data in for other taxing jurisdictions, and verifying all of the rates and to make sure the information for exemptions is correct.

We will add the counties in as this process moves forward, and we are currently processing supplemental information from the appraisal district, she said. We really cant move forward firmly until after the tax rate is ratified. By statute, the rate [was] set Friday. Statute says that within five days after that day, then the governing body has to meet and ratify that rate, and they [the commissioners] will do that on Tuesday.

Roe said Thursday she is going to get as much done as she can until the tax rate is ratified.

I really hope to have information that I can send to the printers as early as maybe late Tuesday, probably Wednesday, she said. Once we get samples back from them, we are verifying everything. It usually takes them a day and a half to print and with luck they will be in the mail possibly Friday, but no later than Oct. 31.

Roe said those who are concerned or want information as soon as possible can visit the tax office website and sign up for E-Alerts.

They will have their information right then and there, and they can divide it in half and make their first-half payment as soon as it is available on the website and we can start accepting money, she said.

Residents also can email or print a copy of their property tax bill directly from the website. Roe said another reason they cannot accept payments until the tax rate is ratified is because the rate will calculate a property tax bill directly in half, for those who want to use split-payment.

The half-payment process requires two equal payments, it has to be half and half, and without the tax rate I cant tell them, she said Thursday. We have seen the bills delayed in the past with some software issues, and they have gone out as late as Oct. 3; but it will still give people a full month to get ready for that first-half payment if that is the option they want.

Once residents receive their bills in the mail, they can submit their payment in person or by mail. Roe requests that people incorporate a payment stub so they know exactly what the payment is for.

If they are going to mail it, our mail goes to Houston before it is postmarked. So mailing it on the last day, you wont hit the postmark, it is not going to be accurate and we have to use the postmark, she said. I would encourage people to take the steps two or three days in advance. We also have two drop boxes, one at the front door and one at the drive-through.

For more information, visit the tax office website at brazostax.org, or email taxoffice@brazoscounty.tx.gov, or call 775-9930.
Federal judges have struck down gun restrictions in the months since a Supreme Court decision that expanded Second Amendment rights, and experts say there is likely more to come.

A judge in West Virginia this month cited the Supreme Court case when he struck down a federal law that required guns to have serial numbers. So did a judge in Texas who ruled last month that people under criminal indictments can still possess guns, and a judge who this month tossed New Yorks prohibitions on carrying concealed firearms in Times Square, summer camps, subways and theaters.

More than a dozen other challenges to gun control laws are pending in federal courts, which legal experts say could leave holes in efforts to curb gun violence and the use of weapons in crimes.

And with longstanding partisan divisions in Congress over gun control bills, the Supreme Court likely will have final say over the fate of national gun regulations.

Judges now are grappling with how to apply the Supreme Courts decision from June, which has led to some pretty bizarre results, according to Andrew Willinger, executive director of the Center for Firearms Law at Duke University.

In that decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, the justices struck down New Yorks law about who can carry a concealed weapon. In doing so, they for the first time expanded the right to possess a gun outside of the home and laid out a legal test of sorts for gun regulations that looks to the history and tradition of the Second Amendment.

That broad test gave courts, and legislators, little to work with. What weve seen so far is a lot of confusion and uncertainty in how to apply Bruens historical test, Willinger said.

Jacob Charles, an associate law professor at Pepperdine University, said the vague nature of the Bruen decision left trial court judges with the broad ability to interpret history how they saw fit.

Judges interpret

Last week, a judge ruled a federal law that prohibits possession of a firearm with a filed-off serial number was unconstitutional  even though the law is useful and desirable for our society.

Judge Joseph Goodwin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia noted in his decision about the serial number law, referred to as Section 922(k), that the Supreme Court didnt allow him to take into consideration other factors, such as the ability for law enforcement to solve crimes.

Certainly, the usefulness of serial numbers in solving gun crimes makes Section 922(k) desirable for our society. But the Supreme Court no longer permits such an analysis, Goodwin wrote. Under Bruen, I am limited to considering whether Section 922(k) is consistent with the Nations historical tradition of firearm regulation.

In New York, a judge interpreted the Bruen case in a way that expanded firearm rights in places such as Times Square and New York City subways even though the Supreme Courts conservative majority explicitly didnt rule about gun rights in those locations.

Judge Glenn T. Suddaby of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York tossed out of much of New Yorks latest concealed carry law, finding there was not enough of a historical precedent to allow prohibitions on carrying firearms in Times Square, summer camps, subways and theaters.

Suddaby wrote that historical precedent instead went against gun bans on public transportation. Indeed, historical analogues exist containing specific exceptions permitting the carrying firearms while traveling (presumably because of danger often inherent during travel), Suddaby wrote.

In another case, Judge David Counts of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas found unconstitutional a ban on people under felony indictment from having a gun. There, Counts wrote that he doesnt know the constitutionality of firearm regulations in a post-Bruen world.

This Court does not know the answers; it must only try to faithfully follow Bruens framework, Counts wrote.

Still, a federal judge in California has relied on the Supreme Court decision to uphold a San Jose law that requires liability insurance for gun owners.

The Supreme Court has not weighed in substantively on any of these cases, which are moving through the lower courts. Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit stayed the lower court decision on the New York law.

Gun rights advocates have filed other lawsuits to challenge gun laws, such as a ban on guns on the Metro in Washington, a ban on homemade guns in San Diego, or a ban on assault weapons in Colorado.

Charles said the ripple of lower court decisions may not legally, but practically force the Supreme Courts hand to weigh in again. Sweeping decisions could turn federal firearms law into Swiss cheese, where some judges uphold regulations while others strike them down.

I dont think the court would want that kind of disuniformity lasting for too long, Charles said.

Lawmakers sidelined

While those challenges play out, Congress and state lawmakers have little guidance on what will pass constitutional muster.

Michael Lawlor, a law professor at the University of New Haven, said the Bruen decision and subsequent lawsuits will make it difficult for lawmakers to draft legislation that survives a Supreme Court review.

Im urging caution, not hubris. Even if you can pass something that is very comprehensive, maybe you should think twice about it, Lawlor said.

The Supreme Courts decision could allow for some gun control approaches to pass muster, but Lawlor said even those will still likely face challenges.

I think gun control advocates have to think twice about when theyre enacting laws, they have to have in the back of their mind that this may get to the Supreme Court and they want to have it as unassailable as possible, Lawlor said.

While some states have passed new laws to respond to the Bruen decision  such as pending legislation in New Jersey to ban guns in places such as schools and government buildings and to shore up concealed carry licensing requirements  the prospect of a federal effort to address Bruens consequences is less likely.

Recent efforts to change federal gun laws have withered in Congress. The major gun violence package that passed earlier this year changed one provision of federal firearms law, an expansion of background checks for 18- to 21-year-old gun buyers to include juvenile records.

Other proposals have stalled in the evenly divided Senate, including an expansion of background checks more broadly and an expansion of gun rights forfeiture for people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence against a dating partner.

Susan Liebell, a political science professor at St. Josephs University in Philadelphia, said that gun control provisions with large amounts of popular support are unlikely to advance in the current political environment.

The way this should play out politically is that senators and representatives would be punished in elections because they dont support the kind of gun safety laws that Americans want, Liebell said. However, theres no evidence that Americans are willing to vote on gun safety the way theyre willing to vote on the economy.

Liebell also pointed out that the conservative legal movement spent much of the last four decades building the Supreme Court majority that led to the Bruen decision, one that is not likely to go away anytime soon.

Were not really talking about history, were not really talking about the original interpretation of the Second Amendment, were talking about the number of votes that you have on the Supreme Court, Liebell said.
HERRIN  Recently, my sister was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at a local hospital. Once she was through triage and put in a room, it took more than two hours for her to see a provider. If youve visited the emergency room recently, you might understand the issue.

Dr. Josh Miksanek, medical director of the SIH Herrin Hospital Emergency Department, and Jennifer Harre, SIH chief nursing officer and vice president, explained the current situation in the emergency rooms in SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and Herrin Hospital.

Miksanek said the state of the emergency rooms, to some extent, are back to normal. They are seeing patients with heart attacks, stroke and infections just like they did before the pandemic.

Whats different now is the staff looks a lot different, Miksanek said.

They learned to manage the COVID ER when they were full and didnt have the physical space for patients. They are now seeing patients treated in the hallways.

Miksanek said they have the room to treat patients, but often dont have a bed for a patient who needs to be admitted.

He said there is a national shortage of healthcare workers. In Southern Illinois, that means the two hospitals dont always have enough staff  registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and patient care technicians  to open all the beds in the hospital.

The emergency room becomes the temporary home for patients who need to stay in the hospital for treatment. They are being kept in the emergency room until a room becomes available.

The ER society and ER doctors believe you should come to the emergency room if you think you are having an emergency. We want to be the ones to answer questions for you, Miksanek said.

In the past, Herrin and Memorial could transfer patients to other hospitals that could handle their medical care. Today, those hospitals also have staff shortages. Miksanek said even the hospitals in St. Louis are too busy to help.

I really want people at home to give us patience. We dont want you to wait, Miksanek said.

Harre said Herrin Hospital has no bed closures. Some beds are closed at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale.

She added that they are working hard to find care and beds for patients who need to be hospitalized.

To help retain nurses, SIH is offering rewards.

Retention of nurses is very important, Harre said, adding that retention efforts include more than money.

Harre said the staff needs to feel safe at work. She said they are taking a lot of abuse from patients and their families in the emergency departments.

Currently SIH has between 150 and 200 positions open. Harre said they are recruiting new nurses, but they still need experience and training to care for patients in the hospital.

SIH has had some success in using LPNs to assist in patient care. She said there was an idea in healthcare to use registered nurses. Today, they use LPNs where they can and have RNs do things that really require their training.

We are onboarding newly graduated nurses to a residency program to transition them into mentoring. We feel it is necessary to their success, Harre said.

Miksanek reminded people to come to the emergency room, even if they might have to wait. A triage nurse will evaluate their condition and decide how emergent they are. People are seen based on their medical need, not when they arrived at the ER.

What looks like dying to me is different than it looks to a layperson, Miksanek said.
At a recent Carbondale City Council meeting, there was a presentation specific to a proposal to create a Shawnee National Park and Climate Preserve, presented by a representative of a group calling themselves the Shawnee Defenders.

To summarize the 30-plus minute presentation in a few words: A National Park would be better than the current National Forest and it would also help fight climate change.

The group has been actively trying to drum-up support for the change in designation, suggesting, among other things, that a National Park would be a boon to local economies.

Whats important to know, however, is that the Forest-to-Park idea has not been supported by a virtual whos who of national conservation groups active in Southern Illinois, including The Nature Conservancy, National Wild Turkey Federation, American Bird Conservancy, and Sierra Club.

Put simply, the professional conservation communitys opposition to the proposal could be summed-up as, If it aint broke, dont fix it!

But to elaborate, opposition is mostly specific to concerns about forest management, or the potential lack thereof, as a National Park.

First, it is important to understand that the ecology of our Southern Illinois oak forests is currently out of whack.

Oaks have historically dominated Illinois forests, but while the number of forested acres in Illinois is increasing the dominance of oaks is waning.

This is due in large part to almost a century of fire prevention that began in the 1930s. Prior to that time, relatively frequent fires favored the survival of fire-resistant oaks and discouraged the growth of shade-tolerant tree species, like beech and maple. Invasive species have also become a huge threat to oak regeneration and forest health in the last 100 years.

Today, oak saplings make up just 1% of young trees in some forests while many of the mature oaks are reaching the end of their lifespans. Our Southern Illinois forests have essentially become old oaks homes, which is bad news for our wildlife.

The approximately 300,000-acre Shawnee National Forest is ground-zero for this forest conversion and researchers at SIU have predicted that the oak forests of the Illinois Ozarks may convert to beech-maple forests in less than 30 years.

The good news is that its not too late to save our oak forests and current management by the U.S. Forest Service of the Shawnee National Forest for oak regeneration is being guided by the best available science  management actions that are supported by, and contributed to, by all the professional conservation interests in the region.

Having said all that, the concern of the professional conservation community is that a change in designation from National Forest, managed by the Forest Service, to a National Park, managed by the Park Service, could jeopardize our Southern Illinois forests because National Parks, by definition, are managed more for recreation than they are for forest health.

And as stated above, without proper management, our oak forests will soon cease to be the forests that our wildlife depends on.

Unfortunately, an ugly part of the pro-Park campaign has been an effort to smear the Forest Service and misrepresent their management of the forest, with an emphasis on timber harvest activities.

So, here is some clarification:

First, there is no clear-cutting on the Forest. Rather, there are areas that are selectively cut, reducing the density of trees and canopy cover so as to let more light into the forest. The result is a less-dense stand of trees that will encourage oak regeneration. I have recently walked areas that are being actively harvested on the Shawnee and I have seen this with my own eyes.

Second, the level of planning, regulation, oversight, and monitoring involved in timber harvests on the Shawnee guarantees that these efforts dot every I and cross every T legally and that they are ecologically beneficial to the forest. In comparison, there are really no legal constraints on timber harvests on private land, often resulting in timber harvests that are ecological disasters.

Finally, there are just a few hundred acres being cut on the forest, annually, in contrast to pro-Park references to thousands of acres scheduled for harvest. To clarify, when the Forest Service plans a project, only a fraction of that project area is scheduled to be harvested, and only a fraction of that fraction is actually harvested.

Regarding a Climate Preserve designation for a new Park, restricting the selective cutting of a few hundred acres of forest, which is all a Forest-to-Park transition might actually accomplish, would clearly not qualify as a contribution to the fight against climate change, above-and-beyond what the Shawnee National Forest already contributes in the form of carbon sequestration.

In summary, friends Im siding with the scientists and conservation professionals on this, and they are saying, If it aint broke, dont fix it.

And if there is some potential economic benefit to a few business owners to be gained from a National Park in Southern Illinois, but forest health suffers because of it, then, in the end, we all lose.
COLUMBIA  Voters dont need to wait until Nov. 8 to vote in the general election.

A two-week early voting period starts Monday.

Any voter can visit an early voting center in their county during the early voting period and vote in person like they would at their polling place on election day.

 Times: 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24 through Saturday, Nov. 5 (closed Sunday).

 Voters will be asked to present Photo ID when checking in to vote.

Early voting locations

Orangeburg County -- Orangeburg County Council Chambers, 1437 Amelia St., Orangeburg, SC 29115; North Challenge Center-North Family Community School, 4583 Savannah Highway, North, SC 29112; and Vance Senior Center, 10304 Old Number Six Highway, Vance, SC 29163

Calhoun County -- County Voter Registration and Elections Office, Calhoun County Council Chambers,102 Courthouse Drive, Suite 110, St. Matthews, SC 29135

Bamberg County -- County Voter Registration and Elections Office, 1234 North St., Bamberg, SC 29003 and Brooker Center, 19 Maple Ave., Denmark, SC 29042

Absentee voting

Absentee voting allows qualified voters to cast a ballot by mail prior to Election Day. Qualified voters include:

Persons with employment obligations that prevent them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on Election Day.

Persons attending a sick or physically disabled person which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on Election Day.

Persons confined to a jail or pretrial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial that prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on Election Day.

Persons who will be absent from their county of residence during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on Election Day.

Persons with physical disabilities.

Persons 65 years of age or older.

Members of the Armed Forces and Merchant Marines of the United States, their spouses, and dependents residing with them.

Persons admitted to a hospital as an emergency patient on the day of the election or within a four-day period before the election.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. To vote absentee:

Call or visit your county voter registration office to be mailed an absentee application. You must provide your name, date of birth and last four digits of your Social Security Number when making your request.

Complete, sign and return the application by U.S. mail or personal delivery to your county voter registration office as soon as possible, but no later than the deadline on Oct. 28.

After you receive and vote your ballot, be sure to sign the voters oath and have your signature witnessed. Anyone age 18 or older can witness your signature. A notary is not necessary.

Return your ballot by mail or personal delivery as soon as possible. Ballots must be received by the county voter registration office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8. Ballots returned by mail should be mailed no later than one week prior to election day to help ensure timely delivery. You must present Photo ID when returning an absentee ballot in person.

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The City of Orangeburg is going to ask the S.C. Department of Transportation for permission to close a portion of Goff Avenue near the Claflin University campus for safety reasons.

The closure was requested by Claflin.

"It is like a racetrack," Claflin University President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack told Orangeburg City Council on Tuesday.

Cars go very fast on Goff, creating a liability for the university, he said. I was walking my 11-year-old daughter across the street and was literally almost hit head on. The guys kept going, music playing real loud. We have multiple parents complain to us about that.

The city will propose closing Goff Avenue from Magnolia Street to Clark Street, with the potential of expanding the closure to Buckley Street.

The road would be closed with a gate during certain times, based on the needs of the university. The change is being requested to address congregating individuals and traffic issues.

University officials say residents on Goff Avenue would still have access to their property. The university would be responsible for the maintenance of the portion of the road thats closed.

Warmack said portions of Goff Avenue become a place for individuals to congregate, particularly after dark.

Campus security was out at the street until 3 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 trying to maintain the crowds, he said.

We don't own the street, Warmack said, noting the individuals were not students and the university does not have jurisdiction over the road.

Warmack said it is not unusual to have large crowds gathered in the middle of the street partying all night long.

Our chief approached three folks and they had weapons, Warmack said. They just took off running and went across the street.

We have no control over that space.

Warmack said drugs such as marijuana are being smoked and some people have been selling drugs.

It is like a car show, Warmack said. Cars come out and these sounds are booming, they set up and it is a party. This happens on a regular basis.

Warmack thanked the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety for its response to the incidents, but said the individuals come back an hour later.

The university's concerns about the street are heightened as the university is currently building a new student center that will be open for the community. The building will be complete by June 2023.

There are also plans to build an innovation biotechnology center at the corner of Goff Avenue and Clark Street.

Councilwoman Liz Zimmerman Keitt said the activity is too much.

We need to curtail it in some kind of way so that our students can be safe and other people for that matter who live near the area, Keitt said. There is too much going on.

Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said, Certainly we want to support the efforts.

We want our citizens to be safe and there is so much development going on down there. We want the development to continue.

Parents want to know when these kids go to school are they safe, Butler said. This is one of the issues going around the country  a lot of shooting and being unsafe.

Councilman Bernard Haire asked if the city has enforced its noise ordinance.

If an individual has broken the law as it relates to the noise ordinance, there need to be some other kind of measures taken, Haire said. There needs to be tickets written. If they are unruly, they need to be incarcerated. These things need to happen also.

Haire expressed concerns that closing the road will move traffic down the block where other residents will feel the impact of the crowds.

I don't think the traffic will move down that way, Warmack said. What happens is if you have freshman students that are very impressionable, when local guys can find fresh folks that come out, they can impress by cars and music.

They know the students are in both residence halls. It a prime spot for them to be able to party.

We want safety, Warmack said. We want to be able to ensure everyone is safe in the community.

Warmack said the proposal would model the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where the city of Columbia and USC partner in similar situations.

City Council gave unanimous approval to give city Administrator Sidney Evering the authority to apply to the SCDOT for the road closure.
Jessy Farmer hadnt worked in a fast-food restaurant prior to becoming part of the operator of Sonic at 2564 North Road in Orangeburg in June 2020, but hes already recognized as the Turnaround Partner of the Year.

On Tuesday, executives of Boom Inc., gathered at the store to congratulate Farmer on his nomination as Turnaround Partner of the Year.

Boom Inc., based in Columbia, is the franchise responsible for dozens of Sonic restaurants in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

I just love everybody, Farmer said about what motivates him to be successful.

I had a hard childhood and I just look at people and I want them to smile, he said.

Farmer said when he became the operator, which was during the middle of the COVID-19, the first order of business was to show the store some love.

The employees required additional training and the overall reputation of the store needed changing, he said.

For example, Farmer said, Every time theres a guest complaint, rather than talk about the person who complained, I talk about how the town deserves better.

Farmer said once employees began to realize they are valued, Store sales increased, customer count increased.

He also noted that most of his first-shift and third-shift employees are adults, but nearly 100% of the second-shift employees are comprised of local high school students.

He requires student-employees to maintain a C or better average.

He also reduces students working hours if it seems their jobs are getting in the way of their academics.

But Farmers dedication to students success is deeper than merely giving them part-time jobs and encouraging them to maintain at least a C or better in their school work.

A lot of the kids that come cant count money, he said, explaining theyve not learned how to make quick change when someone pays for orders with cash.

Farmer said he sometimes role-plays with employees by using pretend money and a cash register drawer so employees can practice and increase their speed and accuracy.

And sometimes students need help with their homework. Farmer said hes grateful to take time to show them how to solve math problems or help with other subjects.

Farmer said hes also worked with employees to improve their soft skills, such as communication, interactions with customers and more.

I have the best kids in Orangeburg, he said of this student-employees, they come from Edisto, Orangeburg-Wilkinson, all over the place.

I treat them as my family, Farmer said.

Farmer said hes proud of his stores involvement in the community.

I love being able to go to the community and say, You want to be able to get this new playground? Let me help you, he said.

Back on Oct. 13, the restaurant held a Carhop for Cash event, which donated a portion of sales from 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to Edisto Primary School to help raise funds for their playground equipment and other activities.

Emily White of Orangeburg has been a customer at the Sonic on North Road from when it opened in 1997.

Theres a very good team here, she said.

People do like each other and theres a positive environment, she added.

Theres excellent food, happy voices and quick to get food, White said.

She noted that the business has helped with some fundraising efforts at Wesley Christian School in Orangeburg.

Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce President James McQuilla said of Farmer, Jessys part of our future.

Ive watched him interview people as they come in for jobs, giving them opportunities, he said.

Hes the right person, McQuilla said, were going to be working together more.

Boom Inc. CEO Mike Irons said, Jessy has a future with us.

Lou Zambrano of Boom Inc. said, Jessy took over the store and he does a wonderful, wonderful job.

It looks great and were really proud of you, not just of the results of the business, but the way youre growing with the people and growing with the community. It makes us really proud to wear our Sonic shirts each time we come to Orangeburg, said the Boom Inc. director of operations for South Carolina Sonic.

In a few weeks, Farmer and his family will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Mexico with other Boom Inc. Sonic operators receiving recognitions.
The Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association is bringing the community together with food, fun and fellowship with a scarecrow contest, Boo Bash and the return of the Taste of Orangeburg after two years.

We have something for the toddler up to the elderly and everything in between. We try to make sure everybody enjoys themselves when it comes down to downtown events, DORA Executive Director Candice Roberson said.

DORAs Taste of Orangeburg and second annual Boo Bash will both be held from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 at the Downtown Market Pavilion.

Games and goodies will be available for kids with the Boo Bash. Local downtown businesses will be open for shopping and trick or treating. There will also be music.

DORA Promotions Coordinator Ashley Bryan said, Its a gathering of local vendors basically giving people who come a sampling of what Orangeburg has to offer, whether it be through food or the local amenities that are coming in.

Well have the (Regional Medical Centers) Pink Ribbon Foundation, and weve got a couple of student programs. Anyone whos coming in can ask questions about resources that they may not know about, Bryan said.

She continued, Were also offering where kids can come in in costume. There will be a costume contest for both adults and children that theyll get to participate in. We just got the trophies in for that.

Roberson said the traditional Taste of Orangeburg will be offering the community a sampling of what local businesses have to offer.

The event celebrated its 23rd year in 2019 and was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Roberson is delighted about bringing the event back after a two-year absence.

Its a wonderful feeling to be able to bring the Taste of Orangeburg back to the community and to be able to come together. Weve had so many successful events where the Orangeburg community has been able to get back together and fellowship and enjoy all the great things that we have within the City of Orangeburg, Roberson said.

Its going to be a great Sunday. We have good weather on tap. Its going to be the perfect day to come out and have lunch and fellowship with your friends and neighbors and get ready for the holiday season thats coming up, she said.

DORA tokens will be used to purchase the variety of treats at the Taste of Orangeburg this year rather than tear-off tickets that were used in the past.

Were are continuing with our DORA tokens. So whenever you come to Taste of Orangeburg, you will be buying a token rather than buying your tickets for $1 (each). The tokens are two for $5, and the menus will reflect the token price, she said.

The tokens can be used at any downtown event. So if you dont use it all, you can save it for next time. Its our own downtown currency, Roberson said.

Vendors at the Taste of Orangeburg this year include:

 Buck Ridge Plantation with shrimp and grits and chicken perlo

 Orangeburg Country Club with gumbo and rice and meatloaf sliders

 Ms. Tookys with Southern food and sides, including stone stew and macaroni

 Original House of Pizza with Greek salad with house dressing, lasagna and spanakopita

 Tulios with pizza slides and fettucine alfredo

 Rotary Club of Orangeburg Morning with turkey legs

 Randolph Artisan Italian Ice & Gelato with pineapple cups, gelato and Italian ice

DORA's annual Scarecrows on Russell Street contest is also running through Nov. 4, with participating scarecrows displayed on the 1100, 1200 and 1300 Blocks of Russell Street.

The public is asked to vote for their favorite entries. Voting is taking place via Facebook through Nov. 3.

Winners of first place and people's choice awards will receive a prize. Winners will be announced Friday, Nov. 4.
CHEYENNE  Just as they have in some other states and across the nation on average, scores on a college admissions test have dropped in Wyoming, recently released data show.

Nationally and locally, officials have said the COVID-19 pandemic has affected learning, and this has shown up in test scores and other measures of performance. One way to measure performance on this standardized exam is to examine data for high school juniors. As a Wyoming Department of Education spokesperson noted in an email to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, In Wyoming, we do census testing, so every student tests in their junior year. Not all states do that, and many only test students who are on the college track.

Wyoming is among six states that last school year required all juniors to take the test during the school day, ACTs Rose Babington said Thursday. Nearby states also doing this include Montana, Nebraska and North Dakota.

For 11th graders in the 2021-22 academic year, according to data for Wyoming that was recently released, the average English score on the ACT was 17.4, per a WTE analysis of the WDE statistics.

The equivalent score for math was 18.4, and it was 19.1 for both reading and for science. These figures made for an average statewide composite of 18.6.

Possible scores range from 1 to 36, ACT says.

For the 2020-21 school year, the composite score average was 19 in Wyoming for high school juniors. Going back to the 2018-19 school year, before this pandemic, the score listed Friday evening appeared to have been higher than for the 2021-20 school year.

However, those results could not immediately be accessed again on Wednesday and Thursday. Staffers were not able to explain why, other than pointing out how to try to access the statistics.

By the measure ACT itself releases, the most recent score from among all students who graduated this past spring in Wyoming was 19.2, the national organization reported.

According to other data, the Class of 2022s score was down 0.6 points, or some 3%, from both the classes of 2021 and 2019, the latter of which was the last batch of spring grads before COVID-19.

The 0.6-point year-over-year decline in Wyoming compares to a half-point decrease nationally, according to Babington, the senior director of state partnerships at ACT.

Nationally, she explained to the WTE, this is a class that I would say is probably the first to see the impact of the pandemic relative to the ACT scores in a significant way.

She noted more than half of their high school career (was) under the shadow of the pandemic.

Thats why we are seeing more of an impact on this years graduates, she said, compared to scores changing much less year to year between the classes of 2019, 2020 and 2021.

In other figures, according to a WDE news release last Friday, Wyomings graduating class of 2022 had an average composite score of 19.2 on the ACT.

One positive is how seriously officials at WDE take the ACT, officials said.

Wyoming has worked really close with us since pretty much day one of schools closing during the pandemic to make sure that every student had the ability to take the ACT and get that college reportable score. I think that really speaks to the states commitment, Babington said, particularly given the disruption due to the pandemic.

We are very proud of Wyomings class of 2022, WDE Deputy Superintendent Chad Auer said in the written announcement. This group of students, along with their teachers and parents, battled through a lot of adversity during their high school careers. Their perseverance and determination are commendable. As a state, we clearly have a lot to be proud of, and we have more work to do.

Meanwhile, the national average ACT Composite score for the high school class of 2022 was 19.8, the lowest average score in more than three decades, the ACT nonprofit test administrator organization reported on Oct. 12.

This is the fifth consecutive year of declines in average scores, a worrisome trend that began long before the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has persisted, ACT CEO Janet Godwin said in the written statement. The magnitude of the declines this year is particularly alarming, as we see rapidly growing numbers of seniors leaving high school without meeting the college-readiness benchmark in any of the subjects we measure. ... They are further evidence of longtime systemic failures that were exacerbated by the pandemic.
Last year, I augmented my role as an elected member of Wyomings House of Representatives to become a witness before the House Judiciary Committee as it considered whether cannabis should become legal in our state.

I told my colleagues about my life-long struggle with ulcerative colitis, which forced me to leave the military as I underwent elaborate treatments, dropping in weight from 160 pounds to only 119. I spoke of how using cannabis helped me get through that physical trial. I acknowledged that cannabis, like any drug, can be abused  but asserted the key to assuring a drugs proper place in society is well-crafted regulation, not outright prohibition, when we know the drug has certain benefits.

Today, cannabis remains illegal in Wyoming, even as almost three-quarters of U.S. states now permit medical uses and about half of those also allow more general adult use. But my experience with the drugs benefits compels me to remain in the fight for legalization within this state and for updating laws at the federal level, where cannabis also remains illegal.

After I leave the state legislature at this years end, I will continue to lend my voice to reform efforts within Wyoming and beyond. It is time for this change.

My personal experience with cannabis is only part of the story of its medical applications. Many military veterans have turned to cannabis to help address the mental and physical illnesses resulting from their service. But even if their home state has legalized such use, the continuing federal law against cannabis means that a veteran could lose his or her veteran benefits if that use becomes known to authorities.

The federal ban also affects other Americans who live in states where cannabis is legal, because there is always the risk of an arrest and conviction based on the federal law. That kind of record, we all know, can have a significant impact on your job prospects.

On a broader scale, state-by-state liberalization of cannabis laws has led to a fragmented system of regulation. Some states have fairly strict rules for quality and safety; others do not. What you buy in your home state and how it is regulated may vary sharply from what you buy just across the state line. Both Montana and Colorado have legalized adult cannabis use. As Wyomingites buy cannabis elsewhere and bring it into Wyoming, that makes us subject to their varying laws even as Wyoming officially retains its ban.

The tide is shifting toward removing the federal ban on cannabis. Recent public opinion surveys show the public supports such change, with about two-third of respondents nationwide favoring federal reform. There is bipartisan support for ending the federal prohibition on adult-use cannabis, with the move favored by 58 percent of my fellow Republicans, 83 percent of Democrats, and 70 percent of independents. And, just last week, President Biden initiated a review of how cannabis should be scheduled under federal law.

But even short of landmark change in Washington, we need a solid framework of federal regulation so that we dont have state laws coming into conflict with each other. Thats the only way cannabis users can be assured of uniformity in the drug they purchase, and in how they are treated by the law. Its also a key to assuring that the cannabis industry can continue to grow wherever it is legal, creating jobs (there already are 428,800 full-time jobs nationwide supported by legal cannabis enterprises) and generating substantial tax revenue. On the quality and safety front, federal programs are the best way to assure that research into the both the benefits and risks of cannabis is coordinated and thorough, with evidence from that research driving regulations at both the state and federal levels.

Consider also the impact on cannabis reform on law enforcement. With so many other types of crime on the rise  especially violent acts  police and prosecutors should not have to spend huge amounts of time tracking down and incarcerating non-violent offenders amidst todays murky legal environment where what is permitted in one community is illegal, or legal only to a greater or lesser degree, across the state line. Cannabis legalization can help reduce negative police interactions, improve police-community relations and make officers jobs less dangerous, enhancing public safety. And we all benefit as the illegal market  sometimes marked by

violence, just as occurred in the alcohol market a century ago during Prohibition  is replaced by well-regulated business operating in the open.

The basic question of legalization with states should be left to the states. I hope Wyoming will follow the lead set by other states on legalization. I will work toward that goal. If our people choose not to make the change that is their right.

But the federal government needs to set overall standards on cannabis for the entire nation, following the existing model of control for those other drugs.

Some lawmakers in Washington are working to address these challenges. Recently, I was pleased to see our own Senator Cynthia Lummis file an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act expressing that military veterans should not be denied access to Department of Veterans Affairs home loans on the basis of income derived from State-legalized cannabis activities.

This is important because, despite VA assurances that no law precludes veterans from receiving home loans if they work at a state-legal marijuana business, some vets still are denied loans for that very reason.

As a veteran, I applaud Senator Lummis for taking this step, but even further, she is setting an example for thoughtful revision of federal cannabis policy that should be followed by others in Washington.
AN 89-year-old woman was found dead in Tunapuna yesterday morning after a fire at her home.

The deceased has been identified as Zubida Mohammed of Prescott Lane in Tunapuna.

Residents of the area told the Express that around 8.45 a.m. they heard a loud explosion, and then observed flames coming from one of the rooms of the bottom floor of the two-storey home.
Surviving the terror of the pipeline which claimed the lives of four of his colleagues was one battle Christopher Boodram fought.

Struggling to survive outside in a world filled with financial pain and mental anguish is another.

Boodram, the lone diving survivor, has issued an appeal for Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd to assist him and the families of the deceased divers.

In an interview with the Sunday Express last Friday, Boodram said his family is facing immense financial hardship, as he has not been able to work since the diving tragedy on February 25.
There could be no doubt that the post-pandemic situation is fraught with many problems ranging from concerns for health, education, economy and personal situations.

Among these that may be prioritised according to our individual cares come the national concerns. Even then debate will range over which should be our priorities.

My view is that the greatest and most enduring problem will be our loss of effective teaching-learning time over well nigh two years.
As we approach Halloween, dark-and-stormy-night stories will begin dotting TV listings and theater marquees. On a real dark and stormy night, though, nothing beats a good, dark novel.

Through the years, weve been drawn to such classics as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, and almost everything by Stephen King. We all have one we remember, or now want to read, and volunteers with the Tucson Festival of Books were happy to provide their own sampler of spooky book suggestions this year:

Shutter by Ramona Emerson. Rita is a forensic photographer in Albuquerque whose photos have cracked many a case, but she has a secret: She sees the ghosts of crime victims and they point her to the overlooked clues. This chilling debut is set in the Navajo Nation.  Lindy Mullinax

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado is a collection of short stories that offers startling looks at the reality of womens lives and the violence that sometimes comes with it. This was Machados first book, and in it she takes the reader from horrific violence to deep sentimentality.  Anne Spieth

The Ghost Writer by Robert Harris was published several years ago, but it remains vivid in the memory of those who read it. It features a ghostwriter hired by a controversial British politician now living in exile in the U.S. The ghostwriter is thrilled by the large advance, but soon wishes hed turned it down.  Thea Chalow

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas is a story about Adriel, whose Latino family refuses to acknowledge his sexuality. To prove himself, he persuades his cousin to help him perform a sacred ritual. Imagine his surprise when learning he had summoned the ghost of a classmate who didnt even know he was dead.  Emily Walsh

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds. Published in 2012, this childrens picture book has been a go-to choice at Halloween ever since. Jasper Rabbit loves carrots. He eats them all the time  until carrots start following him wherever he goes.  Brenda Viner

Our Day of the Dead Celebration by Ana Aranda is a joyful introduction to Dia de los Muertos through a familys preparations for the day. They go to market, arrange the ofrenda, make tasty treats and decorate sugar skulls. The bright, festive illustrations in this picture book depict a family honoring their living and dead relatives with food and family stories. Inspired by Arandas own family in Mexico, her book conveys the importance of learning and preserving family memories.  Kathy Short

Sleeping Beauties Vol. 2 by Stephen and Owen King is a graphic novel that completes the bestseller King and King first released in 2017. In it, a mysterious virus covers the world. It primarily affects women, sending them into a strange, utopic, dream world. The younger member of the father-son team will be at the Tucson Festival of Books in March.  Lynn Wiese Sneyd

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty was published more than 50 years ago, but it remains one of the most haunting novels of all time. What made it particularly chill-worthy was that it was based on fact, on a young girl who was seemingly possessed by the devil. Purposely raw and profane, it is not for the faint of heart. But if youre looking for a chiller this Halloween season   Bill

Viner

Dining With the Dead by Mariana Nuno Ruiz and Ian McEnroe is a beautiful cookbook from Rio Nuevo Press. Ruiz is a well-known Mexican chef. Here, she presents a variety of menu options for families and friends celebrating the Day of the Dead.  Margie Farmer

What the Hex by Alexis Daria is a romance novel that, in the words of one reviewer, brings the Addams Family to Miami. When Catalina comes to Florida for her older sisters wedding, she learns the groom-to-be has been possessed by the devil. So has almost everyone there. Its not a scene-setter that normally leads to romance, but trust us, we get there.  Jessica Pryde
One sip of this soup is like getting wrapped in your warmest, coziest sweater. Between the thick chunks of vegetables, tender cubes of potato, juicy shreds of chicken (take your pick of boneless breasts or thighs), and thick, creamy broth, it truly doesnt get more comforting than chicken potato soup.

As the temps begin to dip, this is a family-friendly soup to keep on repeat all through fall and winter.

Should I boil potatoes before adding them to soup?

Nope! The potatoes will cook directly in the pot of soup until tender, so theres no need to cook them separately. There are a couple important things to remember about buying and prepping the potatoes.

Use Yukon Gold potatoes. There are a lot of potato varieties to choose from, and for this soup, waxy Yukon Golds are the best choice. Unlike starchy Russet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes keep their shape well during cooking.

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. This is just the right size so that the potatoes are cooked through and tender, without being too soft. Cutting the cubes to the same size also ensures theyre all cooked evenly. Yukon Gold potatoes also have a thin, tender skin, so theres no need to peel them.

Do you cook chicken before adding it to soup?

The answer is no again. Everything cooks in one pot, and the chicken (regardless of whether you start with breasts or thighs), gets poached directly in the broth. Youll start by sauteing the aromatics, then, after adding the potatoes and broth, the chicken is added to the pot. Bring the soup to a simmer, then continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through. If using boneless chicken thighs, this will be about 10 minutes; for boneless chicken breasts, youll need 12 to 18 minutes.

How do I thicken chicken and potato soup?

The thick and creamy broth is a big part of what makes this soup so irresistibly cozy. Here, all-purpose flour is the secret to thickening the broth. Youll sprinkle it over the vegetables, let it cook for just a minute, then pour in the broth and milk. As the broth simmers it will slowly begin to thicken.

Chicken Potato Soup

Serves 6 to 8, Makes about 2 1/2 quarts

1 medium yellow onion

2 medium carrots

2 medium stalks celery

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (3 medium or 2 large breasts, or 5 to 6 thighs)

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (3 medium or 6 small)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 (32-ounce) box low-sodium chicken broth (about 4 cups)

2 cups whole or 2% milk

1. Prepare the following vegetables, adding them each to the same medium bowl as you complete it: Dice 1 medium yellow onion (about 1 1/2 cups). Peel and halve 2 medium carrots lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup). Cut 2 medium celery stalks crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 cup). Finely chop 3 garlic cloves.

2. Season 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs all over with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion mixture, 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, and the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups, no need to peel).

4. Add the potatoes to the pot and stir to combine. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to cook the floury taste out. While stirring constantly, pour in 1 (32-ounce) box low-sodium chicken broth and 2 cups whole or 2% milk. Add the chicken in a single layer. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a lively simmer, stirring occasionally.

5. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, the chicken is cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers at least 165 F, about 10 minutes for thighs or 12 to 18 minutes for breasts.

6. Remove the pot from the heat. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces.

7. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Return the chicken to the soup. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed.

Recipe note: An equal amount of store-bought precooked rotisserie chicken can be used in place of the boneless, skinless chicken breasts of thighs.
Three Arizona Senate seats are up for grabs in the Tucson area this year and voters face stark choices over who will best represent them on issues ranging from abortion rights to gun safety to the fight against climate change.

With the Senate almost evenly split between Republicans and Democrats at last count, the winners of any one of these races could end up as a deciding vote on new state laws over the next two years.

All six candidates agree on one thing: the need to address the states water crisis. Beyond that, they have little in common.

The general election is Nov. 8. Early voting is underway.

District 17

A Tucson realtor favored by fans of the QAnon conspiracy is running against a retired United Methodist pastor in the new district that covers Marana, Oro Valley, Rita Ranch, Vail, SaddleBrooke and part of southern Pinal County.

MAGA Republican Justine Wadsack is making her second try for a senate seat after losing in the 2020 election in a different voting district. Her Democratic opponent Mike Nickerson is a former Republican who has not run for public office before.

Wadsack, 48, who describes herself as a Pro Trump America First conservative declined to be interviewed for this story, claiming the Arizona Daily Star is biased against her because it has published comments from those critical of her candidacy. She also declined to take part in a debate hosted by the Stars editorial department.

But her views are documented on her past and current election websites and at a recent Arizona Clean Elections debate, where Wadsack described herself as a fighter motivated by a 2016 run-in with state child protection authorities.

The Arizona Department of Child Safety came to my household and tried to take my kids, said Wadsack, who did not elaborate except to say it was in retaliation because she questioned the amount of respite care one of her children, who has disabilities, was supposed to receive. The department declined comment on her allegations.

Wadsack has proposed defunding the child safety agency she clashed with and also wants to defund Planned Parenthood and the U.S. Department of Education. She has pledged to stop all stages of abortion and opposes gun safety measures such as red flag laws. She supports using public funds for private school vouchers and last year took part in storming a Vail school board meeting to protest mask requirements for students during the pandemic.

Her endorsers include a local Republican group called Tucson Trump MAGA, which repeatedly posted QAnon content on its Facebook page last year. Wadsack posted a popular QAnon slogan on her own Twitter account twice in 2020 but recently disavowed QAnon as crap in an interview with the Arizona Republic.

Nickerson, 72, a Democrat who once interned for a Republican congressman in Washington, D.C., he said in a reader chat with the Star hes running because Arizona politics has become poisoned by a lack of integrity and by the influence of money and extreme partisanship.

He and Wadsack disagree on almost every issue. He supports increased funding for public schools and opposes private school vouchers. A longtime gun owner, he supports firearms safety measures such as tighter background checks and safe storage laws.

Having counseled many women with troubled or unwanted pregnancies as a pastor, Nickerson said he supports the right to abortion.

Nickerson said while he holds strong views, hes a problem-solver who believes politics is about compromise. When you bring people together you find the best solution for the whole group, not just one group.

District 18

A retired U.S. Defense Department employee and a professor of natural resources law at the University of Arizona are competing in the district that includes the Catalina Foothills, Casas Adobes and a swath of Tucson north of Broadway, east of Country Club Road and west of Camino Seco.

Republican Stan Caine, 59, is a first-time candidate, as is his opponent, Priya Sundareshan, 37.

Caines campaign website says he spent 33 years with DOD and retired as head of quality for the U.S. Navys Tomahawk missile system, a job that sharpened his problem-solving skills. He now works as a substitute teacher.

Caine owns firearms and opposes restrictions on law-abiding gun owners, his website said. He supports private school vouchers and tax breaks for teachers who buy school supplies with their own money. He also favors the completion of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and a new law to force able-bodied voters to cast votes in person instead of by mail.

In a reader chat hosted by the Star, Caine said women who fail to use birth control should not be able to have abortions out of convenience. The procedure should be limited to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy, though rare exceptions may be warranted if the mothers life is in danger, he said.

Sundareshan, who recently bore her second child, said protecting abortion access at the state level is a critical priority after federal protections recently were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Her website calls for more science-based decision making in politics; new gun laws such as safety training and safe storage; and measures to make voting easier such as restoring and improving the permanent early voter list. She opposes using public funds for private school vouchers.

Her other top concerns include global warming and the states dwindling water supply and increased public funding for green energy. Sundareshan joined the UA law school in 2019 and before that was an attorney with the national Environmental Defense Fund in Washington. D.C.

District 21

A longtime state lawmaker is running against a political novice in the far-flung district that includes western Pima County, about half of Santa Cruz county and the city of Bisbee in Cochise County.

Democrat Rosanna Gabaldon has served in the Legislature since 2013, first in the House, and now seeks a second term in the senate. Her opponent, Jim Cleveland, won the Republican nomination by default as a write-in candidate when a second write-in candidate quit the primary race.

Galbadon, 57, of Sahuarita, supports unfettered access to abortion. Politicians are not physicians. We should not be making those decisions, she said in a recent Arizona Clean Elections debate.

She opposes private school vouchers and favors increased funding for the public education system, roads and infrastructure and addiction treatment.

Cleveland, 60, of Bisbee, is a retired chief petty officer who spent four years in the U.S. Navy and 18 in the naval reserve. He does not have a campaign website, having only taken in about $1,400 in donations, but described his views to the Star in a candidate questionnaire.

His top priority is stemming the epidemic of drugs flooding our streets and the crime it creates, he said. He favors publicly-funded addiction treatment centers, full funding for law enforcement and border protection.

In the area of education, Cleveland supports private school vouchers and supports banning transgender female students born biological males from taking part in girls sports.

In the recent Arizona Clean Elections debate, Cleveland said he opposes abortion except when a mothers life is threatened, but is willing to support legislation that includes exceptions for rape and incest victims.

Uncontested districts

Voters in two other Tucson area districts already know who their next state senators are because no other candidates signed up to run for the jobs.

Republican David Gowan of Sierra Vista will continue to represent District 19 and Democrat Sally Gonzales will occupy the Senate seat in District 20. Both are unopposed in the general election.
Frank Walsh captured cloudy mountain peaks, streams of light though canyon walls, and African safari animals caring for their young.

David and Nicolette Luery have treasured shots of the European cities they visited  and wildlife encountered along their many journeys  thanks to Nicolettes passion for photography.

Some of their photos, and the creative endeavors of several other local artists, will be on display from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Tucson Museum of Arts Art Through the Ages, 140 N. Main Ave.

Whats unique about this show? The artists are all senior citizens, and about half are living with memory loss. The event, which also includes watercolor and colored pencil pieces, is a fundraiser for a new nonprofit, Dementia Friendly Tucson. (Admission is free, but donations are welcome. People are asked to register at elderhealthathome.com, although its not required).

Art offers people of all ages the ability to exercise their brains in creative and unique ways, said Katie Purdy, an art therapist who works with seniors through ElderHealth, a local medical practice that provides at-home geriatric care.

Art also offers an outlet for stress and can be used as a way for families to bond with one another in new ways when some of the activities previously enjoyed are no longer accessible.

Purdy and several others will speak about their work, and about the new nonprofit, at the Tucson Museum of Art event Sunday.

Aging can be a time of stress and difficulty not only for the individual going through the process of aging but for the family members of the loved one, she said. Art can bring joy and vitality to the aging process, and help families come together to enjoy life together through art.

Dementia numbers are growing

The idea behind Dementia Friendly Tucson is to better support residents with memory loss, along with their caregivers, by increasing access to local businesses and events, said Kim Shea, a registered nurse and professor with the University of Arizonas College of Nursing.

In the Netherlands, Shea explained, there is a dementia village which includes trained staff in stores, coffee shops, and restaurants who understand the challenges of memory loss, and how to help.

Our idea is to approach restaurants, and movie theaters, and ask them to be part of Dementia Friendly Tucson, she said. Businesses that participate would then put a sticker in the window, for example, to show staff have been trained. There also could be designated times for caregivers to bring loved ones with memory loss to a movie, as another example.

Its an important undertaking, Shea said, because the number of people experiencing memory loss continues to grow.

Predictions vary, but researchers agree the number of people living with dementia will continue to increase dramatically as the population ages. At least 140,000 people in Arizona, including roughly 21,000 people in Pima County, are living with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia.

Alzheimers is a progressive, irreversible disorder, and is the most common form of dementia. It develops when brain cells stop functioning and eventually die, affecting thinking, remembering and using language.

By 2025, it is predicted Arizona will have 200,000 residents living with Alzheimers disease, according to the national Alzheimers Association.

Different realities

What defines Nicolette Luery  her love of photography, her career as a clinical pharmacist  stayed with her even as Alzheimers disease took hold.

David Luery said his 73-year-old wife worked as a clinical pharmacist, specializing initially in pediatric oncology, and later working as a national scientific director in Pfizers oncology division. She has long enjoyed photography as a hobby, especially capturing birds, animals, and the places they traveled together over the years.

When they go out for walks now, he said, its almost like magic, how she spots the rabbits and spots the birds. The couple met on a blind date and have been married 51 years.

Much of Nicolette Luerys medical care now comes from ElderHealth. David Luery has contributed to their blog, detailing what it can be like when first adjusting to a loved ones diagnosis.

I certainly made mistakes, he said. She kept thinking she was still working and had meetings to go to.

Luery said his wife was diagnosed two days before the World Health Organization announced the pandemic, which made Nicolette Luerys insistence that they go out in the car harder to manage.

At the outset of my wifes disease, she and I were essentially on our own in learning to live with and manage this new reality, Luery wrote. As I eventually figured out, however, that reality was not mutually shared; it became apparent that she and I saw different realities.

He learned, over time, that the best way to help was to play along, and volunteer to take her to that meeting. He said theyd hop in the car and drive around for a while, until the urgency to get to the meeting abated, and then go home.

David Luery welcomes the idea of making Tucson more dementia friendly.

Shes basically here all the time, and I dont think she minds it, he said of their east-side home. However, he said, I would like to have places to take her.

What people are, not what they were

Frank Walsh is not challenged by memory loss, but instead has progressive supranuclear palsy, an uncommon brain disorder which causes him extreme muscle weakness and has mostly robbed him of his ability to speak.

During a recent visit to the home he shares with his wife, Pat, he used hand signals to answer questions about his photography, and also shared two hardcover books their daughters made of his photographs. Pat Walsh filled in when she could.

Walsh purchased his first camera in 1973, a simple camera for a trip to Italy and Switzerland. He was traveling a lot at that time for work, and for pleasure, including trips throughout the United States, Europe, and Israel.

The couple, now married 58 years, ventured to Yellowstone National Park for three winters to capture shots of bison, coyotes and wolves. It was bitter cold, getting as low as 40-below zero.

Pat looked like the Michelin man dressed in a snowsuit waiting with me for hours in the cold for just the right light, Frank Walsh wrote in the front of one of his photography books. In 2007, he went to Africa for the first time  a trip with friends that sparked a new passion.

In 2009, he traveled to Tanzania and saw wildebeest, wild cats, elephants, zebras and giraffes. His last Africa trip was 2010, when he led a group of five other photographers for 15 days in the Masai Mara Reserve.

Photography has brought me much joy, he wrote in his book, and I will forever hold my experiences in my heart and memory.

Pat Walsh said having this opportunity at the art museum is very therapeutic.

The art show shows what people are, not what they were, she said. Its a loss when you cant do it anymore, but photographs give you the memories every time you look at them.
The UA school official told police the former student's demeanor was becoming more aggressive and believed he was capable of carrying out any threat, leading her to work from home for two days because she just doesnt know what this guy will do.
In January, Eyad Atallah was already feeling so threatened by a grad student in his department at the University of Arizona that he bought himself a bullet-proof vest.

Atallah, an assistant professor of practice, was planning to wear the vest when he taught classes in the Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences Department, but it was too bulky.

I was trying to test if I could hide it under my clothes, Atallah told me Wednesday. I realized that wasnt going to work. My thought process was that I shouldnt wear it, because if he can tell that Im wearing it, hes just going to shoot me in the head. Otherwise, at least if he shoots me somewhere else, I might live.

These were the calculations that Atallah, a self-described weather nerd, was going through just to keep teaching classes like Dynamic Meteorology II at the UA nine months ago. The man he feared was Murad Dervish, then a graduate student on his way to expulsion from the UA. Dervish had treated Atallah as a sort of confidante but also had sent him many menacing text messages.

Now Dervish is charged with murdering department head Thomas Meixner Oct. 5 in the Harshbarger Building where Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences was based. He has pleaded not guilty. Atallah is convinced that Dervish was looking to find him that day, too.

Atallah decided to tell me his story even though he doesnt have tenure and works on year-long teaching contracts. Sitting in the downtown office of his attorney, Priscilla Frisby, accompanied by his brother Amjad, Atallah said hes speaking out now for the same reason he reported Dervish to the dean of students in January, even though he assumed it would make him a target .

What else can I do? he said. I didnt stop this event  maybe something that we talk about, something that is legislated, something that is done policy-wise, makes this not happen again.

Atallahs story reinforces the main concern about Meixners death  that something more should have been done to protect university students and employees from a known and reported threat. But it also adds key details. Among them:

Although Meixner was Catholic, his killing could be considered an anti-Semitic attack. Dervish was convinced that Meixner was Jewish.

The threats felt by Atallah not only cost him his sense of security but also money, as he sought to protect himself.

Dervish avoided directly threatening people, making it harder for prosecutors to press a case against him.

I was essentially a hostage

Atallah got to know Dervish when he was a student in Atallahs small Weather Analysis and Forecasting class in fall, 2021. A fellow weather geek, as Atallah termed him, Dervish would visit Atallah in his office to talk about weather.

Things were normal for a couple of months, until Dervish got into a conflict with a different faculty member over a grade. Thats when Dervish began contacting Atallah and seeking advice, Atallah said, showing numerous text messages.

I think I was for him the only point of contact he had, Atallah said. He later learned Dervish, didnt have any religious affiliation. He didnt have friends in Tucson. And he was estranged from his family.

Atallah invited Dervish and other grad students who might not have anywhere to go over to his house for Thanksgiving, a move he later regretted.

This created problems down the road, he said. It meant he had been to my house.

But things didnt really blow up until the department, led by Meixner, told Dervish they were not retaining him as a teaching assistant for spring semester.

I was trying to get him to focus on legal things, because I was starting to get the impression that this was going to become a bigger and bigger issue, because of the obsessive nature of his communications with me, Atallah said. Over Christmas break, He would call me three or four times a day.

It got much worse in January. On Jan. 11, Atallah said, Dervish told him he had done a background search about Atallah and Meixner on the website mylife.com, and the result said that Meixner was Jewish. After that, many of his text messages, which Atallah shared with me, were anti-Semitic, accusing Meixner of orchestrating a Jewish- and Asian-led conspiracy against him, accusing Atallah of cooperating, wishing death on all Jews.

As Arabs were supposed to stick together and I trusted you, and instead youre a filthy k*** lover whos been deceived by them, but I really cant blame you, theyre very deceptive. I would hate to find out you were 1 of them, Dervish wrote on Jan. 14.

Youre absolutely either a k*** or doing their bidding.

Of Meixner, he wrote: To be honest, I think youre lying about him being Christian, Ive never seen one act like that even the fake ones!!

These texts prompted Atallah to warn Meixner that he was in danger. But he decided to continue the dialogue to monitor the danger that he thought Dervish posed.

I knew I was essentially a hostage, Atallah said last week. And I knew that when he found out I was reporting this, that my life was in danger.

He would have the drop on me

Atallah moved to Tucson at the beginning of fall semester 2019 to take a position at the UA, after 15 years at McGill University in Montreal. When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, he moved his mother, who is widowed, here from the Washington D.C. area, and they live together in a home they had built.

After the anti-Semitic, conspiratorial texts started coming across, and Atallah reported them to the dean of students, he started increasing his security at the house. He started carrying bear spray and a flashlight with a window-breaking tool. He bought the ballistic vest. And he considered buying a gun. The security measures he took, he estimated, cost $1,000 to $1,500.

I considered (carrying a gun) even though I wasnt allowed. But Im not a gun person, never have been, and I know my mom hates the idea of having one in the house, Atallah said. At the end I always knew that he would have the drop on me. He would open the door to my office or walk in.

My hope was just that I was going to see him before he saw me.

Martha Whitaker, an associate professor of hydrology in the department, told me that around this time she realized Atallah was fearing for his life. They began making arrangements for Whitaker to get Atallahs house keys so that she could take care of his cats in case the worst happened.

Atallah and his mother stayed at a hotel when there were potentially triggering events happening in Dervishs disciplinary case at the UA, Atallah said. They also stayed a couple of days at a house that the associate head of the department, Prof. Christopher Castro, found for them.

The university also took some steps. They temporarily moved the departments classes out of the Harshbarger Building, but by then Atallah was barely showing up on campus.

I would literally go to the university, teach my class, walk back to my car and drive home, he said. Every time I was walking on campus I would walk and do 360s every few steps.

I found it difficult to function. I felt like a hostage who was trying to negotiate my own release. And I didnt feel qualified to do that.

Consequences will be absolutely catastrophic

On Monday, UA President Robert Robbins responded to criticism that the UA didnt do enough to protect Meixner as well as colleagues like Castro and Atallah by putting out an all-campus memo outlining the steps the university did take. He has also ordered an investigation by outside experts. Among the things the university did do: The University of Arizona Police Department brought misdemeanor cases against Dervish to the Pima County Attorneys Office in April and again in September.

With that, blame seemed to shift to the prosecutors downtown. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover put out a news release Monday evening acknowledging the cases.

Both times those concerns were given our full attention, she said. However, in neither instance did the facts of the complaint meet the evidentiary requirements for charging him with the crime of Threats and Intimidation at that time under A.R.S. 13-1202.

Atallah believes Dervish, who had previously been convicted of crimes and spent time in prison, deliberately avoided making direct threats. The most direct threat he ever made to Atallah was to text, I hope somebody blows your (expletive) brains out.

In other texts to Atallah, Dervish sought to clarify whether university officials said he threatened somebody or just used threatening language?

And police reports released by the Pima County Attorneys Office last week, in response to public records requests, show Dervish cursed out a UA administrator in an April 14 email, saying the department needs to fix your own terrible decisions.

If you dont I promise the consequences will be absolutely catastrophic, he said to close the email.

University police visited him at home the next day and told him they were citing him for threats and intimidation, the charges that the Pima County Attorneys Office later decided not to pursue.

The day after that, April 16, Dervish wrote back to the administrator and said, I suppose I should apologize, I was referring to legal action.

In my conversations with him, it was clear that he understood the difference between making a threat that was legally actionable versus being menacing, Atallah said.

I just dont in my heart feel that this was unavoidable

The day that Dervish is accused of going to the Harshbarger Buildling and shooting Meixner was, coincidentally or not, Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The faculty had gone that morning to a memorial service for a graduate student who committed suicide Sept. 14 in the Harshbarger Building.

Atallah said he stayed in his office for an hour or two before leaving for home. But this was the new office Meixner had given him after Dervish was expelled, not the office Dervish knew. Now graduate students were in the old one.

Those students told Atallah after the shooting that Dervish first went to Atallahs old office and asked the grad students where Atallah was.

I either left the building shortly before he entered, or I left in between the time that he first entered and the time that he shot Tom, Atallah said.

Whitaker called him as he drove up Mountain Avenue to warn him that there had been a shooting in the building and that Dervish was there.

I wanted to be sure he wasnt in the office, she said. I knew he was a target.

Like other faculty members who had been seeking protection from Dervish, Atallah was upset the afternoon of the shooting when he heard the new UA police chief, Paula Balafas, say at a news conference that such attacks arent predictable, and advise, if you see something, dont just say something but do something. If you know somebody is struggling with mental health or anger issues, reach out.

That was a gut punch, he said of Balafas comments. He, Meixner, Castro and others had done just that for months as they struggled to protect themselves.

After reading Robbins statement Monday, Atallah acknowledged that the university had taken some steps, but said its still possible to feel abandoned. Indeed, Atallah and colleagues were largely on their own for 10 months, in his case spending money on hotels and security as well as living like a hostage.

My mind keeps going back to, that someone like this threatening a group of people for 10 months, and then killing  this sounds so terrible  thankfully only one of us, that cant be considered a fait accompli. It cant be considered an Oh well, these things happen. I just dont in my heart feel that this was unavoidable.

Tim Steller is an opinion columnist. A 25-year veteran of reporting and editing, he digs into issues and stories that matter in the Tucson area, reports the results and tells you his conclusions. Contact him at tsteller@tucson.com or 520-807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter
Survivors of domestic violence said in a recent University of Arizona study that safe housing and legal support are the greatest needs when trying to leave an abusive situation.

And despite a lack of funding, resources and staff, local service providers are working hard to fill those needs.

Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, a local nonprofit that assists victims and their loved ones, has seen a 21% increase in calls to its 24/7 hotline over the past two years. In addition to the more than 8,000 calls coming into the hotline  the most in a single year  the number of people seeking Emerges services and programs has also increased 18% from last year.

With an intake waitlist of 60 people and reports of domestic abuse returning to pre-pandemic levels, Emerge CEO Ed Sakwa said the organization is stretched thin trying to keep up with the immediate need for its services.

Also, as housing prices rise and many landlords are unwilling to take vouchers as the demand for housing outweighs the supply, finding short- and long-term housing options has become a major struggle, he said.

Southern Arizona Legal Aid is also feeling the strain as staffers work to keep up with a heavy caseload of immigration and family law cases involving abuse survivors. With providers across the country competing for the same small pot of federal funds each year, finding enough money to hire lawyers and support staff has never been an easy task, according to officials.

But providers say theyre focused on listening to survivors and putting their efforts toward the services they say they need.

Prioritizing safety

In March, the UAs Southwest Institute for Research on Women published its Pima County Domestic Violence Community Needs Assessment, which surveyed 47 domestic violence survivors and nine service providers about existing services and unmet needs. The study was conducted at the request of the Pima County Domestic Abuse Coalition, an organization of community service providers, government and law enforcement agencies that are working to improve the landscape for survivors.

Survey responses indicated that while most survivors were aware of some local services, almost all needed help accessing them, and many found that services were unavailable to them because of capacity issues.

Based on the feedback from survivors and service providers, researchers determined the greatest immediate needs are increased capacity and scope of services, most notably legal and housing assistance.

The report also recommended the coalition develop a training program that standardizes a collective operating framework, saying that when only certain agencies operate from a survivor-centered approach, the whole system is negatively impacted.

Prioritizing survivor safety is paramount in an overtaxed system, the report said, adding that the use of a lethality assessment program will help triage survivors for the services they most need.

In December 2017, the state Supreme Court adopted the Arizona Intimate Partner Risk Assessment Instrument System as the standardized form presented to judges during defendants initial appearances after a domestic violence arrest. The mandate went into effect in April 2018 and was implemented by all seven law enforcement agencies in Southern Arizona.

The assessment asks questions about physical violence in the relationship; the defendants access to guns and substance use habits; if jealously or controlling behaviors are present in the relationship; and if the defendant has ever strangled or choked the victim.

Between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, Emerge received 1,539 referrals from law enforcement related to APRAIS risk assessment screens conducted on-scene while responding to domestic violence-related calls to 911. Emerge served 569 people from that group of survivors.

During that period, 77% of all APRAIS screenings had a score that indicated the survivors were at elevated or high risk of being killed, up from 73% the previous year and 71% the year before that.

Lives at risk

The Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault staffs forensic examiners who have received specialty training to conduct strangulation exams, which are available regardless of if the victim has been sexually assaulted. However, there is no designated funding for strangulation exams related to domestic violence without sexual assault, said SACASA director Katlyn Monje.

Forensic strangulation exams are not covered by insurance, and payment by the county for these forensic exams is not mandated by the government for domestic violence victims, Monje said. Without funding for strangulation exams, the lives of victims are at risk.

Forensic strangulation exams can identify symptoms and prevent serious injury, while also providing valuable evidence that can be used in legal proceedings. Monje said that a lack of strangulation exam creates an evidentiary gap that can let violent offenders escape felony convictions.

One in four women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime and as many as 68% of them will experience near-fatal strangulation by their partner. The odds of a woman being killed by her partner increase 750% if she has been previously strangled by that person, according to the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention.

In late 2019, the now-Domestic Abuse Coalition was given $50,000 in grant money to fund 100 strangulation exams authorized by law enforcement. After that money ran out, the coalition was able to allocate $15,000 from a Tohono Oodham Nation grant to fund another 30 exams. Since December 2019, SACASA nurse examiners have performed 126 strangulation exams.

There is funding available for only five more such exams, Monje said.

SACASA is seeking additional funding sources, she said, but with an average of three strangulation exams provided each month, the organization is in critical need of funding to continue to provide the service.

Some members of the coalition have been exploring the idea of creating a family advocacy center that would serve as a one-stop service hub for victims of interpersonal violence, but the group is split in terms of support for the project. Some members believe that because there isnt enough funding and capacity to support survivors from their respective locations, its too soon to bring all the providers together in one space.

In addition, survivors surveyed by the UA did not indicate that co-location of services was currently among their greatest needs.

While the idea of a one-stop hub of services for victims of interpersonal crime is good in theory, Sakwa said, its not realistic given the current conditions. And the notion that a victim would only have to share their story once isnt true, given that each provider collects different pieces of information, he said.

We can think about the future, but sometimes we do need to address things here and now to save lives today, Sakwa said. Its not just about the short and long term, but rather what victims have asked for.

Rent is through the roof

Emerge received an average of 22 calls a day to its emergency, multilingual hotline, between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. More than 2,000 people received support through Emerges community-based, nonresidential services.

Nearly 300 adults and children benefited from its emergency shelter services, but time of stay has increased dramatically from pre-pandemic days, with the average length of stay increasing from 28 to 71 days. Finding safe and affordable housing for survivors and their children has become increasingly difficult between the pandemic and current economic conditions, Sakwa said.

Since July 2020, all people needing Emerges emergency shelter services have been sent to a temporary, undisclosed location. The temporary plan is safe, but it has been difficult to operate a shelter out of someone elses business, and the option is not the most cost-efficient.

Plans for a new multi-million-dollar expanded shelter are in the works but still more than a year away, Sakwa said.

Rent is through the roof, and landlords are not taking vouchers like Section 8, so the need for housing is huge right now, he said.

With expected cuts to federal funding that will mean hundreds of thousands of dollars less for Emerge, Sakwa and others are concerned about what that will mean for capacity, given that there already isnt enough to meet the current need.

When youre talking about an issue where peoples lives are on the line and theres a major shift in funding, it doesnt just impact Emerge. It impacts every victim service provider in the community, Sakwa said. There has to be some prioritization here.

More lawyers needed

For organizations like Southern Arizona Legal Aid, funding is also the biggest barrier to increasing the capacity to help more survivors, said Deputy Director Jamie Ibrahim.

(We dont) receive any state or local funding, Ibrahim said, adding that SALA relies entirely on grants, donations and limited to federal funds to operate.

Family law and immigration cases involving domestic violence and sexual assault survivors make up the majority of the groups legal services. In 2021, SALA handled 2,000 family law cases.

Exactly the type of assistance that survivors were saying they need in (the UA report), were doing that, said Kristin Fitzharris, who heads up SALAs Tucson Domestic Relations & Immigration unit. We just dont have the capacity to do as much as we want and as much as the community needs.

Nearly 25% of SALAs family law and immigration cases are handled by pro bono lawyers, as part of the organizations volunteer program. But hiring one more domestic relations specialist lawyer would mean SALA could help 30 to 42 more survivors, Fitzharris said.

SALA covers nine counties and 11 tribal nations. It used to have three immigration lawyers and two support staffers, but after two of those lawyers retired, theres only one immigration attorney to handle all the cases.

I could just use any more lawyers that I can get, she said. That would make a measurable impact for the community.

In addition to a lack of attorneys, a post-pandemic slowdown in the courts has affected SALAs ability to take on new clients. While family law cases are already typically a lengthy process, theyre now taking even longer to resolve, Fitzharris said.

The need (for our services) has been pretty consistent, Fitzharris said. If you look at crime in the United States, its been falling since the 1990s, but domestic violence and domestic violence-related homicide and crimes are not falling at the same rate.

Many survivors dont report to police and arent interested in criminal prosecution but still need help with custody issues or with crime-based immigration petitions, Fitzharris said.

Prosecutors say theyre overwhelmed with domestic violence crimes, but there is a huge percentage of people who arent reporting and have good reasons for that, she said. If thats not in best interest of the survivor for whatever reason  were there to help them.

Historically underfunded

Legal and other services for survivors of gender-based violence have been historically underfunded, said Negar Katirai, a UA clinical professor of law.

The federal Violence Against Women Act was signed into law in 1994 to create and support comprehensive, cost-effective responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.

From the start, only 32% of VAWA funds were allocated toward social services for survivors, with the other 68% going toward the criminal legal system, Katirai said.

By 2013, only 15% of the money was earmarked for social services.

Katirai runs a clinic at the UA where students represent victims of intimate partner violence. Each semester, she has between five and 10 students who assist local survivors with legal needs including orders of protection, custody, child support, landlord/tenant, public benefits and immigration issues.

Many providers are at capacity, and weve done our utmost to get funding, she said. Everyone who is a funder in this space needs to think about where were allocating their funds and how theyre balancing it when it comes to all the different things we know we need.

Katirais students also do policy work and community outreach, including advocacy work on behalf or survivors and presentations about healthy relationships and knowing ones rights.

Katirai said theyre working to make the landscape better for survivors. They had some recent success in changing a procedural rule for how orders of protection can be litigated in court. Previously, a person could not talk about things if they were not included in the original petition, which posed a problem, as many survivors didnt know they had to write everything down, Katirai said.

Now, theyre able to convey additional information through a written or verbal statement to the judge.

Kaitrai said if society would think of domestic violence as a public health problem and invest in preventative services like housing, case management and legal services, it would help victims make a decision to leave before the situation escalates and the lethality risk increases.

Its easier to view as a couple bad actors, but its bigger than that, she said.

Talking about healthy concepts of gender norms and consent at an early age is key, she said, as is investing in bystander training.

You have a role as a neighbor, as a friend. You can be part of the solution in that context, and you dont have to be a hero, she said. There are subtle things you can do just by being supportive in a nonjudgmental way. That right there is huge.
TEHRAN, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- A legal case will be filed in a Tehran court against the United States for having a "role in the recent riots" in Iran, a senior Iranian judiciary official said on Saturday.

"Due to the involvement and direct role of the United States in the recent riots, it was decided to file a legal case in the Tehran court to determine the damages and issue the necessary verdict against this country," the official IRNA news agency quoted Kazem Gharibabadi, the Judiciary chief's deputy for international affairs and secretary of the country's High Council for Human Rights as saying.

The chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Thursday warned some foreign countries against "interfering" in Iran's internal affairs, after the recent protests in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. 
US President Joe Biden headed Thursday to Pennsylvania to campaign alongside Senate hopeful John Fetterman, whose closely-watched race could prove key to avoiding a Democratic wipeout in the midterms. Biden touched down first in Pittsburgh, where he touted his signature infrastructure package with a tour of a newly repaired bridge, ahead of an evening fundraiser with Fetterman in Philadelphia.
The narrative from Biden, Democrats and even Liz Cheney is that MAGA voters threaten Democracy. Just who are MAGA voters? 70+ million Republicans and independents. Only a couple hundred involved in January 6. Democrats threaten our Democracy with impunity. A de facto coup attempt at removing then President Trump from office with a two year Russia collusion (cocked by the Clinton campaign) criminal investigation headed by Mueller, who when appearing before Congress seemed cognitively confused. The prosecutorial team full of Democrats. A partisan Democrat impeachment of Trump, that even Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler believed was unfair and unconstitutional. Biden, Pelosi, Schumer, AOC, etc. attacking the Supreme Court's abortion decision calling it illegitimate. Now planning to stack the court with leftists. Pro-abortionists protesting outside the homes of conservative Justices, in clear violation of federal law, none arrested. Pro-abortionists rioting at our AZ State Capitol Senate building banging on the doors while the Senate was in a night session. You see it is ok for Democrats to threaten our Democracy.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

A common narrative has emerged in this country over the last few years that D.C. partisan political gridlock has blocked immigration reform, thereby jeopardizing the security of our border with Mexico.

This assessment is both incomplete and misleading. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed this year by President Joe Biden  with Arizonas two United States senators playing a pivotal role  represents a game-changing investment in securing our border. In fact, from my perspective as a former Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), this thoroughly bipartisan accomplishment, now being implemented, promises to be the most significant once in a generation step forward ever in advancing border security.

The most advanced country in the world should have the most technologically advanced borders. Our land ports of entry have an average age of nearly 40 years and, despite periodic, incremental updates, remain dangerously incapable of properly managing the cross-border movement of cargo or people at the scale required today. The absolutely correct investment focus of the new law, therefore, has been placed on modernizing these ports of entry. Further efforts to extend a border wall frankly are not a modern solution. Instead, applying modern technology to enhance port of entry security and efficiency are the critical aspects of a winning strategy.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates more than $3.4 billion for construction and modernization to achieve these objectives. It injects over $2.5 billion into an existing CBP five-year plan that will fund an array of modernization projects that are already on the books but have not been implemented. These renovations now will become an operational reality in the short term rather than in an unforeseeable future.

This unprecedented commitment of resources will accelerate sharply the deployment of advanced technology to enable CBP to much better identify and counter high-risk, criminal activity including human and drug trafficking. It will support the introduction of state of the art scanning equipment and information technologies that can revolutionize cross-border trade and travel. These innovations in turn will serve as a force multiplier and free the Department of Homeland Security to reallocate use of its always limited border personnel. And importantly, the investment in ports of entry will create well-paying jobs and support small business growth in Arizona as elsewhere along our southwest border. The overall result: enhanced security, a more efficient platform for trade and global supply chain management, and strengthened, more prosperous border communities.

Our national economy more than ever is heavily dependent upon whether our ports of entry operate securely and efficiently. In August 2022 alone, the United States processed more than three million entry summaries valued in excess of $294 billion. Our cross-border trade with Mexico now exceeds $700 billion annually and is growing. This commercial traffic generates billions of dollars in revenue every year for the people of the Arizona.

To be sure, we have much more to accomplish at our borders, most notably by fixing our dysfunctional immigration system. But the pending progress on border infrastructure through port modernization is a monumental achievement and a big part of the picture that needs to be taken fully into account.
This weeks Showcase Home is a beautiful custom-built home located at 2446 E. 47th Place in midtown Tulsa.

Built on a large double lot spanning nearly one acre, this exceptional home has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms and measures just under 5,000 square feet.

Constructed in 2008 with longevity in mind, this home can easily adapt to the interior design preferences of its new owners, said listing agent Lori Lassman of McGraw Realtors.

(The owners) wanted this house to be timeless, Lassman said. The owners sister is an interior designer in Dallas, so she had a lot of input in the design  wider hallways, taking some dormers away  things that would give it a very timeless look and feel.

The home is full of bright light, with many windows adorning both the first and second floor.

The first floor has many places to gather and entertain, such as a formal dining room flanked with large windows and a formal living room with a stone mantel.

One of the most special things about the home is the gourmet kitchen, Lassman said.

Im obsessed with this kitchen because the way they laid it out is so functional, Lassman said.

In addition to the custom white cabinets, chefs range and the hidden microwave in the large island, the granite used in the kitchen is very unique, with green tones shining through to add a pop of color. A wall of storage atop the kitchen has ribbed glass, offering texture and variation.

With three bedrooms, several study/office spaces and a separate laundry room upstairs, this home would be ideal for a family or empty nesters who love to host, Lassman said.

The layout speaks to a family, but weve had a lot of empty-nesters looking at it because theres so much living space on the first floor  It could fit just about anyone who wanted it, Lassman said.

The home will be open for showings from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23.

For more information or to schedule a tour, contact Lori Lassman, McGraw Realtors, 918-760-7844.

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An 18-year-old Owasso man was driving faster than 150 mph in the wrong lane of a Payne County highway before a head-on crash that killed two people last weekend, Stillwater police allege.

Luke Christopher House, 18, faces prosecution for second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Ryan Begnaud, 18, and Jeremi Smith, 40, according to a Stillwater Police Department news release.

Around 4:15 a.m. Oct. 15, House was driving a white Ford Mustang east in the westbound lanes of Oklahoma 51 on the west side of Stillwater with Begnaud in the passenger seat. Vehicle data show that House was driving over 150 mph, the release states.

The Mustang struck a westbound Chevrolet Impala head-on, according to police. Smith was a passenger in the Impala; its driver remains hospitalized with injuries from the crash.

House was flown from the crash site to a hospital and was released the next day, police said.

Rogers County deputies arrested House on Thursday at his residence, and authorities are in the process of transferring him to Payne County. Court records indicate that House is from Owasso.

Anyone with information about the crash is encouraged to contact the Stillwater Police Department at 405-372-4171.

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One of two men charged in connection with a Broken Arrow double homicide and an unrelated attempted carjacking and shooting has been convicted.

A jury found Hunter Isaiah Hobbs, 21, of Bixby guilty of felony murder in Indian Country and related charges at a trial that began Monday in Tulsa federal court.

Hobbs and Denim Lee Blount, 19, were charged by second superseding indictment April 18 with robbing and murdering Caleb Vaughn Collier, 20, and Kelly Ray Olen John Landsaw-Davis, 21, in Haikey Creek Park in Broken Arrow on May 13, 2021. The two were also charged with taking Colliers truck during the robbery.

A passerby found one of the victims in the park. Police found the second victim nearby.

Prosecutors alleged that Hobbs and Blount also tried to carjack a man five days before the Broken Arrow killings when a man was shot May 8, 2021, at an apartment parking lot in the 7400 block of East 47th Street in Tulsa.

The man survived after being shot about 10 times when he refused to give up his vehicle to two men. The pair fled after the shooting.

Prosecutors claimed in court filings that Blount was a member of the Hoover Crips while Hobbs had indicated an interest in joining the gang.

Hunter Hobbs conspired with an accomplice to rob two acquaintances and then killed them so they couldnt report the robbery to police, said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. The week prior, the pair shot a complete stranger during an attempted carjacking.

The relentless efforts of this office, the FBI, and the Tulsa and Broken Arrow Police Departments resulted in Hobbs being held accountable for these callous crimes. I want to thank the jury for their service and for following the evidence to a guilty verdict.

Testimony on Thursday tied one of the guns recovered afterward to the residence of former Bixby Police Chief Ike Shirley, who is Hobbs grandfather.

Bixby Assistant Police Chief Andy Choate testified that police first encountered the .45-caliber pistol in 2018 when responding to a self-inflicted gunshot wound call at the chiefs residence.

Hobbs was found bleeding in the bathroom of the home from a self-inflicted wound, Choate testified.

The gun was stored in the Bixby Police Departments property room for about two months before it was released back to Shirley, Choate testified. Shirely has since retired.

After the Broken Arrow double homicide, authorities found a pistol near a Bixby retention pond with the same serial number as the one linked to the 2018 shooting at Shirleys home.

Ballistic testing tied the gun found near the pond to the double homicide and attempted carjacking, according to the FBI.

The defendant in this case acted in blatant disregard for the law and more importantly, human life, said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to remove violent offenders like Hobbs from our communities.

The Broken Arrow Police Department, the Tulsa Police Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorneys Office all worked closely together on this case, said Broken Arrow Police Chief Brandon Berryhill. We are so appreciative of the team-approach, and we are always ready to do the same for our regional partners.

Federal prosecutors assumed jurisdiction on the case since the crime occurred within the Muscogee Nation reservation and the two homicide victims were American Indian. Bount is also Native American, while Hobbs is white.

Hobbs will be sentenced later. A trial date for Blount has not been scheduled.

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RAMALLAH, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian was killed on Saturday by Israeli soldiers at an Israeli army roadblock near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a press statement that Rabi Arafa Rabi, 32, was killed by Israeli soldiers after being shot in the head.

Palestinian eyewitnesses said that the Israeli soldiers opened fire at Rabi as he drove his car through the Israeli army roadblock, while the Israeli media said Rabi was trying to escape the check and driving over one soldier's foot before they opened fire at him, adding that one Israeli soldier was moderately injured.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the killing of Rabi, saying in a statement that "the incident of killing him is a crime of a field execution for no reason."

The statement held the Israeli government "fully and directly responsible for the Israeli soldiers' practices and its repercussions and influence on the conflict.

Tension has been mounting between Israel and the Palestinians since March after the Israeli army intensified its military actions and operations against Palestinian militants and activists by storming Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank.

Since early January, more than 174 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including women and children, according to official Palestinian figures. Meanwhile, more than 20 Israelis have been killed since March. 
SAND SPRINGS  Youngsters Orvel and Virginia were neighbors in Yonkers, Oklahoma, but romance didnt blossom for the teenagers until Virginia asked Orvel to walk her home from a party.

Before long, they walked down the aisle at their wedding on July 3, 1942. Eighty years later, the Sherrills, now of Sand Springs, are still journeying together.

Fridays walk  down the aisle at Green Tree Assisted Living for a celebration of their eight decades of marriage  came with the assistance of a motorized wheelchair for Orvel, 98, and a walker for Virginia, 96, but the love they have shared was clearly undiminished as they sat, hand in hand, at the head table in a room filled with people there to recognize their commitment, their fidelity and their perseverance.

The celebration was organized by Worldwide Marriage Encounter, a nonprofit group whose Longest Married Couple Project solicits nominations and then honors the longest-married living couple in each state as well as the nations longest-married living couple. Of 150 nominations submitted this year, the Sherills marriage  of 80 years, three months and 18 days so far  was the longest in the United States.

One of the most entertaining parts of Fridays gathering was emceed by Tony Morris of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, who interviewed the Sherrills in a segment reminiscent of televisions The Newlywed Game, asking the couple, What attracted you to each other?

She was a beautiful girl, Orvel said. The first time I saw her she was bringing in laundry from the line. I knew she would be a good worker.

After a brief pause to let the uproarious laughter subside, he continued:

We have worked together all these years on many projects. We went with groups to various places and physically built church buildings. Virginia can nail Sheetrock with the best.

Orvel also praised his wifes cooking and housekeeping, saying he always thanked her for every meal that shes cooked for me and adding that in the 80 years weve been married, I never went in the house with work shoes on.

Morris told him it sounded like Virginia had taught him a few things, to which Orvel dead-panned:

Im still in training.

A friend told me Im a slow learner, he continued, but I think it changes every day.

Clearly playing the straight man to Orvels humor, Virginia simply said Orvel had just always been my love. I wouldnt do without him, and I love him very much.

Morris then asked the couple what advice they would have for newlyweds today.

Be open with each other (and) dont have any secrets with each other, Orvel said, adding, Say thank you a lot, and it doesnt hurt to say Im sorry once in a while.

Orvel said one of the big problems he sees in families today relates to finances. He advised that couples should agree on things and learn to use the phrase I cant afford that today.

Virginia said they had had it pretty easy in that regard.

We always agreed on most everything, she said, and I let him take care of all the business.

The business part of Fridays celebration involved a number of commendations and presentations, including from the U.S. House of Representatives and a spokesman for Rep. Markwayne Mullin, as well as from state Rep. Jadine Nollan and the Oklahoma Legislature.

Nollan said Orvel had risen through the ranks to become the superintendent of transportation for Public Service Company of Oklahoma, where he retired, while Virginia raised their children and cooked  for her family, for churches, for the volunteer Silver City Fire Department and even for Sinclair Oil Co.

Sand Springs Mayor James Spoon, who presented a mayoral proclamation from the city, noted the rarity of the occasion, asking, How many times in a presentation do you get to use four score?

I think somebody famous did that before me, but thats a pretty big deal.

Elaine Johns, who nominated the Sherrills for the marriage honor, told the crowd just how that came to pass.

Johns recently retired from a retirement community in Enid that was home last year to the states nominee for the longest-married couple.

When Orvel Sherrill read about that honor in a newsletter, Johns said, he wrote to her and said he and Virginia had that couple beat by three weeks. So remember me next time that nomination comes around.

Rick George of the Billie A. Hall American Legion Post 17 and Debbie Bunch of the posts auxiliary unit also honored the Sherrills.

Orvel Sherrill served with the Army Air Forces during World War II as a tail gunner on a B26 bomber, and Virginia has been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Arvella McCollom of Green Tree Assisted Living, where the Sherrills have lived since September 2019, said that in the process of trying to plan a proper recognition for the couple, she discovered that the traditional gift for an 80th wedding anniversary is oak, meant to symbolize the strength, endurance and prolific branches that an oak tree and such a long marriage share.

To honor the Sherrills and their many branches  three children, seven grandchildren, 14, great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren  Green Tree has planted an oak tree just off its back patio.

And Dick and Diane Baumbach, who coordinate the Longest Married Couple Project for Worldwide Marriage Encounter, helped present to the Sherills three gifts reflective of the Bibles three virtues of faith, hope and love: a family Bible, a crystal lighthouse and a replica of the Llardo Endless Love joined swans figurine.

Never one to miss out on a laugh, Orvel interrupted the honors at one point to get back to the advice about what makes a marriage work. There was one other practice that he and Virginia always employed, he said.

We had a deal: I didnt mess around in the kitchen, and she didnt mess around under the hood of the car.

Sounds like they had a lot to talk about on all of those long walks.

Featured video: Why more millennials are having conversations about prenups
Where his body finally came to rest most likely will never be known.

The Pacific, as a graveyard, mostly comes with no markers or inscriptions.

But what is known about Joseph D. West is that he was missed. And more than 77 years later, family members have taken a step to acknowledge both his life and their loss.

On Wednesday at Fort Gibson National Cemetery, a dedication was held for a memorial headstone for West, with cemetery officials and a veterans honor guard joining the family to pay their respects.

A 37-year-old Tulsa native and Nowata resident, West died during World War II, one of 158 men who went down with the USS Drexler in a kamikaze attack on May 28, 1945.

As with many sailors lost with their ships during the war, Wests remains went unrecovered. Eventually, he was pronounced dead.

Until this week, West never had an actual physical marker.

Its really been on my heart for years to have something, but I didnt know how or what to do about it, said Cindy Miller of Nowata, Wests granddaughter.

Wests name, she said, is listed on a war memorial at the Nowata County Courthouse, as well as at Hawaiis National Memorial of the Pacific Cemetery, where its inscribed alongside those of other missing service members.

But thats not the same as having an actual marker.

The effort to obtain one for West, she said, started when she visited the cemetery at Fort Gibson.

After Miller told cemetery officials about her grandfather, they jumped on it and took it from there, she said. Theyve been wonderful.

The family is still carrying the torch, and we ought to, too, said Aaron Isom, the cemeterys assistant director.

He said memorial headstones and markers are furnished at no cost by the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans whose remains are not recovered or identified.

Now that West has one at Fort Gibson, the cemetery can play a role in preserving his memory.

The man in the photo

Less than 50 seconds.

That was all the time sailors had to escape once the Drexler started to sink.

And for West and far too many of his shipmates, it wasnt enough.

The events that led to the Drexlers rapid demise had begun just minutes earlier.

At 7 a.m. on May 28, 1945, the U.S. Navy destroyer and a neighboring vessel, the USS Lowry, were positioned off Okinawa when they found themselves under attack by Japanese kamikazes.

One of the kamikazes, suicide pilots who deliberately crashed their explosive-laden planes into ships, targeted the Lowry but missed and hit the Drexler.

It was left damaged and on fire. But the ships guns kept firing, shooting down two of the attackers.

A minute later, a second kamikaze hit the Drexler, though. And this time, the force of the explosion caused the ship to roll over almost onto its side.

It began to sink immediately.

In less than a minute it was gone.

Of the crew, 199 would survive. West, a Navy fireman 1st class, and 157 others were lost.

West left behind a wife, Lucille West, and four children in Nowata. They included Millers mother, who was around 6 at the time.

Miller is sad to say it, but she knows almost nothing about her late grandfather.

Her mother didnt remember him well. And her grandmother, who never married again, died when Miller was 2, so she never got to ask her about him.

About all Miller knows is based on a single image  a photograph of West that her mother kept and is now hers.

From that and what she knows of his late brothers, she pictures her grandfather as a burly man. He was a carpenter by trade, she said.

Miller hopes there are Drexler survivors still alive with whom she could connect. Who knows  there might be someone out there who even remembers West.

While they cant fill in personal details, Fort Gibson National Cemetery officials are happy they were able to help with some emotional closure.

Here was somebody who was lost at sea and who has no final resting place, Isom said. Its the right thing to do, and certainly its part of our mission.

Featured video:
The best candidate to change the tone and direction of Oklahoma public schools is Jena Nelson for state superintendent.

Nelson, a Democrat, grew up in rural Oklahoma public schools and is among the most decorated teachers in the state. She was last years Oklahoma Teacher of the Year and received several national honors. She taught English at Classen School of Advanced Studies Middle School in Oklahoma City until about two months ago, campaigning in her off hours to not disrupt the education of her students.

Her background includes running a small business and working as a real estate agent. She has written grants and curriculum at the state and national levels and has provided training to other teachers.

As state superintendent, Nelson says her priorities would be to address the teacher flight, provide more services for student mental health needs and ensure public funds stay with public schools.

These reflect the truth of the biggest challenges and concerns facing public educators. Oklahoma is shattering records annually in emergency certification approvals, going from 32 in 2011 to more than 3,800 this year.

Schools are scrambling to offer advanced classes, special education, STEM and other programs because they cant find teachers. This affects academic outcomes, which Nelson agrees are not where they should be.

Attacks on educators over culture war talking points drummed up by national provocateurs has taken its toll and contributed to the staffing shortage. These are unnecessary distractions that paint a false picture of public schools.

Nelson is rooted in reality, and this includes doable approaches to the rising youth mental health needs. She would expand the counselor corps started by Superintendent Joy Hofmeister and arrange more telehealth services for schools to link students to therapists.

For more than 10 years, Nelson has used trauma-informed teaching practices and has demonstrated that in national workshops to educators and administrators.

Nelson is against using public money for private schools, pointing to Oklahomas other school choice options. She champions rural schools as the heart of small-town communities.

Her ideas revolve around collaboration, partnerships and respect.

Her opponent, state Education Secretary Ryan Walters, regularly posts videos on social media from his car criticizing schools for wokeness, library materials and transgender student policies. He has called for revoking teacher certifications for what amounts to political differences. He once pledged to return all federal dollars but rolled that back after criticisms emerged.

While serving as education secretary, Walters is also CEO of a nonprofit that is funded by national school privatization and charter school expansion advocates.

More concerning is how Walters handles public money. Every federal dollar he oversaw in the pandemic relief aid ($31 million) is now under investigation for mismanagement. The state has sued to recover some of those funds, but that doesnt bode well when considering the complicated state education budget of about $3 billion.

Our confidence is in Nelson, who has the right attitude, solutions and ability to lead public schools into the next era.
OTTAWA -- Facebook warned on Friday that it may block sharing of news content on its platform in Canada over concerns about legislation that would compel digital platforms to pay news publishers.

The Online News Act, introduced in April, laid out rules to force platforms like Meta's Facebook and Alphabet's Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content, in a move similar to a ground-breaking law passed in Australia last year.

The legislation is under consideration at a parliamentary committee, to which the U.S. social media company said it has not been invited to share its concerns.

"We believe the Online News Act misrepresents the relationship between platforms and news publishers, and we call on the government to review its approach," Marc Dinsdale, head of media partnerships at Meta Canada, said in a blog post.

"In the face of adverse legislation based on false assumptions that defy the logic of how Facebook operates, we believe it's important to be transparent about the possibility that we may be forced to reconsider allowing news content sharing in Canada," Dinsdale wrote.

Canada's Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who introduced the bill, said in a statement on Friday that the government continued to have "constructive conversations" with Facebook.

"All we're asking the tech giants like Facebook to do is negotiate fair deals with news outlets when they profit from their work," Rodriguez said in an emailed statement.

The legislation proposes that digital platforms that have a "bargaining imbalance" with news businesses - measured by metrics like a firm's global revenue - must make fair deals that would then be assessed by a regulator.

Dinsdale said news content was not a draw for Facebook users and did not bring significant revenue to the company.

When Australia, which has led global efforts to rein in the powers of tech firms, proposed legislation forcing them to pay local media for news content, Google threatened to close its Australian search engine, while Facebook cut all third-party content from Australian accounts for more than a week.

Both eventually struck deals with Australian media companies after a series of amendments to the legislation were offered.
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres praised Vietnams accomplishments over time while delivering a speech at a ceremony solemnly held in Hanoi on Friday to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnams UN membership.

His attendance at the ceremony was part of the first day of his two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Foreign ambassadors, representatives of the diplomatic corps, chief representatives of UN organizations in Vietnam, and Vietnamese officials from ministries and agencies also took part in the event.

The UN leader expressed his honor to attend the anniversary and emphasized that Vietnam has gone through a long journey, from conflict to peace, from aid receipt to self-sufficiency, and from overcoming poverty to gaining development achievements.

More than a generation ago, UN staff were in Vietnam delivering food aid to a country ravaged by war, isolated and on the brink of famine.

Today, it is Vietnamese peacekeepers coming to the aid of people in some of the most desperate parts of the world, Guterres said.

He asked the events participants to offer a round of applause for those peacekeepers Vietnamese women and men  who are are risking their lives to bring others peace and hope and a chance for a better life.

As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the country has sharply driven back extreme poverty, hunger, disease, and child mortality, while increasingly promoting literacy rates and access to health care, education, electricity, and safe drinking water, the UN leader commented.

Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres are seen meeting with some Vietnamese UN peacekeepers in Hanoi on October 21, 2022. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

These are remarkable human rights and development achievements, he summarized.

At the same time, as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam has advanced cooperation and integration across the region, Guterres added.

While highlighting that Vietnam has been elected to the UN Security Council twice and adopted the first-ever Presidential Statement on upholding the United Nations Charter, the UN head also praised the most recent international achievement of Vietnam when it was elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-25 tenure on October 11.

Vietnam has achieved, and in some cases exceeded, most Millennium Development Goals, and has committed at the COP26 to reduce net emissions to zero by 2050, Guterres stated, adding that he personally and the UN are ready to call for international support for the countrys climate commitments.

Assessing that Vietnam has come a long way and has the opportunity to be a powerhouse for change, Guterres emphasized that the UN is proud to be Vietnams partner in every step of the way.

In reply, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his appreciation for the UN's support for Vietnam during its difficult years, and extended his sincere and deep thanks to all staff of all UN agencies.

Becoming the 149th member of the UN started a new historical journey in Vietnams national construction and defense, in which the country has revived from the ruins of wars and, through its doi moi (renovation) policy and deep international integration, has emerged as a middle-income developing country with a dynamic economy, the Vietnam News Agency cited Phuc as saying.

He reiterated that Vietnam has always been a friend and a reliable and responsible partner of the international community as well as various global organizations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO).

It has engaged in 17 free trade agreements (FTAs) and become an important part of the global supply chain, Phuc said.

The Vietnamese leader affirmed his countrys readiness to work with the UN to respond to the current food crisis within its capabilities.

Earlier on Friday, UN head Guterres had separate talks with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Phuc, focusing on steps to futher promote the Vietnam-UN partnership.

During Saturday, the last day of his visit, Guterres is to meet Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

He will also visit the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the Green One United Nations House in Hanoi.

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A court in Phu Quoc Island off Kien Giang Province in Vietnams Mekong Delta region sentenced two men to two years imprisonment each on Friday for deforestation.

According to the indictment, Tran Quoc Viet and Le Van Chien - both Phu Quoc locals - were hired by two people only known as Keo and Trieu on December 22, 2021 to cut down trees at the Phu Quoc National Park at a daily wage of VND500,000 (US$20.12) per person.

Keo showed Viet and Chien the location to carry out the deforestation job after the two received the first payment of VND500,000.

Forest rangers of Phu Quoc City and staff at the Phu Quoc National Park caught Viet and Chien red-handed sawing trees at the park on December 25, 2021.

At that time, a forest area of 2,784 square meters, 11,335 cubic meters of logs and 274 natural forest trees were already destroyed.

Police in Phu Quoc initiated legal proceedings against and arrested Viet and Chien to investigate the charge of deforestation on May 26 following a request by the forest protection department of the city on May 18.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The Vietnam Records Organization, or VietKings, has recently published the first 20 records of the countrys top 50 unique tours, including the helicopter tour around Ho Chi Minh City and the expedition into the worlds largest cave Son Doong.

The year 2022 marks the first time VietKings has announced the list of records in its search for top 50 unique travel experiences in Vietnam.

These tours allow visitors to discover the culture, history, and cuisine in Vietnam, and especially, the country's stunning landscapes.

Numerous tours in Ho Chi Minh City made it on to the list, including a tour visiting historical relics during the American War, a helicopter tour, a motorcycle tour to explore the city, a tour exploring Cu Chi Tunnels, and another to enjoy the street food culture.

Cloud hunting at Mau Son mountain range, Lang Son Province.

Here are the first 20 records in top Vietnams 50 unique tours:

1. Coming Home tour in Ninh Binh Province, northern Vietnam, enabling visitors to release wild animals to their natural habitat.

2. Sea turtle hatching tour at Bay Canh Island, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam.

3. Tour to visit historical monuments and take a glimpse into the history of Ho Chi Minh City during the American War.

4. Tour to explore the world's largest cave Son Doong in Quang Binh Province, north-central Vietnam.

5. Ca Maus eco community-based tour in the namesake province, Vietnams southernmost.

Views of Ho Chi Minh City seen from a helicopter.

6. Tour to visit the grave of heroine Vo Thi Sau on Con Dao Island, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam.

7. Tour to explore the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long at night in Hanoi.

8. Ho Chi Minh City helicopter sightseeing tour.

9. Tour to explore night safari of Nam Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam.

10. Tour to discover the culture of the Ruc ethnic minority, one of the most mysterious tribes in the world, Quang Binh Province, north-central Vietnam.

11. Vietnams first scientific tour at Explora Science Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam.

A tour to discover Son Doong cave, Quang Binh Province.

12. Tour to visit Vu Dai - the village in novel Chi Pheo by Vietnamese writer Nam Cao, Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam.

13. Flyboarding tour at Nha Trang beaches, Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam.

14. Ocean tour exploring the the first transparent tourist submarine in Vietnam, Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam.

15. Virtual reality tour at Hue Imperial City, Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam.

16. Cloud hunting tour at Mau Son mountain range, Lang Son Province, northern Vietnam.

A tour to watch sea turtle hatching.

17. Tour visiting famous destinations in provinces of Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh, Hue, Quang Nam, central Vietnam.

18. Walking tour to explore French architecture in Hanoi.

19. Tour to explore Ho Chi Minh City street food at night.

20. Tour to explore Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City.

Pictures of the Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City.

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The Department of Overseas Labor (DOLAB) under Vietnams Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs offered recommendations to Vietnamese guest workers on Friday to ensure they work legally, safely and effectively in African countries.

Vietnamese citizens sent to work abroad through service companies should carefully verify information related to their job as well as language and skill requirements before signing labor contracts, the DOLAB said.

They are recommended to only work with companies providing manpower services certified by the department.

According to the DOLAB, over the past two years, it has given approval to eight companies to send workers in construction and navigation sectors to four African countries to work.

Those eight firms include five operating in Algeria -- Vinaconex Trading and Manpower Joint Stock Company (VINACONEXMEC), Vietnam Manpower Supply and Commercial Joint Stock Company (VINAMEX), Vietnam International Investment Corporation (VINACOM), Thang Long International Cooperation and Investment Joint Stock Company (Thang Long OSC), and Vietnam Trade Promotion and Human Resources Development Joint Stock Company (HR VINA).

VXT International Joint Stock Company, VN Steel-VMSC Manpower Supply and Services One Member Co. Ltd, and An Thai Trading Investment & Transport Joint Stock Company (ATACOO) operate in Djibouti, Cameroon, and Seychelles, respectively.

Those who directly sign a labor contract with an overseas enterprise need to complete the contract registration procedures at the Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of their localities in Vietnam to avoid being scammed.

They can contact the DOLAB through the phone number 024.38249517 to get more information.

The move came after the department received information that a number of Vietnamese nationals had been incited to work in some African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and some had been cheated.

The citizens have encountered problems with employers in terms of employment, accommodation, delayed wage payment, and salary reduction.

Regarding this issue, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said during a regular briefing on Thursday that Vietnamese citizens should collect information carefully before signing contracts to work abroad in order to avoid being scammed or working with illegal labor brokers.

They were also advised to immediately contact Vietnamese representative offices abroad directly or through the citizen protection hotline if any problem arises.

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On NYE the famous fireworks almost didnt happen while backstage, Opera Australia battles COVID-19. 7:30pm Sunday on ABC.

Australias Got Talent

Significant Others

The Block

NCIS: Hawaii

Curse of the Ancients
ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Millions of Ethiopians on Saturday held rallies across cities and towns in the East African country to denounce foreign interference and pressure in the country's internal affairs.

In Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, demonstrators gathered at Meskel Square with slogans that read "a threat to Ethiopia is a threat to the world" and "respect our sovereignty," among others.

Speaking to the crowd, Addis Ababa City Deputy Mayor Jantrar Abay stressed that some countries need to stop meddling in the internal affairs of Ethiopia and should refrain from supporting rebel forces, in particular the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies.

Participants emphasized that neither the multifaceted external pressure nor the ongoing attack by rebels would deter Ethiopians from realizing national development goals.

The deputy mayor further underscored that the sovereignty of Ethiopia must be respected, as he emphasized that Ethiopians will continue to stand in unison to safeguard the sovereignty of their country.

The demonstration mainly aimed to showcase popular support for the Ethiopian government from what they described as "internal and external enemies of the country."

The nationwide public demonstration came amid mounting pressures on Ethiopia as conflict resumed in northern Ethiopia in August. The Ethiopian government accused the TPLF of resuming fighting. The situation eventually halted humanitarian aid flowing into parts of Northern Ethiopia.

The demonstrators, in this regard, showcased support for the ongoing military measures being taken by the government against rebel forces.

On Tuesday, the Ethiopian government disclosed ongoing preparations to resume humanitarian aid and services in recently captured areas in the conflict-hit northernmost Tigray region.

This came after the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) have taken control of the towns of Shire, Alamata, and Korem, pushing back the rebel TPLF.

Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the TPLF since November 2020, which has left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. 
Australian PM concerned about delays to UK trade deal following Truss exit (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed concern about potential delays to the Australia-UK free trade deal caused by Britains political instability.

Speaking to reporters in Perth, Western Australia on Friday, Mr Albanese said: Im concerned about any delay that would occur to the AustraliaUK free trade agreement.

I had discussed with Prime Minister Truss the fast-tracking of that. We discussed trying to get it concluded before the end of this year, to make sure that the appropriate parliamentary processes went through our respective parliaments.

Ms Trusss resignation on Thursday after just 44 days in office brings to an end the shortest premiership in British history.

It followed weeks of financial and political turmoil in the wake of then chancellor Kwasi Kwartengs calamitous 45 billion mini-budget giveaway which led to a collapse in support for Ms Truss among Tory MPs.

It also comes just six weeks after Boris Johnson left No 10, meaning Mr Albanese will soon meet a new British PM for the third time in the five months since Australians brought his Labor Party to power.

Mr Albanese joked when comparing his term so far with the leadership turnover in the UK, saying: My government is stable, is orderly. The adults are in charge.

Ive been in office for five months. Ive met the two British prime ministers, so far, and I obviously will have contact with a third at some time when those issues are concluded.

Mr Albanese met Ms Truss when he visited the UK for the Queens funeral last month, and had met Mr Johnson at a Nato summit in June.
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of dengue fever cases has continued to grow in Pakistan amid an outbreak due to floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains.

In the last 24 hours, 306 more people were diagnosed with the mosquito-borne disease in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the provincial health department reported on Friday evening. The number of active cases in the province currently stands at 1,881 and the total number of cases this year has reached 16,002.

The southern Sindh province reported 302 new infections, said the provincial health department on Friday evening. The worst-hit area was Karachi, the provincial capital, which reported 199 new cases. With the newly reported dengue cases, the October figure to date for the province has risen to 6,734, bringing the local total to 16,888 this year.

The eastern Punjab province reported 280 new cases in the last 24 hours, the provincial health authorities said on Friday. Punjab's capital Lahore reported 115 new cases, followed by the Rawalpindi city with 70 cases. The total number of dengue cases in Punjab this year has now gone up to 12,389.

The national capital Islamabad reported 77 new dengue cases in the last 24 hours, the health authorities said on Friday night. The city's total tally has risen to 4,272 this year. 
As a federal enterprise, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. On behalf of the German Government, GIZ provides advisory services to the Vietnamese Government in three priority areas: (1) Vocational training, (2) Environmental policy and sustainable use of natural resources, and (3) Energy. For further information, please visit www.giz.de/viet-nam.

GIZ 4E project supports the MOIT in two areas: Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE). This project aims to support the implementation of political targets on the promotion of renewable energy (RE) and increase energy efficiency (EE) in Vietnam by creating the methodological and structural foundations for the promotion of RE and EE. As a part of the 2021-2023 operational plan, it is intended to implement multiple EE capacity development for the promotion of RE and EE in Vietnam. In this line, the 4E project would need a locally consultancy service to develop and implement training plan to qualify 150 Energy Managers (EM) & Energy Auditors (EA) according to Vietnam regulation.

Against this background the project is looking for local consulting entity(s)/ (which can provide adequate experts which includes: at least one (01) team leader who has 15 years of experience in Energy Efficiency field, and two (02) educational/ training expert who has 10 years of experience in Energy Efficiency field to develop & conduct training plan to qualify at least 150 EMs and EAs follows the regulation and requirement of Circular 39/2011/TT-BCT dated 28/10/2011 & Circular 08/2017/VBHN-BCT dated 24/03/2017 in term of requirement for training infrastructure, study programs, certification, and recall.

Therefore, GIZ Hanoi Office is conducting a public tender to seek qualified Local Consulting Entity(s) (here after called as LCE) to carry related tasks as below:

Tentative timeframe of the assignment: tentatively start from 1st Dec 2022 until 31st Dec 2023Place of Assignment: Mainly in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh and Da NangLCEs mandays: up to 287 person days Requirements: The selected LCE will be contracted to implement all the tasks within this activity. They are expected to have extensive expertise & experience, preferably at least 10-years of experience in the field of energy efficiency consulting & training as well as a large contact network with private sectors. One expert in the team will serve as the team leader and be responsible for overall coordination, consolidated reporting, and quality assurance of deliverables.

Interested Local Consulting Entity(s) should send an expression of interest containing:

1. Letter of interest (with authorized signature and company stamp)

2. Entity profile (incl. Business license (for Firm) or Decision of establishment (for Association), tax code registration, organisational chart, summary of experience in energy efficiency research, consulting & training including experience working in capacity development projects and international organizations (if any))

3. Audited financial report of the last 3 years (for Firm). Important/key information in audited financial reports or annual tax reports (if documents only in Vietnamese) must be translated into English language.

4. Consortium (if at least 2 entities join the assignment): Consortium contract and nomination of consortium leading firm.

Rejection criteria:

LCF or leading firm of consortium is required to have working experience in energy efficiency services (energy efficiency training and/or consultancy with related to energy) from 2012 onward and can provide Valid Legal Status (having copy of business registration/ decision establishment + VAT code, incl. related business area about energy efficiency consulting and energy auditing or similar area).

The eligible service providers interested in the tender can apply for this assignment and inform us

officially best before 28.10.2022 through the Email: Question-from-bidder-PoS-VN@giz.de to receive the EOI Assessment form.

Subject of the email: Tender code 83423415 / GIZ ESP- EOI

The EOI documents with company stamp and signature of the director or the authorized person must be submited in writing in English, latest by 17:00 (Vietnamese time) on 07.11.2022, to the email VN_PoS_Quotation@giz.de

Subject of email: Tender code: 83423415 /GIZ ESP  EOI

Please observe strictly the guidance in the local bidding conditions in the tender dossier.

GIZ is obliged to ensure the confidentiality of all bidding documents submitted.

Important note:

1. Please send your questions (if any) to the official mailbox:

Question-from-bidder-PoS-VN@giz.de only.

2. Please send your bidding documents to the official mailbox:

VN_PoS_Quotation@giz.de only.

3. Sending bidding documents to wrong email address will lead to disqualification of the bidder.

4. After eligibility check, selected bidders will be invited to send the technical and financial proposals.
HA NOI  The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on Friday launched a communications campaign in Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia to change the habit of consuming wildlife meat among urban people, highlighting the threats to public health and nature.

Van Ngoc Thinh, Director of WWF Viet Nam, said that Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia were showing high levels of wildlife consumption, especially mammals and birds that are easily found in markets and restaurants.

He cited a survey by WWF and GlobeScan in 2021 in Viet Nam, Thailand, Japan, China and the US which showed that 7 per cent of the total people asked said that they or someone they knew had bought wildlife meat products at wildlife markets in the past 12 months.

"The consumption of wild animal meat severely degrades wildlife populations, causes cross-border and domestic crimes, and significantly increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission," he said, stressing that most consumers are not aware of the potential risks that they, their family and the society face when buying bushmeat.

Meanwhile, according to Nguyen ao Ngoc Van, WWF Viet Nams senior advisor for wildlife trafficking combat, the main reason for people to eat wildlife meat is they believe it is fresh and delicious, helping them show their social status, or improve their health. Through the campaign, the WWF hopes that the target group in particular and the public in general understand that wild animal meat consumption is not worth risking the health of themselves and the community.

Nguyen Van Long, Acting Director of the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that there had been an increasing number of dangerous infectious diseases originating from wild animals that spread to humans such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, MERS-Cov, COVID-19, Monkeypox.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), in the last 60 years, 335 emerging diseases have occurred in humans, in which 144 pathogens (43 per cent) originate from wild animals.

Long said that in order to improve the State management efficiency in preventing and controlling dangerous diseases transmitted from wild animals to human, along with implementing recommendations from international organisations, it was necessary to review and supplement relevant legal documents, and foster the inter-sectoral collaboration among agencies involving in wildlife management, especially media agencies in popularising international and national regulations regarding wild animals, and raising public awareness of health risks during hunting, breeding, slaughtering and consuming wild animals for themselves and the community.  VNS
THANH HOA  Along the coast in Tan Xuan Village are the remains of houses dragged down by the waves.

Here, coastal erosion is a major concern.

Local resident Nguyen Van uong lives just a few metres from the waters edge, where significant coastal erosion is recorded.

The area next to his house, once a casuarina forest blocking the waves, is now littered with garbage and wood floating in from the sea.

A fisherman who has spent more than half of his life in the water, uong could not hide the worry on his face as the sea swallows his village.

He told Nong nghiep (Agriculture) newspaper: In the past, the shore measured a few hundred metres wide, so we fishermen had a place to dig for clams and catch some fish. But in recent years, the sea keeps inching in, encroaching on all the land.

We dont know what will happen to this place tomorrow if the sea keeps creeping into the land. I have never seen such serious shoreline change as right now.

Bui Thi Huong, uongs wife said: Coastal people like us quite understand the cycle of the water level, at times the waves would bring accretion and other times erosion.

A few years back, the shoreline advances significantly and the waves dont bring in as much sediment as before.

Other residents at Tan Xuan Village recalled how 10 years ago, several houses collapsed into the sea, and those families had to move further inland.

Many people also want to move away, but they dont have the financial means to do so.

Nguyen Thi Kim, a local resident said: Tan Xuan villagers really hope that the authorities come up with solutions to mitigate these issues for the stability of peoples lives and peace of mind.

According to the Peoples Committee of Hoang Phu Commune where Tan Xuan Village is located, due to high tides and rapid waves, the area between the shoreline and Ma River that runs through the locality witnessed serious erosion recently, especially during June and July this year.

Three households have lost their homes due to the serious erosion over a total area of about 1,000sq.m, while Lach Hoi Border Guard station was also affected.

The phenomenon is ongoing with some places witness erosion of 150-metre-wide from the waters edge into the shore.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, chairman of Hoang Phu Peoples Committee said: This situation is now beyond the local capacity. We have reported to the higher authorities and requested solutions to this matter.

To stabilise peoples lives, it is necessary to put in place infrastructure that prevents erosion.

Tan Xuan villagers added that in addition to the natural causes, this erosion could be the result of sand mining at Lach Hoi Estuary, and for a major construction project years ago, which might have caused changes in the flow and coastal land.

Bui Thi Huong said: They used modern equipment so the machine is really quiet, making it hard to detect and prevent this act. When the residents found out about the sand-mining boats, they had already disappeared.

Captain Nguyen inh Hoan  chief of Lach Hoi Border Guard station said that there was an illegal case of sand mining at the beginning of this year, but it was not at the flow at Lach Hoi Estuary, so it was difficult to say that sand mining was the cause for this erosion.

Meanwhile, Pham Van Hoanh, deputy director of Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment said that a scientific assessment was required to determine the cause of this phenomenon.

He said: Regarding geology, this place was called Hai Tien long ago, back in the French colonial time, which means the advancing sea. Today, the sea continues to rise, but at a slower rate, which makes it hard to detect.

We will continue to consult the province and host a conference with scientists to assess the geological structure of the area.

In the long term, a breakwater is needed to ensure safety in this location.

After the visit to the site, the deputy chairman of Thanh Hoa Provincial Peoples Committee Le uc Giang said that the situation was quite serious.

The erosion occurs at the ecosystem where the river meets the sea, negatively affecting the peoples lives and livelihoods, he added.

An emergency situation is expected to be declared, with signage soon to be set up to prevent locals and tourists from going to the areas at risk of erosion.  VNS
HCM CITY  An exhibition showcasing art works by more than 100 painters and sculptors across Viet Nam is being held virtually to raise funds to build houses for needy people in the central provinces of Quang Nam and Thua Thien  Hue.

The exhibition Xuoi Dong Song Thu 2022 (Autumn River Flow 2022) displays more than 100 works, including wooden sculptures and oil, lacquer, and watercolour paintings.

Themes of the works are the beauty of the country, women, lifestyle, culture, and portraits. Still-life paintings are also featured.

The highlights of the exhibition are works by famous painters and sculptors such as Luu Cong Nhan, Tran Thao Hien, Bui Tien Tuan, Nguyen Manh Hung and Nguyen Tan Phat.

The showcase includes a sketch titled Chan Dung Thieu Nu (A Girl Portrait) by late painter Luu Cong Nhan.

Nhan, whose mentor was one of the countrys four legends of fine arts, To Ngoc Van (1906  1954), participated in exhibitions in many countries including Germany, Russia and France. He received the State Award (First Phase) in 2002.

Moscow-based painter Tran Thao Hien presents an oil on canvas painting Sac Mau Hoang Hon (Colours of Sunset).

Hien, who has created art for 15 years, hosted two solo exhibitions in Moscow, Russia in 2015 and 2021, and an exhibition in HCM City in May. Her paintings mostly portray beautiful landscapes of countries where she has travelled.

Nguyen Manh Hung, a graduate of Viet Nam Fine Arts University, introduces a painting Mua Thu Non Song (Autumn in the Country) highlighting the beauty of Viet Nam.

Artist Ngo Tran Vu of HCM City, the exhibitions organiser and curator, said, around 50 - 100 per cent of the profits from the painting sales will be used to build houses for needy people in Quang Nam and Thua Thien  Hue provinces.

Through the exhibition, we want to introduce the best art works by talented Vietnamese artists to art lovers across the country, he added.

The exhibition is raising funds until November 5.

All exhibited works can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/ngotranvublog. VNS
HCM CITY  Many HCM City parents have proposed that public schools start half an hour later than the current 7 am to give children more time to sleep and have breakfast before school.

A father of two primary students in District 12 said he must take his two children to school every morning at 6:30 am.

"It means that my children have to wake up at 5:30 am, then do their personal hygiene and have breakfast," he said.

Sometimes, if the children wake up after 5:30 am, he has to buy them bread to eat when they are on the way to school.

A father of two seventh graders in Vo Truong Toan Secondary School in District 1 said the school asked the students to be present at 6:45 am, 15 minutes before the first class starts.

"It's too early because the children have to wake up very early if they want to eat breakfast," he said.

N.V.H., a father of a sixth grader in Nguyen Du Secondary School in Go Vap District, said at the beginning of the school year 2022-23, he was stunned when he was told his son had to be at school at 6:45 am, 15 minutes before the first class starts.

"I really don't understand why the school schedules for students to go to school so early," he said.

M., a mother of a primary student in ang Van Ngu School, Phu Nhuan District said: "Why doesn't the school set a start time at least 7:30 am?"

Students would get at least 30 minutes of extra sleep and have time to have breakfast at home, she said.

Explanations

Nguyen Thi My Hanh, principal of Vo Truong Toan Secondary School, spoke to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper. Hanh said that the school's start time is at 7 am to avoid traffic jams at the school gate.

The school is located on Nguyen Binh Khiem Street  a short street with five schools. To avoid traffic congestion, it has to stagger its start times with the other schools.

Truong Thi ep, principal of Nguyen Du Secondary School, said the school's start time at 7 am daily had been implemented for many years.

She said there were fewer traffic jams at that time, and it was convenient for parents to go to work at 7:15 am or 7:30 am.

Trinh Vinh Thanh, Head of Education and Training Office of Go Vap District, also said the start time of schools at 7 am daily had existed for a long time.

The start time of students was relevant to the working time of local agencies and companies, he said.

If students go to school after 7 am, many parents would be late for work because most of the parents have to be present at their workplace at 8 am, even 7:45 am in some workplaces, he said.

Experts' comments

Nguyen Thanh Danh, Chairman of the HCM City Nutrition Institute's Scientific Council, said that children must have breakfast to have enough energy to study.

He said that after eating, it takes at least 10-15 minutes for the food to digest.

"Therefore, eating breakfast in a hurry is not good, especially if breakfast is eaten sat on their parents' vehicles on the way to go to school," he said.

A lack of food and sleep is now common among students, according to Danh.

This causes impaired brain activity, reduced resistance, susceptibility to infections, and affects learning performance.

Truong Huu Khanh, former head of the Infectious and Nervous Diseases Department at HCM City-based Children's Hospital No 1, said that children going to school too early for a long time would lead to sleep deprivation due to not getting enough sleep.

"So, when setting a rule, let's put the interests of children first," he said.

He said schools should not set up regulations that adversely affect children's development.

The earliest start time of the school should be 7:30 am, he said.

School's start time in other countries

Research conducted by the United States National Centre for Education Statistics (NCES) during the 2017-18 school year shows that 40 per cent of schools in the country set a start time of 8-8:29 am.

The study was conducted on approximately 10,600 public and 4,000 private schools in most states. Accordingly, the average start time of public high schools is 8 am.

NCES also found that high schools with fewer students tend to go to school later. Specifically, the average start time of schools with less than 100 students and schools with 100 - 199 students is 8:12 am and 8:15 am, respectively.

In Japan, schools usually open at 8 am, and the day's first class starts at 8:30 am. Similarly, in Australia, New Zealand, and Finland, school starts at 8:30 am.

In South Korea, the first class usually starts around 8 am. Each class will last 50 minutes. The afternoon session usually starts at 1 am and ends at 4:30 pm. In Thailand, public schools usually start between 8- 8:30 am. In Malaysia, schools usually start after 7:30 am.  VNS
As sustainability is one of AkzoNobels core values, the company has always concentrated on Vietnams sustainable development, supported Vietnamese real estate market as a leading manufacturer and supplier of paints and coatings for the industry professionals.

Accompanying the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards 2022 as the silver sponsor, Dulux Professional from AkzoNobel contributed to the creation of a high-quality and prestigious playground, promoting valuable brands and enhancing transparency in the market.

Nguyen My Lan, general director of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints Vietnam said, For six consecutive years accompanying the Vietnam Property Awards, we recognised the improved development of the Vietnamese real estate market through the quality of the projects and participating businesses."

Lan went on, "AkzoNobel is extremely pleased when the market sees an increase in the number of better projects, more reputable investors, and greener buildings, which are signs of long-term sustainable development. The awards also serve as a bridge to help Dulux Professional get closer to real estate businesses and customers, offering us an opportunity to affirm and strengthen our market position with optimal solutions and sustainable products and services.

Since 2016, Dulux Professional has been updating sustainable paint and coating solutions and introducing a range of about 70 products and services for projects in Vietnam market.

Over the years, the innovation platforms for the product range have been developed which will offer better resource efficiency and energy saving, longer durability, health, and well-being focus and environmental protection.

PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards is a part of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, which includes a wide range of prizes monitored by the world's fifth-largest auditing company.

AkzoNobel aiming for inclusive, sustainable growth On July 7 and 8, Michael Friede, chief commercial officer at AkzoNobel, visited some of the companys manufacturing sites and partners in Vietnam. On this occasion, he spoke to VIRs Etienne Mahler about the companys philosophy for holistic, sustainable, and inclusive development in this country.

AkzoNobel Vietnam certified as Great Place To Work AkzoNobel Vietnam has been certified as a Great Place to Work for its employee-validated work environment, proving the company's strong commitment to its People.Planet.Paint approach to its employees.
Over 100 representatives from government agencies, international organisations, and businesses discussed solutions aiming for a green and low-emission agriculture that adapts to climate change.

Addressing the conference, Le Quoc Doanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that agricultural production had obtained remarkable achievements lately. Its biggest achievement has been ensuring the national food security and developing the commodity agriculture with a significant position in the region and in the world.

After the pandemic, the agriculture sector has been able to demonstrate its role as the pedestal of the economy in difficult times as ensuring the supply of food and essential goods is an important basis for the implementation of security and peoples safety, Doanh said.

However, despite these positive contributions, agricultural production, is a source of emissions. Notably, nearly 70 per cent of CO 2 emissions come from cultivation activities.

To bring the commitments made at COP26 into action, in January, the MARD submitted to the government the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, that was approved by the prime minister.

According to Doanh, the MARD is also developing a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture and rural development in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

The conference participants agreed that the implementation of Vietnams international commitments as well as the deployment of the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development require great efforts not only from the government but also from the private sector and organisations that directly participate in the implementation at varying scales, to unlock investment resources of the whole society.

Attending the conference as part of a business trip to Vietnam, David Rennie, deputy executive vice president and head of Coffee Brands at Nestle Group, highlighted, Climate change is one of societys greatest challenges. It is also one of the greatest risks to producing the ingredients that go into our food and beverage products. We are acting now to become a net zero company and accelerate the move towards regenerative food systems at scale. Today, we would like to share about the regenerative agriculture approach and why regenerative agriculture is a key part of Nestles net zero roadmap.

Rennie added, We have just announced the Nescafe Plan 2030, the sustainability ambition and regenerative agriculture journey for our largest coffee brand Nescafe. We are working with farmers to help them transition to regenerative coffee farming practices and to look for the best tailored solutions that are right for their regions and crops.

As the co-chair of the PSAV and the Production Sub-Committee of the Coffee Industry, as well as a pioneer in the private sector, Nestle Vietnam expressed its desire to accompany the government and other departments in promoting regenerative agriculture.

Nestle Vietnam's Nescafe Plan is currently being implemented in four central provinces where the regenerative agriculture model is being applied, a crucial part in reaching the countrys ecological agriculture goal.

During the conference, Nestle Vietnams representatives shared not only its experience and achievements of the plan but also initiatives in regenerative farming, as well as replicable best practices towards the green and low-emission agriculture that adapt to climate change.

The conference was held in the context of Vietnam aiming to restructure and promote the agricultural sector as quality-and value-based, enabling the country to become a transparent, responsible, and sustainable food supplier for the world.

Nestle Vietnam shares experience in sustainable development As a pioneer in sustainable development, Nestle Vietnam recently shared its efforts and strategies to promote sustainability in Vietnam.

Nestle Vietnam joins beach clean-up to reduce ocean plastic waste For World Cleanup Day 2022, a total of 200 Nestle Vietnams staff volunteered to collect waste on a beach in Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh City. Nearly 1.5 tonnes of rubbish was collected in just half a day.
Around 500 senior industry guests attended the 2022 edition of the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards, held for the first time at the Gem Centre in Ho Chi Minh City.

In a first for the company, Phu My Hung Development Corporation won the sought-after title of Best Developer. The company also won the Special Recognition for Sustainable Design and Construction, the Special Recognition for CSR, and the Special Recognition for Building Communities, plus one Highly Commended citation for its Hong Hac City.

Keppel Land emerged as the most awarded company of the night with 11 competitive wins, including the titles of Best Mixed Use Developer and Best Sustainable Developer.

The Infiniti bested many other winners in the residential categories for the prestigious title of Best Condo Development (Vietnam), one of four wins for the Keppel Land project. Two of Keppel Lands ventures with Phu Long Real Estate Corporation, Celesta Avenue and Celesta Heights, were named Best Housing Development and Best Condo Architectural Design, respectively.

Joseph Low, president of Keppel Land Vietnam, accepted the golden statuette for the 2022 Vietnam Real Estate Personality of the Year award. The title was presented to Low in honour of his three decades of leadership at Keppel Land, providing impetus for the companys flagship projects in Vietnam and redefining the countrys urban skylines.

Low said, I am honoured to receive the PropertyGuru Vietnam Real Estate Personality of the Year award. This accolade is an affirmation not only of myself but also of Keppel Lands achievements in contributing to sustainable urbanisation in Vietnam, and it will spur us on as we deliver on our vision to redefine urban spaces for a sustainable future.

Companies under Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) accumulated five wins. In one of three wins, VSIP and Township Development JSC garnered the title of Best Industrial Developer.

Sun Casa Central by VSIP J.V., Co., Ltd won Best Housing Development (Binh Duong) while The Habitat Binh Duong by VSIP-Sembcorp Gateway Development Co., Ltd. won Best Condo Development (Binh Duong). BelHomes Haiphong by VSIP Haiphong Co., Ltd. was named Best Completed Housing Development.

Another multi-awarded company, Phat Dat Real Estate Development Corporation, ended the night with seven wins, including the title of Best Boutique Developer. Its project Cadia Quy Nhon accumulated three wins.

Hung Thinh Land received the Best Community Developer award and garnered three wins for its projects Merryland Quy Nhon and Canal District-Merryland. Hung Thinh Land and Hung Thinh Corporation each earned a Special Recognition.

Khang Dien House Trading and Investment JSC earned five wins, including two for its project The Privia. SonKim Land Corporation, on the other hand, gained four wins, including the title of Best Luxury Developer, and the Best High-End Condo Development and the Best High-End Condo Interior Design awards for The 9 Stellars.

Sycamore by CapitaLand Development was hailed Best Housing Development, one of three wins for the project. CapitaLand Development itself garnered the Special Recognition for CSR.

Other companies that won in the Developer categories were TNR Holdings Vietnam (Best Lifestyle Developer) and T&T Homes (Best Breakthrough Developer).

Hari V Krishnan, CEO and managing director of PropertyGuru Group said, We are excited about the prospects for Vietnam which is one of Southeast Asias most dynamic property markets, and the sheer diversity and breadth of the winning projects and companies this year reinforce that viewpoint. The steady rise of well-designed residences, luxurious resorts and hotels, innovative industrial projects, and world-class commercial developments in Vietnam deserve recognition, and the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards programme is delighted to shine a light on them. Congratulations to all the awardees.

The Vietnam Property Awards mark the continuation of the 2022 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards series of celebrations, set to culminate with the 17th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final on December 9.

Main winners in Vietnam, including the Best Developer, will compete for the Best in Asia titles at the grand finale in Bangkok. The PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit, the thought leadership platform of PropertyGuru Group, will also take place in the Thai capital on December 8.

Established in 2005, the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards continue to reward high-calibre work within the industry, encompassing property development, construction, architecture, interior design, and sustainable building practices.

The series has expanded over the years to cover the regions dynamic property markets, including Australia, the Chinese markets, Japan, India, and Sri Lanka.

Sixth PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards opens call for nominations The sixth edition of the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards, presented by global brand Kohler, is underway with a new timeline. The awards ceremony will also move to a much larger venue to accommodate a larger number of guests.

Property Insight: An insight into Vietnams thriving property market Property Insight is considered the only valuable source of information providing extensive knowledge from diversified angles for real estate investment.
Texas is on the front line of a surge in both immigration and illicit trade, and the price of the black-market economy is being paid in lives, not just lost jobs and revenue.

That was the message from experts in homeland security, law enforcement, and retail commerce at a recent summit on organized retail crime (ORC) in Austin. The event was organized by United to Safeguard America from Illicit Trade (USA-IT), a public-private partnership to fight every aspect of the ORC problem, from international smuggling to local retailers.

The challenge facing businesses and law enforcement is the network used by criminal gangs to sell fake, fraudulent and sometimes even dangerous products, often using the internet.

According to Kristin Reif, director of government affairs for Philip Morris International, the size of the problem is as big as Texas.

Bigger, in fact.

The estimated volume of illegal trade in counterfeit and illicit goods is $2.2 trillion a year, Reif said. But in 2020, she noted, the GDP of the state of Texas was $1.9 trillion.

Texans buying counterfeit goods or picking up phony pharmaceutical products online may think theyre just saving a few bucks and scamming the system, but former acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, who keynoted the event, said the consequences are far graver.

Here in Texas, the ninth-largest economy in the world, youve become an especially large and lucrative target for criminal and terrorist networks that engage in illicit trade, Wolf said. These markets not only benefit criminals, but they also benefit more dangerous actors like terrorists and criminal networks.

Wolf noted the example of the 2015 terror attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris where the mundane was used to fund murder. The perpetrators of that attack largely funded their operation through the purchase and sale of counterfeit shoes from China.

Closer to home, Rania Mankarious with Crime Stoppers of Houston said her groups focus is the scourge of sex trafficking engaged in by some of these same online criminal networks. Trafficking in people is a huge problem in Houston, Mankarious said, including the online sale of children.

Until you can hit their financial bottom line and hold people accountable  if everyone gets away by saying, Were a third party, this doesnt affect us, that industry is going to continue to flourish. Until theyre told, Well, actually, you are going to be held responsible, with checks and balances of course. But at least mandate that they must report [trafficking activity] or penalties will ensue.

According to Reif, Texas ranks second in the U.S. in human trafficking, with nearly 7,000 cases since 2007.

And while the human cost is more profound, the price the illicit market imposes on Texas businesses and state revenue isnt cheap.

According to USA-IT, retail theft totaled nearly $4 billion last year and cost Texans about $343 million in lost state and local taxes.

Texas actually has two of the top five markets in the country for ORC, said David Zapata, VP of international affairs at the Texas Association of Business. So, while we dont get the headlines, its definitely a problem that our members are experiencing every day. We have members who operate across the country and theyre prioritizing Texas just for that reason because it has gotten to be such an issue.

Zapata said Texas businesses are ready to support new state laws to mirror the enforcement efforts of the federal government.

This is going to be a topic of conversation in the next legislative session, Zapata told participants. Stay engaged. Were going to be talking about it for a year and a half. So, engage with your elected representatives.

One proposal is the INFORM Consumers Act, requiring that high-volume sellers on an internet marketplace disclose four pieces of information: Who is doing the selling, their contact information, a tax ID number and their bank account. Only businesses with 200 individual sales in 5 months, and a minimum of $5,000 in gross revenue over those 200 sales, would be required to make those disclosures.

John McCord, executive director of the Texas Retailers Association, said his organization is on board.

There are a couple of things were going to do next session, McCord said. Im sure youve all heard of the INFORM Act. Were going to stick with the language that has been agreed upon at the federal level and file it here in Texas because we dont really see much progress solving this problem coming from D.C.
EAGLE  A man from Eagle was arrested in Kansas Oct. 7 after fleeing from a Cass County sheriffs deputy who had tried to arrest him.

Just after 8:15 p.m. Thursday, sheriffs 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, according to the Cass County Sheriffs Office. 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 Sheriffs Office reported. 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 mans pickup then hit a marked sheriffs 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 Brueckners pickup were unsuccessful.

Area law enforcement agencies were contacted and asked to look for the pickup.

Deputies in Kansas with the Riley County Sheriffs 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, about 130 miles south of Eagle, 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.
On Friday at 3:07 p.m., Cedar Falls Fire Rescue was dispatched to 3112 Boulder Dr. after calls regarding a fire. Inside, first responders found smoke in the third floor hallway. They also found a man in the burning apartment with no pulse. According to Cedar Falls public safety director Craig Berte, CPR was performed on the man and he was taken away by ambulance.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man who threatened to kill a woman and her dog has been sentenced to prison on gun charges.

Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Durango Ken Castile, 48, to four years and three months behind bars on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm Friday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

Authorities allege Castile is barred from handling firearms because of a prior felony conviction in 1993 in connection with a Wisconsin case where he was a getaway driver for a group that repeatedly kicked and stabbed an elderly woman during a robbery. The heist netted $200.

He was released from prison in August 2021, and in January 2022 he allegedly threatened to pistol whip and kill a female acquaintance and kill her dog while holding a firearm, according to court records.

Waterloo police searched his home on Hammond Avenue and found a 9 mm Ruger pistol.
WATERLOO  Hawkeye Community College will hold an open house from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the newest home built by the We Build Waterloo program at 211 Iowa St.

The community-based program provides career training, career counseling, resume assistance, interview preparation, and team building and personal skills development for those with employment barriers. It provides financial support a recognized construction pre-apprenticeship program in which individuals learn high-demand construction skills and earn industry-recognized certifications while engaging in a residential construction or rehabilitation project of a home to later be sold to a local, lower-income families.

The home was built with support from Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity. For more information about We Build Waterloo, go online to hawkeyecollege.edu/we-build-waterloo or call (319) 296-4296, ext. 3110.
WATERLOO  Veridian Credit Union hosted mobile shred trucks at five community shred day events across Iowa and eastern Nebraska. An estimated 2,260 people attended to shred more than 56,500 pounds of sensitive documents and help protect their identities from fraud.

The shredded material is recycled into commercial-grade paper products. Since Veridians first event in 2009, nearly 1.3 million pounds of documents have been shredded, saving an estimated 10,939 trees and 1,938 cubic yards of landfill space. Learn more at veridiancu.org/shred.
Saturday theses. Five relevant remarks on the international situation.

1. Any country prioritizes the most important priorities  the protection of its citizens and state independence. Moreover, this protection is possible not only on its own territory, but also on others, if there are grounds for this. The grounds are quite obvious  terror and the killing of citizens of this country. In other words, each country has the right to use military force to protect its citizens who are being destroyed in foreign territories. Such a right includes the ability to act preventively, proactively, in order to prevent further killings, genocide and other crimes against its citizens. Including  to conduct full-fledged military operations in order to protect their state and people. This follows from the key provisions of the UN Charter and international practice in such cases. Many countries have used this right. All of the above is fully applicable to the Russian Federation.

2. Nobody questions the results of the Second World War. But it must be borne in mind that history is inexorably moving forward. After 1945, a lot happened that radically changed both the balance of power in the world and the lines of state borders. That is why any results are acceptable to us exactly as long as they do not contradict the fundamental interests of Russia as a successor state, and in many respects the historical and moral heir of the Russian Empire and the USSR.

So far, direct attacks on our citizens have not been carried out. As long as the neighboring countries, formerly part of the Russian Empire or the USSR, do not enter military blocs hostile to us, whose strategic nuclear forces are aimed at our main cities around the clock, and do not begin to threaten our territorial integrity.

3. Peaceful coexistence of different states is possible and necessary. Question: at what cost is it achieved. If at the cost of endless concessions to their historical territories and the abandonment of their citizens, such a peaceful coexistence is not worth a penny. If there is a choice between this coexistence and the protection of fundamental national interests, as well as the lives of our citizens, we must choose the latter. This is the real protection of these national interests, just in a different, tougher form, suitable for such a moment. Anyone who questions the right of his country to such actions cannot be considered its conscientious citizen.

4. There is only one universal instrument for settling international disputes in the world. This is the United Nations and the fundamental documents adopted by it. The tool is universal, but not perfect. It is important that the UN retains the basic principle of international relations: the equality of all states and the obligation to listen to the position of each country, and not just a select few. This is the imperative of the activity of the organization, its jus cogens.

The status of the permanent members of the Security Council, the founding members of the UN, should not be subject to revision, including their veto power. The number of permanent members of the UN Security Council can be expanded, but their powers must be inviolable. Otherwise, the UN will face a systemic crisis and, as a result, the organization will repeat the fate of the late League of Nations.

Humanity will be able to live without the UN. For most of history it has been that way. However, the degradation of the system of international law will certainly come, and the world will return to narrow regional and bilateral agreements on security issues.

5. The crappy Western idea of order based on rules must be decisively rejected as untenable and extremely harmful to humanity. It is not approved by anyone, is completely vague in content and is being promoted in opposition to existing international rules and institutions, including the UN itself. The very idea is dictated by the Anglo-Saxons obsessive desire to create an ideological base for their attempts to dominate the world.

The choice of the rest of the world is not to submit to this idea, but to go its own way.

Medvedev

***

Amen to that

WtR